Daily Dawg Tags: Which offensive rookies will make the team?
Spanning the virtual globe to bring you the latest news about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL – these are your Daily Dawg Tags for Monday, June 20.
It is a great day in Cleveland. Perhaps the best day in 52 years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James brought home a championship, ending the title drought that has plagued the fan base since the 1964 NFL Championship Game. Well, the drought is over and it is time to celebrate.
The Cleveland Browns will be out of the spotlight for a bit after the performance by the Cavaliers, but there is still much to talk about.
With so many rookies, who will end up making the final roster? How will the running backs perform in 2016? Can Hue Jackson fix the quarterback problem in Cleveland?
Those questions and more will be analyzed in a look back at the Browns news from the weekend on a great Monday in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns:
Cleveland Browns: Which offensive rookies will make the team?
"After an offseason where the Cleveland Browns lost three major contributors on offense to free agency, the Browns needed to restock the team. The place to fill the holes left behind was the NFL Draft. The Browns had the most picks of any team in the draft by the time it was all over. They used eight of their 14 picks to draft four wide receivers, one quarterback, a tight end and two offensive linemen. It was an attempt to restock the offense with talent before the 2016 season."
Cleveland Browns: 5 best first-round picks since 1999
"The Cleveland Browns have seemingly had more first-round draft busts than successes since returning in 1999. Players like Johnny Manziel, Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson are just a few recent examples, but the busts go all the way back to the expansion season. But there are certain success stories to be found amongst the failures."
Can Hue Jackson solve the quarterback riddle?
"Success for the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL season begins and ends with the quarterback. For a team that has struggled for 16 seasons to find or develop a franchise quarterback, this is a depressing scenario. But all may not be lost, Browns fans. This past off-season the Browns hired a head coach with a reputation for elevating the play of quarterbacks."
Cleveland Browns: Is there a 1,000-yard rusher on the roster?
"An overshadowed component of a successful NFL offense is the running game as, in today’s pass-happy league, running backs are simply undervalued. However, a steady run game opens up and provides balance to the offensive attack. The struggles at the running back position for the Cleveland Browns have too often been forgotten with so many woes at the quarterback position."
What is Danny Shelton’s best position?
"The Cleveland Browns selected Danny Shelton in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the idea that he would anchor the defensive line from the nose tackle position. Shelton excelled as a three-down player in college with the Washington Huskies, especially his senior year when he played 958 defensive snaps and had 48 quarterback disruptions, according to Pro Football Focus."
Cleveland Browns: Al Saunders is the team’s X-factor (Factory of Sadness)
"The hype surrounding Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson has been on-going since he was hired. The background of Jackson’s success is also well chronicled. However, he has more responsibilities now and senior offensive assistant Al Saunders is in fact the team’s X-Factor. With a complete overhaul of the wide receivers, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the players at the position. Yet, there are also many questions that still needs to be answered."
Can the Browns bottom-rated offense change? (cleveland.com)
"Do the Cleveland Browns have the worst skilled position players in the NFL? ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks so. He rated all 32 teams. Yes, the orange helmets ranked No. 32 out of 32 teams."
NFL News:
Jake Long ‘finally healthy,’ looks to sign with team (FanSided)
"Eight years can seem like a lifetime. In fact, it’s double the average NFL career. And a lifetime ago, Jake Long had as bright a future ahead of him as anyone in the league. At first, he didn’t disappoint. The offensive tackle taken first overall in 2008 was a franchise centerpiece with the Miami Dolphins, garnering four Pro Bowl appearances in five seasons, and an All Pro selection in 2010, to boot."
Cecil Shorts takes pay cut to remain with Texans (NFL.com)
"The Texans upgrades at receiver have been a hot topic in Houston the summer. Rick Smith added first-round pick Will Fuller and third-round wild card Braxton Miller. Both offer intriguing elements of speed and open-field elusiveness to complement stud DeAndre Hopkins. The offseason hype for 2015 third-round pick Jaelen Strong has been off the chains this spring. Coach Bill O’Brien has praised the second-year player almost weekly during offseason workouts."
Charles Tillman says he only wants to play for Panthers (ESPN.com)
"If Charles Tillman returns for a 14th NFL season, he only wants to play for the Carolina Panthers. It’s a sentiment he conveyed following the season, and on Saturday, he made it clear that his thoughts haven’t changed as he continues his rehab from surgery five months ago to repair his torn ACL."