Category Archives: Browns

What’s next for Duke Johnson?

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The deicison to sign Kareem Hunt to an already full backfield makes the future of Duke Johnson in a Cleveland Browns uniform uncertain.

It is not just the signing of Kareem Hunt that causes issues. Hunt may be suspended for a part of the season that will leave Duke Johnson with many opportunities before his return to the field. It is the comments from John Dorsey that make his future in Cleveland rather uncertain.

“I don’t think it makes him expendable yet.”

John Dorsey on Duke Johnson during Monday’s press conference

It is that phrase in particular which calls into question Duke Johnson’s future. Most notably the use of the word yet. Yet implies that there will be a time in the future that Johnson will become expendable. Of course there are several caveats to this potential expandability.

Kareem Hunt is cleared to play and plays well

This is the first and most obvious. If the NFL clears Kareem Hunt to play and he plays well that certainly points in the direction of Duke Johnson being expendable. Hunt is capable of doing everything that Johnson can and he can do it better. Hunt could play just well enough that Johnson could end up being part of a trade, but that will be covered later.

Duke Johnson’s injury history

Duke Johnson is notorious for suffering in game injuries which limit his on field production. Johnson will make an outstanding play which gives the Browns offense momentum and ends up on the sideline with an injury of some sort. While Johnson is yet to miss game in his career, there is always that chance he will exit a game and not return due to injury. Relying on someone who seemingly is always injured is not the best tactic.

A potential position change?

This is a particular topic which has been discussed ad nauseam. Potentially transitioning Duke Johnson to a wide receiver. More specifically a slot receiver. While he would not be a true receiver, he could be used in the passing game to exploit mismatches. Johnson is physically larger than most defensive backs and faster than most linebackers. Johnson possesses the elusiveness to play the position and could make defending the Cleveland Browns passing attack an absolute nightmare.

A trade on the horizon?

This is based off of John Dorsey’s comments mentioned earlier and if Kareem Hunt plays well. There is a general consensus that Duke Johnson has not been used correctly during his time in Cleveland. Whether it is not being used enough or simply running the wrong plays, Johnson’s tenure in Cleveland has not been without scrutiny.

Other teams in the NFL are aware of Duke Johnson’s talent and may be interested in acquiring his services. This would be with the hopes that they can finally get the most out of the former Miami Hurricane. Dorsey’s comments have opened the door for trade rumors and other GM’s would be wise to start making calls now.

This could be much ado about nothing

Again this goes back to Dorsey’s comments before the use of the word yet. Also this factors in the fact that Kareem Hunt may be missing quite a bit of time this season, if he plays at all. Hunt may not even be active before the trade deadline which could make the prospect of trading Duke Johnson less attractive.

Cleveland could also be looking into having multiple running backs on the roster capable of making plays at any given moment. This would point towards keeping Duke Johnson and not trading him elsewhere.

At this moment in time Duke Johnson is a running back for the Cleveland Browns. Whether that changes or not in the future remains to be seen. However this will add some intrigue as the team prepares for next season.

Browns compound mistakes in signing Kareem Hunt

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The Cleveland Browns signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt and it really just compounds a larger problem.

There was a time when Kareem Hunt was considered one of, if not the best running back in all of football. Coming off being the NFL’s rushing leader as a rookie, Hunt found himself quickly thrust into the spotlight. As the 2018 season progressed that spotlight was not on his on field performance. It was squarely on a February 2018 incident at a downtown Cleveland hotel. Soon afterwards Hunt was released by the Kansas City Chiefs and remained unsigned until February 11, 2019. That is when the Cleveland Browns agreed to sign Hunt.

Kareem Hunt is a talented running back and can be one of the most dynamic offensive players in the game. That is not the issue. The issue is with Hunt’s now very apparent anger problem and decision making. In addition to the widely publicized hotel incident, there are two other incidents that have been investigated by the NFL. The fact that there are multiple incidents shows that this is not a one time issue, but a pattern of poor decision making.

While away from football Kareem Hunt has made attempts to better himself. Attending alcohol and anger management counseling, Hunt is publicly showing his attempts to be a better person. Whether they are authentic or not is a completely different story.

Kareem Hunt will most likely serve a suspension of some sort and at this time has been placed on the all too familiar Commissioner’s Exempt List. If this list sounds familiar, Josh Gordon has spent plenty of time previously on the same list.

