Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[Buckin' A]

Savage is on a roll. Still no confirmation on Edwards yet. If Ngata falls to #12 you take him and groom him to take over for Washington in a couple years. It's a strong draft for LB, someone like Hodge might be available in the 2nd round. Kudla in the 3rd. Greenway is garbage in the 3-4.

I don't think the Browns can really afford to use their #1 pick on somone that will be anything but an impact player right away. Ngata probably could be, but not if you set him behind Washington for 2 years.

Anyone real familiar with Edwards? Is he someone that will really make a difference right away?

 

[barlow1802]

could be holding off on edwards confirmation until the press conference tomorrow.. perhaps?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/13/06

Browns' spending spree adds two

Nose tackle Washington, punter latest purchases

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->The Browns' spending spree continued Sunday, as General Manager Phil Savage added a nose tackle and punter and continued talks with a defensive end.

The Browns missed on the inside linebacker whom they had targeted to pair with Andra Davis as Bart Scott accepted a lucrative offer from the Baltimore Ravens.

Punter Dave Zastudil, a Bay Village native, signed a five-year contract.
Nose tackle Ted Washington agreed to a two-year deal that he will sign today.

Talks continued with defensive end Kalimba Edwards, who is expected to make a decision today.

Edwards is a former second-round draft pick who has 20 sacks the past four seasons with the Detroit Lions.

Close to 6 p.m., Savage said enough was enough.

Savage and the front office had been working on free agency since the stroke of midnight Saturday, and they had landed five of the six players that they had targeted.

Scott was close to signing with the Browns -- until the Ravens offered a player with 10 career starts a $6.5 million signing bonus and $4.5 million per year for three years.

The Browns did not want to go that high because it would have put Scott's pay ahead of Davis, who has played his entire career with the Browns and had his contract extended late last season.

Talk spread throughout the league that the Browns were trying to trade center Jeff Faine in light of the signing Saturday of center LeCharles Bentley.

The Browns fielded calls about Faine, but a league source said the team was not actively shopping him and would not make a decision on Faine's future for a week or two.

Bentley's signing gives the Browns six starting linemen -- only five can play.

Savage said Saturday that the team could keep all six under the salary cap and would take their time determining the best offensive line combination.

If the past is any indication, if the Browns did try to trade Faine, the team would first talk to Faine's agent. That's how they handled the trades of Gerard Warren and Andre' Davis in the past year.

There also was talk around the league that running back Lee Suggs could be had in a trade, but the Browns have not discussed that matter with Suggs' agent.

Suggs has talent but has never been able to avoid injuries. The team wants a change-of-pace back to pair with Reuben Droughns, and Suggs still could be it -- if he's not traded.

Zastudil, like Bentley and wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, has Cleveland connections. He's a Bay Village native who went to Ohio University.

Like Bentley and new left tackle Kevin Shaffer, Zastudil brings four years experience to the Browns.

``We believe his best years are ahead of him,'' Savage said in a statement.

Zastudil was a fourth-round draft choice of the Ravens in 2002 and averaged 43.5 yards per kick last season, 12th in the league and almost three yards per kick better than Kyle Richardson's 40.8-yard average.

More important, Zastudil's net average of 35.7 yards (kick minus return) ranked ninth in the league.The addition of Washington appears to have coach Romeo Crennel's imprints.

Washington played for Crennel with the New England Patriots in 2003, and he was part of a Super Bowl season. He wanted to play for Crennel again.

He will be 38 in a month but is nearly impossible to move in the running game. At 6-foot-5 and 365 pounds, he is a mountain inside. The Browns will be Washington's seventh team. He started 16 games for the Oakland Raiders last season.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

3/13/06

Posted on Mon, Mar. 13, 2006
Browns get in line with acquisitions

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->Can you believe it? The Browns' first two major free-agent signings being offensive linemen?

Pass the smelling salts, because some Browns fans probably passed out when hearing that. Their team never has done something this bold in free agency.

The Browns signed the top-rated free-agent offensive lineman -- in fact, the best free agent at any position according to ESPN.com -- LeCharles Bentley. He can play center. He can play guard. He comes from Cleveland and Ohio State. He has made the Pro Bowl at both positions.

The Browns can't find one guy to be voted to the Pro Bowl at any position, much less the crucial offensive line.

The best news is he is only 26 and entering his prime. A guess is Bentley opens at center, where he has played the past two for the New Orleans Saints.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage has continually praised center Jeff Faine, insisting the former Butch Davis top draft choice was doing a respectable job. Like you, Savage also watched the games. He saw Faine pushed around by more physical tackles, and he knows that Faine has been in the league for three years and has yet to finish a season on the active list.

If Faine does develop, Bentley can play guard. Veteran Joe Andruzzi was there last year but had several significant injuries. He missed only three games, but played in a lot of pain for much of the season.

His partner at guard was Cosey Coleman, who limped through the final weeks with a battered knee, missing the last game.

Bentley will play somewhere and play it better than it has been played in the past.

