Oof.

Out of shape and popped a drug test. Not a good look.

At least we don't have to cut one of our younger wide receivers for the first four games.

Higgins stock just shot through the roof.

Oof is right.

Higgins has been practicing with the ones all along, Callaway with the twos. I think this means more playing time for Willies and Strong more than anything.

Another MORON ... now we know why he’s been regulated to 2nd and 3rd team reps ...

After he got busted last year he said it was one of his friends ... i didn’t buy it for a second ...

Oh well ... KJ played with fire and i get the feeling this isn’t gonna end well ...

2 verified mistakes so far by KJ and unless this dude gets his head out of his butt this will be #3 ...

McCourtney ... Kendricks .... and now maybe this dude ...

The good news ... it opens up aspot for Giuseppi ...

Eating Cheetos, on the couch, on the dope.

If this suspension is legit & Dorsey is true to his word, Calloway will be cut.

Apparently this suspension is because of the possession last year. It doesn't seem like there is another incident.

Some guys should just be banned from vacations as they don't know what to do...smh

I think Landry let down his guard as he has his bro here in OBJ and was not holding Calloway's hand...lol

He's blowing it - don't expect much from him nor his career.

Browns WR Antonio Callaway suspended 4 games
BrownsStripe
ClevelandBrowns.com

STATEMENT BY AN NFL SPOKESPERSON:

Antonio Callaway of the Cleveland Browns has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2019 regular season for violating the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse.

Callaway is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games. He will be eligible to return to the Browns’ active roster on Monday, Sept. 30, following the team’s Sept. 29 game at Baltimore.

*Statement from Cleveland Browns WR Antonio Callaway:
*“I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a mistake and I own that. I have taken steps to make myself better and I appreciate the Browns standing by me and supporting me during this time. I know there’s nothing I can say to regain trust; it will all be about my actions.”

Statement from Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey on Antonio Callaway:

“We’re disappointed in Antonio. Freddie and I have had a direct conversation with him about where we stand. He understands our expectations of him. We will continue to support him as long as he remains committed to taking advantage of the resources made available to him by our club and the league to help him become the best version of himself as a person first and foremost.”

Really? ... WOW ... thats slow even by NFL standards ...

If thats the case ... lets hope he learned ... hope is good ...

Well, that's good.

Clarification of that will go a long way to knowing how I feel about Calloway.

.

Why? .... what did KJ say that he will be breaking his word if he don’t cut him? ...

I'm still hoping this is just the No Fun League busting him for using 2% milk on his Lucky Charms.

Well I think he's still foolish for showing up out of shape - but this 100% looks like it's a hold over from the one incident last year. He's still on the nice list right now.

''that these types of things can't be tolerated."

"He's going to have to earn my trust the rest of the way. We're not going to deal with anymore of this. This is the end of that.''

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2018/08/john_dorsey_antonio_callaway.html

If this is a different, new issue.....Dorsey is on record. He essentially said the same thing about Hunt.

On #Browns WR Antonio Callaway's suspension: Sources say it is for a separate violation of the substance abuse policy, unrelated to his citation for marijuana possession last year. Got my signals crossed on that. Deleted earlier tweets to avoid confusion. Apologies for the error.

https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1159896848238284800

Certainly lends some light on why Callaway was getting zero run with the first team.

Thanks ....

This dude can’t be counted on ... another 2 cent head either way ...

He prolly showed up overweight cause he had the munchies all off season ... BONEHEAD!

This is all from last year.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001...nded-four-games


Management must have known this was coming. And now it makes sense to have seen him with the 2nd unit.

It will give someone else a shot.

I would not write Callaway off yet. If this was from this year; a whole different story.

We have depth. We can handle this.

So, he is suspened for 4 games because of something minor where the charges were dropped?

And Tyreek Hill gets to play after breaking a 2 year olds arm?

Oookaaaaayyyyy.

It is not all from last year. Your article specifically cites it being a separate incident.

This sucks....big time. Callaway has so much upside.

It is not from the incident of the charges being dropped, but yes, it is still a minor issue relative to Tyreek Hill.

Even if this is related to last years incident, that’s the risk reward of drafting questionable character guys. Don’t be surprised if he gets in trouble again, same with Kareem. We should all be used to this stuff, after the Gordon experiment.

They edited the story bone .... Garofolo or whatever his name is said he made a mistake and this was from a different story ...

Even if it was from last years incident ...

U know your getting suspended and u show up out of shape .... pfffft ... 2 cent head dawg ...

Hope he “gets it” for his sake ... so much talent to just be thrown away ... i HATE WASTED TALENT!

You can't fix Stupid.

j/c:

I cannot wait until this is no longer a suspendable offense.

Good lord again? Some of these players are just some straight up knuckle heads. We all know it’s headed toward legalization, just wait it out damn Calloway.

Some people never learn from their mistakes.

cut him now. we don't need guys like this on this roster.

OBJ, Jarvis, Hollywood, Willies...we good. Buh Bye.

When I stop making mistakes I will be unforgiving of others mistakes.

I hope he did learn the kid has talent.

Geez, Eve, It sounds so bad when you say it out loud like that. This is grounds to cut him. Not Gordon 2.0, I hope.

The whole Tyreek Hill thing became so convoluted that no one really knows what went on. If the NFL had hard evidence against he'd be gone for awhile.

The NFL does have hard evidence against Antonio Callaway in the form of a failed pee test.

Evidence has no value in a witch hunt.

I'm going out on a limb here and say he's eventually cut. No way do the Browns need to deal with a guy who was put on notice, then turns around and violates. Freddi's locker room doesn't need it, and we're stacked at WR with guys who aren't getting popped. Personally, I think the rule is stupid, but that's not the point. Dorsey will say the politically correct thing, then do the right thing. I have little doubt it's only a matter of time before Callaway is gone.

It remains to be seen if legalization causes the NFL to change the policy. I would hope it does, but there is no guarantee. Given the conservative nature of ownership and the league as a whole, I imagine it will be a long time before they change the policy unless the NFLPA negotiates it out of the contract. Hell, for all we know, the NFL has a sweetheart deal with the pharmaceutical companies.