Browns are just doubling down on bad decisions

This is not the first questionable decision that the Cleveland Browns made this offseason. The decision to hire Mike Priefer as the special teams coordinator was the first mistake. Priefer made egregious statements during his time with the Minnesota Vikings in regards to the LGBT community. The statements were wrong then and they are wrong now, regardless of any sort of “apology” made by Priefer. Now the Browns are showing that they are perfectly fine with the actions of Kareem Hunt.

The team, team officials and anyone associated with the team can claim they do not condone his actions, but the fact that the Browns signed him says something entirely different. The Browns may perform extensive research in regards to the incidents and truly believe that he can better himself. Cleveland may feel that Kareem Hunt deserves a second chance. While giving someone a second chance is perfectly fine in most cases, this is not one of them. Once a man commits an act of violence against a woman all second chances should be revoked. It is unacceptable to allow someone without the ability to realize that this action is wrong to play in the league ever again.

What message are the Browns truly sending?

The message they are sending is that as long as you can make plays and help the team win games, it really does not matter what you do off the field. Saying that gays should be nuked? Perfectly fine. Committing unnecessary acts of violence against women? That is fine too. But the reality of the situation is that neither are fine. In fact both are unacceptable.

In a perfect world neither person would be associated with the Cleveland Browns. While this would not necessarily keep Hunt or Priefer out of the league, it would at least keep the Browns on the right track they appeared to be headed in previously. One that not only was that of a quality football team, but one that did not employ people with a background as questionable as Hunt’s and Priefer’s.

John Dorsey is taking a chance on Kareem Hunt to help the Cleveland Browns win games, but that does not mean if another issues arises that he will not move on immediately.

Once on the field and in uniform will Kareem Hunt help the Cleveland Browns win games? If he is in NFL shape, absolutely. Hunt is a great football player and someone with his particular skill set is what an NFL team seeks to acquire. Players with Hunt’s talent can make the difference in deciding games. However that is not what the issue is. The issue is that Hunt has some serious off the field issues and it is highly unlikely that counseling can magically fix them.

Sure, Dorsey has shown previously he will not deal with nonsense when an additional chance has been given. A perfect example of this is moving on from Josh Gordon. If Hunt finds himself involved in another incident, it would be hard to imagine Dorsey not cutting ties right then and there.

At the end of the day the Cleveland Brown do not need Kareem Hunt

The Browns already have two running backs more than capable of being productive in the NFL. Nick Chubb graded out as the top running back according to Pro Football Focus and if used correctly Duke Johnson is an excellent back in the passing game. Kareem Hunt is not a need, he is a luxury and a highly controversial one at that.

Cleveland was able to win games and put together one of the best offenses in football down the stretch and that was without Kareem Hunt. That was with Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson handling the running back duties. While both are capable or performing well, the offense does not run through the running back position. The Browns offense runs through Baker Mayfield and not the running backs, not matter how good they are. Mayfield is what makes the offense work, most other pieces are replaceable and interchangeable. Sure elite players help, but they are not a necessity with Mayfield lining up under center.

Kareem Hunt may do something in a Cleveland Browns uniform, he may do absolutely nothing. Only time will tell. What is known is that the Browns signed Kareem Hunt even though it is an extremely controversial move and rather unpopular.

Well it is unpopular in most circles, there are fans that just put blinders on and applaud the signing of an excellent player. Even if said player did something so disgusting and lied about it to his former team who subsequently released him.

JC Tretter is AFC North’s best center

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Pro Football Focus has graded and ranked Cleveland Browns JC Tretter as the best center in the AFC North and eighth best in the league.

Pro Football Focus is a useful tool when evaluating NFL talent. When PFF put out their rankings and grades for centers, some may have been surprised when discovering the final rankings for the AFC North. Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter came out as the best in the division.

Pro Football Focus graded JC Tretter as above average with a numerical score of 72.3. In addition to ranking as the best center in the division, Tretter ranked eighth overall in the entire league.

When evaluating Tretter’s performance last season there is something to keep in mind. Tretter started all 16 games while injured. Granted most players end up playing hurt or injured, but considering Tretter was dealing with an ankle injury is a bit impressive. (A high ankle sprain to be more specific). Playing the center position and succeeding with an ankle sprain is no small feat. Performing as the best center in the division and eighth-best in the league is quite the accomplishment. Not many players are capable of performing this well in all 16 games while dealing with an injury for most of it.

