Author: admin

It’s been 48 hours, so here goes. I didn’t expect the Browns to blow out the Ravens and hoped, HOPED, they could win. I did, however expect a better showing. Let’s face facts, installing a new offense with no pre-season games showed why this was a major uphill climb for the Browns. I never thought I would wish there were pre-season games. The Browns now have four days to get ready for the Bengals. The only thing that makes this a positive is Cincinnati also has four days to get ready for a road game with a rookie quarterback. Lets start with the negatives from Sunday.

A fake punt from your own 31 yard line? Really? In the first quarter? Stupid, just plain stupid. Six carries for Kareem Hunt and six carries for Nick Chubb in the first half? I know when the game got out of hand, the Browns had to abandon the run, but the running game was working. The two averaged 5.5 yard a carry for the game and 6.5 yards a carry in the first half. Less play action pass. If the running games is working, which it was, call more play action pass. Stefanski needs to move QB Baker Mayfield outside the pocket more. He is much better on the move and will have less passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. OBJ and Mayfield are still not on the same page. Some of it’s Mayfields fault, some it’s ObJs fault, but one thing is certain, Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey owns OBJ. A third down an 41? That’s almost half a football field. Stop with the stupid penalties.

On defense, the defensive line was uninspiring. Myles Garrett had one tackle. ONE. Safety Andrew Sendejo looked lost. Hopefully the Browns can get S Ronnie Harrison up to speed by Thursday. The secondary was a mess as a whole. The injuries to cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson were painfully evident. The decision not to invest in the linebacker position in the off season was also painfully evident. Can the Browns please find a defender who can cover the opposing tight end, please.

Now for the positives and yes there were positives. The offensive line looked really good, both in pass blocking and run blocking. Left tackle Jedrick Wills played pretty good and made a few rookie mistakes, but all in all had a good game. Right guard Wyatt Teller had an outstanding game only giving up one quarterback pressure verses a damn good Ravens defense. When QB Baker Mayfield is in a flow, he’s a pretty good QB and you saw that on the touchdown drive. It was great to see the Browns line up on the goal line with three tight ends and fullback in the formation. Now they just need to get to the goal line more often. On defense, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was the only bright spot. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the highest rated DT in week one. Now DC Joe Woods needs to get the rest of the defense to play.

As for injuries, both OT Jack Conklin and OT Jedrick Wills got a little dinged up, but both are expected to play on Thursday night, but OT Chris Hubbard did take all the snaps at RT today. LB Jacob Phillips is expected to miss some time with a knee injury and might end up on the Injured Reserve. Both Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson might be ready for week three verses Washington. Unfortunately TE David Njoku was placed on IR and will have to miss three games. Could we see a return of TE Pharaoh Brown? The Browns made one move, they signed kicker Cody Parkey off the practice squad and waived kicker Austin Seibert. Of course, today the Bengals signed Seibert, but will he be able to kick on Thursday night? He still has to go through Covid-19 testing. As for Browns twitter going into complete meltdown about OBJ and Mayfield, stop, just stop. It’s just one game.

Now the Browns host the Bengals. I’m going to be really interested in how this coaching staff reacts to the loss. Calling more play action and roll outs for Mayfield would be a good start. Commit to the run and stay with it would be another. The Chargers had great success running the ball against the Bengals, they had 150 yards rushing. The Browns need to get QB Baker Mayfield into a rhythm and attack the middle of the Cincinnati defense. TE Austin Hooper/Harrison Bryant anyone? On defense, show some exotic fronts to confuse rookie QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals use a lot of two and three wide receiver sets, so the secondary better be ready. CB Denzel Ward has to shadow Bengals WR A.C Green all game long. The Browns defense against Baltimore, put more pressure on the quarterback than any other team in week one. It made no difference because it was against the reigning NFL MVP, QB Lamar Jackson. However on Sunday in Cincinnati, when the Chargers put pressure on QB Joe Burrow, he had a quarterback rating of about 40. Pressure, pressure pressure. The Chargers DE Joey Bosa was a game wrecker in the first half. Myles Garrett needs to be disruptive all game long.. I just hope the Bengals tight end doesn’t have a record setting game. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

The time has come, Browns fans, It’s game week. The roster is set, the practice squad is set and the team is game planning for the Ravens. I never thought this week would come. Lets talk about the roster first. The good news is that center J.C. Tretter is practicing again and is determined to play on Sunday. I thought rookie Nick Harris did a good job and felt confident in his ability if he had to play on Sunday. But having Tretter back would give the Browns a better chance in Baltimore. Also returning to practice was cornerback M.J. Stewart, which will definitely help the defense. Questions still remain about CB Greedy Williams, LB Mack Wilson and CB Kevin Johnson. I have heard that Williams injury is not as bad as everyone thinks and Johnson is ahead of schedule on his injury. I’ve heard nothing on Mack Wilson and I’m checking the injured reserve list everyday. I guess we’ll have to wait for the first injury report this week.

A quick note on the new injured reserve rules for 2020. If a player was placed on the injured reserve by last Sunday September 6, they are required to sit out the entire 2020 season. At some point, and I’m not sure when, the Browns can designate players for short-term IR. This requires a player to only sit out the first three games. This option still might be possible for Mack and Johnson. Finally unlike in years past, there is no limit to how many players can come off short-term IR. Last year only two players could be re-activated from the injured reserve. I’m also glad to see the Browns stashed OT Alex Taylor on the this years IR.

Besides the final roster, the Browns made some major news. GM Andrew Berry solidified the safety position by trading for Ronnie Harrison. It only cost the Browns a 2021 draft pick and Harrison is under contract for the Browns for two years. Berry found the defensive line depth he’s been searching for by signing DT Vincent Taylor and DE Joe Jackson. Both are veterans. The biggest news came yesterday when the Browns signed RB Kareem Hunt to a two year contract extension for $13.25 million. Word is the offer came from Hunt and his agent. Hunt is so grateful the Browns took a chance on him, he offered a hometown discount. Just when 2020 keeps getting weirder by the hour, a star player in the NFL offers to stay with the Browns on a discount.

Back to the Hunt signing, Browns twitter is now convinced the Browns won’t resign RB Nick Chubb. I beg to differ. The Browns new offense is a run heavy, tight end driven offense, so I could see the Browns extending Chubb after the 2020 season. The problem for the 2021 roster is WRs Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry will be owed collectively about $ 30 million. Could one or both restructure? Sure. I’m really glad the Browns resigned Rashard Higgins and drafted Donovan Peoples-Jones. Plus the Browns have to decide on the fifth year options for QB Baker Mayfield and CB Denzel Ward. You have to give Andrew Berry credit for one thing, with all his signings and drafting, he’s not only thinking about this year, but also five years down the road.

As for the practice squad, thirteen of the sixteen players signed spend this year with the Browns at training camp. They already know the system and would be ready to go if called upon because of injury. The Browns filled the last two spots on the PS by signing OL Greg Senat and RB John Kelly. I’m curious why the Browns signed K Cody Parkey. Competition or insurance? Only Andrew Berry knows.

So, it’s game week and the Browns are on to Baltimore. I expect a heavy dose of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Not only to control the game and the clock, but to also protect rookie offensive tackle Jedrick Wills. The less pass plays, the better. The players on the defense are faster and the defensive line needs to control the Ravens offense. I just wish S Grant Delpit hadn’t gotten hurt. I have a feeling he would’ve been shadowing Lamar Jackson all game. Neither team has played a game, so they’re both in the same boat. It’s going to be an uphill climb for our Browns, but stranger thing have happened, remember it’s 2020. Stay safe everyone and Go Browns.

NFL cut down day is Saturday September 5 at 3:00 PM central. Time to play every Browns fan favorite game, the 53 man roster projection game. I’m basing my projections on the new roster rules of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement which have been modified due to Covid-19. If you are unaware of the new rules, I recently wrote an article on this subject for http://www.CLEsportstalk.com. Just click on the Browns tab in the upper left of the page and look for “Cut Down Day – The New Practice Squad And Roster Rules.” So here goes:

Quarterback (2). Baker Mayfield/ Case Keenum. Pretty easy, Garrett Gilbert to the practice squad, hopefully, and he is the Browns emergency QB.

Running Back (4). Nick Chubb/ Kareem Hunt/ D’Ernest Johnson/ Andy Janovich. I know Dontrell Hilliard has more experience, however I think Johnson has outplayed him in training camp.

Wide Receiver (6). OBJ/ Jarvis Landry/ Rashard Higgins/ Donovan Peoples-Jones/ KhaDarel Hodge/Jo Jo Natson. Hodge barely outplayed Taywan Taylor in training camp, however Hodge is a better special teams player. Peoples-Jones and Natson give the Browns better options in the return game.

Tight End (4). Austin Hooper/ David Njoku/ Harrison Bryant/ Pharaoh Brown. I hope they can sneak Stephen Carlson onto the practice squad.

Offensive Line (9). Jedrick Wills/Joel Bitonio/ J.C. Tretter/ Wyatt Teller/ Jack Conklin/ Chris Hubbard/ Kendall Lamm/ Willie Wright/ Nick Harris. Alex Taylor and Evan Brown are players who could make the practice squad. although I worry Taylor won’t make it through waivers. If Tretter isn’t ready for game one, Wright can be the back up center to Nick Harris.

Defensive Line (8). Olivier Vernon/ Larry Ogunjobi/ Sheldon Richardson/ Myles Garrett/ Porter Gustin/ Jordan Elliot/ Eli Ankou/ Adrian Clayborn. Looks like the Chad Thomas era comes to an end in Cleveland. Gustin has had a better training camp. Ankou is a big body the middle of the defensive line needs.

Linebacker(6). B.J. Goodson/ Malcolm Smith/ Jacob Phillips/ Sione Takitaki/ Tae Davis/ Willie Harvey. Davis and Harvey are great special teams players, so they make the roster. Solomon Ajayi and Montrel Meander to the practice squad. Mack Wilson to IR.

Secondary(11). Denzel Ward/ Greedy Williams/ Kevin Johnson/ Terrance Mitchell/ M.J. Stewart/ Tavierre Thomas/ Donovan Olumba/ A.J. Green/ Andrew Sendejo/ Karl Joseph/ Sheldrick Redwine. This position group is the only one that has a lot of questions. What is the health of Greedy Williams and Kevin Johnson? Why only three safeties? There’s obviously isn’t a veteran safety free agent that GM Andrew Berry is interested in, or he would have signed one. If Greedy Williams has to go on the injured reserve, then I think Robert Jackson makes the roster. Jovante Moffatt, J.T Hassell and Donnie Lewis, Jr. to the practice squad.

Specialists (3). Austin Seibert/Jamie Gilliam/ Charley Hughlett.

So there’s my Browns 53 man roster. As explained in my article, the practice squad has expanded from twelve to sixteen and each week during the season NFL teams can protect four players. I fully expect GM Andrew Berry to scan the waiver wire on Saturday and into Sunday looking to fill the bottom of the roster, so the practice squad will be in flux all weekend. Stay safe and Go Browns.

What a strange week it’s been. After a very good practice on Saturday, Sunday started with an announcement by a New Jersey testing center that 77 NFL players, front office personnel and coaching staff members tested positive for Covid. The NFL immediately shut down the league and the Browns shut down their facilities in Berea for a deep cleaning. It was later found out that thankfully all tests were false positives. This incident showed how prepared the NFL was for the occurrence of a mass outbreak. As a result, the NFL has strengthened its testing policy.

On Monday, during training camp, the Browns suffered another major injury to their defense. Second round draft pick safety Grant Delpit tore his Achilles during individual drills and was lost for the season. Also during Monday’s practice, starting cornerback Greedy Williams suffered a shoulder injury. As of this writing, the extent of Williams injury is still not known. The walking wounded in the secondary includes CBs M.J. Stewart (hamstring), Terrance Mitchell (knee) and Kevin Johnson (lacerated liver). The good news was DE Myles Garrett resumed team practices and Kevin Johnson has been released from the hospital and was back on the side lines during practice. DT Larry Ogunjobi (groin) was back on the practice field doing individual drills.

GM Andrew Berry did address the DT and LB positions with the signings of DT Ricky Walker and LB Malcolm Smith. Walker played for the Dallas Cowboys and Smith is a former Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks. Now Berry has to search for safety and cornerback help depending on the status of Greedy Williams. While the injury to Williams is not known, head coach Kevin Stefanski did hint Williams might miss playing time while talking to the media. The most logical choice for the Browns at safety would be Logan Ryan. Unlike safety Earl Thomas, who was recently released from the Ravens, Ryan is a great locker room guy and would fit DC Joe Woods defensive scheme. Ryan can play on the line of scrimmage, both inside and outside cornerback positions and has played 22 games at safety. It all depends on his salary demands. He was seeking over $10 million per year.

