DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns News and Notes cont.

j/c:

Not sure where to put this and I didn't want to start a new thread.

j/c:



Not a shocker as I think many assumed this would happen.

Glad he is staying, but I was hoping we could reach a multi-year deal that would be financially friendly for the team.

I was as well. I am not sure how much flexibility a team has concerning the option, but it might still happen.

I anticipated us picking up the option. Now it’s in his court about beyond that

Agreed. We had no choice but to pick up his option. However Wills has played the last few years we, at this time, have no one better to put at LT.

j/c:

Apparently, Nathan Zegura said the Browns tried to trade for RB D'Andre Swift.

Wills is proof that you can be a lazy half stepping OT and still get paid.

I don't get this take. Dude had an ankle injury for the past two years

I don't get your take ... Is it wrong to have higher expectations from a player with his traits and skill set, being selected with the 10th overall pick in the Draft?

The past two years my big toe.

I’m not surprised that we were in on Swift

Yeah, his salary is low and Detroit only got a 4th for him.

We’ll most likely sign another RB that will be Chubb’s backup and get 30% of the carries. Drake, Fournette, etc. someone who fits our offense

See, that's something I thought the Browns had covered. D’Ernest Johnson had proven he could fill that role. The only true sample size we had to look at was 2021. He had a total of 100 carries for 534 yards. 5.3 yards per carry. He had three rushing TD's and 19 receptions. I thought that eventually Hunt would be let go and Johnson would step right into his shoes. For some reason that simply didn't happen and I have no idea as to why.

For whatever reason our staff doesn’t love Johnson’s game. That’s apparent … he gets little chance unless it’s an injury situation. You wonder if it’s blocking, intelligence, etc

Yeah, as fans we only know a small portion of the big picture. And looking at it from a statistical perspective that's the conclusion I drew. But Johnson signed with the Jaguars back in March so obviously the Browns had other plans.

I agree.

Not sure why we kicked DErnie to the curb. I thought he played well when given the chance.

Yeah he really did. One of those situations where the coaches’ knowledge of a player or situation is much deeper than ours as fans

We didn't kick him at all. His contract was up, and he wanted to play more often, so he went elsewhere.

I expect Jerome Ford to step into the backup RB slot...

Not a very positive outlook for our Browns.

NFL power rankings: Steelers, Seahawks rise while Patriots, Raiders drop after 2023 draft; Ravens recover with Lamar Jackson
Vinnie Iyer 2 hours ago 9 min read.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...rs-patriots/pmkxqudlixhu7hiz8d2rucyn?utm


18. Cleveland Browns (12)

The Browns had limited draft capital after the Deshaun Watson trade and focused on some depth for his receiving corps and taking care of defense. Based on the competition in the North, however, they look like a fourth-place team.

Translation: Vinnie Iyer from the Sporting News thinks the Browns suck and will finish last in our division. He has the Bengals as the 3rd best team in the land and Steelers and Ravens at 13 and 14. Obviously, in his world, the Bengals will run way with the division and the Cleveland will be the North's whippin' post.

The value of Power Rankings before Week 8 is about three notches lower than your daily racing form at Thistledown.

Yet at the same time you have posters who bolster every good prediction and attack every bad one. Not saying that's you. There are so many self proclaimed talking heads these days it's hard to wade through it. I think some be taken seriously even when we all know they won't always be right. They just know the game and have sound reasoning for their opinions. And some just throw out crap as click bait or strictly to cater to a particular fan base. Everybody is on Twitter these days being some self proclaimed expert. And it seems the trend is to give validity to those people believe and like what they say and trash those who don't.

It gets harder to wade through the muck as time has gone on.

I have no problem w/predictions. They can be fun. I'm not dumb enough to let them guide my thinking, so I take them for what they are. Entertainment while discussing the sport you are following. Personally, I don't make a ton of predictions. That's just not my thing, but it doesn't bother me if others do.

McLeod is old, but he is a solid signing at this point in time. He had a good year last year in Indy and earned a PFF grade of 80.1.

That is some good news.

I agree. I think many fans treat players as if they are fantasy draft players. IT is almost as if they look at stats, and just assume he fits a position, regardless of the type of offense and defense the team plans to implement.

While I agree with that to some extent, in the case of players like D'Ernest Johnson we actually saw him on the field of play with which to help determine how valuable he was on the field.

Looks like AB is working with JS to get the players he needs and wants. Good conscious effort to improve the D. Working together to bring a winner here!! That's what we need!!!

The Browns needed to add another safety after not taking one in the draft. Good depth signing.

Agreed...they needed a viable option at 3rd safety, and a long tenured veteran like McCloud fits the need. With his experience in various roles and fronts, I'm hopeful he can pass along some tutelage to the young core...Will only be a benefit to the locker room, and that's something we lacked last year.

The ubiquitous "veteran that knows the new coordinator scheme, but will probably be the backup" signing.

How much of a "backup role" McLeod plays will be determined by Schwartz.

McLeod started 15 games for the Colts last season...clearly not playing "a backup role".


Browns agree to terms with S Rodney McLeod on 1-year deal

TOM WITHERSAP
link
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns added needed experience and depth to their secondary Thursday, agreeing on a one-year contract with veteran free agent safety Rodney McLeod.

The 32-year-old McLeod has started 138 games in his NFL career. He spent last season with Indianapolis, finishing with 96 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Terms of McLeod's deal were not immediately known.

With Cleveland, McLeod will be reunited with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who was hired in the offseason to fix a unit that woefully underperformed last season. McLeod and Schwartz won a Super Bowl together with Philadelphia in the 2017 season.

McLeod played six seasons with the Eagles after breaking in and spending four seasons with the Rams.

NFL Draft Hub: Latest NFL Draft mock drafts, news, live picks, grades and analysis

McLeod's familiarity with Schwartz and his system will be a major asset to the Browns. He'll also fit in nicely with expected starters Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill, who signed as a free agent after winning the Super Bowl with Kansas City.

McLeod has played both strong and free safety.

___

AP NFL: and

Strikes me as a smart move. A luxury in some ways. Knows this defense as played; he can help explain and implement what I fervently hope will be a more aggressive D. He can be added as an extra onto the field as an extra cover in multiple positions. He can help assure correct communications are made onto the field. And he can play, so he pushes some of last year's lagging achievements. This add bumps up a "smart bar" pushing individuals to a higher standard. Feel better about this D changing for the better.

He is almost certainly going to be a backup, but that doesn't mean it isn't a really good move. Like Milk said, we needed that third safety after the departure of Harrison. Personally, I think Delpit sucks in coverage and I am not sure he deserves to be handed the starting job. However, he was Berry's high draft choice and I doubt he has to compete for the starting gig. I will say that Delpit can be a lot better if we just play him at SS and that is a possibility now that Thornhill is here.

This move probably ends Hickman's chances of making the team.