Dawgpoundsouth

Rookie minicamp just concluded and as always there’s plenty of optimism about the 2026 Browns draft class. Out of ten draft picks, it appears the Browns have found at least five starters, LT Spencer Fano, WR K.C. Concepion, WR Denzel Boston, S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and C Parker Brailsford. If the team can get any quality contributions out of four of the other five, (not counting QB Taylen Green) that’s a good draft class. Over the years, Browns GM Andrew Berry has been able to find very good players after the draft. Last year the Browns signed four undrafted rookie free agents who made significant contributions, DT Adin Huntington, WR Isaiah Bond, WR Gage Larvadain and S Donovan McMillon. This year is no different. Here are three to watch.

Micheal Coats, CB, West Virginia. Coats is a very athletic player who could play both safety and corner. He’s a physical player who has the size and speed to play in the slot. Coats ran a 4.4 40. In 2025 while playing for Nevada, he led the team in pass break ups (13) and interceptions (4). IN his final year at West Viginia, he again led the team in pass break ups (7).

Logan Fano, DE, Utah. Brother of first round pick Spencer Fano. In 2025 Fano had a pass rush win rate of 15.6 percent. In passing situations that number jumped to 25.5 percent. He’s torn his ACL twice, which may explain why he wasn’t drafted. But I can see why the Browns are rolling the dice on Fano, his 21.6 percent pressure rate in true passing situations is too good to ignore.

T.J. Harden, RB, SMU. Harden had pretty ordinary production as a running back, but in 2024 and 2025 while at UCLA, he was very productive as a receiver. In 2025 he was second on the team with 368 receiving yards which was 12.6 percent of the team’s total. Browns head coach Todd Monken was very vocal about the team adding a FB and the Browns did sign 12-year veteran Michael Burton, but if Harden can handle the blocking assignments, he could be the prefect west coast style FB.

Others to watch: Safety Zion Washington, DE Tyreek Sapp, DE Khordea Snyder, WR Aaron Anderson and WR Kole Wilson.

Finally, it’s NFL schedule announcement week with the full schedule being announced on Thursday night May 14. As the week progresses, the games overseas will be announced leading up to Thursday. You can follow me (http://@ctownthug) or follow who I’ll be reposting, Ozzy (http://@OzzyNFL) or NFL Nerd (http://@NerdingonNFL). Both are excellent follows for schedule leaks. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Now that the Browns have concluded one of their best drafts, I thought I would review where the team stands as of today.

First the draft. I hope everyone gets a chance to watch “The Pick Is In” an ESPN documentary about the 2026 draft, with the Browns featured prominently. The inside look at the Browns draft room is amazing. All I can say is calm, cool & collected. I’m so glad the Browns didn’t take the Cowboy’s low offer. Great job Andrew.

Salary cap. According to “Over The Cap” the Browns are currently around $23.5 million under the cap. Over the weekend it was reported the Browns were redoing the contract of OT Dawand Jones. Basically, the team moved his “Proven Performance Escalators” to upfront cash. These escalators are money Jones could earn, but instead he gets the money now. This does two things, better cap situation for the Browns and no consequences if Jones is cut. I expect the Browns to do the same thing for two other players, DE Isaiah McGuire and WR Cedric Tillman. All three of these players have under preformed or have been injury prone. All three are in the last year of their contracts and replacements were found in the draft or UDFA signings.

Off-season dates. Rookie training camp May 8-10, OTA’s May 19-21, June 2-5, Mandatory minicamp June 9-11. After that it’s Training camp in July.

2026 opponents. Just a reminder the official NFL schedule comes out this month. Usually, it’s the second or third week in May. The Browns will host Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Houston, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Carolina and Las Vegas. The Browns travel to Baltimore, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Tampa, Nashville, New York Giants and Jets. The Saints are playing in Paris this year and the rumor is it will be October 25, week seven. Could the league send the Browns overseas in back-to-back years? Yes, they could.

Stay safe and Go Browns.

So far, so good. Browns GM Andrew Berry was charged with fixing the worst offense in the league, mission accomplished, so far. The worst two position groups were the offensive line and the wide receivers. Though free agency and the draft, the offensive line looks much better, Last year because of age and injuries, the Browns were attempting to fix the problem with anyone they could find. It didn’t work. Now every starting position is covered and so are the backups, except backup center. I have faith Berry will solve this problem prior to training camp.