Another idiot in the NFL ... I don’t care if we think weed should/shouldn’t be legalized .. if my employer says I can’t have __________ ... then I won’t have that substance/food/drink/etc.

Especially when it’s a TEAM thing

Luckily this doesn’t affect us THAT much, but it still does in some ways

i think it will. i think anyway.

remember, the NFL raised the threshold for a positive marijuana test because of freaking Josh Gordon. they are clearly willing to to atleast relax the policy.

It makes sense as to why we’ve put him mostly with the 2/3 teams thus far ... and why Higgins has played outside and Landry in the slot

If they're smart, they will. They should also do everything possible to reduce the reliance on opioid use. But we'll see.

I hate that Callaway could have taken advantage of single coverage with OBJ and Landry getting the attention, oh well he will be back and that gives a WR like Montgomery a great shot to make the team ...

Yeah that explains why we were so set on throwing to him and Hyman and Higgins last night

Employers in any state will still be able to prohibit using cannabis whether its legal there or not. Employers all over the country proscribe using tobacco or alcohol now, and they are "legal" substances. IMO, the issue is a bargaining chip that the owners will use to gain some kind of concession(s) from the NFLPA.

No doubt they’ll give that up as a bargaining chip to keep some $$ from the pie ... and when it’s legalized, I don’t care who smokes it.

But while its tested for, its idiotic to use it

I just wonder why everyone is so convinced it was only weed?

If it was steroids or HGH he'd be in shape.

I prefer Higgins and Strong as our #s 3 & 4 over Higgins & Callaway. Strong is a better route runner, with more dependable hands, IMO. Not that much drop off in speed either.

We don't know what it was. We just know it was something.

It blows my mind how these guys can't understand that breaking the nfl's rules ......well, how much it will cost them.

I was also impressed with Montgomery to be honest ... he high pointed it very well

He's going to weigh four hundred pounds when his suspension is over.

How convenient; his injury matches his suspension

I'd prefer Higgins and Callaway (when in shape) over Higgins and Strong everyday and twice on Sunday, but here is the problem. Dorsey should not have publicly given an ultimatum on Callaway and then come out with this:

“We’re disappointed in Antonio,’’ Dorsey said in a release. “Freddie (Kitchens) and I have had a direct conversation with him about where we stand. He understands our expectations of him. We will continue to support him as long as he remains committed to taking advantage of the resources made available to him by our club and the league to help him become the best version of himself as a person first and foremost.”

Then it is reported the Browns don't plan to cut him. They are allegedly taking the one strike approach with Hunt, and now up to this point, that seems like BS to the Nth degree.

I've already quoted above the comments he made just after Callaway was drafted.

Look, I prefer Callaway to stay on this team because I think he has more upside than Landry long-term, but this is going to look bad, IMO, and he may need to be ready to take some heat about reneging on his word. Dorsey takes a hard stance on a player to justify picking him and now it looks like his words are meaningless up to this point. He should have just kept his mouth shut about the leash in which Callaway was given.

It's just a really bad look to me. With all the chances Gordon got, I don't believe anyone gave an ultimatum but I could be wrong.

Emphasis on “high”

He had that nice back-shoulder TD catch.

Not supporting any more crap from these players.. I did with JG.. if these dumb asses can't get it. then stay the hell away.. I'm done supporting stupid...And he was my favorite player.

The NFL needs to stop with the process they have and get their heads out of their asses...

1- these guys know the rules...

2-the NFL needs to change them...

Ya that was a good catch too

I agree. In my fantasy keeper leagues, I am thinking Higgins in round 6-7 as a steal because even once Calloway comes back, if Higgins is playing well, we won't lose out. Add in the fact that Baker looks for Higgy. Baker trusts the guy. A bond formed under the last coach who wouldn't give them any first team looks.

Snap count and targets will go up I'd imagine. I think both would have slightly anyways from a season long perspective because of the chemistry Baker and Hollywood clearly have, but the 2018 snap count Callaway had over Higgins was always looming.

I think we may see multiple TE sets this season. I wonder where Higgins plays into that in 2019?

Higgins has a legit chance to become the #2 of the future.

If Harris is healthy we're going to be running a ton of 12 personnel (as we did last year). If that's the case I bet Landry comes off the field and Higgins plays outside with Beckham.

I would agree.

This is not an indictment of Landry. He is a slot receiver. If the two tight ends are playing on the line then it would make sense to have Higgins outside.

I’m just watching the game ... Calloway caught a pass and ran out of bounds and was visibly favoring one ankle as he ran out of bounds .... its legite and some BS ...

Evidence:

In games 1-8 (or games with Hue and Haley) Landry was on the field for 92.% of the snaps

In games 9-16 (or games with Kitchens) Landry was on the field for 81.5% of the snaps

In games 1-8 we ran 12 personnel 19% of the time and 13 23% of the time.

In games 9-16 we ran 12 personnel 24% of the time and 13 personnel 29%(!) of the time

If u think VG is “only a slot” receiver that is an indictment of him ...

Thats not an indictment of Higgs ...

I think we’ll see OBJ and Higgs in the slot ... VG will obviously be in the slot the most case its his best spot ... bottom line we have some really good options and i wanna enjoy the season as opposed to argue over whose a better fit where or whose overpaid ... ..

I’m gonna enjoy the season ... feel free to join me ...

U proved VG’s % of snaps went down under FK and we played 12 and 13 personal a bigger % under Freddie ... that don’t prove squat by itself ... find out what % of the snaps VG played under 12 and 13 personal then u may have sumptin ... but i don’t care ... we’ll find out and if your right u can tell me u told me so ... i’ll be fine with that ..

There’s plenty of holes in those stats ... and u know it ...

U win ...

I’ll go enjoy the season now ...

I knew you were going to bring this BS up. It is not important. No one cares. The national media isn't bashing Dorsey about it.

Only you and I'm sure a few other Sashi guys on this board will carry that torch.

The whole Josh Gordon saga has changed my thinking on this kind of situation. The Browns WR unit is no longer a train wreck. A guy like Sheehey would give his left nad for the opportunities that Callaway is willing to send up in smoke.

