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Yes there was some Browns news over the last two weeks, hard to believe, right? The Browns are signing draft picks. A mighty cheer was heard throughout the land. Fourth round pick TE Harrison Bryant, fifth round pick C Nick Harris and sixth round pick Donovan Peoples-Jones all signed their contracts and are now officially Cleveland Browns. I personally think that Bryant and Peoples-Jones will have a bigger impacts their rookie year. Harris might be in play for the RG position, but after hearing an interview with OL coach Bill Callahan on Cleveland Browns Daily on 850am last Friday, I’m not to sure.(https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/audio/cleveland-browns-daily-5-15-2020) It sounds like an open competition between Drew Forbes, Wyatt Teller, Malcolm Pridgeon and Harris. Callahan offered up Pridgeon’s name unsolicited. He’s an undrafted free agent out of The Ohio State originally signed by the Texans in 2018 and signed by the Browns on September 18, 2019.

The NFL allowed training facilities to be open last week and a few opened on a limited basis. The Browns chose not to open right away and to continuing their virtual meetings. If you still have not watched episode 4 of “Building The Browns” on YouTube please do. The virtual meetings are fantastic. Run through a wall fantastic. Just what a Browns fan needs right now. Did you hear how great Tom Brady is for holding a private workout in Tampa last week with his new players? Everyone is saying how great he is and what a team leader he is. I wish the Browns had a quarterback like that. Wait….what? You mean Baker Mayfield did the same thing two weeks ago in Texas? Really? Two weeks ago and no one in the national media mentioned it? What a shock. As you all know, I’m not going to drink the Kool-Aid this year like I did last year, but you got to love the vibe this team has right now. From the GM all the way down to the rookies. It also helps that we haven’t heard from Jimmy Haslam in a while. Good times.

More Clowney rumors. Charles Robinson @CharlesRobinson explained to Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow what he thought Clowney might be thinking when it comes to a new contract. Basically Robinson felt Clowney might not want a one year, prove it deal and if he wanted to sign a multi year contract in the high teens, the Browns would be the best landing spot. Personally I wouldn’t mind the signing, as long as the Browns kept Olivier Vernon. That would be one hell of a defensive line. Do a three year deal with Clowney and back load it like the Browns did with Conklin and Hooper. Vernon comes off the books next year and you still have Clowney. Again, I still think Clowney is going back to Seattle, but I can always dream.

Unfortunately I have to end on a sad note. In previous blogs I’ve mentioned Lane Adkins @TheRealLA_ the OG of Browns insiders on one of my favorite websites The Orange and Brown Report @TheOBR. Sadly, Lanes wife passed away last Friday after a valent two and a half year fight with heart disease and cancer. I first met Lane in 2002 in New Orleans prior to the Browns/Saints game and I know he does not remember me, but I really enjoyed our conversation. He is the main reason I joined the Orange & Brown Report. I ask all Browns fans to keep Lane in your thoughts and your prayers. Also, a Go Fund ME account has been set up to help Lane, here’s the link, https://www.gofundme.com/f/christine-adkins-wife-of-lane-adkins?

Thank you and Go Browns.

This week the NFL made an attempt to improve minority hiring on their coaching staffs and front offices. The first reported proposals centered on awarding better draft positions for minority hires. If a team hired a minority for their vacant head coach or GM position, teams would improve their third round draft position by six to ten spots. NFL teams could also receive other draft compensation for hiring minorities for top level coaching positions such as coordinators or quarterback coach. Both these proposals where Hail Mary passes to solve simple problems. In my opinion, both were very embarrassing and puts the spotlight on a bunch of white billionaires trying to correct minority issues.

The NFL finally came up with some reasonable solutions. Requiring teams to interview more minorities for head coaching and coordinator positions and easing the anti-tampering rules for teams in the playoffs. Teams are now required to interview two minority candidates for head coaching positions and at least one candidate for the three top coordinators. The Rooney Rule was expanded to include interviewing minorities and/or women for team president and senior executives. Finally, a minority coaching fellowship program will be created to establish a larger pool of qualified candidates for coaching and front office positions. Over the last three years, 70% of head coaches have come from the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach positions. Increasing the minority candidates at these two positions is a great idea.

The Browns have always been at the forefront of minority diversity. They became the first team to sign black players in the league. When the All-American Football Conference was founded in 1946, Paul Brown signed two African American players, fullback Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Wills. At first, the new league resisted but after intense discussions relented and agreed to allow black players in the league. Motley was a force on offense and Wills a force on defense for the Browns leading the way to five championships. This took place one year before Jackie Robinson played his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In the 1920’s and 1930’s the NFL had black players and one black player/coach, Fritz Pollard. But the owners of the teams came to a gentleman’s agreement to keep black players out of the league because of public pressure. After Wills and Motley were signed by the Browns, the L.A. Rams followed suit and signed Woody Strode and Kenny Washington. Mike Brown, Paul Brown’s son, was once asked about his father signing black players,”When he coached at Massillon High School, he had many black players on his teams. When he coached at Ohio State, he had many black players on his team. When he coached in the service, the same thing was true. When he got to the Cleveland Browns, he looked around and he knew where he had better football players than he had with the Browns. Guys who formerly played for him.” Brown said his father wasn’t a civil rights crusader, ”He didn’t do it for any other reason than to make the team better. It wasn’t to sell tickets in the sense of drawing people because we had a couple black guys on the team.”