After Jerry Jeudy, the wide receiver room was lacking but still had some potential. I think both Isaiah Bond and Malachi Corley can develop into valuable offensive weapons. All I know, Cedric Tillman needs to stay healthy to make this team. As with the OL, the wide receivers will need reps to establish continuity so the offense can work. Todd Monken, Travis Switzer, Mike Bajakain and George Warhop will need the time and space to develop talent and personnel groups to get this offense ready for week one. Let’s not confuse the issue with QB reps. Speaking of the quarterbacks, no matter who’s the starter, there are no more excuses. With these two position groups and the running back room with the addition of a fullback, this offense has the potential to make the jump into the top fifteen in league offenses. That’s enough, with this defense, to make great strides in the win column.

My only concerns are tight end and edge. The Browns still need a number two tight end and a number four edge rusher. Time for the after-draft bargain bin. Finally, the local media and fans are convinced everyone’s favorite bogeyman Paul Depodesta held back Berry in previous drafts. Then explain to me how the team had a great draft last year with DePodesta in the war room. He helped manufacture the trade down in 2025 that netted the team Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson and K.C. Conception. That trade down last year set the tone for this year’s draft getting four starters in the first four picks. Let the off-season continue. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Finally, the 2026 NFL Draft is tomorrow, and it took forever to get here. It’s been a journey of absurd and, frankly, some of the worst takes I’ve ever heard. The one thing I’m grateful for is I haven’t heard the phrase “generational talent” once. Thank God. My mock draft is based on different elements. I’m going to take into consideration the league’s age guardrails and player’s Relative Athletic Scores (RAS). I’ll also consider any knowledge of draftees that I’ve read and heard. There will be no trades. Here goes:

Rd. 1, Pick 6. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State. This is so simple. Terrible offense, draft a weapon who can help terrible offense. Tate is an excellent route runner with great hands. His biggest fault is he was the number two buckeye wide receiver behind Jeremiah Smith. Every WR in college right know would be number two to Smith.

Rd 1, Pick 24. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State. Iheanachor (pronounced E-hon-ah-chore) came to football late but has improved every year. He’s a raw talent. His quickness, agility and strength make him a unique talent. He has the highest ceiling of any OT in the draft and can be the long-term solution at the position.

Rd. 2, Pick 39. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana. The Browns are in need of a reliable slot cornerback, and Ponds can be the solution to this problem. I know he’s small, 5’9″, 180 lbs., but he gave really good wide receivers problems, just ask Jeremiah Smith and Denzel Boston. Elite cover skills and he has return abilities.

Rd. 3, Pick 70. Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina. Versatile safety who can play both free safety and strong safety. Because of his coverage skills, he can also be a team’s nickel corner. At South Carolina, they created a position for him. Can read the opposing QB and is a force at the point of attack in the run game.

Rd. 4, Pick 107. Jalen Farmer, IOL, Kentucky. Started two years a right guard. A better run blocker than pass blocker. He drive blocks very well and finishes with leverage. Works well in space. Needs to improve his footwork.

Rd. 5, Pick 146. Jack Endries, TE, Texas. Started every game in his three years at Texas. He’s a quarterback friendly pass catcher. A consistent ball-winner in tight coverage and tough on man coverage.

Rd. 5, Pick 149. Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan. Plays with good awareness and change of direction. He finishes tackles with technique and consistency. Great against the run. Hard to believe he was a one-year starter with his instincts.

Rd. 6, Pick 206. Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama. Elite quickness to keep defenders occupied. Very active and engaged with a commitment to blocking schemes. Great hands and footwork.

Round 7, Pick 248. Lorenzo Styles, CB, Ohio State. He’s made good improvements with his transition from wide receiver to cornerback. Smooth in short zone coverage and plays with good leverage. Has very good cover talent is special teams.

Everyone stay safe, enjoy the draft and Go Browns.

Finally, the 2026 NFL draft is only eight days away. On the one hand it seems very close and on the other hand it seems very far away. Especially considering the nonsense the local and national media puts out on a daily basis. Today, I’m writing to clear up some of the noise.

We all know the Browns have to improve the offense, especially the offensive tackle and wide receiver positions. As of today, the Browns have four tackles rated similar for the first round. Some have speculated the Browns are considering drafting Kadyn Proctor with the sixth pick, however some in the front office have concerns about his agility and footwork, while others feel he is better suited for offensive guard. The two names I hear for OT are Calib Lomu and Markiel Bell. Lomu is rated as a first round pick (but not at pick 6) and Bell is rated a day three prospect. Another OT who interests the Browns is Max Iheanachor, another developmental prospect.

