Tag Archives: Antonio Callaway

Browns continue to lack culture

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The repetitive cycle continues in Cleveland. The faces in the building may change, but the issues remain the same. From the most talented teams to the ones devoid of talent, the lack of culture, discipline, accountability and leadership will keep the Browns at a level below those who compete for championships. 

Want proof? Cleveland leads the league in penalties, penalty yards and ejections. This includes Thursday’s disgusting display. It is not about who started the situation or what was done to escalate things, it is about the lack of self control on display by Myles Garrett. This is not the first time this has been an issue this season. Garrett would not be acting in this manner in previous seasons under previous coaching staffs. This points to a clear problem with those leading the team. Those who are supposed to command a room. It is not that Myles Garrett cannot be led, it is that isn’t leadership present to hold anyone accountable. That right there is the problem. 

Several former coaches for the Browns have spoke out about issues they have faced this season. Most of what they said can be chalked up to sour grapes about no longer being employed. Although, what Todd Haley had to say certainly aligns with what the clear issue is. Freddie Kitchens has no control of the locker room. Even the player who nobody would have picked in a million years to do something so terrible is suspended indefinitely under Kitchens’ watch. Myles Garrett essentially transformed from Harvey Dent to Two-Face and that is a huge problem. 

Cleveland went “Full Dorse” and have themselves to blame 

A lot of the blame falls on John Dorsey as well. Dorsey is in charge of acquiring the players and selecting the man in charge to lead them (in this case the word lead is used loosely here). Dorsey has acquired numerous players with issues of the field, put them in a room together and apparently did not have the foresight to see this coming. It’s essentially putting a lit match in a room full of powder kegs and not expecting an explosion. 

What the Cleveland Browns have is a collection of individuals who extremely talented at playing football. They are not a football team by any means. Collecting talent is great, but if no one is able to keep the team under control it is all a waste of time. This has been the cycle of the Cleveland Browns since their return in 1999.  20 years in and they still can’t get out of their own way. 

The clear lack of culture, discipline, accountability and leadership will keep them from being taken seriously until corrective actions internally are taken. If the general manager and coaching staff were not able to get their team under control 10 games into the season, what have they done that gives the impression they will when the season is over? 

John Dorsey is not going to change the way he builds teams

John Dorsey will continue to acquire troubled, but talented players at a discount.  Antonio Callaway had numerous off the field issues and Dorsey took a chance on him in the fourth round. The Browns realized Callaway Thursday afternoon. Callaway failed to show up on time and was facing another suspension due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

The Browns also have Kareem Hunt on their roster. The Chiefs released Hunt during last season. This was after a video of Hunt hitting a woman in downtown Cleveland surfaced. The original incident did nothing, but proof always spurs action. (Even when Dorsey leaves an organization, his team building style remains intact). Hunt was able to be acquired by Dorsey because there were plenty of teams who would not want him on their roster.

Dorsey does not care about outside perception of the team. Dorsey only cares about if a player is talented and if he can get them on the cheap. The risk/reward scale used by Dorsey allows for even the highest risk to be acquired if the reward is also on the higher side of the spectrum. Even if Dorsey takes what appears to be a low-risk, adding that risk to a collection of other low-risks makes the entire group high-risk.

Could a coaching change fix things for the Browns?

Absolutely a coaching change can fix things. Ideally, an experienced coach with a history of keeping players with questionable backgrounds in line would be the perfect hire. The problem is those guys are not just hanging out on the street waiting for a job. They are coaches of other franchises. There needs to be a combination of removing problem players from the team and finding a coach who is a much better leader than Freddie Kitchens. If the new coach can establish a culture, instill discipline, keep the players accountable and most importantly, lead the team, they will be on their way towards turning things around. If not, the cycle of suck will continue. The team will continue to be a collection of individuals and the team will fail to reach expectations year after year.

How many more chances for Antonio Callaway?

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It seems like the Cleveland Browns are willing to give wide receiver Antonio Callaway plenty of opportunites to get himself together. How many is too many?

When will it be enough with Antonio Callaway? There’s a certain scale when it comes to acquiring players with off the field issues and performance on the field.  This scale has been used frequently by John Dorsey when building teams. Callaway is just one player on the Cleveland Browns who has been brought in with this method. That’s just the deal with the devil a team signs when having John Dorsey build your team. Sure, he brings in talented players. These players often have some sort of issue that makes them persona non grata to other franchises. 

