Els you're pretty good at the revisionist history gig... Draft Day 5-8-14 You liked the Gilbert pick and the Manziel (Sipe) pick and then you wanted Jordan Matthews or Marquise Lee. All of us miss on prospects but your negative approach to the Browns seems to be rooted in some false sense of, "If only the Browns would have done what I said they should do..."
I have found the silver lining! The third preseason game is supposed to be the "dress rehearsal" to the regular season and give you a "true" glimpse of what your team is really capable of. Now, I did not see much of the game against the Bucs but getting beat down is not the end-all-be-all. Wasn't it last year that we beat the Bucs just about the same way? That was not indicative of how the season went. Im not saying we're going to the playoffs, we just cant put too much stock into this.
Kruger, Davis, Coons, Bibbs headline roster cuts Fred Greetham 8:22 AM The Browns have released Paul Kruger, Austin Davis, E.J. Bibbs and Travis Coons in roster moves to get to 75 BEREA, Ohio--One of the biggest free agent signings the Browns have made in recent history was let go. The Browns announced that outside linebacker Paul Kruger was released along with quarterback Austin Davis, kicker Travis Coons and tight end E.J. Bibbs as the Browns reduce their roster to 76 and have to be to the mandatory limit of 75 by Tuesday at 4 pm. Kruger, 30, was signed to a five-year contract for $40.5 million in 2013 after the Ravens won the Super Bowl. Kruger had 11 sacks in 2014 but his totals dropped to just 2.5 in 2015. The Browns drafted Emmanual Ogbah and Carl Nassib this year to improve their pass rush and last year they added Nate Orchard. Davis was in his fifth year and second with the Browns. He suffered a concussion in the preseason opener and although he returned to practice last week, didn't play against Tampa Bay last Friday night. Coons was the Browns kicker in 2015 making 28-of-32 attempts, but the four missed were all blocked. Former Tampa Bay kicker Patrick Murray was taking the first reps in preseason games. Bibbs made the 2015 final roster as an undrafted free agent and caught one pass for seven yards in seven games played. In the official release from the team, the contracts of Kruger, Davis and defensive lineman Nick Hayden were terminated. The Browns also waived the following: Coons, Bibbs, DB Sean Baker, WR Josh Boyce, WR Ed Eagan, FB Robert Hughes, TE David Reeves and OL Cory Tucker. DL Niles Lawrence-Stample (shoulder) and RB Glenn Winston (shoulder) were placed on injured reserve. Stupid move dumping Krueger *WALL*
CLEVELAND, Ohio ? Hue Jackson hasn't suddenly been thunderstruck by the realization that the Browns aren't winning the Super Bowl this year, and he's not running for cover after their 30-13 debacle in the dress rehearsal game in Tampa. "Boy, all of a sudden the sky is falling?'' he said with a laugh on a conference call Saturday after a barrage of doom and gloom questions. "I didn't know that. I don't think the sky is falling at all. What you see is a young football team that you're going to see some of that, especially early until they get well-grounded.'' Despite the 0-3 preseason record, the development of his rebooting team is right about what he expected at this point. "There were some good things and obviously there were some things that were concerning,'' he said. "We've got to continue to work at it. I never said we were going to be a juggernaut today or yesterday. We're going to keep working at this thing and when the games start being played here in a couple of weeks, that's when we have to be at our best. '' When he watched the film of the 30-13 rout ? including a 27-10 halftime deficit ? he wasn't surprised. Robert Griffin III was sacked five times, and the defense surrendered 259 passing yards and two touchdowns to Jameis Winston. "I knew this before watching the tape last night ? we've got a lot of work to do,'' Jackson said. "Our coaches and players understand that there's a lot of work to do. This is a tough game. Success is not going to come easy and we gotta put in the work and stay on top of every detail. Every successful team does this and we'll be no different.'' Despite springing leaks on offense, defense and special teams, Jackson doesn't think he's run out of time to fix all the problems before the opener Sept. 11 in Philadelphia. "No, not at all,'' he said. "It's going to be right around the corner, but I don't feel like there's too much work to be done. Sometimes you watch a game like that and you go, 'oh wow, nothing's going well,' but we all know sometimes it's just one player here or one play there or one miss here or one missed opportunity there that makes you feel the way you do.'' Jackson noted that one plays, "9 of the 11 guys played extremely well and then from a detail standpoint, maybe a player here or a couple players there and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Those are the things that we got to get better at and we will." Even right after the game Friday night, Jackson said the team isn't worse than what he expected. "We've got to get better in a hurry,'' he said. "I'm not discouraged. A lot of people get discouraged in these situations, but I'm not because I really truly know what's in the locker room, and we've got to work. We've just got to understand how hard it is and how accountable you have to be to each other on every play and just what you've got to do in order to play winning football. That's my job, and I feel very comfortable and confident that we'll get that done." Here are five reasons Jackson thinks the sky is secure: 1. Cam Erving and the rest of the pass protection will improve. Jackson believes Erving is playing up to expectations and will only get better. Remember, he's missed significant time with an elbow injury this camp, and is still learning the demanding center position. "Cam's doing a lot of really good things,'' he said. "He's a young player who's ascending who I think is going to be a tremendous football player for us." Jackson acknowledged that "I don't think we protected