Trade him now to NE for the best player we can obtain from their interior DL, guard or safety positions.

"The national media isn't bashing Dorsey"... That's seriously what you're going with?

Ok.

Didn't you mention something about hoping Sashi is never mentioned again? Why did you bring him up?

For the last week or so I’ve been wondering if we’d trade one of these guys ...

I figured the only options were VG or Higgs and no way were trading either of them at this point ...

Hopefully we trade this 2 cent head ... drug issues and he comes to camp out of shape ...

Trade him KJ or your not who u claim u are ... u shouldn’t have said what u did if u didn’t mean them ...

I brought him up because you look for dumb-ass excuses to criticize Dorsey.

No one really cares what the hell Dorsey said about Callaway. It's the NFL. His job is to comprise a roster that wins games.

I am going to drop it now. Just thought I would point out how full of crap your agenda is.

Why? Who gives a rat's ass about any of that? How does that help us win games?

Jesus, you are getting soft.

Memphis, I agree.

Bad look for Dorsey.

Anyone with a sound moral compass would agree.

Says the guy that ridiculed posters for wanting Josh Gordon to be a part of the team to win games.

KJ cut Kendricks for lying ... at the same time Calloway lied by admission ... he never told the team he got pulled over and given citations for weed ... thats bad enough ... this dude was all ready in the leagues drug protocol ....

U cut Kendricks for lying about insider trading of all things and u let the druggie whose defense in a rape case was he was too stoned to have sex .. thats a true story Vers ...

I was mad at about that then ...

Your huge on consistency ... KJ is not being consistent in any way with this ...

If that makes me soft in your eyes .. i guess i’m soft ...

Oh boy .... here we go ...

The posse is in full force ...

Guess i’ll Go enjoy the season on another thread ...

AC is running out of wriggle room. He's lucky he has talent. If this was Strong or one other roster hopeful, he'd be out the door.

I'm okay with giving him one more chance, I don't think Dorsey should be backed into a corner at this time.

But his next chance.... that has to be really, truly, the last one in Cleveland.

Edit: forgot to say that if Dorsey cut him tonight, I wouldn't be that upset.

Diam, but it doesn't matter. His job isn't to win a Citizenship Award. His job is to build a strong roster, hire the right coaches, and win freaking games.

This isn't news except for guys like Memphis who have an axe to grind. Don't buy into his BS.


And yes, he lied about the Gordon thing. But, that is his thing.

Strong is nowhere near as quick, fast, or shifty as Callaway. It's not even close. He might find a role on this team, he's not going to be a guy who can break a slant for 70 like Callaway could.

Josh Gordon 2.0

Thats insulting bro ... i don’t buy anyone’s BS and u should know that ...

I think for myself no matter how wrong or flawed it is sometimes .. *L* ...

We obviously disagree here but there’s o reason to tell me i was swayed by someone else’s BS ...

I did not know the statement KJ made when we drafted him ... so i’m Glad Memph posted it .. it gave me info i did not know and i learned from it ..

lamp said KJ hasn’t backed himself into a corner ... i 100% disagree ... he drew a line the day we drafted him and Calloway crossed it and KJ backed pedaled and re-drew it ...

I get it .. it would be dumb as heck to cut him now ... he’s got too much upside but this is it ... another f up and he’s gone .. I think you’d agree ...

Honestly ,,, this is more than likely (and i hate emitting this .. it is an honest to goodness flaw of mine ... )

This is more than likely me still peed atKJ for cutting Kendricks last year .. i was FUMING over that and they said it casue he lied ... meanwhile Calloway at exactly the same time lied by omission ...

I really hated to type that ... but i’m Pretty sure that’s what this is about ...

We have joy, we have fun, we have seasons in the Sun!

Let's Enjoy the Season, Dawg.

See u on the Isle!

Calli is gonna look great in a NE uni when we dump him

Can someone who is suspended be traded? I’m not even sure of the rule

I wasn't trying to insult you. I was just pointing out that is what Memphis does. Memphis is still fighting the Sashi battle. It's why he disses Landry and acts like what Dorsey said about Callaway is important.

I think Dorsey should not have said what he did because some will use it to paint him in a corner. It's best to say nothing.

However, it comes down to this for me. Should Dorsey place more emphasis on what is good for the team or should he place more emphasis on strictly following through on each and every comment he makes? LOL......it's not even worth considering in my book. You swallow your pride and do what is best for the team.

Regarding Callaway.

I think it's hard to trust guys w/his history. I think they tend to repeat their mistakes. It's rough always having to worry about whether or not the guy will be able to play.

Gordon was mentioned earlier, but Gordon's transgressions were larger in number than Callaway's. And Gordon would always lie about it. I'll never forget how many folks were bamboozled by the "cough medicine" lie. LOL And I'll never forget the pic on Facebook where he is smoking out of that huge pipe and has a pill bottle w/him. And he posts it while suspended. LMAO

I do think Callaway is using up his chances and would never get as many opportunities as Gordon has/is. The investment in AC was not as high as the one on JG and the latter had that one huge, huge year.

I hope it doesn't happen, but I don't think Callaway will be on the team if he fails another drug test. I think [but, do not know] that his rope has about reached its end.

Strong has 4.44 speed, Callaway runs like a 4.41, Strong may not be as fast, but he's fast enough. And, as I mentioned, IMO he's a better route runner (far better I would say) with more dependable hands, the combination of which, in my view, makes him more dependable on the field overall. He may not be as quick or shifty, though I don't know that, I believe as the #4 he's a better fit.

This is not a knock on Callaway, I like the kid, he's dynamic, fast, has potential, and he's made some really nice plays. But, he's also missed some routes, had some drops, and showed up to camp out of shape. But overall, I'm simply saying if I were putting together the roster today, it would be something like OBJ, Landry, Higgins, Strong, Callaway, with toss-ups to Willies, Montgomery & Hyman.

(I also believe, with this recent development, he may be gone at some point. I hope he can turn it around, but I don't believe Dorsey or Freddie will put a whole lot of time into hoping he does. So there's that.)

JMHO

It's early, but I agree w/that list.

I would put Callaway ahead of Strong, but I like all the guys you mentioned.

Montgomery impressed me last night. That highpoint catch down the sideline was really, really nice.

And Hyman was getting open and catching the ball. It's unfortunate that he had the fumble. He's probably still sick to his stomach because he knows how long his odds are.

Yeah if these are from the thing that happened LAST YEAR I am not as mad at Callaway as when I first heard about this.

So we all sort of forgave him last year as it reared up in the HBO series. So he knew of the suspension and that is why he came in out of shape....I guess thinking he will get into playing shape during the 4 weeks he is suspended...why its important that he can remain in Berea while he serves his suspension.

I was wondering why last year there was no suspension as we were told he was on the Strike one list coming into the draft and why he was available in the 4th round.

So if Dorsey or Kitchens are mad at him its because of him coming into training camp out of shape.

So I take back that he is a piece of crud as long as his mistakes is limited to this one thing!

It was an unfortunate drop. I think Hyman was trying to change hands and the CB made a nice play knocking it out. I don't know what Hyman could have done differently except maybe just keep running, but I think he thought he was being smart by moving the ball to his other hand, so it's hard to fault him, and as I said, the CB made a nice play. But yeah, it may have cost him, though we're so deep at the position, the odds were long to begin with.

I felt bad for him because he had been playing very well and like you said....he was already a long-shot.

Man, we are loaded at wide receiver.

Stacked!

If this is his second offense, he should be gone. We should have cut him
already. As an organization you can’t tolerate this type of stuff. Both Bellickik and the Rooney’s seem to have a two strike rule. The first time they let it go and pot you on notice, the second time your gone. See how fast the Rooney’s booted Santonio Holmes who caught the game winning catch in the Super Bowl who failed another drug test/ got in trouble, see ya.

You won’t have accountability in an organization unless you hold people accountable. Screw me once, Shane on you, screw me twice shame on me. Calloway should be gone, he had his chance a blew it. Let other guys who work hard and act that right way have an opportunity. Strong is a quality WR he may not be quite as fast as Calloway but he is a far better route runner with soft hands who is always open, and doesn’t have the baggage. We have enough talent, just move on from Calloway and be done with it. He let everyone down and broke his word of being better. Gotta have accountability or else your running a comedy show. To turn this around we can’t be the same ole Browns that put up with BS guys need to be put on notice that we demand accountability period. It’s the first step to winning and being a class organization like the Pats.

j/c

I don't think you're allowed to cut a player who is under suspension either.

I think it's a little early to judge what Dorsey will do until Callaway comes off of his suspension.

But that's kind of what people do around here.

Ya, based off KJ’s “extremely ambiguous ” statement its not clear at all what’s gonna happen when he comes off the suspended list ... ...

Is Corbett still #1 on the depth chart ...

I don't know. Check the depth chart.

Has the intern over at Cleveland.com put what is according to u the Bible out yet ....

Not your best moments Pit ... u went well beyond your hard headed self on that one ..

It's the depth chart on the official team web site MenZa.

Strong does have 4.4 speed ... but he plays a lot slower.

He could be a useful guy, especially with Baker being able to throw him open .....but I have never seen all out speed from him. He also doesn't have that ability to cut, or stop, as routes demand. Other receivers on our team just plant and go ... whereas Strong seems to have to stop and collect himself before continuing his route. He simply doesn't use his speed anywhere near as effectively as he should. He's stiff in his routes. Callaway is a home run threat any time he gets a step on the defender. Strong plays more like a singles hitter who hits the occasional double.

He is big, and he has strong hands, and he could be useful ... as a 4th or 5th receiver ... but I just don't see 3rd or better in him. I can't see him ahead of Callaway, as long as Callaway gets his head out of his butt.

I’m a firm believer in having different types of WRs on a team ... some quicker, some bigger, some good in the slot, etc ... So Strong might bring stuff to the table that is a bit different than others.

Thanks for the info on his strengths and weaknesses ... I’ll watch for him this week

I would also suggest that you go and have a look at Strong's arrest for possession, and his suspension.

hadnt realized that either. Thanks!

Unfortunately, when he was arrested, Damarious Randall (while still with the Packers) was driving the car. (though he wasn't arrested or cited)

Ugh of course ... thank you

Trade to the Giants?
They certainly need help at Wr and might be willing to overpay. Plus we have history with them.

Houston needs some too ... *L* ...

IF we do decide to trade him now ... hopefully KJ can find another baby doe that got separated from its mother .... again ...

Confusing.. When Callaway came in in april, Baker and Kitchens both remarked how "in shape" he was and how he had worked on his craft..

Now we hear this about him being out of shape.. Like I said, I'm confused where this reporter got his information.

That aside, Callaway couldn't have worse timing.. We are loading at WR... We really don't need him at all.. He could find himself out on the street.. But, if someone would pick up Corey Coleman, they will for sure pick up Antonio

I think you are making things up again.

Belichick has brought in guys like Stallworth, K2, Moss, Hernandez [the murderer,] Josh Gordon, Corey Dillon, etc.

The Steelers gave Bell how many chances? Big Ben has gotten multiple chances. So did Martavis Bryant.

I think Callaway will get one more chance w/Dorsey.

I agree with you, but Dorsey talked big last training camp re: Calloway. I think he might be regretting the tough talk at this point.

Topic change: how awesome is it to have actual talent at the WR position so that we don't have rely on Meathead 2.0 (I'm taking Spiritbro's name for Gordon, as I was usually a tentative/cautious supporter of Gordon). It wasn't that long ago that this suspension would have completely decimated the game day WR corps. Now, it's just whatevs. We've got OBJ and Landry, with Higgins behind them. Plus with the backs and TEs....

Actually, if it were HGH or steroids, that would be a violation of the PED policy. (performance enhancing drugs)

What I'm referring to is this. When Gordon was here, most fans thought the issue was weed. Later we found out that it was far more than that. That weed wasn't the only thing going on with him. That's what I was talking about.

Yep, he should have kept his mouth shut. But, I would rather him lose a little respect than do something dumb and just cut Callaway to save face.

But again, I think Callaway has used up all of his lives. That is not a fact and I can't prove it. Just a feeling...