As for wide receivers at pick six, the Browns are interested in Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon. Some in the building believe Tate might be gone by pick 6. Other WR’s who interest the Brown later in the draft are K.C. Concepcion (later in the first round) and Ted Hurst (later in the draft). There are a few defensive wildcards for the Browns. At defensive end, R. Mason Thomas and David Bailey. The biggest wildcard is Caleb Downs, who is a very tempting player at pick 6. I’m fully convinced the Browns will address the DE/LB position either in the draft, free agency or the trade market prior to OTA’s. I’m also convinced the team will draft a safety and a cornerback next week. The Browns believe the safety market in the draft is the best option.

Lately, the media and others on social media have been pushing the trade down theory with the Cowboys and the Eagles being the primary partners. Dallas has a history of making bad trades which benefit the team they’re trading with, so if the Browns can steal picks from Dallas, that’s fine with me. However, there’s no way Cowboy owner Jerry Jones could keep this kind of deal secret, he loves to hear his name in the media. As for the Eagles, Browns GM Andrew Berry always touches base with the Eagles before the draft only because he used to work for them. There’s no Myles Garrett or A.J. Brown trade in the works. As I’ve said, if Garrett is traded before June 1, there’s a $41millon dead cap hit. Now after June 1, the dead cap hit is only $15million but why burden a new head coach with the responsibility of fixing both the offense and the defense in the same year.

There’ll be plenty more speculation and craziness in the next eight days, so stay safe and Go Browns.

As the NFL season slowly drags on to the Super Bowl to many fans, (the 2026 draft) the off-season has reached the point of absurdity. Every year players rise and fall on analysts and fans draft boards, but the reasoning is based on combine and pro day performances. Not this year. Actually, it’s been getting worse for the last couple of years. But last year it reached a new low and it was based on a terrible quarterback draft. Quarterback talk drives the bus in this league, whether it be draftees or the never-ending list of the same aging free agent QB’s who always seem to be available. The quarterback position draws all the attention because there are teams who are always looking for the “franchise quarterback” even though the team that just won the Super Bowl had a QB who was on his fifth team. Franchise quarterbacks no longer exist. It’s a myth created in the 1990’s. With players receiving more and more NIL money, unless a college QB is guaranteed a top ten draft slot, he’s staying in college and getting paid.

Back a few years ago Draft con artist Mel Kiper got caught taking money from player’s agents to promote their clients in his mock drafts. He admitted doing it and suffered no consequences. You could argue he suffered shame, but you to have shame to feel shame. Kiper has none. Last year he promoted Sheduer Sanders as the number one quarterback in the draft and still won’t acknowledge his mistake. It’s the league’s fault for not agreeing with him. The worst part, fans still believe him and anytime anyone said anything negative about Sanders, they were immediately attacked. I’ve experienced this vigorous rebuttal myself, but I rely on my eyes. He played like a fifth-round pick. Fans tell me he was 3-4 as a starter, but in the last game against Cincinnati the Browns defense scored two touchdowns in a 20-18 victory. Should that count?

This year, Dan Orlovsky made a ridiculous statement that Alabama quarterback Tyler Simpson is the best quarterback in this year’s draft. I have no objection to someone expressing their opinion and if that’s his opinion then fine. But then he tried to justify his opinion by saying he texted to 12-15 GMs/decision-makers that Simpson is the best QB in the draft and only two disagreed. First of all, GM’s/decision makers are a little busy right now and aren’t expressing their thoughts about any player to a television analyst. Second of all his statement got plenty of play yesterday, which was his desired result. If any GM is taking Orlovsky’s advice, they should be fired right now. Because the quarterback position is overvalued, some team will overreact and draft Simpson in the first round. If he lasts until the third day where he should be drafted, then Orlovsky will blame the league like Kiper did the year before.

Some draft tidbits. I really think (my opinion) the Browns will draft more than one offensive tackle, that’s why I thought it was interesting the team brought in Miami (FL) left tackle Markel Bell for a player visit. He’s a two-year starter who never allowed a sack. He could be a very nice day three pickup. I’ve also heard the Browns like Utah’s Spencer Fano. Everyone is assuming the Browns will go either wide receiver or left tackle with the sixth pick, but there is one player who might interest them if the draft board falls a certain way. That player is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. But again, the draft board has to fall a certain way.

As we move forward towards the 2026 NFL draft, remember the Browns front office never leaks anything, ever. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Sorry I skipped last week’s Browns blog, tax season comes at me fast, especially when I’m behind two weeks because of the ice storm. Now that things have settled down a bit, let’s see where everything stands after the first week of free agency.