When asked if his father was aware that in today’s world he would be considered a pioneer, Brown said, ”He was a person of his times and he had high standards and he believed people should be treated the same. He was going to make sure that these guys got treated the same.” Former Browns player Bobby Mitchell recalled an incident in Miami when the Browns were checking into their hotel. The manager informed Paul Brown the hotel could not accommodate the black players. ”Paul Brown looked him right in the eye and said, ‘No, our team stays together.’ They had words, and finally Paul told them: ‘I’ll tell you what then. We’ll just get back on the plane and go back home.’ The manager said, ‘You can’t do that.’ Brown said: ‘Is that so? Our players stay together.’ So they relented.”

I applaud the NFL’s attempt to improve minority hiring in the league. It seems a little late, due to the fact that over 70% of the league’s players are minorities. But better late than never. When in comes to minority diversity, the Browns have been at the forefront from the beginning and continue to this day with the hiring of Andrew Berry as their GM. It’s good to see the rest of the league is finally catching up to the Browns. They’ve always been ahead of the curve.

Go Browns.

It’s been a busy week for Browns news, so lets get to it. First the ridiculous rumor that the Browns would trade Myles Garrett to the Seahawks. So some clown calls a Seattle radio show, makes up a story about a fictional trade and posts some fake graphics on twitter (which he stole from another twitter account) and people believe it? Garrett is a foundation player on this team and will be getting a very nice contract extension in the area of 25 million and he deserves it. You don’t trade a player who you just picked up his fifth year option and you’re working on a contract extension. Hopefully Garrett will be a Brown for a long time.

The next crap that was being thrown around is the rumor that in 2018 the Seahawks were prepared to trade Russell Wilson to the Browns for the number one overall pick. Why do people want the Browns and the Seahawks to trade with each other? This rumor started with a podcast hosted by Chris Simms. Everyone knows the GM of the Seahawks and John Dorsey are good friends, so that’s probably where this crap started. First of all, John Dorsey is a very secretive man, so if this trade had legs, no one would have known. Prior to drafting Baker Mayfield, he kept the pick secret from everyone in the front office. Remember when it was reported that the Browns were thinking about hiring Condolezza Rice as their head coach? That was a rumor Dorsey started to weed out leaks prior to free agency and the draft in 2018. NFL GM’s have giant egos, but they’re also very paranoid. What makes this rumor even worse, people had to interview Hugh Jackson to see if it’s true. Sorry to tell you this Coach 1-31, you would be the last person John Dorsey would have told.

Next up in Browns news was James Harrison confirming that Mike Tomlin is a douche bag. This story confirms what every Browns fan already knows, the Pittsburgh Steelers are NOT a class organization. Of course since telling everyone that Mike Tomlin pays bounties for hurting opposing teams players, Harrison acts all innocent. I guess Mike passed him an envelope with discount coupons to a local area restaurant. New Orleans head coach Sean Payton is right, the NFL will sweep this whole thing under the rug, because it’s the Steelers. I just hope prior to the first Browns/Steelers game, TMZ Sports gets a hold of the audio of the Myles Garrett/Mason Rudolf game. It would be great to see Goodell have to put the shovel down on this one.

Let’s move on to some positive Browns news. It was reported this week the Browns were in contact with the agent of LT Jason Peters. This is a smart move by Andrew Berry. In the past I’ve called for either signing Peters or trading for Trent Williams based solely on the fear that training camp would be either shortened or eliminated. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy the Browns drafted Jedrick Wills with the #10 pick, he’s going to be their starting left tackle for decades. But, I’ve heard through the grapevine that the NFL might be forced to eliminate training camp and go straight into practices for the preseason games. Signing Peters to a one year deal would allow the Browns to start Peters at LT and move Wills to RG. Wills could learn how to be an NFL lineman for a year in between RT Jack Conklin and C J.C. Tretter. A very good insurance policy.

It was reported this week that Browns franchise QB Baker Mayfield organized workouts with several of his team mates in Texas. Involved in the workouts are Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Damion Ratley and Hollywood Higgins. Of course the only thing the Cleveland media can harp on is the fact that Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham aren’t there. You know maybe, just maybe and I’m just spit balling here, because they both had off season surgery the Browns medical staff might not want them to participate. Besides, I was glad to see the report that 6th round draft pick Donovan Peoples-Jones is down in Florida training with Jarvis Landry. Like I’ve said before, this kid gets it and was an absolute steal in the 6th round.

It’s been another frustrating week listening to the national media break false rumors about the Browns, but what the hell else do they have to talk about? I know one thing I’m looking forward to is this weeks episode of YouTube’s “Building The Browns.” It will air tomorrow at 10:30 am central. After this past week, I need a little Browns pick me up. Just remember Browns fans, if you have to go out in public, PLEASE wear a face mask. Wearing a mask isn’t for your protection, it’s for the protection of others. We need to give the hard working doctors and nurses a break in dealing with this pandemic. As always, stay home when you are able, support your local businesses and wash those things on the end of your arms that steeler fans can’t quite figure out how to count to ten with. Go Browns.

You have to love the NFL, Covid-19 be damned, they’re moving forward as planned. First, I heard the NFL schedule would be released without dates, then I heard the first month would be AFC verses NFC match ups in case the start of the season had to be moved back. Nope on both. The NFL just stuck to the plan, the schedule as it was first drawn up. Like I’ve said, the NFL owns the room. When I saw the schedule my first thought was the line Cleavon Little says in the movie Blazing Saddles, “Excuse me while I whip this out.” That’s the NFL, whip it out, pandemic, what pandemic? Now let’s see if they start the season with fans in the seats, because if you bought season tickets, you’re not getting a refund. Roger Goodell needs to buy more comfortable furniture for his basement.

So lets look at the Browns schedule. First let me say I will not play the schedule game of predicting wins and loses that all Browns fans, Browns twitter and the Cleveland media is playing right now. The only record I care about is 1-19-1. But I can still look at the schedule and give an opinion. When I first saw the schedule, I said “Oh Crap, we have to play in Baltimore game one?” After thinking about it, why the hell not? Let’s take on the big dawg in the AFC North first and get it out of the way. If this new coaching staff doesn’t have this team ready for that game, then Browns fans will know we’re in trouble. Like the old joke says, if you go to prison or jail, pick out the biggest inmate on the first day and punch them in the face. The other inmates won’t mess with you because they’ll think you’re either crazy or tough. But they will end up respecting you and leave you alone. The Browns need to go into Baltimore and punch that bitch in the face, game one.

The early part of the schedule has winnable games after Baltimore and games that are going to be really tough. Week 4 at Dallas and week 6 at Pittsburg look very challenging. The week 2 and 3 games should be wins, at home verses Cincinnati and Washington, but I’m not taking anything for granted. I really like the middle of the schedule, weeks 7 through 12, three of the five are at home and the bye week is placed perfectly in the middle of those three home games at week 9. Weeks 7 and 12 are on the road, but they’re against the Bengals and the Jaguars. Both are very winnable. Weeks 13 through 17, lets say, are very intriguing. The week 13 game here in Nashville has revenge game written all over it for the Browns. December 6th in Nashville, there should be plenty of seats available. After that, unusual back to back games in New York, verses the Jets and the Giants. You can really tell the NFL doesn’t care about OBJ going back to New York to face the Giants. During that span the Browns play Baltimore and Pittsburg at home weeks 14 and 17, hopefully during a playoff push. The Browns have the fourth easiest schedule in the NFL and after a 6-10 record, still have two prime time games, both at home. Currently, the Browns have 12 noon starts, which I like. Get the pain over with early. The Colts game in week 5 is a 3:25 pm start and the Jets game week 16 is TBD. All in all, I like how the schedule plays out, but what the hell do I know, I liked how last years schedule played out.

In other Browns news, the signing of Hollywood Higgins was made official. Best number three receiver in the NFL. Go ahead fight me on this, remember I slapped around the biggest inmate on the first day in prison. As for free agency, LB Clay Matthews is not going to be a Brown. It ain’t happening. I wish he was three years younger and he could put on his dad’s number 57, but it just isn’t a fit right now. As for Mr. Clowney? He doesn’t want to play for the Browns. They offered the most money in the early part of free agency and he turned it down. He’ll either go back to the Seahawks or wait till and injury in training camp when he’ll have more leverage. Clowney and Seattle are like the two best looking people in high school. Everyone knows they’re going to the prom together, they’re just waiting until it’s official. Besides, the Browns need LB depth, that’s the only thing they’re missing.

Finally, Tennessee resident Little Richard died Saturday. He influenced so many rock greats. From the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, Elvis, David Bowie, Jimi Hendricks, Bob Dylan, Sam Cook, Otis Redding, The Kinks, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Creedence and Queen. Plus many more, RIP Little Richard. Everyone stay safe, stay at home when you can, if you go out, have respect for your fellow man and wear a mask, shop local and WASH YOUR FREAKING HANDS. Go Browns and https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/nfl-schedule-2020-browns-tickets-information

It’s back to business for the Browns, well sort of. The Browns will be starting virtual meetings with players and will start getting rookies up to date next week. As for any other happenings, that’s about it. At least the drafted players, Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are doing radio and television interviews. The more I hear Stefanski and Berry speak, the more confident I feel. I’m not going full high expectations like many Browns fans and I did last year. Not drinking any Kool-Aid this year. I keep reminding myself of one set of numbers 1-19-1, the Browns record in opening day games since 1999. 1-19-1. Change that and I’ll fell better.

Most of the post draft grades are out and I have not seen a grade lower than an A-. According to the draft experts the only weak spot in the Browns draft is LSU LB Brandon Phillips. Most Browns fans, including myself, wanted the Browns to draft LB Malik Harrison from TheOSU. After the draft I looked at the PFF rankings for both players. Phillips was rated 129 and Harrison 133. So not much of a difference. The difference comes in tackles. Brandon Phillips doesn’t miss tackles, only five missed tackles over the last two years. He was the leading tackler on LSU and I’ll take the leading tackler on a National Champion team any day of the week. According to Cleveland media the mystery pick is DT Jordan Elliot of Missouri. First of all, he played in the SEC, yes Tony Grossi Missouri is in the SEC, and this kid is a steal in the third round. He has such a great first step off the line of scrimmage.

