**** CLEVELAND BROWNS THREAD ****

[amnesiac 889]

if they can keep one between Landry and Beckham, I believe the choice is clear. 
 

and I hope DPJ continues to develop, he could be a nice piece of this group moving forward.  

[top dog 1,666]

33 minutes ago, MAC_32 said:

The cap situation depends on that potential WR room shake up. There is $0 penalty from whacking Beckham and minimal from moving on from Jarvis. Higgins isn't under contract either. Pure speculation, but I wonder if ask Landry to take a pay cut and if he refuses re-sign Higgins then let Juice walk is plan A. And should the latter come to fruition how does Beckham respond? 

I dont expect an analytic heavy front office to prioritize LB. If a rover like JOK fell to us round one, maybe. Otherwise, mid round picks and wave two one year free agents. 

I'd hate to completely revamp the WRs. Not sure how Mayfield will respond to that. He has grown this year, but I'm afraid that he is still needs some maturity to handle that much change at once. I feel like Beckham will be gone this next season. Landry is a comfort piece for Mayfield. I also realize you probably don't have one without the other though. They move OBJ and Landry is probably not long term. Will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

[amnesiac 889]

also, does anyone have any interest in making a new thread?

seems like now would be a good time. 

[MAC_32 12,804]

6 minutes ago, top dog said:

I'd hate to completely revamp the WRs. Not sure how Mayfield will respond to that. He has grown this year, but I'm afraid that he is still needs some maturity to handle that much change at once. I feel like Beckham will be gone this next season. Landry is a comfort piece for Mayfield. I also realize you probably don't have one without the other though. They move OBJ and Landry is probably not long term. Will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

I agree. I think an ideal scenario is Landry restructures, we keep Beckham, replace Higgins with someone like Perriman in March, and add someone like Nico Collins in April. 

[Bobcat10 1,990]

4 hours ago, MAC_32 said:

The cap situation depends on that potential WR room shake up. There is $0 penalty from whacking Beckham and minimal from moving on from Jarvis. Higgins isn't under contract either. Pure speculation, but I wonder if ask Landry to take a pay cut and if he refuses re-sign Higgins then let Juice walk is plan A. And should the latter come to fruition how does Beckham respond? 

I dont expect an analytic heavy front office to prioritize LB. If a rover like JOK fell to us round one, maybe. Otherwise, mid round picks and wave two one year free agents. 

I thought Beckham's clean break was after next season....it's right now?  

[MAC_32 12,804]

4 minutes ago, Bobcat10 said:

I thought Beckham's clean break was after next season....it's right now?  

He is essentially year-to-year

[ChiefD 19,689]

Hats off to the Browns for a great season. Yesterday was such a weird game with the Mahomes injury that I'm not sure how to analyze it. I thought the Chiefs did some really good things, but I also think the Browns did some really good things.

The Chiefs obviously were fortunate on the fumble at the goal line and the non-call of that hit. 

And truth be told - they were fortunate to win that game, period. After that interception by you guys, I fully expected Stefanski to just run, run, run that whole drive to win the game. And I do believe he tried to do that.  But the Chiefs D stepped up when it mattered most.

The Browns are a good team. They are going to be a good thing moving forward. I really like Stefanski as a coach - it seems like finally they have someone and a LOT of pieces in place to build on this. 
 

They are an easy team to root for, that's for sure. And fun to watch. A nice mix of old-school and some new age swagger. 

 

[rockaction 26,184]

6 hours ago, amnesiac said:

if they can keep one between Landry and Beckham, I believe the choice is clear. 
 

and I hope DPJ continues to develop, he could be a nice piece of this group moving forward.  

First, congrats on a great season, guys.

Second, DPJ looks like a find. He can stretch the field with his speed, he seems to have good field awareness, and has size for miles. All in all, it's a heck of a package you guys got in the late rounds. I heard Perriman mentioned, but Perriman is always hurt. Was for the Jets even on a prove-it deal. The ony time he's been with it was for a brief time in Tampa. Might want to see what DPJ has before looking elsewhere.