When JC Tretter initially signed his three-year $16.75 million deal before the 2017 season, there were mixed opinions. Some applauded the signing while others viewed this as an overpay. Add in the fact the team drafted Austin Corbett in the second round last year, many viewed Tretter as on the way out. It is possible that Corbett’s presence could have played into Tretter’s performance this past season. Although it is worth noting that Tretter performed as one of the NFL’s best centers. Tretter will make $6.75 million in 2019, 11th most in the NFL. Considering that others may eclipse this mark that are not necessarily of the same quality as Tretter only makes this deal better. JC Tretter is a quality center with good contract value. The Browns offensive line is in a good spot moving forward.

Browns draft plans no longer a heated debate

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The draft plans of the Cleveland Browns is no longer a heated debate since the team does not have one of the top picks in the draft.

It has been three years since the Cleveland Browns did not have one of the top two picks in the NFL Draft. Granted Cleveland did execute several trades to move out of the second spot in 2016. Now Cleveland owns the 17th pick in April’s draft and their plans are no longer a heated debate until they eventually make their pick.

Arguments over quarterback, defensive line and best overall player were common place for three seasons. Discussions of Carson Wentz, Joey Bosa, Ezekeil Elliot, Mitchell Trubisky, Myles Garrett, Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley were the norm. This did not apply to just local coverage. Even the national television shows routinely help contentious debates over what the Browns should do. Referring to them as debates is being a bit kind, shouting matches is more accurate.

After tumultuous seasons in 2016 and 2017 which saw the team win exactly one game, Cleveland finally put things together and have a later draft pick. The team botched the 2016 draft, but absolutely nailed 2017 and 2018 by selecting Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield with the number one pick. The team now has a premier pass rusher and a franchise quarterback. Two cornerstones of most successful NFL franchises. Of course the franchise quarterback is the most essential to the equation.

Now discussions about what the Browns should do are a little more calm and reasonable. Discussions no longer turn into screaming matches over what the team should do. The arguments of quarterback versus best player available are no more. With their draft position the wait for the draft is a little bit calmer. Not having daily debates over what the Browns should do at the top of the draft is a relaxing feeling. This may be the first of several years with rational draft discussions.

Cleveland Browns waive Tanner Vallejo

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The Cleveland Browns have waived linebacker Tanner Vallejo after just one season with team. Vallejo appeared in 13 games with Cleveland.

Tanner Vallejo was not long for the Cleveland Browns. The team decided to waive the 24-year old linebacker after just one season with the team. Vallejo initially came to Cleveland after being waived by the Buffalo Bills on September 1, 2018. The Browns claimed Vallejo off waivers shortly after.

Appearing in 13 games for the Browns, Vallejo made 27 combined tackles and forced one fumble. Vallejo started one game for the Browns due to a rash of injures during the season. Vallejo’s season ended due to a hamstring injury. Cleveland placed Vallejo on injured reserve on December 28th.

It is rather clear that Vallejo did not have a future in Cleveland. The roster already boasts some linebackers who the team currently values more. Additionally there are upgrades that can be made via free agency or the upcoming draft.

Tanner Vallejo did not last long on the waiver wire

In a series of events that is extremely similar to last season, Tanner Vallejo went to the team with waiver priority. Cleveland held this title last season, Arizona has it this season. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news.

Apparently other teams placed claims for Tanner Vallejo.

Apparently Vallejo is a player of interest to several teams. As Rapoport put it, a lot of teams. For someone who went his entire rookie season without a tackle, Vallejo sure garnered a lot of interest. In fact all of Vallejo’s 27 tackles came during his one season in Cleveland.

Tanner Vallejo may be able to carve out a career with the Arizona Cardinals. While it did not quite work out in Cleveland, Arizona should be able to provide an opportunity he would not have had with the Browns.

Browns would be foolish to trade Zeitler

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A comment made by Mark Kay Cabot on the radio suggests the Browns may trade Kevin Zeitler in order to play Austin Corbett. If it is true, doing so would be incredibly foolish.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com appeared on 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland Tuesday and made a comment in regards to the Browns roster. Cabot suggested that the Browns could trade Kevin Zeitler in order to play second round pick Austin Corbett. While this may just be speculation, if it were to come true it would be a mistake.