The only other pick Browns fans seem upset about is WR Donovan Peoples-Jones of Michigan. I understand as a fellow Buckeye fan, the love for WR K.J. Hill, but Hill is a slot receiver and the Browns already have one of the best slot receivers in Jarvis Landry. Besides in Stefanski’s offense, sometimes there’ll be a tight end or a fullback lined up in the slot. Just a reminder, the Browns have two FULLBACKS on the roster. There is a god. Peoples-Jones in the sixth round is highway robbery. Experts complain about his statistics at Michigan. Have you seen the quarterback play at Michigan? Every player at the NFL combine was drafted except one, Michigan QB Shea Patterson. Enough said. Peoples-Jones will probably return kicks and punts while he learns from two of the best route runners in the NFL, OBJ and Landry.

Speaking of wide receiver….HOLLYWOOD IS BACK. There are reports that the Browns had agreed to a contract with Higgins before the draft. The Browns wide receiver room is incredible. Have I told you how much I love this front office. It’s great to have intelligent, responsible adults leading this team. All in all it’s been a very productive off season so far, I’m not going to say the Browns won the off season because I hate that. I’ll keep it at, very productive. Every position group has been strengthened and some are just unbelievable. The only work that needs to be done is at line backer and one more needs to be added. LB Nigel Bradham is still out there, but like I’ve said in the past, he needs to pass a physical and his price needs to come down. As for the free agent elephant in the room, Jedeveon Clowney, I still don’t think the Browns are going to sign him. Right now the favorites to sign him are the Titans. But, again as I’ve said in the past, they’ll need to move some money around to do it. This week I got blasted by Titans fans on twitter for suggesting that, but I treat the NFL for what it is, a business, not a bunch of guys sitting around the kitchen table picking players for a fantasy draft. Personally I think he ends up back in Seattle. He’s not in a hurry to sign with anyone. He can wait till a training camp injury and get the contract he wants.

The next big event on the NFL table is the schedule release. I’ve heard it’s May 9th, but that’s on a Saturday and the NFL loves releasing the schedule on a Thursday, so I would watch for it on May 7th. I have a feeling the order and the home and away of the teams will be released, but not the dates due to the uncertainty of the future. Lastly, episode 3 of “Building The Browns” will air this Sunday at 11:00 am eastern. It highlights the Browns preparing for the virtual draft. I can’t wait, that show gets me so pumped for the season. STOP… 1-19-1…put the Kool-Aid down. So remember, if you want to see football in the fall, stay home when you have to, wear a mask when you have go out, social distance, please support your local businesses and WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS. Stay safe and Go Browns.

As a Browns fan, we tend to treat the NFL draft differently than most NFL fans. Sure all NFL fans love the draft, as evidenced by the television ratings for the first night. An average of 15.6 million viewers watched round one, a 37% increase over last year. The top three cities were Columbus, OH (16.7), Cleveland, OH (15.9) and Cincinnati, OH (15.6). You can attribute the high ratings for Columbus because of the former Buckeye’s being drafted early and Cincinnati because the Bengals had the first pick. As for Cleveland, well lets just say Browns fans are different when it comes to the draft. Most non Cleveland sports pundits say the draft is our Super Bowl. That’s a load of crap. To a Browns fan the draft is like a three day Christmas morning. We get new stuff, some we like, some we don’t like and in the end we find it’s true value after a period of time. No it’s not our Super Bowl. When the Browns reach the Super Bowl and it will be soon, THAT will be our Super Bowl. So lets take a look the 2020 Cleveland Browns draft class. All player profiles are from Thedraftnetwork.com.

#10 Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama. “Jedrick Willis is a plug and play Pro Bowl caliber OT in the NFL. Wills has surreal ability as a pass protector, he’s violent, he’s controlled, he’s smooth and he’s smart. Wills plays with a chip on his shoulder and brings the kind of attitude adjustment up front that can make wakes and change the demeanor of an offensive line. Supremely gifted, Wills is especially attractive to teams that push the ball vertically, as his movement skills allow him to shine on an island in pass protection. STUD.”

# 44 Grant Delpit, S, LSU. “Grant Delpit projects as an impact defender at the NFL level. Tackling issues in the open field will put off some teams, but he’s physically capable of booming hits and his foundation as a player is a pretty rare blend of skills — making him an enticing every down defender that can be a centerpiece to weekly game plans. Delpit has high football intelligence and can handle any number of roles or responsibilities, adding him to a roster will add infinite flexibility to back-end coverage combos.” 

# 88 Jordan Elliot, DT, Missouri. “Jordan Elliott projects as a rotational penetration defender at the NFL level. Elliott showcases some desirable short area quickness and natural leverage, which allows him to challenge gaps when playing 3T or 5T and firing off at the snap. Elliott’s lack of length and hand power poses a significant problem to playing an every down role at the NFL and resetting the LOS against the run, as a result he’s most suited to serve as a rotational pass rusher and use his quickness to win.” 

# 97 Jacob Phillips, LB, LSU. “LSU linebacker Jacob Phillips was a two-year starter for the Tigers and he led the SEC in tackles last season. There’s a lot to like about his ability to trigger downhill against the run and the energy he plays with. Phillips has proven to be a reliable tackler and he operates under control. With that said, his coverage instincts, processing skills, agility and lateral mobility don’t impress. Phillips’ profiles well to special teams which will be key for him sticking and having a chance to develop as an off-ball linebacker.” 

