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I read somewhere that Vernon's contract wasn't guaranteed until 1 week before the start of the season. Don't have a link this is purely from memory. There was no mention of whether that date changes if the start of the season is delayed.

Earlier in the week, I wrote the Browns had to make a decision on Vernon’s $15 million contract by June 1. That’s wrong. They have until a week before the regular season opens to cut him without having to pay him.

Perhaps they will find a middle financial ground by reworking his contract.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/05...and-browns.html

The two links below would appear to support the June 1 date. As I said, I didn't know about June 1 so I'm not prepared to argue definitively that it is June 1.

https://overthecap.com/player/olivier-vernon/711/

https://factoryofsadness.co/2020/05/21/cleveland-browns-olivier-vernon-contract/

I stand corrected.

And in his most recent article, he says this:



So I'm not sure what is true or not. Spotrac has nothing regarding his contract that says anything about a guaranteed date in 2020 for his salary.

OverTheCap says a post-June cut would still net the Browns $15M w/ zero dead cap money, FWIW.
https://overthecap.com/player/olivier-vernon/711/

IIRC, contracts for all vested veterans' contracts become guaranteed in the week prior to the season.

Probably from our very own guard dawg.





Not so sure that is correct.

Are you referring to his statement, I'm going to shot someone....something about a hotel room. He's been looked at mental health, state ordered. JMHO, probably has brain damage due to football.....might not be smart move signing him.

What’s the deal with Olivier Vernon? What about the D-line, is it better? Let’s talk Cleveland Browns!
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/07...and-browns.html


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT OLIVIER VERNON & MYLES GARRETT

1. The Browns had discussions with Bus Cook, the agent for free-agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney as well as Myles Garrett. The Browns continue to work on a long-term extension for their defensive end.

2. Last week, I had a suggestion for taking the two years left on Garrett’s contract, then extending four more years. My idea was to pay him $150 million with $100 million guaranteed. That would make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player.

Then Patrick Mahomes (also a member of Garrett’s 2017 draft class) signed a 10-year extension with Kansas City. Like Garrett, he had two years left on his rookie contract. Unlike Garrett, he’s a Super Bowl-winning QB. His new (and complicated) deal is $477 million over 12 years. He received $63 million immediately. It looks like close to $150 million is guaranteed, but I’m not sure.

3. If I’m Garrett’s agent, I’d use Mahomes’ contract in some fashion to try to squeeze more dollars from the Browns. If I’m the Browns, I’d say Mahomes has nothing to do with Garrett’s deal. QBs are a special category. I’m willing to make Garrett the highest-paid defensive player.

4. Because the Browns have been talking to Cook about Garrett, they also know what Clowney wants in a new deal. That’s why they moved on from the defensive end who was with Seattle last season. Instead, they turned back to Olivier Vernon.

5. Vernon had a $15.5 million deal for 2020. But the Browns could cut the defensive end up to a week before the opening game without paying him a dime.

6. The Browns had several internal discussions about Vernon. At 29, he should still be effective, assuming good health. They like his maturity and quiet leadership and consider him a smart football player. But he had major high ankle sprains in 2017 and 2018 with the New York Giants, missing nine games.

7. In 2019, he had knee problems with the Browns, missing six games. In a few of those games where he did play, he was hobbled. Pay him $15 million? No way. But what if they could rework the deal – knowing it isn’t likely he’ll play all 16 games in 2020?

8. Vernon was receptive. The Browns agreed to give a $7 million signing bonus. He also received another $4 million guaranteed salary if he’s on the roster for opening day in 2020. The Andrew Berry front office has no stake in Vernon, but values him. The Browns also know Clowney has had some injury issues over the years.

9. Last spring, it was former GM John Dorsey who traded a very good guard in Kevin Zeitler to the Giants for Vernon. I thought the trade hurt the Browns. The plan was for 2018 second-round pick Austin Corbett to take over at guard. The Freddie Kitchens coaching staff didn’t believe in Corbett, who was traded to the Rams. Starting seven games at guard, he wasn’t that effective. But at least he played.

10. The Browns went through part of training camp with Corbett at left guard, but opened the season with Eric Kush, who had major problems. Dorsey pushed for Wyatt Teller to play. Acquired from Buffalo, Teller took over for the final nine games and showed some promise.

11. Nonetheless, the loss of Zeitler weakened the middle of the offensive line. Zeitler combined with fellow guard Joel Bitonio and center JC Tretter to give QB Baker Mayfield confidence that the rush would not come up the middle. But that fell apart after Zeitler was dealt.

12. The Browns already had massive problems at both offensive tackle spots. That’s why Berry has added free agent Jack Conklin and first-round pick Jedrick Wills Jr. The Browns think Teller could develop into a respectable starter in 2020.

13. Why the history of the Zeitler/Vernon deal? Because I believe it was damaging to the Browns. But also because Berry’s decision to bring back Vernon is not based on him wanting to make an old trade look good. It wasn’t his deal.

14. Vernon played 48 percent of the defensive snaps. He had 3.5 sacks and didn’t show the same quickness that earned a 2018 Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro status. He should have been more productive playing the opposite defensive end from Garrett, who receives most of the attention from opposing blockers.

15. Profootballfocus.com (PFF) rated Vernon 21st out of 118 “qualifying edge rushers.” He was No. 35 as a pass rusher. Overall, the analytics site likes him. While the Browns have their own internal stats and grading system, they obviously hold Vernon in high regard.

16. I don’t know if it’s true, but Seattle sportswriter and broadcaster John Clayton (formerly of ESPN) wrote the Browns once offered Clowney $17 million and he wanted $22 million. Clowney later dropped his price, but by then the Browns had turned to Vernon.

17. The Browns believe Adrian Clayborn will bring depth to defensive end. They signed the 10-year veteran to a two-year, $5.5 million deal. He had four sacks as a backup defensive end for Atlanta in 2019, playing 42% of the snaps.

18. Another possibility at defensive end is Chad Thomas, a third-round pick by Dorsey in 2018. He played only 22 snaps as a rookie. In 2019, he was on the field for 44% of the snaps, playing in all 16 games with four sacks. He did struggle against the run. I’m not sure what the new regime thinks of him. His $1 million contract is not guaranteed. Undrafted free agent George Obinna (Sacramento State) is intriguing, a raw and athletic edge rusher.

19. The Browns like their tackles with starters Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi. They are very high on Andrew Billings, a free-agent tackle who played 62% of the snaps last season with Cincinnati. They drafted Jordan Elliott (Missouri) in the third round to play tackle and believe he could eventually develop into a starter.

21. Bringing back Vernon also adds continuity to the defensive line. The starting front four – Garrett, Vernon, Richardson and Ogunjobi – all return from last year. I thought Richardson was a good signing by Dorsey. He played 73% of the snaps and even helped out at defensive end.

I keep forgetting about both Clayborn and Billings. I think both are good adds, and I like the Elliott pick.


As for the guard spot, I hope Teller can fill. We also drafted a kid, maybe out of Washington. More a center, but maybe he can fill.

I have been round and round on this, but IMO. Two good guards and a solid center are what you need on the O-line. If a QB gets bum rushed up the middle, that is hard to deal with.

On the edge, as long as the O tackle doesn't get beat inside, and as long as the QB has some degree of pocket awareness, 2 steps forward kills the DE's attack angle and puts the OT back in position, but the QB has to be able to take those 2 steps forward. If you can't do that, you're cooked.

Looking at their respective pay scales, the NFL disagrees.

You always bring that up.

It doesn't change my opinion, and the NFL will finally catch up with me. I am a forward thinker.

I love reading Pluto as well and am taking advantage of this downtime to read When All the World Was Browns Town again. Pluto is a treasure in my opinion, and I will always want to consider his takes on issues.

