Cleveland adds and drops

The Indians and Browns each made moves with one adding a player and the other adding one player and dropping two from their roster...

The Browns gained some salary cap space with the release of two high priced veterans in quarterback Josh McCown and defensive back Tramon Williams.
The 37 year old McCown was under contract for another year at over three million with a 750.000 dollar roster bonus due if on the roster on March 11.
McCown was winless in three starts with the Browns in 2016 and was battered around and missed time with a broken collarbone.
McCown threw six touchdowns and six interceptions,but looked to be finished as a starting quarterback at least,if not period.
Over his two year run in Cleveland,McCown will be best remembered for setting two team records-most passing yards in a game-457 and for being the 1st Browns quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in three consecutive games.

The other release was that of veteran defensive back Tramon Williams,who after being released saved the Browns a March roster bonus of one million and 5.7 million in 2017.
Williams was signed to start at corner,but was beaten out by Jamar Taylor after Taylor was obtained from Miami.
Williams spent most of the season as the third corner and was spending some time at safety as well.
Williams intercepted one pass in each of his two seasons with Cleveland,but was generally thought to be a disappointment as a Brown.
The soon to be 34 year old Williams might be of value as a dime back on a good team,but his starting corner days appear to be finished....

Cleveland made a very popular waiver claim as Clevelander and former Ohio State Buckeye safety Tyvis Powell was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.
Powell was surprisingly undrafted in the 2016 draft and signed by the Seahawks as a free agent.
Powell played in eight games as a special teamer for the Seahawks and was reportedly thought of highly by Seattle,but a roster crunch forced Seattle to waive Powell before their playoff game due to a urgent need at another position (Seattle brought kick returner Devin Hester to the team after the waiving of Powell)
When a player is waived during the playoffs,the process is not announced until the conclusion of the postseason,which is why it took this long (Seattle lost in the NFC semi-finals to Atlanta) for the official announcement to be made,although the Browns having the number one claim and used it,knew that they were going to obtain Powell.
The 6'3 Powell brings some size to the safety spot for a team that needs safety help and clearly wants to be a Brown.
Powell spent a season learning from some of the best defensive backs in the league in Seattle,so hopefully some of that will rub off and help the Browns....

Meanwhile,across town,the Indians added a badly needed lefthanded reliever as they signed Boone Logan to a one year deal for 5.5 million and a team option for 2018.
Logan is expected to be the LOOGY for a bullpen in need of one since Andrew Miller is far more than that role for the Indians.
Logan was 2-5 with 3.69 ERA for Colorado last year,but whiffed 57 in 46 innings and lefthanders (which Logan will almost always face) hit just .142 against him.
If the 32 year old Logan can approach his usual numbers (with relievers is not always the case),he should be a perfect fit for just what the Indians largest pitching need was.
Logan is not a guarantee,situational relievers rarely are,but I feel pretty good about the Indians trying to shore up their weaknesses entering 2017....

Josh McCown done for the season-Now What?

The Cleveland Browns announced that Josh McCown suffered a broken collarbone in their loss to Baltimore Monday night and will miss the remainder of the regular season.
McCown completes a competent regular season with 12 touchdown passes against just four interceptions,but the Browns would win just one game that McCown started (over the Ravens) during the season.

Now that McCown has exited stage left (even),the Browns have some decisions to make.
The first of which is bringing back former Buckeye and was released as the teams final cut before the season Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor will be the third quarterback as he is familiar with the system of John DeFlippo from his days in Oakland and training camp and may get some receiver reps as well.

The bigger of the questions is this-which quarterback will be the starter on Sunday against the Bengals-Johnny Manziel or Austin Davis?

Editor's Note-Davis was announced as the starter after this article was written.

Manziel makes sense as the "what can Johnny do" questions are still as valid as from the first pass that he threw,but Mike Pettine would have to let his personal bias go in order to do that.
Davis makes sense as the Browns signed him to a contract over the next few years and the Browns could argue (in-house of course) that it's Davis that needs to play to show his abilities-not Manziel.

I think the Browns should be considering quarterback anyway in the draft,but if I had to make this difficult decision,I'd go Manziel very reluctantly.
Simply because we have one thing on Austin Davis that we don't on Johnny Manziel-a sustained run of playing time of Davis taking snaps with the Rams.
Davis played with ten games with the Rams,starting eight,going 3-5 with 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions,while Manziel would have to start these final five games to match that level of playing time.

I don't think that there is a wrong way to go as legitimate reasons can be given to start either and I'd wouldn't have any problem with either player getting the start.
I think the Browns are going to go 1-4 at best down the stretch and I don't think either player is going to have a better chance than the other to better that possible record.
What it has become is a typical Browns season-Looking towards next season and that season's reason to hope....

Reviewing the tape-Browns clip Ravens 33-30 in OT!

Josh McCown set a new Cleveland Browns record with 457 yards through the air and when Travis Coons drilled his fourth field goal of the day from 32 yards away,the Browns had a stunning 33-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore.
Gary Barnidge caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown that will likely be in the running for catch of the year in the victory that brought the Browns record to 2-3 on the season.
Cleveland will host Peyton Manning and the 5-0 Broncos on Sunday.