#115 Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida International. “FAU tight end Harrison Bryant enters the NFL after producing monster numbers for a tight end in 2019. As a versatile receiving option that can execute from a variety of alignments, Bryant is appealing. He has enough athletic ability, route running technique and ball skills to create some matchup problems. His blend of ball skills and ability to create after the catch makes him an option at all levels of the field. With that said, the traditional in-line duties of a tight end aren’t Bryant’s strong suit. You won’t catch him widening gaps in the trenches although he’s fairly effective blocking on the move. Bryant profiles as a quality TE2.”

#160 Nick Harris, C, Washington. “Starting over 40 games with experience at both guard and center, Harris projects best to playing center in the NFL where he will see less situations where he is covered. For a team in search of an athletic center that thrives pulling and climbing to the second level while employing a zone run scheme, Harris is an exciting option. While he isn’t the most physically dominant run blocker and his anchor can be compromised in pass protection, Harris is highly competitive, technically-sound and his functional mobility is impressive. He may be a scheme-specific prospect, but he has the makings of a starter in the right offense in time.”

#187 Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan. “Donovan Peoples-Jones is going to be a much better pro than he was college player at Michigan. The Wolverines offense failed to provide Peoples-Jones with the targets and touches his skills and ability demanded — he was open much more often than he was targeted. “DPJ” will bring consistency in the return game but he should make a big jump as a “big slot” receiver at the next level, teams looking to implement spread sets should prioritize targeting him for their offense thanks to his versatility.”

I don’t rate drafts because there’s no way of knowing how a player turns out until they actually play, but for those interested Profootballfocus rated the Browns draft as an A+. The Browns first three picks were in PFF’s top 100. The only real questionable pick is center Nick Harris out of Washington. No the Browns aren’t going to cut J.C. Tretter. Harris can play guard, his best position just happens to be center and he can develop as a center/guard. The Browns finally have a GM who’s trying to make the offensive line better. As for Harrison Bryant and Donovan Peoples-Jones, both are big targets who can create space. Bryant will add to a crowded TE room and Peoples-Jones can also return kicks. As for those who say drafting a WR shuts the door on Rashard Higgins returning, I can still see him re-signing with the Browns, probably on a one year deal.

My next favorite part of the draft is the signing of undrafted free agents. And the Browns, like most teams didn’t waste any time. Here’s the list as I know it today. QB Kenny Davidson, Princeton, RB Brian Herrien Georgia, RB Benny LeMay, Charlotte, WR Tony Brown, Colorado, WR Ja’Marcus Bradley Louisiana Lafayette, TE Nate Wieting, Iowa, OT Alex Taylor, South Carolina State, OL Drake Dorbeck Southern Miss., DE George Obinna, Sacramento State, DL Jeffery Whatley South Alabama, LB Solomon Ajayi, Liberty, CB, A.J. Green, Oklahoma State, CB Jameson Houston, Baylor, S Jovante Moffett, MTSU and S Elijah Benton, Liberty. Out of this group, only A.J. Green, Ja’Marcus Bradley and Alex Taylor stand out. Alex Taylor is going to stand out anywhere, the dude is 6’9″. All are developmental players and the Browns should be able to sneak them onto the practice squad. The Browns must really think a lot of A.J. Green, reportedly they are going to pay him $145,000.00. That’s quite a contract for a UDFA.

So all in all I think the new front office did a great job. Andrew Berry let the draft come to him and he stuck to his board. The trades freaked me out at first, but getting Grant Delpit at 44, Jordan Elliot in the 3rd round and Nick Harris in the 5th makes more sense. The Browns have had a great off season. Hopefully they’ll be able to sign Higgins and LB Nigel Bradham, if he can pass a physical and his price comes down. As for cap space, the Browns still have 38.4 million according to overthecap.com. That’s the most cap space of any team. We’ll be finding out their rookie salary pool soon and the schedule should be announced by May 9th. You got to love the NFL, major pandemic in the world and they keep to their schedule. Not only do they own the room, they own the whole block. So remember to stay safe, wear a mask if you leave your house, support your local businesses and WASH YOUR DAMN HANDS. I hope to god I don’t see another mock draft until February 2021, Go Browns.

That was an interesting day two for the Browns. Never in my wildest dreams did I think the Browns would be in position to draft Grant Delpit. Not only did they draft him, they moved down and got a fifth round pick as well. Can you say freebie? The second trade kind of baffled me, but to get Jordan Elliot in the third round is fantastic. As for LB Jacob Phillips, I was really disappointed they didn’t draft Malik Harrison, because with the very next pick, the Ravens selected Harrison. I hate that the rats not only drafted Harrison , but also J.K. Dobbins. To add to my misery, Cincinnati drafted my favorite linebacker in the draft, Logan Wilson. Damn it. I hear that Harrison isn’t good in coverage, but Phillips is. So with Delpit and Phillips, tight ends will no longer have career days verses the Browns.

The Browns remaining picks are #115, #160 and # 187. I would like to thank Andrew Berry getting rid of the Browns seventh round pick #244, so now I can relax after the sixth round. Unless Berry trades back again and gets a seventh round pick. By the way, have you noticed how quick the Browns are getting in their picks? That tells me they are following their board and there is no indecisiveness in the front office. Andrew Berry is truly letting the board come to him. So what happens today? Here’s a list of potential targets for the Browns from John McCafferty (@johnnyblitzz) that I agree with.

John McCafferty@johnnyblitzz·55m Updated potential day 3 targets for the #Browns: – Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB – Bryce Hall, CB – Troy Pride, CB – Hunter Bryant, TE – Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR – Curtis Weaver, Edge – John Simpson, IOL – Bradlee Anae, Edge -Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR -Tyler Johnson, WR.

As for the day two draft day visuals. Mike Vrabel cleaned up his draft room. If you’re going to go for a weird visual, keep it going into day two. Come on Mike, show some imagination. I thought Roger Goodell might end up falling asleep before the night was over. He was getting really comfortable. By the end of the third round, I thought he might be in bed. Finally the Patriots are having their usual good draft and it’s great to see Bill Belichick letting his dog handle the tough decisions. He’s good, he’s a good boy, yes he is, what a good boy. Enjoy the third day Browns fans. Go Browns.

It was great to actually be immersed in a sporting event yesterday. The draft wasn’t a game, but it was sports. I was very impressed with how the NFL handled the virtual draft. There were no major glitches or mishaps, just some strange happenings. As the first round stated out, it became very apparent to me there wasn’t going to be a trade for Trent Williams or a trade down by the Browns which made me very happy. Andrew Berry let the draft come to him and it paid off with an excellent left tackle. Wills wasn’t my first choice, but the more I read about him the more I like. I’m not worried about him being a RT, because Tua is a left handed QB and Wills has the “protect the QB blindside” attitude. As for my mock draft, I got 8 out of the 32 going to the team I projected and 22 of the 32 going in the first round. Some of the ten first rounders I missed are real head scratchers.

Atlanta selecting A.J. Terrell with Jeff Gladney and Kristain Fulton still on the board, Damon Arnette going in the first round to the Raiders, Miami taking Austin Jackson and Noah Igbinoghene, the 49ers selecting Brandon Aiyuk and the Titans selecting Isaiah Wilson. The best part about ten later round graded players going in the first round, ten first round talents falling to the second round. The second round plays right to the Browns biggest needs, Safety, Line Backer, Defensive Tackle, Edge Rusher and possibly Wide Receiver. So what will the Browns do in the second round? Glad you asked.

#41 Ross Blacklock, IDT, TCU

#74 Jeremy Chinn, S, So. Illinois.

#97 Logan Wilson LB, Wyoming.

What happens at #41 will determine the rest of day two for the Browns. I have a feeling if a safety they really like is available, the Browns will go with a safety at #41. Then at #74 the Browns could draft IDL, Davon Hamilton, or Edge, Darrell Taylor. Other players possibly being available in the second round, WR’s Michael Pittman, Jr. and Donovan Peoples-Jones, IDL Justin Madubuike and LB’s Zack Baun and Malik Harrison. At #97 I hope Logan Wilson is sitting there for the Browns. If not the Browns can go LB Akeem Davis-Gaither or Edge Khalid Kareem. So as you can see Andrew Berry has plenty of options and again can let the draft come to him.

As for the strangeness. You got to love WR Henry Ruggs dressed in an Old Spice Robe, the quick hands of WR CeeDee Lamb, OT Isaiah Wilson’s Mom pulling Wilson’s girlfriend off his lap and the weirdness that is Mike Vrabel’s draft setup. What in gods name was going on in the Vrabel household? Jerry Jones did show his concerns for the unemployed by having his setup on his yacht. Hopefully it was his smaller yacht, you know his weekday yacht. Kliff Kingsbury’s home looks like he moonlight’s as the head of a drug cartel. And we did get the official announcement from Commissioner Goodell that Las Vegas will host the 2020 draft. Wait….what? I know because of the stay at home order, I sometimes forget what day it is, but to forget what year it is? Can I get you another Scotch? Cheers Roger.

I hope everyone enjoys round two and three tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow before round four starts with a recap of today and thoughts on day three of the draft. Go Browns.

It’s draft week and Thursday is the day all Browns fans look forward to, Draft Day. After weeks and months of mock drafts, rumors, player evaluations and just plain silliness ( see OBJ trade rumors) it’s time to get down to business. First let me say I base all my mock drafts on The Draft Network’s big board for my player rankings and profiles, http://www.thedraftnetwork.com. As well as my old friend Colin Lindsay at Great Blue North Draft Report for additional team information and news, http://www.gbnreport.com. But my go to website for any information from the draft to free agency will always be the guys at the Orange and Brown Report, https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland-browns. So, I’m basically going to do a full day one draft and then all the Browns picks as I see them. I will not have any trades, although certain teams like Miami, Tampa, Denver, Philadelphia, San Fransico and Atlanta, are making a lot noise about moving up into the top ten or at least to the Browns pick at number 10. Personally, if the OT the Browns want is at ten, pick him. It’s that simple. So here goes, enjoy, comment and argue with me, I love a good draft argument.

#1 Cincinnati, Joe Burrow, QB, LSU.

#2 Washington, Chase Young, DE The Ohio State.

#3 Detroit, Jeffery Okudah, CB, The Ohio State.

#4 New York Giants, Isaiah Simmons, LB, LSU.

#5 Miami, Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon.

#6 L.A. Chargers, Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama.

#7 Carolina, Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn.

#8 Arizona, Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa.

#9 Jacksonville. C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida.

# 10 Cleveland Browns, Andrew Thomas, OT Georgia.

#11 New York Jets, Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville.

#12 Las Vegas Raiders, Henry Ruggs, III, WR, Alabama.

#13 San Francisco 49ers, CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma.

#14 Tampa Bay, Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama.

#15 Denver, Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama.

#16 Atlanta, Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina.