4th or 5th is where he would be, behind Higgins at #3. If the current depth chart is accurate and you're looking positionally, Callaway is ahead of him as #2 behind OBJ, and Willies is behind Higgins as the #2 behind Landry. If things stay as they stand, Strong will be the #2 behind OBJ at least the first four games. We'll have to see how this develops beyond that. And I'm not disputing your opinion, it's hard not to see Callaway's talent, I'm just stating what my preference would be.

These types of player issues are management decisions and fan opinion is relatively irrelevant.

Lies and hypocrisy are and will always be a part of business as well as politics.

Look at the suspensions for whatever the charge. Is there any continuity? Hunt/Hill, Dixon the list goes on and on.

"Duke is a part of this team." We have no intention of trading him. He is a part of our offense.

Callaway has talent and is young. He didn't stab or harm anyone. He will be given more chances. Maybe if he tests positive again or some other issue comes up; we will cut him and someone else will pick him up.

That's how it goes. We signed Hunt. Why is this different.
Hill didn't get suspended. He pleaded guilty to punching and choking his wife.

Honestly I don't get the outrage?
For crying out loud I remember when the Raiders looked for bad guys and loved it. Short memory for many. Steroids were a huge part of the NFL along with all kinds of drugs.

Gone four games. High ankle sprain. Oh well.

We have other receivers. Maybe someone takes advantage of his chance while Callaway thinks about it?

Doesn't mean a thing to me. I want to win if he can help great. There are 53 guys on a roster. Take 53 people from a workplace. Not all are going to be in the church choir.

The announcers said that in that situation, you do not switch the ball to the other arm, as that makes it vulnerable. What you should so is cover the ball with both arms and try to run through the tackle.

That drop was something I took notice. For the first time in my life I used the term. "Bad Hyman!"

Yeah, as I said, I think he thought he was being smart. Turned out, he wasn't. Don't think it will affect his status either way. He was likely headed out anyway. Hopefully he makes the practice squad.

In regards to the old days of football - I remember fondly some of the players from a few of those 70's teams (dirty, unapologetic, out to humiliate and hurt, often drunk or stoned or "pepped" up, etc). This is when I was going to games with Dad.

A gone era. Maybe for the best, and maybe I shouldn't remember it fondly, but, man, what they used to get away with back then!

Callaway isnt going anywhere. This isnt a Josh Gordon situation. Yet. If he becomes a repeat offender then he would get the boot. But this is his first offense and we are deep. Not that big of a deal.

I know it's MKC but it seems to have the most recent information.

Freddie Kitchens: Antonio Callaway ‘is a great kid’ but Browns won’t ‘put up with’ indiscretions

Updated Aug 9, 9:23 PM; Posted Aug 9, 7:40 PM

Freddie Kitchens on Antonio Callaway’s suspension for drug abuse

By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com

BEREA, Ohio — Freddie Kitchens likes Antonio Callaway as a person, but laid down the law Friday on what he must do to be a part of the Browns in the wake of his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

"We're not willing to put up with it, okay?’’ Kitchens said of Callaway’s misstep. “When you start talking in terms of that, the person that it's affected has to be willing to commit to doing what's right. So if he's willing to commit to doing what's right, then we're willing to support him in every way that we can, and that's what we're going to do until he proves us wrong.’’

Kitchens and Browns GM John Dorsey, who took a chance on Callaway in the fourth round out of Florida last year despite being suspended his final season for a credit card scam and a failed drug test at the NFL combine, sat down with Callaway and spelled it all out. He’s already broken his promise to Dorsey not to let him down, and now he has very little margin for error.

Callaway was already in Stage Two of the NFL’s substance abuse program, and if this suspension was his second misstep in Stage Two, he’s on to Stage Three where the stakes are much higher. A first transgression in Stage Three results in 10 games for marijuana and banishment from the league for at least a year for other banned substances.

“He knows what he has to do, so we’ll evaluate the situation as it goes forward,’’ said Kitchens. “But, yeah, if you talk about my relationship with Antonio, I'd say, 'Yes, I like the kid.' I think he's a good person. Sometimes people lump these sort of things into being a bad person. This is a great kid now. So we're going to support him until he proves us otherwise. He knows what he has to do, though."

In a statement released by the NFL, Dorsey acknowledged ’we’re disappointed in Antonio. He understands our expectations of him. We will continue to support him as long as he remains committed to taking advantage of the resources made available to him by our club and the league to help him become the best version of himself as a person first and foremost.”

Kitchens didn’t sound 100% convinced Callaway, who suffered a high ankle sprain during Thursday night’s 30-10 victory over the Redskins, will do his part.

“Hopefully, he does it,’’ he said. “Hopefully, he’s committed enough to do it.”

As for his level of concern that Callaway will mess up again, Kitchens said, “I’m not concerned. I’m about moving forward from here.’’

Kitchens wouldn’t say if the Browns knew the suspension was looming and if that’s why Callaway had been demoted to second-team offense. Even when Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry have rested, Callaway couldn’t crack the first team.

“That’s probably not for me to discuss,’’ said Kitchens.

“He has been working his tail off. He has gotten in shape. He has been doing better from a mental area standpoint, and he continues to work every day.”

He said Callaway “understands the significance of this, and he’s going to work to make things right.”

He’s not at liberty to discuss what Callaway did to get suspended or when it happened. Callaway was pulled over by the Strongsville police last season and was found to have a small amount of marijuana under the passenger seat of the car, but charges were dismissed in February.

“All those are things that I can’t speak on,’’ said Kitchens.

Callaway’s suspension came a day after the Browns traded Duke Johnson to the Texans for a fourth-round pick that can improve to a third. It marked the first round of adversity for Kitchens’ team.

“Anytime anything happens out of the norm could be viewed as adversity,’’ said Kitchens. “It is only adversity if you let it affect you. But I fully expect us to handle it very well. That's what we've been preparing to do.

“I’ve said from the beginning I can’t wait to see what kind of team we have when adversity hits because that’s going to let you look into the future and see what you’ve got. So we’ll see how we respond.”

Has he already seen the players pull together?

“I think I know how they feel about me and the staff, and I think that they know how we feel about them,’’ he said. “Now, we need to get them to feel that way towards each other and then we’ll have something. Not until then.”

