Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com


Cleveland Browns could host Thanksgiving Day game
by Tony Grossi Plain Dealer Reporter
Monday March 31, 2008, 1:55 PM

Seen and heard at the NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Calif. ...
TURKEY WITH THE BROWNS?: The Browns are under consideration to host a prime-time game on Thanksgiving Day. It would be the third of the three games on the holiday, following the traditional games in Detroit and Dallas. A third Thanksgiving Day game was created by the NFL three years ago to kick-off the NFL Network schedule. The Browns are an attractive commodity this year for three reasons: their resurgence, their exciting offense and their tough schedule. The Browns also are in line for at least one other prime-time appearance, more likely to be on a Sunday night than a Monday night. The full schedule will be released later this month.

BROWNS NEARING NEW CONTRACT FOR WINSLOW: A new contract for Kellen Winslow is now on the team's radar. General Manager Phil Savage will meet with Drew Rosenhaus, Winslow's agent, this week at NFL owners meetings. Winslow hired Rosenhaus last year in anticipation of a forthcoming contract extension. Winslow made the Pro Bowl last year as an alternate and played in the game. He has three years left on his contract, which was extended by one year after the Browns restructed it in the wake of Winslow's 2005 motorcycle accident.

OAKLAND CORNER NOT ON BROWNS RADAR


Continued

[osugrad21]

CPD

Browns might play on Turkey Day


Tuesday, April 01, 2008Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Palm Beach, Fla.- The Browns are under consideration to host a prime-time game on Thanksgiving Day.
It would be the third of the three games on the holiday, following the traditional games in Detroit and Dallas. A third Thanksgiving Day game was created by the NFL three years ago to kick off the schedule of regular-season games shown on the NFL Network.
The Browns last played on Thanksgiving in 1989 in Detroit. They last played in prime time on a Thursday night in Pittsburgh in 2006.
A source with the team said the Thanksgiving appearance is a rumor at this point. But this is the period teams usually hear rumors about upcoming schedules. The complete NFL schedule is expected to be released in a week or two.
The Browns were not included in the four prime-time games of the first weekend of the 2008 season which were announced Monday. Those games include the Super Bowl champion New York Giants hosting Washington to open the season on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m., followed by Chicago at Indianapolis in prime time on Sunday, Sept. 7, and Minnesota at Green Bay (7 p.m.) and Denver at Oakland (10:15 p.m.) in a Monday night doubleheader.




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[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Cleveland Browns don't like proposed playoff format
by Tony Grossi Plain Dealer Reporter
Tuesday April 01, 2008, 11:56 AM
Seen and heard at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla ...

? BROWNS WILL VOTE AGAINST CHANGING PLAYOFF SEEDING: The Browns arrived at these meetings thinking they might vote for Commissioner Roger Goodell's proposal to seed the playoff field (after the top two teams) entirely based on record and not on division winners

? QB COMPETITION A MATTER OF SEMANTICS: Coach Romeo Crennel reiterated there is competition at every position, including quarterback, at this year's training camp. But Savage clarified those remarks. "The reality is you don't give a guy $8 million and expect him to be in an open competition

? DON'T EXPECT A BOMBSHELL ON APRIL 28: Rumors -- or hope -- that Savage has one more move up his sleeves to acquire a first-day draft pick are without any merit. Savage said he has written off the first day of the draft (first two rounds)

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Talks about Shaun Rogers leaving the off-season conditioning program to visit his mother in Texas and not returning. Not a good start.

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Cowboys smoke out Anderson deal Possibility of losing QB for mediocre draft picks forces Browns to improve offer at the last minute
Published on Wednesday, Apr 02, 2008



PALM BEACH, FLA.: Intrigue and innuendo sometimes surround NFL personnel decisions.
So it was when the Browns re-signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a three-year contract only a few hours after free agency had started in February.
The intrigue came from some smoke the Browns were seeing ? smoke they believed led to a fire. When deciphered, the signals were read this way:
Anderson, a restricted free agent, would sign a deal with the Dallas Cowboys that the Browns could not match. The Browns would receive the Cowboys' first- and third-round draft picks, which would have given the Browns the 28th selection in the first round.
The Cowboys then would trade Anderson, and perhaps a future draft pick, to the Miami Dolphins for the first overall pick in this year's draft. The Cowboys would select Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.
The Dolphins would wind up with Anderson, and perhaps more, and the Browns would see their quarterback flitter away for a late first-round draft pick and a third-round pick.

