Browns make cuts to 53-For Now!

The Cleveland Browns completed their mandatory cuts to get to the limit of 53 players,but I wouldn't sleep too soundly if I were some players on the roster as the Browns still have the top waiver claim until the end of week three due to their 1-15 record last season and they will be actively scanning the waiver wire.
For the purposes of this,I'll be including the players that the Browns released on Friday as well with the Saturday cuts.

Sashi Brown's bunch made a commitment that they are going to believe in their draft picks and give them every chance to succeed,which I have no problem with in most cases-IF this is a case of thinking their pick is a equal or better player currently or even projected a bit.
However,if this is a case of ego in keeping the lesser player in order to cover their rear for the time being (as in not wanting to take heat for draftees being released),then that is a character flaw that will be soon shown....

Quarterback Brock Osweiler was the biggest name released and I think much of the reason that Osweiler was released was because of the decision to start DeShone Kizer.
The Browns saw how Osweiler had issues sitting on the bench in Houston last season and with two (now three ) young quarterbacks in-house,wanted to avoid such poisoning in the locker room.
I don't think the Browns are thrilled with three quarterbacks on their roster that have never won a NFL start and would have liked a veteran around,but it doesn't appear that one is going to fall into their lap and Osweiler wasn't going to be the mentoring type that they preferred...
On this decision,I'm OK...

I thought John Greco was the biggest mistake that the Browns made,which is why I used Greco's picture.
Sidebar-Have you noticed that I use the old uniform pictures as much as possible and the amount of players in the old uniforms are dwindling quickly.
Greco is 32,so he isn't the type of guy that might be around when this turns around,but still he can play all three positions on the line and brings some veteran moxie.
I like Spencer Drango,who the Browns kept and I see why they kept the younger player,but I would have found a way to keep Greco in town.'

I thought that the Browns had two good young kickers in incumbent Cody Parkey,who rallied with a strong year after a first game that was terrible, and seventh rounder Zane Gonzalez from Arizona State.
I thought the Browns would keep Gonzalez in a pickem battle and they did so.
I'm fine with that choice and I would have given Gonzalez the close nod,if I were making the choices.

The Browns released Jordan Leslie,who played well in preseason and 2016 fifth rounder Jordan Payton to keep other 2016 draftees Ricardo Louis (who has tools,but not hands) and Rashard Higgins (who has hands,but never seems to get a chance to play).
I liked what I saw from Leslie,but I bet that either Louis or Higgins or possibly even both will be gone as two players that looked terrific in preseason elsewhere were surprisingly cut and I hope the Browns claim both.
I've watched Austin Carr (with a name like that doesn't he have to be in Cleveland?) play for years with Northwestern and he's the type of tough little receiver in the slot that does nothing but produce that good teams need and bad teams usually lack.
I would love to see Carr claimed and Kasen Williams had a tremendous preseason in Seattle and looks to have put injuries from his Washington Huskies days behind him.
Plus Richard Sherman was furious about his release and since Sherman spends his time in practice covering wide receivers,I think Williams is definitely a must have.

The only other player that didn't make the team that might have caught eyebrows was defensive tackle Xavier Cooper,a 3rd round pick from the Ray Farmer era.
Cooper isn't a bad player,but the defensive line is the group that has the most depth and to be honest,I don't really see a player at defensive tackle that I'd keep Cooper over and I'd rather keep Nate Orchard and hope his pass rushing skills come around at defensive end.

It'll be interesting to see just how active the Browns are in claiming players and how many players that are still less than comfortable tonight...

Talkin' Browns

Time for some notes on the Cleveland Browns with some thoughts and opinions after two weeks of preseason football.

I have to admit-I don't watch preseason football other than the Browns and I only watch one of the four games even close to how I watch a regular season Browns game-complete with multiple viewings and breaking down the game.
That game is the third game,which is the game that most resembles a regular season matchup and that is coming up Saturday night against Tampa Bay.
I'm not saying I'll have coverage because of all the boxing Saturday,but when NFL Network replays it-I'll be there...

The Browns look to be reasonably deep on the defensive line,even with the recent injury to Danny Shelton.
Still,I was mildly surprised when the Browns waived Desmond Bryant and added former Bengal Brandon Thompson in his place.
Hue Jackson knows Thompson,that part I get,but Bryant (when he was in the lineup) was able to generate a pass rush up the middle,which is something that isn't always easy to acquire.
Perhaps Bryant isn't 100 percent and maybe there is more to this story than I know,but on the surface-I'm dubious at best.