The Browns probably overpaid for left tackle Kevin Shaffer, but most scouts believe that he's an upgrade over the departing L.J. Shelton. Left tackle is one of the most important positions on the field because it's the key to protecting the quarterback.

Like Bentley, Shaffer is only 26, so he should continue to improve. He has 39 pro starts for the Atlanta Falcons, meaning he's experienced. So far, the Browns have lost only Shelton on the line. They've added Bentley and Shaffer to a line with Ryan Tucker (their best lineman last year), Faine, Coleman and Andruzzi.

It's believed that the Browns guaranteed Bentley about $19 million and Shaffer $12 million. Rather than just talk about bolstering the offensive line as is the history of previous Browns' regimes, Savage did it.

This is how you build an offense, with talent up front.

It also allows the Browns to concentrate on defense in the draft, rather than use one of their higher picks for an offensive linemen. Being 26 and signed to multiyear deals, Bentley and Shaffer should be around for a while.

Browns fans should be especially excited about added receiver Joe Jurevicius for one reason -- he catches the ball. He's the first truly reliable receiver since Kevin Johnson.

When it's third-and-6, the Lake Catholic product is smart enough to run a 7-yard pattern. He had 55 catches last year, 39 for first downs and 10 for touchdowns. Savage wanted a strong leader for young receivers Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards, and Jurevicius should help far more than Antonio Bryant did. What the Browns need is a veteran to catch passes in traffic for first downs.

Savage continued to shop Sunday, signing punter Dave Zastudil and nose tackle Ted Washington. The Browns have been looking for a punter since Davis let Chris Gardocki go to the Pittsburgh Steelers because he didn't want to spend $1 million on a punter -- forgetting all the Browns do is punt some seasons.

As for Washington, he's 37, and he's 6-foot-5, 365 pounds. At one time, he was a superb run-stuffer. He still might have something left and should be better than Jason Fisk, last year's disappointing model.

None of these moves guarantee a winning record, but they, at least, give fans a reason to believe that the front office has a clue. That's the best news yet.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/13/06

Browns rolling them in

Two more sign; team pursues DE

Monday, March 13, 2006

Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

The Browns made another big splash in free agency Sunday by signing punter Dave Zastudil of Bay Village and mammoth four-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Ted Washington of the Raid- ers.

They're also working to get former Detroit defensive end Kalimba Ed wards signed by today, Browns General Man ager Phil Sav age confirmed.

"Obviously we're in it," Savage said of the Edwards negotiations. "I can't say for sure if he's coming or not, but we're hopeful." Edwards was in Cleveland Saturday and Sunday.

Zastudil, who was drafted by the Ravens in 2002 when Savage was there, is the third hometown boy signed by the Browns in two days.

On Saturday, they signed former St. Ignatius center/guard LeCharles Bentley and former Lake Catholic receiver Joe Jurevicius. They also signed left tackle Kevin Shaffer to replace L.J. Shelton.

"We know we can't fill all of our needs, but we think it's been a good two days," Savage said.

The Browns tried Sunday to sign Ravens free-agent linebacker Bart Scott, but Scott opted to re-sign with Baltimore when the Ravens offered more money. Both teams offered three-year deals, but the Ravens' more lucrative package was worth $13.5 million, including a $6.5 million signing bonus.

Savage said an Associated Press report that Scott turned down a larger, five-year offer from the Browns was untrue.

The Browns liked Scott, but didn't want to upset the salary structure of their linebackers to sign him.

Washington's agent, Angelo Wright, said he signed his copy of the contract and that Washington, who was scheduled to arrive in Cleveland Sunday night, will sign his by today. It's a two-year deal worth $7 million. Wright said Washington - who turns 38 next month - can still be productive.

"When he decides not to be blocked, he still can't be blocked," Wright said.

Wright said Washington had interest from other teams - including the Dolphins, Ravens, Panthers and Jets - but opted to sign here in large part because of coach Romeo Crennel, with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2003 in New England.

"He's familiar with the system and he loves playing for Romeo Crennel," Wright said. "It came down to the best fit for him."

Washington - 6-5, 365 pounds - is the big run stuffer the Browns sought to bolster their 30th-ranked run defense. A 15th-year pro, he'll replace Jason Fisk at nose tackle.

Zastudil, who signed a five-year deal with undisclosed terms, described his signing as the fulfillment of a boyhood dream, just as Bentley and Jurevicius did on Saturday.

"This is a dream come true," he said. "It means the world to me to be here.
"My dad had tickets at Municipal Stadium and I grew up loving the Browns. This is a new chapter in my career and I'm excited that it's on my home turf."

Last season, Zastudil averaged a career-best 43.5 yards on 84 kicks for the Ravens. He'll replace Kyle Richardson, whom he also supplanted in Baltimore. Richardson became expendable when he shanked three kicks in consecutive 3-point losses to Detroit and Houston.

"I'm confident I can bring some consistency to the position," said Zastudil, a former quarterback at Bay High.

Said Savage in a statement, "We believe Dave's best years are ahead of him."

