Almost $11M added.

Just a thought, Berry might want to save all the money he can with 33 free agents next year and already $61,162,829 over the estimated cap increase for 2024 staring the team right in the face. I know, the cap doesn't matter - until it does.

From the defensive side of that article...


New defense on the attack

New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz generally lined up right next to the center for the 7-on-7 sessions and coached his defense from the middle of the play. From there, he gets an up-close look at what he still says are basic installations and has delivered instant, direct and often colorful feedback.

“I’m just out there right now just trying to hear guys communicate, just to have a little presence out there and those things,” Schwartz said. “I don’t know if I’ll be out there all the time. Right now, when things are new, I can get my ears real close to them and I can hear where the communication is. And that means you can feel the players. It’s one of the reasons as a play caller, as a defense coordinator, I’ve always liked to be on the sideline, because you don’t make calls in a vacuum. You have to really feel the players.”

Schwartz has stressed that spring football is just about reps and communication, and that nothing involving a real depth chart or playing with the proper physicality will come about until training camp.

Schwartz’s emphasis on attacking shows up in the 7-on-7 sessions when he lines up two defensive ends who aren’t among the seven in the play and has them target two tackling dummies set up seven or so yards behind the line of scrimmage. Those players hit the dummies while steering clear of the quarterback on each play to simulate what Schwartz wants and what the Browns hope will be their blueprint: let Watson build a lead, then turn the pass-rushers loose.

I thought getting Moore was one of the best moves this off season.

Just like the article states. He can be lined up anywhere.

Once DW and Moore start clicking. It will be a hard combination to defend.

Just watched the tail end of a special about the Bills. The four loses etc.

Just up the road and their story is not a whole lot different than the Browns.

Now Jim Brown is gone and there is discussion about a tribute. How about we win the Super Bowl?

I was in 11th grade in 1964 when we did win. I think I have waited long enough. Thinking back to then. If someone would have said the Browns would not win another. I would never have believed them. Never.

59 years later and here we are. I am running out of time. If DW doesn't get it done. That would mean a rebuild and I probably will not see it happen.

Listening to the Bills people and how much it would mean. We can all relate to that. Hard to explain why it would mean so much. But it does.

i want it to happen so badly. It would mean so much to so many people. I have lived in Atlanta and seen the Braves win two World Series. It was special for sure.

But the Browns are my roots. I was so proud to a Browns fan back in the day. It has been painful since then. Lots of suffering. It was a disgrace to lose every game. Like a blow torch to the heart. Maybe all that pain will make winning one somehow greater.

Mr. Jim Brown wherever you may be. Please put in a good word about Cleveland. Somewhere out there in the universe we could use a little help.

2023 would be a good time. I am ready.

Was that article from The Athletic or from Beat Writers, or both? Would like to see if there is more inside information on how Swartz works as he installs the new defense. Being that close to the trenches seems like an obvious approach but I wonder how common it is among DCs. It seems like an excellent way to judge how these guys will perform as a unit. Obviously, it's just one tool in Swartz's toolbox but it speaks to his wealth of experience on how he builds a defense.

From the Athletic (Zac Jackson). It was basically a news, notes and tidbits type article so I copied the defensive part as I found it pretty intriguing.

Never heard of that from DCs. I'll admit, I'm insulated from the rest of league this time of year as I'm not really interested; but we change DCs about every two years and I don't remember any of our DCs being so 'up close and personal' on our turf.

How many times did we hear about communication issues last year? It was never-ending. Maybe this is an attempt to nip it in the bud. If they hear it straight from the horse's mouth, right there on the battlefield, there is no room for conjecture later.

I dig it. The last two years it seemed like two many players on D saw their position and disposition as some type of entitlement. "All I know is I was doin' my job". Got tired of hearing that trash when every week they pointed fingers at each other... and seemed downright allergic to all forms of accountability.

Meet the new boss -- not like the old boss.

I wasn't looking for it but after you made your post about Swartz coaching the D from next to the center I found this video of him doing just that. Some of the commentary might be goofy but hey!

The 2023 Cleveland Browns are currently most expensive Cap spend team in the NFL this year and they are still not paying Watson's full cap.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/


___TEAM______________ACTIVE___________DEAD MONEY__________TOTAL CAP COST
1. Cleveland_________$252,753,983 (2)_____$15,738,631___________$268,492,614 (1)
2. Las Vegas_________$231,738,477________$30,067,498___________$261,805,975 (2)
3. Buffalo___________ $254,035,995 (1) _____ $5,221,690___________$259,257,685 (3)
4. NY Giants_________$234,424,891________$22,741,275___________ $257,166,166
5. San Francisco______$239,875,094________$17,100,658___________ $256,975,752
6. Denver___________$244,725,909 (3) _____$9,862,114____________$254,588,023
7. Philadelphia_______$198,623,532________$54,727,983____________$253,351,515
8. Tennessee________$215,303,137________ $36,824,286____________$252,127,423
9. Washington_______$222,730,288________ $23,067,154____________$251,629,942
10. Atlanta__________$231,503,163________$18,741,833____________$250,694,996
11. Kansas City______ $242,244,565_________$7,773,425____________$250,017,990
12. Tampa Bay_______$174,999,876________$74,313,700 (1) ________ $249,313,576
13. Jacksonville______ $241,851,447_________$5,511,505___________ $247,812,952
14. LA Chargers______$242,065,599_________$2,185,926___________ $244,251,525
15. Houston_________$214,477,993________$28,868,565___________ $243,346,558
16. Pittsburgh_______ $228,671,301________$13,756,144___________ $243,297,445
17. Miami__________ $233,832,628_________ $8,995,738___________ $242,828,366
18. Minnesota_______ $211,904,322________$30,359,167___________ $242,263,489
19. Baltimore_______ $230,623,497________ $10,778,981___________ $241,402,478
20. Cincinnati_______ $240,639,647___________$619,060 ___________$241,258,707
21. New Orleans_____ $216,107,676________$24,505,070___________ $240,612,746
22. Carolina_________$188,433,597________$51,535,870___________ $239,969,467
23. Seattle__________$220,737,243________$17,651,253___________ $239,138,496
24. Green Bay_______ $180,530,195________$57,286,686 (3)________ $238,566,881
25. Dallas___________$223,398,210________$14,705,287 ___________$238,103,497
26. New England_____ $213,408,980________$22,949,604___________ $237,943,584
27. Indianapolis______$212,931,348________ $24,839,656___________ $237,771,004
28. LA Rams________ $164,804,299________ $72,223,395 (2)________ $237,027,694
29. Arizona_________ $198,216,297________ $38,322,966___________ $236,539,263
30. NY Jets_________ $225,064,541_________ $8,462,112___________ $234,966,653
31. Detroit__________$212,964,118________ $19,660,139___________ $233,374,257
32. Chicago_________$205,155,222________ $23,470,810___________ $229,376,032

Obviously, "locks" is an opinion but I think he is pretty damn close if not spot on at this point. Maybe the team assumes Dunn is a lock after bringing him back but I think his contract is non-guaranteed so that's nothing concrete.

Looks about right. Basically 7 spots remain.

Probably 1 rb and 1 DT and probably a guard are locks to be kept. So 4 others. At least 1 will be a Ventron ST selection, so it's getting pretty tight.

Diabate might be a Ventrone selection. I think he could be a pretty good special team ace, but you also have Phillips and fields.

Should be a good competition across the board and in the end we are going to have to let a few pretty good players go.

Overall I feel pretty good about where the Browns are. We are not the front runner for the division.

Good.

We have revamped the defense. Put resources into areas of need especially along the D-front.

We have added good pieces to the WR room. DW has looked really good so far. Obviously, it is practice without pads. But he looks razor sharp throwing the ball.

If there is an area I have some concern about it is offensive tackle.

Wills, we know what he has been. He is still young but he has not improved much. Will he improve? Have to see it first.

Conklin returns. He has injury history. He has not played very well after he returned. He is 28. A patellar tendon tear is a bad injury. Really hard to recover from. We don't know if he will return to the pro bowl player he was before the injury.

The backups are unproven and young.

Hudson has not shown he could be a starter.
Dawand Jones is a rookie.
Hunter Thedford? Never heard of him. He is 6'6" 260lbs (?), He is 26 years old in his second year.
Tyrone Wheatley Jr. ? Never heard of him. He is 6'6" 320lbs. He is 26 years old in his second year.

I can not say we have a legit backup at tackle?

If we get injuries at tackle. It could get bad quickly.

This is a position we need to watch closely as camp begins.

Seems like a good trade to me.

As with any deal, you never know until you know. Berry didn't know when he made the deal. Had we stood pat, we don't know if the player we might have taken at #42 would end up any good, so me me, two players increases your chances of it being a good deal for the team.

I agree with you that you don't know until you know. All we can lean on right now is how the results look at this point in time. I'm pretty high on both of those WR's so to me at least the early returns look good.

Not sure we keep 3 QB's

The new league rule this year might make that friendlier to do.

about 2 weeks ago a thought entered my mind, that, well, there actually could be a way the Browns could win it all this year and being a feasible logicaly felt thought that most years wouldn't fit, but...
If Watson leaves the game in about the first @uarter of playoff game number 2... for whatever reason,
and, if Dorian Thompson Robertson were forced into action... not, other @uarterback, Dobbs, probably a whole different vibe, but,
if DTR came in and pulled out an orchestrated win in the divisional round,
well he could provide a running @uarterback advantage, and a new @uarterback advantage that might get 2 more wins before the magic wore off, and those would end up being the Championship round and the super bowl round.
But, why don't I think they could just win it all with Watson, because I've always thought Watson could be counted on to throw an interception to lose a playoff game by the end of round 2.

Imagine the current Browns offense plus Dalvin Cook.
It would be pretty sweet.

Jordan Elliot Restructures Deal
https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/news/jordan-elliott-reworks-deal-browns

I don't know if there would be enough touches for him and Nick. I would think not with the expected passing game we will have.

Schwartz’s emphasis on attacking shows up in the 7-on-7 sessions when he lines up two defensive ends who aren’t among the seven in the play and has them target two tackling dummies set up seven or so yards behind the line of scrimmage.

....

Imo it's about as smart/ would be about as smart as Wyle E. Coyote against the road runner looney tunes if your defensive coordinator let's the world know, including other coaches know, and then commits to only always rushing your two D ends to a known spot on the field.
other NFL coaches will use that against you.

I would be a luxury.

I think we are pretty satisfied with Nick and Ford as the primary back-up. Ford is unproven, but with our line near any back is going to look pretty good. If Ford falters or gets hurt, I think John Kelly could be a fine back for us, not to mention there are always backs to be had. If there is any position on the field where you can find at least a decent fill in player, it is running back.

At many positions if you are looking for fill-in guys you could have a significant drop off. I don't think that is the case at running back. The difference between the best back in the league and a middle of the road guy isn't a lot. The number of touches is as big a part of things as anything else. You might miss out on several of the breakaway runs, but when you are talking about a back-up, you aren't really expecting that. You are still going to get the 3-4-5 yards that you need. Those first 3-4-5 yards are almost always a result of blocking. The best backs don't look all that good if blocking doesn't open something up at the point of attack.

You're right about that. I'd rather have a luxury on the DL or OL.

Mostly so, but I might add a few other positions as well.

It's just a matter of supply. Running back is a position where there is ample supply.

In recent Browns history, just look at D Johnson and P Hillis. Both looked like world beaters when given a legit shot at carries, but for whatever reason were pretty easy to toss to the side. The reason is it is easy to find replacements unless you are Emmitt Smith.

One thing the NFL has proven is that with a good passing attack you can run the ball without a premiere RB effectively. It's obvious by the investments made that the Browns are focused on having an aggressive passing attack. Opposing defenses have to respect that and no longer will they have the ability to stack the box on defense. Cook would not only be a luxury, he would be a wasteful investment.

Good point.

There is a reason that most, or many teams have dumped the Big linebackers in favor of smaller, or even extra DB types. Teams don't want or need big bruising backers like Lewis or Butkus anymore. They tend to go for more medium sized backers and more speed on the field.

JOK would haver never been considered for linebacker position 20 years ago. He would have been a slow safety.

Cook would be a great addition but, with Chubb planned to have his carries reduced by 20-30 percent, how feasible is it to consider adding one of the top 5 RB's in the NFL to split those reduced carries with arguably the best RB in the NFL? Who could justify a plan to cut Chubb's carries by 50-60 percent from 2022? Cook is going to cost at a minimum of 10M - 12M multi-year contract to sign with the Browns. That would put the Browns RB's (Chubb, Cook, and Ford) cost for 2023 at a cap cost of around 28M. Is that a smart spend with an increase of a minimum of 25% more passing plays than 2022? Where do the Browns have their 2023 cap money invested?

4 DE's = 35.6M (8.9M avg)
3 QB's = 22.2M (7.4M avg)
3 RB's = 16.8M (5.6M avg)
6 WR (Cooper, DPJ, Moore, Bell, Tillman, and Goodwin) = 32M (5.33M avg)
8 Offensive lineman = 42.4M (5.3M avg)
3 TE's = 11.9M (3.97M avg)
5 CB's = 19.8M (3.96M avg)
5 DT's = 10.5M (2.1M avg)
3 Safeties = 5.7M (1.9M avg)
4 Specialists (Kicker, Punter, Long Snapper, Kick/Punt Returner) = 6.04M (1.51M avg)
7 LB's = 8.6M (1.23M avg)

51 players

Adding Cook @ 12M would elevate the RB position to the highest avg cap pay of 9.29M per player (dropping Kelly).

I look at that locks etc spreadsheet and I wonder why there isn’t more chatter about LB’s. That was a major weakness of ours last year.

