Have the Browns Already Locked Up RB Peyton Hillis?

February 19th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in 2012 Free Agency, News

If there’s one player that you would think wouldn’t sign before the start of free agency, it’s Browns running back Peyton Hillis.

The Browns and Hillis had a very rocky road in 2012, with injuries, rumors of tanking it, and a staph infection that started the ball rolling in week three.

While I would take this one with a grain of salt, there’s a rumor floating around that Hillis has come to terms with the Browns, this even before the NFL Combine starts.

Cleveland’s Fox 8 Sports Producer Nicholas Kovach reported earlier this afternoon the story, but again, it sounds very far fetched.

We’ll keep an eye on it, but I would be stunned if the Browns and Hills have come to terms this early before free agency.

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A View on How the Browns Will Deal with the Salary Cap Issues in 2012

February 17th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in 2012 Free Agency, Main, Opinions

Football Outsiders is out and doing Division by Division looks at the salary cap and how it affects each team around the league.

To see about the entire AFC North – click HERE

Here’s the Browns breakdown, and some of the background on how they think things will play out for the team.

Estimated Cap Space: Around $25 million

Unrestricted Free Agents (11): Mike Adams, Oniel Cousins, Phil Dawson, John Greco, Artis Hicks, Peyton Hillis, D’Qwell Jackson, Brad Maynard, Dimitri Patterson, Alex Smith, Steve Vallos

Restricted Free Agents (0): None

Franchise Tag Candidates: Last year, the Browns used the franchise tag on kicker Phil Dawson at a cost of $3.175 million in base salary. The new collective bargaining agreement has changed the calculation of the franchise tag, reducing the numbers across the board, but retained the “120 percent of the previous year’s salary” component that would make a second franchise tag for the 37-year-old Dawson worth $3.81 million in 2012.

Had Peyton Hillis not followed up his breakout 2010 season with a forgettable and injury-plagued 2011, he could have been a legitimate option for the running back franchise tender that is projected to be worth around $8 million. That is a steep price to pay for a running back with one season of good production, though. Retaining inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson may be a higher priority. Jackson bounced back from a pair of injury-shortened seasons to lead the Browns with 158 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2011. Franchising Jackson would cost the Browns nearly $9 million in base salary.

Potential Cap Casualties/Restructures: Left guard Eric Steinbach missed the 2011 season with a back injury and is due $6.6 million in total compensation that could be cleared from the cap if he were released. At the very least, the Browns will seek to reduce Steinbach’s $8.3 million imprint on the cap. Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas signed a seven-year, $80.5 million contract extension last August that included a $10.5 million base salary and $11.9 million cap number in 2012. Thomas’ base salary became fully guaranteed on February 9 and the Browns could possibly convert some of that into a signing bonus to reduce his 2012 cap number. Older veterans such as cornerback Sheldon Brown ($5.467 million cap number, $3.8 million in potential savings) and right tackl

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Browns Will Use Franchise Tag on LB D’Qwell Jackson

February 17th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in 2012 Free Agency, News

If the Browns are unable to secure a multi-year deal with D’Qwell Jackson, they will use the franchise tag on the middle linebacker, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports.

Pectoral injuries limited Jackson to six games over the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Re-signed to a one-year, $3.8 million contract last March, Jackson led the Browns with 158 tackles in 2011, adding 3.5 quarterback sacks and an interception.

The franchise tag for a linebacker is projected to be worth around $8.8 million in fully guaranteed base salary 2012.

“We’re looking for a long-term deal and that’s what both parties would like to accomplish before free agency starts on March 13,” said Brian Mackler, Jackson’s agent.

NFL teams have between February 20th and March 15th to use the franchise tag.

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Holmgren Praises the Hiring of Brad Childress

February 9th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in News, Opinions

Mike Holmgren is confident that former Vikings head coach Brad Childress is the right man for the Browns’ offensive coordinator position.

“Brad’s an outstanding coach,” the Browns’ president said on the team’s radio show Wednesday night on ESPN850 WKNR.