None of what I am about to say reflects on any poster here in the thread. I am seeing the horrible Kitchens debacle a bit differently than some are expressing it here. Specifically, Baker and the team's cockiness. I think they came off as sloppy and stupid ball was the gameday order of the day way too often and Freddy couldn't fix it. But when Bakes and Williams were popular and hot, we should not forget some of that time. We were cocky, had some swagger, and won some. And despite shooting ourselves in the foot (more like burning a clip and reloading LOL), we did manage to survive ourselves, though the wins were neither clean and pretty nor easy to watch. But the cockiness and attitude was something many fans embraced, and winning forgives a lot in season, especially coming off an 0 for season. Plenty of learning curve, reps, and getting units to play better together. I expect plenty of bad; I also expect some improvement and some success. Some cocky is OK; it is not all negative. Fighting undisciplined play and preparation is an NFL lifestyle. Some need it more, but all who manage it can see benefits. Cocky is OK if you can back it up and still take care of business. Last year, Baker, the offense, name who you feel the need to mention, did not and played some dumb ball that Cleveland's fans know could have been better, should have been better, and never lacked for reasons to point up shortcomings. I agree with bunches of the other insights. Cocky just isn't one of them like it is universally evil. FWIW.

j/c:

I get a lot of opinions are based on who made them. For example, Dorsey or Sahsi, or the new guys.

However, other than FB or maybe SS, the RG is probably the last guy you want to pay huge dollars to. Nelson in Indy might be the exception. I also think an Edge player is much more valuable than a RG.

I don't think that trade was near as dumb as many folks on here claim it is. I am not saying it was a great trade. Instead, I am saying that I understand the thinking behind it. Your RG is the least important member of your OL in my opinion. Having a good Edge guy opposite of Myles makes a ton of sense.

The guy who developed the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was a forward thinker too. and if you look around you, you'll see that he was wrong too.

Who is impacted the most by different training camp for Cleveland Browns?

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/07...erry-pluto.html


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – As training camp should have been getting ready to start for NFL teams, the coronavirus has every club wondering what this means for the season.

But that’s especially true for the Browns.

Let’s start with a couple of big picture points:

1. The Browns have a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski, who is bringing in a new offensive system built around running backs and tight ends.

2. They have a new offensive line coach in Bill Callahan, and he brings in a new zone-blocking scheme.

3. They have a new defensive coordinator in Joe Woods, who brings in a new system. Don’t ask me what kind. It’s not a slam on Woods. It’s simply we didn’t get to see the team on the field in the spring when you can watch formations, etc.

4. Stefanski is the fourth head coach in the past three seasons. That’s right...FOUR since opening day of 2018.

5. Virtual learning is better than no learning. But it’s not as effective as on-the-field, muscle-memory work where you put all the computer stuff into action. Because of COVID-19, the NFL has canceled all preseason games. The season could be pushed back. With this virus, who knows?

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

1. Football is not like baseball. You can trade for a left fielder, put him in the lineup batting fifth...and that’s it. He plays left field. He bats. He doesn’t need a lot of chemistry with teammates to succeed.

2. But you add a left tackle from college to the Browns offensive line...a left tackle named Jedrick Wills Jr. who actually played right tackle at Alabama. It takes time and lots of on-field practice with the other linemen to make everything work.

3. The offensive line is like a hand with five fingers. Each has a slightly different role. The Browns and most football people believe in Wills, but opening a regular season with no exhibition is tough for any rookie.

4. The Browns also signed veteran Jack Conklin to play right tackle, his natural position. Let’s assume Wills and Conklin are the tackles and Wyatt Teller wins the right guard spot. The Browns will open 2020 with only two O-linemen who began last season: center JC Tretter and guard Joel Bitonio.

5. They have some promising young linemen: Drew Forbes, Nick Harris and Colby Gossett (added from Minnesota). Chris Hubbard is a reliable backup.

6. Callahan is more capable of fast-tracking this process than many other coaches, but I still expect some early season issues on the offensive line. That said, I like the upgrades and the long-range future of the line.

THE LINEBACKERS

1. Talk about a group that needs lots of on-field action, it’s the Browns linebackers. Not sure how new D-Coordinator Woods plans to use his linebackers, but I’m guessing he’ll have two on the field more often than three.