And no investment by the team into the position either. If the Browns defense struggles at all it will be the LB position and to a lesser extent DT.

Depends on what you mean by investment. They've invested three years in a row having Anthony Walker as a leader of this defense and he was playing extremely well according to PFF (82.7) as a top LB before going down. They moved UP in the second round to draft JOK in 2021. They re-signed Takitaki who, although I think is overrated, is beloved by many on here. That said..this team, like many others, view LB as the least important position group to invest in on defense. DI, DE, CB, S are all more valuable groups to allocate resources. And I don't think that's a wrong approach.

The major issue with LBs last year was (1) injuries as Walker, JOK, Phillips and Takitaki missed a combined 35 games, and (2) a poor DL, specifically the DI, that had a ripple effect to that unit's ability to make plays. This defense doesn't need a fantastic LB unit. It does, however, need a fantastic and deep DL and secondary.

I don't disagree with you but as far as the lowest spend, LB has a very poor monetary investment. Now the consensus is with an improved defensive interior (yet to be seen), the Browns will be a better team even with the poor monetary investment at LB. My point is that if they struggle, it will be because pf the LB position and to a lesser extent the defensive interior where they added bodies but did it on the cheap. This will be the 3rd straight year changing the DT group but still low investment in the position. I hoping they have it right this time, but it wouldn't surprise me if the struggles remain considering the lack of monetary investment in LB and DT.

Over the last 3 to 4 years, some group that has a lot of ability to put it into the media has repeated, and repeated, and droned into, and repeated again, and overly repeated the line that the Rb position has become easily replaceable and therefore devalued.

It gives me pause that they repeat it sooooo often, b/c if it were at all true, there would be no need to repeat it, or even focus on it, sooo often.

Therefore, I pretty much conclude, it must be wishful thinking but not entirely true, on someones part, some groups part,
maybe it's owners of teams, maybe it's people who sign paychecks who want to pay less to running backs.

Either way... overly repeating the line won't make it any more or less true when it comes to on the field, on gameday trying to actually win football games. And if they can't run the ball, >> well' pfft, we ALL know what happens.

I wish we would get something done to bring Hunt back, I’d feel better even if he just rode the bench all season. But if Watson under performs, doesn’t return to form, or goes down I would feel better knowing we have the dynamic duo to fall back on. At this point, a couple mil might do it.

I’
Lolz.

How much will TE Jordan Akins contribute in 2023?

Will the Browns bring back their top 3 TE's in 2024?

AKA "the fall back plan". We need Hunt for the fall back plan. "Hey man, you never know".

Any chance we bring back hunt?

Very little, IMHO.

Maybe if we have injuries ..... but that's about it. I think we have moved on. He was in obvious decline last year.

But it's true.

No doubt you don't replace Chubb with a guy of equal ability. We are talking back-up. No doubt if you need to replace Chubb you probably have to make a fairly high draft selection...say 3rd round or better.

The last few years people were all excited about Hunt and his being about as good as Chubb. He we are near the opening of training camp and Hunt is still looking for a job.

That tells you something about the depth and availability of running backs. Good running backs are a dime a dozen. The really good backs aren't, but you don't have to have that. You just need good. Running plays aren't designed to gain 30 yards. You like it when it happens, but the play is designed to gain 4-5 yards.

When it is 3rd and 25, teams don't call a running play unless they have given up on the series. How long would it take for the fans and writers to get irritated if on 3rd and 20 Stefanski kept calling Chubb off tackle running plays?

Hunt not having a job is only slightly surprising. I would guess that he'll sign, but for the vet minimum during TC. Someone like Pittsburgh might want a 3rd down guy

Need to update your sign off blurb----Hunt are split in backfield.....ugh. NOPE.

NFL head coaches on shaky ground entering 2023 season: Eight hot-seat candidates to watch:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ason-eight-hot-seat-candidates-to-watch/

Ranking The Browns Position Groups

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lis...m_source=pushly&utm_campaign=3133787

Stefanski is 'barely' a .500 Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator...he is what his record says he is...26 wins and 24 losses in his 3 yrs with the Browns.

For this season, 2023.."the table is set" with ownership and management going all in to support Stefanski. There are no more excuses...just win!

We’ll see for sure if it was all Baker’s fault this year. Anything less than a deep playoff run is a fail. And if we don’t make the playoffs, heads should roll.

"The team needed to gel with alll the newcomers and the new Defensive Coordinator"

No, that tells me something about "Father Time".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Browns added a front office , guru? Grant Reiter from the Eagles today, supposedly a studier of how to maximize contracts and cap hit space. added a guy to the front office, with another title.

https://www.si.com/nfl/browns/news/browns-add-former-eagles-front-office-member
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mostly agree. I don't know about the playoff part.

I wouldn't say we have to go deep in to the playoffs. If we come out and fall flat in the playoffs I might agree. Even making the playoffs might not be needed, but we would have to be one of the best records ever to not make the playoffs.

With the strength of the AFC across the top of the board I could see a 10 win, maybe even 11 win team not making it, losing it to tie-breakers. I am not sure that 10-11 wins will win every division.

No doubt it is a very important year for Stefanski, and the team in general. The opening games of this season might not win us the division, but if we come out and stink it up, it's pretty much curtains for this season.

The new Cleveland Browns logo has a ridiculous number of hidden meanings:

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cle...0.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=0_00

I saw that. I wouldn't categorize it as "ridiculous". The designer just wanted to include things Ohio and Cleveland. Rather clever IMO, but in the end I don't really care about the Dawg logo.

For me it is just kind of a "whatever".

Not sure about 'hidden meanings'...but given the emphasis on the number and size of spikes on the collar, the most menacing feature of the logo "is not the dog" ...but the collar.

I would like to see the eyes and ears accented with a bit of white, but other than that, it is a good drawing of the Bulldog's head.

jmho

I don't know if this was posted. I read it today.

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/new...s-exceptional-skills-in-variety-of-roles

DePo sighting!

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2023/06/15/browns-10th-most-cap-space-dead/

Andrew Berry is a smart man that knows what he's doing. I'm not saying he doesn't make mistakes but overall I believe we are fortunate to have him. JMO

First GM we've had who seems to have a plan, address specific needs, etc.
In other words, first GM we've had who is worth keeping.
Since 1999 (ouch).


.02

Jimmy Haslam is.

I'll stick by my statement about Andrew Berry but I will also add that I believe Jimmy Haslam is a lot smarter than people will give him credit for. Nobody can deny he's trying to bring a winner here with the moves he's made. JH did make some mistakes at first but he was new to being an owner and mistakes will happen to anyone in any job when they're new. I'm sure Dee Haslam has some input too. She seems like an intelligent woman. For the first time since we've come back our ownership and FO is on the same page. I hope it amounts to a consistent winner and contender.

I believe Jimmy's wife is the smarter of the two.

More than meets the eye.

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2023/...-deandre-hopkins-dalvin-cook-kareem-hunt

As Sherlock Holmes says "my dear Watson." AVP says our Watson looks ten times better than he did last year at this time.

Coach camp talk?

I don't know AVP is a pretty straight forward guy. I expect he is way better than last year at this time. It makes sense.

No pending suspension. More time with team and coaches. For sure more comfortable with the entirety of the Browns organization. Plus he has practiced more with the team.

Watching him throw is a pleasure even out of pads. He throws a beautiful ball. He is a stud athlete.

Of course it is all about real games. Then we will know. But I really do expect him to be the player he is capable of being. I see no reason why not.

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2023/6/20/23766834/nfl-power-rankings-browns-inside-the-top-10

So PFF has three teams in the AFC North ranked in the Top 10.

4. Cincinnati
9. Cleveland
10. Baltimore

Yikes!

17. Pittsburgh

Pickett is starting his second year so, I get that ranking. But I respect them and their defense.

I am surprised that Cleveland is ranked over Baltimore. I believe it is because of defensive questions.

I think DW not being considered as consequential by the talking heads is a mistake on their part.

He is a stud athlete in his prime. There is enough production at the NFL level that verifies what he can do.

I am not worried about him.

IMO to beat the Bengals it is more about the defense. The defense is what I need to see. Scoring I do not think will be a problem.

This is very surprising to me.

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti...ading_into_2023_season/s1_16697_38939879

I hope he is all of this and a bag of chips, for the price tag and issues, he damn sure ought to be. I’m still waiting to see it on the field before I buy in. Right now I’m not convinced.

He's still talking about practice. You know what they say about practice.......



Easy bone, it's just a joke. I actually think Allen Iverson was the original AI. And my meaning is I think anyone claiming he was intelligent, that claim would be artificial.

That is why I keep saying some AFC team with 10-11 wins might not make the playoffs. Some team with a very good record won't win their division and might get jammed up by a tie breaker.

Qualified Passers.

There is this to bear in mind:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_rating_career.htm

"Active Spending"

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-top-active-spending-2023/

Yep, look at baseball- Guardians one game out with overall losing record- EVERY team in AL East has/had winning record---no make post-season. I think we win 11 games and make the post- time will tell.

I just watched Baldinger's Chubb breakdown.

https://www.brownsnation.com/nfl-analyst-breaks-down-the-power-of-nick-chubb/

It seems now we take Nick for granted. Or, there is the talk about we are paying him to much. Or, next year he has to go because he is getting old. Or, some combination of the two.

Screw that. Do you know what Nick Chubb means to the team? What defenses have to do because he is in the backfield?

We are going to throw because we have DW. We have added receivers to make the passing game go. I will say this.

Nick Chubb will help the passing game. Defenses can not drop into coverage or go to nickle and dime defense because of Chubb. They have to load the box because Chubb matters.

Chubb has been one of the best draft picks the Browns have made.

Looking ahead at 3 potential 2024 cap casualties

Jacob Roach
June 21, 2023 8:27 am ET


In 2024, the Cleveland Browns will be nearly $60 million over the salary cap. That is before they factor in the rollover cap, which the Browns always do, and before any restructures that could take place. That likely means it will be time for general manager Andrew Berry to make some tough decisions on older players with large salary cap numbers like wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Fans likely won’t like some of the changes that could be on the way as fan-favorite players could be casualties to the NFL salary cap. All three of these players could agree to contract extensions or restructures to spread the money out and lower the cap hit but if that doesn’t happen they could be looking for new teams in 2024.

All cap figures and numbers in this article are provided by Over the Cap.


1. Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver

2024 Cap Number: $23.77 million
Dead Money if cut (Post June 1): $3.776 million
Cap Savings if cut (Post June 1): $20 million
Amari Cooper is among the best route runners in the NFL and is still a premium wideout. However, he will be 30 next season, and that is when players in the position start to decline. It would be great if the team and the player could find a medium on a possible extension to lower the cap number.

With very little dead money he seems headed towards being a cap casualty. The team has added a ton of talent to the wide receiver room and if the younger players play at a high level this season as I expect they will it will cement this cut as very likely.


2. Nick Chubb, Running back

2024 Cap Number: $16.2 million
Dead money if cut (Post June 1): $4 million
Cap savings if cut (Post June 1): $12.2 million
Nick Chubb is one of the best running backs in the NFL, some would say that he is the best. It would be really hard to watch him leave but that big of a cap number doesn’t make sense in the modern NFL. This is a passing league and when you look at recent Super Bowl winners it’s about passing offenses and elite quarterback play, not the running game and an elite running back.

You still need a running game to keep defenses honest but it no longer is a premium position that needs premium salaries. Could Chubb be the type of player that takes a pay cut to help the team win? Sure he absolutely could but if he doesn’t he likely is playing his last season in Cleveland.


3. Wyatt Teller, Guard

2024 Cap number: $9.326 million
Dead money if cut (Post June 1): $2.926 million
Cap savings if cut (Post June 1): $6.4 million
The team has a ton of money tied up in the offensive line and eventually, they will need to save some for other positions. Wyatt Teller could be the odd man out even though cutting Joel Bitonio would save the team more money than Teller.

However, it’s the strengths of the two players that make Teller more likely to be the one cut. This team is moving towards more of a pass-first offense and Teller is more of a bruising run-game blocker. The cap number isn’t huge but the team will need to look at ways to cut costs and this seems like a likely place to do that.


4. More ANALYSIS
Browns are actively spending the most money of any team in the NFL
ESPN projects the Browns will add one more defensive tackle this offseason
Browns' receiving corps ranked in the bottom ten by PFF

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lis...m_source=pushly&utm_campaign=3159151

Browns are actively spending the most money of any team in the NFL

Cory Kinnan
June 22, 2023 9:13 am ET

The Cleveland Browns, while they are about middle of the road in cap space in 2023, are actively spending the most money in the NFL. Going back to the rollover cap, the Browns brought over a league-leading $27.5 million in funds not spent in 2022. This has allowed general manager Andrew Berry to have a bigger allowance to splurge on this offseason as the Browns push all of their chips into the center of the table.

Active spending is defined by how much a team is spending on items that count against the cap for players that are currently on the team. So, while the Browns are also paying out over $16 million in dead money this season, that number is not included in the active spending figure.

Here is how much every team is actively spending in 2023. All figures come from Over the Cap.

