Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Cleveland Browns get a break with solid play of cornerback Brandon McDonald



Friday, November 30, 2007 Tony Grossi

Plain Dealer Reporter
Until he broke out of rookie obscurity with a stellar performance against the Houston Texans, Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald's brush with greatness was a singing appearance on the NFL Network.
He sang "My Girl" and was cri tiqued by "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul.
"She said I did well but I need to show a little more emo tion. I was doing this," McDonald said, pretending to squeeze a microphone close to his mouth.




Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Browns also have a Big 3
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Edwards leads an explosive receiving corps[/FONT]
Friday, November 30, 2007
By Steve Doerschuk
Repository sports writer

BRAYLON EDWARDS

Browns at Cardinals
Sunday,
4:05 p.m.
University of Phoenix
Stadium
​

BEREA How long has it been since Browns fans have seen a season like this? Here?s one indicator:

Romeo Crennel and Chris Palmer were coaching under Bill Parcells in New England. Bill Belichick was finally having a good season in Cleveland, going 8-3 after 11 games.

After 13 games, Belichick?s 1994 Browns were 9-4. If Crennel?s 2007 Browns beat the Cardinals and Jets within the next 10 days, they?ll be 9-4.

Cont...

 

[osugrad21]

MJ

Defense keeps on improving
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
11/30/2007




BEREA -- ''Still last but getting better'' -- it isn't the catchiest slogan of all time, but it describes the Browns defense perfectly.


No team has given up as many yards (4,377) and no team has given up as many points (311) as the Browns have. Yet on the defensive side of the locker room yesterday, the linebackers displayed a confidence that never surfaced in the early part of the season when opposing rushers routinely piled 100-yard games.


Veteran Willie McGinest, flecks of gray in his beard and in his hair, traces the difference to a re-dedication to tackling made the week of the bye following a 41-31 victory over the Dolphins Oct. 14.

Cont...

 

[kartaron]

Salary cap managers for several NFL teams say they were apprised this week that the league spending limit will rise to $116 million per franchise for the 2008 season.
The increase in the cap for 2008 was first reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Cap managers were informed of the bump in the cap during their annual labor seminar near Dallas.

The $7 million increase, from $109 million in 2007 to $116 million in 2008, was not unanticipated. It matched the increase for 2007 from this season, in which the cap is set at a record $102 million. Salary cap managers typically are provided such updates for planning purposes, because it allows them benchmarks as they work to negotiate future contracts.


ESPN - NFL salary cap rising by $7 million for 2008 season - NFL

According to today's USA Today the Browns have around 7 million in salary cap room this year. With the cap expanding to 116 and some contracts ending or being dropped, the Browns should have between 14 and 23 million in cap space.

Free agents in 08

Ken Dorsey QB
Jamal Lewis RB
Ryan Krause TE
Seth McKinney
Nat Dorsey OT
Lennie Friedman C
Simon Frasier DL
Ethan Kelley DL
Mason Unck LB
Derek Anderson QB

available free agents (not a complete list)

