Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

ABOUT THE BROWNS

The Browns don't know if Joe Jurevicius (fourth knee surgery) will be able to play by the opener, but they have told the veteran receiver to take his time. Don't rush for training camp. If you miss a few regular-season games, we want you back. Heal up, mentor the young receivers. You are an important part of the team, and we want you to get ready at your own pace because you know your body best. It's the same message they gave Ryan Tucker (hip surgery). They believe both veterans are key to the Browns being a playoff contender, and the Browns want them as depth.
If you dig into last year's stats, Jurevicius had a very productive season far beyond his raw total of 50 catches. He ranked third in the entire NFL with 29 catches on third down. The other top Browns receivers on third downs were Kellen Winslow (24 receptions) and Braylon Edwards (19).

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[osugrad21]

DDN

Browns' Vickers to play bigger role on offense
By Carlos "Big C" Holmes
Staff Writer

Sunday, July 06, 2008

The Cleveland Browns had one of the most potent offenses in the NFL last year, finishing the season ranked No. 8 overall. That being said, the team is looking to improve on that success in 2008 by adding a new twist to their offense that will center on fullback Lawrence Vickers.
The fullback position was thought to be a dying breed, but with the way that Vickers performed last season has forced Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski to cook up some diabolical schemes to get his fullback more involved in the team's offense.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Browns will open training camp July 23
Thursday, July 10, 2008
REPOSITORY STAFF REPORT

BEREA Fans can get their first glimpse of the 2008 Cleveland Browns on July 23, when training camp opens at the team's facility.

In all, Cleveland will have 28 practices in 19 days, wrapping up Aug. 16. Admission and parking are free, but only the first 2,500 people are admitted for each session. Children ages 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Any practice moved indoors because of weather conditions will be closed to the public.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Browns could be bears

Stallworth says they'll make noise

Donte' Stallworth is excited about the role he'll play in his first year with the Browns. (FILE/Jim Davis/Globe Staff)



By Christopher L. Gasper

Globe Staff / July 13, 2008

Donte' Stallworth is a man of many pursuits. But when it came to being pursued in free agency, Stallworth wanted a suitor that could provide more than just the most cash; he wanted a team that had a wealth of talent as well.


Stallworth, who became a free agent when the Patriots elected not to pick up $8 million in roster bonuses, landed in the land of Lake Erie, LeBron James, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, catching on with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns went 10-6 last season - their best record since being reincarnated in Cleveland in 1999 - and narrowly missed the playoffs. After adding Stallworth, who signed a seven-year, $35 million deal, and reinforcing the interior of its 3-4 defense by trading for space-eaters Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams, coach Romeo Crennel's crew appears ready to challenge for AFC North supremacy, and maybe more.
The NFL thinks so. Cleveland is slated to make five prime-time appearances this year.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Time for Jackson trade to pay off for Browns
Sunday, July 13, 2008
BY Steve Doerschuk
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

CANTON The splash was a drizzle compared to, say, the CC Sabathia trade, but it's worth repeating how much Phil Savage had to sink into D'Qwell Jackson.

Savage already had snagged Kamerion Wimbley in the first round of the 2006 draft, but the Browns general manager was getting antsy as his second-round pick, No. 43 overall, approached.

One linebacker he liked, DeMeco Ryans, was on the board as Round 2 began, but the Texans snapped him up at No. 33. That left one linebacker deemed by Savage to be a steal at that point.

Savage had a center, Jeff Faine; the Saints needed to replace center LeCharles Bentley, who had jumped to the Browns. Sitting with the No. 34 overall, New Orleans had the means Savage needed to guarantee getting Jackson.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

espn.com

Browns receiver likely to start season on PUP list

By James Walker
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: July 17, 2008, 11:43 AM ET

Cleveland Browns veteran receiver Joe Jurevicius likely will start the 2008 season on the physically unable to perform list.
In an interview Thursday morning with Cleveland radio station WTAM, Browns general manager Phil Savage said Jurevicius' most recent knee surgery performed on June 30 will cause him to miss extended time. If he is placed on the PUP list, Jurevicius will have to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season.
Although the Browns are only confirming two surgeries, the procedure was at least the third performed on Jurevicius' knee in the past seven months after he contracted a staph infection following his initial surgery.
"It's been pretty frustrating for everybody because this started as an innocent knee scope back in January, and it's morphed itself into multiple procedures," Savage said in the radio interview Thursday. "Obviously every time he's taken a step forward, it's been two steps back. So it's a bit up in the air right now ... He's going to be looked at again obviously next week before we get started and probably will start on that PUP list."

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[LitlBuck]

Thank goodness Savage had the foresight to sign Stallworth

I just read the articlein US News & World Report and notice that the Cleveland Clinicc was not ranked by the Browns when it comes to infectious disease control

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

espn.com

From raw free agent to elite returner, Cribbs proves quick study

By James Walker
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: July 19, 2008, 7:51 AM ET

From the day he joined the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie, there was always something unique about Joshua Cribbs. The return specialist arrived with a certain quality that couldn't be quantified at a scouting combine.


Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
Special teamer Joshua Cribbs returned two kicks and one punt for a touchdown during the 2007 season.


Some call it "heart." Some call it "fearlessness." Players often describe it as a certain "swagger." Regardless of the term, Cribbs showed up to his first training camp with the confidence of a first-round pick, although every team -- including the Browns -- ignored him in the 2005 NFL draft.
But by the end of his first season it was clear that Browns general manager Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel discovered a gem. Three seasons later, Cribbs is Cleveland's special teams ace and is fresh off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
"Coming in as a rookie, I was just trying to make the football team," Cribbs said. "I didn't care what I played. I could play O-line, D-line, any position to make the team, and that's what showed up when I took the field, was the desire to play in the NFL."

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[LitlBuck]

Hopefully, this year Cribbs will step up and improve his pass catching ability from the slot receiver position because with JJ out probably for 1/2 of the season we are going to need him to read the step it up.

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Winslow: 'I wish the season began tomorrow'
Posted by Tony Grossi July 19, 2008 20:37PM
Categories: Browns
Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer

A group of area youngsters are attentive --- and perhaps a little awestruck --- as Browns tight end Kellen Winslow gives them some instructions in the huddle during his youth football camp Saturday afternoon.

Multimedia: See a slideshow from the Kellen Winslow Jr. football camp There were times in the Browns' off-season when it appeared Kellen Winslow might be a negative issue in 2008.


He started talking about wanting a new contract at the Super Bowl. He had another knee surgery -- his fourth, at least -- after the Pro Bowl.


In April, the Browns traded a future draft choice to pick a tight end, Winslow's possible successor. Then Winslow missed all of the team's voluntary off-season practices in May and June.

But on Saturday, Winslow sounded very much like the football "warrior" beloved by his teammates.

"We have a lot to prove. I can't wait. I wish the [first] game was tomorrow," he said.

Winslow is so eager to get back to work, he jump-started his season by hosting a youth football camp this weekend at North Olmsted High School. Quarterback Ken Dorsey joined him.

In an interview at the camp, Winslow left no doubt about his dedication to his team and his career.

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[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Expectation, not desperation, is Browns' companion as training camp opens
by Tony Grossi
Saturday July 19, 2008, 11:34 PM
Tracy Boulian/The Plain Dealer

As Josh Cribbs (16) and Jereme Perry duel during fall camp, each will be making a case for more playing time. Cribbs could find time on offense as Joe Jurevicius' backup, while Perry will be looking to earn a spot as the team's third cornerback.The Browns training camp that kicks off with its first open practice on Wednesday is like none other in recent memory.


There's no quarterback controversy, no scramble to field five healthy offensive linemen, no high-round draft pick holdout to occupy the headlines.

Coach Romeo Crennel won't be presiding over any coin tosses to decide starting positions. Most, if not all, are fairly obvious.

"Really, the biggest questions we're going to face is sorting our [roster] numbers," said General Manager Phil Savage. "Will we keep five or six defensive linemen, five or six receivers, three or four tight ends, nine or 10 linebackers?"


It's a sign of the team's growth.

Having been tabbed by the NFL as a team to watch in 2008, the Browns must adjust to high expectations and newfound notoriety. Their training camp will be a popular destination for members of the national football media.

The big issues as camp opens are health and acquiring a veteran cornerback.

Receiver Joe Jurevicius and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker will begin camp nursing injuries. Jurevicius could miss all of preseason -- and some regular-season games -- after needing a third surgical procedure this month to clean out a staph infection in his right knee. Tucker is expected to be ready sometime in August after having hip surgery in June.


As for cornerback, Savage has to decide how long to wait for a veteran to become available. He can trade for one or sign one released from another team.