32. Los Angeles Rams
Active Spending: $139,183,357

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Active Spending: $149,849,876

30. Green Bay Packers
Active Spending: $152,222,058

29. Carolina Panthers
Active Spending: $159,186,094

28. Arizona Cardinals
Active Spending: $164,809,579

27. Philadelphia Eagles
Active Spending: $165,319,391

26 Minnesota Vikings
Active Spending: $166,501,830

25 Chicago Bears
Active Spending: $176,032,755

24. Houston Texans
Active Spending: $179,660,126

23. Indianapolis Colts
Active Spending: $183,071,049

22 New Orleans Saints
Active Spending: $184,532,221

21. Detroit Lions
Active Spending: $184,728,760

20. New England Patriots
Active Spending: $184,750,085

19. Tennessee Titans
Active Spending: $185,497,887

18. Dallas Cowboys
Active Spending: $194,182,594

17. Washington Commanders
Active Spending: $195,768,898

16. Seattle Seahawks
Active Spending: $196,194,013

15. New York Jets
Active Spending: $196,631,709

14. Pittsburgh Steelers
Active Spending: $199,390,037

13. Atlanta Falcons
Active Spending: $200,768,781

12. Las Vegas Raiders
Active Spending: $201,400,429

11. Baltimore Ravens
Active Spending: $202,063,722

10. New York Giants
Active Spending: $202,206,808

9. Miami Dolphins
Active Spending: $202,683,767

8. San Francisco 49ers
Active Spending: $208,865,448

7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Active Spending: $209,163,157

6. Cincinnati Bengals
Active Spending: $210,247,022

5. Los Angeles Chargers
Active Spending: $210,943,188

4. Kansas City Chiefs
Active Spending: $211,404,657

3. Denver Broncos
Active Spending: $213,533,159

2. Buffalo Bills
Active Spending: $216,272,979

1. Cleveland Browns
Active Spending: $217,794,517

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lis...m_source=pushly&utm_campaign=3166440

It matters.

Undefeated, dawgs!

Every single bit of this.

And he seems like a great guy on top of it all.

I will be sad the day Nick Chubb is no longer a Brown.

It's a numbers game Bone. Fans see it as a sport while in fact is a corporation. Chubb is a great player and by all accounts a great human being. How could fans not fall in love with the guy? Why wouldn't any fan want chubb to stay on the team? If the passing game works out as well as the Browns hope it will, they aren't going to pay Chubb that big money next year. There will either be a major restructure of his contract or he will be moving on.

Dalvin Cook was cut with a cap hit saving of less than what the Browns would gain if they let Chubb go next year. I don't think it has anything to do with Chubbs age, his talent or anything else. I think it's the simple fact that teams who have a great passing game, whose opponents can't afford to stack the box, have great success running far cheaper and less experienced RB's. Look around the league. It's not about Chubb. It's a matter of economics.

When was the last time the Browns passing game worked out as well as the Browns owners and management planned or hoped it would?

Play action does seem to work the best for the Browns offense.

The Browns have never had a QB with the previous success in the passing game as watson has. We both know that. They have also invested in the WR position. We both know that too. That's no guarantee that it will be successful but trying to compare it to past efforts is disingenuous at best.

If the Browns ever hope to get the most out of Watson and the passing game, they damn well better have a top notch running game...as in a play action running game.

The NFL has shown that actually works in reverse. A great passing game, especially with a mobile QB like watson, makes it much easier to have a well producing running game with a RB of lesser experience and skills.

The Chiefs, while they don't run a lot, averaged 4.7 ypc in 2022 with 18 rushing TD's. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will have a cap hit of 3.44 mil. in 2023. Jerick McKinnon will have a cap hit of $1,092,500 and Pacheco will have a cap hit of $889,777 in 2023.

The Browns by contrast had 115 more rushing attempts than the Chiefs and managed only one more rushing TD than the Chiefs with the exact same average per carry at 4.7 ypc. Chubb's cap hit alone will be about 4 times what the Chiefs entire RB roster will cost them.

The NFL doesn't stay stagnant. Things change. With a great passing game the NFL has learned that you no longer need a premiere RB to have a very good running game.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2023/06/23/browns-pff-offensive-defensive-lines-elite/

I hope they don't read their own press and believe it.

Agreed. We've run into that problem before. It's up to the coaching staff to stay on the players to avoid complacency.

Concerning the Cleveland Browns, do they have " great passing game" ..?

Answering the question above...The answer is "NO", the Browns do not have a great passing game..!

The Browns "HOPE TO have a great passing game "...but the Browns passing game was/is "below average, ranking #22 last season".

The Browns have the #6 rushing game in the NFL and if the Browns OC/HC Stefanski doesn't know how to use his rushing game, don't blame the RBs.

Nick Chubb is a Cleveland Brown, like it or not !

I wonder what Drew Rosenhaus has cooking in Cleveland that brought him to town this weekend?

Nobody was talking about "as of now". If you would bother to actually ready my posts, I have talked about Chubb's cap hit "next season". We will know after this coming season whether the Browns have a great passing game or not. Chubb will be here this year until we find out. Future options will be based on what happens this season.

But then I think you knew all of this when you made that post.

And BTW- Chubb staying a Browns has nothing to do with whether "I like it or not". I would love nothing more than for Chubb to retire as a Brown after spending his entire career here. But my desire for a player to stay here has nothing to do with the fact this FO has made the decision to move on to a pass heavy offense. My wants and desires have nothing to do with anything. The current way heavy passing offenses have started devaluing their investments in the running game are simply the reality whether I like it or not.

I'm trying to deal with the reality and not some fantasy here.

No crying that the sky is falling or crying wolf.
The salary cap won't cause the Browns to waive Chubb without Jimmy Haslam signing off on it, and in that case, I don't think it's likely.
Next year, this year, or another year.

Shane Bieber was on the mound and Drew Rosenhaus is his agent.

It's about how the NFL is now being structured. It's not about anything else. If the Browns become a great passing team in 2023 the likelihood they will commit 16.2 million dollars in cap space to a RB in 2024 is at the least unlikely and certainly not a plausible scenario. Call that what you will. Could his contract be restructured? Yes, that's certainly a possibility. But anyone who actually believes the Browns will take a cap hit of 16.2 million for a RB if watson pans out the way everyone hopes he will are only fooling themselves.

Do you think the Browns are better than the eleventh best team in the AFC? Will they end up better than eleventh in the afc by the end of the season?

Taking a wild guess with no performance to base that on is a fools errand. What they do in 2024 will be based on the evidence the 2023 season provides them with.

I guess I'm not sure I buy the idea Rosenhaus is in town just to watch a game w/o any business involved (not saying you are). I thought it might have been Browns related, but it could be Bieber's future with the team as well as anyone who has followed the Guardians know what is most likely inevitable with Bieber.

Agree. Did not mean to imply Rosenhaus and fam were in town strictly to watch Bieber pitch. I think the business side is Bieber related given the trade rumors.

Probably took the family on the Good Time III as well, to which I can only assume the family is now begging him to relocate here and out of Miami Beach.

He may have gone to Newsome's charity softball game simply to support his client as well?

I was interested to see Deaton play. Guess we will have to see if he gets picked up

I would have rather have waived Nick Harris, but I guess the team thought Deaton really sucked since we know that Harris sucks.

With Pocic and the drafted Wypler we seem pretty locked in at center. Not sure who is going to fill the jack of all trades on the interior.

The individual holding down that position for the Browns last season is now a starter for the Cardinals after the Browns brain trust allowed him to leave Cleveland without a contract offer. ...tackles are tackles according to the Browns GM.

What could go wrong for the Browns thanks to "guardrails" ?

Harris sucked?

I didn't think he played enough (at the center position) to make a call either way.

I think what people seem to be overlooking is the injury designation. As of now it seems he wouldn't even have been able to compete in training camp.........

Browns waive 2022 NFL draft seventh rounder with an injury designation

The Cleveland Browns have made a roster move to make room for the newest cornerback to their roster in Thakarius Keyes. Waived with an injury designation, 2022 NFL draft seventh round pick Dawson Deaton will now look for a new home.

Deaton missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in the preseason. Facing an uphill climb to make the roster this summer anyway, it seems as though Deaton’s recovery has put a damper on his ability to even compete in training camp.

The Browns still sit with Ethan Pocic, Nick Harris, and Luke Wypler as the remaining centers on their roster.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2023/07/06/browns-waive-dawson-deaton/

Under these circumstances it made perfect sense.

There is last year, with the coaching and kicking and much of the offense, and even much of the defense, to base that on.
It is not a wild guess, Kevin Stefanski's Past performances as coach, are there for review.

Other teams' performances are there too.

Who? The Swede, or Dane, or whatever he was? That has nothing to do with guardrails. He fit well within the guardrails.

I agree, I would rather have him over Nick Harris, but Nick is a center, a position the Swede didn't play very well.

"Don't pay for depth", especially if it's a position you (Depodesta) know nothing about, such as the offensive line.

Anyone can play OLine, right..?

The 2023 Browns are so loaded with backup talent for their OLine, they can allow "starting caliber talent" to walk out the door and start for another NFL franchise...even if that player was the #1 backup at OG and Center for the 2022 Browns.

Eventually someone else will play backup O Guard for the Browns.
Backup guard on a missed 26 yard FG or a low percentage pass to the corner of the End zone from the 2 yd line, that = always incomplete,
or Backup Guard when they go for it on 4th down in the red zone when they really end up needing that field goal.

Hijaldte Froholdt being gone, won't lose you anywhere near as many games as Kevin and Analytics just continuing the course will lose.

Football Has Found Its New Bogeyman

An analytics revolution has made the sport even more entertaining. So why are some fans and commentators against it?

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/11/sports-analytics-nfl-football/672275/

j/c:



Presented by Dude Wipes? How many think JW had a hand in this and how many jokes can he had here?

FFS

The White Helmets.

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/arti...nate_helmet_to_be_worn/s1_16697_39030879

They look pretty good.

Oh dear Lord.

And it begins.....

I'm OK with them a few times a year like that. They aren't bad at all

Haslams vow to ‘absolutely never’ change Cleveland Browns’ helmet despite new uniforms coming in 2020

Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam know that while the fans want new uniforms, they want the helmet to stay the same.

https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports.../95-f4a1dfeb-495f-4639-800a-8f27c624d5b7

Same as it ever was.

When I saw the Browns video they tweeted out yesterday teasing the white helmets and how cringeworthy it was….I knew at that very moment JDubs had struck again!

Embarrassing.

The lack of awareness by this marketing team is astounding.

Hey, at least those three games aren't being sponsored by Bud Light. Am I right? I mean that would be totally missing your target audience!

I like the helmet, it harkens back to the glory years, the dynasty years of Otto, Marion, Speedy et. al. I could care less what the national media or fans from other teams think of them. When we win all those games where they are worn the snark will be silenced.

I agree that Dude Wipes shouldn’t be near this. That is embarrassing. The thing I find the coolest is this picture. Chief looking out and Marion Motley looking back in the visor.

Meh. Just win games. Like the Motley photo. Uniform is unremarkable.

I wouldn’t want in on the regular but the design looks good to be honest . Better than the all- brown unis they put forth occasionally. I like the white helmet , it is a nod to our very early years

Promoting the product has been a strong suite for the Haslams...

The problem..the team the Haslams are promoting fails to live up to expectations...year after year.

Just win the damn football game, week after week..and I could care less about what guys wear..!

Could have been a interesting article except it turned in to a pay per view.

I am not big on Uni's.. To double down on something Lampy said, thy look better than the all brown Uni's.

I have always liked the Browns in the all white uniforms. Pretty much what we always wore when we were winning championships back in the day.

j/c:

Some Perrion Winfrey news might be dropping today and it doesn't look good.....

Happened quicker than I thought.....



We'll see what comes of it.

REPORT: DT Perrion Winfrey in hot water once again

link

The time has come for the Cleveland Browns to part ways with former fourth round pick and defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey. Just as rookies and quarterbacks report for training camp, the defensive tackle is back in the news once again. This time, Winfrey is under police investigation for a possible threat to a woman, including chasing her out of a hotel with a gun pointed at her.

While the investigation is still ongoing, and there is no word from the Browns yet, there is a video recorded by the woman as she runs from what is presumed to be Winfrey.

j/c:

camp bodies unite

It never hurts to take a look at some of these players. Who knows we could get lucky and find a guy who could help us.

if I were a LB needing to sign somewhere, I'd do anything possible to come to camp here. We need 1-2 more to pan out

Ari Meirov
@MySportsUpdate
The #Browns placed WR Marquise Goodwin on the non-football injury list. Goodwin started experiencing discomfort in his legs and slight shortness of breath during OTAs in the spring, and a check-up revealed that he has blood clots in his legs and lungs.

Tony Grossi
@TonyGrossi
Also WR Anthony Schwartz begins camp on injury list with hamstring.

He said this was his first major injury of his 10 year career. Of course he comes to the Browns and gets blood clots. I guess it could have been staph.

hopefully the issue is resolved quickly and he's in no danger

This really could be career ending ... he will be on Lovenox shots twice a day for the first 21 days, then he will be put on blood thinner, which will not be conducive to a contact sports.

I have been through this myself and wish him and his family best of luck going forward.

good insight FL. Sounds like a tough break. Glad to hear you got through it

The white helmet would look good with my proposal of the , turning the corner, fireball CB logo on the right side of it.

Geez camp opens and this goes down.

Goodwin was brought in to play a role. Sad because he seems like a good guy. This type of thing they cannot afford to do anything but be over cautious.

I hope this condition clears or is manageable.

Yep. It most def. can end his career. It's the same thing that happened to OL Jason Pinkston....a young player that had upside but was cut short due to this condition.

yeah that's right I forgot about Pinkston

The flaming logo sucked for the Titans… aka the flaming T’s… it’d suck worse for the Browns.
No logo is our logo.
Knock it off.

The revolving door at........ safety is another reason to have no confidence in the strategy and @uestion Depo as strategy officer.
Just a few hundred days ago, maybe 800, the plan was way different but supposedly just as promising.

even, if you take away, running back number one, the OL, and Myles, where else is there not a revolving door of new expectations supposedly just as promising... every couple hundred/400+ days.