#17 Dallas, K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU.

#18 Miami, Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama.

#19 Las Vegas Raiders, Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU.

#20 Jacksonville, Neville Gallimore, IDL, Oklahoma.

#21 Philadelphia, Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU.

#22 Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU.

#23 New England, Jordan Love, QB, Utah State.

#24 New Orleans, Denzel Mimms, WR, Baylor.

#25 Minnesota, Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State.

#26 Miami, Cesar Ruiz, IOL, Michigan.

#27 Seattle, Josh Jones, OT, Houston.

#28 Baltimore, Lloyd Cushenberry, III, IOL, LSU.

#29 Tennessee, Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State.

# 30 Green Bay, Jalen Reager, WR, TCU.

#31 San Francisco, Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah.

#32 Kansas City, D’adre Swift, RB, Georgia.

As for the rest of the Browns draft picks, here you go.

#41 Jeremy Chinn, S, So. Illinois.

# 74 Davon Hamilton, IDL The Ohio State.

# 97 Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming.

# 115 Alex Highsmith, Edge, Charlotte.

# 187 Justin Strnard, LB, Wake Forest.

#244 Omar Bayless, WR, Arkansas State.

In previous mock drafts I had the Browns taking Thomas, Chinn, Hamilton, Wilson and Strnard. So here are the draft profiles from The Draft Network on the new players added to my mock draft 4.0.

Alex Highsmith, Edge, Charlotte. “Has enough snap anticipation ability and quickness releasing out of his stance to threaten the outside edge track and attack gaps. While he likes to dip and rip the outside edge track, he has showcased a decent inside move that is set up with good hand swipes and an effective spin move to get home as a pass rusher. Hands are generally active as he battles to disengage. Hand are sudden, well-timed and well-placed. Plays with terrific effort and competes throughout the rep. Has good play recognition skills and rarely takes himself out of his fit/rush lane. Experienced working for a stand-up role where he will likely project at the next level. Hard-charging and urgent defender.” 

Omar Bayless, WR, Arkansas State. “Omar Bayless is an intriguing late bloomer who will warrant consideration as a developmental talent. Bayless exploded in a big way in 2019 and will have to answer concerns about being a one year wonder — but he’s got the size, ball skills and hands to be an effective target if he’s able to further develop his route breaks and become a more consistent separator before he’s got the ball in his hands. Upside is an NFL starter but he’ll need more polish in his game to get there.” 

The key to the top ten in this years draft falls on two picks, the Giants at number 4 and Chargers at number 6. Right now the Giants could take a tackle, either Wirfs, Wills or Thomas or a defensive player, LB Simmons. I think they go defense if Simmons is there. The Chargers are making noise that they won’t take a quarterback at six. Do you really think they’re going to go into the season with Tyrod Taylor as their starting QB? Jacksonville goes with CB C.J Henderson with the ninth picks and still gets a defensive lineman later in the first round. As I mentioned earlier, Tampa, Denver, Philadelphia and Atlanta all want to get into the top ten to pick certain players. In this draft, they pretty much get need positions filled. Tampa gets a tackle to protect Brady, hopefully Wills has a drivers license so he can pick Tom up at the old folks home on the way to practice. Denver gets a WR, although it isn’t Ruggs and Atlanta gets the impact defensive player they want. As for Philadelphia, they get a really good wide receiver at pick 21. Finally the 49er’s have two first round picks and then don’t pick again until the fifth round. I expect some movement to pick up picks in the 2nd, 3rd and or the 4th rounds.

As for the rest of the Browns picks, I tried to fill positions of need with the remainder of their picks. I really love Chinn, Hamilton, Wilson and Strnard. Highsmith and Bayless just fell into place as I went through the draft board. I don’t think the Browns will go cornerback in this draft, based on the players already on the roaster, but I could see a corner and a tight end possibly being drafted in the sixth and seventh round. After the draft is over, I really look forward to seeing which undrafted free agents the Browns are able to sign. I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting list.

So, Thursday is the draft and we’ll get answers to a lot of important questions. Like what does Roger Goodell’s basement look like? I can guarantee it probably looks better than my entire house. I wonder if we’ll see a furnace or a hot water heater in the background? Will his family boo him at the start of the draft? When will the first glitch happen? Will we hear the old AOL dial up when the Giants Dave Gettleman is on the clock? These are the most important questions concerning this year’s draft. Right? Seriously, if you agree or disagree with my mock draft 4.0, let me know. Hey I’m a Browns fan, I live to argue about the draft. Everyone stay safe, wear a mask if you go out, support your locally owned businesses, don’t touch your face and WASH YOUR HANDS. Go Browns.

Let’s have some fun with some trades. Again let me stress this is only for fun, I have no knowledge of any teams wanting to trade up or trade down for certain players. I’m kind of bored right now and this is the best way I know to keep my sanity. So let’s do this.

#1 Cincinnati, QB Joe Burrow, LSU.

#2 Washington, Edge, Chase Young, The Ohio State.

#3 Detroit, CB, Jeffery Okudah, The Ohio State.

#4 N.Y. Giants, OT, Tristan Wirfs, Iowa.

#5 Miami, QB Justin Herbert, Oregon.

#6 Tampa, (Trade with Chargers), OT, Mekhi Becton, Louisville.

#7 Carolina, LB Isaiah Simmons, LSU.

#8 Arizona, Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama.

