Tag Archives: Browns

Browns, NFL

Gordon to Apply for Reinstatement…Again

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Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon plans to apply for reinstatement to the NFL once again.

Gordon was conditionally reinstated prior to last season and was eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games but faced a four-game suspension to begin the regular season. However, before he was activated he went into rehab and remained suspended indefinitely.

The former second-round pick in the 2012 Supplemental Draft was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2013 when he led the league in receiving yards with 1646 yards despite missing two games due to suspension. Over the past three seasons he has missed 43 of 48 possible games.

Gordon has been posting various videos and pictures on social media and according to his business manager Michael Johnson, Gordon is “in the best shape of his life.”

If reinstated, Gordon is still property of the Browns. However, it would be shocking if he remains with the franchise entering he 2017 season.

Browns

Top Five Best QB’s For the Browns Since 1999: Number Five Josh McCown

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Over the next few weeks here at OrangeandBrown365.com, I will be ranking the Browns best players in a few different groups. The best place to start of course is at the most talked about position, quarterback.

Since 1999, 26 different guys have started a game under center for the orange and brown. Many of them were terrible, some were decent, some were serviceable, but none were great. That is why this list was so hard to come up with and also why there have been 26 different names to choose from.

Without further delay, the number five quarterback for the Cleveland Browns is….

Josh McCown

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McCown came to the Browns in February of 2015 after signing a three-year deal with then general manager Ray Farmer.

It was believed by many that McCown would come in and start and allow the Browns to slowly bring along 2014 first round pick Johnny Manziel. McCown was also the perfect guy to mentor the former Heisman Trophy winner. By May of 2015, McCown was named the starter.

In his first game as starter, the gritty and gutsy McCown was knocked out of the game when he dove head first into the endzone and was sent into a helicopter spin by then Jets, and now Browns, linebacker Demario Davis. He missed the next week with a concussion before returning to the lineup in week three when he threw for over 340 yards in a 27-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders. In all, McCown started eight games for the Browns in 2015. He started three more in 2016. His record in those eleven games was 1-10.

In 13 total games in the orange helmet, McCown threw for 3209 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Over two drama filled seasons with the Browns, McCown was a consummate professional. He was a stand up guy on and off of the field and had some of the highest yardage games of any quarterback the team has had since 1999. Though his record with the team will show just one win, he comes in at number five on this list for the way he played on the field and the way he handled all of the drama around the franchise. McCown is the blue-collar type of player that fans in Cleveland can relate to and love to watch play.

The Browns released him on February 7, 2017. Before doing so, head coach Hue Jackson did extend an invite to McCown to become part of the coaching staff. The 37-year-old journeyman declined and is now a free agent.

Up Next: Number 4 Kelly Holcomb

 

Draft, NFL

QB Search 2017: Player Profile Mitch Trubisky

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*This is part four of a 10 part series where we will take a look at the Cleveland Browns options for the elusive quarterback of the future.

Name: Mitch Trubisky

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 220 pounds

Throws: Right

School: North Carolina

NFL Team: N/A

Draft Spot or Projection: Top 15 overall

strengths:  Very accurate…throws a catchable ball…shows great anticipation…leader on the field and off…athletic and will surprise people at combine…throws with a strong base…solid mechanics…good velocity…great on short to intermediate routes, decent deep ball…goes through progressions well…looks off safety well…shows above average pocket presence, especially given minimal playing time…will only get better as he plays more…extremely coachable and smart, a true football loving gym rat.

Weaknesses: May not be as big as listed, want to see how tall he truly is at combine…velocity looks good on tape, need to see how hard he actually throws at combine. I like to see 56 mph or above from an elite QB prospect…has tendency to throw off back foot at times when rush in his face…limited playing time in college…

Summary: Trubisky looks the part of an elite quarterback prospect. The limited playing time does have me worried some, but the playing time he did have shows a quarterback with little weaknesses in his game. His ceiling might not be as high as some, but he is the safest of all of the quarterbacks in the 2017 draft and at worst will be an Andy Dalton or Alex Smith type quarterback.

Up Next: Texas Tech QB Pat Mahomes

Previously: Buffalo Bills QB Tyrod Taylor

Browns, Draft, Uncategorized

QB Search 2017: Player Profile Tyrod Taylor

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*This is part three of a 10 part series where we will take a look at the Cleveland Browns options for the elusive quarterback of the future.

Name: Tyrod Taylor

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 215 pounds

Throws: Right

School: Virginia Tech

Draft Spot or Projection: 6th Round 180th overall (2011)

Strenghths: Taylor is accurate…shows good anticipation…excellent movement in the pocket…keeps his eyes upfield while navigating the blitz…above average arm strength…solid velocity…a great competitor who feeds off of others doubting his abilities…believes in his abilities 110%…leader…hard worker…gym rat…extremely smart…athletic…

Weaknesses: Lacks NFL size…gets a lot of balls batted down at the line, but did improve on that during his second season as a starter…can telegraph throws at times…may believe too much in his abilities at times and will force throws…

Summary: If the Bills decide to cut Taylor because they owe him at least $27.5 million, teams will likely be all over the former Bills and Ravens quarterback. While he isn’t a top 10 guy, he is good enough to lead a team into the playoffs, but will only get as far as the talent around him will allow him.

Up Next: North Carolina QB Mitch Trubisky

Previously: Bengals QB AJ McCarron

Browns, Dawg Biscuits

Dawg Biscuits: Myles Doesn’t Want to Be a Brown?

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***Dawg Biscuits is a daily rundown of thoughts, news, and opinions on the Cleveland Browns.***

  • A video came out this weekend of possible number one overall pick and Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett pleading with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to trade up for him. In it, Garrett tells Jones that he should trade Tony Romo and picks to the Browns so that they can take him number one overall and he can be a Cowboy. Browns fans are losing their minds about this and it is so unnecessary. Yes, Garrett would prefer to be a Cowboy and yes, he did say he didn’t want to play for a cold weather city, but in another video, posted on twitter by Fox 26 (Houston) sports director Mark Berman Garrett talks about wanting to be a Brown. There are two sides to all stories and unless he pulls an Elway or an Eli he should be the number one pick. He is a talented monster.
  • Many people have talked about how deep this edge rush class is in the 2017 NFL Draft, with as many as seven guys going in round one. That talk has brought about the argument that the Browns should take a quarterback (which is not as deep a unit) at number one. No. NO, they should not. This quarterback class is filled with questions all around. At number one, the Browns need a sure thing and Garrett, who is clearly the best edge rusher available, is the closest to a sure thing you can find.
  • While the quarterback class is weak, I am still among the few that think North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky can be a very good NFL QB. The kid has everything you want in a franchise signal caller.
  • Speaking of Trubisky, the fact that he was not a starter until 2016, as  a redshirt junior, has been brought up ad nauseam. Carson Wentz sat for years behind a guy who wasn’t an NFL prospect (Brock Jensen), let alone future starter, and how did he look last season? Pretty damn good. College coaches are paid to win games not develop NFL type signal callers. Marquise Williams, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings, was a good college quarterback and an athletic freak who helped his college team win ball games. Jensen won National Championships while keeping Wentz on the bench.Just because Williams started over Trubisky does not mean Trubisky won’t be an excellent NFL quarterback. It’s just a weak take.
  • More on this, last night Ken Carman of CBS Radio tweeted out a take from North Carolina quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf…
  • carman-mitchy
  • The reasons most likely are that Williams was a very good college quarterback. Some guys are great college quarterbacks, but not suited for the NFL game.
  • Last thought on Trubisky…Biggest worries with him are his true height (hope he is at least 6’2″) and his velocity (hopefully clocked over 56 mph). Outside of either of those coming up short, he will most likely remain my number one QB in this draft.
  • My current top five in this draft at QB…Trubisky, Mahomes, Watson, Kizer, Kaaya.
  • Mahomes is rising because of what he can be. He’s a mix of Favre, Cutler, and Manziel…As long as the good outshines the bad, the future can be very, very, bright.
  • After releasing Josh McCown and Tramon Williams, the Browns have more than $100 million in cap space. Even with that, don’t expect them to go crazy in free agency. They will add some pieces, but they won’t go overboard.
  • The reason they have so much cap space is because they don’t have the piece that takes up most of a teams cap, a franchise QB.
  • That’s all for today. Want to finish off before I say anything about a certain growing legend that rides the bench for the Patriots…
Browns

Browns Cut Season Ticket Prices for 2017

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first-energy-stadium
The Browns hope there will be less orange seats as they cut ticket prices. GETTY IMAGES

Cleveland— In a move that is indicative of the product on the field at First Energy Stadium, the Cleveland Browns announced that they will be cutting season ticket prices in certain areas for the 2017 season.

Most sections will remain the same price, but about 40% of their season tickets will be cheaper than the previous season, including 90% of the upper deck seating areas.Tickets will range from $25-$65 per game in those areas. This is the eighth time in nine years that the team has not raised their prices and given the product on the field, the fact that they will be among the bottom two franchises as far as pricing seems very fitting.

Of course lost in the announcement that the pricing in some areas will be cheaper this season is the fact that the team will have one less home game in 2017 since they will be hosting a game in London.

Browns

Browns Bring in Lee as QB Coach

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The Cleveland Browns search for a quarterback coach came to an end on Wednesday when the team hired former Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee to the same position.

Lee will step in to the spot that was briefly held by tight ends coach Greg Seamon, who coached quarterbacks at the Senior Bowl , after Pep Hamilton left the team to head back to college as an offensive assistant for the Michigan Wolverines.