Anyway, that's my take on brief watching of your team. Congrats again -- you were one bad call away from an AFCCG with Buffalo. 

[beer 30 3,466]

14 minutes ago, ChiefD said:

Hats off to the Browns for a great season. Yesterday was such a weird game with the Mahomes injury that I'm not sure how to analyze it. I thought the Chiefs did some really good things, but I also think the Browns did some really good things.

The Chiefs obviously were fortunate on the fumble at the goal line and the non-call of that hit. 

And truth be told - they were fortunate to win that game, period. After that interception by you guys, I fully expected Stefanski to just run, run, run that whole drive to win the game. And I do believe he tried to do that.  But the Chiefs D stepped up when it mattered most.

The Browns are a good team. They are going to be a good thing moving forward. I really like Stefanski as a coach - it seems like finally they have someone and a LOT of pieces in place to build on this. 
 

They are an easy team to root for, that's for sure. And fun to watch. A nice mix of old-school and some new age swagger. 

 

1. You...get out
2. Congrat's on the win, good game
3. now GTFO

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

14 minutes ago, ChiefD said:

Yesterday was such a weird game with the Mahomes injury that I'm not sure how to analyze it.

First, everyone hopes Patrick is ok but I fear he may not be ready by this weekend.

It was a weird game but you guys came out and dominated early so IMHO you earned the win.

Lots of time to game plan, bringing up the safeties to seal the edge shut down the run game in the first half.  Pressuring from the outside, again with the safeties was a big time move since Baker had been toasting the blitz.  Then the big call to ice the game at the end.

I went to school at CU with Beinemy and I think EB should be an NFL HC.  

[MAC_32 12,804]

38 minutes ago, rockaction said:

DPJ looks like a find. He can stretch the field with his speed, he seems to have good field awareness, and has size for miles. All in all, it's a heck of a package you guys got in the late rounds. I heard Perriman mentioned, but Perriman is always hurt. Was for the Jets even on a prove-it deal. The ony time he's been with it was for a brief time in Tampa. Might want to see what DPJ has before looking elsewhere.

I don't agree. This team needs perimeter weapons that stretch the defense vertically to open things up for everyone else and DPJ can't do that. Not right now anyway. This is where Beckham was sorely missed. If DPJ proves otherwise next season then adjust for '22, but he's to be treated as a #4 or #5 next season. 

Perriman had a good cameo here that he turned into that shot in Tampa. Now that he flopped in New York I expect him to be priced accordingly, which is why I mentioned him. He is interchangeable with any other wide receiver that can stretch defenses vertically. 

[ghostguy123 3,988]

I am just sad.

[amnesiac 889]

24 minutes ago, ghostguy123 said:

I am just sad.

don’t be.  the Browns appear to have a QB and a HC.  
 

they are entering what I would dare to call a “Super Bowl Window”.  
 

it’s a great place to be.  

[amnesiac 889]

once they start paying Mayfield, I’d be surprised if they don’t just start drafting WRs in the 2nd or 3rd round every year and never paying any of them.  
 

ala Rogers and the Packers.  

[ghostguy123 3,988]

Some speed at WR would be lovely

[Soulfly3 4,441]

what's to be sad about?

one blown call away from a completely different game. and it wasnt minor. it was a blatently horrendous non-call.

and ya, we had chances after, but we were up against the REIGNING SB CHAMPS. Not some scrubs.

They know how to pull out these wins, and we still came within a sniff of the W.

i can't wait for the offseason... really cant wait for september

[Uruk-Hai 7,621]

Cleveland's gonna be the favorite to win the AFCN next year, and it won't be like two years ago when it was wishful thinking. 

They'll also probably be - at worst-  the 3rd favorite in the AFC to advance to the SB.

The talent base is there. Keep tweaking and shoring up areas of weakness. Draft good players, sprinkle in FAs to fill holes, and go from there.

The Browns beat the snot out of their nemesis and took the champs to the wire. They shouldn't be afraid of any team going forward.

The future's bright, friends.

[amnesiac 889]

7 round mock draft

lots of defense and a couple WRs.  

[MAC_32 12,804]

Gonna be an interesting few months with that wide receiver room

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

Here's one for Mac's avatar.

-------------------------------

Report: Former Browns head coach Hue Jackson interviews for Steelers offensive coordinator job

--------------------------------

Before anyone gets too excited.

Rooney rule applies to Coordinator hires.

[amnesiac 889]

Stefanski named Coach of the Year

[mr fancypants 368]

Looks like John Dorsey is landing with the Lions as a senior executive.

https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/news/lions-to-hire-john-dorsey

[Peak 1,346]

Have to admit, I was a little peeved to see the helmet to helmet call made in yesterday's game.  Feels like everyone other than CLE gets that call every time.  

Watching the Bills/KC game, I have to think if CLE beat KC, then they would've beaten the Bills.  Buffalo just didn't look good out there.  KC was running the same couple of plays over and over and Buffalo couldn't stop them.  I know we crap on CLE's defense a lot with the soft coverage, but man, they at least held KC to under 30 pts and only lost by 5.  They did their job against a very high powered offense.  Gives me a little optimism going into next year, depending on who leaves for FA, who's retained, and what new toys Berry brings in for the new year.

[MAC_32 12,804]

9 minutes ago, Peak said:

Gives me a little optimism going into next year, depending on who leaves for FA, who's retained, and what new toys Berry brings in for the new year.

We're in a great spot going into 2021. It's gonna be a bumpy couple of months, we aren't going to fill every hole, and there will be some unpopular moves but this team will be substantially better in May than it was last May.

[The Man With No Name 1,139]

 

 

this item from Peter King's column this morning:

  Quote

2. HANK AARON AND THE BROWNS. The man who broke Babe Ruth’s career home-run record, once thought unbreakable died Friday in Atlanta. Aaron was a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So huge that he used to buy single tickets in the Dawg Pound (the end zone with the crazy fans), fly from his Atlanta home to Cleveland on three or four Sunday mornings every autumn, bundle up, sit anonymously and alone in the stands, and fly back to Atlanta Sunday evening. Who knew? Ernie Accorsi, the GM of the Browns in the eighties, did. One summer day in 1986, at Browns training camp in Kirtland, Ohio, Accorsi thought he spied Aaron behind the ropes, watching practice with fans. Accorsi, a huge baseball fan, sidled up near Aaron and introduced himself. “I know you!” Aaron said. “It’s an honor to meet you.” That started a relationship that Accorsi, of course, was thrilled to have. “He told me he sat in the Dawg Pound, alone, for games, and I told him, ‘Hank, we can get you better seats than that.’ He said, ‘I don’t want ‘em. I love sitting there.’ “

Accorsi said Aaron became a Browns fan early in life because they were the first team, under Paul Brown, to sign and feature black stars—Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Len Ford, all of whom earned busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Aaron subscribed to the Cleveland Plain Dealer by mail to follow the team during the season. And once every week or 10 days, Accorsi’s phone would ring, and Aaron would want some scoop on his team. “He’s everything everybody has said about him,” Accorsi said. “A gentleman. Completely humble. And he loved his Browns.”

[amnesiac 889]

Browns have to consider trading OBJ

 

1st round pick?

I’m 100% onboard.  

[ghostguy123 3,988]

9 minutes ago, amnesiac said:

Browns have to consider trading OBJ

 

1st round pick?

I’m 100% onboard.  

We cant possibly get a 1st.  Like, no chance

Edited January 28 by ghostguy123

[amnesiac 889]

6 minutes ago, ghostguy123 said:

We cant possibly get a 1st.  Like, no chance

lol, i agree. 

