Daily Dawg Tags: Browns face long climb up
By Thomas Moore
Spanning the virtual globe to bring you the latest news about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL – these are your Daily Dawg Tags for Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Cleveland Browns:
Cleveland Browns receive no love from ESPN power rankings
"The Cleveland Browns and the rest of the NFL are barely two days away from the end of Super Bowl 50, which apparently means it is time to start looking toward the 2016 season. ESPN got the ball rolling with its admittedly “way-too-early” power rankings for the upcoming season, and there is little to no love for the Cleveland Browns, which came in at No. 32."
Browns deny lying about Johnny Manziel’s concussion
"The Cleveland Browns reportedly lied about quarterback Johnny Manziel having a concussion to protect him from allegedly showing up drunk for a team meeting."
Ray Horton has to overcome defense’s culture (NFL Spin Zone)
"Ray Horton has a unique challenge in his second stint with the Cleveland Browns as defensive coordinator. Obviously, he has to take one of the worst defenses statistically and get it to perform better, but the Xs and Os are secondary in this equation. His biggest challenge is getting them to believe they can be effective."
Duke Johnson is AFC North Rookie of the Year (ESPN)
"One rookie stood out in the AFC North, excelling in the role the team asked of him. Browns running back Duke Johnson had 61 receptions for 534 yards. The 61 receptions tied for the second-highest by a Browns rookie ever (behind Kevin Johnson’s 66 in 1999), and he finished second in receptions, fifth in yards from scrimmage (913) and sixth in receiving yards among NFL rookies."
NFL News:
Four teams that won’t make the playoffs again in 2016 (USA Today)
"Every season over the past decade, at least four playoff teams failed to make the postseason in the following season. With parity at an all-time high in the NFL, don’t expect any deviation from that trend in 2016. But which four teams will fall back next season? We take a look at the teams least likely to make it back to the playoffs, starting with the most likely to prove us wrong."
Top 10 safeties about to hit free agency (Pro Football Focus)
"With many teams hoping to sure up their secondary this offseason, the safety position is near the top of many franchise offseason needs lists."
5 potential free agent replacements for Marvin Jones (Stripe Hype)
"Wide receiver Marvin Jones has made it clear that he wants to test free agency. Here are five players the Cincinnati Bengals could replace him with in free agency."