2. No matter how many play...well...these guys need to play. They added veteran BJ Goodson, who played only 24 percent of the snaps with Green Bay last year. In his 4-year career, the most he ever played in a season was 47 percent (Giants in 2018).

3. After that, it’s second-year players Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson. Add in rookie Jacob Phillips, the third-rounder from LSU. Lots of unknowns.

4. In a regular training camp, we could be hearing about Solomon Ajayi. He is an undrafted free agent from Liberty. The Browns liked him enough to guarantee him $60,000 to come to camp. But how much of a chance will he receive in what could be a rush to prepare for the regular season?

THE SAFETIES

1. If Woods plans to play three safeties, he will need to pick primarily from guys who were not with the team a year ago. A guess is the Browns will start rookie Grant Delpit along with veterans Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo.

2. Joseph played 55 percent of the defensive snaps for Oakland last year, Sendejo played 25 percent for two teams in 2019. Sheldrick Redwine is in his second season.

3. The Browns have two undrafted free agents on their roster: Liberty’s Elijah Benton and Jovante Moffatt of Middle Tennessee. I hear the scouts like Benton. Moffatt and Benton each were given $40,000 to sign. Spring workouts would have given these guys a chance to impress.

THE QUARTERBACKS

1. Maybe I’m being optimistic when it comes to Baker Mayfield, but it appears Stefanski’s run-driven, play-action fueled offense is right for the QB. It shouldn’t be that hard for Mayfield to learn. He has Case Keenum behind him, and the veteran QB already knows the offense.

2. The Browns are asking Mayfield to make some slight changes in his footwork, but that’s something he can practice on his own. Much of quarterback’s game is mental and video study. He can do this.

3. The one area of concern is Mayfield’s chemistry with his receivers, especially Odell Beckham Jr. There was little of it a year ago. This comes not from watching video, but on-field practice.

WHAT SHOULD BE OK

1. Four starters return on the defensive line: Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and Olivier Vernon. They added veterans Adrian Clayborn and Andrew Billings. Players such as Chad Thomas, rookie Jordan Elliott and undrafted George Obinna (Sacramento State) could benefit from a full camp.

2. The Browns are set at running back with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrell Hilliard and D’Ernest Johnson all back from a year ago. I’m intrigued by undrafted free agent Ben LeMay.

3. The cornerbacks will hold up...I think. Starters Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward are back. So is the underrated Terrance Mitchell. The Browns added free agent Kevin Johnson. Keep an eye on A.J. Green, an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State who was given $140,000 to sign.

4. Receivers and tight ends are well stocked. Training camp helps young guys to show what they can do in the NFL and the older guys to learn a new system. Division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh have systems in place because of stable coaching staffs, and that makes this season harder for the Browns.

Always enjoy Pluto.

His insight that other teams have stuff in place is accurate. But systems in place isn't folks on field. I hope we can hit it hard when the season starts. Some folks seem to be pushing themselves to find negatives. They may all be true.

But we may surprise ourselves and some other teams. I hope it isn't as dire as some predict. I am encouraged.

He did a great job if describing just how behind the 8 ball we are with an entire new coaching staff and little on field time to install the systems. He did it in a way that didn't make it sound as devastating as that may very well be.

Installing a new system definitely puts us behind. I think we would benefit from keeping things simple for the players scheme wise. Let them play and not think too much. Then add slowly.

I think teams that will be running the ball a lot are at an advantage because the run game is simpler. Hey oline, if there is a guy in front of you, knock him down. Hey running back, if there is a guy in front of you, try to go around him. If there isn't room then try to go through him

Pinto does a good job.

His beans are particularly good.

Talk about an exploding gas tank!

Given COVID-19, what should the Cleveland Browns do about play-calling?

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/08...erry-pluto.html


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT BROWNS PLAY CALLING

I can’t imagine what Kevin Stefanski is dealing with in his first year with the Browns.

It’s doubtful even the rookie head coach has a clue of what the next day will bring in the ever-changing COVID-19 world other than this: Almost nothing is normal.