I'm,,, more excited to see Jordan Kunacxyc, Tony Fields, and Sionne Taki Taki returning from injury, in the coming year than Ogbo and Smith.
I expect good play from E Moore, for the constant reaching out, strategy, to work for once.
but mostly it appears the same plan as other years, not developing faces on your own team, already on your team,
I don't today feel they are a real threat in the afc, and will
probably be 3rd or 4th in the div. Again.........

an expn guy on "around the horn" had a poignant comment that was so fitting even though he didn't appear to realize it
on how Kevin and analytics can't win bc analytics commits puts them a percentage to win but
doesn't factor momentum, will, and giving the opponent knowledge of exactly how much they have to do to beat you
when the expn guy said
" despite finishing in 4th place the browns actually have a ton of talent."

hmm, what's that mean for the coach,
the gameplanning, development, and strategy, and understanding game situations

They've got to start planning to win by a hundred, not barely win,,,, now and then, if they recover the onside kick. If they recover the onside kick.

Despite finishing in 4th place the Browns actually have a ton of talent.

I can't tell if this account is an early AI iteration or not.

If it is it's in serious need of an upgrade.

haha

j/c:

5 things we learned from Andrew Berry's training camp news conference


WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Browns EVP of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry met with reporters after the Browns completed their second training camp practice — and first with helmets — on the fields at The Greenbrier.

The practice was still light (the Browns have yet to run their first team drills since their arrival in West Virginia), but Berry still provided some interesting insight to set the table for the upcoming season.

Here are some of the top points of Berry's podium session.

1. Browns believe they have 'best pass rush in the league'
One major area Berry constantly focused on all offseason was the defensive line, which will boast at least two new starters and established players in DT Dalvin Tomlinson and DE Za'Darius Smith.

That work, Berry believes, will pay off for the Browns in a huge way, especially with new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz creating the schemes and with Myles Garrett leading the group.

"With Jim and his scheme, the defensive line in this system is the engine," Berry said. "As he always says, he takes the seatbelt off for those guys, and it's about generating negative plays, forced errors, and turnovers, and it starts with the D-Line wreaking havoc and putting a premium on pass rush ability.

"That fits Myles to a T, and we think we have the best pass rush in the league. This is a match made in heaven."

The Browns certainly believe they have the potential to back that up and make a substantial climb from their 34 sacks last season, which ranked tied for 28th in the league. 16 of those sacks came from Garrett, who has a real possibility to eclipse that number, a single-season franchise record, with Smith and Tomlinson also garnering heavy attention from blockers.

Schwartz has no shortage of possibilities in how he could position the D-line, too, and that's largely because Smith is capable of playing inside. That could be a common look for the Browns on key downs, which would also allow them to deploy DE Ogbo Okoronkwo, who was signed in free agency, to play on the outside.

"The appeal of (Smith) is his versatility," Berry said. "I think oftentimes people think that we think of him as an edge guy, but I think really where he's particularly skilled is his ability to rush inside over a guard or center. Having someone who can win on the inside creates so much versatility to create advantageous matchups to rush the passer."


2. Deshaun Watson in 'really good place'
The progress of QB Deshaun Watson has been one constant theme multiple coaches and players have remarked on over the offseason, and Berry can be added to that list now, too.

"He's in a really good place," he said. "I think this is going to be a big year for him professionally and personally. We think he's in great shape physically."

Watson has shown several signs of progress both in comfort and talent compared to a year ago, when the uncertainty of a suspension loomed over the start of training camp due to him violating the league's personal conduct policy.

The uncertainty of whether Watson would be able to start in Week 1 wasn't an easy element to endure as the three-time Pro Bowler was beginning a new era of his career, but his upbeat body language and constant smiles as he's interacted with teammates since spring practices began have suggested he's feeling more confident and prepared to lead the offense.

"He's been really good on the field and I love what he's done off the field," Berry said. "So we're excited about him. We're looking forward to seeing how the next weeks play out and as we get into the season."


3. Browns 'hopeful' to get Goodwin back
Berry extended his best wishes to WR Marquise Goodwin after it was revealed Friday that he would miss the start of training camp — and potentially longer — with blood clots.

"First and foremost with Marquise, our priority is making sure that he's safe and healthy," Berry said. "From my perspective, I feel like we are very thankful that he spoke up at the time that it really popped up in the spring, right at the end of minicamp."

Speaking up, which Berry said could've been an easy thing for Goodwin to avoid since the team was about to take off for a six-week break, allowed the Browns to exercise the proper precautions and diagnose the issue.

And even though the news was difficult to hear, it led to Goodwin being able to find the right treatment and create a plan, one that will still allow him to be around the team.

"It's something that would have been an unknown that hopefully would not have caused more complications in the future," Berry said. "We're just thankful that he said something and we were able to get him on the treatment plan to get back on track. Obviously, there's not a definitive timetable. We're hopeful that we can get him back, but our primary concern is just his health."

4. Adding a DT?
Despite the moves the Browns have completed across their defensive line, one position on the roster that still could be poised for more additions is the defensive interior, where just one player, Tomlinson, has maintained success at the NFL level.

The Browns have a few players who could break out in the spot next to him — Jordan Elliott is entering his fourth season but is still just 25 years old, while Maurice Hurst and Trysten Hill were two free-agent signings who had promise entering the NFL but have had their careers limited by injuries. Third-round DT Siaki Ika is a candidate to carve a big role, too.

Could the Browns add another veteran to the shuffle? Berry didn't rule it out, but he isn't in a rush to decide, either.

"I think one of the big things that we do early in training camp is really just assess the roster," he said. "We haven't seen a lot of our players in pads in a new defensive system. We do like a number of the individuals that we have in that room currently."

The Browns will bring a realistic playing environment to their defense at some point this week when they strap the pads on for the first time in training camp. That will allow Berry and the coaching staff to better scout what they have in that part of the defensive line — and whether more help may be needed.

"We like the mix of players that we have across all positions," Berry said. "We'll see how we feel as we come to the middle of camp and then reassess the roster from there."

"It's something that would have been an unknown that hopefully would not have caused more complications in the future," Berry said. "We're just thankful that he said something and we were able to get him on the treatment plan to get back on track. Obviously, there's not a definitive timetable. We're hopeful that we can get him back, but our primary concern is just his health."

5. A 'thank you' to the logistics staff
Berry made sure to begin his news conference with a message to everyone who worked diligently to coordinate the team's travel plans to The Greenbrier.

The logistics certainly were no easy task, as the team essentially moved everything they would need for a normal training camp practice some 370 miles down south. Training equipment, field equipment and team apparel all had to be shipped and living accommodations for both football and business staffers had to be planned well in advance of the trip to the remote area of the Allegheny Mountains.

"You all can see how beautiful it is out here," Berry said. "It's my first time, but it's been awesome, and I actually want to start off with a couple of thank yous because I don't think people realize how hard it is to move your entire football operations to a remote location here obviously, in West Virginia.

"It starts with (Senior Vice President of Operations) Phil Dangerfield, (Director of Team Logistics & Operations) Abir Chaudhry and (Manager of Team Logistics) Chavis Cook for handling everything logistics related. Our equipment group is led by (Director of Equipment Operations) Brad Melland. Our video crew is led by (Video Director) Rob Pavlas, and what we think is the best grounds crew in the NFL. They all did a great job of making sure the setup here is exactly what we need."

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/5-things-andrew-berry-training-camp

finally a Dangerfield got some respect

Week 1CBS broadcasting crew assignments.

Week 3.....Spero & Archuleta.

Ian Eagle has done more Browns/Bengals games than anyone in history lol

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2023/7...ae0J1oky0KInGw6bAKnTfpISp4E19u6LxS5xE2ok


Deshaun Watson, the Browns and the NFL should be ashamed of themselves
Watson’s latest comments show that he’s learned nothing.

By James Dator Jul 24, 2023, 11:01am EDT 19 Comments / 19 New


Deshaun Watson doesn’t get it, and he has absolutely no desire of getting it. That’s the takeaway from the quarterback’s first interview upon arriving at Browns training camp. A remorseless Watson stood in front of reporters on Sunday calling the allegations of at least 25 women for sexual misconduct, which he settled in civil court, a construct of the media who directed a “narrative” against him.

This wasn’t a case of misconstruing Watson’s words, or taking something out of context. As clear as he possibly could, Watson made it clear that he has absolutely no regret for what transpired.

In Watson’s view, it’s been unfair that the sexual assault and misconduct allegations were reported on, but not the personal struggles he had as a child to reach the NFL.

“There’s things [Watson’s upbringing] people don’t really get to hear about. Especially last year, it’s been the media directing and narrating something else. It’s been kinda overshadowed. I had that opportunity to tell that story to those guys and look my teammates in the eyes, and be able to touch them — let them know why I am who I am. It’s definitely impactful.”

The entire process since the allegations emerged has been to deflect, call the accusers liars, deny any wrongdoing — and now blame the media. The latest attempt by Watson to conflate the lack of coverage of his upbringing, with the widespread reporting of sexual misconduct is just another tactic being used in a playbook he’s been running since news emerged in 2021.

Deshaun Watson has never shown remorse for serial sexual misconduct allegations
Of course, there’s a very clear reason why the difficulties of Watson’s personal life haven’t been widely reported on — and that’s because they’re not a story of national significance. Spend any time around the league and there are literally hundreds of examples of players overcoming personal adversity to find success in the NFL. It’s not that these stories aren’t interesting or important, but rather that on a national level the trope of “overcoming adversity” is too common to tell a broad audience.

Being accused by 25 women of sexual assault isn’t. That has happened only once in NFL history, and that story centered on Deshaun Watson.

Multiple elements to this can exist simultaneously. We can appreciate the struggles Watson went through to reach the NFL, and also be absolutely disgusted by the allegations against him. By trying to conflate the lack of coverage of his rise to the NFL with the widespread reporting on sexual misconduct, Watson is attempting to paint the media as a specter that preys on the negative and gleefully waits for someone’s downfall.

The man is entitled to his opinion. Just as we’re entitled to think this is disgusting. However, there is an element to this that’s couched in objective truth: The NFL punishment of Watson did nothing to change his pattern of thinking.

NFL settles with Deshaun Watson, resulting in 11-game suspension and $5M fine
As part of Watson’s suspension he was to undergo evaluation by behavior experts, as well as complete a treatment program. Those behind-the-scenes processes are largely unknown, but something has occurred which has given the NFL cause to believe he’s fine to return to competition while Watson is still saying he did nothing wrong, the women lied and the media created this whole thing.

It’s a staunch contrast from a year ago, after Watson was reinstated when he said:

“Look, I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all of the women that I have impacted in this situation,” Watson said in the interview. “The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this position I would definitely like to have back, but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward.”

It was a terrible apology, but at least went further than saying “the media directed this narrative.” What it’s allowed him to do is solidify the beliefs of misogynists that his apology was insincere and forced, because Deshaun Watson has proven it was insincere and forced. Nothing was learned from whatever “training” he was forced to undergo, other than check an NFL-mandated box. When you speak the way Watson did at training camp it doesn’t show that he is a “true person or character,” or that he is “truly sorry” to the women he would eventually pay off in court to make this all go away.

Deshaun Watson’s sexual assault allegations, explained
Watson’s focus wasn’t on apologizing, it was to try and make his teammates understand that the big, bad media did this — not Deshaun Watson.

So, here we are. The quarterback with the best contract in the entire league is a remorseless alleged sexual predator who paid off his victims, didn’t learn anything from his punishment, and wants to deflect blame onto someone else.

Shame on the Browns for assisting in downplaying what happened. Shame on the NFL for having such a feckless sexual assault policy that he was able to skirt through it without any change, and shame of Deshaun Watson for continuing to push his own narrative that he did nothing wrong.

And today that same person has an srticle on major league cricket.

It just goes to show that low character people will say anything in the moment to get out if trouble even if every word of it is a lie. Then once they get their ass out of a jam they will show you they were lying with their own words. He's disgusting.

Which has zero to do with the facts he stated in that article.

Only adding this quip for the chuckle factor. I love a good play on words.

The son of a work buddy gave DW a new nickname some months ago:


wait for it-
"Groper Cleveland"


[rim shot]

I chuckled.

Who is this writer? He sure hates Watson.

Let me say at the beginning of this post, I am not someone who intends to be emersed in the dung pile of disputes about Desean Watson's alleged moral indiscretions. But I will offer a counter to the article posted on SB Nation because if moral outrage is in order for Watson's misdeeds then demanding balance and fairness from his detractors is equally fitting.

https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland...restarts-and-full-tilt-folksy-213214119/

Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!

Every morning, after I complete the linking and mangling of various sections of the Morning Newswire, I face a blank sheet of paper with BLOVIATE HERE written on it. And every morning, I face a decision.

Should I write about what’s truly on my mind, or should I try to be cheery and positive, as befits a relatively happy webdork who has been given the unique opportunity to do what he loves for a living? My conscious brain says it should be the latter, that people don’t want to open their web browsers and read a bloviation that is me griping about some minor thing or another which has gotten on my nerves. I should do the Terry Pluto self-effacing thing of doing the trite dismissal of (well-compensated and excellent, in his case) writing as just being just “scribblin’” and “talkin’”.

But, dammit, some things I just can’t let go. Call it a fatal personality flaw. It’s basically the same one which perverted a perfectly fine consulting career because of an obsession with Art Modell moving the Cleveland Browns.

Today, my fixation on people doing bad things leads me to the execrable Outkick.com. This website probably considers itself “real” and “no-holds-barred,” along with another 1,293 sports websites. I have to admit that I don’t make a habit of reading it other than when it intersects with my personal interests and then only by accident, say, by stumbling across it in a Google feed. So, maybe 99.5% of it is just great, and it’s just the small slice I see that is horrible. I need to give them the benefit of the doubt.


