Daily Dawg Tags: David Modell and the Cleveland Browns move
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, May 18.
Cleveland Browns:
Dear David Modell, the Browns did in fact move
"The Cleveland Browns left for Baltimore following the 1995 season. And the fans have the scars to prove it, even if David Modell doesn’t understand it."
Compensatory picks add to 2017 draft haul
"The Cleveland Browns set the NFL on fire during the 2016 NFL Draft by selecting 14 players during the course of the draft’s three days. While that haul of players was impressive and may have helped the Browns lay the foundation for their latest rebuilding efforts, the 2017 NFL Draft is where the Browns may have the opportunity to truly transform the franchise."
RG3 will open the season as the starter
"Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III is the clear favorite to be the team’s starting quarterback in 2016."
RG3 jumps into community and playbook (ESPN)
"In mid-April, Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III flew to Gainesville, Florida, to pay a surprise visit to 11-year-old Samantha Foss, who has cystic fibrosis. Griffin gave Foss a jersey he had made for her — and left the family stunned at his visit. This was not an isolated occurrence, though. Whether intentional or happenstance, Griffin has been very active in representing the Browns. It’s tough not to notice all he’s been doing with community activities since he signed with the Browns March 24."
Rebuilt secondary comes with plenty of questions (cleveland.com)
"A lot can happen between May and the end of the year. But if there’s one prediction I think holds true for 2016 it’s the Browns’ rebuilt secondary is out of the prediction business. A unit that injected itself into the conversation with the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom went bust. None of its top players met expectation in a nightmarish 3-13 season."
NFL News:
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill has most to prove in 2016 (SI.com)
"Ryan Tannehill is not a bad starting quarterback. But is he a good one? Can he ever be great? This is the conundrum facing franchises trapped in a veritable no man’s land at the game’s most important position: They lack a truly “elite” option at QB, but are still better off than those clubs that are unsure of who’ll be taking snaps in 2016. Teams in this murky gray area suffer from the NFL treadmill effect. They are led by quarterbacks who keep their teams running but struggle to ever really go anywhere. Quarterbacks like Tannehill."
One number each NFL team should retire (Sports on Earth)
"Last week, the Buffalo Bills announced that they would be retiring a number for just the second time in franchise history: No. 78, worn by Bruce Smith, the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 200. Only Jim Kelly had gotten that honor from Buffalo before Smith, though rumors suggest Thurman Thomas, a Hall of Famer just like Kelly and Smith, will be next. The news serves as a reminder of how difficult it is for some of the greatest players in league history to get their numbers retired."
5 early round picks likely to disappoint in 2016 (NFL.com)
"These five early round picks from the 2016 NFL Draft might disappoint their fans in Year One. Fan bases have high hopes for these players as early as this season, but the results might not match those expectations."
Teddy Bridgewater impressed by Laquon Treadwell (vikings.com)
"Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t had much opportunity to throw to Laquon Treadwell yet, but the 2014 first-round pick has been impressed by the 23rd overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft."