Today's legal system avoids the courts at almost any cost, and is probably set up to do just that. If I am one of the companies effected I would want to hurt Slam, but would at the same time make the decision that best served the interests of my bottom line, and that most likely would be take the settlement now, and not pursue more which likely comes with lots of time passing and no guarantees of remuneration matching or exceeding that offered. That said, it stinks to have an owner that at least appears to have lacked integrity. That doesn't sit well with the hard working Cleveland faithful. I'm with you bluez, "when does the sun come out in Cleveland?" I feel like the Charlie Brown character who constantly has a rain cloud over him. Somebody get me an umbrella!
Another "NEW season" in Brown town. Excited? Yes. Why? Another new season and once again we are tied for first. That and the fact that the central has leveled out, with former powerhouse Baltimore and Pittsburgh coming back a little leaving Cincinnati the perennial wild card (Jekyl & Hyde variety). Kicking game - new and unknown (farewell Josh & Phil). Can't find a place to hang my hat here. How about the rest of the lounge hounds? In the grand scheme of things football is almost here and that makes me smile. Being a long suffering Browns fan (is there any other kind) I will be hopeful and look for a 500 season, with an embarassing silent hope it could be more.
Duff drove plenty of nails in the wall to hang hats on . did he drive them in to far ?or am i using them all to hang up my numerous Browns hats . i think it's going to be a quiet night at the Bluez estate. had me waaaay to much fun last night [:} ..Movie & PS3 sounds pretty good as we aren't racing . Mother Nature won tonight .
Here is our rundown on the best players still available at each position ? a list that includes some of PFT?s top 100 free agents as of earlier in the offseason. We will update the team as events warrant. Quarterback: Vince Young. It?s hard to believe he?s incapable of winning a roster spot. With 50 career starts to his credit, the 30-year-old Young could be a serviceable short-term fill-in for numerous teams at the most important spot on the field. Running back: Willis McGahee. A proven featured back, the 31-year-old McGahee rushed 1,930 yards in two seasons with Denver. What?s more, he racked up 4.6 yards per carry. The Broncos? youth approach at running back makes sense, but McGahee can still help another club in 2013. Fullback: Vonta Leach. Financial concerns ended his two-season run in Baltimore, but this powerful lead blocker should find another starting job before long. Wide receiver: Brandon Lloyd, Early Doucet. Lloyd would be a fine short-term solution for a team looking for an outside receiver. Doucet, 27, caught 54 passes two seasons ago. Tight end: Dallas Clark. The best receiving option at his position still left on the market. However, he turns 34 in June. Offensive tackle: Eric Winston, Winston Justice. This position has been picked through in the months after the draft, but there are still multiple players with starting experience still available. Two right tackles ? Eric Winston and Winston Justice ? get the nod over Sean Locklear and Jared Gaither. Gaither may well be the most talented tackle left, but the next NFL team he plays with will be his fourth in a relatively young career. Gaither can play both tackle spots, as can Locklear. Offensive guard: Brandon Moore, Cooper Carlisle. Both players have had long, productive careers. Moore started 137 connective games for the Jets. Carlisle, meanwhile, has played more than 1,000 snaps in each of the last four seasons, according to Pro Football Focus data. However, Carlisle will be 36 at the start of the season, and Moore will be 33. Center: Antoine Caldwell. The 27-year-old Caldwell played guard on the NFL level, making 19 starts in four seasons for Houston. However, he started 34 games at center at Alabama. Defensive end: John Abraham, Juqua Parker. It?s hard to believe the 35-year-old Abraham couldn?t help a team this season. The question is, what role will he play, and how will he be compensated? As PFT reported in May, Abraham