[Brownsfan 136]

Stefanski AP Coach of the year. Seems like we may have finally found a good one.

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

LET'S GET THE GLEAM

[ghostguy123 3,988]

JJ Watt for a lot of money seems quite intriguing, but probably not a great move.

 

  

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

Missed this one.

Speculation but it makes a lot of sense, probably too much sense to happen but its interesting speculation to say the least.

------------------------------------------------------------

Is Marshon Lattimore On His Way To The Cleveland Browns?

... today, the greater Cleveland area is a-twitter, if you’ll pardon the pun, thanks to Marshon Lattimore‘s latest post.

-------------------------------------------------------

Just trying to put Cleveland on the map be patient and don’t cross me!

— Marshon Lattimore (@shonrp2) February 23, 2021

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New Orleans faces a salary cap challenge, not just this season, but in 2022.

They are likely to lose a couple of key free agents this season.

BUSR@PlayBUSR

Feb 18

The NFL salary cap this year will be a minimum $180M per @AdamSchefter.

The @Saints currently have $255M in salary for next season... Not looking good.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Releasing or trading Lattimore frees up $10 million in 2021 cap space for the Saints.

But you don’t release 3-time Pro Bowl cornerbacks.

Might New Orleans give permission to Lattimore to explore what kind of extension he could get from Cleveland?

... Cleveland owns 9 picks heading into the April NFL draft, and probably doesn’t need to sign 9 rookies.

---------------------------------------

clebrownsnetwork@clebrownsntwork

Denzel Ward is 23 years old, Marshon Lattimore is 24 years old. Both grew up in Cleveland, both went to Ohio State University #Browns

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

Pete Smith jumped on the Lattimore speculation, giving more detail to how he'd fit schematically with the ability to man-up with Denzel.

Marshon Lattimore Could Be Great Option For Browns Secondary, But Hurdles are Sizable

Quote

 

... an extremely talented player that offers both size and tremendous physical ability at a critical position. 6', around 200 pounds with elite speed and explosion and turning just 25 years old in May ...

... if they were to acquire Lattimore, along with Denzel Ward, they would have a pair of corners who can basically man up anyone in the NFL. They could play zone to throw off tendency and try to confuse opponents, but both players are betters suited to man up and run with opposing receivers.

That could be a massive benefit to the Browns pass rush, forcing quarterback to hesitate and hold the ball longer which would allow Myles Garrett and company to get to the quarterback.

It could also free up the Browns safeties, which figure to be a huge part of the defense and allow them to focus on the run and patrol passing lanes...

 

Brent Sobleski@brentsobleski

The Cleveland Browns are the only team among the top 10 in active spending still in the black even with the reduced salary cap. And that's why rollover cap space is important.

[amnesiac 889]

speculation is that the Browns will let Higgins walk.  
 

I’d rather have Higgins than Beckham at their respective prices.  

[MAC_32 12,804]

42 minutes ago, amnesiac said:

speculation is that the Browns will let Higgins walk.  
 

I’d rather have Higgins than Beckham at their respective prices.  

I don't think the question is Higgins or Beckham - if anything it's Higgins or Landry. 

[amnesiac 889]

On 3/8/2021 at 10:41 AM, MAC_32 said:

I don't think the question is Higgins or Beckham - if anything it's Higgins or Landry. 

maybe we're not asking the right questions.

[Bobcat10 1,990]

3 hours ago, amnesiac said:

maybe we're not asking the right questions.

Wild couple months ahead...sit back and enjoy.  So many different paths we can take in regards to balancing the FA spend and the draft.  I'm glad we didn't land Watt though.  

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

First FA signing.

Haven't a clue about him but from everything I've heard and read it looks like a solid signing.

Browns make a free agency splash with the signing of S John Johnson

[MAC_32 12,804]

2 minutes ago, Bracie Smathers said:

First FA signing.

Haven't a clue about him but from everything I've heard and read it looks like a solid signing.

Browns make a free agency splash with the signing of S John Johnson

It's better than that. A lot better than that. 

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

Just now, MAC_32 said:

It's better than that. A lot better than that. 

JT like the signing.

-------------------------

Joe Thomas@joethomas73

Additionally, Johnson has been the play caller on the @RamsNFL

defense. translation= super smart, great leader...exactly what the young and talented Browns secondary needed to add Bravo to Browns GM Andrew Berry for once again combining a position of need with a top FA

Nathan Zegura@NathanZegura

First reported signing. Johnson is an elite coverage safety. Johnson, Delpit and Harrison will allow Joe Woods to really employ the D he wants twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…

------------------------------------

I've seen a Pats board with rumors of us trading for CB Stephon Gilmore.  

Secondary a huge need as is DE/pass rusher, DT, and LBer, in addition to a deep threat.  

Last year the big FA signing was Conklin and that worked out great.  FA doesn't begin officially for a few days so I expect at least one more big signing.

[Peak 1,346]

13 hours ago, Bracie Smathers said:

First FA signing.

Haven't a clue about him but from everything I've heard and read it looks like a solid signing.

Browns make a free agency splash with the signing of S John Johnson

Johnson was the guy who picked off Baker's would be TD that sealed the win for the Rams last year.  He flies around the field, a good tackler, and always has a knack for being near, if not involved in, the play on the field.  Really like this signing.

[amnesiac 889]

17 hours ago, Bracie Smathers said:

 

Secondary a huge need as is DE/pass rusher, DT, and LBer

other than that, the defense is pretty solid.

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

19 minutes ago, amnesiac said:

other than that, the defense is pretty solid.

Check out Mike Clay's positional grades.

First before we signed Johnson from two days ago.

Cleveland Browns safety position grade is .05

Second after we signed Johnson.

Cleveland Browns safety positional grade leaps up to 3.1

Massive improvement.  Also our DC has been building the D to run a ton of 3 safety and only 2 LBers so the low grade at LB can be vastly improved with another solid addition.

That one signing boosted our overall defensive ranking from 21 to 16, right in the middle of the league.

Edited March 16 by Bracie Smathers

[amnesiac 889]

it's just funny you listed every position on defense as needing an upgrade.

 

i'm sure they'll add a few more pieces and i'm hoping they will be a lot better next year. 

[Bobcat10 1,990]

21 hours ago, MAC_32 said:

It's better than that. A lot better than that. 

I drool about him every time I see the Rams play.  Thought he would always be a pipe dream to land though.  Here comes the 3 safety onslaught...love it!

Edited March 16 by Bobcat10

[The Man With No Name 1,139]

2 hours ago, amnesiac said:

it's just funny you listed every position on defense as needing an upgrade.

 

i'm sure they'll add a few more pieces and i'm hoping they will be a lot better next this year. 

 

[Soulfly3 4,441]

HOLLYWOOD BABY!!!

[amnesiac 889]

55 minutes ago, Soulfly3 said:

HOLLYWOOD BABY!!!

Whoop!!

[Bracie Smathers 3,776]

Sig is correct stating Hill is a bargain but I don't know that he will be the starting boundary corner opposite Denzel.  CB Troy Hill is known more as a slot corner which would mean that he will be replacing CB Kevin Johnson.  If that is the case and I think it is then we still need an outside starting CB because we can't count on Greedy and Terrence Mitchell signed with Houston.

-------------------------------------------

Sigmund Bloom@SigmundBloom

What a bargain! Browns finally have a quality running mate for Denzel Ward. Rams were smart to put first round tender on Darious Williams or they might have lost him too

Ian Rapoport@RapSheet

The #Browns are signing former #Rams CB Troy Hill to a 4-year, $24M deal, source said, adding to their defensive haul in free agency. The Youngstown native, who had three defensive TDs last year, returns home.

----------------------------------

[amnesiac 889]

who’s ready for another year of Cody Parkey?