On Tuesday, with the Browns defense not having their number two, three, four and five cornerbacks on the field, it was thought the passing game would shine. Nope. All three quarterback struggled. The only three offensive players who did well were running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and finally wide receiver Rashard Higgins. On defense, I’m really impressed with defensive tackle Jordan Elliot, defensive end Porter Gustin, linebackers Jacob Phillips and B.J. Goodson and safeties Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph. The only injury from Tuesday was DE Chad Thomas. With the emergence of Gustin, Thomas made be done as a Brown. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry did end practice early and go inside the facility, however it has been reported it was just precautionary. Both WR Odell Beckham and DE Myles Garrett look ready for the season to start.

Finally, GM Andrew Berry made one other roster move, claiming DE Curtis Weaver off the waiver wire from Miami. Weaver, a 2020 fifth round draft pick, was released with an injury and Miami had hoped to stash him on injured reserve for the season. Berry beat them to it. Weaver might not play this year, however now the Browns have a replacement for Olivier Vernon next year and have draft flexibility for 2021. No need to spend an early draft pick on an edge rusher next year. Pro Football Focus rated Weaver in the top five for pass rushing college defensive linemen in 2020. Guess who was number one? Browns third round pick DT Jordan Elliot.

Hopefully as practice resumes on Thursday, the offense will start to show some signs of life and the injuries will start to slow. The Browns need to get to full strength, especially on defense, they are eighteen days away from the season opener in Baltimore. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

While some of the camera angles aren’t the greatest, there are a few items you can observe. QB Baker Mayfield’s footwork is better and the Browns have him under center more frequently. Mayfield’s accuracy isn’t the greatest early in each session, however as each practice progresses, he gets into a good flow. The Browns are obviously using zoomed in camera angles so not to show opposing teams overall formations. Rookie center Nick Harris is holding his own verses defensive tackles Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson. Sometimes he wins the battle, sometimes he loses, but you can see why he was thought to be the best natural center in the draft. If he was a little bigger, he would have been drafted in the second round.

Some offensive players who stood out, tight ends Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant, wide receivers Donovan Peoples-Jones, KhaDarel Hodge and Taywan Taylor and running back Kareem Hunt. Austin Hooper is going to be a great security blanket for Mayfield and I don’t think Harrison Bryant has dropped a pass all training camp. Peoples-Jones is pushing WR Rashard Higgins for the third wide receiver spot and both Hodge and Taylor, who are both valuable special teams players, could force the often injured Damion Ratley off the roster. Kareem Hunt is already at game speed. Can’t wait to see how he is used in this offense. Last, FB Andy Janovich looks like he can lift a house.

On defense, rookies safety Grant Delpit and linebacker Jacob Phillips have been very impressive. LBs B.J. Goodson, Tae Davis, Montrel Meander and Willie Harvey, DE Porter Gustin and CBs Terrance Mitchell, Donovan Olumba and A.J. Green have so far stood out. Tae Davis and Willie Harvey are special teams players and Montrel Meander is a converted safety who could help with the loss of Mack Wilson. UDFA A.J. Green, who along with Terrance Mitchell, give the Browns excellent cornerback depth. Olumba is best known a special teams player, but at 6-2, 205 lbs., I could see why DC Joe Woods would like him. Porter Gustin is moving up the depth chart and could be the solution at left DE behind Olivier Vernon.

The Browns did workout eight players this week, four of them kickers. Kickers Nick Folk, Cody Parker, Kai Forbath and Matthew McCrane. linebackers Dewayne Hendrix and Sharif Finch and defensive linemen Ricky Walker and Robert Landers. Working out four kickers is interesting, however I don’s think Austin Seibert has anything to worry about. It never hurts to have film on guys you might need due to injuries during the season.

Speaking of injuries. RB Nick Chubb suffered a concussion on a hit from LB Mack Wilson and is expected back next week. Mack Wilson suffered a knee injury and is seeing “doctor doom” James Andrews for a second opinion. If you go see Dr. Andrews, you’re going to have surgery, so Wilson is probably done for the season. On Wednesday promising free agent signing CB Kevin Johnson suffered a lacerated liver at the end of practice. He’ll spend 24 hours in the hospital and there’s no time table on his return. Johnson was having a great camp so far. DE Myles Garrett is still nursing a hamstring injury, but is expected to start practicing soon, possibly today. Finally, DT Larry Ogunjobi sat out the last couple of days with a groin injury and Punter Jamie Gilliam missed yesterday with an unknown illness.

