Daily Dawg Tags: Staff bonding at the Senior Bowl

The Cleveland Browns rebuilt coaching staff had a chance to work together for the first time at the Senior Bowl, an experience that should prove valuable come the regular season.

The Cleveland Browns coaching staff spent last week working with a selected group of college players during the annual Senior Bowl.

While the opportunity to get a closer look at the players during practice and in the exhibition game will prove useful come draft day, the chance for the revamped coaching staff to spend time together should also prove beneficial come this fall.

“Anytime there’s new coaches that come aboard, it’s like going to school again for the first day, you’re meeting new classmates, how do they do things, what do they like to do, what’s the best way to communicate,” special teams coordinator Chris Tabor told the team’s website. “I think it’s given our staff an opportunity to go through those things, to see how the defensive staff communicates with their players, communicates with you and it’s been a really good first starting point.”

As the Browns continue to go through the latest rebuilding project every little edge they can find can only help the process.

“We’ve had a lot of meetings, we’ve had a lot of this is how we do this is how were going to go about it,”head coach Hue Jackson said. “A lot these guys are not new to me … (the ones who are will) get to know my style, I’ll get to know theirs. But I think we all understand what we’re trying to do.”

Cleveland Browns news

5 Senior Bowl players the Browns should consider drafting

The Cleveland Browns coaching staff earned their first victory in 2017 by leading the South to victory on Saturday in the Senior Bowl. But the Senior Bowl is less about wins and losses than about evaluating talent. The talent was abundant in Mobile, Ala., but were the Browns coaches paying attention?

The Browns should embrace Hard Knocks

The Cleveland Browns are balking about the opportunity to be on HBO’s Hard Knocks. However, an appearance will help clean up their image.

Deshaun Watson skipping Senior Bowl simplifies No. 1 pick

Deshaun Watson skipping the Senior Bowl meant he didn’t get to work with the Cleveland Browns coaching staff, but it simplifies the No. 1 pick decision.

Learning (or relearning) football’s most basic formation (cleveland.com)

One of the coaches of the Senior Bowl’s South team reminded everyone at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama early on Tuesday just how different college and pro offenses have become. “We huddle in the NFL!” he yelled between plays as the offense ran through drills.

Browns will consider Deshaun Watson’s ‘total body of work (ESPN)

The way Deshaun Watson ended his college career left a lasting memory. Andrew Berry, the Browns’ vice president of player personnel, addressed the issue last week with Cleveland media at the Senior Bowl, saying that Watson’s playoff performance was one impressive piece of a bigger puzzle and should not be “weighted too heavily.”

NFL news

Super Bowl rosters short on big stars (CBS Sports)

If you scan the rosters of the Atlanta Falconsand the New England Patriots, you realize there aren’t as many true stars that will take the field Sunday in Houston as we might normally see in a Super Bowl.

Matt Ryan will be first ‘No. 2’ QB to start Super Bowl (NFL.com)

For far too long, Matt Ryan has been overlooked as a legitimate star in this league. But who can blame those who deny the Falcons quarterback’s greatness? We’ve never seen a QB who wears what he wears play at the level that he has played. We’re referring to Ryan’s most recognizable onfield trait: His jersey number.

Top 10 players likely to hit free agency (PFF)

With the Super Bowl the only remaining NFL game left in the 2016 season, it’s time to begin turning our attention towards the offseason, and in particular, free agency. At this time of year, the list of prospective free agents always looks mouth-watering, with names like Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell, Chiefs S Eric Berry, Panthers DT Kawann Short and Redskins QB Kirk Cousins among those slated to hit the open market, but a large portion of the top-end talent will either be re-signed or franchise tagged, keeping them with their current teams and away from the clutches of potential rivals. Instead, let’s take a look at 10 of the best players that are more likely to be available once free agency officially opens.

Pro Bowlers offers tips on how to beat Patriots, Falcons (Sporting News)

Every Pro Bowl selection has something in common. All of them wish they were in the Super Bowl instead. Alas, that’s where the 10 combined Pro Bowl picks of the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots will be for Super Bowl 51 rather than playing in Sunday’s all-star game in Orlando. But even though their season is about to come to a close, Pro Bowl participants are curious to see what transpires in a championship game difficult to forecast seeing that the Patriots and Falcons haven’t faced each other since September 2013.