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Browns Use Transition Tag On Center Alex Mack

March 3rd, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in 2014 Free Agency, News

The Browns have designated Alex Mack as their transition player for 2014, meaning they can match any offer for Mack, Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer reports.

If Mack plays under the tag, he would receive $10.039 million for 2014.

A team signing the Pro Bowl center would not owe the Browns any compensation.

Teams can begin contacting Mack on March 8, and extend offers March 11, the start of free agency.

Meanwhile, the Browns chose not to franchise safety T.J. Ward, meaning he’ll likely hit the free-agent market.

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Browns Release Long Time LB D’Qwell Jackson

February 26th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in News

The honeymoon with the fans and new GM Ray Farmer may have just ended.

Today the Browns made a surprise move, announcing they have released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, a player who has been with the team longer than any other, and was a leader on defense.

“We had positive discussion with D’Qwell and his agent over the last several days, and we came to the mutual agreement to go in different directions,” Farmer said in a statement released by the team.

“D’Qwell is the epitome of class, leadership and professionalism. Every day of his NFL career, D’Qwell has been a solid representative of the Browns and the City of Cleveland, both between the lines on Sundays and off the field in our area community.

“We want to thank him for his eight years of service and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

He was an eight-year vet who was the clubs second-round pick back in 2006.

Jackson was due a $4.1 million roster bonus on March 15th, which likely was a huge reason why the team decided to cut ties with him.

Mike Pettine, the new coach of the Browns, did comment on Jackson during his time in Indy at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“He came into town. It was within the first week I was hired…he bounced right up to the office and you could tell he’s special,” said Pettine.

“He and I sat down and had a great meeting. It’s easy to see why he’s so highly thought of, the leadership ability and the intangibles to me are off the chart.”

The linebacker inked a five-year extension with the Browns that would have taken him through 2016. The deal was worth $42.5 million, with a $9 mil signing bonus.

He’s now free to ink with any team.

Jackson released a statement that the team put out.

“To the people of Cleveland and Browns fans everywhere: Eight years ago I began a journey that blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of a wonderful organization and community. I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for opening your arms and hearts to my family and me, and for making Cleveland an easy place to love and call home. It’s been an honor playing in front of you.

“I also would like to thank the Browns players, coaches and staff for their tireless work and commitment. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all and will always carry you with me.”

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Lombardi At Combine With Documents With Browns Logo

February 24th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in News

Mike Lombardi sounds like a conflicted man these days, now working for Bill Belichick and the Patriots, yet (as you can see above), he’s still walking around with documents with a Browns logo on it.

So what’s up with that?

It’s probably a lot to do about nothing, and were old docs anyway before Jimmy Haslam pushed him out the door a few weeks back.

At the same time, kinda funny if you think about it.

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Pettine Not Worried About Harbuagh Coaching Rumors

February 22nd, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in News

Browns coach Mike Pettine stressed Saturday that he doesn’t give a “flying —-” or a “rat’s —” about the report the Browns tried to trade for 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh just before they hired him, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

“I got a phone call saying that report was about to come out and I shot the messenger a little bit,” Pettine said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I asked, ‘How does that affect my tenure as the head coach? Has that changed?’ The obvious answer was ‘no’ and I think my next sentence, I either used the word flying followed by something, or referenced a part of a rat’s body.”

Pettine vowed that the report, by profootballtalk.com’s Mike Florio, will have no bearing on his job moving forward.

“It doesn’t faze me,” he said. “That’s noise to me. That’s a critical thing. A big part of being an NFL head coach is dealing with the noise, dealing with the distractions. Just add that one to list.”

Pettine said that if anything, such a power-play makes a positive statement on the club.

“What it tells me is that the Cleveland Browns have a desire to win and get this team back to a championship level,” he said. “To me, it shows the commitment, but as far as how it affects me and my approach to how I’m going to coach this football team and how we are moving forward, has zero effect.”

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Farmer Says Browns Want Both Mack And Ward To Return

February 17th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in 2014 Free Agency, News

New Browns GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine have decided to pursue re-signing Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland reports.

The team also is making an effort to re-sign Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward.

Mack and Ward are the marquee names of the Browns’ potential free agents. They are the top priorities because the club has a two-week window, beginning today, to decide whether to apply the franchise or transition designation to them to keep the players from leaving when the free agency signing period begins on March 11.

If the Browns can’t arrive at a new deal for Mack or Ward, they could tag either player – but not both – as their franchise player. The cost of the franchise tag is derived from the average of the top five salary cap numbers at each position.

In the case of Mack, that figure is about $11.126 million for a one-year deal because centers and guards are grouped with the more expensive position of tackle in figuring the top five cap numbers.

