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Browns, Amari Cooper Discussing Contract; WR Not Present At Minicamp

June 11th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Amari Cooper signed his five-year, $100MM contract in March 2020, he stood as the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver. Multiple market booms have changed his status, and the Browns veteran has tumbled well down the list at his position.

Cooper has joined the list of disgruntled wideouts opting to avoid mandatory minicamp. Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday (via NFL.com’s Nick Shook) the Pro Bowl receiver is away from the team with an unexcused absence. This follows CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk‘s decisions to steer clear of their teams’ minicamps. Cooper will face a $102K fine by avoiding the Browns’ mandatory June workouts.

It is unsurprising to see Cooper staying away. Set to turn 30 next week, the former top-five pick is going into a contract year. Cooper has been Cleveland’s No. 1 wide receiver over the past two seasons, helping the Browns navigate an unstable quarterback situation. After the WR market boom of 2022 and this offseason’s developments, the perennial 1,000-yard target now sits as the NFL’s 20th-highest-paid wideout.

Stefanski confirmed the Browns have engaged in some dialogue regarding Cooper’s contract. GM Andrew Berry suggested earlier this offseason the 2022 trade pickup was on the extension radar. A new deal would both reward Cooper for his contributions since being acquired from the Cowboys and reduce his 2024 cap hit from its $23.78MM place. It would also help the Browns avoid a near-$8MM dead money sum stemming from void years. The team still has time on that front, as that penalty would only come if Cooper is not re-signed before the start of the 2025 league year.

Cooper totaled 1,160 receiving yards in 2022, boosting a Browns team that did not have Deshaun Watson for 11 games due to a suspension. He totaled a career-high 1,250 yards last season, aiding a squad that did not see Watson much and lost its top three tackles along with Nick Chubb. Cooper played a central role in Joe Flacco earning Comeback Player of the Year honors. Last year’s 1,000-yard showing marked the ex-Raider draftee’s seventh as a pro.

The Browns recently extended trade acquisition Jerry Jeudy, and while the ex-Bronco first-rounder’s AAV ($17.5MM) checks in south of Cooper’s number, the zero-time 1,000-yard receiver’s $41MM guarantee at signing sits sixth at the position. The Cowboys guaranteed Cooper $40MM up front when re-signing him in 2020, and that number looked better at the time. But the team passed on paying Cooper’s 2022 salary, sending him to the Browns before a salary guarantee vested. Dallas was prepared to cut Cooper absent a trade, but the Alabama alum has continued to produce.

Daily fines would come into play if Cooper were to consider a holdout. Teams cannot waive the fines of non-rookie-contract players who hold out, and although Chris Jones and Zack Martin staged holdouts last year, this has been a highly uncommon 2020s occurrence due to the CBA including language designed to curb the practice. Cooper holding in, a common route players have taken amid negotiations, would stand to be on the table.

The team still has time to take action on this front, though Cooper’s age offers a slight complication. He joins Tyreek Hill as WRs nearing their age-30 season angling for a contract adjustment. While the Dolphins have the future Hall of Famer tied to a deal that runs through 2026, Cooper entering a contract year makes this a more urgent matter for the Browns.

Browns Announce Several Front Office Moves

June 8th, 2024 at 1:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After not having seen a season with an 11-win total since 1994, the Browns have now seen it twice since 2020. As Cleveland continues to work towards staying in relevancy, owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Andrew Berry continue to make adjustments to their front office.

In the operations department, the team saw a new hire and two promotions. Charles Adair comes in from Jacksonville after spending last year as a seasonal intern for the Jaguars. Adair will serve in Cleveland as coordinator, team logistics. Hunter Carson, previously an intern for the team logistics group, has been promoted to football operations assistant. She will reportedly work closely with the personnel department to assist with processes pertaining to player acquisition. Lastly in operations, Joy Tapajcik has been promoted to director of football operations & process after four seasons of working her way through roles all across the front office.

The player personnel department saw the most change in this week’s announcement. Firstly, we learned that the official job title for Chris Polian will be advisor to the general manager. After that, we saw the arrival of four new hires. Elisha Guidry, Tyler Habursky, and Sam Secrest join the team as scouting assistants, filling the roles vacated by some of the promotions listed below. Secrest moves into an in-house role with the Browns after serving as an external film analyst during this recent draft cycle. While Habursky previously served as a student defensive quality control coach at John Carroll, both he and Guidry will be making their NFL staff debuts after playing careers in college. Lastly, Jack Slatery joins the staff as a player personnel assistant after four years in the behavioral health industry.

The player personnel department also saw a number of promotions, as well. A long-time former linebacker in Cleveland, D’Qwell Jackson enters his second season in the front office after supporting player development last year. Jackson has been promoted in his second year to pro scout. He’s joined as a new pro scout by Greg Livingston and Alice Sullivan. They both earn the promotion after serving as scouting assistants in 2023. Livingston previously saw a coaching role at Northwestern and a recruiting role at Boston College. Sullivan will add the title of contract analyst to her new role, as well. Before joining the Browns, she worked as a football analyst for advance scout at LSU.

Additionally, Kathleen Wood is being promoted to scouting/personnel assessment & development after serving three of her four years with the team as the northeast area scout. She will contribute to day-to-day operations for personnel while continuing to contribute as a college road scout. Cyrus Wolford moves into Wood’s old role covering the northeast. He spent his first two seasons with the team as a scouting assistant after time in football operations at Temple. John Nussman is another former scouting assistant. After four years in that role, Nussman will be promoted to an NFS area scout, contributing to NFL combine and team draft initiatives. Lastly in personnel, Will Black has been promoted to scouting assistant, transitioning from a director of administration role with the Haslam Sports Group where he assisted team leadership with day-to-day operations.

Finally, the team saw a promotion in their analytics department, as well. Zach Zelinsky has been moved up into a manager role in football information systems. Currently entering his seventh season with the team, Zelinsky started with the Browns as a software developer in 2017 after working as an analytics intern for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the MLB.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/24

June 7th, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

After getting drafted in the third round out of Ohio State, Davis has yet to make a start in his first three seasons. Despite competing for a starting job in the offseason before his sophomore campaign in Minnesota, Davis was waived as part of the team’s final roster cuts. Since then, he’s bounced around from the Giants to the Saints, Cardinals, and back to New York. He’ll now add some depth in Cleveland.

Anderson finds his away to Jacksonville shortly after getting waived by the division-rival Colts yesterday. The Texas Tech-product saw his biggest contribution in 12 games with two starts in 2022 for the Giants.

Like Davis and Anderson, Nickerson has bounced between several teams since entering the NFL. After being drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Nickerson has spent a year apiece with New York, the Jaguars, the Packers, the Vikings, and most recently, the Dolphins, also spending part of 2019 with the Seahawks. He joins his seventh team in six years with Philadelphia.

Browns Sign Round 2 DT Michael Hall, Wrap Draft Class

June 7th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns signed second-round selection Michael Hall to his rookie contract on Friday, per a team announcement. As a result, each member of Cleveland’s draft class is on the books.

Owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, the Browns were without a first-round pick once again in 2024. Hall was the team’s top draft choice at No. 54 overall, and the Jerry Jeudy acquisition left Cleveland short on overall capital to make a move up the board. Still, Hall will face notable expectations at the NFL level.

The Ohio State product spent three seasons in college, playing a key role during his sophomore and junior campaigns. In 2022, he tied for the team lead in sacks (4.5) while posting 7.5 tackles for loss. The Streetsboro, Ohio native did not have as large of an impact in the pass-rush department last year, but he did set a new career high with 24 tackles. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

The Browns’ defensive front has remained largely intact this offseason compared to 2023. Jordan Elliott departed in free agency, but veteran Quinton Jefferson was added. The likes of Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst and Sam Kamara were each retained. That group, coupled with former free agent signing Dalvin Tomlinson and 2023 third-rounder Siaki Ika, will carry much of the load along the D-line in 2024.

Hall should nevertheless be able to land a rotational role during his rookie season. The Browns attempted to add youth and a pass-rushing element to their defensive interior in 2022 with Perrion Winfrey, but he was cut last summer. Team and player will of course be hoping for a better outcome in the short- and intermediate-term future in Hall’s case.

Here is the final breakdown of Cleveland’s draft class:

Browns RB Nick Chubb Progressing In Rehab; Return Timeline Still Unclear

June 6th, 2024 at 11:38am CST by Adam La Rose

After Nick Chubb‘s 2023 season was cut short by a major knee injury, it was obvious he would face a long road back to the field. The standout Browns back is not a lock to be available at the start of the season, but he is making progress in his recovery.

Chubb, as expected, required two surgeries to repair the damage done to his knee in Week 2. The second operation took place in November, and its success kept him on track to return at some point this season. The Browns are not committed to a firm time at which the four-time Pro Bowler will suit up, but they have operated this offseason as if he will remain a key member of their offense.

“I’m getting better every day, taking it day by day, getting better,” Chubb said when speaking about his health status (via NFL.com). “Yeah, just right now, trying to get stronger. I like where I’m at. I’m where I need to be, I would say that.”

With only one year remaining on his contract, questions were raised in the offseason about Chubb’s short- and long-term future in Cleveland. As a further sign the team had him in their plans, the Georgia alum agreed to a restructure which lowered his cap hit and base compensation. Incentives will allow him to earn back some of his previously scheduled money, but his ability to do so will largely hinge on his return timeline.

Chubb confirmed he does not have a specific target in mind with respect to when he will be back on the field, adding he only recently started “moving really well.” Having him in any capacity would be a major development for Cleveland at any time during the campaign, though. The former second-rounder averaged between 5.0 and 5.6 yards per carry in each of his first five seasons in the NFL, topping 1,000 rushing yards each year from 2019-22. He should be able to take on lead RB responsibilities when healthy in a backfield featuring the likes of Jerome Ford, D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines.

“Definitely a blessing,” Chubb added when speaking about his reworked contract and the fact he will remain with the Browns through at least 2024. “They could have just cut me dry and left me hanging, right, but they did a great job. I want to be here in Cleveland – they know that – so we came to a great point.”

Whether or not that feeling is mutual to the point of a new deal being negotiated next offseason will be worth watching as the campaign unfolds. Chubb’s health will be a key determining factor in when he next sees the field and how effective he is upon doing so. That will have a major impact on his post-2024 future with the Browns or another team.

Browns Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

June 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on tap for this offseason, the Browns’ extension agreements with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are now official. The team announced its fifth-year HC-GM combo is signed long term.

This represents rare territory for the Browns, who shuffled through numerous coaches and GMs during the Haslams’ first several years as owners. After two playoff berths in four seasons, Stefanski and Berry did enough to show ownership they should be at the wheel for the foreseeable future.

Rumblings of the Browns readying extensions for their power brokers emerged in March, and a recent offering from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot pointed to the deals being close. The Browns have posted their best four-year win percentage under Berry and Stefanski since the 1986-89 run. Although this regime has not matched the Marty Schottenheimer-Bernie Kosar teams in terms of consistency or postseason accomplishments, it has elevated one of the NFL’s perennial doormats to a contender position.

“Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said, referencing the 2023 season, in a statement. “They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns.”

Since the Haslams acquired the Browns in October 2012, they have employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Prior to the Stefanski-Berry 2020 debut season, the team had gone 1-for-21 in playoff berths since rebooting in 1999. While the Browns have seen some stumbles (particularly at quarterback) during this duo’s tenure, their 2023 showing presented cause for optimism. With two 11-win seasons since 2020, the Browns are now 37-30 since Stefanski and Berry took over.

Stefanski, 42, joins Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera as HCs to win two Coach of the Year honors since 2000. The second one certainly solidified the play-caller’s case for an extension. The Browns gave Stefanski a five-year contract in 2020. Teams almost never make HCs lame ducks, the Dallas situation notwithstanding, and Stefanski is the longest-tenured Browns HC since Belichick (1991-95). None of the current Browns franchise’s coaches match Stefanski’s longevity or success, and the ex-Vikings OC managing to steer last year’s team to the playoffs marked quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.

The Browns withstood season-ending injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb and their top three tackles yet managed to win 11 games. Stefanski coaxed a stunning resurgence from late-season free agent signee Joe Flacco, who claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors despite only starting five games. Winning a playoff game proved too daunting a task for this ragtag cast, but Stefanski’s 2020 Coach of the Year offering produced a playoff upset (over the Steelers). That win came with Stefanski at home with COVID-19, though the Browns nearly toppled the No. 1-seeded Chiefs a week later.

Due to the 2022 Watson trade, Berry’s path has been a bit rockier. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers to give up three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and Jimmy Haslam pinned the idea for guaranteeing Watson’s entire five-year, $230MM contract on his GM.

Watson has struggled, with his 2023 health issues coming as replaced starter Baker Mayfield — who succeeded under Stefanski in 2020 before struggling amid injuries in 2021 — found his footing again in Tampa. As the Browns have no choice but to make it work with Watson, the roster Berry has assembled has proven successful despite its QB.

Draft choices under Berry’s predecessors still represent some of the top Browns pieces. Berry, however, reached extensions with Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. The GM also extended Joel Bitonio while acquiring Amari Cooper for only Day 3 draft choices. Berry acquisitions, along with the team’s Jim Schwartz hire, put pieces in place for a No. 1-ranked pass defense to help the battered offense last season. While Berry’s draft acumen remains to be fully seen due to the team not having a first-round pick for the past three years, the 36-year-old exec has made some pivotal contributions during his second Cleveland stint.

Berry, who rejoined the Browns two weeks after Stefanski’s hire in January 2020, initially served as a staffer under John Dorsey and de facto GM Sashi Brown during the 2010s. The Browns are still waiting for their Watson bet to pay off, but the team will give its decision-makers more time to operate around that monster contract.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/24

June 5th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Ilm Manning

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Waived/injured: WR David White

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

White suffered a torn ACL during one of the Jaguars’ practices last week, Doug Pederson said recently. The Jags signed White as a UDFA following a career at Western Carolina. White will revert to the Jags’ IR list if unclaimed, with this process generally leading to an injury settlement that moves the player off the team’s roster. White was among five UDFAs receivers the Jags signed this year.

A sixth-round Titans draftee back in 2021, Breeze was most recently with the Texans. He spent the second half of last season on Houston’s practice squad, staying on the AFC South champions’ 16-man unit until season’s end. No reserve/futures contract emerged for the Oregon alum, however. Breeze has played in 11 career games, splitting his career in Tennessee and Detroit.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/24

June 4th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): OL Andrew Stueber
  • Waived: WR JaQuae Jackson

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Shayne Simon
  • Waived/injured: OL Tommy Doyle

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After missing most of the past two seasons due to a knee injury, Ryan Jensen announced back in February that he was going to retire. The Buccaneers made the move official today, although that won’t be the end of their cap commitment to the offensive lineman. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes, since Jensen’s contract was pro-rated, the Buccaneers will be hit with a combined $16.6MM in dead cap over the next two seasons.

The Browns cleared up their depth chart a bit by cutting kicker Lucas Havrisik, leaving the organization with Dustin Hopkins and Cade York to compete for the starting job. Havrisik got into nine games with the Rams last season, connecting on 15 of his 20 field goal tries and 19 of his 22 extra points. In other kicker moves, the Commanders have added Ramiz Ahmed in the wake of the Brandon McManus release.

Browns Taking Methodical Approach With Deshaun Watson’s Recovery

May 31st, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Starting just six games for the second straight season, Deshaun Watson played only 383 snaps — four fewer than his suspension-shortened 2022. The Browns have received an alarmingly low return on the historically expensive trade with the Texans, but the contract they were required to authorize in order to win the 2022 sweepstakes continues to tie the team to the former Pro Bowler.

