Monthly Archives: January 2020

Browns select Tristan Wirfs in Lance Zierlein’s mock

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NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has released his first mock draft and has the Cleveland Browns selecting an offensive tackle in Tristan Wirfs.

Add another mock draft that has the Cleveland Browns taking an offensive tackle. Lance Zierlein has Cleveland selecting Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Mel Kiper Jr., Daniel Jeremiah, and Dane Brugler also have Cleveland drafting an offensive tackle. Jeremiah and Brugler opted for Andrew Thomas while Mel Kiper Jr. went with Mekhi Becton. Matt Miller was the only one not mocking a tackle to Cleveland, going with Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons instead.

Zierlein has just one offensive tackle going ahead of Wirfs, Jedrick Wills to Arizona at eight. Kiper’s pick of Becton goes to the Jets at 11 and Thomas going to Denver at 15th overall.

Three quarterbacks being taken in the first six picks is why Cleveland essentially has their choice of offensive tackles. Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert push down the offensive tackle prospects in this mock draft. This is something that is very likely to happen on draft day. Of course a series of trades could change things entirely. If a team is desperate enough for an offensive tackle they could trade up in order to draft who they perceive to be their top target.

Cleveland could go either way (trade up or trade down) on draft day. It all depends on who is available and whether or not they feel that acquiring more draft picks will provide more value than a player they could draft at 10th overall.

Browns part ways with Highsmith, Wolf

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The Cleveland Browns have decided to part ways with VP of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith and Assistant GM Eliot Wolf.

This was something that everyone saw coming from a mile away. Once Cleveland hired Andrew Berry to be their next general manager, the clock on Alonzo Highsmith’s time with the Browns began ticking.

Alonzo Highsmith doesn’t seem to be too torn up on his departure.

Assistant General Manager Eliot Wolf’s status with the team is unclear.

Eliot Wolf could very well be on his way out too. Although, there is a possibility he remains with the Browns. Even though that possibility seems to be rather slim.

A later update confirmed that the Browns and Wolf have parted ways.

The Browns have also parted ways with their Director of College Scouting Steve Malin.
Will the Browns plan work? Nobody knows

These are a lot of bold moves for a group who have a lot of questions surrounding their ability to evaluate talent. They may have played the game. They may have been around other people who have put together good football teams. What that does not mean is that they know how to properly evaluate talent or put together a football team.

At some point there will have to someone who can evaluate talent in the room. If not, they are just finding a different path towards failure. It is not about being a “football guy”, it is about knowing what will or will not work on the football field.

Letting Alonzo Highsmith, Steve Malin, and Eliot Wolf will lead to even more questions about their process. This will also lead each move they make to be placed under a microscope. Analyzed to the point of exhaustion that will only lead to even more arguments and criticisms about whatever it is they’re doing.

Like it or not, coming out in this fashion with personnel moves is welcoming the criticism. This regime believes they have it right, that they know how to properly build a team and construct a winning roster. Very few people outside of the Browns organization believe they know what they’re doing. Either everyone else in the world is wrong about their ability to run a football team or they actually have no idea what they’re doing.

Andrew Berry, Paul DePodesta, and Kevin Stefanski better hope they are right. If not, the quick trigger that Jimmy Haslam possesses could come into play and they could be out of a job just as fast as they got the job in the first place.

Cavaliers fall to Pelicans at home

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were unable to win a second consecutive game, falling to the New Orleans Pelicans by a score of 125-111.

Coming off defeating the Detroit Pistons in the front end of a back-to-back, the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans proved to be too much for the Cavs as they were unable to turn one win into a winning streak.

There was not one specific quarter which led to the loss. This is a bit different when compared to previous losses. The 3rd quarter has been where the Cavaliers typically fall apart. New Orleans outscored Cleveland by 3-6 points in the first three quarters, it was a consistent and gradual extension of the lead, not just one blowout quarter.

Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr. lead Cavaliers offense

There were only two members of the Cleveland Cavaliers to eclipse points in the game, Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr. Collin Sexton led the team in scoring with 24 points on 9-20 shooting (2-5 3PT) with 4 assists, 3 rebounds, two steals, and one block. That block was an epic moment for Collin Sexton. Of all the Pelicans that Collin Sexton could have blocked, he managed to block Zion Williamson.

This was perhaps the most surprising play of the game. Williamson having a dunk attempt thwarted by Collin Sexton was not expected by anyone. Tristan Thompson? Maybe. But Collin Sexton? Absolutely not.

