Free Agent possibilities for Cleveland

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Pulling the Trigger at QB

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By NFL Scout
Date: Jun 26, 2005

The Browns decided to move quickly to sign QB Doug Johnson
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After watching rookie Charlie Frye and second-year player Josh Harris in passing camp and minicamp, Coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Phil Savage became convinced the Browns needed an experienced quarterback behind Trent Dilfer. They settled on Doug Johnson, a former backup with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans.

Crennel talked about waiting to see how Frye and Harris performed in training camp, but the more he and Savage thought about it, the better it seemed to sign Johnson early before some other team decided it needed another quarterback.

"The bottom line is they don't feel real comfortable having rookies as their backup," Johnson said. "All rookies struggle, except the guy in Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger). Peyton Manning struggled as a rookie. John Elway did. Everybody does."

The chances of Johnson playing at some time during the season are strong. Dilfer is fit and ready to go, but he has not played a full season since 1998. This is his first season with the Browns after spending the last four in Seattle and leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in the 2000 season.

The Browns took a look at Johnson during an invitation-only tryout in May, anticipating Frye and Harris would not be ready. They decided he has the right temperament to play behind Dilfer without rocking the boat. Originally an undrafted rookie (University of Florida) with the Falcons in 2000, he started eight games in 2003 and played in two others while Michael Vick mended from a broken ankle. He completed 136-of-243 passes for 1,655 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also threw 12 interceptions and had a 67.5 passer rating.

Johnson, 6-2, 225 pounds, spent the 2004 training camp and preseason with Jacksonville. He was released Aug. 30 and claimed by Tennessee eight days later. He played in the final two in the final two games because of injuries to Steve McNair and Billy Volek and was six-of 12 passing for 68 yards and a passer rating of 68.4. In all Johnson has played in 25 games, with 11 starts and has completed 218 of 384 passes for 2,600 yards with 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

"I have experience as a starter and I'm ready to step in if they need me," Johnson said. "In Atlanta, I had a great relationship with Michael Vick and I can see that's how it's going to be here."

Johnson is behind because he was not signed until after minicamp. By then the veterans were on a six-week vacation leading up to the start of training camp July 29. He is spending his time in cram sessions with the offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon so he can learn the offense.

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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Passan: Keep Camp in Cleveland

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Rich Passan
Date: Jun 28, 2005

Rich Passan saw what he didn't want to see last weekend: continued news reports of the Browns' dalliance with the City of Columbus. New relaxed rules on NFL marketing are creating the interest, Passan writes, and leading the Browns to consider wrecking part of Cleveland's special relationshup with team...
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Here we go again.

A newspaper report out of the state capital last week revealed that Columbus officials met with the Browns 12 days ago to discuss the possibility of moving the team’s summer training camp to that city as early as 2007.

According to the report, the NFL changed its rules last year and allowed teams to widen their marketing reach outside the previous 75 miles from their home city. And since Columbus is about 120 miles from Cleveland and 100 miles from Cincinnati, it is considered ripe territory for both NFL cities.

There’s money to be made, boys.

Hey, haven’t we seen this before? Three months ago, an item in the Akron Beacon Journal stated that Browns President and CEO John Collins cast a covetous eye toward Columbus as the future home for training camp.

It touched off a lengthy debate on this Web site as to the merits of such a move. Sides, mostly geographical, were taken and split Browns fans just about down the middle.

Southern Ohioans, of course, just about drooled at the prospect of the club spending several weeks down their way. Those of us up north saw no reason for the Browns to leave Berea.

Eventually, the fuss died down and dozed.

Sleep time over.

The rumor has raised its repulsive head again and touched off another debate on the pluses and minuses of such a move.

It’s time to do something about it. Let’s see how much the Browns’ new regime really cares about the fans who live in the town in which it plays. Let’s see how much clout you have.

It is time to let the club’s front office know how you feel about even thinking of moving training camp to Columbus. If you are like most Clevelanders, you’ve got to be pretty upset that the club is leaning in that direction.

The best way to show your opposition to a possible move is to drop the club a line, an e-mail or a fax – in a respectful manner, of course – and express that dissatisfaction. Let them know exactly how you feel.

The current argument, much like the first, has traveled along geographic lines.

Those who live in or near Columbus and post here insist their town is a Browns town. More Browns fans than Cincinnati Bengals fans, they say. So it makes perfect sense for the Browns to move in, dig in and take full advantage of that popularity.

In what way? In the only way the National Football League knows how to operate. The fiscal bottom line, baby. It’s all about the money. Ancillary revenues that can be gleaned from the public are a constant target of NFL owners

So let the Cleveland-Cincinnati war over Columbus begin. Or does it have to?

Repeating what was written here three months ago: Why in the world would Collins, or anyone else in Berea connected with the CLEVELAND Browns, even think of making such a move? It makes no sense.

One of the great rituals of summer in Cleveland is going to Browns training camp with the family. Whether it’s in Berea or at Lakeland Community College or Kent State University or Hiram College, it’s the place to be for the hordes of Browns fans to get their only up-close-and-personal look at their team.

Many fans take a day or two off from work and shepherd the family out to Berea for one, sometimes both, of the early two-a-day sessions. Can’t think of a better way to indoctrinate the kids to Browns football.

There’s nothing like the sights and sounds at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard from late July to late August; the dew on the early morning emerald grass; the ever-present sound of the air horn to signal a different routine; the fans crowding the sidelines to catch a glimpse of their favorite players.

The oooohing and aaaahing of a great catch, a solid hit, a pass well defended, a defensive end beating an offensive tackle in a 1-on-1 drill (or vice versa), a fight occasionally breaking out during one of those drills, the long lines of autograph seekers after practice.

That’s just a part of what you’ll miss if the Browns move training camp to Columbus. Is that what you want?

Bottom line is that you can’t beat the atmosphere of training camp. They’re discussing taking that away from northeast Ohioans. It should not proceed beyond the discussion stage.

It’s OK for the Browns to go down to Columbus for a day or two to scrimmage a team. But that’s it.

Fans from the Columbus area don’t mind coming up here to see the Browns practice. They’ve been doing it for decades. But I don’t think Cleveland-area fans would enjoy making the trip down I-71 on a daily basis.

One argument to take the club out of town for the summer centers around the fact that most NFL teams do not train at home. I don’t care if all NFL teams hold their training camps outside their home city. The relationship between the Browns and their fans is special.

A post on this site last Friday by stonecolddawg, a Columbus-area resident, said it best.

“Although I miss the Browns being so close, it would be much harder for them to move down here,” it read. “Columbus is a two-hour drive. Most camps are half an hour to an hour away. None of you NE Ohioans want to drive all the way down here. Plus, there is no good place to have the Browns. The proposed Northland site is run down. There are plenty of Division III schools down here, but they are run down, except maybe Otterbein.

“I would love to have the Browns down here, but that would be selfish. In this era of star-loving and placation, I think it is best for the players to be comfortable. The less stress on them, the better they may perform.”

Well put.

Time to put this rumor to sleep for good.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Perkins, Hoffman Sign Deals

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By Browns Press Release
Date: Jul 8, 2005

The Browns have signed two of their 2005 draft choices, DB/KR Antonio Perkins (pictured) and DL Andrew Hoffman. Contract details, per usual, are not yet available.
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The Cleveland Browns today signed 2005 fourth-round draft choice DB Antonio Perkins and sixth-round pick DL Andrew Hoffman to four-year contracts, respectively. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Perkins (5-11, 188, Oklahoma) was selected in the fourth round (103rd overall). An honorable mention All-Big 12 selection as a senior, Perkins excelled in the Sooners defensive backfield as well as on special teams. He totaled 33 tackles (22 solo) and an interception on defense to go along with 17 punt returns for 156 yards and a score in 2004. During his four-year career at Oklahoma, Perkins set school records with 113 punt returns for 1,441 yards (12.8 avg.) and eight TDs.

Hoffman (6-4, 296, Virginia), who was a three-year starter at nose guard for the Cavaliers, was the second (203rd overall) of the Browns two selections in the sixth round (pick acquired from Tampa Bay in a trade for QB Luke McCown). As a senior in 2004, Hoffman totaled 52 tackles, 5.0 sacks and 11 tackles for loss for Virginia.

The Browns are scheduled to open training camp at their practice facility in Berea, Ohio on Friday, July 29. A complete training camp schedule will be released soon.


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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Owl: Something to Cling To

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By The Owl
Date: Jul 14, 2005

The fans have shown their loyalty to the Browns, writes the all-knowing and fully-feathered Owl. Now, it's time for that loyalty to be returned...
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It has been so long since we've seen quality football from the Browns that the three years they were gone seem short in comparison.

To think that the Browns have won just one playoff game since 1989, and to think Cleveland Browns Stadium is packed every Sunday anyway, says a lot about the loyalty of their fans. Of course, being forced to buy a PSL for the right to sit in the stadium makes the decision to give up season tickets difficult, but the fact is there is a waiting list to buy PSLs.

Well, it's time for Browns management to pay the fans for their loyalty by producing a winner. No one is expecting a Super Bowl champion immediately, but throw us a bone, and not from the Dawg Pound.

It has been almost a generation since Bernie Kosar made football magical again in Cleveland by taking the Browns to three AFC championship games in four years. Yes, the Browns lost all three, all to the Denver Broncos, but fans did not feel cheated - disappointed, sure, but not cheated. It was almost like a badge of honor to have been so close and lost, like being a Red Sox fan from 1919-2003.

Randy Lerner wants to win as soon as possible, but it is important for him to trust Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel. Wisely, they did not spend gobs of money for one player in free agency, Ty Law for example, but instead spread the money around to improve the offensive line, defensive line, linebackers and the secondary. They improved running back and quarterback through trades.

I applaud Savage for not taking shortcuts to make a big splash this season, but the fact remains it is time to deliver. Show us something. Show us the path you're taking fans down, and even if the victories don't come this season, at least show enough so fans can say, 'Yeah, I see where they're going.'