About every business can say the same.

Major League Baseball keeps changing rules to figure out how to play a 60-game schedule and keep the virus from spreading wildly among the players.

That’s why Stefanski should not worry about calling plays, at least early in the season.

There will be so much to be done simply to have a training camp and start the season. Stefanski doesn’t need to be consumed with the details of putting together each week’s game plan.

Play calling is supposed to be a strength for Stefanski, who had that role in Minnesota when he served as the Vikings offensive coordinator last year.

But this isn’t like last year...or any other year for the NFL.

That’s why not just Stefanski, but any other rookie head coach should turn over the play-calling to the offensive coordinator, and for the Browns that’s Alex Van Pelt.

Browns fans have seen rookie head coaches overwhelmed with the responsibility of being the team’s on-field football CEO and trying to run the offense.

Freddie Kitchens was an effective play-caller for eight games in 2018. He was a disaster as a head coach/play caller for the Browns in 2019.

Pat Shurmur struggled with it in 2011. The same with Chris Palmer in 1999.

A LESSON FROM THE PAST

In 2012, Shurmur was technically the play-caller, but he hired Brad Childress as offensive coordinator. The team went from a 4-12 record to 5-11. In the big picture, it didn’t matter.

But in terms of the offense, the Browns scored 218 points with Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace at QB in 2011. That rose to 302 points with rookie Brandon Weeden at QB in 2012.

The offense and the team in general ran better with the Shurmur being more of a big-picture head coach.

Shurmur once told me how it worked. He combined with Childress during the week to put together a general approach to the offensive game plan. Childress ran the meetings with the offense, something Shurmur had done the year before while also trying to be the head coach.

Childress allowed Shurmur to go to various position-group meetings, something he believed helped him as a head coach.

During games, Childress was in the press box. He’d call the play. Shurmur was on the head set. He could overrule Childress, but it happened only a few times each game.

Stefanski probably knows all about this. His first job in the NFL was as the personal assistant to Childress in 2006. That’s when Childress was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.

Childress and Stefanski remain close.

A ROAD TO FOLLOW

The Browns don’t have Childress, but they brought in Van Pelt.

He’s a former NFL QB who has been an assistant coach for 15 years. His specialty is QBs. He called plays only in 2009 with Buffalo.

His first job with the Browns has been helping QB Baker Mayfield change his footwork.

He also has been helping to virtually install Stefanski’s offense, which features extensive use of the running game, tight ends and a zone blocking scheme.

Also on Stefanski’s coaching staff is Bill Callahan, who is in charge of the offensive line. But Callahan is a former college and NFL head coach. He certainly can help run meetings and take some of the pressure off Stefanski.

Callahan has called plays in the past for Nebraska and the Dallas Cowboys.

The point is Stefanski will be going to countless meetings dealing with the virus and how the team should run practices, travel and try to keep the players safe.

There will be times when it seems football is lost in all the new regulations and procedures due to COVID-19.

The world today works against any NFL coach who wants to micromanage.

In his Zoom media call Thursday, Stefanski said he “has a plan” when it comes to play-calling. He said he’ll announce it at some point.

One of the reasons the Browns hired Stefanski is they believed he could make the jump from a coordinator dealing only with the offense to a big-picture head coach.

This season, he’ll have a chance to prove it because the challenge is more complicated than ever.

About Andrew Berry’s big move with Myles Garrett & the game within the game: Talking Cleveland Browns

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/08...and-browns.html

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT ANDREW BERRY

When Andrew Berry took over as general manager of the Cleveland Browns, he promised to be aggressive.

He was just that in free agency, signing veterans Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper and Case Keenum to a combined $104 million in long-term deals.

But the boldest move for the 33-year-old GM may have been signing Myles Garrett to a $125 million, 5-year contract extension.

Berry found a kindred spirit in veteran agent Bus Cook.

Some agents would have been willing to wait for another party to set the market for a star pass rusher. The same with some GMs.