wants to play a lot (60-plus snaps), while some teams see him as a situational rusher (25 snaps or so). For the record, Abraham has averaged 42.7 snaps in regular-season games in the last five seasons, per Pro Football Focus, and he averaged 46.7 snaps in 2012. Parker, 35, has recorded at least six sacks in three out of the last four seasons and could be effective as a role player. Defensive tackle: Richard Seymour, Casey Hampton. Seymour has been linked to Atlanta in various free agency reports. He would make a lot of sense for a Falcons defense that needs to bolster its pass rush. He?s the top 4-3 tackle left. Meanwhile, 3-4 defenses looking for a short-term solution at nose guard might turn to Hampton, the long-time Pittsburgh run-stuffing stalwart. Outside linebacker: Nick Barnett, Thomas Howard, Chris Gocong. Barnett (32 in May) can play outside or inside in a 4-3 and could be used inside in the 3-4. He has notched more than 100 tackles in every season in which he?s played even close to 16 games. Howard suffered an ACL tear in September 2012, while Gocong tore his Achilles last August. Both are capable players if healthy. Inside linebacker: Bradie James, Bart Scott. James, 32, notched 77 tackles in 15 games for Houston a season ago. He would figure to be best in a 3-4 defense. The same can be said for Scott, whom the Jets let go in February. Scott has missed just one game in the last eight seasons. Cornerback: Sheldon Brown, Nate Clements. Clements got snaps at safety and cornerback for Cincinnati in 2012; the ability to back up both positions enhances his value. Brown is a tough, accomplished cornerback who could also be tried at safety should he land elsewhere. He started 14 games for Cleveland in 2012, grading out 21st among all cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Safety: Kerry Rhodes, Quintin Mikell. Mikell played both free and strong safety for St. Louis in 2012 and notched a career-high 101 tackles. However, he will be 33 in September. Rhodes, 30, intercepted four passes a season ago. Placekicker: Billy Cundiff, Neil Rackers Cundiff has a strong leg but was off-form in 2012. Rackers, meanwhile, is 80 percent all-time on field goals but didn?t attempt a regular-season kick in 2012. Cundiff has the better kickoff leg, while Rackers is more dependable on field goals. If a team needs a kicker to handle kickoffs and field goals, Cundiff is the best option. If it?s just field goals, Rackers gets the nod. Punter: Mat McBriar. The former Pro Bowler has good leg strength, but his net average has dipped in recent seasons. Return specialist: Stefan Logan. Logan can return kicks and punts and can potentially serve as a backup running back and wide receiver. However, he?s 32, and he fumbled six times last season.
The Browns were 25th in yards and 24th in points in 2012, but most of the core personnel from that offense returns this season. In a Q&A with Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer published Saturday, Browns CEO Joe Banner explained why the club didn?t want to shake up the offense just yet. ?On offense, we want to see what develops before making big changes, other than the scheme,? Banner told Pluto. Banner also noted that the Browns? personnel on offense is on the inexperienced side. ?It?s hard to know their potential because so many of them ? not just [QB] Brandon [Weeden] ? are so young,? Banner told the Plain Dealer. ?Also, the coaches looked at Brandon and some of the others and saw enough there to want to see more.? By contrast, the Browns were ready to shake up their defense, Banner told the paper. The club signed defensive lineman Desmond Bryant and outside linebacker Paul Kruger, drafted outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo No. 6 overall and changed to 3-4 scheme. ?We knew we had to change our defense,? Banner told Pluto. ?We had to get faster and get more pressure on the quarterback. We went out and got players to do that. We were ready to charge ahead on defense.? With a new head coach (Rob Chudzinski), offensive coordinator (Norv Turner) and offensive scheme, the focus turns to how the Browns? personnel fits into the new regime?s new ways on that side of the ball.