In Edwards (6-6, 265), the Browns hope to add the pass-rush specialist they sorely need. Edwards, who can play linebacker in the 3-4, had a career-high seven sacks last season, although six of them came in the first eight games.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-4670

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

3/13/06

<H1 class=red>With Bentley in, Faine might be out

</H1>

Monday, March 13, 2006



The Browns might be shopping center Jeff Faine now that they have Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley.

A league source said the Browns called about five or six teams last week to assess Faine's market value. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported one of those teams was the Eagles, who lost to the Browns in the Bentley sweepstakes.

The Eagles are not believed to be interested in Faine (6-3, 291 pounds), who is recovering from a torn biceps.

Before the Browns officially put Faine, their 2003 first-round pick, on the trading block, they'll notify his agents -- and as of Sunday, that hadn't happened yet.

What's more, they'll consider switching him to guard before they make their final decision. On Saturday, Browns General Manager Phil Savage said the Browns "will try some different combinations" to see what best fits the interior line.
-- Mary Kay Cabot

 

[exhawg]

I get the feeling that the Browns signing all of these Ohio guys bodes well for them taking more than 1 Buckeye in the draft this year. I'll shoot for Kudla and Sims as my prediction. If Everett doesn't get drafted I'm sure they would sign him. If Whitner fell to them in the second I think he would be hard to pass on.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I get the feeling with these recent moves that finally, the front office has a clue and a plan to get back on the winning track.....they haven't addressed all of their needs but they have definetly taken a step in the right direction, unlike years past. The key is to follow-up the FA's with a good draft. I am crossing my fingers.

 

[tsteele316]

I get the feeling that the Browns signing all of these Ohio guys bodes well for them taking more than 1 Buckeye in the draft this year. I'll shoot for Kudla and Sims as my prediction. If Everett doesn't get drafted I'm sure they would sign him. If Whitner fell to them in the second I think he would be hard to pass on.

cleveland was rumored to be quite interested in chris hope from pitts. they are not high on crocker right now, and sean jones is not developing well at this point. i could certainly see them taking whitner in the 2nd should he fall. He and Pool would make a very nice safety tandem. There was also some scuttlebutt about the packers being interested in faine. it wouldnt be totally out of the realm of possibility to have the browns package faine and a draft pick to flop spots with the packers in the first and then take Hawk. the question will be whether GB will be willing to move down that far.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

possibility to have the browns package faine and a draft pick to flop spots with the packers in the first and then take Hawk. the question will be whether GB will be willing to move down that far.<!-- / message -->

I would love to see this happen, GB does need help along the offensive line but Faine hasn't finished a season yet.....not sure of his value at this point, especially coming off injury.

 

[exhawg]

At least the Browns have shown that you can build a decent OL through FA in 2 years. As of now they have 6 guys who can start in the NFL. I'm not in favor of them trading Faine unless someone gives them a deal that they can't refuse because there are always injuries and Faine was their second best lineman the past few years when he played. Right now the biggest weakness on the OL is a backup tackle.
If the Browns don't make any more moves I think they can fill most of the remaining holes in the draft.

 

[AKAK]

I'm just happy the are worrying about the trenches first... Braylon this... KWII that... who cares.. hit someone in the mouth.

 

[Piney]

There was also some scuttlebutt about the packers being interested in faine. it wouldnt be totally out of the realm of possibility to have the browns package faine and a draft pick to flop spots with the packers in the first and then take Hawk. the question will be whether GB will be willing to move down that far.

Doubtful Faine is worth swapping first round picks. But I can see that happening more in the 2nd round if Carpenter or Lawson are still there.

But overall I love the moves Cleveland has made. Also it is great to have the only Ohio University NFL player to be part of the Browns... Where can I get my Zastudil jersey???

Also, in interviews Savage has said that they signing a player in free agency will not prevent them from picking a player of the same position high in the draft. For example Bunkley or Ngata since we signed Washington. Washington isn't a young pup and the Browns are not good enough to pass up the best player available just because they signed an aging starter.

 

[Buckin' A]

For example Bunkley or Ngata since we signed Washington. Washington isn't a young pup and the Browns are not good enough to pass up the best player available just because they signed an aging starter.

But they also have too many holes to use a first round draft pick on a player that would set for 2 years behind Washington.

 

[exhawg]

But they also have too many holes to use a first round draft pick on a player that would set for 2 years behind Washington.

I don't think Ngata would be sitting behind Washington for 2 years. I bet they would be playing 50/50 by the end of the first season and Ngata would play more the second year. Washington is a good signing to make sure the Browns have a NT regardless of what happens in the draft.
If trading Faine and the first round pick to the Pack would get the Browns Hawk I would go for it. From the Packers perspective they would get a starting center and could use the Browns pick on Justice for a starting LT. That would make their QB's job much easier. From the Browns perspective I don't know if Hawk's production would equal Faine + the #12 pick, but he would mean a lot to Browns/Buckeye fans. I don't think there is anyone else in the draft that I would trade Faine and the first round pick for. On the bright side if the Pack drafted Hawk then traded him to the Browns he wouldn't be considered a Browns first round pick, and thus not subject to the first round curse. Right?