Name Position Status Current Team

Domonique Foxworth CB RFA Denver Broncos
Chris Carr CB RFA Oakland Raiders
Karl Paymah CB RFA Denver Broncos
Asante Samuel CB UFA New England Patriots
Drayton Florence CB UFA San Diego Chargers
Randall happy CB UFA New England Patriots
Tory James CB UFA New England Patriots
B.J. Sams CB UFA Baltimore Ravens
Chad Scott CB UFA New England Patriots
Jared Allen DL UFA Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Smith DL UFA Cincinnati Bengals
Terrell Suggs DL UFA Baltimore Ravens
Mike Rucker DL UFA Carolina Panthers
Albert Haynesworth DL UFA Tennessee Titans
Tommy Kelly DL UFA Oakland Raiders
Mike Rucker DL UFA Carolina Panthers
Jordan Carstens DL UFA Carolina Panthers
Ebenezer Ekuban DL UFA Denver Broncos
Sam Rayburn DL UFA San Francisco 49ers
Paul Spicer DL UFA Jacksonville Jaguars
Randy Starks DL UFA Tennessee Titans
Renaldo Wynn DL UFA Washington Redskins
Derrick Wimbush FB RFA Jacksonville Jaguars
Brad Hoover FB UFA Carolina Panthers
Tony Richardson FB UFA Minnesota Vikings
Jordan Beck LB RFA Atlanta Falcons
Darryl Blackstock LB RFA Arizona Cardinals
Lance Briggs LB UFA Chicago Bears
Tedy Bruschi LB UFA New England Patriots
Karlos Dansby LB UFA Arizona Cardinals
Demorrio Williams LB UFA Atlanta Falcons
Boss Bailey LB UFA Detroit Lions
Danny Clark LB UFA Houston Texans
Kawika Mitchell LB UFA New York Giants
Mark Simoneau LB UFA New Orleans Saints
Kevin Bentley LB UFA Seattle Seahawks
Brandon Chillar LB UFA St. Louis Rams
Na'il Diggs LB UFA Carolina Panthers
Landon Johnson LB UFA Cincinnati Bengals
Teddy Lehman LB UFA Detroit Lions
Lemar Marshall LB UFA Washington Redskins
Sam Williams LB UFA Oakland Raiders
Chris Kemoeatu OG RFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Brian Rimpf OG RFA Baltimore Ravens
Ruben Brown OG UFA Chicago Bears
Alan Faneca OG UFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Ryan Lilja OG UFA Indianapolis Colts
Floyd Womack OG UFA Seattle Seahawks
Jake Scott OG UFA Indianapolis Colts
P.J. Alexander OG UFA Atlanta Falcons
Keydrick Vincent OG UFA Baltimore Ravens
Fred Weary OG UFA Houston Texans
Trai Essex OT RFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Cory Lekkerkerker OT RFA San Diego Chargers
Max Starks OT UFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Todd Steussie OT UFA St. Louis Rams
Travelle Wharton OT UFA Carolina Panthers
Nat Dorsey OT UFA Cleveland Browns
Sean Locklear OT UFA Seattle Seahawks
Ryan Fitzpatrick Qb RFA Cincinnati Bengals
Rex Grossman Qb UFA Chicago Bears
Josh McCown Qb UFA Oakland Raiders
Ken Dorsey Qb UFA Cleveland Browns
Drew Henson Qb UFA Minnesota Vikings
Cleo Lemon Qb UFA Miami Dolphins
Jared Lorenzen Qb UFA New York Giants
Jamie Martin Qb UFA New Orleans Saints
Vernand Morency RB RFA Green Bay Packers
Cedric Cobbs RB RFA Denver Broncos
Noah Herron RB RFA Green Bay Packers
Tyson Thompson RB RFA Dallas Cowboys
Michael Turner RB UFA San Diego Chargers
Jamal Lewis RB UFA Cleveland Browns
Fred Taylor RB UFA Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Brown RB UFA Tennessee Titans
Julius Jones RB UFA Dallas Cowboys
Justin Fargas RB UFA Oakland Raiders
T.J. Duckett RB UFA Detroit Lions
Maurice Hicks RB UFA San Francisco 49ers
Travis Minor RB UFA St. Louis Rams
Mewelde Moore RB UFA Minnesota Vikings
Artose Pinner RB UFA Minnesota Vikings
Musa Smith RB UFA Baltimore Ravens
LaBrandon Toefield RB UFA Jacksonville Jaguars
Mike Doss S UFA Minnesota Vikings
William Bartee S UFA Kansas City Chiefs
Jay Bellamy S UFA New Orleans Saints
Omar Stoutmire S UFA Washington Redskins
Derrick Strait S UFA Carolina Panthers
Gibril Wilson S UFA New York Giants
L.J. Smith TE UFA Philadelphia Eagles
Eric Johnson TE UFA New Orleans Saints
Stephen Alexander TE UFA Denver Broncos
Bryan Fletcher TE UFA Indianapolis Colts
John Gilmore TE UFA Chicago Bears
Marcus Pollard TE UFA Seattle Seahawks
Ben Troupe TE UFA Tennessee Titans
Jermaine Wiggins TE UFA Jacksonville Jaguars
Kris Wilson TE UFA Kansas City Chiefs
Malcom Floyd WR RFA San Diego Chargers
Jerome Mathis WR RFA Houston Texans
Bernard Berrian WR UFA Chicago Bears
Patrick Crayton WR UFA Dallas Cowboys
Bryant Johnson WR UFA Arizona Cardinals
Drew Carter WR UFA Carolina Panthers
Andre' Davis WR UFA Houston Texans
Justin Gage WR UFA Tennessee Titans
Brandon Stokley WR UFA Denver Broncos
Antonio Chatman WR UFA Cincinnati Bengals
Keary Colbert WR UFA Carolina Panthers
Terrance Copper WR UFA New Orleans Saints
Doug Gabriel WR UFA Oakland Raiders
D.J. Hackett WR UFA Seattle Seahawks
Az-Zahir Hakim WR UFA Miami Dolphins
Taylor Jacobs WR UFA Washington Redskins
Samie Parker WR UFA Kansas City Chiefs
David Patten WR UFA New Orleans Saints
Marcus Robinson WR UFA Detroit Lions

 

[NFBuck]

Well, obviously it starts with getting a contract to DA. Other than that, I'd say the rest are relatively expendable. Lewis has been solid, but he's gonna want a long-term deal and I still say he's on the downslope of his career. I'd love to see the Browns make a run at Michael Turner, but he's gonna be a hot commodity. Outside of that, please, please, spend some money on the DL. All the defensive troubles start up front. Obviously the secondary has been pretty bad, but there are some good young players there and any secondary would blow ass if the DL can't pressure the QB. Haynesworth and Jared Allen should get a good look.

