Dawgpoundsouth

The Browns off-season has officially started. So here are some important dates to remember.

January 30th East-West Shrine game and February 1st the Senior Bowl. The games don’t matter but the opportunity to watch players practice under NFL coaches’ instructions is far more valuable. Also, the interview process starts with these games.

February 18th. Starting at 4:00pm EST, teams can designate Franchise and Transition players. The Browns will probably not anyone on this list, but there might be a certain wide receiver from Cincinnati making this list.

February 24 – March 3. The NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Players invited will be tested, weighed and measured. The two most important parts of this period is player interviews and secret deals made between agents and teams. This is the unofficial start to free agency or the illegal tampering period.

March 4. The deadline to Franchise and Transition players. Must be completed by 4:00pm EST.

March 10 – 12. Starting at noon EST and ending at 4:00pm EST on March 12, teams can start negotiating contracts with unrestricted free agents. This is the legal tampering period.

March 12. The 2025 league begins at 4:00pm EST. Free agents can officially sign their new contracts. Trades become official and 2024 contracts expire.

March 30 – April 2. League meetings in Palm Beach FL.

April 7. Teams who have hired a new head coach can begin off-season workouts.

April 16. Deadline to test and workout draft-eligible players at the team’s training facility.

April 18. Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

April 21. Teams with returning head coaches can begin off-season workouts.

April 23. Deadline for teams to exercise right of first refusal on restricted free agents who signed offer sheets. Deadline to test and workout draft-eligible players at any location.

April 24- 26. The NFL Draft.

Stay safe and Go Browns.

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The “Merchants Of Doom” i.e. the Cleveland media didn’t take long to start criticizing Browns GM Andrew Berry after his press availability. I listened and was encouraged. First the big news, quarterback Deshaun Watson has had a setback in his rehab. This tells me he’s not going to be a factor in the QB room in 2025. He’ll be placed on the PUP list when training camp starts then moved to injured reserve at the start of the season. Then http://@Jason_OTC posted on twitter “The #Browns have $44.3M of Watson’s 2025 salary insured for injury so there is some major financial relief available if he cannot play due to the Achilles injury suffered this year.” More good news, the Browns can recoup money owed to Watson. Berry also said the QB room will be different, and Watson’s injury has no impact on the 2025 QB room.

It sounded like Myles Garrett isn’t going anywhere, and Nick Chubb might not be back. Some think differently on Chubb, but it’s a business and he’s not the same player. You need a durable player to have a successful run game. Hopefully I’m wrong and Chubb comes back better than ever. Berry shed some light into the team’s draft process. He again said the Browns look at all positions like they’re an expansion team and the evaluations begin a year and a half ahead of time. Speaking of the draft, I’m of the mind that the Browns would like to trade down and collect assets. Let some other team overdraft one of these quarterbacks. The Lions did it and got four starters, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, LB Jack Campbell, TE Sam LaPorta and DB Brian Branch. That’s a nice haul and that’s why they’re a Super Bowl contender.

The Browns draft picks are, round one, pick 2, round two, pick 33, round three, pick 67 & 93, round four, pick 103, round five, pick 166, round six pick 178, 191 & 205. Two more compensatory picks will be added for Joe Flacco and Jordan Elliott, probably at the end of the sixth round.

The other injury news, DT Michael Hall has a torn MCL and is expected to have surgery next week. He’ll be ready for the 2025 season. As for the game Saturday night, an interception to a 355 lb. defensive tackle is the perfect metaphor for the 2024 Browns season.

Finally, don’t let the “Merchants Of Doom” tell you the Browns have no cap space to sign players, because it’s a load of crap. They’ll have money to spend and will again outspend other NFL teams by $50 million with upfront cash. They’re currently over the expected 2025 salary cap of 272.5 million by $21.4 million but are under the 2024 cap of 255.4 million by 41.5 million. The team will roll the 2024 overage into next year giving them around $20 million under the cap. Add to that the unearned bonus and incentive money from players and the Browns could add another seven to ten million. They’re fine, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Thank God. I had little hope the Browns would win yesterday, mainly because Miami’s playoff hopes improved with the Broncos and Colts loses prior to the game. I was encouraged to see some players still trying, but I have a feeling Saturday’s game in Baltimore will show how many Browns players have vacation plans. I feel it’s doing to be 95% of the team. As for the game itself, it’s Saturday at 3:25 CST and the Ravens are 17.5-to-18-point favorites. They’ll probably have that spread by the end of the first quarter. I’m a pull the band aid of kind of guy, so getting this game out of the way early in the weekend is fine by me.