Finally, the practices have been well organized, quick and smooth. You don’t see players just standing around, a testament to the Browns new coaching staff. Unfortunately, since practicing in pads, the injuries are starting to pile up. This just means the younger players will have to step up and will get valuable practice reps. The Browns are off on Friday, so a day of rest will be welcome. Everyone enjoy the live practices and keep your fingers crossed for no more injuries. Stay safe and Go Browns.

Now that we are on the eve of actual Browns practice, the Browns made some news this week by signing two offensive guards for depth and are hosting another on Wednesday with hopes of a signing him. The Browns signed veteran free agents Michael Dunn and Jovahn Fair and hosted free agent Ronald Leary. If Leary signs, that will bring the number of offensive linemen on the roster to fourteen. To make room on the roster, the team cut CB Jameson Houston and TE Nate Wieting. The Browns also resigned DL George Obinna, releasing DT Jeff Whatley, and claimed CB M.L. Stewart off waivers from Tampa. Also, the Browns activated WR Jarvis Landry, S Karl Joseph and TE Pharaoh Brown from the PUP list. So the roster is set at 80 for Phase Two of practice. Live practices on the official website start tomorrow at 1:00 pm central. I can’t wait.

The Browns roster is now set. I don’t expect any more free agent signings. GM Andrew Berry is addressing the guard depth and has three NFL veterans to back up the defensive line. If an injury does happen, I’m confident Berry will make a move. When listening to interviews of both Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, they appear to always have a plan. That’s not the Kool Aid talking, that’s just my personal opinion. Browns fans will find out as practice continues and as the games begin.

Speaking of practice. I’m hoping for some good camera angles tomorrow from the Browns. They been hyping these live practices for two weeks and I hope they don’t disappoint. An overhead camera would be perfect. Hopefully the Cleveland media will have their cell phones fully charged. The Browns have been showing some clips on twitter that I’ve really enjoyed the last few days, but more is defiantly better.

As the team gets closer to games, I’ll be moving my blog to Mondays or Tuesdays after games. You know the drill, Monday if the Browns win and Tuesday if they lose. I need at least 48 hours to decompress after a loss. Mainly it’s a lot of muttering profanities under my breath (or mask) for two days. Last year Freddie Kitchen’s name was mentioned the most. Last but not least, don’t forget the new episode of “Building The Browns” will air on YouTube on Sunday at 10:30 am central. It’s going to be an all access Browns weekend. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

As the deadline for NFL players to opt out for the 2020 season passed on Thursday, the Browns took a major hit to their offensive line depth. In total five players opted out for the season, guards Malcolm Pridgeon, Drew Forbes, Colby Gossett, tackle Drake Dorbeck and defensive tackle Andrew Billings. Right now the Browns have eleven offensive linemen on the roster. Ideally a team would like to keep thirteen to fifteen linemen on the roster and the practice squad. Right now the Browns have three true guards on their roster, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller and Willie Wright. So depth is a major issue and GM Andrew Berry will have to address this issue.

The biggest shock was DT Andrew Billings opting out. He was a surprise signing by the Browns, only because it was a shock that the Bengals released Billings. That leaves the Browns with DT’s Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi and third round draft pick Jordan Elliot as starters. The backups are Daniel Ekuale, Jeffery Whatley and Eli Ankou. Pretty scary, right? My article this week for http://www.CLEsportstalk.com will address the state of the Browns post opt out and I’ll look at some possible roster additions.

As for the revolving door that is the Reserve/Covid-19 list, all players who ended up on the list have been activated, P Jamie Gilliam, QB Garrett Gilbert, WR Ja’Marcus Bradley, RB Dontrell Hilliard and S Jovante Moffatt. The current roster stands at 79. Like I said, Andrew Berry will have to add a couple of guards and a backup defensive tackle. The first guard that comes to mind is former Viking Josh Kline who is still unsigned. As for backup DT, don’t expect a big name, the Browns just need depth. The Browns currently have $40.4 million in cap space.

Now for the good news. TE David Njoku dropped his trade request. All it took was a conversation with GM Andrew Berry. So the tight end room is back to very talented. Speaking of tight ends, Austin Hooper revealed in a zoom meeting with the media, he spent two to three weeks at Baker Mayfield’s home working on timing and reps. Hooper said he and Mayfield got to know each other and he caught about a hundred passes from the Browns quarterback. Finally, head coach Kevin Stefanski in a meeting with the press on Thursday, said he visited Mayfield in Texas back in February. Stefanski said he sees a very committed football player and Mayfield is demonstrating all that’s necessary to be a good teammate. I’m still felling really good about the Browns coaching staff and the front office, how about you?