Kevin Porter Jr. led the Cavs bench scoring effort with 21 points in 26 minutes. This was Porter’s second game since returning from his knee injury. Porter made half of his shots (8 of 16), five of which were three-pointers. Porter also had 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in the contest.

A tribute from Larry Nance Jr.

When Larry Nance Jr. first arrived in Cleveland he donned the number 24 for a handful of games. That was before putting on his more familiar number 22 that his father also wore and has been retired by the Cavaliers. Nance started Tuesday’s game wearing the number 24 jersey.

Larry Nance Jr. was a teammate of Kobe Bryant for one season in Los Angeles. Like many NBA players, Nance wanted to pay tribute and honor Bryant’s legacy. Nance wore the number 24 in honor of his former Lakers teammate.

Larry Nance Jr. had quite a game for the Cavs, filling the stat sheet out quite nicely. Nance finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and two assists. Nance’s 17 points came on 6-10 shooting, 1-3 from deep, and making all four free throw attempts.

The Cavaliers have a tough matchup ahead of them on Thursday as the reigning NBA Champion Toronto Raptors come to town.

Monsters represented by Adam Clendening

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Adam Clendening was the lone representative of the Cleveland Monsters at the AHL All-Star Classic taking place in Ontario, California. 

Adam Clendening appeared in three events during the skills competition. The Monsters defenseman also appeared in the North Division’s three losses Monday night. 

Skills competition 

Adam Clendening appeared in the Accuracy Shooting, Pass and Score challenge, and Breakaway Relay events.

During the accuracy challenge, Clendening managed to hit all four targets, but needed eight attempts in order to do so. This put Clendening in 4th place for this competition behind Charles Hudon, Chris Terry, and Gerald Mayhew.

While participating in the Pass and Score event, Clendening was teamed up with Jeremy Braccco and Alex Barre-Boulet. This trio converted 2 of 3 shot attempts against Cal Petersen.

Clendening failed to score on his attempt in the Breakaway Relay. Facing Cal Petersen again, he managed to stop his attempt.

Games

Adam Clendening appeared in all three games that the North Division All-Stars participated in. Unfortunately, they lost all three. Clendening tallied 1 assist across all three games.

The North All-Stars lost Game 1 to the Pacific All-Star 6-5 in a shootout. The North All-Stars had more shots on goal than the Pacific All-Stars (12-10).

Their second game was also a 6-5 final, but was final in their 2 period regulation format. The North All-Stars led in shots (16-14), but that did not help them when it comes to the final score.

Game 3 was not close. The Atlantic All-Stars won the game in a decisive manner 5-2. This was the only game that the North All-Stars did not lead in shots, being outshot by the Atlantic All-Stars 17-13.

Adam Clendening will return to the Monsters as they prepare to for a six-game home stand.

Cavaliers to host Pelicans Tuesday

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The Cleveland Cavaliers return home after snapping their seven-game losing streak and will take on the New Orleans Pelicans.

It is the second game of a back-to-back for the Cleveland Cavaliers and they will look to win their second consecutive game. Monday’s win snapped a seven-game losing streak and has put Cleveland in a position to win back-to-back games for the first time since January 9th and 11th. That will be a tough task as Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans come to town and winning will not be easy.

Zion Williamson has only played three games, but he appears to be as good as advertised. Williamson is averaging 19.3 points, 8 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game. Zion has made 66.7% of his 12 field goal attempts per game. Williamson even went 4-4 from three-point range in his NBA debut to the surprise of almost everyone.

Of course there are other players on the Pelicans of note, Zion is just the most noteworthy. Brandon Ingram is their top scorer with 25 points per game. Derrick Favors’ 10 rebounds per game makes him the top rebounder for New Orleans. Lonzo Ball leads the team in assists with 6.6. per game. but Jrue Holiday averages just 0.3 less per game than Ball.

One person the Cavaliers must keep track of is J.J. Reddick. Reddick is averaging 46.8% from three-point range and can make teams pay in a hurry. The Cavaliers defense can be taken advantage of from deep and that could very well happen again Tuesday night.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Kevin Porter Jr. returns for Cavaliers

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Kevin Porter Jr. returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup Monday and contributed to snapping their seven-game losing streak.

After missing the previous 10 games, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Porter Jr. returned to action Monday night in Detroit. Porter was out due to a knee injury. An injury which initially had a return timetable of 1-2 weeks. After reevaluating his knee, the determination was made that more time was needed in order to recover. 

Kevin Porter Jr. came off the bench and played 16 minutes in the Cavaliers 115-100 victory over the Pistons. Porter went 4-8 from the field and made his lone free throw attempt of the night, totaling nine points. Porter also had three steals a, one block, and one rebound. 

Kevin Porter Jr. was the only Cavs bench player to finish was a plus/minus over +10.  In fact, Porter’s plus/minus of +11 was better than two of Cleveland’s starters (Collin Sexton and Darius Garland both finished at +10 in the contest). 

The Cavaliers look like a completely different team when they have Kevin Porter Jr. There is certainly more athleticism in the lineup with Porter in it The Cavaliers appear to mesh a bit better compared to when others are in the lineup. 

Kevin Porter Jr. is currently averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.8 minutes per game this season. Porter should be an integral piece for the Cavaliers moving forward. Cleveland is looking for pieces that will help them in the long-term and Porter looks like a legitimate long-term piece. A core consisting of Porter, Collin Sexton, and Darius Garland could be a promising start as the Cavaliers continue to build in the second post-LeBron era.

Cavaliers defeat Pistons, end losing streak

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have defeated the Detroit Pistons by score of 115-100. This snaps their seven-game losing streak.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into Monday’s game needing a win in the worst way. Losers of seven straight games, they hoped that their matchup with the Detroit Pistons would provide them with that elusive win they are searching for.

1st half

The Cleveland Cavaliers got of to an impressive start in the 1st half, leading the Detroit Pistons 53-45 Cleveland’s largest lead was 11 points.

Kevin Love led all players with 20 points while Tristan Thompson led all players with nine rebounds. Love went 7-11 from the field in the first half including 6-8 from three-point range. Love was absolutely lethal from deep and every attempt seemed destined to go in.

Cleveland’s guards were not been great in the scoring department (11 points between them on 4-13 from the field), but that did not stop them from helping other ways. Collin Sexton had three assists and three rebounds and Darius Garland had a team-high four assists.

The Cavaliers went 21-49 from the field, 6-15 from three-point range and made 5-6 free throw attempts. Cleveland led Detroit in rebounds 27-20 and finished tied in assists (10) and turnovers (10).

2nd half

Cleveland outscored Detroit 36-27 and were led by Collin Sexton’s 10 points in the quarter. The Cavs finally appeared to avoid what has caused them to lose so many of their games this season, the 3rd quarter letdown.

Cleveland continued their excellent play into the 4th quarter and refused to allow Detroit back into the game. The Cavaliers outscored the Pistons 62-55 in the 2nd half, leading to the team ending their second-longest losing streak of the season.

The Cavaliers carried over their performance from the 1st half into the 2nd half. The Cavs went 27-47 from the field and made three of nine shots from deep. Cleveland just edged out Detroit in rebounds (18-17) and nearly doubled their assist total in quarters three and four (15-8) while only having half the amount of turnovers (4-8).

Player highlights

Collin Sexton led the Cavs in scoring with 23 points on 10-19 from the field. Sexton missed his only three-point attempt of the game and went 3-4 from the free throw line.

Kevin Love did not score in the 2nd half, finishing with the 20 points he ended the 1st half with. Love also had seven rebounds and two assists in the contest.

Tristan Thompson also had a productive 2nd half, scoring wise, adding 10 points to his total to finish with 17 on the night. Thompson also added two rebounds to his total, (11) and ended up with a double-double.

Alfonzo McKinnie had a strong showing off the bench, 15 points on 6-10 shooting in 25 minutes. McKinnnie went 2-4 from three-point range, 1-2 from the charity stripe. McKinnie also added three rebounds, one assists, one steal, and one block to round out his night.

Larry Nance Jr. was the final Cavaliers player to finish in double-digits (10 points). Nance filled out the stat sheet with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal.

Cleveland’s 115-100 victory over the Pistons is their first win on the front end of a back-to-back this season. With their losing streak finally over, they will head home to take on Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday at 7:30 P.M.

Indians should inquire about Nick Senzel

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After signing Nicholas Castellanos, the Cincinnati Reds could be looking to trade Nick Senzel and the Cleveland Indians should definitely be interested.

The Cleveland Indians should contact the Cincinnati Reds if they are truly looking to move Nick Senzel.

Senzel’s role and playing time in Cincinnati may have changed significantly due to the signing of Nicholas Castellanos. Their outfield now has a group that features Castellanos in addition to Phillip Ervin, Jesse Winker, and Aristides Aquino.

Cincinnati is clearly going for it this season, meaning they might look for immediate production rather than waiting for someone like Nick Senzel to develop. It is a bit shortsighted, but the National League Central looks prime for the taking. Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis are not necessarily the same caliber of team that they were during the previous three seasons. Cincinnati has clearly closed the gap and may even win the division.

Nick Senzel has experience in the infield, having spent the majority of his time in the minors at third base. The problem? Eugenio Suarez has that position on lockdown for the foreseeable future. Senzel also spent time at second base, but the team went out and signed Mike Moustakas to play second. It really seems like Nick Senzel could be the odd man out in Cincinnati.

While the Reds could also trade someone like Phillip Ervin or Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel could net the biggest return. A return which could make the immediate impact that Cincinnati is looking for.

How does Nick Senzel fit in with Cleveland?

When it comes to Cleveland, their outfield is a giant question mark outside of Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow’s platoon status. Franmil Reyes is also in the mix, but appears to be destined to be their designated hitter due to being a liability defensively. Jake Bauers, Greg Allen, Delino DeShields, and Bradley Zimmer are also outfield options for the Indians to consider. They are not necessarily all that exciting options, but they are options nonetheless.

Nick Senzel struggled at times with the Reds last season. Although, the 24-year old has produced at the minor league level and could be of interest of teams willing to wait for him to develop. The fact that Senzel is controllable through the 2025 season could be of interest to the Tribe. A trade for Senzel seems to mesh with the relatively risk-averse team building strategy. There is still risk when it comes to trading for a player, but less risk than offering a large contract to a player in free agency.

Browns hire Andrew Berry as GM

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The Cleveland Browns have agreed to a five-year contract with Philadelphia Eagles VP of Football Operations Andrew Berry.

Alignment. Shared Vision. Cohesion. Jimmy Haslam stated earlier this offseason that the goal of the Cleveland Browns is to be aligned. Now they appear one step closer to accomplishing their goal. After a long arduous search, the Cleveland Browns will have agreed to terms with Andrew Berry as their next general manager.

Andrew Berry was the Vice President of Football Operations for the Phialdelphia Eagles last season. Once George Paton withdrew from the GM search, hiring Andrew Berry seemed inevitable. Although, Paton really did not seem all that likely to take the job. Paton’s relationship with new Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski seemed to be the driving factor behind the two interviews.

Berry will have control over the 53-man roster in Cleveland and will be the youngest general manager in the NFL per Ian Rapoport.

Love it or hate it, analytics is here for the time being. The group led by Paul DePodesta will be dictating all of the moves. DePodesta is Jimmy Haslam’s right hand man and will play a large role in the direction of the franchise. Andrew Berry is going to be the Browns general manager, but Paul DePodesta is still going to carry a lot of pull within in the organization.

The Browns are in a completely different state currently than the last time they went all-in on analytics. There is a lot of talent to work with and they appear closer to being good than bad and there are several potential franchise cornerstones already on the roster. This makes things a bit easier when trying to build a team. It may even lead to a completely different mindset when it comes to the Cleveland Browns and analytics.

Cavaliers look to snap seven-game losing streak

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost seven straight games and are looking to get back into the win column against the Pistons in Detroit.

Cleveland is currently on a seven-game losing streak that dates back to January 13th. Saturday’s loss to Chicago was also their 13th loss in their last 16 games. The 12-34 Cleveland Cavaliers will look to snap their second-longest losing streak of the season. They will have that chance Monday on the road against the 17-30 Detroit Pistons.

Cleveland has faced Detroit twice during the aforementioned 16 game span, splitting the two games. The Cavaliers lost their first meeting with the Pistons at the beginning of December by a score of 127-94. Cleveland is averaging 105.8 points per game over their past 16 games while giving up 115.4 per game. It is hard to win consistently when being outscored by nearly 10 points per game over an extended period.

The real eye-opening aspect of this lackluster stretch is how frequently their opponent has scored 109 points or more. It has happened in 13 of their 16 games. Meanwhile, Cleveland has been held below 109 points nine times during this 16-game span. This leads to some bad news when it comes to tonight’s opponent. The Pistons are averaging 112.3 points per game during the month of January. While it is less than Cleveland’s 115.4 PPG given up the last 16 games, it is still above that 109 point threshold that has led to the majority of their recent losses.

Cleveland is going to have to do two things they struggle with if they are going to come out on top Monday. Play solid defense and score a lot of points. It is a lot easier said than done and an eighth straight loss is a real possibility. A loss Monday would tie Cleveland’s season-long losing streak. A streak which ran from November 25th to December 11th and includes their first loss to Detroit this season.