Cleveland Browns (2008 Season)

[jlb1705]

Cleveland Browns | Live from the Browns' draft room

5:37 - With the Browns' final pick approaching, Phil Savage fielded two phone calls from teams looking to acquire the pick.

He told them thanks, but no thanks.

The Browns had their man. They'd actually been targeting Alex Hall of Division II St. Augustine's College for hours; since the fourth round, he'd been the highest-remaining outside linebacker on their board.

They were able to make two sixth-round selections and still be in position to get Hall in the seventh.

Savage called Hall and played it cool, asking him if he'd been getting a lot of calls from teams interested in signing him after the draft as a free agent

Hall said he'd taken eight such calls in the preceding 30 minutes.

That's when Savage told him, "Well, we're going to draft you here in about five minutes."

"You're kidding," was his response.

Nope. Savage said Hall then yelled to his family, "Hey, Cleveland is going to pick me."

Much hysteria ensued.

Savage passed the phone to Romeo Crennel, then relayed instructions to New York not to turn the card into closer to ESPN coming out of commercial.

"Good for him," Savage said. "St. Aug's gets on the football map."

 

[jlb1705]

Browns' undrafted free agent signings (with a few familiar names):

The FFLW Yearly Undrafted Free Agent Signing Thread - FFLivewire Forums

Browns QB Craig Hormann (Columbia)
Browns DE Xavier Mitchell (Tennessee)
Browns RB Austin Scott (Penn State)
Browns K Jason Reda (Illinois)
Browns WR Lance Leggett (Miami, FL)
Browns LB Nick Moore (Baylor)
Browns RB Tony Temple (Missouri)
Browns CB Darnell Terrell (Missouri)
Browns DT Brian Schaefering (Lindenwood)
Browns S Justin Harrison (Illinois)
Browns C Robbie Powell (Purdue)
Browns TE Kolo Kapanui (Kamehameha)
Browns DE Chase Ortiz (TCU)
Browns CB Jonathan Zenon (LSU)
Browns OL James Lee (South Carolina State)

 

[LitlBuck]

Josh Buchanan, of NFLDraftBible.com, reports the Cleveland Browns have signed undrafted rookie free-agent PK Jason Reda (University of Illinois). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

For some reason or another, I do not think that the Browns are totally satisfied with Phil Dawson but I do not think this guy is the answer. However, you do need an additional PK for training camp purposes if nothing else.

Josh Buchanan, of NFLDraftBible.com, reports the Cleveland Browns have signed undrafted rookie free-agent RB Austin Scott (Penn State). Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

I think this guy could surprise and add some depth to our RBs. If nothing else, this is the type of guy that you bring in to be a special-teams player. You do to bring a QB or OL to be on your return or coverage teams.

 

[jlb1705]

I know Phil Dawson gave us a few good (lucky) moments last year, but I'd LOVE to see somebody come along and beat him in camp. Dawson is a below-average kicker in my estimation. Like you said though, I don't know if Reda is that guy.

I was thinking the exact same thing that you said about Austin Scott, but I was thinking it about Tony Temple instead. Austin Scott seems to me like a poor man's Lydell Ross (ouch). Hopefully he comes in and proves me wrong though.

 

[LitlBuck]

Not that familiar with Temple but Phil must have went to quite a few Missouri games this past season.

I also agree with you regarding Dawson. Don't know how much longer he will last.

 

[Buckeyedynasty]

Browns DE Xavier Mitchell (Tennessee)
Browns RB Austin Scott (Penn State)
Browns RB Tony Temple (Missouri)
Browns CB Darnell Terrell (Missouri)
Browns CB Jonathan Zenon (LSU)
These 5 guys I like bringing them in especially the CB's. I still think the Vikings kicked ass when it comes to bringing in UDFA's. Also I was hoping the Browns would bring in Vincent Redd but the Pat's grabbed him instead. Hopefully Zenon and Terrell end up working out and making the team. GO BROWNIES! WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!!!

 

[exhawg]

If I was one of those DB's I'd feel pretty good about my chances given the lack of depth in the Browns secondary. If they work hard on special teams they'll be golden.