"I feel pretty good about our depth overall," Savage said. "The cornerback thing is something ongoing. That's a position we're watching closely."

The key battles

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[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Browns enter camp a much different team
Posted by Terry Pluto July 20, 2008 21:03PM
Categories: Browns, Terry Pluto columns
Tracy Boulian/The Plain Dealer

Romeo Crennel's Browns enter training camp this year with optism in place of the disarray they had in place last year.

When the Browns opened training camp a year ago, no one knew who would be the starting quarterback -- or if the Browns even had one worthy of the title. Brady Quinn was holding out, and coach Romeo Crennel was practicing his coin flipping to figure out who'd take the initial snaps in the first preseason game.

Charlie Frye was the early favorite to be the starter. Now the University of Akron product is battling to be a backup in Seattle. Derek Anderson is fresh off a season of 29 touchdown passes, and Quinn has shown so much promise, some fans believe he should start.

A year ago, General Manager Phil Savage seemed to be betting his job on retaining Crennel, along with the blockbuster draft day that produced left tackle Joe Thomas and Quinn. Some of us wondered if Crennel would survive the season. After Marty Schottenheimer was fired by San Diego, I wrote a column in Akron suggesting the Browns strongly consider hiring him to replace Crennel.

Today, Crennel has a contract extension. I still don't consider Crennel a great coach, but as Savage told me: "The guys like him, respect him and play hard for him. He really helped our two young guys [tight end Kellen Winslow and receiver Braylon Edwards] mature. He gives us tremendous stability, which this organization needed."

A year ago, the Browns had signed running back Jamal Lewis, who seemed to be nothing more than a Baltimore reject. Few teams had any interest in him. Now, it's 1,304 yards later, and Lewis gives the Browns the punishing back they've needed since the days of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner.

A year ago, Savage insisted the Browns finally had the makings of an offensive line. He resisted the urging of some on his staff to use the No. 3 pick in the 2007 NFL draft on Quinn, picking Thomas instead. And he knew many fans would have preferred star running back Adrian Peterson over Thomas, but he was convinced the Browns needed a star left tackle to protect the quarterback.

Now, I'm going to write something I never thought could be typed a year ago: The Browns have a good, deep, dependable offensive line.

A year ago, all we knew about Rob Chudzinski was he grew up a Browns fan, did a short stint with the team as a tight ends coach, and had that same job in San Diego. Who knew if he really could put together an effective NFL offense? He also was the team's fourth offensive coordinator in four years.

Now he is considered head-coaching material.

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[osugrad21]

ABJ

Did Browns miss boat on Taylor? Jason Taylor decision is tough for Browns
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist

Published on Tuesday, Jul 22, 2008


The benefit of hindsight is always 20-20.
Never has anyone looked back and been wrong.
So it will be as the eternal question is pondered: Should the Browns have tried to acquire Jason Taylor?
Let's admit that perhaps the Browns did try to acquire Taylor and were rebuffed, or that they discussed it at length and decided the cons outweighed the pros.
There were times this offseason when it seemed the Miami Dolphins would not trade Taylor, or that the price might be too high. The Washington Redskins' acquiring last season's sack leader for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and sixth-round pick in 2010 seems a tad like a deal that could have piqued the Browns' interest.
So let's ponder the Browns and Taylor, a fine player and pro who went to the University of Akron.
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[osugrad21]

CPD

BROWNS
Browns picks expected to sign before camp

Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The Browns, one of five NFL teams without a single draft pick signed, added a player and subtracted two Monday.
They signed defensive end Christian Mohr as an international practice-squad player. He will remain on their practice squad all season but, per NFL rules, will not count toward the 80-player training camp roster or the eight-player practice squad.
The team also waived defensive back Justin Sandy and defensive end Zach West.

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[osugrad21]

Canton

Browns make moves
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
REPOSITORY SPORTS STAFF REPORT

CLEVELAND The Cleveland Browns on Monday signed defensive end Christian Mohr and waived defensive back Justin Sandy and defensive end Zach West.

Mohr (6-foot, 251 pounds) spent the 2004 season with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad and the 2006 season with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. He played in NFL Europe with the Berlin Thunder (2004-06) and Rhein Fire (2007).

Mohr, who was born and resides in Aachen, Germany, was assigned to Cleveland's practice squad but as a member of the international roster. He will not count toward the Browns 80-man training camp roster or the club's eight-man practice squad roster.

BROWNS TRAINING CAMP
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