Finally, starting Friday August 14th, the Browns will be streaming practices on their official website http://www.clevelandbrowns.com. Time to watch some practice. And as a bonus, on Sunday August 16, a new episode of “Building The Browns” will be airing on YouTube at 11:30 am eastern and 10:30 am central. Looks like it’s going to be a 2020 Browns viewing weekend. I’m so tired of watching old games. So everyone enjoy and stay safe. Go Browns.

This past Tuesday twitter was filled with pictures and videos of Browns players reporting to the facility in Berea. My favorite part of late July. The players took their covid tests and those who passed were allowed into the facility for physicals. The NFL mandated a player must pass three consecutive tests before entering training camp. Apparently the Browns had arranged prior testing for the players and rookies reporting on Tuesday. Smart move. This front office is ahead of the curve again. Today the rest of the veterans take their third test in four days.

Speaking of Covid, three Browns players so far have ended up on the reserve/Covid list. RB Dontrell Hilliard, S Jovante Moffatt and recently P Jamie Gilliam. According to the NFL, the rules for placing a player on the reserve list are if a player tests positive for covid-19 or comes in contact with a person who tests positive for covid-19. The rules in the agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, forbid teams from commenting on a players medical status, so teams can’t say if a player has tested positive or is in quarantine. There are reports, that Gilliam tested positive a month ago, then tested negative. He said in a recent interview he feels fine, but this still bears watching.

As of this writing, only two Browns players have opted out for the 2020 season. Offensive linemen Drew Forbes and Drake Dorbeck. I will never fault a player for opting out. I doubt, because of no pre-season games, that Dorbeck would have made the team and Forbes was going to be in the competition for the right guard spot. The Browns still have good depth on the offensive line. Right now it appears Wyatt Teller is the leader in the clubhouse for the RG spot with OL Chris Hubbard as depth. I’m really happy the Browns kept Hubbard. Also, rookie Nick Harris did play guard in college. But because OL coach Bill Callahan loved Teller coming out of college, he has the advantage prior to practices.

As for injured players, WR Jarvis Landry still remains a mystery. Landry assured everyone he would be ready for the season and will take his physical this weekend. It won’t surprise me if ends up on the PUP list for the start of training camp. That’s fine by me, I would rather have Landry ready for the season opener, if it takes place. Because of the continuing problems in Major League Baseball with players testing positive, the Marlins, Phillies and now the Cardinals have all had games postponed. I hope Browns players are paying attention. The players will have to police themselves and make sure no one does something stupid and cause a team wide outbreak. Due to the precautions in the facility, if a player is going to catch covid-19, it’ll be on the outside. This is were veteran leadership comes into play.

Last, head coach Kevin Stefanski held a press conference this week and there was some news. When the players hit the field for conditioning drills, they’ll be split into two groups. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Stefanski also said he’s been able to meet some players mask to mask. However he said he has not talked to TE David Njoku. Sounds like the Browns are planning on keeping Njoku. I’m sure they’re not comfortable with rookie Harrison Bryant as the number two tight end. The coach also reported no members of his coaching staff has opted out for the season. Good to hear. As for who will call plays, Stefanski says they have a plan for that. I’m sure they do, they’ve had a plan for everything else in this weird year.

Hopefully no more players will be placed on the reserve/covid-19 list and no other Browns will opt out for the season. I have full confidence the NFL will start on time, come hell or high water. However, I’m not really confident they’ll finish the season. Let’s all hope the NFL is paying attention to the success the NHL, MLS and NBA is having, as well as, the failures MLB is experiencing. So everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

It’s almost time Browns fans, quarterbacks and rookies report to Berea today and the rest of the team reports Tuesday July 28. The players union and the league worked out a satisfactory testing program, cutting the roster to 80 players and no pre season games. The last hurdle seems to have been the revenue sharing and next years salary cap, which as of this writing has been resolved. The cut down to 80 players will not happen until August 16, so Browns fans can play their favorite game, adopt your favorite undrafted rookie in training camp. My biggest concern however, is the lack of any pre season games, which would be a definite disadvantage for teams with new coaching staffs, like the Browns. Hopefully, the team will scrimmage enough to work things out. We’ll all find out how well those zoom position meetings went.