#9 N.Y. Jets, (Trade with Jacksonville), OT, Andrew Thomas.

#10 Denver, (Trade with the Browns), WR, Henry Ruggs, III, Alabama.

#11 Jacksonville, DT, Derrick Brown, Auburn.

#12 L.A. Raiders, WR, CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma.

#13 S.F. 49ers, WR, Jerry Jeudy, Alabama.

#14 L.A. Chargers, QB, Tua Tagoviloa, Alabama.

#15 Cleveland Browns, OT, Ezra Cleveland, Boise State.

So the trade breakdowns are as follows: For the Chargers # 6, Tampa gives up their #14, # 76 and # 139. For the Jags # 9, the Jets give up their #11, #79 and # 211. For the Browns # 10, Denver gives up their # 15, #83 and # 95. The rest of the Browns picks are:

#41 Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois.

# 74 Devon Hamilton, IDL, The Ohio State.

# 83 Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming.

# 95 Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA.

# 115 K.J. Hill, WR, The Ohio State.

# 187 Justin Strnard, LB. Wake Forest.

#244 Sean McKeon, TE, Michigan.

I’ve listed profiles for Jeremy Chinn, Devon Hamilton, Logan Wilson and K.J. Hill in previous Blogs, so here are the profiles for the remaining players according to http://www.thedraftnetork.com.

#95 Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA. “He demonstrates very good reactive athleticism for the position. In the run game he has shown instances of being a wrap up tackler. While on the perimeter he has also shown good tackling efficiency and rarely misses tackles. He demonstrates his dynamic athletic ability in the passing game and on special teams. He displays very good footwork at the line of scrimmage in press and easily stays on top. While in press, he effortlessly opens his hips and runs upfield with receivers. In off man he has very good transition at the top of the route. Has excellent recovery speed when his technique has gotten him in trouble. However, he demonstrates all the ideal physical tools to kick inside to play nickel. He also is a dynamic returner and projects as a 4 phase core special teamer in the NFL.”

#187 Justin Strnard, LB, Wake Forest. “Justin Strnad projects favorably as a next level linebacker thanks to his range and explosiveness. Strnad took notable steps forward in his final season with the Deacs, showing more confidence in his reads and more trust in his eyes to break on action quickly. Strnad can continue to increase his productivity with continued focus on stacking blocks and keeping his frame clean, but there’s plus skills to work in space as is. Can be a starter in an even front as the WILL linebacker playing in space.”

#244 Sean McKeon, TE, Michigan. “Sean McKeon is a sturdy, well put together athlete who has some 3-down ability as a tight end. McKeon is fairly effective as a blocker, he possesses a solid foundation and brings active feet behind his hips to be a persistent thorn in the side of defenders. I like his work as a blocker most when he’s assigned inside-out leverage. Soft hands, has little issue with catching the football away from his body. Having a well developed frame will help in staying planted on contested situations and not being knocked loose of potential catches. Pairs that frame and soft hands to good concentration and hand-eye coordination, even when being contacted at the catch.”

If this were to happen I wouldn’t feel too bad. I’d still be disappointed if the Browns didn’t get Andrew Thomas, but Ezra Cleveland and the extra picks are a nice consolation prize. Tampa is an interesting case. Do they wait till pick # 14 and hope to get a tackle to protect AARP member Tom Brady or maybe trade for Trent Williams and take BPA? In this draft Miami gets it’s quarterback without trading up, but having 14 picks, I can’t see them drafting 14 players. I have the feeling they’ll be moving around a lot or trading for future picks. Also in this mock draft, I have the Jets in panic mode to get a tackle and select Andrew Thomas right before the Browns. Which leads to Denver, also in panic mode to get ahead of the Raiders and the 49ers to get Ruggs, who they love. In the trade downs the Jags get an impact DL and the Chargers get their QB of the future.

In other news the new uniforms were unveiled today and I like them. They’re slick, simple and traditional. No more “Browns” down the side of the pants. No more sleeve strips extending onto the chest and the “color rush” is great. I love the brown facemask and inside the back collar the date 1946. At first I was disappointed there were no orange pants, however Jimmy Haslam’s son in law, JW Johnson, was on 850 am’s “Cleveland Browns Daily” this afternoon and hinted there are going to be orange pants. There’s also a still shot on twitter from this weeks “Building The Browns” showing Johnson talking to the equipment staff and in the bottom left corner is a stack of orange socks. I want to see brown jerseys with orange pants. Bring back the uniforms of Brain Sipe, Greg Pruitt, Dave Logan and my favorite Dick “Bam Bam” Ambrose.

Finally, there are rumors that the Browns are going to trade OBJ to the Vikings for a 2nd round pick this year and a 5th round pick next year. I’ve heard this is false news. No way the Browns are trading Beckham. He’s coming off a 1000 yard season in a bad offense with a terrible coaching staff. There are also rumors the Falcons are in discussions with the Browns about trading up. Right now every NFL front office is setting the perimeters for possible trades, so I don’t doubt the Browns are doing due diligence involving trades. Next week I’m going to do a full first round draft, as well as, all the Browns remaining picks. Right now it’s smoke screen season, so lets see how many I can get right. Let me know what you think, agree or disagree.

We are one week away from the draft, so enjoy the new uniforms, watch episode two of “Building The Browns” on Sunday April 19 at 11:00 AM eastern and stay safe. Go Browns.