I know the first week seems average for the Browns, but GM Andrew Berry said they would be a little more aggressive than last year (they were) and it would be targeted (it was). For all the complaining that Berry never tells the fans and media anything, he told you everything yet there’s still complaining. If you’ve listened to my podcasts, I said the Browns would not make a big splash signing, and yet people are upset there were no big-name signings. At least some things are predicable. As for the players, they’ve acquired, they are versatile and durable. My only concern is left tackle. I can understand not overpaying for LT Rasheed Walker, but I don’t trust Jawand Jones. He was been told again this year to lose weight (30 pounds). I guess they could draft a tackle, and they might, but I would feel better having a dependable veteran already in place prior to the draft.

The other big complaint is Joel Bitonio’s rather large dead cap hit. First of all, dead cap does not represent the negative connotations that those who don’t understand the salary cap try and tell you. Dead cap is money already spent. It’s gone, so actually it’s a positive. You can’t spend money you’ve already spent. The important number to pay attention to is cash spending. The Browns are always top five in cash spending because it doesn’t affect the cap. As I’ve said before, cash spending is like the owner writing a person check to the player. It all depends on the owner and his wealth. Most of these old billionaires want to hold on to their wealth with a death grip and the NFL team they own is a hobby. Not Jimmy Haslam, he’ll spend the money. Odds are it’ll work soon. According to Over The Cap, the Browns are $22.7 million under the cap. Plenty of money to sign or trade for players and sign draft picks.

Speaking of draft picks, Cleveland is in the process of draft player visits. Here’s who’s visited as of this writing: Jordyn Tyson, WR Arizona State, Carnell Tate, WR Ohio State, Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama, Markel Bell, OT Miami(FL), R Mason Thomas, EDGE Oklahoma, Makai Lemon, WR USC, Omar Cooper Jr., WR Indiana, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S Toledo and Chris Bell, WR Louisville. The surprise is R. Mason Thomas, but he was very effective in college rushing the passer. Bell is a day three LT who never allowed a sack for the Hurricanes. Are the Browns interested in any of these players? Yes, or they wouldn’t have them in for a pre-draft visit. Last year they brought in Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger and Quinshon Judkins. Finally, the big talking point is the Browns will trade down, because they did it last year. Poor reasoning. If there’s a trade down, the deal was started at the combine and we’ll never know if it doesn’t happen. Now there might be a trade for a veteran player prior to or during the draft and it might be a wide receiver. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Today begins the NFL Scouting Combine. The draft experts, (and I use that term loosely) will cling to measurements that are relatively meaningless. Players will move up and down their draft boards, but in reality, NFL team’s boards will stay the same. The Browns, for example, have been scouting the 2026 draft for roughly a year and a half. Any so-called analysis of what the Browns will do in the draft is frankly crap and speculation. Free agency and the trade market always come first for Browns GM Andrew Berry. I don’t understand the local media not knowing this. Berry has done this every year, signings and trades to build the roster so the Browns have the freedom to attack the draft as their board falls. His first year, he addressed two positions former GM John Dorsey ignored, the offensive line and tight end. His first two signings were RT Jack Conklin and TE Austin Hooper, so those two starting positions were covered.

There are things I’m going to pay attention to during the Combine. Height and weight of the players being tested. These will be their official numbers, not the ones their universities over exaggerate. An example would be LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Yes, he’s 6’5″ but he’s very thin and then everyone will find out he has small hands which will turn off a lot of fans, because that’s an obsession with many. The most important thing about Nussmeier is he’s nowhere near being NFL ready. If any team takes him before day three, God help them. Just for context, this year’s quarterback draft is worse than last year. I’m also interested in hearing who the Browns interview. This will give fans an indication of what type of player the team is interested in. Finally, the Combine is where the deals for trades and signings are made. I love the rumors.

Speaking of rumors, here you go:

The Browns would love to have Joel Bitonio return. Both parties agreed to move his void date back as Bitonio decides to return. The Browns are giving him the time to digest what they are is doing.

Because of the injury to Judkins, the team is evaluating the running back position, whether in free agency or in the draft.

At this time the Browns are not pursuing WR Brandon Aiyuk.

JOK is still making his mind up if he wants to return. He has not told the Browns he’s going to retire, and the Browns are giving him all the time he needs to make his decision.

Speaking of JOK, the team has been in contact with Devin Bush’s representatives and would like him to return to the team.