Going into season three of that five-year, $230MM guaranteed deal, the Browns are bringing their quarterback along slowly. Watson suffered a fractured shoulder socket and a partially torn labrum last season. He is not yet a full participant in the team’s offseason program, but the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the eighth-year QB threw in front of the media for the first time this week.

Watson, 28, participated in individual drills and threw to receivers during the practice portions not involving a defense. Jameis Winston took the reps in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods, Cabot adds. The team is gradually bringing its high-priced passer along, with Kevin Stefanski indicating (via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling) Watson is not throwing at every OTA session. Stefanski said Watson is throwing every other day during OTAs, though the fifth-year Cleveland HC noted that is expected to change at next month’s minicamp.

“He threw the ball down the sideline, a vertical throw today, and that’s one I hadn’t seen from him a lot,” new Browns OC Ken Dorsey said, via Cabot. “We haven’t pushed him to do it, so that was good to see. The more he grows and feels comfortable with it, the more you’ll start seeing those things get ramped up more and more.”

The Browns had played games without Watson prior to his season-ending shoulder injury last year, with the likes of P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson making starts. Watson’s shoulder trouble, a micro tear of his rotator cuff, ultimately leading to a Nov. 21 surgery, preceded Joe Flacco‘s stunning resurgence. Watson also suffered a high ankle sprain last season. The team booked a playoff berth despite missing its starting QB, its top three tackles and Nick Chubb. Flacco is now in Indianapolis, indicating he was surprised Cleveland did not re-sign him, and Winston is the Browns’ Watson insurance policy.

While this certainly represents a pivotal year for the Browns and Watson, the team is still tied to the former Texans standout through 2026. Unlike last year, the Browns have not restructured Watson’s contract. That places what would be a record-smashing $63.77MM cap number on Cleveland’s cap sheet. No player has ever brought a $45MM cap charge in a season. Three-plus months away from Week 1, the Browns, Cowboys (Dak Prescott) and Broncos (part one of Russell Wilson‘s dead money) are in line to move past that benchmark. Barring a restructure, Watson’s cap number would top both players this season.

Watson’s surgery was to require a six-month recovery timetable. Shortly beyond that point, this process will be one to monitor as the Browns attempt to finally enjoy an extended run of quality QB play with their hired gun.

Browns RB Nyheim Hines Aiming For Training Camp Return

May 27th, 2024 at 10:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Nyheim Hines missed the entire 2023 season due to an ACL tear suffered in a jet ski accident last summer. That hurt his free agent value, and the veteran running back/returner took a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason.

That pact (worth up to $3.5MM) will allow Hines to demonstrate his special teams ability in Cleveland, especially if the league’s new kickoff rules produce the desired uptick in returns. The former Colt and Bill has been absent from the Browns’ OTAs, however, as he continues to rehab his knee. Hines remains on schedule in that regard, and in his latest update he said he expects to be on the field no later than training camp.

“I should be ready to go for minicamp,” the 27-year-old said (via the team’s website). “The goal is to be ready right around August 1 or end of July, depending on how my leg comes around. But the goal is to be out there for Week 1.”

Hines has never logged more than 89 carries in a season, but he has shown an ability to succeed in a pass-catching role in addition to his skillset as a returner. The former fourth-rounder has 240 receptions to his name, and that figure will no doubt increase if he manages to carve out an offensive role in Cleveland. The Browns have Nick Chubb atop the depth chart, but he too is recovering from a major knee injury. Chubb – now attached to a restructured contract – is expected to return at some point in 2024.

Even when he does, though, Hines should have the opportunity to serve as a third-down specialist with his new team. The North Carolina State product noted the presence of Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey (who previously held that title with the Bills) as a reason he chose to sign in Cleveland. The team’s recent turnover in terms of returners was another factor for Hines, and excelling in that capacity will certainly help his value next offseason.

As both Hines and Chubb continue to rehab, the team has the likes of Jerome Ford, D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong Jr. available in the backfield for the time being. Assuming Hines is able to suit up for Week 1, he should be in line for a particularly notable role until Chubb returns.

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