the quarterback as well as we can and if you don't do that you won't be able to ever accomplish what you want on offense.'' But he attributed the problems to everything, not just the line, which will get better when Joe Thomas returns full-time from his back injury. The receivers, backs and tight ends need to block better, the Browns need to run the ball more and Griffin needs to release the ball quicker at times, although Jackson insists he doesn't. 2. The defense will improve once they settle on the starting rotation The Browns will decide on their starters over the next few days and get them ready to play together in Philadelphia. Up to this point, there's been so much mixing and matching that's there's been no continuity. For instance, the 34-yard TD catch by Mike Evan over Jamar Taylor, resulted from miscommunication between Taylor and Tracy Howard. "It's so important that those guys play together, be together, be able to make calls,'' he said. When we're talking about communication issues, that's where some of that comes from. You have a lot of young guys maybe playing at a time and they hear something and don't react very quickly. So we've got to make sure we take the opportunity for error out as much as we can. So now it's about time we put units together and let them play and get these guys ready for the opener." Young pass-rushers like Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib seem poised for prominent roles when the rotation shakes out. 3. Corey Coleman will get up to speed Jackson said from the start that he expects a lot out of his No. 15 overall pick. But Coleman missed almost three weeks of quality team reps because of his tweaked hamstring. That's a huge setback for any player, especially a rookie learning a complex pro offense. But Jackson is confident he's still more than worthy of the No. 15 pick. "This guy's a tremendous football player and he'll bounce back and he's looking forward to playing this week,'' Jackson said, revealing that he'll likely give the rookie some playing time against the Bears Thursday night. 4. Griffin will get better with time Griffin is still adjusting to the new scheme, some new mechanics and new personnel. He's been relying too much on the long ball, and needs to make more intermediate and short throws. Of his 282 passing yards, 215 have come on his five deep passes. But he'll improve as he goes along, and Jackson will draw it up better as he learns his new QB. "He did some really good things under duress obviously,'' Jackson said. "Obviously he continues to find ways to make plays down the field and he's putting the ball in the right spots and putting his eyes in the right spots. He took some hits last night that were unfortunate. We always want to do a better job of protecting our quarterback. He stood in there, he kept his poise and made some plays, but we've got to play better.'' 5. The kids will grow up Jackson is dealing with young players at many positions, including along the defensive front. He's got a young center and a new right tackle in Austin Pasztor. Many of the receivers are rookies, and he's got three new starters in the defensive backfield who are learning to communicate with each other. They're young, they're all getting to know each other, and the coaches are getting to know them. But like Joel Bitonio said on a conference call Sunday, the attitude and the effort are there. "We're ready to take the next step,'' he said. "Is it going to be Week 1? Is it going to be Week 2? That's our goal. We want to win as soon as possible. There's hope around this team. There are guys that are working, guys that are doing everything possible to put the Cleveland Browns in the best spot we can. I know this team goes out every week expecting to win, and we are doing everything on our part to do that." If the sky is falling, they haven't gotten the warning in Berea.
I am honestly not a Kruger basher...but as far as free agents go, he has taken more bash/bust on these boards than any other in the modern era. That said, there was no need for cap space...unless they are setting themselves up for a 2017 off season of free agents, they are wasting cap floor money...if they don't hit their minimums, they will have to pay it in penalties anyway. The move just doesn't make sense from a roster/depth standpoint. I can't honestly say every player on this roster is at or above Kruger.... NOW...they just announced, Andy Lee, one of the best punters in the NFL have been traded to the Carolina Panthers...I get that he didn't push a guy out of bounds...but it was a freaking preseason game!!! I would rather him not take a chance of getting hurt in a preseason game... These moves are mind boggling really..I am a little worried.. {edit} Trade details: Panthers get Andy Lee and 2017 7th round draft pick Browns get Kasey Redfern P and 2018 4th round draft pick So, apparently they feel they have enough picks in 2017 and want to get a jump start on 2018..
On a "bright" note, the Browns may go down in history as having the cheapest roster in the modern era...They were already near the bottom in the league of cap availability and now have cut/traded their #3 and #11 highest paid players today. Unless Joe Haden makes All Pro, he may be the next to go next off season. His guarantees are off the books after this season.
Getting a future 4th rounder for an old punter isn't a bad move actually.....The thing is, how are they (our FO) expecting the guys currently on the roster to "buy in" on this season?? I think this move speaks volumes, and I stand corrected....Our front office truly does not care about the 2016 season, and I;'m now worried more than ever that thjis season is gonna suck beyond belief....... This is "moneyball" fellas.....I guess it's not surprising, but it is somewhat discouraging here at this moment....If we win more than 5 games in 2016, I will be amazed...
they keep stock piling draft picks . I guess they figure if they throw enough shit against a wall some will stick *DONT_KNOW* It might be a longer season this year than expected . Can you say growing pains ..
Everyone needs to take a chill pill and enjoy the ride. I trust HUE. When he says, Man this is just to fukkrd up, i can't coach this pile of chit. Thats when I'm done. Guys, name one player we lost thats has done anything to help us win more then 5 games???? Alex Mack?? Scwartz?? Kruger??? shut the fuk up. I'm sick of the whining. This is the best I've felt about the Browns future in 30 years. I love it Im pumped up. We have been so fricken bad we don't even get a #1 pick. we get #4 at best and keep Pat shurmur for another season and let him draft some dipchit player. You guys are acting like it can get worse then it has been for years, are u nuts. We have an actual NFL coach running chit. No more Bullchit. Let all these turds go for all i care, Its party time. Im so pumped to see what an actual coach can do. We have Receivers Fellas cheer up. Hue will bring us respect and Bring this Ship from Port to Port and were gonna fuk everything in sight.
In related news, last years fan favorite Josh Lenz was just cut by (at least) his 3rd team. Damn, Pryor should not have been kept! Its funny how things change in a year. As for the moves, was Kruger's production sagging? Yes. Was he not utilized properly? Yes. You can go back and forth about it all day long but at the end of the day there was a conversation had between the FO and the HC and it was determined that the gap was close enough to give more playing time to the young guys. Im sure his production will be replaced, and easily. I don't think Lee was traded because he didn't push the guy OB on the PR. Hell, he got his but gnawed on by Hugh and on one of his next punts he threw himself at the returner (and bounced). The team is not going to live and die by the P. Andy Lee wasn't going to be the pivotal piece in winning a game. He sure could hang the ball, but they were offered a 4th round pick for a punter...A PUNTER! The kid they got had similar numbers albeit in preseason and w/no real game exp. Regardless...im still as excited as I was yesterday before the trades/cuts.
The Browns released linebacker Paul Kruger and traded punter Andy Lee on Monday, continuing the offseason theme of clearing out players acquired under previous regimes ahead of Hue Jackson?s first season as coach. With veterans leaving the team, the Browns are left with a fairly inexperienced group of players in line for significant playing time during the regular season. That group has had some high points in the first three preseason games but the bright spots have been intermittent, which likely made Jackson?s decision about whether to play his starters in Thursday?s preseason finale a pretty easy one. ?I think we need to play them,? Jackson said, via ESPN.com. ?I think we need to get better as a football team.? Jackson didn?t say how much any of the players will play against the Bears, but it?s hard to argue with his opinion that the team needs as much work as it can get before the start of the regular season.
I hope Hue leaves his projected starters in the whole first half. He's was certainly right when he said, "these guys need some work."...In fact, that may be the understatement of the year... There will be growing pains...smh. I'm so sick of hearing this but I also know it's especially true with our young team. The forever rebuild continues with the Cleveland Browns. I do think the offense is gonna be a lot of fun to watch when they all get on the same page. It'll be rough the first few weeks probably, but we do finally have some qualty skill position talent. So down the road a bit, that could be real fun to watch......As far as the D, Let's hope our young pass rushers like Orchard and Ogbah and Nassib can effect games. If those guys can disrupt the pocket and create some havoc, then maybe our D won't be as bad as it has looked so far in the preseason. We tried to throw money at Kruger to get after the QB, but he never really did, so IMO that's no big loss that he's gone now...We lose a little experience, but it's not like he was producing...That really is the key though. If opposing QB's have all freaking day to pick us apart like Jamies Winston did, we all know it's going to be a long year, and their won't be many W's......
This front office was brought in to get Haslam his bang for his buck. This year isn't about winning. Its about trimming payroll and building a young team through the draft. ITS A 3-5 WIN FOOTBALL TEAM! Haslam is shelling out all that money TO LOSE and LOSE BIG! Those days are over fellas. If your going to win a handful of game then go young and drop your payroll. How worse can it get really? Can you blame him? The fan support will always be there anyways. If RGIII stays healthy and they end up with a top 3 pick then JT will get traded. This front office is stock piling picks. Haslam told all of us he wasn't going to spend a zillion dollars in free agency and he wants to build through the draft. Trading Thomas for a late 1st rd pick would give the Browns 3 1st rd picks and 2, 2nd rd picks. Its going to be a real long year except for the long ball. Expect some blowouts and thats just real talk. Look for improvement from these young players not wins. Gilbert will be gone also.
I haven't seen any of the preseason games, has the offensive play calling just been vanilla? With the skill that is there, I would expect to see a lot of motion, misdirection, especially with Pryor filling the role that Sanu did in Cinci last year.
Dogside, So far "vanilla" would be a good word for it. They've hit a few deep passes, but we haven't seen anything yet. I think they will be dynamic on offense. We have 3 WR's that can take it to the house on a reverse, and a speedy fast QB. The potential for awesomeness is through the roof....The O-line is a concern, but we haven't seen Joe Thomas play much, and this unit is probably going to need some time to get it going. I'm hoping they hit their stride when Gordon comes off suspension...Barnidge is rock solid. Johnson and Crowell are a solid duo....This offense should be good. With Hue Jackson calling the shots, sky is the limit...They might be great....I agree that we will see plays designed for Terrelle Pryor to throw it. No doubt about it. The trick play and misdirection potential is limitless with our skill guys....