Callaway was absent from the practice field Friday, but because of the high ankle sprain suffered in the game.

“To his credit, he played through it the rest of the first half, and it really swelled up on him at halftime,’’ he said. “It was [when he was] tangled up with the safety down the field.

He said he doesn’t know if Callaway will miss the rest of the preseason, but it seems likely. With Damion Ratley still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Browns will be on the lookout for receivers.

“I don’t know if you guys believe me or not, but our roster isn’t filled out yet,’’ he said. “We’re continuing to search for guys at all positions. Wide receiver is no different.’’

Link

Also, Calloway was listed as the #1 punt returner. I guess Guiseppi will manage to hang on, which is a good thing IMO.

In any other year this would be crushing.

This year with OD, Jarvis, Hollywood, and maybe now Willies and Strong , not a real big deal.

As for Calloway, he let Browns Fans and Mates down and he let Gator Nation down. We aren't happy Antonio.

If I recall....

Didn't Callaway suffer through playing an entire pre-season game as punishment last year because he lied about an incident?

He did. This is different.

He was a rookie then. Now we have a kid who might be a special returner. We need to give him the reps. Calloways value isn't as a returner. It is as a receiver....if he can still hang on to the job.

Heck, I think Ratley is pretty good. This brings him back in to play. He will heal up soon enough. Calloway might find himself released after the suspension because other guys took his position.

That might be a bit of a stretch, Calloway is way more talented over guys like Ratley, but is a business about production and availability. Calloway being unavailable due to smoking pot is worse than a kid with a pulled hammy.

One you can control. One you can't.

Well...

We should just call the raiders and see if they need a replacement for AB. Sounds like he's not having fun.

IF he becomes a repeat offender? ... he tested positive at the combine ... this is step 2 ...

Couldn’t agree less bone ... i said yesterday one more chance ... if he fails another one were morons if he’s not gonzo ...

His past is FILLED with horrible decisions in every aspect of life ...

Dudes excuse for not raping a girl was he was too stoned to have sex with anyone ... he missed at least one year in college and if he went to real college he’d of been kicked out ...

Just since the combine ...

- failed drug test at the combine ...
- driving w/o a licensee in a car with broken equipment begging to get pulled over i believe ..
- cops find weed in the car to top it off ..
- doesn’t tell the team ...
- reports to camp out of shape ..
- fails another drug test ....

Sorry bone ... we stick with him any longer if he fails another one and we’ll just be asking to be disappointed again ..... I’ll also lose a lot of respect for Freddie .. i think he’s a man of integrity and doesn’t put out idle threats ...

I LOVE KJ but have zero respect for him in that regard ... CHARACTER MEANS NOTHING TO HIM ... he’s proven that time and again ...

I’d give him another chance but I don’t see this turning out well ... we got another 2 cent head on our hands ... and its a shame for his sake .. i’m pulling for the person just like i did with and still do for JG ... he don’t have JG’s physical talent but he’s got tons of it and can do things most in the NFL can’t .. he could be a STUD if he ever gets his head out of his arse ..

Respect your opinion.

I don't know if any of the posts address this or not. First off I don't always remember details of various offenses of players but last year when Breshard Perriman played decent for us and he left for FA I wondered to myself if I would come to regret him leaving if Callaway did not keep on the straight and narrow

Not saying they have equal talent or ability but my fear was we had somewhat position of strength at the time (IIRC this was before the OBJ trade) and if we let BP go and Callaway messed up that changed.

I might be misunderstanding you, but we re-signed Perriman and then we made the OBJ trade right after that. We then agreed to allow Perriman to go somewhere else. I can't even remember where.

I might be wrong, but that is how I remember it.

As soon as we signed OBJ Perriman requested to sign w/TB (who were also interested in him at the end of the season).

I obviously had my timing off. I do remember wishing he had stayed but I guess after years of watching horrid WR play I did not want to give up any player who was effective.

JMHO, we "bought into Gordon's remorse" other poster listed the facts of Callaway- we have an undrafted WR FASTER than Callaway who just returned a punt for TD- he's slighter, but MUCH hungrier, I'd trade Callaway for Big Mac and fries- he can't be trusted.....and put the vertical threat on field to open up the lower stuff....go Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi....GO Browns!!!!

I think John Dorsey is the best GM we have had on this team in possibly our entire history. That being said, he looks weak for back walking on his treat to Calloway, and it sends a bad message to the locker room.

Dorsey is the one that makes roster decisions, not Freddie. You would need to lose the respect for Dorsey if hes still here. If hes still PLAYING, then you would need to lose respect for Freddie.

Dorsey looks bad on this. There's really no two ways around that.

I think Sashi would have stuck to his word.

We have no idea how this will play out. Callaway reported to camp out of shape. I saw with my own eyes that he was thicker around the core, butt and thighs than any other receiver. He was practicing ONLY with the 2s and Stanton (and tbh, Stanton looked terrible both days I watched them and barely got anything to him).

The rise of Strong, Willies and even Montgomery could jeopardize his spot. Ratley, who has been injured may now have his opportunity to step up. Add on top of it the sudden interest in Sheehy and his potential. Yeah, Callaway's assumed secured #4 WR position suddenly looks shaky. I think all of the above guys just got handed a green card to go out and prove they deserve to be here AND could make things difficult for Dorsey and his coaches. So, let's see how this all plays out before we speculate.

This isn't a Sashi thread even if some want it to turn in to such.

I understand the position on Calloway, and he still may get cut.

I don't get the Signing of Geathers.

Better you said that than me.

Maybe, maybe not. Vers was the one who started talking about Sashi.

It goes to both sides.

What happens to Callaway is up to Callaway. There is this young guy named Sheehy-Guiseppe who is willing to seemingly work himself to death for a roster spot so Mr. Callaway needs to straighten up and fly right.

If we need a return man as much as we need depth at WR then this might be a self correcting problem. I'm not saying dump Callaway because he's decent enough receiver to maybe put up with the headaches but the team really doesn't need to bend over backwards for him.

This has been the best Training Camp period I can remember in a long long time.