Instead, Cook and Berry worked for months to find a deal that would make Garrett the NFL’s top paid defensive players.

They set the market, knowing it probably wouldn’t last for long.

And it didn’t. Ohio State product Joey Bosa (L.A. Chargers) signed a 5-year, $135 million extension two weeks after Garrett’s deal was announced.

In battle of guaranteed dollars, Garrett received $100 million, Bosa picked up $102 million.

There’s no need to dwell on all the nuances of the various contracts. They are eye-popping, mind-numbing and basically outrageous in a world turned upside down by COVID-19.

For the Browns, the benefit is they now have Garrett under control for seven seasons. Bosa is under contract for six more.

The NFL salary cap will probably drop heading into 2021 because fans won’t be in the stands – assuming they even find a way to play the season. It made sense to sign now, especially in terms of getting those upfront bonuses.

But eventually, football and crowds will be back. There will be new TV deals after the 2022 season. Those are expected to be huge as various streaming services are likely to bid on the games.

Having Garrett’s contract set before all that happens will help the Browns with salary cap issues.

ABOUT T.J. WATT

Also Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt is next up at the pass rusher’s contract buffet line.

Watt had a monster 2019 season with 14.5 sacks, 19 QB hits and eight forced fumbles.

That was more than Bosa (11.5 sacks, 17 QB hits) and Garrett (10 sacks, 9 QB hits).

Garrett’s stats were in only 10 games as he was suspended for the final six after his fight with the Steelers.

Watt was in the same 2017 draft as Garrett. The Steelers grabbed him at 30 overall. The Browns also picked Jabrill Peppers (No. 25) and David Njoku (No. 29) in that first round before Watt was selected.

Anyway, Watt’s agent will now try to top the deals given Garrett and Bosa.

Remember, there is a game within the game. Just as teams work to beat each other, agents do the same.

Garrett’s agent can say, “Look, my guy wanted to stay in Cleveland. He was coming off a 6-game suspension and we still got a deal that made us the highest-paid defensive player.”

Bosa’s agent can say, “It took only two weeks for us to beat Garrett’s deal.”

You get the idea.

Agents use their best deals to attract new clients. A very poor deal can be used against an agent as he competes for a new client.

WHY THIS MATTERS

If the Browns are ever going to become a consistent contender in the AFC-North like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, they not only have to draft well – they have to keep their top players when their rookie contracts run out.

They can’t let a talent such as Mitchell Schwartz walk out the door as they did in 2016 when his rookie contract was up. They need to extend key players before they enter their free agent year...it’s too tempting to hit the open market when it’s a year away.

While Garrett’s reputation outside of Northeast Ohio was hurt by the helmet-swinging fight with the Steelers, the Browns know he is a solid citizen.

When you have one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers and he wants to stay with a franchise that has been the worst in the NFL since 1999, you must find a way to make that work.

If the contract seems “high” to some people, there is a “misery tax” the Browns have to pay in these deals because of all their past organizational sins.

If Garrett sustains a major injury, this contract will look like a mistake. The same is true for Bosa or any of the other players receiving mega-deals.

But for the Browns, the boldness of Berry could pay off for a long time with Garrett.

Been banging this concept home for years.

I think most of us have. In the past we weren't able to do it. Sometimes forced, sometimes by design.

I think we are at the point we will try our best to keep a few of these guys around. No doubt everybody has to fit in to the salary structure of the team and we will have to let some players walk but I think we have a pretty good idea who we need to keep. Guys on the A list. We don't want to lose some B list players but we don't want to keep them at the expense of A list players.

That right there can tell you why they'll lose 10 games again like every year, or something like 3-9 of a 12 game season, You can't make up for that no matter what anyone else does.
A rookie, A guy nobody knows and doesn't know the team, and a guy a little less experienced than the 2nd listed.

The D line doesn't matter, QB play, offensive thinking, running game, nothing else can make up for if your Safeties don't understand.
There are 31 other NFL offenses that will have no trouble carving up a bad safety group like a Professional Butcher at a Thanksgiving dinner table.
So either this group is better than I think, or the Browns will not have a winning record. The End.