 

[Mike80]

Well, obviously it starts with getting a contract to DA. Other than that, I'd say the rest are relatively expendable. Lewis has been solid, but he's gonna want a long-term deal and I still say he's on the downslope of his career. I'd love to see the Browns make a run at Michael Turner, but he's gonna be a hot commodity. Outside of that, please, please, spend some money on the DL. All the defensive troubles start up front. Obviously the secondary has been pretty bad, but there are some good young players there and any secondary would blow ass if the DL can't pressure the QB. Haynesworth and Jared Allen should get a good look.

Id even take a shot at Julius Jones if he signs for the right price.....

I hope they resign Anderson and address the DL and the LB corps as well. The DL sucks but outside of Wimbley the LBs are (mostly) horrible too.

 

[exhawg]

Well, obviously it starts with getting a contract to DA. Other than that, I'd say the rest are relatively expendable. Lewis has been solid, but he's gonna want a long-term deal and I still say he's on the downslope of his career. I'd love to see the Browns make a run at Michael Turner, but he's gonna be a hot commodity. Outside of that, please, please, spend some money on the DL. All the defensive troubles start up front. Obviously the secondary has been pretty bad, but there are some good young players there and any secondary would blow ass if the DL can't pressure the QB. Haynesworth and Jared Allen should get a good look.

Agree, If they could get 2 dominate players on the DL in addition to the rest of the defense that they already have the defense would be much better next year. A good pass rush while only rushing 3 or 4 would help out everyone else.

 

[tsteele316]

Agree, If they could get 2 dominate players on the DL in addition to the rest of the defense that they already have the defense would be much better next year. A good pass rush while only rushing 3 or 4 would help out everyone else.

cleveland still needs an OLB and an ILB that is a run stuffer.

that being said, if there is a team that is willing to pony up a 1st and 3rd for DA, I'll go on record as saying that it's better than 50/50 he's gone.

DA is going to want a Romo-type contract, and I don't think Cleveland will pay that after this season. As an UFA maybe.

 

[muffler dragon]

McGinest needs to retire.

 

[kartaron]

cleveland still needs an OLB and an ILB that is a run stuffer.

that being said, if there is a team that is willing to pony up a 1st and 3rd for DA, I'll go on record as saying that it's better than 50/50 he's gone.

DA is going to want a Romo-type contract, and I don't think Cleveland will pay that after this season. As an UFA maybe.

From reading Crennel and Savage quotes I think you may be right (or possibly he signs and is traded during the 08 season)

Id even take a shot at Julius Jones if he signs for the right price.....

Marion Barber is a restricted free agent next year too. Dont know why he wasnt on the list. Since the Cowboys arent likely to franchise him, he will likely be available for a first and third pick.

 

[NFBuck]

McGinest needs to retire.

Agreed.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

McGinest needs to retire.

He did... haven't you been watching the games?

 

[schwab]

Marion Barber is a restricted free agent next year too. Dont know why he wasnt on the list. Since the Cowboys arent likely to franchise him, he will likely be available for a first and third pick.

Ironic that the Cowboys are included in this particular discussion, but what happens if you don't have a first round pick? Especially if the team that would otherwise get it is the team that already has it?

 

[sandgk]

That UFA/RFA list (sortable by team or position) is (I think) from KFFL

 

[kartaron]

Ironic that the Cowboys are included in this particular discussion, but what happens if you don't have a first round pick? Especially if the team that would otherwise get it is the team that already has it?

Yeah I was wondering the same thing. The RFA system is set up to be automatic so either the 09 first rounder is acceptable or not, I dont think they allow negotiations. Wiki isnt clear on which is true though.

Assuming they could give up the 09 first and the 08 third (assuming again he gets an offer on this level, over 2 million per year, from Dallas) Cleveland would have to offer more than Dallas' offer and more than a competing team (Chicago is rumored to be interested). Then Dallas would have to refuse to match the best offer (as chosen by Marion) and accept the draft picks instead. Dallas could cut this off beforehand by signing Barber before the off season.

I think Barber will be a RFA in the off season though because Dallas doesnt seem to know how good he is, though with JJ an UFA I dont see what other option they have at RB. I can see other teams offering as much as 4 million per year also because Barber hasnt been injury prone and hasnt had a huge number of carries. Thomas Jones has worse stats, though as a starter, and got a 5 million per year contract.

Together that would be a lot to give up for a team whose number one problem isnt RB. Resigning Jamal and picking up a second day RB in the draft might be a better option.

I still think trading Quinn to Minnesota for Chester Taylor or maybe a DT or LB would be a perfect situation for both teams.