We reported several weeks ago that, when it comes to the offset issue for the contract of linebacker Barkevious Mingo, the Browns would wait and see what happens with other teams in the top 10. Now that both the Dolphins at No. 3 and the Eagles at No. 4 have obtained offset language, look for the Browns to push very hard for the sixth overall pick in the draft to agree to the same term. As mentioned earlier tonight, the Dolphins moved some money around to reduce the potential impact of the clause that prevents a player who is cut during the life of his guaranteed four-year rookie deal from signing elsewhere and keeping both the money he would have earned from the team that drafted him and the money that his new team is paying him. Offset language means that, for example, if the Eagles eventually cut Lane Johnson with $1 million remaining in guaranteed but unpaid salary, the Eagles would be off the hook for up to $1 million earned elsewhere. Without offset language, Johnson gets $1 million from the Eagles and whatever his new team pays him. For Mingo, he?ll have to ask himself the same question that every player who has agreed to accept offset language has confronted: Does securing the ability to get paid twice if things down work out with the team that drafted me justify holding out from my first NFL training camp? The other side of the coin, of course, comes from the negative atmosphere that the team potentially creates by telling a first-round pick, essentially, ?We completely believe in you, but we need a little protection in the event we?re dead wrong.? The Browns, like the Dolphins and Eagles and other teams, have decided that the importance of blocking a future double dip justifies whatever message potentially flows from insisting on offset language. Given the current legal entanglements of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, it?s a bit surprising that the team would risk the bad P.R. that comes from a holdout. Or, even worse, an offer from Mingo to ?rebate? a portion of the guaranteed money.
All draft picks are now signed sealed and delivered.. Barko signed a 4 year(with a team option 5th) overnight!! NOW....HERE WE GO BROWNIES..HERE WE GO!!
Irish thanks ..lets play some football now *BRAVO* At least we aren't depending on rookies this year to start . that is progress . lets hope the last two to three years class make the jump .if they do we will be in the hunt this season & beyond .
BATTLES OF BEREA: FREE SAFETIES Players to watch: Johnson Bademosi (6-foot, 200 pounds, second year); Tashaun Gipson (5-11, 205, second year); and Jamoris Slaughter (6-foot, 190, rookie). 2012 stats: Bademosi (16 games played, three tackles, one pass defensed); Gipson (10 games played, including three starts, 29 tackles, one interception, one pass defensed); Slaughter (with Notre Dame ? started all three games before suffering a season-ending ruptured left Achilles tendon Sept. 15, eight tackles). Analysis: Gipson has the edge to win the starting job alongside strong safety T.J. Ward after taking all of the first-team reps during organized team activities and minicamps. He impressed last season as an undrafted rookie when he was healthy ? he missed five games with a sprained MCL in his knee and one game with a sprained foot. Now he must hold off two other young, unproven players to seal his status as a starter. Bademosi, who was a special-teams dynamo last season as an undrafted rookie, moved from cornerback to free safety this offseason. He worked with the second-team defense during spring practices, but because he has never played free safety until this year, he has a steep hill to climb to catch Gipson. Slaughter, a sixth-round pick in this year?s draft, also has a serious obstacle in his way. He missed OTAs and minicamps as he rehabilitated from a ruptured Achilles tendon that forced him to miss most of his final collegiate season and Notre Dame?s run to the BCS National Championship Game. Slaughter said he has been medically cleared to fully participate in camp, though he?ll have several layers of rust to knock off after remaining idle for nearly a year. The Browns used a rotation of players at free safety in each of the past two seasons. Unless Gipson falters, the new regime will likely give him a chance to end that trend.
