Corner Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong are Browns after being obtained for reserve linebacker Alex Hall and 4th and 5th rounders in this year's draft.
The 31-year-old Brown has never missed a game due to injury and instantly upgrades the Browns on the corners as Brown and Eric Wright look like a good tandem to me.
The trade takes the Browns out of the fourth round, but the addition of a third for Kamerion Wimbley makes up for that and the Browns still have three picks in the fifth round.
Gocong should step in as a starter at linebacker and is reported to be a solid special teamer, which always seems to be an Eric Mangini plus!
Alex Hall seemed to be a workout warrior, so I won't sweat his loss very much.
This trade could lessen the Browns' interest in Florida corner Joe Haden and increase their interest in Tennessee safety Eric Berry or Texas safety Earl Thomas if Berry is off the board.
I think it shows in my writing that I really want Eric Berry as it seems that anyone that reads here asks me about Berry!
This deal also could mean that the Browns might trade down if Berry would be taken before their pick as Haden would not be as pressing of a need with the addition of Brown.
All and all -I like the deal although I wish Cleveland could have kept their 4th rounder, but obtaining a quality corner for that cost is quite cheap.....
The Browns have another issue to deal with as Shaun Rogers was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.
Rogers claims that he didn't realize the gun was with him and who knows if that is true, but I do know this- Any chance of Rogers being traded on draft day just went flying out the door.
It is possible that the NFL could sanction Rogers for this incident with a fine and/or suspension.
The Pirates made a few moves, nothing of significance as Virgil Vasquez was shipped to Tampa Bay for a player to be named later or cash.
Bet on cash......
Most teams made their minor league cuts as well and a few names caught my eye.
The Pirates cut quite a few, the most notable to us is Bradley Clapp, who was one of the Hickory four from the ice bowl series in Hagerstown a few years back.
Other names of note (to us) were the Reds cutting outfielder Stephen Chapman, the Mets cutting a few former Hagerstown Suns in Caleb Stewart and Rafael Arroyo, and the Nationals dropping Chris Lugo.
Chapman is notable for his line drive that bounced off a sleeping Jeff Heimberger and left a huge black mark off Jeff's helmet on the baseball.
Lugo was a super nice guy and it always is tough to see those guys go.
Clapp missed last season with Tommy John and must not have bounced back quickly enough for the Bucs...
Sorry to hear about the passing of former Oriole ace Mike Cuellar at the age of 72.
The Cuban-born master of the screwball was a star of my early childhood and always reminded me of the Red Man tobacco logo that my grandfather chewed.
The four-time All-Star won the Cy Young in 1969 and won 185 games in his career.
Cuellar was far from a fireballer, but for those of you that like the crafty veteran-type hurler, Mike Cuellar was for you!
ESPN's Rob Meyer has a nice article on Cuellar here...
I am really kicking myself as Cuellar was at OrioleFest over the winter and I forgot to dig cards out to be signed as a collector offered to get him for me.
Dummy.
One new arrival on the mail front as former Indian pitcher
Eric Raich signed two cards and enclosed a note thanking me for asking him...
Very nice..
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