 

[cjmik_75]

Browns' undrafted free agent signings (with a few familiar names):

The FFLW Yearly Undrafted Free Agent Signing Thread - FFLivewire Forums

Here's a few more to add to the list of free agents:

Browns QB Craig Hormann (Columbia)
Browns DE Xavier Mitchell (Tennessee)
Browns RB Austin Scott (Penn State)
Browns K Jason Reda (Illinois)
Browns WR Lance Leggett (Miami, FL)
Browns LB Nick Moore (Baylor)
Browns RB Tony Temple (Missouri)
Browns CB Darnell Terrell (Missouri)
Browns DT Brian Schaefering (Lindenwood)
Browns S Justin Harrison (Illinois)
Browns C Robbie Powell (Purdue)
Browns TE Kolo Kapanui (Kamehameha)
Browns DE Chase Ortiz (TCU)
Browns CB Jonathan Zenon (LSU)
Browns OL James Lee (South Carolina State)
Browns CB Gerard Lawson (Oregon State)
Browns CB Jerrid Gaines (Miami Ohio)
Browns TE Ben Barkema (Iowa State)
Browns OL Eric Young (Tennessee)
Browns WR James Banks (Carson-Newman)*

 

[Buckeyedynasty]

In terms of those new names I think Eric Young has the best chance to make the team. Who knows maybe a few of these corners we are bringing in will actually turn into decent role player type corners. GO BROWNIES!!!

 

[cjmik_75]

I just love what Bell looks like on film. High motor, hard hitting and seems to have good pass cover skills with some of the picks shown...he's got decent hands. Wow what steal for a fourth rounder.

Special teams, pfft! He looks like a starter to me. Kid is a baller and I love the way he brings the wood 6'1 240lbs and can go sideline to sideline.

I really hope he works out and plays a dozen or so years for the Brownies.

check out his UNLV highlights in this link:


Cleveland Browns | Bell, Wright have Vegas connection#

 

[Bucks21]

I just love what Bell looks like on film. High motor, hard hitting and seems to have good pass cover skills with some of the picks shown...he's got decent hands. Wow what steal for a fourth rounder.

Special teams, pfft! He looks like a starter to me. Kid is a baller and I love the way he brings the wood 6'1 240lbs and can go sideline to sideline.

I really hope he works out and plays a dozen or so years for the Brownies.

check out his UNLV highlights in this link:


Cleveland Browns | Bell, Wright have Vegas connection#

He has impressive film, looks like he could easily be the most physical linebacker on the roster. May not start right away but easily could be the starter on the inside by this time next year.

 

[osugrad21]

ABJ

Browns upgrade, obtain backup No veteran cornerback turns up in dealing, but other needs satisfied
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter

Published on Monday, Apr 28, 2008
BEREA: In trading up for two picks in the fourth round to draft Beau Bell of UNLV and Martin Rucker of Missouri on Sunday, the Browns took care of two major needs and a contingency plan.
They upgraded their front seven with Bell, a ''hammer-type hitter'' at inside linebacker whom General Manager Phil Savage expects to be on the field for the opening kickoff Sept. 7.
They added an All-American tight end in Rucker, who set the career record for receptions at the same university that produced Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr.
And they found valuable insurance in case offseason surgeries delay the return of tight ends Kellen Winslow Jr. and Steve Heiden or if Winslow stages a training-camp holdout while seeking a renegotiated contract.



Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Selections by other AFC North teams in 2008 NFL draft don't alter Cleveland Browns' standing in division



Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Nothing happened on draft weekend to upset the balance of power in the AFC North.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the defending champions and the team to beat.
The Browns are the top challengers to Pittsburgh's crown.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Picks are now, but Browns won't know success of draft until fall
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
BY Steve Doerschuk
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA Texas, being Texas, is full of bluster about its NFL entry from Dallas.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones swaggered in front of TV cameras more like a man whose last game was a Super Bowl win, not a 21-17 home loss in its playoff opener.

In fact, there's some beef about these Cowboys, who went 13-3 in 2007 and drafted Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins in the first round Saturday.

Cleveland, being Cleveland, is nervous about whether the momentum of a 10-6 year and a few trades is enough to hang in the big rodeo. The answer comes early. The Cowboys and Browns collide Sept. 7 in a season opener.

Not that Browns General Manager Phil Savage was subdued coming off a draft in which he had to tap dance with Jones just to add two fourth-round picks.

He definitely wasn't swaggering, though, when he talked about where offseason moves have left his team.

Cont...

 

[LitlBuck]

He has impressive film, looks like he could easily be the most physical linebacker on the roster. May not start right away but easily could be the starter on the inside by this time next year

Since they restructured Davis's contract a couple months ago to just one year. This will be his last year as a Brown so they really needed to get someone to fill that role if not this year... next.

Browns TE Kolo Kapanui (Kamehameha)

Anybody know anything about this guy. I have never heard of this school. Not sure if it is even in the United States. This guy might be a hidden gem.:)

''There's been some
discussion about corners today,'' Savage said. ''If we were to end up with this particular player, aren't we going to have to go back next year and draft somebody else because this guy is not going to be an answer for us? We feel Beau Bell and Martin Rucker are going to be answers for us in the future.


''We'll continue to monitor the corner situation. There's different avenues we can take.''

From the ABJ article linked above. I think Phil will get us that 4th CB that we need. I think he has a good idea about someone or he would have made a move during FA.