If you are expecting the Browns to fire the GM and the head coach, sorry, it’s not going to happen. Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski will be back in 2025. Will some assistant coaches get fired? Maybe, but that’ll be Kevin Stefanski’s decision. Yes, he makes those calls and always has. The end of the season press conference will be must see TV. Not for the information, but because I expect the Cleveland media to make fools of themselves once again.

Currently the Browns are drafting third behind New England and Tennessee. The Patriots host the Bills, and the Titans host the Texans. I expect backups for New England, Buffalo and Houston. Hopefully the Browns will play QB Bailey Zappe against the Ravens. Why not, let’s see what the kid can do. I do expect a completely new quarterback room for the Browns in 2025. A veteran, a young veteran and a draft pick. Jameis Winston could be back, but I doubt it. You’ll hear a ton a rumbling about Kirk Cousins signing with the Browns after he’s released. It does make sense. Forget about Aaron Rogers, not a Stefanski type a guy and he’s too much of a headache. He benched himself yesterday against the Bills. No thank you. The third pick is an interesting pick. If the Browns keep it, I would be more inclined to take DE Abdul Carter from Penn State. If you’re picking that high, you have to select an impact player and no QB in this draft is an impact player. Most people want Cam Ward, but he quit on his team at halftime of their Bowl game. I don’t want a quitter. If you’re thinking about a trade down, the 49ers traded their first-round pick recently to Chicago and received the Bears first, a second and a fourth.

Finally, next year’s Browns opponents are all set except one. Tonight’s game between the Lions and the 49ers could determine the last one. Right now, it’s Home: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Buffalo, Miami, Green Bay, Minnesota, Tennessee, and San Fransico if they lose tonight. Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, New England, New York Jets, Chicago, Detroit and Las Vagas. The Browns will have nine home games and could possibly play a game overseas. They’re due. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Well, that was embarrassing. The streak continues for the Steelers, 21 straight games lost by the Browns in Pittsburg and Cleveland hasn’t swept them since 1988. I was actually feeling good after the first quarter, then the football gods decided they’ve seen enough. The strategy of deferring the kickoff looked like the right move. You score before halftime, then get the second half kick and score again. The “double dip” was set up perfectly. Then the Browns pro bowl kicker continued to miss field goals he made last year. I know everyone wants to cut him, but you can’t do that because he just signed a new contract and has guaranteed money this year and next year. This team can’t afford the dead money hit.

Will the Browns continue to start Winston? I don’t know, but it sounds like Kevin Stefanski is thinking about starting DTR versus the Chiefs. Why not. This team has to figure out what their quarterback room is going look like in 2025. The Browns have to find their franchise QB for 2025 and beyond. Do you use your first-round pick on a quarterback? I personally don’t like any of the top QBs in the 2025 NFL draft. Right now, I believe the Browns are drafting eighth. That won’t get you a starter in 2025. I’m not certain Jameis Winston is the answer to be a bridge QB. The Browns have four games to map out their future QB room.

As for Deshaun Watson, he’ll be gone day one of the league year in 2026. The Browns can designate him a June 1st cut and spread his cap hit over 2026 and 2027. What to do in 2025? I’m hearing the front office is working several scenarios. First, I doubt he’ll be ready for training camp or the season opener. My best guess he’ll start the season on the PUP list or IR. Will the Haslam’s decide to just cut bait and pay the price in 2025? They’ve talked about it. Could the team tell Watson to stay away from the team in 2025? It’s been discussed. All I know, Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski as of now, will be back in 2025.

The Browns have to get younger on the offensive and the defensive lines. Have to. Use free agency and the draft to fix the two most important position groups on the team. Find the quarterback, fix those two position groups and fix the not so special teams. Finally, as I write this, Stefanski announced Winston will start versus Kansas City. I hope we get good Jameis and not bad Jameis. Stay safe and Go Browns.

I know the Browns lost, but you can’t say they aren’t fun to watch. I had low expectations going into this game because of the history. Lifetime, Cleveland was 4-14 in Denver. The Broncos have an explosive offense and a dominating defense. But, after watching what happened Thursday night against the Steelers, you kind of hoped the Browns would pull off a miracle and they almost did.