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[osugrad21]

CPD

QB deal influenced by Dallas rumors


Wednesday, April 02, 2008Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Palm Beach, Fla.- General Manager Phil Savage upped the Browns' contract offer to Derek Anderson because he feared Dallas would sign the quarterback and trade him to Miami.
"It didn't matter if I was pretty convinced or just slightly," Savage said Tuesday at NFL league meetings. "The threat of that being there [influenced him to raise the Browns' offer]."
Here's what Savage envisioned if he failed to re-sign Anderson to a multiyear deal and had to give him the one-year contract tender as a restricted free agent:
Dallas would have signed Anderson to a big contract and included a "poison pill," which would have made it impossible for the Browns to match the offer.
Dallas would have compensated the Browns with first- and third-round picks. They would be the Cowboys' original selections, No. 28 overall in both rounds.
Dallas would have traded Anderson and their other first-round pick - No. 22 overall, obtained from the Browns last year - to Miami for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Cowboys then would select Arkansas running back Darren McFadden with that pick.
Savage said he became suspicious because he thought the new big fish in Miami, Bill Parcells, really liked Anderson and the Dolphins declined to answer phone calls prior to the tender deadline of midnight on Feb. 29.




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[osugrad21]

CPD

Coaches tabbing Browns


Wednesday, April 02, 2008Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Palm Beach, Fla.- Two coaches in the AFC North are tabbing the Browns as preseason favorites to win the division.
One of them is Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin and the other is Baltimore's John Harbaugh. Both of them spoke with tongues in cheek, sort of.
The Browns' Romeo Crennel and Cincin nati's Marvin Lewis say the defending champion Steelers should be the favorites until somebody knocks them off.
The Browns have not won their division since 1989.
"You have to like what Cleveland has done," Tomlin said at NFL league meetings Tuesday. "They finished strong last year and have a good football team. They have all the major components back.
"They signed [Derek] Anderson to a long-term deal. They fortified their defensive front with some acquisitions, some big men who can play. So they're probably the favorites at this point, but there's no question anybody's capable of winning this thing."
Told of Tomlin's assessment, Crennel let out a hearty laugh.




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[LitlBuck]

Palm Beach, Fla.- General Manager Phil Savage upped the Browns' contract offer to Derek Anderson because he feared Dallas would sign the quarterback and trade him to Miami.

I am having a hard time understanding this if Miami wanted Anderson why couldn't Savage work out a deal with Miami rather than just to re-sign Anderson to keep Dallas from trading him to Miami. I have heard previous rumors that Savage was afraid Dallas was going to trade Anderson to the Ratbirds.

[jlb1705]

I agree. The Baltimore version of that rumor makes more sense. Under no circumstance do you want a player like Anderson ending up with a division rival. The Miami rumor only makes sense if it's a case of Parcells trying to do his old team a favor in the process. I would think both franchises (Cleveland and Miami) would come out with a better deal if the dealt with each other directly.

...Not that it matters now.

[Piney]

Originally Posted by jlb1705

I agree. The Baltimore version of that rumor makes more sense. Under no circumstance do you want a player like Anderson ending up with a division rival. The Miami rumor only makes sense if it's a case of Parcells trying to do his old team a favor in the process. I would think both franchises (Cleveland and Miami) would come out with a better deal if the dealt with each other directly.

...Not that it matters now.

Actually Miami would have gotten a better deal going through Dallas. It's not like Dallas just trades Anderson for the #1, the Browns get the 28th pick, guess who would get the Browns original 1st rounder? My guess would be Miami. So Miami basically gets #22 and gets Anderson (and probable other late round choices). Which would be better than trading with the Browns directly. The only way Miami would get a better deal is if the would only have to give up 2nd round picks or lower, which in Savage's mind isn't worth it.

But like you said... not that is matters.