I’m also personally biased against it, so take that into account. Outkick used to be called “Outkick the Coverage” and was run by a guy named Clay Travis, who has apparently moved on to political/social commentary that I pay even less attention to than his old website. I knew OtC from its constant bashing of Ohio State and the Big Ten, which is how it made its name. So, of course, I had a negative opinion about it because I’m an OSU alum and an unabashed fan. So, take all that into account.

Unfortunately, now that the newly named “Outkick” has apparently expanded into bad coverage of other topics, they insist on covering Deshaun Watson and twisting his words. Take this excerpt from an article about his comments during his press conference the other day.

“Deshaun Watson believes his tough upbringing is more important for people to know about than his copious amounts of sexual assault allegations over the past few years

The media should focus on the fact that Deshaun Watson had a hard childhood and not on the fact that he allegedly sexually assaulted over 20 women in the past several years.”

No. He didn’t say that.

He didn’t say that at all.

He was responding to a question about an exercise that Kevin Stefanski does to help teammates get to know each other better and made the poor decision to use the phrase “media narrative” when saying that some of his newer teammates knew him better from what they had read in the media than from his personal story.

He wasn’t raging against the media as the source of his problems. He didn’t say the media was wrong to cover what they covered. He wasn’t lambasting them. He was merely saying that’s what the media narrative was.

I know it’s a fine point. But listening to the entire press conference in context would be helpful before firing off a screed lambasting a fellow human being.

Unfortunately, handling gray zones doesn’t fit a predefined narrative that a number of outlets choose to run with. They would prefer an unrepentant, evil, disgraced athlete they can rail against rather than the troubled one who admits to going through the “lowest part of his life,” is unable to speak much because every word will be reinterpreted by folks with an agenda and because there are outstanding court cases, and is continuing therapy beyond the league-mandated requirements.

None of that excuses what Watson is alleged to do. But journalism that twists words to fit an agenda is not journalism. I’m not sure what you would call it, but I don’t respect it, whatever it is. Outlets like “Outkick” add no value to the sports journalism world, despite how they undoubtedly rationalize their work internally.

I don’t ask them to forgive. Some people will never forgive Watson’s alleged offenses. They don’t have to. I don’t know if I ever will. What I do ask them to do is stick to the facts.

Sorry for this. I’ll try not to be annoyed and just scribble about something harmlessly tomorrow. I may even go full-tilt folksy, since that seems to work.

Have a good one! GO BROWNS!

Here is the link to the DeShaun Watson full press conference.

https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/video/deshaun-watson-i-ve-been-able-to-open-up-the-whole-playbook

People can decide for themselves.

Complete press conference not pieces.

This is a bit difficult to understand. You say everything he said was a lie, but you're mad and he's disgusting, because he isn't constantly telling more lies??

This is what happens when your team mantra is smart, tough and accountable, and then go out and mortgage the next 3 first round draft choices among other things including a guaranteed $200 million dollar contract for a player with Watson's past.

If you can't see that this story will follow him forever, you are not realistic.

I can totally see the point to have empathy for a player that came from difficult circumstances, but that ended when he became a first round draft choice and a millionaire.

No matter what happens, some writer is going to parse and cherry pick every comment to lambast him for his past transgressions.

Not saying that the writer is wrong, but Watson is not right either.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, Watson by his actions chose to pick a fight with those who buy ink by the barrel.

There's plenty there to just report the facts. Twisting things out of context so you can keep raging cheapens the argument.

It's kind of ironic, though. Watson made a comment related to a KS exercise about media narrative, and an outlet went and blew that out of context for a couple extra clicks. It's a disservice to the story itself and only serves to strengthen Watson's argument.

It's hilarious seeing people respond to the click bait (not even reading it) and not seeing the press conference. A perfect example of wanting to see what fits the bias and it is always the same people EVERY time.

More of the same Watson bashing. We can agree the behavior was wrong; it was punished. Nobody, myself included, condones the conduct. But this outrage journalism is puzzling. It condemns, vilifies, and immediately struck me as self-contradictory. Just piles on with a number of incidents that have been covered before. It adds little except one more cliche attack. What is the purpose for this piece beyond another sale, and indulging those who never tire of attack stories like this. In his own words, the root of his contempt as stated, what is this if not splendid proof of "media-directed narrative"? As written by the writer himself, this illustrates his hypocrisy.

Watson deserves a chance to live up to his words. Any complaints that he is not yet punished enough fall to those who judged and punished him. And if this writer doesn't care for his reaction, so be it. I would like to know what could imaginably tone down hatchet articles like this. An apology judged suitable by any and all writers? How easy to pass judgment, sit in judgment, while embracing your foregone conclusions. Put more simply, judge the writer's purpose first, before the topic. In practically every case, it is the story this writer wants to write.

I'm looking forward to the actual games when fluff pieces and extraneous stuff is spewed.

The good news for Watson: if we win, all of that goes away

If we lose, he's going to hear it from every angle

Sounds exactly like something watson would say. "They're just picking on me because they hate me."

It's always better for a perpetrator to attempt to focus the attention on someone other than himself. And then there's acting like and making the excuse that your childhood is the reason for you for being a sexual predator like he did.

I know, I know. It's TC and there is no real pressure on him out there. But still the placement on this ball is puuuurty!

I’ll take that all day on Sundays. And whenever else we play

I am not surprised by the early reports on Moore.

Before we traded for him and there were reports he wanted out of NY. I started looking at all his tape.

Both during the draft process and with the Jets. It was clear on tape that this guy was hard to cover. In addition he has terrific hands. He is a ball snatcher. Hands away from his body. Reach out and snatch the ball. You want to see that.

He is developing chemistry with DW. It will pay off.

Hmmmmm

j/c:

Those are some weak-ass pushups.

You are a No-Go at this station, private.

Boys..hate to tell you this, but those are not 'pushups' in anyone's army..

It's how DePodesta does pushups, obviously.

#Guardrails

haha the analytics version

A skunk can’t change it’s stripes. He’ll get caught again eventually. I can root for the team, but can’t wait until he’s gone.

LOL...anyway, I suppose it depends on how many they make them do. At some point it would begin to burn. Leg lifts don't look like much until you start holding them 15 seconds and do about 15 in a row.

It's like dude said: the national media never liked the Browns.
they can't hate Watson and and like the Browns. It's either the team or the team it's not individuals.

... news and notes.

Other teams score @uickly. they score @uickly at the end of games to beat you.

The Raiders beat the Ravens with each team scoring in the final one minute 22 iirc? and the Raiders, went from receiving the kickoff with about 30 seconds to play, to in 2 plays with no great "kick return" but instead a @uick strike offense.
with about I6+ seconds to play, they attemped a makeable field goal,
which they made.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE to score @uickly

so? Why is a Kevin Coached, analytics driven team, soo adverse to attempting to score @uickly.

Like they don't even WANT to score @uickly. Why? I remember it was head coaches voice alone, in 202I maybe, and in reference to a team that had a big, one play score, he said " that's not offense"

what?
Your team is never going to win if they never try or can prove able to score @uickly, I mean in the playoffs, in playoff @ualifiers,
if you don't even want to score @uickly then your team is going to disappoint
and it doesn't matter How much talent they ac@uire.

The hatred of Watson' on account of the accusations is totally removed from the FACT That watsons on field abiliites just aren't there.

ok they are there, but they aren't being refined,
like
what about the FACT he's just about the most sacked @uaterback EVER. ? FIX IT.
what are they doing to fix it???

anyone think Kevin is the coach to have them prepared in September??

They 'll do just enough to flop, like every year, even if they are right on the cusp of being a good team.

one. Watson ain't with a coach that will fix his shortcomings:
like trying to do too much when a play breaks down instead of throwing it away
add in that
Kevin is about the worst decision maker between the opening kickoff and the final whistle
and what??/

it means that signing Ogbo and Xedarius and E. Moore, and Goodwin won't amount to better fortunes in the win loss column
and it's not cool
b/c I think they could be a really good team if they'd get their stuff together
and FIX WHAT is broken

K Stefanski ain't never had em ready for the early opening games,
If they aren't going full bore in training camp and the preseason ...
=despite finishing in 4th place they have a ton of talent.

they needed a last second FG to not lose to the Carolina Panthers in the opener last year
and after the first half
where they anhilihated the Carolina @uarterback in a way rarely seen.
They have , the Browns have a head coach who cannot figure out how to keep it up to the end of the 4th @uarter.
and
Watson has an intercepton problem in the biggest games, and a takes too many sacks problem.

they really need to fix that, and stop worrying about what he did or didn't say in an interview.

Those are Scapula Push Ups.
They work the mobility & stability of the scapula thoracic joint, strengthen the back of the shoulder, and work those muscles on the outsides of your ribs (serratus anterior).

Scapula or Crapula?

Body weight is really all one needs, and can be used in many different ways.

As Purp explained, they are designed to work alternative muscles. As I said, the number of reps makes a difference. It's not always about how much you can do. Many times it is about how long you can do it.

Most anybody can curl a 10b lb dumbbell, but if you do it enough times you are going to feel it.

Sometimes you work on raw strength. Sometimes stamina. Strength without stamina doesn't help a football player in the 4th qtr. Lack of stamina doesn't help prevent injury.

I do think you get it.

Lolz at Obi slapping him then running off..........

yep and you can do something very similar when doing pull ups to build up to pullups

it would be nice to sign Harris

That would be a good signing that shouldn't cost an arm and a leg.

The guy is in the sweet spot of his career and should remain there another 2-3 years. He isn't a top 25% DT, but he is somewhere in that top 3rd range which is perfect with the guys we already have on the line.

I hope something can be worked out.

Now and again I will turn on GMFB, or Get up. Turn on espn or NFL network.

I am convinced that Jerry Jones must contribute to the network bosses 401k plans.

Seems like there is always a report on Dallas. Why? All hype no results. That is their norm and standard. Lots of talk. No results.

I never hear the Browns even mentioned. I know we have not done anything either. But damn we do have a team.

I've been pounding the table for Shelby Harris since he was released from Seattle.

I'd feel much better about our DL with him

The Dawgs - A Cleveland Browns Podcast
@thedawgspodcast
🚨RUMOR: If the New York Jets sign RB Dalvin Cook, the team could move on from 3rd-year back Michael Carter. The #Browns are rumored to be interested in adding Carter as another pass-catching back behind Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford.

I heard there is some interest in Zeke paired with Chubb.

We need him.

We are very weak in depth at DT. One injury to Tomlinson from being no different than last year.

We can not count on guys like Hurst, Hill, Togiai, and Elliott. None of them have proven to stay healthy or play at a average level.

Ika is a rookie and a third round pick. Expectations need to be realistic.

DT with Winfrey gone needs a guy like Harris.

How are Maurice Hurst/ Hearst, errgh, which is it?
How are he and Tristen Hill coming along in progression?

Should be a snoozefest but at least football is back.

At least it is our team in this crappy HOF game.

I normally don't even bother to watch, but this year at least we can key in on various players, giving us at least a very early indication of what they might be. At least it is better than sitting here or elsewhere looking at a few X clips from camp.

the only good thing: we get to see our uniforms on the HOF field and on national TV. Outside of that, it's a dumb game

I don't disagree with you to some extent. I mean hey it is NFL football even if it is in it's most diluted form. But as far as actually learning much about the players it's rather hard to do that. It will mostly be a bunch of back-ups and third stringers against another bunch of back-ups and third stringers. So as far as telling anyone what these players would do against top tier starters it doesn't really tell you much. I guess it will tell us how the Browns depth matches up with the Jets depth, but that's about it.

Scrubs playing is not football. I won’t be watching.

I agree, for a lot of the Hue Jackson years, it didn't feel like I was watching football. Still, I doubt I'll stop watching now. I could use the distraction.

That's how I feel about it. Even though it's a watered down version of NFL football, it's still NFL football. It's our first glimpse at the new season every year. I watch it no matter which teams are playing. The long stretch without the NFL football causes me to look forward to it and watch it every year.

I will watch every second, and tape the game so I can rewatch it. I'm excited to see some off the young kids can do.

Here are five things to watch for when the Jets and Browns meet Thursday night:


Zach Wilson has first chance to show what he’s learned. New Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn’t taken a preseason snap since 2018, and he won’t break the streak against Cleveland. That means Wilson is starting. He should receive plenty of run to showcase how far he’s already come in his new role as Rodgers' mentee. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick has disappointed thus far in his short NFL career, throwing for 4,022 yards, 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions with an 8-14 record in 22 starts. New York’s blockbuster trade for a four-time Associated Press Most Valuable Player forced Wilson to the bench, but it also provides him an opportunity to reset and mold his game after one of the all-time greats. We’ll soon see what lessons he’s absorbed in the early going.

Browns backup QBs in battle for positioning. Much like Rodgers, Deshaun Watson won’t make an appearance. The Browns are instead taking a deep dive into the competition behind him. Kellen Mond, the former 2021 third-round pick of the Vikings, will get the start, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Tuesday. Stefanski also confirmed that he expects to debut rookie fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the beginning of the second half. Thompson-Robinson has a ton of experience with 49 games played in five seasons at UCLA. However, NFL speed hits differently, so it figures to be a whole new world for the 23-year-old. He’ll be thankful for an extra game to prove his mettle during the ongoing jostling for position with Mond and Joshua Dobbs behind Watson.

