Daily Dawg Tags: A refreshingly quiet time for the Browns
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns are enjoying a positive and quiet offseason so far, which is a refreshing change from the shenanigans of recent years.
It has been a quiet start to the month of May for the Cleveland Browns.
And that is a good thing.
In recent years this time period of the offseason has been dominated by news of puzzling draft picks, off-field incidents involving water bottles at golf courses or arguments in speeding cars, and talk of suspensions.
But this is a new era for the Browns as the team is currently basking in the glow of what looks to be a successful 2017 NFL Draft, a productive free agency period, and an intriguing class of undrafted free agents.
The only real question currently looming over the franchise – outside of the ongoing quarterback debate, of course – is the current status of running back Isaiah Crowell, a restricted free agent who is taking his time signing the one-year tender offer from the Browns.
Given the way things have gone the past few years, that is the type of problem that shouldn’t cause anyone in Berea to lose any sleep.
Cleveland Browns news:
Waiting on Isaiah Crowell to sign
Isaiah Crowell is currently a restricted free agent and hasn’t signed the contract tender given to him by the Browns this offseason. The one-year offer, worth $2.81 million, would keep him in Cleveland for the 2017 season before he became an unrestricted free agent in 2018. The fact he hasn’t signed is interesting as he risks lowering his value if a holdout is where this path is headed.
Browns at the bottom of post-draft power rankings
Power rankings in May are not something to get worked up about, but they do serve as a good measuring stick for how a team stacks up against the rest of the NFL. And when it comes to the Cleveland Browns, there is a long way to go before even being considered an average team.
Browns and Jason McCourty a poor match
The Cleveland Browns may still be working on their secondary, but adding free agent Jason McCourty would not really help the situation.
15 best rookie seasons in Browns history (cleveland.com)
"The Browns begin rookie minicamp on Friday. It’s the first step in what this year’s rookies hope will be a memorable NFL debut. If all goes well, perhaps some of this year’s rookies will have a debut as memorable as the players listed below; the 15 best rookie seasons in Browns history."
NFL news:
The jiujitsu disciple who’s trying to save the Colts (and the NFL) from concussions (Indy Star)
"The first light bulb for Scott Peters went off while he was getting whupped by men half his size and twice his age. The thought he kept coming back to: How is this possible? He stood 6-3. He weighed 300 pounds. He made his living as an NFL offensive lineman. He’d grown tired of riding the stationary bike in the training room, waiting for his bum ankle to heal, so he took a chance. He walked into a jiujitsu gym and promptly got the crap beat out of him."
Kaepernick supporters no match for NFL reality (Sporting News)
"Tuesday will mark two full months since NFL free agency began and Colin Kaepernick, who opted out of his 49ers contract, officially became available to every other team. As of Monday morning, he had not signed and, by all accounts, had not even been contacted by other teams."
Dolphins got Manning’s approval before trading for Julius Thomas (NFL.com)
"Life is all about who you know, and thankfully for Dolphins tight end Julius Thomas, he knows Peyton Manning. According to the Palm Beach Post, before trading for Thomas this offseason, offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen picked up the phone and called Manning. Christensen worked with the future Hall of Famer for nearly a decade in Indianapolis. Thomas played with Manning for two years in Denver."
Terrance West signs restricted free agent tender with Ravens (The Baltimore Sun)
"Projected starting running back Terrance West signed his restricted free-agent tender Monday, putting him in line to make $1.797 million this season."