By Fred Greetham OBR Senior Browns Reporter Posted Jul 21, 2013 The Browns officially kick off their first training camp under Rob Chudzinski and staff on Thursday, July 25. We will break down each position in the weeks leading up to the start of camp with the players currently on the roster. We will now take a look at the linebackers. 0 Comments The Browns biggest makeover on the defensive side of the ball was at linebacker. The Browns are switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4 where the primary pass rush comes from the outside linebackers. Out are Chris Gocong, Scott Fujita and Kaluka Maiava. Meanwhile, in are Paul Kruger, Quentin Groves, Jabaal Sheard and Barkevious Mingo. Most likely, three of the four starting linebackers will be new to the position as starters for the Browns this season. The Browns made a concerted effort to upgrade their pass rush and made major strides in that area?at least on paper. Linebackers: D?Qwell Jackson, Paul Kruger, Quentin Groves, Jabaal Sheard, Craig Robertson, James-Michael Johnson, Adrian Moten, L.J. Fort, Tank Carder, Barkevious Mingo, Tommy Smith and Kendrick Adams. Jackson (6-0, 240, 29, 8th year) ? Jackson thrived in the middle of the 4-3 under Dick Jauron and will be on the inside in the 3-4. He finished last season with 119 tackles with 3.5 sacks. He also had an interception which he returned for a touchdown. Jackson was a first alternate for the AFC for last year?s Pro Bowl. Jackson played well in the 3-4 under Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini and should have no trouble making the transition back. Kruger (6-4, 270, 27, 5th year) ? Kruger is coming off his most productive season by far when he had 42 tackles, nine sacks, six passes broken up and a forced fumble. He had 7.5 sacks during the final eight weeks of the season, which was tied for fifth in the NFL during that period of time. He had nine sacks in the regular season. In the playoffs, Kruger had 4.5 sacks with 14 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in helping the Ravens win Super Bowl ILVII over the 49ers. He had two sacks in the Super Bowl. He was the main target in free agency and the Browns were able to immediately land him, hoping to catch him entering his prime. Groves (6-3, 265, 29, 6th year) ? Groves had his most productive season last year under Horton with the Cardinals with 45 tackles and four sacks in seven starts. He also had seven special teams tackles and a blocked punt. Sheard (6-2, 255, 24, 3rd year) ? Sheard has led the Browns in each of the past two seasons in sacks, but he was playing defensive end. The Browns are switching him to outside linebacker in the 3-4 and it is to be determined how quickly he can make the adjustment to linebacker. The coaches are saying Sheard is making the switch well. He had 108 tackles in his first two seasons with 15.5 sacks. Robertson (6-1, 229, 25, 2nd year) ? Robertson played in all 16 games in 2012, including three starts. He finished the season with 83 tackles, including a sack and two interceptions. Robertson was running with Jackson as the starter at inside linebacker during the OTAs and minicamps. Johnson (6-1, 240, 23, 2nd year) ? The Browns had big plans for Johnson as a rookie after drafting him in the fourth round. However, he injured his ribs/oblique in the preseason and was inactive the first four games. He returned in the fifth game and played in 10 games with eight starts before finishing the season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Johnson had 32 tackles and also had three special team tackles. It is unclear how Johnson will fit in the 3-4 defensive alignment. He was playing behind Robertson in the minicamps. Moten (6-2, 230, 25, 2nd year) ? The Browns signed Moten for the last two games of the 2012 season after he was released by the Eagles. He was inactive for both games with the Browns. He played in 12 games in 2011 with the Colts and Seahawks. Fort (6-0, 230, 23, 2nd year) ? Fort made the Browns as an undrafted free agent rookie in 2012. He played in all 16 games, including starting the season opener. Fort finished the season with 13 tackles, including a sack and in interception. Fort was a key special team player with seven tackles. Carder (6-2, 235, 24, 2nd year) ? Carder joined the Browns after being released by the Bills in the final cuts. He was a fifth-round draft choice of the Bills and he played in 15 games with one start for the Browns. Carder had five special team tackles. Adams (6-5, 250, 24, 1st year) ? Adams was an undrafted free agent rookie from LSU who spent last season on the practice squad. Mingo (6-4, 240, 22, Rookie) ? Mingo was the sixth-overall pick in this year?s NFL Draft and is expected to be a major contributor in the pass rush. Smith (6-1, 240, 22, Rookie) ? Smith is an undrafted free agent rookie from Boise State. He will need to make an impression early to have a chance to make the roster. Summary: The Browns added Kruger and Groves in free agency. In addition, they used the sixth-overall pick in the first-round to draft Mingo. Sheard was the team?s leading pass rusher the past two seasons and he has been switched to the outside linebacker position. The Browns are counting on those four to give the Browns a formidable pass rush. Besides Jackson, Robertson, Fort. Johnson, Moten and Carder will battle for the other inside linebacker