Callaway continues to have issues and is not producing on the field. Eventually there will be a time when Cleveland seems destined to move in a different direction and that time appears to be only drawing closer. 

Antonio Callaway was a surprise inactive Sunday after showing up late before the game. The team decided that a one game punishment would be suitable for his tardiness. This is just the latest incident in a long list of off the field issues for Callaway. 

For some bizarre reason Cleveland continues to give Antonio Callaway chances. If Callaway was one of the best players in the league at his position it would be understandable. Callaway isn’t even third-best on his own team. Callaway seems to frequently not run the correct routes or be an integral part of the game plan. 

If Antonio Callaway wants to remain in Cleveland, the talent will have to outweigh the risk. So far that has not been the case and it would be understandable if Cleveland decides to move on from Callaway sooner rather than later. 

When evaluating whether they keep Callaway or not, the Cleveland Browns need to ask themselves one thing.

If Antonio Callaway can’t manage to get to the game on time, does he really care?

If the answer is anything but yes he’s got to go.

Browns have shown lack of discipline

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A lack of discipline has been an issue for the Browns through six games. 

This is not necessarily a shocking development to anyone. The Cleveland Browns are struggling in three major areas that are crucial to the outcomes of games. The bye week may allow the Browns to do everything they can to limit these issues.

The Browns lead the league in penalties and missed tackles while they have the third-most dropped passes. The struggles in these areas have unsurprisingly led to the Browns disappointing 2-4 start. 

Penalties

Cleveland has had 73 total penalties called against them this season. 11 penalties have been declined and two were offsetting. The 57 accepted penalties have led 506 penalty yards. Compiling these type of penalty numbers will make things a lot more difficult for even the most talented teams to win. In order for Cleveland to start winning games they need to start first with cleaning things up in the penalty department. 

Missed tackles

Another area that has showed their lack of discipline is the amount of missed tackles. The Browns have missed 62 tackles this season. This is a problem. These missed tackles have led to big plays for the other team and points that should not have been scored. A complete turnaround should not be expected as this was also an issue last year. The best outcome is that the number regresses to the mean. That way the Browns are more towards the middle of the pack rather than leading it.

Dropped passes

The quickest way to kill a drive besides a penalty is with a dropped pass. The Cleveland Browns have nine dropped passes, tied for third-most with the league. The failure in this department does not fall on the shoulders of just one person. Everyone on the roster has contributed to this lackluster statistic. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. both have three drops. David Njoku, Nick Chubb and Antonio Callaway have two drops apiece. Finally Dontrell Hilliard, Ricky Seals-Jones and Demetrius Harris have each dropped one pass. 

Players are going to drop passes from time to time. It’s part of the game and eliminating it entirely is impossible. What the Browns can do is limit the amount of drops. If they can do that they may just be able to sustain a few more drives, score some more points and perhaps win some games.  

Antonio Callaway scares Browns fans

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Cleveland Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway mangaged to scare some fans of the Cleveland Browns Friday with just one tweet.

All it takes is one tweet to begin a complete meltdown. Browns receiver Antonio Callway learned that lesson Friday with a seemingly cryptic tweet.

Antonio Callaway was quick to follow this tweet up with two more additional tweets to clear things up.

https://twitter.com/Ripbobby_G/status/1167503167279587334?s=20
https://twitter.com/Ripbobby_G/status/1167503553495220225?s=20

Callaway quickly learned that timing is everything when it comes to tweets. Today is the beginning of NFL teams making roster cuts and putting together trades. A tweet like this suggests one of two things. Either Callaway was cut or he was traded. As of now neither seems to be the case.

Antonio Callaway appears to be part of the Browns plans for the upcoming season. Callway will have to serve a four-game suspension at the start of the seasons due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. During Callaway’s absence Cleveland will still boast one of the best receiving groups in the league with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins. The good news for Callaway is rather than being depended on for a high volume of production upon his return from suspension, he can be eased back into the offense. This will allow Callaway and the Browns to ensure he is in game shape and ready to contribute when needed.

Antonio Callaway is entering his second season with the Browns. Callaway finished his rookie season with 43 receptions for 586 yards and five touchdowns.

Browns pass catchers are legit

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The group of pass catchers on the Cleveland Browns roster are quite impressive and may be one of the best groups in the league.

The possibility of the Cleveland Browns pass catching group looking like it currently did not seem possible a few years ago. To have players who can actually make an impact on any given play and not guys who were full of unfilled potential. Now with Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins and David Njoku in the mix, few teams can rival the talent level of this group.

Beckham and Landry

With Odell Beckham Jr. now occupying the number one receiver spot this allows Jarvis Landry to slide into his natural role. Essentially Robin to Beckham’s Batman. Beckham will always draw the attention of the defense while Landry will perform better in a complimentary role. Especially when that role is in an offense that features Beckham. With Beckham drawing a lot of attention this gives Landry the opportunity to run wild in the secondary.

Odell Beckham Jr. will be the dominant receiver that Cleveland fans have been wanting for years. Spectacular catches and impressive performances will be the norm. Beckham’s presence alone will open up the rest of the offense. Defense’s will be so worried about getting beat by Beckham that others will be able to make plays.

Callaway, Higgins and Njoku

Antonio Callaway can be Cleveland’s deep threat. Although he is more talented than others normally used in that role. A role that last year was occupied by the now departed Breshad Perriman. Callaway showed his ability to get behind the defense occasionally last season, but should be able to do so much more easily this season. Callaway should line up on the outside along with Beckham while Landry is in the slot. Although Callaway is capable of taking snaps as a slot receiver as well.

Rashard Higgins is back after signing a one-year deal and like Callaway will benefit with the presence of Beckham and Landry. Higgins already has chemistry with Baker Mayfield, now add in the fact that he is essentially a third/fourth receiver in this offense and that is quite impressive. Higgins showed his ability to be a go-to target when needed for Mayfield and should be able to build upon that next season.

All this talk about receivers and there is still David Njoku to discuss. Njoku is a physical freak who has improved over his first two seasons. The Browns should be able to get Njoku in more favorable matchups due to the other pass catchers on the roster. This season could be a breakout for the Browns tight end.

At the end of the day Baker Mayfield is what makes this offense work. If a pass catcher is unable to get open Mayfield will move on to the next one. Mayfield is the type of quarterback who does not need superstar pass catchers. Rather Mayfield is able to make plays with just about anyone that lines up under center. Having superstar players is a just a bonus and makes the Cleveland Browns offense that much more dangerous.

Browns Callaway cleared of charges

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Cleveland Browns receiver Antonio Callaway has been cleared of drug charges that occured during training camp prior to last season.

Before last season began Cleveland Browns receiver Antonio Callaway was cited possession of marijuana. Callaway found himself charged with marijuana possession after a traffic stop. The incident occurred during Browns training camp last season. The charges have since been dismissed.

When the incident initially occurred there was a sense of “here we go again”. Another talented, but troubled wide receiver having issues with the Cleveland Browns. Of course this is a reference to former receiver Josh Gordon. There was also a feeling that while Cleveland was supporting Gordon at the time, the introduction of another “bad influence” in Callaway could cause a relapse. While a relapse may have occurred, there is no reason to blame the presence of Callaway for said incident.

Antonio Callaway experienced an up and down rookie season with Cleveland. 43 receptions for 586 yards and five touchdowns was the final line for Callaway. This came in 16 games including 11 starts. Cleveland should expect Callaway to grow as a player and build upon his rookie campaign.

John Dorsey acquires players with off the field issues often

Antonio Callaway is just one of the latest players with off the field issues that John Dorsey has acquired. Callaway possessed the talent of a first round pick. However questions about legal issues led to his draft stock falling. The issues resulted in dropping to the fourth round. Dorsey saw the upside in Callaway and made the selection.

Just this offseason Dorsey has brought Kareem Hunt and Jaelen Strong to Cleveland. Hunt with his obvious domestic violence cases and Strong with a similar drug related issue. Strong served a one-game suspension in 2017 due a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Acquiring players with a questionable past is just part of the John Dorsey experience.

Moving forward Antonio Callaway needs to make sure more incidents do not occur. The last thing the Browns need is another Josh Gordon-esque saga on their hands. As long as no further incidents occur, the Browns have a solid receiver for their offense to utilize in their game plans.