Daily Dawg Tags: A tale of two wide receivers

The Cleveland Browns had an up-and-down day of news on Wednesday in regards to a pair of wide receivers on the team.

The Cleveland Browns may have moved one step closer to a once-talented wide possibly returning to the team on Wednesday while simultaneously seeing a potentially talented possibly taking a step further away.

Josh Gordon, who has missed 43 of the Browns last 48 games due to various NFL suspensions, announced through his agent that he will apply for reinstatement. If true – and if successful – the Browns will have a decision to make about a player who, for a fleeting moment, was the best in the league at his position.

On the other side, the deadline to place a franchise tag on Terrelle Pryor came and went without the Browns using it on the soon-to-be free agent. If the Browns can’t come to an agreement with Pryor on a new contract prior to March 9, he will become an unrestricted free agent with potentially a number of suitors.

Cleveland Browns

Executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said re-signing Pryor remains a “priority,” but also that the Browns would not “panic” if Pryor were to leave.

Needless to say, a large portion of Browns fans did, indeed, panic of the thought of losing Pryor.

We cover all that and more in today’s edition of the Daily Dawg Tags.

Cleveland Browns news:

Josh Gordon reportedly applies for reinstatement

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon – who has missed the past two seasons due to suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policies – will reportedly apply for reinstatement today.

Browns draft film review: Derek Barnett

The Cleveland Browns are in a unique position when it comes to drafting defensive line help. By holding the first overall pick, they have every high-end defensive lineman available to them. Should the Browns find themselves drafting a quarterback first overall, where does it leave them with the No. 12 pick in regards to a 4-3 defensive end and pass rusher? In this edition of the college scouting film room, we look at the play of University of Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett. What if anything, makes him stand out as a 4-3 defensive end?

Jimmy Garoppolo may no longer be an option for Browns

There is a group of Cleveland Browns fans who are aboard the Jimmy Garoppolo bandwagon. Unfortunately for these individuals, Garoppolo may not be leaving New England in 2017, according to Adam Schefter.

The veteran roster purge continues

The Cleveland Browns are in the second year of a complete rebuild, which does not bode well for veteran players who were able to withstand the first-year purge. It started when Josh McCown was released, and continued on Monday when Andrew Hawkins was let go by the team.

Browns provide no clear answer concerning plans for No. 1 pick or quarterback (SI.com)

Browns urgency at QB not related to Jimmy Garoppolo (ESPN)

"Cleveland’s Sashi Brown sounded Wednesday like a GM determined to upgrade at the quarterback position this off-season. Whether that means using the No. 1 or 12 or 33 pick on a prospect, swinging a trade or even dipping into free agency, Brown is not entirely sure. At least, not yet."

"General manager Sashi Brown admitted the Cleveland Browns feel an urgency about the quarterback position because they aren’t sure if they have their 2017 starter. Brown’s comments at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday were not related to the news that the New England Patriots were not going to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Brown wasn’t going near that topic because league rules do not allow one team to talk about another team’s player."

NFL news:

It is hard to believe Jimmy Garoppolo is truly untouchable (Boston Globe)

"If Bill Belichick’s goal is to convince the rest of the world that Jimmy Garoppolo is not on the trading block this offseason, he’s not doing a very good job of it"

.The Redskins have already botched the Kirk Cousins contract (Washington Post)

"Everyone from Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden to team President Bruce Allen, General Manager Scot McCloughan and Washington’s most prominent players wants to see the team work out a long-term deal to keep Kirk Cousins. But, that’s not happening before the franchise tag is applied to the quarterback, which will happen sometime before the March 1, 4 p.m. deadline. The two sides very well could still reach an agreement, and have until July 15 to do so, but it’s clear to two NFL experts that, if there’s a “winner” and a “loser” to any contract negotiations, the Redskins have already lost. It’s just a matter now of how badly."

Vikings need to move on; he’s just not the AP of old (Star Tribune)

"Adrian Peterson’s legacy as one of the Vikings’ all-time greats is secure, but the fit no longer makes sense."

Will Buffalo re-sign Tyrod Taylor? It’s still an unknown, according to Sean McDermott (SI.com)

"Kyle Williams will be a Buffalo Bill again in 2017. Tyrod Taylor … well … check back later. New Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine that the franchise will be “methodical” in deciding what to do with Taylor, who has a $27.5 million roster bonus due on March 11. He added that the process could go down to the wire, if the Bills feel like they need all that time to make a call on their QB."

You can’t take Seahawks’ Richard Sherman seriously anymore (The Seattle Times)

"This story should be dead, but Richard Sherman refuses to let that happen. He has breathed new life into it with flabbergasting stubbornness and pride. Two months ago, he and local radio host Jim Moore had a testy exchange that ended with Sherman threatening to end Moore’s career. Well, at least that’s what happened according to tape recorders and just about every Seahawks reporter in town. But now the Seattle cornerback seems to be questioning the reality of an indisputable occurrence. In an interview that ran Monday morning, ESPN’s Cari Champion asked Sherman if he regretted what he said to Moore. His response?"