Last September ESPN commentator Sean Salisbury said the Browns are the new Bengals of the NFL. That's a scary thought. The Bengals have not had a winning season since 1990, yet they finished 8-8 each of the last two seasons and now are better than the Browns. That's because team owner Mike Brown has faith in coach/general manager Marvin Lewis.

Salisbury backed off after the Browns beat the Ravens in the season opener, but as we all know, he could have retracted his retraction.

One of Savage's first comments the day he was hired was about asking fans to trust him, while at the same time pointing out that he would not have been hired in the first place if problems did not exist.

As The Owl has pointed out before, Browns fans are among the most knowledgeable in the league. They can see when things are going to work, and they can see when they have no chance. Most fans were down on Tim Couch - rightfully so it turned out, since he cannot get a job. Only the most loyal fans were blind to Jeff Garcia's deficiencies.

More football games are lost than won, meaning winning teams don't jump offsides or get whistled for illegal procedure penalties, throw interceptions with the game on the line as Kelly Holcomb did last season in Cincinnati, fumble or drop passes in critical situations.

If the Browns go 6-10 and show they are a disciplined team, and if there are no embarrassing off-the-field stories, such as police raids, charges of rape, assault or DUI arrests, I believe fans will acknowledge Savage and Crennel have the team heading in the right direction.

Put another way, there was nothing to build on after the 2003 or 2004 seasons. Nothing. That's why 2004 was such a disaster, and that's why there was such a major shakeup after last season.

Just give the fans something to cling to, Romeo and Phil. That would be more than they've had since the fluke playoff season of 2002.


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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Scout: Training Camp Objectives

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By NFL Scout
Date: Jul 17, 2005

Scout.com provides some thoughts on what they feel the Browns will need to pursue during the team's upcoming training camp. Plus: some Browns updates from the past week in Berea...
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Here is what the Browns hope to accomplish in training camp:

1. Find a starting running back.

The Browns have not had a 1,000-yard rusher since 1985. Even including the three-year hiatus from 1996-98 when they did not exist, that's a long time, but now with Reuben Droughns, Lee Suggs and William Green they have three backs capable of reaching that barrier.

Coach Romeo Crennel will have to settle on one of the three, but just as each has potential, each comes with a question. Droughns rushed for 1,240 yards with the Broncos last year. Can he do it again? He rushed for a combined 97 yards in three previous seasons.

Lee Suggs rushed for 100 yards in each of his last three games. The question is whether he can remain healthy. He missed nine games with a shoulder injury as a rookie and then three on two separate occasions last year - first with a neck injury and then with a toe injury. For Green, the question is how dedicated will he be if he does not start. He worked hard in the offseason and Crennel believes in him.


2. Gain chemistry on the offensive line.

No segment of the Browns has drawn as much criticism in the last six years as the offensive line has. General Manager Phil Savage's first signing in free agency was Joe Andruzzi, a left guard from the New England Patriots, and about a week later he had a new right guard in Cosey Coleman, the former Buccaneer. Andruzzi played on three Super Bowl champions and Coleman on one.

Six-year veteran L.J. Shelton is in his first year with the Browns. He was signed to play left tackle. Put it all together and it means no one will be lining up next to the player he lined up next to last year.

Andruzzi and Coleman were with the Browns through most of the offseason conditioning program, plus passing camp and minicamp. Shelton missed all that activity because he was with Arizona.

Because so many players have never been together before, the starters might see more action in training camp and preseason than they normally might. That will help from the chemistry angle, but it also means more wear and tear on the starters and less playing time for the backups.


3. Settle on two safeties.

Safety is the world of the unknown for the Browns. Brodney Pool, the second-round draft choice from Oklahoma, is a rookie and Sean Jones is just like a rookie; the second-round draft choice from 2004 missed all of last season recovering from knee surgery performed in June, 2004.

Pool impressed coaches during quarterback school and minicamp. He, Jones and Brian Russell, acquired in free agency from the Vikings, will contend for two starting spots. Chris Crocker will not go quietly, but he was a Butch Davis draft choice (as was Jones), so Crocker should not expect any favoritism from Crennel.

Crennel's 3-4 defense puts more pressure on the safeties than the 4-3 does. The first-year coach wants good tacklers, which is why Robert Griffith and Earl Little are gone. Russell earned a tag for being soft as a tackler last year with the Vikings. Jones was a bit of a head-hunter at Georgia, but it has been 18 months since he tackled anyone.


Updates:

• TE Kellen Winslow Jr. has agreed to plead no contest to a charge of failure to control his motorcycle during a May 1 accident. His fine is $150 and two points on his license, but the accident was costlier than that for him because he will miss the entire 2005 season with a torn right ACL.
• K Phil Dawson was signed to a five-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed. Dawson is the team's career leader with an 82 percent field goal conversion rate and has six game-winning kicks in six years.
• The Browns were among teams watching LB Peter Boulware workout in Tallahassee last week. They want him to be an every down linebacker and are undecided whether to offer him a contract.

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