New York’s O-line bears watching. Mekhi Becton will play 20-25 snaps, head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Tuesday. A 6-foot-7 behemoth at offensive tackle, Becton is on a mission to regain a starting role after missing all but one game since 2021 due to injuries. His next step in that journey requires rebuilding strength and confidence through game action. New York’s second- and fourth-round draft picks, Joe Tippmann (No. 43) and Carter Warren (No. 120), are also slated to take the field. The linemen suiting up Thursday will be ones competing for jobs rather than locked-in starters, but the overall unit's performance rolling into the regular season is of great importance to Rodgers’ inaugural campaign in Gotham. No spring chicken, the QB enters Year 19 with a 40th birthday on the calendar in December.

Jim Schwartz era begins. Regardless of how many No. 1s or fringe starters end up taking the field for Cleveland’s defense, Jim Schwartz will be steering the ship. The former Lions head coach boasts 19 years of experience as a defensive coordinator. The Cleveland brass hired him in January with the expectation that his savvy will help reverse a trend of eight seasons ranked 20th or worse in defensive scoring over the last decade. Although it's important to note that schemes are routinely vanilla in preseason games, Schwartz, whose fiery demeanor is known to carry over to his players, can still pass the eye test with how his guys attack the opposition.

Kicking off the new kickoff. Back in May, NFL owners agreed to pass a one-year rule that places any fair catch off a free kick (safety or kickoff) that occurs behind the receiving team’s 25-yard line at the 25. The change, which was proposed with player safety in mind, doesn’t necessarily guarantee that every single kick in that designated area will result in a fair catch. Players can still take the risk of trying to beat coverage past the 25 for a bigger return, and returners will begin experimenting with those pros and cons in live action on Thursday night. This also happens to be one instance in which the learning curve might be steeper for older players than the young guns -- the league’s new rule now matches the one used in the college game since 2018.

https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-s...-in-jets-browns-pro-football-hall-of-fam

Some young guys are not very impressive when it comes to practice, but put them in a game and they might just show some promise.

Some guys might be great at "practicing", but suck when they are placed in a game under game conditions.

To be honest, we never know where the next star player is going to come from...some just need an opportunity.

I will be watching 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3...if I can.

I do that too. I'm no talent evaluator...by any stretch...but I enjoy watching guys play and then seeing if they land in the league here or elsewhere.

As I said earlier, we will still be able to see something of value.

You can get a bit of a feeling for the 2 QB's. Ball placement, etc.

What the defensive alignments might be like in base form.

General special teams play. Those guys will be the starters.

What sort of zip and zag some of the receives and backs might possess. Hands as receivers.

How our young guys match-up against theirs. Are they getting beat like drums or are they beating the drum?

But no doubt, you have to keep it in context for what it is. It isn't going to tell us if we are Super Bowl bound or bound for a 3 win season.

Some players to watch blurb

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...a834e1d6fd4e598378c210ebdec361&ei=10

There is always something to see.

This is a chance for players who are trying to make an impression. Special teams, roster depth etc.

You turn it on and watch.

I watched some tape of the UCLA quarterback DTR. I really want to watch this guy. He is an impressive athlete. He moves well. He throws a nice ball. He seems very accurate. He looks like a player who could develop.

If he distinguishes himself over the term of his contract. He could be a guy we could trade for value. You never know.

The young receivers and Ford are guys I want to see.

First steps of the season.

The HOF is going to be more like a scrimmage. Will be interesting to see the Browns backups and how much depth they have. Also, the battle to determine who backs up Watson will be interesting.

I think that is pretty much set with Dobbs, isn't it?

For the longer term, I agree. Both DTR and Mond have skills. As someone mentioned earlier, maybe we keep drafting QB's to highlight in limited amounts much like Belicheck did with brady as QB to gain some trade upside.

Teams who need a QB and don't have a "top" pick are always looking for someone, much like Hue thought McCarron was going to be his answer.

Thankfully our GM decided to just send in the paperwork 30 minutes late.

IIRC, if we had made that awful trade, we would not have Chubb today.

I doubt it's going to happen but if Mond or Robinson play lights out tonight and continues to have a great pre-season. maybe one of them moves ahead of Dobbs on the depth chart? The Browns probably are not keeping 4 QBs on the roster. Mond and Robinson are playing so the coaches can determine who to cut later.

I don't see Mond making the team.

I don't think any QB is guaranteed a spot beyond Watson. May the best man (men, maybe with the 3rd QB change) win.

In Nineteen ninety nine, the returning Browns played the Cowboys in the hall of fame exhibition game.

Daylon McCutcheon was on that Browns team if I recall correctly.

They had 3 and a half years of waiting for Browns football to return, and,
they didn't even make it available that you could buy Browns jerseys, or whatever during those off years.

I think I might consider a fourth QB like DT-R for the PS. Liked him more than Mind. Played smoothly, and it looked like he might be able to emulate DW as he is coached up by him. But, no, I can't see us keeping four QB's on the roster.

DTR isn't going to the Practice Squad. I think that Mond gets released.

there's no doubt that DTR will be on the 53

Since Berry has been GM has he kept 3 QBs on the 53 or 2 and a PS QB? Honestly, I cannot recall.

I don't think he has, but I think we'll trade Dobbs in a heartbeat instead of risking DTR getting picked up

Agreed. Too much of a risk exposing him the practice squad. He'll go to IR before the practice squad. I imagine he will be the emergency 3rd QB, or whatever that is.

Actually he may not have to be. From reading the board today it seems some think DTR will actually unseat Dobbs as the #2 QB but I think that's not being realistic. Dobbs has the NFL experience to make him stick. But I certainly see DTR as the favorite to be the #3 QB. There's a new rule that the NFL implemented that allows a team to have a third QB on game day without it counting against the 53 man roster. The deciding factor was the debacle in the 49'ers game. So you can actually have DTR as the third QB on game days without him counting against or actually being on the 53 man roster.

NFL approves bylaw to allow a third QB to be active without counting against gameday roster

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-approves-bylaw-allow-third-181211042.html

I wonder if Dobbs might be a practice squad candidate.

I would highly doubt that. He was signed to a 2 million dollar fully guaranteed contract for 2023. I mean I suppose anything is possible but going out and signing a FA QB to such a contract then making him a practice squad QB would seem like quite a waste of resources. Dobbs has been in the league since 2018 and served as the Titans backup last season. I think the Browns would want that type of NFL background and some experience as their backup QB.

I mean we did see DTR play well against a bunch of third stringers but I think it take quite maturation process before he may be able to slide into the #2 QB position.

Maybe Callahan thinks he can play LT. Otherwise I thought our depth looked pretty good. Can't find a ton of info about him. Played at FSU, but no combine invite and underwhelming athletic measurables. I guess we'll see what Callahan can do with him.

That's fine we signed an OL but I'd like to see us sign another DT at some point for depth also.

I'm sorry Hunter Thedford, but I'm kind of glad you're gone, so I can finally stop temporarily confusing you with Thayer Munford every time I see or hear your name. Best of luck going forward.

I hope Newsome isn't out a long time

If the regular season ended today. b/c preseason doesn't count. The Browns likely would be on the outside of the playoffs with these afc records, I think might not be too: : far off. in seeds for the playoffs
KC fifteen and two
Cinncinnati thirteen and four
Buffalo twelve and five
Tenn ten and seven div winner
Miami eleven and six
Baltimore eleven and six, .. or ten and seven depending on a game against Pittsburgh
Jacksonville ten and seven not div winner.
.....

Cleveland nine and eight or eight and nine depending on a game against Pittsburgh
NY Jets nine and eight
Pittsburgh seven and ten, or eight and nine or nine and eight depending on a game against Baltimore and a game against Cleveland
New England seven and ten
Denver six and eleven
L. A. Chargers six and eleven
Las Vegas five and twelve
Houston five and twelve
Indianapolis four and thirteen.

Maybe a Power rankings in my opinion, for the afc, Today. If, the Browns could prove they could score @uickly and change their offensive philosophy of refusing to go over the top, and refusing to make every single offensive snap aim for a touchdown, and not just be part of an eleven play 'slow walk' down the field, where even their catchers may 'stop, drop, and roll', after getting the catch, or, aim to run out the sideline instead of momentum carrying them toward the touchdown after they secure the catch and continue to run, then maybe they could move up.
but until then, puke, pretenders not contenders.
Kevin Stefanski needs a new menu.

The offensive playcalling, the playcalling, not the execution, or players, but the playcalling, and decisions 'during the game' and ON offense, is an East Palestine Ohio situation, major cleanup and monitoring.

I don't think any of us have a clue how the Browns season will go other than being based on feelings and emotion. There are reasons to believe that the season will be an improvement over the past couple of seasons based on upgrades at certain positions and the hiring of Schwartz as DC. But that has to be seen how it will all play out on the field over the course of the season. So while only venturing a guess I would think those with a more positive opinion of how this season will go have more to base that on than those who don't.

haha that's wild

Here is the link to the article:

https://www.brownsnation.com/bengals-legend-has-high-praise-for-browns-wr/

This is some serious high praise from high places in the receiver world.

Chad Ocho Cinco:

"He was the real deal at Tennessee, scouts must do their due diligence & homework & not allow injury to ignore special abilities, Hyatt & Tillman are up next."

Randy Moss:

"Cedric Tillman is reportedly thought to be the “best young receiver” to enter the NFL in the past 15 years by Randy Moss (HOF WR).
Moss also said it’s “not even close” and that every owner in the NFL should be “pissed” they passed on him."

I don't know. We shall see. But I like reading things like that.

... The Browns announced Saturday that they have signed cornerback Gavin Heslop and offensive tackle Derrick Kelly II. Heslop is in his second season out of Stony Brook. He originally signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2020. ...

^I couldn't find out whether he played more at Guard or Tackle while at Florida state, but then today a search of position brought this. ^

How would he change the OT room? He appears to have all of the mass and look of a good tough tackle, but he has only appeared in practice s@uads and took some time off.

Was at camp today. After seeing Moore I can say he is going to be a problem for defenses. He is a great route runner that can run. He also catches the ball with his hands. I came away completely impressed.

Having been stationed in Ky during the Manning years at TN I kind of adopted them as a second team in CFB, so I have probably watched more Tillman than most.. So like I've said before, I could easily see him securing that #2 spot and eventually take over for Cooper. He's got all the tools and will be a reliable target for Watson. The key is having a QB like watson who will give him a chance to make plays.

this has been a pretty consistent take from everyone ... let's hope!

I have read countless articles about how deep the AFC and how many "quality, if not franchise QBs" are in the AFC. Anything is possible, but I don't see two team coming out with a record at or above 13-4. THer are just too many tough games teams will face to achieve these lofty records. We will see. I guess that's why they play the games and not issue playoff tickets before the season starts.

j/c…

watch us stash Thomas with an injury for the season

I think the way we ended up with Tillman in the third round is the exact same way we ended up with Chubb in the second round. I think Chad nailed it when he talked about teams shouldn't allow injuries to cause them to ignore special abilities. I think he was an absolute steal and had no idea he would still be there in the third round.

Browns DEs Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas suffer significant knee injuries, will miss extended time

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...ee-injuries-will-miss-extended-time.html

Tough luck but at least the injuries aren't season ending.

j/c...

It sux, but now Isaiah McGuire will get more reps.

Next man up..!

What a recovery.

I'd like us to bring in a vet to backup Chubb if Ford is out a few weeks or more. Michael Carter Is a name to watch

I was thinking John (Leroy) Kelly should be a great backup we can use for cheap.

I wonder the reason why we haven't given him more of a shot to this point. We'll see if he is in the plans now.

How many years has this guy been in TC or on the practice squad since the FO has been here? In his third now? I think the FO has a firm opinion of his perceived value at this point. I suppose his chances are better to make the 53 now that Ford is dealing with an injury but what happens with he comes back? I think, for Kelly's sake, his chances at regular time on an NFL roster and a real career growth opportunity might not be in Cleveland.

yeah that was my thought too. Our FO has seen him more than anyone and has still not pulled the trigger

]

Seems like a good plan to me.

DW needs to get ready for the routine of the regular season. Preparing for games. Getting reps under fire. Getting comfortable with the speed of the game.

At the same time be smart. A few series first. Add a little but don't exceed a quarter. There is a balance that has to be found.

Risk management between preparation and injury risk.

They will do the right thing. Injury is random so nothing is guaranteed.

Lost in this clip is a nice little burst off the line by Wills. That is, of course, if it is Wills. Maybe someone subbing.

Schwartz's best catch of his professional career, thus far.

j/c

Sure would like to see him do that during a game- and actually hang on to the ball at play's end.


Sometimes, we'll have a player warming up on spots we'd be soon rehearsing, just tearin' it up.
The response is always the same: "Save it for when there are witnesses." It's always done with a wink and grin.

In school, we used to call guys like Schwartz "Practice room virtuosi" ...guys who can amaze you when there is zero pressure, but fold like wet newspaper when there is an audience watching/listening. It's painful to know folks like that. You feel for them, but in the end... you either produce- or you disappear. Real Life is rough, yo. 'Nat Geo Wild'-level rough.

Manyfolk assume that musicians are soft creatures. Trust this: there is no more competitive, cutthroat, brutally judgmental peer group on this planet. Case in point: we came off the stage for intermission at a Pops concert some years back. It was a national act, pretty famous headliner (can't remember who) and I heard this exchange:

"Hey, man... what did you think of that drum solo?"
"Sounded like he pushed the whole drum kit down a flight of stairs..."

Me, evesdropping:



Pretty sure that's how some Browns players see Schwartz.
I wanted so much to like this kid, but he just keeps making me shake my head slowly...


.02

Schwartz syndrome.

The thing is you want to like the guy. At the same time you expect him to fail. Then you want to dislike him.

I remember when the Dodger second baseman Steve Sax ( not a tenor) could not make the throw to first.