I don't think most have.

I remember seeing Farmer instead of Banner getting blamed for not re-signing Ward and having to choose whether to tag he or Mack, only to have Mack sign a contract that spelled his departure in a couple years' time.

I remember people blaming Sashi instead of Farmer for not resigning Schwartz, Gipson, Benjamin, and Mack.

Just earlier this year, people were blaming Berry instead of Dorsey for not locking up Schobert leading up until FA.

I'm guessing most of these could have been completed the year prior for these players. When a new regime comes in a new year they have very little time to do these deals and the agent and player are wide eyed in hopes of (most likely) being overpaid in the FA market.

Perhaps an argument could have been had for no resigning some of these players, but the point still stands for me. Many people but blame on the wrong person.

What about Baker Mayfield? Rashard Higgins? Harrison Bryant? Let’s talk Cleveland Browns


ABOUT BROWNS TRAINING CAMP

1. What message was Alex Van Pelt sending when he recently praised Rashard Higgins? It seems significant because Van Pelt brought up Higgins without being asked. A few days later, Higgins caught a pair of TD passes in camp.

2. This isn’t meant to put any pressure on Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. The two veterans are secure as the starters. Head coach Kevin Stefanski doesn’t use three receivers as often as others do in their offenses. So what’s going on?

3. Van Pelt said Higgins “has really stepped up. He has an impressive ability to finish plays. ... He’s the one (among the younger receivers) who is putting the work in.”

4. Van Pelt knows Higgins had his confidence shaken after clashing with former head coach Freddie Kitchens in 2019 while dealing with a knee problem. He came back to the Browns on a $910,000 contract, none of it guaranteed, according to Overthecap.com. So Higgins would naturally be feeling pressure in camp to make the team.

5. Landry is coming off significant hip surgery. Beckham had hip/groin surgery. Landry hasn’t played much in training camp as he recovers. He plans to open the season in the lineup, but we’ll see if that happens. In the meantime, Van Pelt wants Higgins ready to play a lot. He also knows QB Baker Mayfield has some chemistry with Higgins.

6. Stefanski has praised rookie receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones: “A versatile football player. You can line him up anywhere, which is impressive for a young player.”

7. Peoples-Jones was a sixth-round pick from Michigan. He was an elite 5-star high school recruit. With Michigan, he caught 103 passes in three seasons, 14 for TDs. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, he has the look of an NFL receiver and has the required speed. But his college production was uneven. Peoples-Jones also can help as a punt returner.

8. The Browns want to build depth at the position because Landry and Beckham are coming off injuries. They’ll look at other receivers. My sense is Van Pelt is holding the door wide open for Higgins to be a factor on offense.

9. Coming off vacation and then writing stories on the Tribe’s wayward pitchers, I’ve not been to training camp until Saturday. So these comments on Mayfield are based on what I’ve been told.

10. One important fact that I didn’t know until I read Jake Trotter’s story for ESPN: Mayfield is one of only four NFL QBs to have have four head coaches in his first three seasons. Think about that: Four coaches in three years. Let’s name them: Hue Jackson, Gregg Williams, Freddie Kitchens and now Stefanski.

11. So no surprise Mayfield has not always looked smooth or comfortable learning the latest offense. Furthermore, he’s doing it in a camp where on-field work has been limited and there are no preseason games because of COVID-19.

12. Mayfield has been at his best throwing to tight ends. Austin Hooper has especially been impressive. Rookie Harrison Bryant also has made a positive impression. Veteran tight end David Njoku has missed some time with a sore wrist.

13. The Browns are using a lot of play-action passing, and that’s a comfort zone for Mayfield. As Stefanski said: “We want to do what the quarterback does well so there are schematic things that that we will do. I am not going to list them all. But I think he is on track.”

14. Mayfield has still had some days where passes were sailing high. He still is trying to develop chemistry with his wide receivers, especially on downfield throws. As I write this I keep thinking, “What a tough spot for Mayfield, Stefanski and the rest of the offense.”

