Daily Dawg Tags: The Cleveland Browns need to get tougher
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, July 6.
Ever since returning to the NFL in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have been an afterthought in the AFC North Division.
Consider that over the past 16 seasons, the Browns are:
- 12-22 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and have lost 11 of the past 15 meetings
- 9-25 against the Baltimore Ravens, and have lost 14 of the past 16 meetings
- 6-29 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and have lost 22 of the past 25 meetings
Add it all up and the Browns are just 27-76 within the division, a .262 winning percentage. One way to fix that is by acquiring better players, although the upcoming supplemental draft offers few options this year.
Another way is to get tougher – perhaps by bringing on the type of player who will stand up when the opposing team starts to bully the Browns.
We take a look at those topics, and more, in today’s edition of the Daily Dawg Tags.
Cleveland Browns:
"The Cleveland Browns lack the killer instinct to survive in the AFC North Division, which is why they need a player like Pacman Jones."
Supplemental draft holds little appeal to Browns this year
"While the Cleveland Browns have occasionally dipped their toes in the supplemental draft waters with mixed results – wide receiver Josh Gordon (2012) was a one-year wonder who may never play again in the NFL because of substance-abuse issues, while Bernie Kosar (1985) remains the team’s last great quarterback – it is extremely unlikely that they will make a selection this year."
Time to re-embrace Earnest Byner
"It is time for holdout Cleveland Browns fans to not only forgive Earnest Byner for his infamous fumble, but to also celebrate him."
Spencer Drango following in the footsteps of Joe Thomas (clevelandbrowns.com)
"When Spencer Drango arrived in Berea this spring, the rookie offensive lineman out of Baylor could hardly wait to join forces with Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas. Over the past few months Drango — who was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round — has gotten to do exactly that."
NFL News:
Von Miller’s future with the Denver Broncos on the brink (9news.com)
"With the speed and force of a Von Miller pass rush, the Denver Broncos are confronting a fast-approaching deadline and debilitating possibility of playing the 2016 season without their Super Bowl 50 MVP."
Texans plan on multidimensional role for Braxton Miller (NFL.com)
"The Houston Texans used this offseason to add speed and new weaponry to a passing offense now led by quarterback Brock Osweiler. Instead of asking Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins to do it all by himself again, the Texans drafted a first-round deep threat in Will Fuller and picked up former Ohio State star Braxton Miller two rounds later. Fuller’s speed alone guarantees an ample rookie role, but how do the Texans plan to employ Miller, the hyper-athletic former quarterback who transitioned to wideout as a senior?"
Seahawks-Cardinals rivalry among most talented of all-time (ESPN)
"A we enter 2016, the Cardinals and Seahawks rank among the favorites to win Super Bowl LI. The biggest obstacle in their way, unfortunately, is each other. The easiest path to the Super Bowl, as last year reminded us, is with home-field advantage along the way, and it’s always going to be more difficult for a team like the Cardinals to finish with the conference’s best record when they have to play twice against a team as good as Seattle."
5 worst interior defender contracts (PFF)
"Acquiring interior defenders that can stop the run and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks is of high importance in today’s NFL. However, acquiring such talent at a rate commensurate with production should be the ultimate goal in the league’s salary-cap structure, where high-end dollars are often needed for securing elite production at more prominent positions such as quarterback, receiver, edge rusher, or in the secondary. Here are the bottom five interior defender contracts (with rookie deals excluded)."