Bottom line, if the Browns could’ve run the ball, then Jameis Winston would’ve thrown the ball less. A healthy Nick Chubb makes the Browns offensive line look better than they actually are. I’m glad they took Chubb out of the game; Jerome Ford was more effective. Nick Chubb won’t be the same Nick Chubb until next year and yes, the Browns are going to resign him. But the mission for GM Andrew Berry and the front office is to rebuild a younger offensive line and yes, Berry will be back next year.

Winston is Flacco, but he cares more when he loses a game because of a pick six. Flacco never seemed too upset when he threw a touchdown to the other team, Winston does. He’s built different. Is Winston the answer next year? Hell no. He’s a backup quarterback with the potential to be a bridge QB. That’s it. If the team can stabilize the offensive line and get back to running the ball like they used to, then that would be the perfect solution. Fans wouldn’t get the full Jamies Winston experience. Jerry Jeudy is a number one WR and Elijah Moore should be resigned. Micheal Woods looked like a natural on the field last night and looked like he belonged. Moving forward he might be another late round gem by Andrew Berry.

The defense played well at times but still gave up the big play too often. The communication in the secondary was again the culprit. Some fans want to fire a defensive coach or two, but the communication was bad under Joe Woods as well, so maybe it’s not the coaches but the players. I have no idea what happened to Martin Emerson but it’s plan to see, he’s got problems. This defense is so much better with JOK. I’ve heard he will be back; however, the timeline is still uncertain. After finding the right kicker, the Browns are back to having a kicker problem. I’m not advocating for a change, but some voodoo needs to be performed. Hopefully next year, the Browns will find a punt returner.

I know there are fans you hate the players celebrating after good plays and use this as an excuse to call for the head coach to be fired. DC Jim Schwartz encourages his players to do it and for them to have fun. Personally, if it’s good enough for a coach who knows more about coaching then the complainers, then it’s good enough for me. I’m still laughing at Jeudy’s backward fall into the endzone. Finally, have you noticed the penalties aren’t really killing the Browns anymore. Nice job Kevin. Stay safe and Go Browns.

That was sweet. Anytime the Browns beat the Steelers is a great day. It shouldn’t be surprising, Pittsburg’s head coach Mike Tomlin, forgets how to coach on Thursday night against divisional opponents. He’s now 0-8 on Thursday Night Football against divisional opponents. Conversely, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is 5-0 on Thursday Night Football. Hopefully the NFL will move all Browns games in 2025 to Thursday night. The Browns last night also broke the personal winning record of Steelers QB Russell Wilson, who came into last night’s game 3-0 against the Browns. Those games were played when Russell played for Seattle and Denver, and we all know how bad the Browns play when they head west.

I’m encouraged by how OC Ken Dorsey made adjustments to the offense during the first half of the game. First two drives were a disaster, and then he opened up the playbook for Jameis Winston and bam, an eighty-yard drive for a touchdown. I was very impressed with Winston, he turned the ball over twice, but still late in the game when the Browns needed a drive and a score, he was good Jameis. The difference in the offense between now and the beginning of the season was the offensive line. RT Jack Conklin is a Watt killer. Prior to this game, as a Brown, Conklin had only allowed Watt one sack and six pressures. LT Germain Ifedi did well enough to keep his starting position over Jed Wills. It would be a smart business decision. When the Steelers took away David Njoku, Winston found the backup tight ends. Yes, they dropped two passes but made three big catches when the Browns needed them. Nick Chubb is getting closer to being Nick Chubb. On the last touchdown, Chubb ran the last nine yards even when the Steeler defense knew he was going to get the ball. Finally, Jerry Jeudy is a number one WR.

The defense still gave up too many big plays. I’ve defended CB Greg Newsome in the past, not anymore. He left both Juan Thornhill and Grant Delpit on islands against fast wide receivers. He left two safeties covering wide receivers. The Browns drafted Cameron Mitchell to replace him, so hopefully he will in 2025. The run defense really stepped-up last night. After a few big plays by Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Justin Fields, the defense started to overwhelm the Steeler offensive line. I said in my preview article, the way to slow down Russell Wilson was to bring pressure up the middle, and they did. Glad to see Russell Wilson getting hit after the threw the ball, it was very effective. Myles Garrett is back in the DPOY discussion.

Finally as I write this, the week sixteen game against the Bengals on Thursday has been flexed to Sunday. After playing Kansas City week fifteen, going on the road to play on a short week was not ideal. I’m glad it happened. In the coming weeks due to the holidays, my opportunities to write my blog may become a little erratic, so hang with me. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Well Browns fans, the slow match to the end of the 2024 NFL season has begun. The Cleveland media is demanding their pound of flesh, and someone has to be fired. I would start with special teams coach Bubba Ventrone. I liked the hire when it happened, however the not so special teams have gotten worse every week. All of a sudden, the Browns Pro Bowl kicker can’t kick a field goal, and this situation will be interesting to watch. Not only did the not so special teams give up a long kickoff return, but they also gave up a long punt return. The only saving grace is punter Corey Bojorquez. Right know he’s the Browns most dangerous weapon.

Your quarterback throws for over 300 yards, and they only score fourteen points. Why? Because the stopped running the ball. I know the passing game was working, but you have to keep the Saints offense on the sideline, specifically Tysom Hill. As I wrote in my preview article, the Browns defense would have to account for Alvin Kamara AND Tysom Hill. They kept Karama in check, but Hill took over the game. He threw the ball; he ran the ball, and he even had a long kick return. I think he also sold beer in the stands. This was the perfect defense to run the ball. Nick Chubb started to look like his old self.

When the season started everyone wondered about the Brown’s wide receivers. Have someone play quarterback that can get the ball down the field, and they look pretty damn good. Jameis Winston reminded me of Joe Flacco last year without the game killing interceptions. On defense, this team needs to get better at safety. Rodney McLeod and Juan Thornhill won’t be back next year, so sign a good one in free agency and draft another. The Browns also needs to get younger on the defense line and younger on the offensive line. The Dawand Jones injury couldn’t have happened at the worst time. In his third start at left tackle, Jones was playing very well. Hopefully, he can be ready to go at the start of training camp, because he’s the best business decision to replace Wills.

Finally, I’m not ready to fire Kevin Stefanski or Andrew Berry. Like I said earlier, the Cleveland media is searching for their pound of flesh. It changes from week to week. One week it’s Stefanski, one week it’s Berry, one week it’s Paul DePodesta and one week everyone wants Jimmy to sell the team. Of course, some members of the media want Stefanski fired, and Mike Vrabel named as the interim coach. No thanks. As always, stay safe and Go Browns.

After the joy of beating the Ravens and an offensive explosion (for this team), all three phases of the Browns fell flat on their faces. The not-so-special teams gave up another big return, the defense gave up two long passes because of no communication and the offense was, well offensive. Now the Browns are 2-7 and its roster evaluation time to get ready for the new league year in 2025 and the NFL draft. It’s no surprise the Browns will again start Winston their next game against New Orleans. If you’re going to need a “bridge” quarterback, you might as well find out now. I do expect to see DTR starting later in the season because you have to find out what you have in DTR. For what it’s worth, New Orleans fired their head coach today after losing seven games in a row.

According to Over The Cap, The Browns are currently $3.7 million over the 2025 cap that Over The Cap estimates to be $272.5 million. For 2024, Cleveland is $45.5 million under the 2024 cap. Whatever they don’t use this year they’ll be able to carryover to 2025. Plus, they’ll get back any incentives or bonuses not awarded to players. If someone tells you they’re going to be in cap hell next year, nope. The only thing stupid that could happen is firing Kevin Stefanski and/or Andrew Berry. If you want that, you want disfunction. Will an assistant coach be fired at the end of the season? Sure, it’s possible.

As for the draft, the Browns have eight picks. One in round one, one in round two, two in round three, one in round four, and three in round six. This is a very good draft for offensive linemen, especially tackles, for edge rushers and wide receivers. I’m not thrilled with the quarterbacks. There’s no C.J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels, so if they’re going to pick a QB, they better be right. The Browns front office has to focus on the offensive line and the defensive line, have to. They had several scouts at the Oregon/Michigan game Saturday and there were three DT’s who could go in the first round who played. I’ll dig deeper into the draft in future blogs. Stay safe and Go Browns.

That was fun. When the Browns win it should be fun. The Jacksonville game was not fun, it was painful to watch, but back then we all said an ugly win is still a win. And at that point in the season, after a terrible loss to the Cowboys, it was needed. So was this, much needed. With all that has happened since the Bengals loss, it was desperately needed. I thought Kevin Stefanski would come out after the game and stand at the fifty-yard line and say, “are you not entertained?”

At halftime after the Ravens got a cheap score off of a Winston fumble, I still felt good. Surprisingly, I didn’t think, how are they going to screw this up. The most important thing, you could feel the crowd through the TV. The announcers mentioned it and you could see it in the fans faces. This is how this new offense is supposed to work. A quick passing game allowing the Browns to run the ball against the best run defense in the league. The best example is the thirty yard pass to Jerry Jeudy. A quick pass with yards after the catch. Running back Nick Chubb is close to being Nick Chubb again. You could see the vision and the cutbacks. It’s surprising what an average, healthy offensive line can do to a team. Speaking of OL, Dawand Jones played his first NFL game at left tackle and looked decent. With more practice, he could be the left tackle of the future, and I’d keep playing him even if Jedrick Wills gets healthy.

Can the team still make the playoffs? It’s possible, but they need to get to the bye week with a win over the Chargers before we can even think about talking about the playoffs. The good news is the teams ahead of the Browns for a playoff spot are on the schedule. Kansas City, Steelers (twice), Broncos, Ravens, Chargers, Bengals and Dolphins. But like I said, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Right now, the team needs to concentrate on beating the Chargers.

Finally, the two players on defense who have been playing at a pro bowl level JOK and Denzel Ward both got hurt yesterday. Ward now has had six concussions, and that’s not good. JOK’s injury was very scary and very concerning. Hopefully both will be ok, but Ward needs to sit down and have a serious discussion with medical professional. He can’t keep getting concussions. Stay safe and Go Browns

That’s the only way I can describe the 2024 version of the Cleveland Browns. Mistake after mistake after mistake. Twelve seconds into the game against the Bengals and they’re already behind by a touchdown. I should’ve turned off the game and found something else to do with my afternoon. But I didn’t, because I’m a Browns fan and I don’t give up on my team. I’ll watch every game from now till the end of the season. I always do.

Did you know that Deshaun Watson over his last four quarters of play was 26 of 29 for 250 yards? Yep, the last half of the Eagles game and the first half of this game, prior to the injury, he was playing well. But that came to an end with what appears to be an Achilles tendon rupture. His recovery from this injury will be at least a year. The Browns did take out an insurance policy on Watson for $14.5 million according to Over The Cap, which will result in about $7 million in cap relief for 2024. If you’re hoping the Browns will move on from Watson because of this injury, sorry it’s not going to happen. Their only opportunity to move on is the beginning of the league year 2026. Then the team can designate him as a post June 1st cut and split his cap hit of $92 million over two years, 2026 & 2027. Similar to what the Broncos did with Russell Wilson this year. By 2026, again according to Over The Cap, the salary cap will be around $300 million and the Browns could still be competitive even with $46 million in dead cap space due to Watson’s contract. I expect him to be on the PUP list at the beginning of 2025.

As for this year, keep an eye on three players who could be traded for future assets. Greg Newsome, Za’Darius Smith and Quinton Jefferson. Has anyone else noticed Jefferson has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks since Michael Hall has returned? Who starts at quarterback will tell you if they’re going for wins or going for talent assessment. If DTR starts, it’s talent assessment and if Winston starts, they’re going for wins. You have to know what you have if your team is picking in the top five in the 2025 draft. Let me also add, Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry aren’t going anywhere. Jimmy Haslem will give them 2025 to fix this roster. If the same thing happens next year, all bets are off. So if you’re a blame Stefanski & Berry type of fan, sorry it isn’t happening this year.

Finally, I know Browns fans have been through a lot over the years. If you’re not my age or older, you don’t remember the last time the Browns won a championship. So you’ve become very anxious with your fandom. We live in an instant world right now, no one wants to wait till next year, people want to have an easy rationale to place blame at the feet of one person. I also understand if you go to the games in person, you’re paying a fortune for that privilege. You should be allowed to boo a bad product, but to cheer when a player gets hurt crosses the line. I don’t care how you feel about that player or what that player has done or not done; you should never cross that line. Then to get mad at the players teammates for calling you out because of the cheering, also crosses the line. Either own up to it or don’t do it. There’s a complicated dance NFL GM’s play with potential free agents every year that fans aren’t aware of, and it doesn’t help the process. Stay safe and Go Browns.