My apologies for this going up so late.
I did the podcast instead yesterday,so I watched the tape last night to type this up today...

Brownie Bits

1) I have to say it-Josh McCown has far exceeded anything that I thought he was capable of.
Ok vs Oakland,Good vs San Diego,but his performance in Baltimore was unreal.
McCown became the first quarterback in the HISTORY OF THE GAME to have over 450 yards passing,two touchdowns passing,a rushing touchdown and not get intercepted.
You cannot quibble with that.

2) All of that written,I still stand by that Johnny Manziel needs to play sometime during this season.
The Browns need to know if they are young passer shopping next year and unless (and I would not be surprised if this is the case) they have already decided that Manziel isn't the guy and they are looking to draft a QB no matter what,they need to find some time for him to play eventually.
If you have come to the conclusion that you are doing that in any circumstance already,then play Josh McCown.
The only reason to play Manziel is to evaluate and if that process is completed-I would have no issues with McCown playing the season...

3) Considering that the Browns want to be a running team and that they have put virtually nothing into the wide receiver position (Unless you like the nine million for a guy to be inactive in Dwayne Bowe) by Ray Farmer,this has become an effective passing team.
I have been screaming for two years about the lack of attention shown to the pass catchers,but these obscure players have certainly played well.
This makes me think one of two ways-Is a number one pass catcher a need or is it now even more of a glaring opening as a top level player could really open things up for the current crop.

4) Still not thrilled with the pass protection as Alex Mack and Joel Bitonio still regressing.
Bitonio in particular stood out as he was dominated by journeyman Lawrence Guy,who beat him for two sacks and another one that was called back by a Baltimore penalty.
It's perhaps the most clear problem with the lack of continuity in the front office and coaching staff.
Bitonio was a great fit in one blocking scheme and struggles like a castoff in another.

5) The defense still has holes.
Justin Forsett rushed for well over 100 yards and if not for an ankle injury on a run that moved the ball inside the Cleveland five,could have possibly ended the game in regulation.
The run defense still is far from even average..

6) Joe Haden suffered a concussion and will mostly likely miss the Denver game on Sunday.
The bigger question is will Haden be available for the following game against the Rams.
The injury came at a bad time as Haden was in the middle of the best game that that he has played all season...

7) Gary Barnidge continued to roll up receiving stats that far outweigh the wildest dreams of Browns fans.
His catch for the touchdown that Tyebriefly gave the Browns the lead was caught with his thighs and then he reached down and transferred it to his hands for the score.
Barnidge's numbers are surprising to say the least,but the veteran deserves the time in the sun...

8) Travis Coons improved to 10 for 10 on the season in field goals with the game winner included in the total.
Young kickers are always a high risk high reward play when you sign them,but thus far,the Washington Huskie has been quite the find...

9)  The Browns did have some dumb penalties.
Ka'waun Williams had a really dumb high hit on a uncatchable ball that would have left a 4th down.
Danny Shelton got two-one for twisting an ankle of a Raven which was justified and a tossing the ball "at a Raven" which appeared to me to be tossing the ball to the ref and a Raven walked by him...

10) Finally and you can check the podcast for more Browns talk,where does this place the Browns?
I'm concerned this will be another win enough to not be rotten,but not enough to be even average.
Few things are worse than 6-10 or 7-9.I'd rather be 3-13....

Browns sign Josh McCown

The Cleveland Browns "won" a bidding war with the Buffalo Bills and landed vagabond quarterback Josh McCown to a three year contract.
McCown,who was last seen leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the top pick in this year's draft,has played for six different teams and at 36 certainly cannot be looked at as the long term solution and maybe not even the short term solution.
McCown threw 11 touchdowns and 14 picks on a bad Buccaneer team that still had some nice targets to throw to in Vincent Jackson and their 2014 first rounder Mike Evans.

Josh McCown is mainly know for two things in his career-the first being the excellent run in Chicago in 2013 when Jay Cutler went down for the Bears.
McCown threw 13 touchdowns with just one interception and it was that stint that earned him the chance to start in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers.
The other? His miracle throw on the last play of the game in the game pictured above (Don't you just love the classic Cardinals uniforms?) against the Vikings that knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs in the final game of the season.


This signing combined with the apparent disinterest in retaining Brian Hoyer makes me think that the Browns are going to draft another quarterback and likely in the first two days.
Ray Farmer has been reported on many occasions over the last year plus as being very enamored with Oregon's Marcus Mariota.
Would Farmer be willing to trade the teams two first rounders and likely more for Mariota?
Is it more likely the Browns draft someone in round two?
One reason that the Browns might have preferred the older McCown to Hoyer is the possibility that McCown would be better suited and more likely to accept the backup/mentoring role whether that is to Johnny Manziel,Connor Shaw,a drafted passer or Swagger the dog than Hoyer,who is in the prime years and wants to be the starter.

All and all,I think that the other shoe will have to drop.
I refuse to believe the Browns will enter 2015 with Josh McCown,Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw as their three quarterbacks.
Something has to be in the cards.
Josh McCown can be a very good backup and play well in short term action,but isn't a guy that one can depend on as a full time starter and isn't suited for it.
The next few months look very interesting in Cleveland.....