Go root for the Wizards.

Question for all....

If this all from the Police stop and arrest that happened last year and we saw this first hand with the Hard Knocks show???

Is this the results from the NFL of that INCIDENT?

This is not another failed test or something.

Yes he came in the NFL with the Stage 1 drug offense on him one of the reasons he was available in the 4th round.

I think Dorsey and Kitchens was upset with him coming into training camp out of shape. Now there is some confusion on this as a fact. I'm not 100% positive but I'm ASSuming this:

He came onto OTA in great shape...when all was said and done the players left to go on vacation. Possibly Callaway was advised of his upcoming suspension and because of that he pretty much said "SCREW THIS" and did NOTHING in keeping in shape. Went out a lot, ate a lot and didn't work out much.

Possibly this got him in the Kitchens and Dorsey Dawg House seeing this lack of effort. The suspension I believe was from the incident that happened last year so that there should not be this Revelation of dismay due to the suspension. They all knew something was coming (except for Calloway of course)

Well that is how I see it unless one of you can say for certain this is a totally different offense that has happened recently and not last year!

jmhASSumptions

You're the only one who got it.

I actually thought you'd be mad. Kudos.

This is NOT related to the traffic stop and possession incident from last year.

This is a new and separate issue.

According to the reports from various sources of media. It is not related to the car incident last year when he was pulled over with weed and gun parts in the car.

He was also failed the drug test at the combine.

There is no defending Callaway. You fail a drug test at the combine? You need to have your head examended.

This is a case where they are vested in Callaway. He is young and talented. He has great potential. But potential unrealized is just wasted.

He will get another chance with Dorsey. If he gets busted again he will be cut and then picked up by another team.

It has happened before in other cases.

It is up to him. Blow money or blow weed

Yeah... getting caught at the combine is next level stupid.

Release him now or release him later, it seems.

I agree Dorsye is walking back his threat to AC.

IDK why you brought up Sashi. He is not the GM and his opinion or what he would/wouldn't do does not matter.

When you take players who have had troubles in the past, in college, or since... these things are going to happen. You aren't going to reform them all.

Freddie put his name on it this time ... if he and KJ aren’t on the same page Freddie shouldn’t have drawn the line he did ...

That sucks then...The kid will not hang on with us. We will give him the opportunity but if he has failed now 3 times, pre-draft (30 days still in the system for their check) The car incident from Hard knocks. And now this failed test.

No way he is going to last especially as a #4 banana he will choose weed over football. I don't expect anything from him and the sooner we cut ties with him the better.

He has to be better than squeaky clean to get back in the good graces of Dorsey and Co. So its good bye...Strong and Willies will benefit.
jmho

He wouldn’t be #4 if not for this ...

Him and Higgs have different skill sets ... he’s way more explosive and can do things most can’t ... i’d say he’d get more reps than Higgs prolly not many more but more none the less ...

Another 2 cent head ...

Were gonna lose some with KJ’s strategy of drafting “bad boys” ... then there’s gonna be whats been a grand slam SO FAR with Hill ...

.

I don't remember Freddie drawing the line, Diam. IT was John that drew the line on Hard Knocks - and then has backtracked that line. Not Freddie.

with all the positive things going on this year I think the sooner he is cut the better even though AC could be a dynamic player. Josh Gorden II

It really sucks to again be looking at possibly losing an immense talent at WR over this crap.

As my old boss was always fond of saying: You Can't Fix Stupid

j/c:

This is from an article that Grateful posted on another thread.



--A couple of thoughts. Landry's leadership and attitude are irreplaceable.

--I think the Browns are correct for giving Callaway one more shot.

--I have no proof of this, but I do believe it's his last shot w/the club.

--I have no idea if Callaway will reward the Browns for their patience and belief in him. Guys like him typically make the same mistakes over and over. However, I am hoping he can get his stuff together.

Agreed. Shame me once . . . .

All of those who keep comparing him to Gordon...I think this is unfair. Nobody knows the extent of his issues. We only know one side and it's the bare minimum based on reports that have emerged. Gordon had serious substance abuse issues that were well documented and he had many demons he was fighting. To just blanket this kid with some flippant comparison is wrong and unfair. I agree with Landry and as fans we too should support him.

I’m talking about now not on hard knocks ... if Freddie “backed” John then I’d have lost some respect for Freddie now ...

I never had any respect for KJ in that regard ... he’s a whore when it comes to that .. *L* ...

It's completely fair, and unfair..... while the story MAY be different, the current results are the same. He created the identical situation with his actions.

I will support him as long as he is in Orange & Brown, but I will not put on a happy face and say "aww, schucks".

Same as Gordon - change won't happen until/unless the pain of staying the course exceeds the pain of changing. That only happens through consequences.

The word "whore" is not the correct word for what Dorsey does. It's also a very vulgar word.

jc

I'm not going to judge Dorsey for any statements he made under the microscope of Hard Knocks. Particularly when the cameras were catching a bird's eye view of a situation just beginning to transpire. The whole crux of that meeting was "you better come clean, you better not be lying and you better come to us first in the future".

Flash forward to another incident, this one after a successful rookie campaign and a full year of staff getting to know "Callaway, the person". Talent still undeniable, and it has translated to the NFL. Apples and oranges to me.

This is the time when you sit the young man down and spell things out in no uncertain terms... This IS your last chance.

If I'm GM, Callaway has also just cemented his place on the trading block for me. Let him serve his suspension, come back, showcase his talent, and go get yourself the 4th back that you invested in him. If I can't get a 4th or equivalent talent (at a position of need) in return, he remains on the team. Flowchart is simple after that - either he rights the ship, is a productive member of the WR corps, or he screws up and gets dropped. In the mean time, his stock increases as long as he continues without incident and the risk level stays low, since WR is a position of strength.

Totally agree.

You would think when you get suspended in college and lose a year that would be a "scared straight" moment.

But no. Callaway goes to the Combine and tests positive. Dumb and dumber.

Then the car stop. Weed in the car along with gun parts.
After that he was talked too at length.

Then he comes to camp out of shape.

And now he fails another drug test.

Yes, he will get this chance. But like you said "this is it".