It is understandable to want to give their second round pick playing time. Nobody wants a pick they made to be considered a mistake. However trading a proven commodity for an unknown with the team on the upswing is an unwise decision. Pro Football Focus ranked Kevin Zeitler as the sixth-best guard with a grade of above average. Let’s think about that for a second. Only five guards in the entire league performed better than Zeitler according to PFF’s standards. Simply suggesting that trading one of the best guards in the league just to play Corbett could produce negative results.

Austin Corbett appeared in 11 games as a rookie. There was a stretch where Corbett missed some time due to injury, but Corbett recovered and was able to participate in the final two games of the season. Not much is known about what exactly Corbett is capable of at the NFL level. Corbett only participated in a handful of plays and did not get an extensive look whatsoever.

If Cleveland did want to move on from Zeitler, after next season would be a better option. There is an out in Zeitler’s contract after the year is up and it would allow Corbett some time to grow as an NFL player while providing the team with a fallback plan in case of injury. Corbett could eventually be the answer at either guard position, but with team poised for a playoff run and with high aspirations, making a major change on the offensive line could be a recipe for disaster. The Browns are not hurting for money or lack cap space. Holding on to Zeitler (for now) is a better option than trading him at this moment in time.

Browns are 20/1 to win next Super Bowl

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Browns to the Super Bowl?

In what could possibly be the earliest of early Super Bowl odds, the Cleveland Browns are 20/1 to win Super Bowl LIV. These odds tie the Browns with four other teams for the fifth-best chance.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the clear favorite. Surprisingly the now reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots are tied with two others for second-best odds.

AFC North has several teams close to the top

The only division that has more teams in their division with better odds is the NFC North. Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago all have 16/1 or better odds to win the Super Bowl. In fact Chicago is 14/1. The AFC North has Cleveland and Baltimore at 20/1 with Pittsburgh at 14/1. Both divisions will be tough to win next season. Well, at least in the eyes of the oddsmakers. The only team in the division not considered to be a legitimate contender is the Cincinnati Bengals. This hardly comes as a surprise.

Odds can still change

As mentioned at the beginning, these are the earliest of odds. Many things can happen and will happen between now and the start of next season. Free agency will see players ending up on new teams, altering odds for teams at the bottom and the top. The NFL Draft will have teams adding young talent to their roster.

There is still the uncertain future of Nick Foles in Philadelphia and Ryan Tannehill in Miami. A quarterback carousel could impact the odds of several teams on the list and will lead to some teams moving up or down in the near future.

Browns can’t let this get in their heads

It would be naive to believe that there are Cleveland Browns players unaware of these early odds. If a player has not seen it, chances are someone has sent it to them. It is safe to say if they have not seen it by now, they will soon. A team that is one season removed from 0-16 being 20/1 to win the next Super Bowl is huge news. Players will find out this information soon, if they have not already. Browns players will need to constantly remind themselves that there is still a lot of work to do and early odds mean absolutely nothing.

Jarvis Landry sets world record

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry set a world record with some assistance from former Browns quarterback Brady Quinn

Jarvis Landry can now add world record holder to his resume. During the CBS Sports pregame show Landry set the world record for most one-handed catches in one minute. Landry caught 48 passes with one hand to set the record.

Landry got some assistance from former Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn. Quinn threw passes to Landry in the pregame segment which now has Landry in the record books. Landry also appeared beforehand to discuss tonight’s Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams.

Is the record a bit arbitrary? Absolutely. It seems like that the Browns connection between Jarvis Landry and Brady Quinn was used to put together a world record that many were previously unaware of. Although having a former Browns player throw passes to a current Browns player is a bit of feel good moment.

Is this a recruiting ploy from Jarvis Landry?

As mentioned previously, this could also be an effort by Jarvis Landry to recruit for the Browns. Baker Mayfield is also aiding in this effort. Although this is a more public display other than social media posts. Appearing on a national broadcast to set a world record is quite the platform to recruit if that is truly the case.

Browns players are doing everything they can to show that this is not the same old Browns. Appearing on a pregame show for the Super Bowl can only help change the perception of a once downtrodden franchise. This may be only the first of many displays to portray the Browns in a different light and recruit elite players to come to Cleveland. As long as this helps bring at least one player to Cleveland it is a success.