spot with the others providing depth. (Next up: We take a look at the secondary)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Joe Banner points to the kind of smart transactions he believes signify a new and improved operation in Berea. Getting something in return for Colt McCoy was one move he mentioned in Sunday's Plain Dealer Q&A. Not giving up much of anything to land wide receiver Davone Bess was another. Trading mid-round picks in a weak draft for better mid-round picks in a presumed stronger draft is something Banner called a "no brainer." All that is nice in a draft wonk sort of way. But far more intriguing are the major moves Tom Heckert made in last year's draft. They're intriguing because we suspect Banner wouldn't have bit on any of them. And because they carry such high risk-reward. And, lastly, because Banner will live with them this season after smartly deferring to the offensive coaches he hired to maximize the players Heckert delivered at quarterback, running back and No. 1 wide receiver. Picking Brandon Weeden in the first round. Trading up to draft Trent Richardson and running counter to a league trend in the process. Taking a second-round flyer on Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft. Heckert is gone from Berea, not because those moves constituted strike one, two and three. But certainly those choices didn't represent anything Banner would laud as championship architecture. Banner would've opted for his quarterback near the top of the draft as the Eagles did in landing Donovan McNabb. Ryan Tannehill would've been on his radar were he in charge a year ago. Would he have done enough to land the rights to Robert Griffin III? We'll never know. But my guess is he would've been as aggressive as the offense and defense he ultimately wants to build in Berea In a quarterback's league, no way Banner would've traded up to draft a position (running back) with such a short NFL lifespan. And, we can further presume, he would have preferred a running back not so committed to seeking out contact. You can't punish tacklers for long in this league and turn too many one-yard gains into a steel-cage-only-one-man-walks-away battle. There's too many of tacklers and only one of you. The Gordon decision might outrank the other two as questionable moves in Banner's mind for reasons that included the wide receiver's inexperience and his lifestyle issues. Gordon is a mixed bag in that regard. He came along quickly. He'll also miss the season's first two games after another failed drug test. It's hard to argue too strenuously for the Weeden choice after a season in which he lacked accuracy and instincts critical at the position. I liked the Richardson pick because he's a three-down back who can block, but you can find good running backs later in the draft. Whatever doubts Banner held about Weeden and Gordon in particular he decided to go after pass rushers in free agency (Paul Kruger) and the draft (Barkevious Mingo). "On offense, we want to see what develops before making big changes, other than the scheme," Banner told the PD. "And the change on offense is just as big as from the 4-3 to the 3-4 on defense." Translation: the Browns didn't have the personnel to run the attacking 3-4 defense Banner believes is the best approach in a quarterback league. So they went shopping. He recognized that whatever shortcomings Weeden and Gordon might have, they better fit the downfield passing game Rob Chudzinksi and Norv Turner like to run. For all the concerns whispered about Banner -- that he wants to run the personnel department in addition to his CEO duties-- he embraced what Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner had to say about Weeden. Or maybe he simply saw nothing better than Weeden in this year's draft and free agent market. Whatever, the Browns are taking the smart approach in giving Weeden every chance to succeed. Defensively, accumulating pass rushers is exactly what they needed. Why should this time around be any different in Berea? We don't know it will be until we see if this team has found its starting quarterback and its head coach. We've seen optimism accumulate many times before while the victories continue to be collected in the same small pile.
Browns WR David Nelson (ACL surgery) will open training camp on the active/PUP list. Why did they sign damaged goods in free agency ? its not like this guy is a lights out WR or anything .
It has been my lifelong goal to have meeting with all of the different me's that I am and to convince them to make peace and cooperate with each other instead of always competing for control. I never do any wrong O . it's always been my evil twin *CRAZY*
Beach your mine this week in FBB . time to put the peddle to the metal here . the rubber to the road . scream off turn 4 and rocket down the front chute . i am within one game of first place after staring out 0-4 *HELP* . me & the Goat have both clumb out of the basement back into contention .. WOOF WOOF WOOF !
:| never fails Bluez ..open mouth & insert feet ..you got a helluva good team Beach . you are going to be tough to beat this year . not bad for a guy who didnt want Cliff Lee ..you still want to trade him ? i bet not .
Sounds like Sheard is transitioning to OLB very easily. Wish I could remember which troll was arguing with me that Sheard couldn't play out there - Showstopper?