Or, when a basketball player cannot make a free throw.

It is so painful to watch. You feel the embarrassment.

This is Schwartz's last chance. He has to make the team or he may never play again.

Seeing this is as rare as spotting the California Condor.

Right now I think AS is on the outside looking in. It's too bad because I like the kid and wanted him to do well. Even if he ran the 40 in 3 and a half it's no good if you can't catch or run the right routes.

...and sady, both are on the "Endangered Species List."

j/c:

The most I've ever heard Chubb speak.

I love that Nick Chubb feels that way.

He is the best back IMO. And really it is not that close.

Two or three more Pro Bowl-type seasons and he’s going to follow Joe Thomas right into Canton. Especially if he bulldozes the Browns to a Super Bowl title.

Nick is everything you want in a back.

But because of the way things are in the NFL today. It is really hard to play ten years as a running back.

Oh, it's close. There's a 1A and a 1B, take your pick.

Nick Chubb is my all-time favorite football player. Not only is he arguably the best back in the league, he is the very image of humility. He scores and gives the ball to the ref and joins his teammates to celebrate, no choreographed touchdown celebration. He doesn't strike a 'look at me' pose when he makes a good play, he doesn't taunt or bark at his opponents.

In 2019, late in the season, he was standing in front of reporters at a presser. For a few weeks he and Derrik Henry had been leap-frogging each other in total yardage and yards per carry. An out-of-town reporter asked him how he felt about leading the league yet when the talking heads talked about the top running backs it was Barkley, McCafferty, and Elliot. Nick gave his little smile and said "I'm just trying to be the best Nick I can be." The reporter was disappointed that he hadn't gotten the juicy quote he wanted. But Nick wasn't talking about just football, that is his approach to life.

Henry IMO is a powerhouse but he cannot do what Chubb can.

He is not as versatile. He is not as quick. Henry is a straight ahead power back.

I would take Chubb over Henry. Not saying Henry is not good. He is.

And I am prejudiced.

I would take Chubb over Henry too.

With our offense I MIGHT take CMC over Chubb because I think we want to pass more now, but I still think Chubb is a better RB than him

And it's going to severely tick me off when we don't extend Chubb and let him go in free agency. He's a playmaker, he can be our version of Barry Sanders if we ever get the right head coach. Who else are we going to roll with at RB1?? Felton, the poor man's Eric Metcalf??

The thing about Henry is the style of RB he is. He takes a lot of hits and a lot of punishment. Much the same type of RB as Zeke. I played FB in school and at that time it was a position that got a lot of plays called their way. So I love watching physical RB's. From Mike Alstott to Larry Csonka to John Riggins to Peyton Hillis.

The problem being taking all of that physical punishment is certainly not conducive to having a long and productive career. That abuse takes a toll on the body.

The Browns have not had an abundance of talent at the QB position in what seems like forever. As such they have had to be dependent on the running game a great deal. We'll see just how much or how little that dynamic changes with watson here. How much a team depends on their RB establishes that RB's value to their team.

j/c...

Dude just cannot stay healthy, I feel bad for him. NFL football may not be his thing.

Agreed and I had hopes for this kid with a new DC. Another tough break

MoreForYouCleveland
@MoreForYou_CLE
#Browns are signing RB Jordan Wilkins, per
@AaronWilson_NFL

Alot hype surrounding him when he came out of LSU.
Even when he got on the field he rarely made meaningful plays
He gets the Scooby Wright award

Dawand Jones made an unusual 2 moves of blocking before the Browns Rb fumbled by falling into Jones' hip it appeared, Jones went inside and when the player kind of out maneuvered his block, Jones made a @uick step back to the outside and blindly got right into the path of the Browns rb, who fell into Jones' back hip or side which appeared to knock the ball out, in the exhibition game against Washington.

If there were no single group of players on earth that Berry and Stefanski could win with, they would continually never stop changing the group, to keep the focus off of the flawed philosophy on offense.

If you are playing the Browns, your deep safety can take the day off, because the Browns only throw underneath, or routes that run full speed into the bench.

Is signing Jordan Wilkins a move that takes a step back in running game effectiveness
I mean I think in 202I, beyond Chubb, who we know they don't feature without a 2nd guy, a depth chart would have been
Kareem, D'Ernest, a healthy Ford, and then Wilkins
but now the top 2 are gone, and now Ford is with a hip injury?

Is Wilkins going to be anything other than another guy with whom you can play toss across within 3 yards + or minus of the line of scrimmage when you get into scoring position, the final ten yards and you don't attack the end zone with any of your receivers even once,

I pray we can get Chubb a Superbowl... Damn shame that Thomas didn't even get to experience the playoffs...

I still remember that little iso clip of he and Kareem on the bench.

Kareem Hunt: "I wanna get a touchdown!"
Nick Chubb: "I wanna get a win."

Not a knock on Kareem; just another example of how class and consistent Nick is.

Sorry to hear that. This being his last year on the contract, say good-by to him.

Just another on the long list of NFL players who came in with high hopes and for one reason or another, it never worked out.

It actually was OBJ that said "I wanna score a touchdown". Such a telling bit about both players.

Hate hearing it, but he's played what, 20 games in 4 years? Is it time to throw in the towel on the guy?

The record is 11 games in 4 years. Held by the flash.

What comes out of this scrimmage with the Eagles will be important.

I don't expect the starters to play much in the remaining two pre-season games.

The scrimmage will be starters except for players nursing injury. DW will play a lot. He can be pressured but not hit.

So he is getting valuable reps with low risk of injury.

Obviously the Eagles are a good team. We can see how we measure up. It is a good test to see where we stand.

Both the offense and defense will be tested. We don't play the Eagles. The scrimmage will not show other teams what we are working on. It is not on tv.

We get to play them for a couple days. This is a good way for the coaches to prepare teams for real under fire conditions.

Yeah, scoring a TD wouldn't be helping your team win. People search so hard to make issues out of nothing sometimes. Then will ignore far more glaring issues on the other hand.

I've seen that Hunt has visited three teams with no signings. His camp must be asking for too much

Yeah, that's what I said. If you don't see the glaring difference between the mindsets of Nick Chubb and OBJ, you need help. I've never seen someone so consistently hell bent on trying to create an argument.

So scoring points doesn't help your team win? Those two statements mean pretty much the same thing. All you and some others are attempting to do is dissect the verbiage. When you have a predetermined mind set of what you will find, you will find it.

< Josh Gordon It may be but,
Others have honorable mentions.
in other news

It is interesting that in the only game time we have seen of Elijah Moore he did as much lined up as a Rb as he did lined up as a Wr.
Maybe he is the Kareem Hunt replacement, Maybe a Landry one,
that would leave open that the new pick, ...Cedric Tillman is a DPJ challenger, or a Bell upgrade
then Akins would be a Bryant challenger,
then they would be standing pat with Njoku, Cooper, and Chubb.

Is J. Grant going to return to returns or is he still out with injury.

Would you consider activating five TE's against the Ravens, Njoku, Akins, Bryant, Mitchel Paden, and Forristall,
it's worth a shot as much as anything else because Head Coach can't beat them even if he scores 40 points.
see, activating five TE's would help to neutralize Marlon Humphrey's coverage of your receivers b/c
having more fresh TE to put into the game would give you more plays, more snaps of the ball where you have a positive outcome against their D by using your TE's, both in blocking and receiving.

and of the times K. S. did beat the Ravens did they have healthy DB's? I don't know but suspect they didn't.

Let me explain this in a way maybe you haven't considered. Exactly how many offensive play makers do you want on the field that don't want to score a TD the next time they touch the ball?

Don't you think every time watson throws the ball he doesn't hope that pass is a completion and is taken to the end zone for a TD? How about every time he runs with the ball? Do you think every time Chubb carries the ball he hopes it doesn't turn out to be a TD? How about any other RB, TE or WR?

For me if that isn't their goal when they touch the ball I don't really know if I want them on the field. Because that is their job. That's their ultimate goal. The entire point of having offensive play makers is for them to score. I do understand that there are times they recognize that's not going to happen as the play is executed. Sometimes they will go out of bounds because it's obvious their goal of reaching the end zone isn't going to happen. Often times they will go out of bounds during the final two minutes to preserve the clock. But their goal when that ball is snapped is to reach the end zone.

That's not something nefarious or something negative. It's actually what they're getting paid to do their best to accomplish.

Troof in print.


...and you're you're absolutely correct about the personnel. It's all coming back, now...
(I think I got it twisted because of all the iso's we saw of 27 sitting right next to 24)

The Chiefs, had a play, on offense, and they really had no great pass protectors in,
but, the blitz came, and they had had 3 go routes,
now that is like a 3 point shot in basketball, and the problem is the Browns never try this, well not since 200I when Northcutt was still on the team,
the rush was picked up by one small guy taking a dive block to the opponents knees the @uarterback threw and dropped it in for a 30 yard gain to the ten ... actually I2 or I3 yard line, against the saints

Until the Browns are willing to even attempt that type of play, the Browns offense will be a roadblock to success, and pretenders
What coaches are to blame?

I don't see any reason to sign him to another contract.

I liked the guy and thought he had the potential to be pretty solid, but injuries always seemed to get in the way of him being able to make any real progress. After 4 years in the league, I don't think we can keep going forward based on hope. At some point it's simply "it is what it is". I'd rather go with some new player with potential and hang our hat on that for a while, be it some guy already on the roster or a drafted player next year.

oh I agree ... I think Phillips has seen his last NFL snap unfortunately

Damn you Jfan, you put Pit in "you see" mode! Now he's going to spend the day Pit 'splaining!!

I already explained it in a way that anyone can understand. Your offensive play makers are supposed to want to score when they touch the ball. If they don't they should become a used car salesman.

And yet, "you see", nobody needs to understand the value of scoring touchdowns. That is not, and has never been, the argument with this very special OBJ microcosm. You've jumped on it, every time it's been mentioned, and tried to explain touchdowns to everyone.

This is the example of the "Me, me, me, MEEEE!" that we've always seen from him.

His congratulatory remarks to a teammate were "I want to score a touchdown".

We DO NOT need to understand the value of touchdowns to make a judgement about that little gem.

That little gem as you call it, simply vocalized his desire to score a TD. Which is what he got paid to do. Just because some of you wish to put some negative spin on that is a you problem.

He vocalized that he wanted to do what he's getting paid to do. What a terrible thing!

If OBJ were running down the sidelines with the ball, a minute or 2 left in the 4th up 10-7, with no tacklers between him the and endzone... do you think he'd run straight into the endzone or slow down and step out of bounds at the 1?

If he stepped out of bounds, that would be stupid. Get the touchdown.

If he sat down on the 1, that would keep the clock going.

He was comparing the situation directly to when Chubb did it. Houston had no timeouts. While sliding down at the 1 would have been better, running out of bounds was in no way stupid -- it sealed the game. Scoring the TD would not have sealed the game.

It seems you wish to make an exception to the rule the rule itself. I already stated there are certain times and certain situations that a player would not go for the end zone. But as a general rule when an offensive play maker touches the ball his goal is to score a TD. You're asking someone to make a guess based on what they "think, feel or believe" which means nothing but their own perception.

Read it's an ankle. Hopefully nothing too serious.

well, let's hope for good news on the injury front. Don't love reading that stuff

but it is good to hear that our D was formidable ... I remember last year they got gashed vs Philly

Maybe they were hungry or just wanted to hangout, none of the tweets mention they were hurt 🤷🏻‍♂️

Eliot Shorr-Parks
@EliotShorrParks
#Eagles v Browns W/L Practice Verdict:

Surprised how much the offense struggled. Offensive didn’t get much of anything going. Had 1-2 deep completions but honestly I think they were sacks in a game. Hurts didn’t have much time to work from the pocket

On defense they definitely got to Watson a few times but lots of open receivers. Best deep pass of the day was by Watson.

Also surprising how the Browns seemed to be the more energized team. Last year in CLE it was Eagles. Browns came into this practice fired up.

Verdict: Browns win

Sirianni/Hurts now 6-2

Seems like Conklin is the concern of the 3 now

Granted, Graham is 35 but it still looks nice.

No.

I'm asking a (mostly) rhetorical question. There's no doubt in most people's minds that OBJ would run that ball in for a TD. Chubb wouldn't/didn't because he wants to seal the win. It's the unspoken, on-field translation of that audio clip. Sometimes people say the quiet part out loud, so to speak.

So no... my question was a slightly different angle on the discussion around that audio clip and what it represents.

if Conklin is out (or gets hurt per usual), Jones will be in there quickly

Then let's actually be real here. Once again an offensive play makers job is to score TD's. Vocalizing that a player wants to score a TD is not bad or wrong.

And you do know that the coaching staff actually has a job to do, right? Since it was a running play in this instance, you don't think the coaching staff explained to Chubb the situation and told him he should go down rather than take the ball into the end zone? Do you think a coaching staff just leaves it to chance that a player with all of the adrenaline rushing is going to think about that in the moment? If so what role do you think a coaching staff plays in this situation?

I feel had it have been a passing play the coaching staff would have told the WR's and TE's the same thing and that all of them, including OBJ would have followed those instructions. As I said before, I believe fans base their opinions on their feelings and don't actually think things through. It's the coaching staffs job to keep the players informed in such situations. i believe they did and Chubb followed those instructions the same way OBJ would have.

j/c...

Makes sense if Watson doesn't play as well. He got all the snaps he needs against the opponent this week just in a more controlled environment.

The players' job (offensive and defensive) is to help win games. Usually for an offensive player that means score TD's but sometimes it's a play that doesn't show up on (or even works against) their stat sheet. OBJ is about the stat sheet because that draws eyes and $$.