Ward’s franchise figure would be approximately $8.021 million.

The transition designation is rarely used. The cost is lower, derived by the average of the top 10 salary cap numbers at each position.

Teams have from now until March 3 to apply the franchise or transition tag.

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Do You Buy What Manziel Is Selling In Comments About Browns?

February 15th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in 2014 NFL Draft, Opinions

They were comments that spread like wildfire – if you haven’t seen or heard them by now, here they are:

“If something happens, and it’s the Cleveland Browns, I’m going to pour my heart out for the Dawg Pound and try to win a Super Bowl for Cleveland. I don’t care if they’ve had 20 starting quarterbacks since 1999. I’m going to be the 21st and the guy that brought them the Super Bowl.”

Those words come from Johnny Manziel – aka ‘Johnny Football’ the player that many Browns fans want the team to draft with the 4th pick in May’s NFL Draft.

He’s the player that a lot of Browns fans think will FINALLY turn the fortunes of the team from drowning to not only above water – but heading for the promise land.

BUT – before you start buying into Manziel, let’s make sure you read the REST of the story about what he was saying in the same breath about the Browns.

Check out THIS report at Texans Gab, which has comments about Manziel and his wish to go #1 overall to the Houston Texans.

Here’s what Manziel said about if the Texans DON’T take him with the first pick.

“It would be the worst decision they’ve ever made,” Manziel said. “I’d be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito.”

That’s I guess assuming Manizel goes to where most football players go to die – the Jaguars.

So make sure that while Manziel is saying all the right things right now about the Browns, he still wants the honor of going one overall – which means all those nice things about Cleveland could be a smokescreen.

If there’s one thing about Manziel to this point – he’s smart. He seems to know what to say when, and while he wants the fandom of the Browns going in his direction, what he really wants is pretty simple.

To be holding the jersey of the Houston Texans on draft day.

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Who Is On Your Mount Rushmore Of The Cleveland Browns?

February 14th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in Features, Opinions

Recently a lot has been made about ESPN’s interesting chat about who would be on various Mount Rushmore of professional sports leagues.

You know Mount Rushmore right – that National monument sculpture carved into the granite face of a mountain near Keystone, South Dakota. (Yes we looked it up on Wikipedia).

So today we throw out the question to our fan base – what Browns would make your ‘Mount Rushmore of the Cleveland Browns.’?

Now of course right off the bat you would have to make sure a spot is saved for Jim Brown – still regarded by many as the greatest running back in NFL history.

While Brown is the George Washington, that leaves three spots left, and that’s where our loyal readers and fan base come in to play.

Let’s leave comments about the three spots and come up with our own ‘Mount Rushmore Of The Cleveland Browns.’

So many names, so few spots.

Let’s hear from you Browns fans – four names – one monument.

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Haslam And Banner Were At Odds Over Coaching Candidate Josh McDaniels

February 13th, 2014

Matt Loede

Posted in News

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner were at odds over Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

McDaniels — a longtime Lombardi favorite — supposedly became Haslam’s top choice, but Banner had his reservations.

McDaniels had been fired by the Broncos after a controversial reign in which he alienated some players and lost 17 of his last 22 games. He was also fired in large part because of a videotaping scandal. But now former GM Mike Lombardi strongly felt McDaniels received a raw deal in Denver, and would excel in the right situation chance, much like his pal Bill Belichick did in New England.

Shortly after the Browns interviewed McDaniels, a Canton native, he pulled his name out of the search, saying he was happy where he was. After the media portrayed McDaniels’ withdrawal as another sign that no one wanted the “radioactive” Browns job, sources told Cabot and other local reporters that McDaniels pulled his name out because he was told he wasn’t the frontrunner.

The “frontrunner” retort didn’t sit well with some candidates or potential candidates, a source said.

But a McDaniels hire might’ve also gone over like a lead balloon. During the interview, NFL Network’s Mike Silver wrote, “ … when I read reports that former Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels might be the leading candidate to fill the Cleveland Browns opening, I feel like someone has just taken a tire iron to my skull.”

Within about 24 hours after McDaniels pulled out of the search, he called to get back in, sources close to the situation said. This was contrary to a report on NFL Network that the Browns called McDaniels and tried to lure him back into the mix.

Regardless, he remained in the running right up until the end, when the Browns hired Pettine on Jan. 23. In fact, he received the support and recommendation of Belichick right up until the 11th hour.

McDaniels was likely the “mystery finalist” the Browns referred to on the day Pettine was hired, although they later said it was Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who also hadn’t yet been eliminated until Pettine agreed to terms.

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