Baker Mayfield finishes second to Saquon Barkley

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Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield comes in second to New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley in AP Rookie of the Year voting

Saquon Barkley is a phenomenal talent, nobody can deny that. His 2018-2019 campaign was good enough to award him the Offensive Rookie of the Year, finishing with 2028 yards from scrimmage to go along with 14 TDs. As much as we did not want to see him holding that trophy, we all have to admit that we saw it coming. Baker Mayfield was happy to see his close friend receive the award, but this moment was a match being thrown onto the already burning fire named the Cleveland Browns.

Baker Mayfield is not one to take criticism with a grain of salt. He is a player that will hear what negative things people have to say, and do everything in his will power to prove it wrong. We can go ahead and refer back to the comments made by Colin Cowherd…

Colin has gone on to make other remarks about Mayfield such as, “Where is the wow with Baker Mayfield? …He looked small… I don’t want my No. 1 pick to be small regardless of position.” He bashed the QB over and over again with the details of what would cause Baker to not be able to live up to the hype. Baker took all of this, and used it as motivation. He broke the rookie passing touchdown record with 27 TDs and rubbed it in the face of Cowherd.

Coming in second will only add to Baker Mayfield’s fire

So what does this have to do with Saquon and the ROY? This means that Baker Mayfield has more critics that need proven wrong. This means that there is a new chip on his shoulder and he needs to make it universally known that he is the best pick in the 2018 NFL. The 2019-2020 season is a bit away and that fire under him will only burn hotter and hotter the more that his snub of the award is talked about.

There is another person on this team that has doubters to prove wrong also. His name is Nick Chubb. The running back wants to show that he is the best ball carrier out of the draft. Chubb wants to show that coaching held him back from the first part of the season. His quiet personality will not say much but he will let his play do the talking.

We can expect a motivated Browns team as the next season approaches. Doubters saying they can not be contenders, or even worse, that they can not make the playoffs. Get ready for the ride, get ready for The Dawg Pound.

Twitter poll results: Browns draft edition

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A Twitter poll with four options was posted and Browns fans voted for which position the team should take with the 17th pick in the draft. 2,037 votes were cast and some of the results were a bit surprising.

https://twitter.com/ThisIsBrowns/status/1089861633093054465

Defensive Tackle

At 36 percent defensive tackle was the number one vote getter. This is hardly a surprise considering how vulnerable the middle of the Browns defensive front was at times last season. Larry Ogunjobi is a great talent at the defensive tackle position, but he can only do so much. Trevon Coley and Carl Davis are not exactly making game changing plays either. Finding another player to start over them would be a wise investment.

Granted the Browns could address this position in free agency, making this pick available for other positions. However if there is another run on other positions leaving a plethora of quality defensive tackle options at 17 it will be hard to pass up.

Linebacker

Unsurprisingly linebacker came in second with 25 percent of the vote. The opinion of Jamie Collins varies from person to person. Christian Kirksey is another player that also falls into the same category as Collins. While Collins may not be on the roster next season, Kirksey figures to be a member of the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

Some expect there to be quality linebacker options available when Cleveland picks in the upcoming draft. This opens up opportunities for the team make improvements to one of the teams weaker defensive units. When Joe Schobert missed three games the defense as a whole struggled. Granted Kirksey was also absent during this time, but this speaks volumes about how badly this unit needs help.

Wide Receiver

Coming in third place is the wide receiver position at 22 percent. This is a bit of old thinking. Some of the comments in regards to this pick are in support of finding a true number one receiver, a big receiver or other basic rhetoric. The fact of the matter is that the team has a quarterback in Baker Mayfield who does not need that. Mayfield produces no matter who is out there catching the football. Sure, drafting a “true number one receiver” is a good thought, but it is not a necessity. The team will be able to succeed in the passing game with receivers taken later in the draft or signed in free agency.

Offensive Tackle

The fact that offensive tackle came in a distant fourth place is a bit surprising. With only 17 percent of the vote, Browns fans thought that the 17th pick should not be used to improve the offensive tackle position. Greg Robinson has showed he is more than capable of holding down the fort for the time being, but he is not a realistic longterm solution. Chris Hubbard performed admirably as the right tackle, but like Robinson is not an elite tackle by any means.

The results which put offensive tackle last could be influenced by the team drafting Austin Corbett last year. Corbett appeared in 11 games, but it was in more of an additional lineman role. Some are unsure of Corbett’s future, but he could in fact be the teams future center. That is if the team moves on from JC Tretter in the near future. Corbett’s uncertain future may have impacted how fans voted and essentially voted for other positions in order to “not waste a pick on another offensive lineman who will not play”.