Archive for February, 2008

When Phil Savage says the Browns will be active in free agency, he means it.  The whirlwind weekend continues as it was confirmed that the team was in talks with the Detroit Lions for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers.  Here’s the problem: the Browns are expected to give up their third-round pick and, possibly, cornerback Leigh Bodden.  The Lions are desperate for secondary help, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise.  What is surprising is that the Browns may have ZERO picks in the first three rounds of the draft.  If the deal happens, they will continue to focus on their [...]

He gets a six-year deal worth $38 million, with $16.3 in guaranteed money.

Let’s pretend some of that last post never happened.  If things stay this way, the Brady Quinn era will not begin in 2008.  The news now is that Derek Anderson and the Browns have reached a three-year, $26 million deal with $14.5 guaranteed (including his $1 million roster bonus). With the addition of DL Corey Williams, the Browns are left without a first or second-round pick.  So there has to be something else to this, right?  Right?  This has to be a sign-and-trade, because there is no way this is what Phil Savage wants – a quarterback controversy and no [...]

It didn’t take long for Derek Anderson to decline the Browns’ offer of three-years, $20 million and become a restricted free agent. Only the Browns would discover a Pro Bowl quarterback, capitalize on his arm one year, and then lose him the very next season. However, there is an actual plan in place here. Through shrewd tactics, Phil Savage managed to be the good guy by offering a contract, even though it was nowhere near what Anderson wanted. And the result will most likely be a first and third-round draft pick in April’s draft. This comes at a good time, [...]

Apparently, the Vikings and Titans are two teams looking to bid for Berrian’s services.  As the front-runners in these particular sweepstakes, one would think that the Browns would be out of the race.  It’s not like the team doesn’t have enough cap space.  The team just isn’t willing to get into a bidding war with anyone. The snag all along was going to be the blockbuster deal that Berrian would most assuredly be requesting.  Even with over $32 million to spend in free agency, Cleveland isn’t going to play that game.  A second wide receiver to complement Braylon Edwards is [...]

While waiting on Derek Anderson to either accept or reject the Browns’ offer, the team has tendered him at $2.562 million, meaning if Anderson declines the deal and no team makes an attempt to sign him, the Browns will be able to utilize his services for one more year. Regarding the contract, GM Phil Savage said: I feel like we’ve put a really strong offer out there, and if he opts to do something else, that’s his prerogative. He’s earned that right. The rest of this article explains how “excited” Savage is at the possibility of getting back into the [...]

The Browns have upped the ante just a bit, now offering quarterback Derek Anderson a three-year deal worth $20 million, with $10 million guaranteed. The original offer on the table was three years and $16 million, with $11 million guaranteed. However, he turned it down and the two sides were forced to go back to the drawing board. This new offer actually guarantees less money to Anderson, but it gives him the opportunity to earn a little more in the long run. The reason that a deal hasn’t already been done is partly because he is expecting the same kind [...]

I just cannot get a certain Fagg out of my head.  De’Cody Fagg, that is.  Upon hearing of his career-ending injury, I felt this calling to find out where his name ranks among the best.  What’s not surprising is that De’Cody has one of the best names in history of mankind.  What is surprising is that there are many, many names that are just as valuable an asset to their owners as De’Cody’s. At least Mr. Fagg will be remembered for something, because his status among “The Best Names Ever” looks to be solidified, even if he never plays a [...]

This has little to do with the Browns, but I felt it was my duty to let it be known that De’Cody Fagg suffered a very serious knee injury at the Combine this past weekend. Unfortunately, football fans will most likely never hear from the man with one of the most ridiculous names in the history of sports. It’s a real shame on a number of levels, not only because his career is over before it even started, but mainly because no team will have the luxury of having a guy walk around with a jersey that contains a last [...]

Should the Chicago Bears’ wide receiver Bernard Berrian become a free agent on the 29th, you can bet that the Browns will be hot on his trail.  He’s looking for over $20 million over the first three years of his new deal, but he would be a superb complement to Braylon Edwards.  The wide receiver position is not the largest concern the Browns have, but addressing this need in free agency would be ideal, because the focus of the draft should be on defense, defense, defense. It wouldn’t matter if Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, or Kermit the Frog (yes, I [...]