“I’ve known him a long time. When I first met him, I had just arrived in Green Bay and Brad was on the staff at the University of Wisconsin with Barry Alvarez and he had been friends with [Eagles coach] Andy Reid and so we knew some people and became pretty close. So that’s about 20 years ago. [We had a] connection over the years because he worked for Andy in Philadelphia and Andy and I are very close.

“I thought he did a really great job in Minnesota in an unusual set of circumstances at the end. He came close to going to the Super Bowl. He’s an excellent football coach, a very bright guy, knows how to coach quarterbacks. He’s a tough guy, he demands a lot and I think it was a great hire for Pat [Shurmur].”

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Browns Free Agents for 2012 – Who Should Stay and Who Should Go?

February 9th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in 2012 Free Agency, News

Now that the 2011 season is officially over following the Super Bowl, now we can all look ahead to free agency.

The Browns have a number of players that will be unrestricted come March 13th when they can sign with other teams. You can see the complete list below, and give your thoughts about what players the team should keep, and what ones they could let go.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (4)

WR Jordan Norwood
DE Marcus Benard
DT Brian Schaefering
LB Titus Brown

Unrestricted Free Agents (11)

RB Peyton Hillis
TE Alex Smith
OT Oniel Cousins
OL John Greco
OL Artis Hicks
OL Steve Vallos
LB D’Qwell Jackson
CB Mike Adams
CB Dimitri Patterson
K Phil Dawson
P Brad Maynard

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Approval Set for Browns Stadium To Get $5.8M In Improvements

February 8th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in News

Cleveland’s City Council approved a $5.8 million lump sum for repairs to Cleveland Browns Stadium on on Monday.

The Browns plan to spend $1.2 million for refurbishing club seats, $750,000 to waterproof the concrete under those seats with most of the money going to for replacement and repair concrete on interior ramps and walkways and a plaza outside the stadium.

The city, which owns the stadium, is only required to provide $850,000 per year for stadium improvements. The sum comes from the city’s sin tax on alcohol and tobacco sales and the agreement reached Monday frees the city from repair obligations for the next seven years.

“We own Cleveland Browns Stadium,” Ken Silliman, Mayor Frank Jackson’s Chief of Staff, said on Monday. “When you own a building and a few years go by, it starts to develop needs. It’s just like when you own a home.”

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Brad Childress Hired to Run Offense for Browns

January 27th, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in News

The Browns have a new offensive coordinator – and he’s already pretty tight with coach Pat Shurmur.

Shurmur hired former Minnesota coach Brad Childress as his first offensive coordinator on Friday, reuniting two coaches who spent seven seasons together on Andy Reid’s staff with the Eagles.

Childress spent nearly five seasons with the Vikings before he was fired in 2010. He’ll take over a Browns offense that scored just 218 points last season, finished 29th in yardage, 28th in rushing and 24th in passing.

Shurmur served as both head coach and coordinator during his first season in Cleveland. It’s not yet known if Childress, who recently interviewed for Tampa Bay’s head coaching job, will call plays for Shurmur.

The 55-year-old Childress was Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator from 2003-05 when Shurmur coached the Eagles quarterbacks. While he was with the Eagles, Childress went to three straight NFC title games and the Super Bowl in 2004.

Childress went 39-35 in four-plus seasons with the Vikings, taking them to the playoffs three times.

He was fired after 10 games in 2010, one season after he famously picked up quarterback Brett Favre at the airport, received a contract extension and came within a field goal of reaching the Super Bowl.

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Browns Hire Tim Hauck as New DB Coach

January 23rd, 2012 Matt Loede Posted in News

The Browns have hired Tim Hauck as their defensive backs coach.

Hauck is best remembered as the player who tackled Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin and caused Irvin’s career-ending spinal cord injury in a game back in 1999.

Hauck worked coaching the defensive secondary for the University of Montana. In 2008, he was hired by UCLA to coach the team’s defensive secondary. In 2009, Hauck went to the Titans to coach their defensive secondary.

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