Thursday it was announced that the Browns hired Kevin Rogers as senior assistant to the staff. Rogers worked with head coach Kevin Stefanski on the Vikings from 2006 to 2010 as quarterbacks coach. It seems strange that the Browns would hire another coach this close to training camp starting, however with the prospect of no pre season games, it makes sense. Coach Stefanski will need all the help he can get installing his offense. Stefanski considers Rogers a mentor. I’ll be writing an article for http://www.clesportstalk.com detailing the effect of no pre season games on the 2020 Cleveland Browns. Watch for it next week.

In other sports news, today is opening day for the Cleveland Indians. Late July and it’s opening day, wow. The tribe should make the expanded 16 team playoffs solely based on their starting rotation. In an era where switch hitters are a rarity in baseball, their first four hitters are switch hitters. My only concern would be the bullpen. Their greatest strength is their manager Tito Francona. Francona knows how to handle a bullpen and revolutionized how it is used. In 2016 he would bring in reliever Andrew Miller at any time during a game. Since being hired by the Indians in 2013, Cleveland leads the American league in wins with 639. Go Tribe.

So as we move forward, it’s apparent the NFL is determined to play games and stay on schedule as much as possible. Damn the pandemic, full speed ahead. Now that the union and the league have worked out the last of their differences, training camps will open on time next week. We’re still a long way from playing games, but football this fall would be a welcome sight. Everyone stay safe and Go Browns.

First lets start with the NFL vs. the NFLPA. As I told you last week, the players voted not to have any pre season games. The owners are holding firm, for now, on two pre season games. For teams with new coaching staffs, any pre season games would be very valuable, but the players health and safety take center stage. In that vein, the league still hasn’t addressed certain Covid-19 questions. If a player tests positive for Covid, will they go on injured reserve and not get paid or will there be a special designation? How will testing be done and what kind of turn around time will there be for the results of the tests? In other news, the NFL has given the players until August 1 to opt out of playing in 2020 for health concerns. If players opt out, will they get paid? Theses questions need to be answered prior to Monday July 20, when players for the Chiefs and Texans report to camp. The Browns report Tuesday July 28.

On to some good news. The last two draft picks signed, LB Jacob Phillips and S Grant Delpit. All Browns draft picks are signed and the Browns are the first NFL team to have all their picks under contract. It’s hard to judge how good this draft class is without OTA’s and rookie training camp, but based on their college careers, I think all can be contributors in 2020. First round pick LT Jedrick Wills and second round pick S Grant Delpit are the obvious starters, but I could see third round picks LB Jacob Phillips and DT Jordan Elliot in the playing rotation on defense. Fourth round pick TE Harrison Bryant, if he can add about 10 lbs., could be TE #2 if the Browns trade Njoku and sixth round pick WR Donovan People-Jones will be in the mix at wide receiver and kick returner. Fifth round pick C Nick Harris will be in the mix for the backup center and both guard spots. I just wish Browns fans had OTA’S and rookie training camp to make these judgments.

Last but not least, the BIG news. The Browns worked out an extension with 2017 number one pick DE Myles Garrett. It has been reported to be a five year, $125 million dollar contract with $100 million in guarantees and $50 million due on signing. Those numbers sound familiar to me. Hmmm…. where have I heard those numbers before? Oh, that’s right, in my article for http://www.clesportstalk.com entitled “Pay The Man”. That’s the contract I thought the Browns would offer Garrett. Is that a horn I hear? It sounds like it’s going Toot, Toot. However, I thought the Browns would have either a voidable fifth year or a team option to protect themselves. Nope, what the Browns front office did was even more team friendly. Garrett will play 2020 under his rookie fourth year at $4.6 million and 2021 under his fifth year option of $15.1 million. The contract extension will then go into effect in 2022 and run through 2026. I really love this front office. Of course in Pittsburgh, they want Garrett suspended till hell freezes over. Sorry Big Ben, Myles Garrett is coming for you. Maybe you should have retired, just saying.

So, with all the draft picks signed and with Vernon’s contract restructure, the Browns salary cap space according to http://www.overthecap.com, stands at $38.7 million. Save it for next year Browns, the way things are going this year, the team is going to need it. I can’t imagine the 2021 salary cap going up and it might, for the first time, decrease. Save it and roll it over into 2021. As always, please everyone stay safe, commit to good hand hygiene and please, I’m begging you WEAR A MASK. Go Browns.