Hard to understand what is inside Callaway's head?

I mean damn. Do you want to be rich or poor?

There is no defending his actions. But like Gordon any GM struggles with releasing young guys who have the skills to be great.

Callaway better show up and prove he wants a job or his career will be a short one.

It finally came out that Gordon was fighting a whole host of demons. That didn't come out until very late in the never-ending saga that was Gordon's time with the Browns. 95% of the time Gordon was on the roster, the narrative was weed (and more weed... and more weed). When I call Calloway 'Gordon 2.0', I'm only talking about the struggles with weed that defined the story with Gordon the vast majority of the time he was here. I think people (obviously, including myself) kinda forget about all the other stuff Gordon admitted to at the end of his time in Cle because the narrative was so entrenched in his smoking.

As with Gordon, we have no idea if this latest infraction is, "just weed".

1 baby green pea.

This is good news about Callaway.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20...-positive-test/

Apparently he has been clean for over a year and doing what he should be doing.

I would love to see him reach his true potential.

Hopefully he stays on the straight and narrow,

If he's been clean for a year, why suspend him now and not like, 11 months and 30 days ago?

Yes, but that was Hue's idea.

Hue's an idiot.

He’s been doing everything he’s suppose to be doing ... odd the browns told him to report to camp out of shape ...

I’m an action speaks louder than words kinds cat ... his actions don’t match up with the words ...

Yep, if he proves to stay clean, work hard and right the ship ... i’m All about supporting him

don't bite the hand that feeds you.

So... the article said last season... the skeptic in me is saying it very well could be right after the last game of the season. I have no evidence of any kind, but when the article cites an MKC 'source' and the player's agent... and that's it...? I'm skeptical.

There is no question about AC's talent but I think even without the suspension he is 4 behind Higgins. Who continues to grow with Mayfield - they continue to make big plays with incredible small windows. AC would probably be one of the best #4 WR in the NFL but If he has failed a test knowing full well the consequences and this is his 3rd warning starting with a bad test at the combine. I see no reason why it will stop, sure give him another shot why not. But I learned my lesson with Gordon...you can't teach stupid. I don't trust him and will not count on him for the future, he goes 2 years without a hiccup, he is back in good reliable graces.

jmho

Callaway is back today. That means someone else is off the roster.

plz be ratley

It might be Ratley IF Higgins is healthy enough

Ratley had a bad game. It happens.

Why is everyone clamoring to cut the guy?

I don't know about "clamoring"...but he was 'on-the-bubble' after TC and he was glaringly bad yesterday. $.02

It just seems we live in this world where if it isn't perfect every time all the time, we have to go to extreme decision making instead of recognizing the obvious - chit ain't perfect all the time.

No, please be the guy behind Ratley.

In all likelihood, it will be a Special Teamer that gets the axe.

j/c:

Apparently there is a WR by the name of KhaDarel Hodge on the active roster. Maybe he is the odd man out.

or Harvey could go on IR?

Who is Harvey, and what's wrong with him?

A LB that played about 4 snaps yesterday before getting hurt. A shoulder?

So is this a case of "last in, first out"? Or do we "shoot the wounded and march" type of philosophy? Do we know of someone labeled as expendable when the suspension came through initially? I really do not make much sense of some of the finagling with the roster that Dorsey is showing us. Not saying it is bad, just that it eludes me.

I hope he proves to be worth keeping for us and not a Gordon 2.0.

Freddie gave Ratley props in his presser, saying that he had to fill in 3 different positions, and was valuable for his knowledge of the playbook.

If it were me I'd cut the WR Taylor. Why he kept trying to run out those kickoffs and only getting to between the 15 to 20 yard lines is baffling to me.

My guess is that is more game plan than him making a decision on the fly. If he's making that call on his own then, yes, he should be cut.

Ahh, ok. The guy we signed when Kirksey went to IR.

Unless his injury is really severe, I'd expect we hang on to him as a "just-in-case" simply because of the position he plays. Even if we have guys filling in well right now, that's a place we can use depth.

I'd expect Taywan Taylor or another WR to be the one to go.

I forgot about Harvey ... I think he’ll be IR

I’d like to keep Taylor around ... he has a bit of upside

Good call. I don't think that we get ridd of a WR. Especially with Juice in concussion protocol this week.

If not Harvey. Then Jackson is another possibility.

I agree. I'm certainly not one clamoring for him to be cut. I think we cut a late-add WR - unless Landry is likely out - or a late-add CB if Ward/Williams are good to go.

As stated IR is a factor and also is Practice Squad eligibility.

I think it's going to depend on how Callaway's doing healthwise, along with how Landry and Higgins are doing.

Has there been any news on Landry's concussion today?

Haven't heard anything yet hope he is ok, although having Callaway and hopefully Higgins back we help

Thanks.

I think we need Landry. He's a very good receiver and I think he is our best leader.

I agree

I would suspect that it won't be updated until tomorrow, with the initial injury report of the week.

What happened to Taktaki ? I have not heard his namne called in a while.

Special teams. He’s Schobert’s backup.

j/c

In terms of Landry, they just said he’s in concussion protocol

Correct.

How bout the new, safer helmets the NFL mandated...?

I wonder what the early returns state about them?

That's a piece of good news there. I didn't know it was possible to delay that. Who goes?

Hodge is a special teams player with 4 combined tackles,3 solo

And we cut Taylor and kept Hodge

Where did you hear that?

Yes Where ???

j/c, I am pretty sure that we gave up some draft picks to acquirer Taylor.

I saw it on Twitter ... ill try to find it

Well Hodge is a starter in my book. He is one of our two starting gunners (MIKE Backer)

Jeff-LJ-Lloyd
@Jeff_LJ_Lloyd
Hearing Taywan Taylor’s stay with Cleveland is on verge of ending with Callaway returning. #Browns

You're darn straight!

It's one of the most important jobs on special teams and probably the hardest.

It used to be the most fun too, but I'm not sure if that is the case now that the NFL has the new rules that make football more like badminton.

Taylor has one quality, he's fast. Even though you wouldn't know it after last game. He got stone hands. Ratley is a good player who had a bad game.

Taylor would not be a loss to lose.