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Browns Won’t Pursue Richard Sherman

February 14th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Richard Sherman won’t be on the Browns’ radar this offseason, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. The 49ers cornerback has familiarity with Joe Woods‘ defense, but the Browns are looking to allocate their dollars elsewhere.

[RELATED: Browns Interested In JJ Watt]

Instead, the Browns are banking on a healthy Greedy Williams to hold down the fort, along with Terrance Mitchell and slot corner Kevin Johnson, if they can re-sign them. Then, they can fill out any other gaps cheaply in the draft, or go for younger corners.

Sherman, 33 in March, enjoyed a solid 2019. After tallying 61 tackles and three interceptions in 15 games, the veteran added yet another Pro Bowl nod to his resume. Then, his 2020 was sidetracked by a calf injury, limiting him to just five games.

It appears that there is some mutual interest between Sherman and the Raiders. In Las Vegas, Sherman would get to reunite with a different ex-mentor in Gus Bradley. The newly-anointed defensive coordinator guided the Seahawks’ famed Legion of Boom era, in which Sherman cemented himself as a superstar player. It’s a situation to watch, though the league office may view Jon Gruden‘s comments as tampering.

Steelers, Bills, Browns, Titans Among Teams Interested In J.J. Watt

February 12th, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hours after the Texans released J.J. Watt, the free agency pursuit of the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is underway. Around a dozen teams are interested in the future Hall of Fame defensive end, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.

Among the early pursuers are the Bills, Browns, Titans and Steelers, Werder notes. While Watt would be a fit in most places, each of these teams could use an additional pass rusher. Watt intends to sign with a contender but does not plan on making a final decision until next week.

The Texans received calls on Watt over the past two weeks but opted to grant his release request. Watt will turn 32 later this year. Under his Texans contract, Watt was set to make $17.5MM in 2021. The salary cap reduction and Watt’s injury history may prevent him from a monster free agency deal, but the number of teams in the mix here stands to drive up the veteran’s price — if, in fact, this pursuit will come down to finances.

The Steelers would likely be unable to match some of the top offers for Watt, but they certainly have an interesting selling point. Younger brothers T.J. and Derek Watt are under contract with Pittsburgh for 2021; T.J. is on track for a big-ticket extension in the near future. The Steelers are well over the projected cap, as of Friday, and may have to replace several veteran starters next season. One of those could be free agent Bud Dupree. Pittsburgh’s fit would also be interesting considering their talent at Watt’s position. The Steelers have Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt signed to long-term deals. While Watt has been dominant as an inside and outside pass rusher, the Steelers have two high-end starters at his position.

Coming off their first playoff berth in 18 years, the Browns are projected to be in the league’s top sector in terms of cap space. Olivier Vernon suffered an Achilles tear late in the season, and the defensive end is on track for free agency anyway. The Browns, who will be looking for an edge rusher opposite Myles Garrett, made a steady push for longtime Watt teammate Jadeveon Clowney last year.

The Bills have several veteran defensive ends under contract, but Watt is younger than Buffalo starters Mario Addison and Jerry Hughes. The team that did land Clowney, Tennessee struggled mightily on defense last season. The Titans’ Clowney and Vic Beasley signings produced zero combined sacks. Watt did play under Mike Vrabel for a time in Houston. Both the Titans and Bills reside in the middle of the pack in projected cap space.

While Watt did not make the Pro Bowl, he did play a 16-game season for the second time in three years. Despite major injuries in 2016, ’17 and ’19, Watt graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 overall edge defender in 2020, with the advanced metrics site praising the veteran’s work against the run and pass. His five sacks, however, were a career-low for a season in which he played 16 games. Watt made the most recent of his five All-Pro first teams in 2018, when he recorded 16 sacks and forced seven fumbles. More teams figure to emerge in this pursuit soon.

This Date In Transactions History: Browns Sign Kareem Hunt

February 11th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Two years ago today, the Browns made a controversial move that has (so far) paid off for the organization. On February 11, 2019, Cleveland announced that the signing of running back Kareem Hunt.

From an on-the-field perspective, the move made plenty of sense. Hunt ran for 1,327 yards as a rookie in 2017, and he followed that up with a 14-touchdown season in 2018 despite playing in only 11 games. The talent was (and still is) undeniable. Hunt also had a relationship with former Browns GM John Dorsey that dated back to their stints in Kansas City.

From an off-the-field perspective, the move was divisive. At the time of the signing, Hunt was under investigation for three separate 2018 events — most notably an incident captured on video that showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland complex. Hunt was released by the Chiefs following the release of the video. That transaction took place before the NFL could react, and following his signing with Cleveland, Hunt was promptly placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list.

The literal signing also proved to be a topic of contention. Hunt inked a one-year deal that could be worth up to $1MM. This was an increase from the $678K he was set to make with Kansas City in 2019. While a subsequent suspension would reduce any salary, Hunt still took home more money than if he had been retained by his former team.

Hunt was ultimately banned for the first eight games of the 2019 season, and he was reinstated by the league in early November. He naturally slid in as a backup behind Nick Chubb, who would soon complete a Pro Bowl season that saw him rush for 1,494 yards and eight touchdowns. Hunt ultimately appeared in eight games (three starts) for the Browns in 2019, collecting 464 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

The running back was slapped with a second-round tender after the season, and he ended up getting a two-year, $13.25MM extension from the organization this past September. Hunt saw a much larger role during his second season in Cleveland, compiling 1,145 yards from scrimmage and 11 scores. Hunt also saw time in two playoff games, collecting three total touchdowns. The running back remains under contract through the 2022 season, which is especially relevant considering Chubb’s impending free agency after next season. While the two-headed monster should return in 2021, Cleveland’s backfield could look a whole lot different in 2022.

Hunt’s past continues to make him a controversial figure, and both the player and the Browns will have a tough time shaking this notion as long as Hunt’s in Cleveland. Still, when coupling the player’s production with the future flexibility he’ll provide, there’s no doubting that the move has worked out for Cleveland.

Njoku Cryptic About Browns Future

February 9th, 2021 at 1:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • David Njoku had a rocky season with the Browns, even as the team had their most success in decades. The drafting of Harrison Bryant and signing of Austin Hooper reduced his role on offense, and Njoku demanded to be traded this past summer, then changed his mind on that demand, then apparently changed his mind once again and wanted to be traded in October. Obviously Cleveland didn’t want to deal him, and it looked like everything had more or less been worked out, but Njoku fanned the flames again this past week. “That’s a good question,” Njoku said recently on the Jim Rome Show when asked if he’s in the right spot, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not going to answer that right now. I have no comment towards that at this moment,” Njoku said cryptically. The 29th overall pick of the 2017 draft added that everything would work itself out in the “near future.” Thanks to his fifth-year option the tight end is under contract for 2021 at a hair over $6MM, although that’s not guaranteed. If they choose to keep him at that number, it sounds like another trade request could be in the cards.

Marty Schottenheimer Passes Away At 77

February 9th, 2021 at 9:31am CST by Zachary Links

Longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer passed away at the age of 77, as ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen tweets. Schottenheimer, who spent 21 years in the league, has been battling Alzheimer’s for the past six years.

Schottenheimer served as a head coach for the Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, and the Washington Football Team. All together, he compiled a regular season record of 200-126-1. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who spent five years under Schottenheimer in San Diego, praised Schottenheimer as the best head coach he ever had.

“I never went into a game with Marty as coach feeling like I wasn’t fully prepared to win,” Tomlinson said (via ESPN.com). “He really wanted you to understand every detail of the game plan..I will remember him more for the life lessons that he taught me.”

Schottenheimer last coached in 2006, leading the Chargers to a 14-2 regular season record. Though his teams never reached the Super Bowl, he was a highly-respected football mind and mentor throughout his career. His coaching tree spawned the likes of Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher, Mike McCarthy, and Bruce Arians, who is fresh off of a dominant championship victory. Meanwhile, his son, Brian Schottenheimer, has been coaching in the league for more than two decades. Just last week, Brian signed on for his latest position with the Jaguars’ staff.

Browns Promote Ben Bloom To RGC

February 8th, 2021 at 5:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • DeFilippo isn’t the only coach who got a promotion on Monday, as the Browns announced they were promoting Ben Bloom to be their new defensive run game coordinator. Bloom spent the 2020 season as a general defensive assistant with the team, and clearly impressed. He was previously the linebackers coach of the Cowboys from 2018-19.

Jim Leonhard, Others In Contention For Packers’ DC Job

February 2nd, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers are conducting an expansive search to replace Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator. Several more names joined the early wave of candidates.

Former Chiefs DC Bob Sutton interviewed for the position recently, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds five other new candidates emerged on Green Bay’s radar as well. This comes after news of the Packers interviewing former Seahawks DC Kris Richard, Chargers passing-game coordinator Joe Barry, Washington secondary coach Chris Harris and Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero. Richard and Sutton have since lined up positions with the Saints and Jaguars, respectively. Perhaps a sign about the direction the Packers’ search has taken.

Ten-year NFL safety-turned-Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard, former Dolphins DC Matt Burke, Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, Saints D-line coach Ryan Nielsen and Packers secondary coach Jerry Gray either have interviewed for the position or will do so by Wednesday, per Demovsky.

Leonhard, whose NFL playing career wrapped up after the 2014 season, has not coached at the NFL level. But he has been the Badgers’ DC since 2017. Three times in the past four seasons, Wisconsin has deployed a top-10 scoring defense in Division I-FBS. Although Leonhard’s nomadic career did not include a Packers stop, the 38-year-old is a Wisconsin native.

Gray served as the Titans’ DC from 2011-13, spent the next six seasons as Vikings secondary coach and signed on as Packers secondary coach last season. The former NFL cornerback has been an assistant in the league since the late 1990s. Kiffin spent 2020 with the Browns but worked with Matt LaFleur‘s brother Mike with the 49ers previously. Burke oversaw the Dolphins’ defense from 2017-18 and was with the Eagles during the past two seasons, while Nielsen has spent the past four seasons as New Orleans’ D-line coach.

Browns Likely To Let Ogunjobi Walk

February 2nd, 2021 at 1:42pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • The Browns are coming off an incredibly successful season that saw them make it back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years, but there will still be changes coming in Cleveland. One of the biggest could be the departure of defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. Ogunjobi will likely be allowed to hit free agency and the Browns “probably won’t want to pay him what he can get on the open market,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Ogunjobi has been a very solid player for Cleveland, starting at least 15 games each of the past three seasons, but with Sheldon Richardson still also manning the middle and fellow defensive tackle Andrew Billings set to return from COVID opt-out in 2021, Kay Cabot thinks he’s expendable.
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