Before working in Buffalo, Lee also worked with Rex Ryan in New York as the Jets QB coach for two seasons. He has worked in both the NFL and the college ranks in various offensive positions during a career that has spanned nearly four decades.

The addition of Lee from Buffalo will only fuel the fire of Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor coming to the shored of Lake Erie, if the team decides to release him before guaranteeing $30 million on his contract.

Browns, Uncategorized

Report: Browns Release Josh McCown

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According to Mike Garafalo of the NFL Network, the Cleveland Browns have released veteran quarterback Josh McCown.

McCown, 37, joined the Browns in 2015. He threw for 3209 yards with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Originally brought in by former general manager Ray Farmer to be a mentor to Johnny Manziel, McCown became a fan favorite and showed unbelievable toughness on the field. There were reports that the team and head coach Hue Jackson offered McCown a chance to stay on as a coach, but the veteran still wants to continue his career as a player.

McCown signed a three-year deal to join the Browns and was due over $3.5 million in 2017, as well as a $750,000 roster bonus.

Browns

Browns Add Former Buckeye Powell

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On Monday the Cleveland Browns announced that they have claimed Tyvis Powell off of waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.

Powell, a 6’3″ 211 pound defensive back, went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft following an outstanding career as an Ohio State Buckeye.

Powell had 11 tackles and one interception for the Seahawks in the preseason, but was mainly a special teamer during the regular season and then was cut during the playoffs. Powell, who grew up in Bedford, Ohio is known as a diehard Browns fan by those who have covered him, will now have a chance to fulfill his dream of playing for his childhood team. He will also bring much needed depth to one of the weakest spots on the Browns current roster.

 

Browns

Browns Interview Garcia for QB Coach Job

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Berea— According to reports, the Cleveland Browns have interviewed former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia for the job as their quarterbacks coach.

The Browns moved tight ends coach Greg Seamon to QB coach for the Senior Bowl last week, but there is no guarantee he will stay there. Head coach Hue Jackson has said that he is unsure whether he will hire a replacement for Pep Hamilton, who left following the season to take a job with the Michigan Wolverines.

Garcia, who played for the Browns in 2004, has one year of coaching experience in the CFL and also served as an offensive assistant for the Rams in 2015.

Browns, Draft

QB Search 2017: Player Profile Jimmy Garoppolo

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*This is the first part of a 10 part series where we will take a look at the Cleveland Browns options for the elusive quarterback of the future. 

jimmy-g

Name: Jimmy Garoppolo

Height: 6’2 1/4″

Weight: 225 pounds

Throws: Right

School: Eastern Illinois

NFL Team: New England Patriots

Draft Spot or Projection: 2nd round, 62nd overall (2014)

Strengths: Good, but not great size…Excellent usage of his eyes, scans the entire field…lightning fast release…accurate…smooth, natural delivery…good feet, helps evade pocket pressure, average pocket presence, resets himself after getting “happy feet” on occasions…very good ball placement…stays calm, leader on the field, does not show many ups and downs…executes his offense well…elite production at FCS school with 13,156 yards and 118 touchdowns…2013 Walter Payton Award winner…

Weaknesses: Velocity is not elite, but good enough…needs to continue to improve his decision making…deep ball accuracy issues…has tendency to go side arm at times…will take time to develop…holds the ball to long and needs to develop a better internal clock…gets happy feet when faced with pressure and does not show great form when forced to improvise…

Summary: When I wrote the original scouting report on Garoppolo in 2014, I saw him as a late second to early third round quarterback who would be an NFL starter if given the time to develop. After sitting behind Brady and working with Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels over the past three seasons, he has been given the proper time to develop and has been taught by some of the best ever. If Garoppolo was in the 2017 draft with his current skill set, shown in minimal NFL playing time, I truly believe he would he would be a first round pick.

Up next: Bengals QB A.J. McCarron

Browns

Browns Hire Greg Williams as DC

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The Cleveland Browns have hired former Rams defensive coordinator Greg Williams to the same position.

The hiring of Williams marks the end to the second, very short, tour of duty for outgoing Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Horton has now been fired by the Browns twice in four seasons, both times after one season.

Williams, who was fired after the season by LA, led a defense with the Rams that was ranked ninth in yards and 23rd in points allowed. The Browns defense, filled with youth, finished the 2016 season giving up the third most yards and second most points in the league.

While he is best known for his role in the bounty gate scandal while with the Saints, Williams is a leader of men and expects greatness on the field from his defense.

Browns head coach echoed those sentiments in his first words after the hiring, “We are thrilled that Gregg Williams is joining our staff as defensive coordinator,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said in a statement. “Gregg has been an outstanding defensive coach in this league for a very long time. His defenses have frequently finished among the top ten in the league. He adapts his scheme to maximize the strengths of his personnel and has always been able to get the most out of his players. We look forward to him coming in, helping our players improve and helping us become the winning team we are all working towards.”