This is perfectly encapsulated in the clip we were originally talking about, but for some reason you want to ignore what's clearly there and go to bat for a guy that's not only no longer on the team, but bulldozed his way out. I don't understand why there's an argument to something so blatant.

Good for DTR. It's a no brainer

Go ahead and ignore what I posted. The coaching staff I'm sure told Chubb in the case of him being able to score, to go down. That's their job. I'm sure had it have been a passing play they would have instructed the WR's and TE's the same thing and that OBJ would have followed those instructions.


I don't know why you've created some fictitious scenario to try and prove a point that doesn't exist.

What is the "fictitious scenario"??

That somehow the coaching staff doesn't instruct their players in such a situation and they're left on their own to consider and execute such things. And that somehow by some imaginary scenario OBJ wouldn't have gone down in the same situation based on saying he wants to score a TD. That's a reach of epic proportions.

York still on the team?

These guys are doing every team and every division and thought to pass along the Browns piece. It's pretty thorough, IMO.

Enjoy....or not.

Browns restructure Joel Bitonio’s contract.

With the intent to rollover the $7.9MM to 2024? Perhaps to help pay for Watson?

Maybe sign a free agent kicker?

I think they're trying to roll over more and spread out the big contracts as the cap increases in the next few years

j/c…

sounds like Ward has had a good camp .. and that he and Cooper battled today

Most of the news out of camp has been positive as noted above. I ran across this post that says something totally different. I have not been to camp so don't know either way, but I do know we haven't seen anything on the preseason game field as of yet. Is this guy just an anti-Watson poster or is there some validity to his opinion. I know there's bias here but is this really a concern or just a negative "Nancy" post. note: not my opinion!

"From @AkronJackson at The Athletic:

STOCK DOWN - The passing game has been completely unimpressive. Anything that involves Deshaun Watson remaining in the pocket has been an adventure, and not since early in camp have we seen strings of consecutive completions in any 11-on-11 period."

We won’t know until the season begins.

There are those who have bias against DeShaun because of his past. Comes with the territory.

From his article: Browns stock report: What’s up and what’s down following joint practices vs. Eagles?

Stock down: The passing game has been completely unimpressive. Anything that involves Deshaun Watson remaining in the pocket has been an adventure, and not since early in camp have we seen strings of consecutive completions in any 11-on-11 period.

There have been good moments. David Njoku has been open since July 22, and Watson usually finds him. There have been a few “wow” throws by Watson, and it’s perfectly reasonable to think that with Amari Cooper a limited participant for much of camp and Elijah Moore getting days off to heal his ribs, there’s time for a turnaround.

There just hasn’t been much consistency, and there hasn’t been much of anything more than 10 yards downfield. Watson threw bad interceptions after getting caught locking in on one receiver each day of the joint practices.

=============================

Zac's a fair enough guy. He does like rolling against the grain, and never hesitates to be "die on that hill" dude. So, while this may also be accurate description of all of camp, he was mainly talking about the head-to-head with the Eagles throughout the article.

I would say my opinion has been about the same throughout 2023, not overly impressed but can see that all the tools are still there. He's gone from holding the ball too long to exiting the pocket too quickly. Definitely going to need to find that sweet spot once the games count.

It's an odd thing about athletes. Some simply do not practice as well as they play. Something about getting that adrenaline flowing kicks things into a different gear. Then there are those who practice well and crumble under the pressure in game time situations. During watson's career he has certainly not been shown to have a tendency to crumble under the pressure. Whether he can get back to his previous level of play is something nobody can be sure of but mediocre or average play during training camp is certainly no indication of whether he will or not.

STOCK DOWN - The passing game has been completely unimpressive. Anything that involves Deshaun Watson remaining in the pocket has been an adventure, and not since early in camp have we seen strings of consecutive completions in any 11-on-11 period."

Hard to predict how the Browns passing game is going to be... since we, the fans and spectators, have not seen the #1s working together as a unit, playing against #1s. I'm going to hold judgement until I can watch the Browns execute the passing offense in a "real game".

This short video looks like our QB is doing a good job locating receivers and throwing some nice passes.

Unless a person attends every practice or has direct knowledge from someone who does.

I don't buy opinions.

I could care less about Akron Jackson.

The rubber meets the road September 10th.

Even the game Saturday with the Chiefs and starters going 25 plays. That will be incomplete.

We will see first hand real soon.

Whenever this happens, I begin to think the cap is about as enforceable as the old school rule of "no talking while the teacher leaves the room" in 3rd grade.

Andrew Berry is a smart man and we're lucky to have him as our GM. JMO

This raises the question, are these moves being made to create cap relief for the upcoming years (most likely) or could we have a big signing/trade planned?

cap relief against out 60 million we are over next year.

casualties will for sure be Conklin.

we also are getting crushed with 14 mill in dead cap

What is interesting is Berry is reconstructing contracts now. Normally, you read about this in February and March.

I get there maybe a trade or waiver wire pick-up is in the works. That's a lot of freed cap space created.

I’ll be happy when I know they got it right with DW. At this point, I really don’t know what to expect out of him this year. I expect a top 10 QB, preferably top 5 by season’s end. But last year, he wasn’t even starter quality IMO. What DW is, will determine what the Browns are this year. Contenders or same old Browns.

It's easy to judge at a GM's moves years down the road, but they have to make their moves without knowing the outcome. At the time, there were 2 other teams in the sweepstakes, even with the off-field issues. Historical context is important.

I think this is all about the upcoming 2-3 years. Just maneuvering ourselves to be in the best position

I'm OK with it, either way.


Berry has managed to do what other competent GM's have been doing all this time: addressing needs, drafting players who make sense, taking calculated chances on lower-round draft picks (DT-R). IMHO, CLE is done making moves this year. I pretty much expect Berry to bank future equity over making a late pre-season splash. It hasn't been his MO to date; I don't expect him to break character now.

.02

None of these comments mean ish until Steve comes along to tell us how this will cause a total collapse by 2025.

I’ll add some links before we get to that point.

I don't see much of the kick the can comments anymore or the sky is falling.

j/c:

How The Cleveland Browns Spending Is Sustainable And Other Teams Won't Like It
The Cleveland Browns have been top two spenders for the last three years in the league but the way in which they are doing it is entirely sustainable. How are they doing it and why aren't every team in the league copying them?

For anyone who is following the NFL it is pretty clear that the Cleveland Browns are operating in a different way to everyone else, even the other financially aggressive teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints who also use void years to push the salary cap out. Andrew Berry isn’t shy about throwing the word aggressive around every time he speaks but he follows it up with his actions.

During the 2022 season, the Cleveland Browns were the second highest spenders in terms of cash spending $276m on their roster despite the NFL salary cap being at $208m. The only team ahead of them was the Las Angeles Rams at $283m. In total only five teams crossed $250m of cash spending that season.

If we go back to the 2021 season the salary cap dropped dramatically due to the pandemic coming in at $183m, this didn’t stop the Cleveland Browns who spent $239m that year in cash. This meant they were first in the NFL with the next nearest team being the New England Patriots at $235m. Here we see the Rams balancing out their spending as they had the lowest spend in the league with $138m.

Here is the table for the last two years of cash spending based on the published data from the NFLPA, numbers are in millions.


According to Over The Cap, the Browns currently lead the NFL for cash spending during the 2023 season too. They are $20m ahead of the Miami Dolphins in second but this will fluctuate until we get a final 53-man roster around the time of the season.

So let us look at how the Browns have managed to build a completely sustainable model where they can lead the league in cash spending two of the last three years and then finish 2nd in the other year.

WHY CASH AND NOT CAP
For this article, we are focusing on cash and not the salary cap numbers in terms of how much the Browns are spending and there is an important reason for this. Cash spending is much more stable year to year and is what teams and agents focus on during a negotiation because this is what the players are getting paid. You can then use a signing bonus rather than a base salary to move around how the same money appears on the salary cap.

Let us take a look at Dalvin Tomlinson’s deal as an example. So here is the contract below and you can read the full breakdown of his deal here.



Then let us look at this deal in terms of cash and the salary cap. Firstly we can see the four-year contract counts as five years due to void years in the deal to backload the signing bonus. As we can see from the cash figures we get a really steady cash flow on the deal per year.



This is effectively a two-year deal worth $28m for the first two seasons and then team options worth $14.5m in 2025 and 2026 so if they decide after two seasons to use a post-June 1st cut here would be the numbers.

Tracking salary cap spending from year to year suddenly becomes really messy because you are looking at dead cap numbers two years into the future. While dead cap is not bad thing it is better to use cash to follow the teams spending year to year as it will end up on the salary cap eventually.



CASH SPENDING ON THE 53 MAN ROSTER
So, we are going to focus on how much the Cleveland Browns are spending in cash on their 53-man roster each year versus the salary cap to get an idea of the pattern they are taking currently.

There is some spending that a team will make in cash that doesn’t impact the 53-man roster, the most likely comes in two formats, the practice squad and replacing players on injured reserve with free agents. Since this is generally going to be pretty standard across each year we won’t worry about it in our numbers but will help explain how my 53 spending might be lower than the NFLPA numbers I used earlier. Ken Ingalls, who covers the salary cap, predicts this to be around $10m a year.

The other factor can be dead cash spending, while a player like John Johnson won’t impact these numbers because all of the cash he was given was during the 2021 & 2022 seasons Baker Mayfield will. To facilitate a trade to the Panthers the Browns converted $10.5m of his 5th-year option base salary into a signing bonus so it would be dead cap on the Browns' book and make him cheaper for Carolina.

I haven’t factored this sort of spending into the model as it is so rare, the Browns wouldn’t have over $500,000 for a player in this category for their first three years with the exception of Mayfield. Where Odell Beckham Jr. made the final 53 to start the season his full contract is considered as they expected him to play the season.

WHAT DO THE LAST THREE YEARS LOOK LIKE
Here is a chart looking at the last three seasons and this one based on their current contract for how many millions the salary cap is, their top 53 cash spending, and the percentage based on the salary cap.

For the 2021 season impacted by Covid, I have used an average of 2020 and 2022 to give us a realistic number in the middle. Considering they had the remaining rollover left from the Sashi Brown regime, they effectively used this to fill the gap in 2021.




So we can see a trend here of them spending around 115% of the salary cap each season, this is why I thought going and adding a big-ticket wide receiver in a trade and focusing on someone like Elijah Moore or Jerry Jeudy always made more sense from the beginning of the offseason.

HOW IS THIS SUSTAINABLE
So, to look at how this model is sustainable for the Browns we need to look at how their spending balances against the salary cap each year and a chart is the easiest model for this.



The salary cap isn’t going to jump a full 15% every year to cover their spending. They are working roughly two years out in advance so as the salary keeps rising they will keep spending more as a percentage of the salary cap.

So, this year the Browns are likely looking to spend the 2025 salary cap in terms of cash spending on the 53, practice squad, injured reserve, and everything else. Then once we get to 2024 they will probably look to spend the 2026 salary cap number.

The only thing that could stop the Browns is another dramatic drop in the salary cap as we saw during the pandemic. Otherwise, it is a really smart model to allow you to outspend all of your competitors and put together a more expensive roster than the competition. This is why I think they are working on around 115% rather than pushing this out to say 125% as there is then too much potential for it to blow up in their faces.

HOW WILL THE NEXT THREE YEARS LOOK
So, if we use 115% of the salary cap each year as the aim for spending on the final 53 then we can see what the next three seasons might look like based on Over The Cap’s projection for what the salary cap might be for those years.




We can then also look at this in chart format too.



I also have a breakdown of where the Browns' current spending is per position room over the next few years. We are only using players who are currently under contract so any player who is a free agent drops off the 53 and is replaced by a league minimum contract.



WHY AREN’T OTHER TEAMS DOING THIS
There are three factors why other teams might not be doing what the Browns and Andrew Berry are doing:

1 - They just aren’t as aggressive and smart to work this out on how you can weaponize the salary cap to give you the best possible team year in and year out.

2 - They want the ability to go all in for a two-year spell which would allow them to spend much more than the Browns in a one or two-year window before having to balance it out.

3 - Their owners just aren’t as cash-rich as the Haslams. While people might have opinions on Browns' ownership on how they have hired and been involved, one thing they haven’t been shy about is spending money at an incredible level on the 53-man roster. All teams will have cash budgets they spend each season and it is clear that the Browns have one of the most generous owners in supporting Andrew Berry’s goals.



https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland...er-teams-wont-like-it-208080026/#2147901

Weaponizing the salary cap...

Thanks Memphis, great posts like that get me just a tad closer to understanding these shenanigans.

This doesn't work without combining next-level cap manipulation with willingness to spend. With so many teams 'chasing' a window, after already having been up against the cap, they are way too 'all-in' to even consider this type of manipulation. The rest? They'll start following the lead of the Browns and Berry... as long as their owner will ante up.

Good stuff!

Pew, pew, pew.

all of the salary cap stuff is always way above my head, but it surely seems like we are maximizing our usage of it. We are in great shape ... now it's all on Watson to actually live up to the billing

Above my head as well.

Others, not so much...

I've seen enough. Sign him to a lifetime contract.

that's awesome!

That was one of my favorite tweets when I saw that last year.

I’ve said it for a few years now. I’m a big fan of AB. Almost every move he makes I can understand the reasoning behind it. The player might not work out, but I still understand what he was trying to accomplish.

Also, when he focuses on improving a position, he goes full bore on trying to improve it that offseason.

j/c...

Now if he could just draft he’d be an excellent gm

Here's my question.

It makes sense that we're doing this for next year because we're way over the cap... but isn't that the PROJECTED cap? Isn't the new TV deal supposed to kick in and shoot the cap much higher?