The Browns are going to add to the QB room and would like to find a short-term starter.

Offensive line coach George Warhop has reached out to the linemen who are on the roster. He wants to see how their doing physically and to provide them with direction on his coaching style and what he expects from them.

Stay safe and Go Browns.

As Browns fans and the local Cleveland media make a big stink over the fact the team didn’t hire their defensive coordinator fast enough, I thought I’d post some news and notes.

New DC. The team announced they hired Mike Rutenberg as their new defensive coordinator. He’s a high energy guy who is described as controlled chaos and will be aggressive when necessary. He’s run many different defensive schemes and will fit the scheme to the players. There are rumors he’ll keep key assistants.

Salary Cap. The deadline on the decision for Joel Bitonio was yesterday. Still have no idea what happened, but the team doesn’t have to make any announcement. According to Over The Cap the Browns are still at $2.3 million under the cap. I expect GM Andrew Berry to make moves, restructures, to create more cap room prior to the beginning of the league year.

Important Dates. Today, teams can start designating Franchise and Transition players. The deadline to finish is March 3. The NFL Combine begins February 23 and runs through March 2. This is where the deals are made and the most important aspect of the Combine are the player interviews with teams. March 9 through March 11 is the legal tampering period. On March 11 at 4:00pm EST the league year officially starts. All teams must be below the 2026 salary cap of $303,500.00. On April 6, teams with new coaches can start their off-season programs. The 2026 NFL draft will be held in Pittsburg April 23 -25.

Finally it’s way too early for draft speculation. Andrew Berry uses free agency to fill holes in the roster. He’ll make trades and try and find young free agents. Don’t expect big splash signings, but the Browns will be busy. This front office has ten draft picks and are ranked third in the league in draft capital. The focus will be on offense, with the offensive line garnering the most attention. Stay safe and Go Browns.

It’s been a while since my last blog; I never thought the ice storm that hit Nashville would lead to my wife and I to be without power for twelve days. Still have my neighbor’s rotten tree in what’s left of my back yard, but things could’ve been worst. So, have the Browns done anything while I was gone? Let’s start with the new head coach, Todd Monken. I like this hire. He’s made quarterbacks better no matter where he coached and this offense needs all the help it can get. As for the Browns starting quarterback in 2026, he is not on the roster. He’ll be signed as a free agent or traded for. He won’t come from this year’s draft because this quarterback draft is worse than last year’s. Browns GM Andrew Berry will fix the offensive line, starting in free agency, whether it’s a signing or a trade and then finish the fix in the draft.

So Jim Schwartz took his ball and went home. I glad the team didn’t try and force him on any candidates, because with that attitude, it would’ve been a disaster on the level of John Dorsey disasters. The Browns still own his rights and no he cannot be traded for a pick. Not in the rules. I don’t worry about who they’re going to hire, because it’s a plumb job. A new defensive coordinator can come to Cleveland, make the defense better (believe me there’s room for improvement) and then turn that into a head coaching job in the 2027 cycle. Monken just needs to hire the right assistants. By the way, I’ve heard the entire coaching staff will be finished by the end of this week. I’m most interested in who they hire for the special team’s coach. That’s the most important hire.

So David Njoku is moving on. Not surprised in the lease bit. He had a great 2022 & 2023, an average 2024 and a bad 2025. I knew he was gone when they drafted Harold Fannin. Of course, the fans and the media are thinking the Browns should poach Isaiah Likely from the Ravens. Nope. Likely is similar to Fannin, a lighter tight end that runs routes like a wide receiver. If it’s me, I’m trying to sign Charlie Kolar from Baltimore. He’s an inline, hand on the ground tight end. If the Browns are going to add from the draft, which is great for the tight end position, I’m looking at Max Klare, Ohio State, Sam Roush, Stanford or Dallen Bentley, Utah.

So Mike Vrabel lost the Super Bowl. The Patriots had the easiest schedule in the NFL, and it showed. The Seahawks did to the Patriots what the Eagles did to the Chiefs the year before, bring pressure without blitzing. The last four teams in the championship games were the top four teams who were the best at bringing pressure from the defensive tackle position. And you wonder why the Browns drafted Mason Graham with the fifth overall pick and signed Malik Collins. According to history, New England won’t make the playoffs next year which doesn’t bode well for two-time coach of the year Mike Vrabel. This year, week one, both the Seahawks and the Patriots had a one percent chance to make the Super Bowl, so there’s always hope. Stay safe and Go Browns.