I'm not sure how I feel about DeShone Kizer seemingly being on his way to starting the opener in Pittsburgh.
I am in favor of Kizer receiving plenty of playing time and I would like to see him play against both good and bad teams,but I'm not sure opening him against the Steelers is a wonderful idea.
I do want to see him play a lot because I want to know entering next years draft,if the Browns need a quarterback or not,but seeing him in the lineup this soon seems to be setting yet another quarterback up to fail.
That said,it's not like the Browns have lots of options,so if they decide to toss Kizer in there,I won't cry too much,I'll just keep my fingers crossed that things work out as well as possible.

With rumors flying that the Browns may be shopping Brock Osweiler and Osweiler not playing in Saturday's game,the question becomes do the Browns enter a season with two second year quarterbacks (Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan) and a rookie (DeShone Kizer) or do you pass on possibly gaining another asset for Brock Osweiler and keep him around for experience at the position?
My take is this-if someone offers you a 4th rounder or higher,you take it.
That would mean you have added a 2 and 4 for a player that really didn't factor into your future or present.
Otherwise,I take Osweiler into the season and maybe even start him for a few games to break Kizer in right,not that way will result in lots of wins....

My opinion on the Browns that kneeled during the anthem?
I wish that they hadn't done it.
I prefer that players (or anyone else) would choose another way to show their feelings,but the country that we live allows these things like it or not,so I wouldn't do it,but my bigger issue for the team is this-Anything that causes a distraction for a perennial loser is not a good thing-football wise...

I'll be working on more over the next few days with the New York trip,cleaning of the inbox,boxing and more..

Browns sign Kenny Britt,Trade with Texans.

I wrote earlier on the Browns efforts to improve the offensive line and how I believe that the additions have moved those efforts forward.

The first signing of the day saw the Browns perhaps move on from Terrelle Pryor,although they still say that they would like to return Pryor to the team,Pryor has begun to take the tours and talk the talk with other teams.
The player that will slot into the place of Pryor as the presumed number one receiver will be Kenny Britt,formerly of the Rams (and Titans previously),who signed a four year contract for 32 million.

Britt and Pryor's age (28 to 27) and their 2016 statistics (68 catches,1,002 yds,5 TD's for Britt compared to 77 catches,1,007 yards and 4 scores for Pryor) are remarkably similar,but Britt comes with some baggage to consider.
Britt has suffered a torn ACL and MCL(2011),has had some legal issues and has carried a rap of not always being a top effort player.
Let's look at it this way,the Rams offense was terrible last season and they allowed Britt to leave.
I suppose one could say the same about the Browns with Terrelle Pryor,but all things considered,if I can only have one or the other and if the price is similar (and it may or may not be before all is concrete) ,I lean toward the bigger player without an injury history with the higher upside.

I'm not against signing Kenny Britt,not at all,but I don't think he is a number one receiver and planning on him to be such might prove to be faulty thinking.
A top three WR corps of Pryor,Britt and Corey Coleman is pretty solid.
One of Britt,Coleman and question marks makes one think that the Browns have ran in place at the wideout position and it still might need to be further addressed without Pryor.

The final transaction of the day saw a deal that has not been seen in the NFL as the Browns took the hefty contract (16 million) of quarterback Brock Osweiler off the Houston Texans cap along with a 2018 second round pick and a sixth rounder in the 2017 draft in return for the 2017 4th round compensation pick.
I've heard different plans for Osweiler that include reworking his contract to make it easier to swap him and pick up more draft picks,releasing him to take the one year cap hit (Osweiler's deal while large is only on the cap for one season) and being done with him or even keeping him around to compete for the job with whomever is still around.

I don't think the Browns will keep Osweiler around,but honestly I'm not against it,if the offers for Osweiler aren't up to par.
I mean if you are going to eat the 16 million,you might as well take a look at him,right?
I know he was terrible in Houston,but his size and arm are a good fit for the AFC North in theory,so I'm fine with bringing him to camp,although I'd prefer moving him along for more capital.

I know 16 million is a lot of money to pay for a second round pick, (give Jimmy Haslem some credit for writing the check too),but this has no downside other than money.
You get a pick for nothing in football assets and if you get anything out of Osweiler at all (either on field or in the event that you get something for him),you get even more.

I don't grade this post quite as high as the previous post.
Britt for Pryor is a wash at best,but the Osweiler deal is not just low risk,it's no risk and I applaud the radical (for NFL anyway) thinking by the Browns.
I've been quite critical of the qualifications of Sashi Brown for running this team.
This was a excellent day and Brown looks good for now,but a caveat-All of these picks mean nothing,if you fail to take the right people.
The jury is still out for the 2016 draft,although the results early on can be questioned-the 2017 draft has to be a different story,if things are to continue to improve.