Archive for July, 2011

Cornerback Eric Wright’s departure to the Detroit Lions has left the Browns thin at the position. Despite having two starters, including budding star Joe Haden, there isn’t much beyond that. This thrust the team into the search for a replacement, and cornerback Nate Clements appeared to be the perfect fit. Not only is he a Shaker Heights native, but Clements played ball at the Ohio State University, which would make playing for the Browns a natural choice.

The Cleveland Browns opened training camp on Saturday morning, much to the delight of fans everywhere, though I’m sure the players and coaches were glad to finally put the nightmare that was the lockout behind them. Going into today’s practice, all but one of the team’s draft picks have been signed, the lone holdout being number-one pick Phil Taylor. The defensive tackle is expected to be in camp soon, as the new collective bargaining agreement certainly helps speed up the process.

Doesn’t it seem like Cincinnati Bengal’s quarterback Carson Palmer has been around forever? Well, he hasn’t. He’s played in 97 games, just barely over six full seasons. Before the lockout, Palmer made headlines by threatening to retire and sacrifice the remaining money on his contract if he wasn’t traded this off-season. And as we’ve all heard by now, Bengals owner Mike Brown made some headlines of his own with a public statement regarding how the team will approach Carson’s trade demands:

The Browns continue to be busy this week, just not in the way many fans would have hoped. The team has yet to land a big free agent – most recently losing out on defensive end Ray Edwards - but that doesn’t mean they are completely sitting on the sidelines. To help shore up that left side of the defensive line, the Browns signed defensive end Jayme Mitchell to a two-year deal. You might remember him from last season, when he was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings, but never played in a game (one of the many personnel mysteries of [...]

Just when you thought the Cleveland Browns had enough holes to fill this off-season, another one bursts open. This time, it comes on the defense, as unrestricted free agent cornerback Eric Wright signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Thursday. The signing comes after a season in which Wright played so poorly at times that he was sent death threats by deranged Browns fans. Obviously, I would never endorse that kind of behavior, especially towards Wright. Did he have a down season? Sure, but he recognized it and wanted to improve. He had a decent track record with the [...]

The Cleveland Browns weren’t just busy signing free agents on Thursday – the team also signed second-round draft picks Jabaal Sheard and Greg Little.

After two days of relative silence, the Cleveland Browns finally dipped their feet into the free agent pool on Thursday, signing both safety Usama Young (formerly of Kent State University and the New Orleans Saints) and running back Brandon Jackson, formerly of the Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers.

The Browns have been quiet since the NFL opened free agency. They signed 20-some undrafted free agents to round out their roster, but the big money moves appear to be happening elsewhere. Why aren’t the Browns doing anything, and should we be excited about all these undrafted “studs” they just signed?

The Cleveland Browns haven’t been very active in the free agency market so far, but does the possibility of seeing former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor raise your excitement level? Turns out, head coach Pat Shurmur isn’t going to rule out the possibility of acquiring him through the NFL’s supplemental draft. While the league has yet to determine if Pryor will even be eligible for the supplemental draft (that is, if if even happens), the Browns have certainly done their homework on the quarterback. Plus, Ohio State’s decision to ban Pryor from the program for five years might actually work in [...]

With the NFL lockout finally over, it is officially appropriate to talk about the actual playing of football. Armed with new confidence, fans may finally look ahead to free agency, training camps, and the beginning of the preseason. With there being so many questions and unknowns in this shortened offseason, I feel it is much healthier to begin this league year by pointing out those players that we know we can count on to produce this season: