Month: June 2025

Browns news, besides one traffic violation, has been few and far between and that’s the way I like it. Let’s get to training camp without any more distractions. The only Browns news I hope we see is the announcement of some extensions. David Njoku and Martin Emerson would be nice as would a couple of contract restructures, Denzel Ward and Ethan Pocic come to mind. Browns GM Andrew Berry usually gets these deals done prior to or the start of training camp. If you didn’t know, training camp starts July 18th for the rookies and July 22nd for the veterans. Last week I guessed July 21, so I wasn’t too far off.

Speaking of the salary cap and contracts, according to Over The Cap the Browns are $18.146 million under the salary cap. The restructures of Ward and Pocic would give the team more cap space to move to next year. As for contracts, Nick Chubb’s deal with the Texans has finally surfaced. He has a base salary of $1.5 million, a signing bonus of $575,000 and a per game roster bonus of $425,000. The one-year deal has a value of $2.5 million and an additional $2.5 million available through incentives. His cap hit is $2.275 million. Basically, it’s a contract for a veteran backup running back. I doubt because of his age and injury history he’ll ever receive a multiyear deal again. That’s just the nature of the league.

The Browns roster is pretty much set for training camp. Over the next month, so called experts will suggest the Browns know who their starter at QB will be. Or suggest they know who will be cut or traded. Some are already suggesting the Browns will keep four quarterbacks on the final 53. I don’t see it. The way injuries happen in the NFL, why weaken another roster position either on the final 53 or the sixteen-man practice squad. If there are four quarterbacks, then the roster spot taken will more than likely be from another offensive position group and the way the offense played last year, that’s defiantly not a good idea. Let me just note, for those who don’t remember, last year on the final roster, Andrew Berry did have four quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tyler Huntley. Berry was hoping to trade Huntley, but it didn’t happen and cut him days later.

Hopefully I’ll have something to write about the Browns over the next month. Also, look for my articles and podcasts through The Fanatical Elfz Network (http://@ElfzNetwork) and Fans First Sports Network (http://@FFSN_NFL). Stay safe and GO Browns.

With the exception of some classwork this week, the off-season programs are over. It’s time for summer break. Hopefully no Browns player will be in the news, unless there’s a signing or a trade. After this week, rookies will be sent home with a playbook and instructions on how they can be ready for training camp. The date for training camp hasn’t been announced, but I think the CBA states it’s to start 47 days prior to the team’s first game. That would put it around July 21.

All the rookies have signed except running back Quinshon Judkins. He was the first player drafted in the second round, so other second-round players are waiting. The money is slotted but there’s always language and incentives that slow things down. I’m not going to worry about it until training camp. If he’s not signed by then, it’s a problem. In other news, the Browns finally signed an offensive tackle. Jackson Barton is a six-year pro who’s played about 160 snaps in the league the vast majority at right tackle. He has played a handful of games at left tackle, so he joins Dawand Jones & Cornelius Lucas as players who have played both positions. He’s competing for the fourth tackle spot.

It seems things aren’t going well in Pittsburg and especially Cincinnati. T J Watt wants the Steelers to pay him Myles Garrett money. He’s 30 years old and is already making $20 million a year. Maybe if he lined over someone else besides the right tackle, he could get Myles Garrett money. The Steelers don’t play games with players who want a new contract, so Watt is going to have to settle. Speaking of playing games with players, Things in Cincinnati are not going well. All pro Trey Hendrickson wants a new contract, and he desires one. He and the team have started to talk, so maybe it will get done. Meanwhile the Bengals first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart bolted from camp last week. As with Judkins, the money is slotted so there has to be a problem with the guarantees and language. I’ve heard the Bengals want the option to void the contract if Stewart has any off-field problems, which he did in college. And people think the Browns are dysfunctional.

According to Over The Cap, the Browns have $18.1 million in salary cap space and that’s an up-to-date figure. If there are going to be any contract extensions, they’ll happen in July. That’s what history tells us about Browns GM Andrew Berry. The roster is pretty much set. Many Browns fans want another wide receiver added and that still might happen, but the Browns want to see what they have in Diontae Johnson and Cedric Tillman. Stability at the quarterback position would really be helpful. Because of the slow news period of the next six weeks, I might not be doing a blog every week, but if anything happens, I’ll keep writing. You can also follow me at Fans First Sports Network (http://@FFSN_NFL) and The Fanatical Elfz Network (http://@ElfzNetwork) with my articles and my podcast. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Browns great Nick Chubb signed a free agent contract with the Houston Texans yesterday and thus ends the Nick Chubb era in Cleveland. It was inevitable he was gone after the drafting of Quinshon Judkins in the second round of the recent draft. If the Browns had drafted their first running back in the third round, then this might not have happened. The team talked to Chubb’s agents once a week and expressed a desire to have Chubb return. But his representatives decided to wait till after the draft. Chubb embodied what a Browns player was all about, a quiet workhorse. You can be sad he’s not a Brown but not signing him was a smart business move. Nick Chubb is no longer the back he was prior to the injury. Watching 2024 games, he relied on being a power back. The vision was there, but not the burst or the shiftiness. While he would occasionally have a five-to-ten-yard run, most of his carries would result in a loss or a one two-yard gain. He’s not the same running back and I doubt he’ll return to the franchise back he used to be.

Many Browns fans will make a big deal out of the contract he signed. The reported contact is what the agent wants you know. I’ll wait till Over The Cap has the true numbers, but I willing to bet his salary for 2025 is the veteran minimum of $1,170,000. I had heard if he signed with the Browns; it would have been a one-year deal with reachable incentives and future team options. This was his choice. What if he was signed by the Browns and he couldn’t beat out Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford? Then the Browns would have to cut him. There are people still mad at Bill Belichick for cutting Bernie Kosar. I’m still mad at Art Modell for letting Jim Brown retire. The NFL is a business, and this was a business decision by Nick Chubb. Could the rookie running backs have benefitted from Chubb being on the team? Sure, but it also could’ve been a hindrance. They won’t have to constantly field Nick Chubb questions all through training camp.

Judkins can be the starting running back for the Browns and based what I saw of his play in college, both at Mississippi and Ohio State, he’ll be very good. Remember he scored three touchdowns in the National Championship game. Cleveland is returning to the wide zone offense that running backs thrive in and the team has improved the offensive line. Many fans are clamoring for Shedeur Sanders to start. The best way for a rookie quarterback to excel is a strong running attack, a veteran tight end and a veteran wide receiver.

A majority of fans will blame GM Andrew Berry, but that’s the job description of an NFL GM. Don’t take the credit when it’s due and listen to the blame from disgruntled fans. I’ve already seen the ridiculous logic on social media. This team needs young legs to carry the new rushing attack. Judkins and Sampson are those guys. As I’ve said, this maybe the most productive draft class Andrew Berry has ever drafted. I’ll miss seeing Nick Chubb in a Browns uniform, but his career in Cleveland essentially ended game two of the 2024 season. I wish him the best of luck, and I hope he can stay healthy. Stay safe and Go Browns.

As phase two of voluntary OTA’s restart today, there’s been some Browns news. By that I mean real news.

Salary Cap. As I’ve been saying, the Browns had about $8.9 million added to their cap because of the post June 1st cuts to Dalvin Tomlinson and Juan Thornhill. According to Over The Cap, the team now stands at $18.2 million under the cap. They could still create room by restructuring Denzel Ward and/or Ethan Pocic, but that probably won’t happen until July. Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo is still a candidate to be traded of released. DL Alex Wright is in the last year of his rookie contract at $3.4 million, so a decision must be made on him. And Greg Newsome and Martin Emerson are both in the last year of their contracts. No word on Nick Chubb. He either will sign with the Browns and accept being RB3 or wait until an injury to a running back in training camp, whether it be with the Browns or another team. The market for veteran running backs is way down this year. Finally, an extension for TE David Njoku is expected this summer.

Joel Bitonio. It was refreshing to hear a veteran Browns player expressing optimism for the plan on offense. He has faith the team will play the best quarterback in 2025 and not focus on developing young talent. He likes the new offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren and hinted the offense will be similar to the 2020 offense. If you recall that year head coach Kevin Stefanski let the offense loose, mainly because the Al Wood’s defense couldn’t hold a lead no matter how big. QB Baker Mayfield threw for four touchdowns in a half twice, the first half of the Titan’s game and the second half of the second Bengals game. That year Mayfield threw for 3563 yards, 28 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 95.9 QBR. I’m all for the 2020 offense.

Pro Football Focus. They rated all 32 NFL rosters, and the Browns came in last. I’m a fan of PFF, but this is ridiculous. Their reasoning was because of the offense. Yes, we all know it was terrible in 2024, but last, really? They ignore the fact the Browns signed two offensive linemen who were high in their ratings, OT Cornelius Lucas and OL Teven Jenkins. The Browns drafted two great running backs and one hell of a tight end. Yes, the quarterback needs to be ironed out, but the odds favor the Browns finding a player who can help them win.

Myles Garrett. Shock of shocks, Garrett wasn’t at the voluntary OTA’s. He’s not a team leader. Blah, blah blah. Garrett is a team leader like Flacco is a mentor. The Browns usually have four defensive ends on their final 53-man roster. Currently there are two locks, Garrett and Isaiah McGuire. Contenders for the other two spots are Okoronkwo, Julian Okwara and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Tryon-Shoyinka has looked very good in OTA’s. Others include UDFA Adin Huntington, Cameron Thomas and Jim Schwartz favorite Sam Kamara. The last three are practice squad candidates but keep an eye on Huntington. Basically, the Browns need to figure out the last two spots and the best way to do that is to give the players as many snaps in OTA’s as possible. Garrett doesn’t need to be there until he’s supposed to be there. I’m not worried and either should you. He’ll be there when it matters, and all his teammates know that. Stay safe and Go Browns.