15. Making it even more difficult is veteran center J.C. Tretter is out with knee surgery. He hopes to be ready for the opener, but he’s not taking part in practices. Rookie Nick Harris is at center. Rookie Jedrick Wills is at left tackle, a position utterly new to him. No surprise the offensive line has had some issues.

16. Some good news: Kareem Hunt looks faster and in better shape than a year ago. He is perfect for this offense, which accents backs doing a variety of things. Nick Chubb is a premier power running back with surprising speed. Hunt is a Pro Bowl back with all-around skills.

17. Generally, run-blocking is easier than pass blocking. The presence of Hunt and Chubb along with fullback Andy Janovich has helped the offensive line and Mayfield.

18. Beckham is another player who looks quicker and in better condition than a year ago. That’s probably because the wide receiver is healthy.

19. I don’t have much on the defense, other than I heard BJ Goodson has been solid at Joe Schobert’s old middle linebacker spot. Sione Takitaki has had some nice moments at outside linebacker and is likely to start.

20. Because the practices have been few and there is so much teaching going on with new coordinators on offense and defense, there have not been a lot of full-speed practices. That makes it hard to judge what is happening, at least up to this point.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/08...and-browns.html

Good points - regardless of the debates about who was at fault - I think the consensus is we need to sign more of our top young talent.

What is so sad and what jumps out at me is the woefully short list of players we drafted that we feel should have been resigned. Signing talent hasn't been good - unfortunately drafting talent has been worse.

Not only because of Terry's article, but I'm actually feeling quite good about our WR core - feeling encouraged by Baker. Feeling good about the TE group. Concerned about the OL without Tretter and with the Rookie at LT not getting pre-season games and a very disjointed season prep after switching position. Also very concerned at the number of injuries.

When Terry mentioned something we've all talked about - Baker being on his 4th HC - I wonder who the other three QB's are and how well they played? Anyone know the others?

Glad to hear the positive news on him. However, KhaDarel Hodge is the guy I'm most interested in. He is a freaking stud on Special Teams. I believe he is the fastest of all the wide receivers. His ability to get open deep would be a great compliment to not only OBJ and Landry, but also our two RBs, and Hooper.

I believe in complimentary football and I think Hodge has the potential to be an excellent complimentary piece.

How are his hands?

Hard to say for sure. He had 10 targets last year w/1 drop. Here is something from OBR before last year.



Here is the link for that entire article: https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland-brow...tudy-135182623/


To be clear, I haven't been pimping him because of his hands. I like him because of special teams play, his speed, and deep-threat ability. We have OBJ, Landry, and Higgins as guys w/good hands. I want a complimentary player to the top two guys and I think Hodge's ability to get open deep would make a lot of sense given our offensive weaponry.

Jc

Good to read about Higgins. Our weapons and skill guys are among the best in the NFL ... we have to hope other positions dont fail us

j/s

I have a question about things often said about Coach Stefanski's offense. First that he uses a lot of multiple tight end sets, and second that he rarely uses 3 wide receiver sets.

But here's the thing, he was OC in Minnesota for 1 year, so when people talk about his tendencies, 2019 is the only year they have to go by. In 2019 his top 2 WR were Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. Thielen missed 6 games due to injury, and wasn't 100% in at least some of the 10 games he played. Diggs missed 1 game (which Thielen also missed) and was less than 100% in several of the games he did play.

So my question is, was KS emphasis of TE over WR in 2019 due to offensive philosophy, or a matter of using the tools he had while his top WRs were injured?

Great question ... with that said, I think having Hooper, Njoku and Bryant seems to indicate a strong desire to have multiple TE's on the field. What % ... and what impact it might have to have a WR3 who is very, very good (if we have that guy on the roster) idk.

Njoku’s good ... ...

He has unrealized potential at this point ...

In #Browns' move ball period, second-team offense scored TD on Case Keenum's 4-yard pass to WR Damion Ratley. TE David Njoku had 65-yard catch and run to begin series.

https://twitter.com/ByNateUlrich/status/1300139298717605888