[Buckeneye]

So I've looked at the Browns draft options; and barring any major trades.

We have 4th Rd - pick 122
5th Rd - pick 155
6th Rd - pick 190
7th rd - pick 231


Our big needs? Cornerback, Linebacker, maybe another DE and possibly safety. I would have said RB, and I was thinking ray rice, but he'll go before we can grab him; besides we have Harrison and Wright who are solid backups with Jamal having a couple years left in him.


If he falls that far, I would love Cleveland to pick up Larry Grant; He's from tOSU. A serious competitor and he's out to prove himself - those two things can equal success in the right system. Especially since he has decent pass coverage abilities coupled with the Browns 3-4.

Idk, maybe thats just me though...

[LitlBuck]

Larry Grant might be a nice pickup for a rush OLB which the Browns sorely need. I have not looked at his draft status so I do not know is the fourth round would be too high for him or not. We also sorely need a ILB who is a big hitter and can run sideline to sideline. Andr? Davis is done after this year after his contract was renewed for only one year. He cannot go sideline to sideline which we need.

We also need some CBs as you mentioned but I have no idea who would be available in rounds 4-7 in addition to linebacker help. I think we might be able to get by without drafting a DE this year and may be waiting for some cuts during training camp to pick up a backup. That is also a possibility regarding backup CBs.

There is another pass rushing OLB that we might look at the pending on his availability but he is a weasel named Crable and I really don't know what his draft standing. There is also a defensive end from MSU who was injured last year but was a pass rushing fool when we played them in 2006. He has a hyphenated name which I cannot remember.

[Buckeneye]

CB...

What about that kid from Boise State? I can't remember his name and i'm far to lazy to look it up.
From what I saw he had solid mechanics. Not really fast, but great physical makeup (5'11-6'0) a good eye for the ball and little wasted motion.

I'm gonna look up a small list of possible draftees.

[Buckeyedynasty]

Originally Posted by LitlBuck

Larry Grant might be a nice pickup for a rush OLB which the Browns sorely need. I have not looked at his draft status so I do not know is the fourth round would be too high for him or not. We also sorely need a ILB who is a big hitter and can run sideline to sideline. Andr? Davis is done after this year after his contract was renewed for only one year. He cannot go sideline to sideline which we need.

We also need some CBs as you mentioned but I have no idea who would be available in rounds 4-7 in addition to linebacker help. I think we might be able to get by without drafting a DE this year and may be waiting for some cuts during training camp to pick up a backup. That is also a possibility regarding backup CBs.

There is another pass rushing OLB that we might look at the pending on his availability but he is a weasel named Crable and I really don't know what his draft standing. There is also a defensive end from MSU who was injured last year but was a pass rushing fool when we played them in 2006. He has a hyphenated name which I cannot remember.

Jonal Saint-Dic......dude was a stud. I hope the Browns bring him in in the 6th round or if undrafted bring him in. That guy can straight up rush the passer. Last I saw Larry Grant was a late round draft pick if drafted. GO BROWNIES!

[Buckeneye]

Alright, so according to the picks we have and our needs - I've formulated this from what I've seen.

4th Round - Larry Grant OLB THE Ohio State University

5th Round - Steve Allen ILB West Texas A&M

6th Round - Orlando Scandrick CB Boise State

7th Round - I'm not sure, another Corner perhaps? or an off type of pick maybe? If Saint-dic is available I'd say sure, but who knows whats going to be left this late in the game.

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Lerner puts his trust in Savage Owner says big moves part of Browns' growth
Published on Thursday, Apr 03, 2008

PALM BEACH, FLA.: The Browns made dramatic moves this offseason, bringing in two veteran defensive tackles to fill positions of need and signing a starting wide receiver.
To bolster their defensive line, the Browns traded all their remaining first-day draft picks.
It's a risk, but these moves did not represent an effort by the Browns to try to take advantage of a window of opportunity that might not stay open long.
Browns owner Randy Lerner, in an interview at the NFL's annual meetings, said the moves were merely part of the team's continuing growth ? part of a building process.
Lerner shared these and other thoughts on his team's turnaround from a disastrous season-opening game in 2007.



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