Cleveland Browns News

Browns terminate Stallworth's contract
Comment
February 9
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"The Browns terminated the contract of wide receiver Donte' Stallworth on Monday, the team announced in a one-sentence press release. Stallworth was reinstated by the NFL after Sunday's Super Bowl after being suspended for the 2009 season by commissioner Roger Goodell. Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter for a March 14 accident in Miami Beach that killed pedestrian Mario Reyes. Stallworth served 24 days of a 30-day jail sentence and also reached a financial settlement with the Reyes family. The Browns had been expected to release Stallworth before March 20, when he was reportedly due a $1 million roster bonus. He now becomes an unrestricted free agent. Stallworth posted on his ..."
Cleveland Browns terminate Donte Stallworth's contract
Comment
February 9
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Donte Stallworth's star-crossed tenure with the Browns has come to an end. As expected, Stallworth's contract was terminated by the Browns on Monday, the same day he was re-instated by the NFL after his season-long suspension without pay for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk. Stallworth, who was under contract with the Browns through 2014, is now free to sign with any team. The move ends the Browns' unfortunate experience with Stallworth, who was signed by former General Manager Phil Savage to a seven-year, $35 million contract in 2008, with almost $10 million guaranteed. An eight-year veteran, Stallworth was supposed to be the blockbuster offensive free agent to compliment Braylon ..."
Donte Stallworth back on Cleveland Browns roster, but for how long?
Comment
February 8
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Now that the Super Bowl is over, receiver Donte Stallworth has been technically returned to the Browns roster. The team is now on the clock to act on his status. A league source told The Plain Dealer this morning that there will be no formal league announcement about Stallworth. The source said that Stallworth and the Browns were informed about a month ago that his suspension was lifted. The Browns will release Stallworth rather than pay him a $1 million roster bonus due him on March 20, another source has informed The Plain Dealer."
Like Saints, Browns need a good QB (and good decisions) to finally reach NFL bliss
Comment
February 8
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 columnist Bud Shaw
"Seattle one year, Arizona a few years later and then New Orleans in the Super Bowl. That raises all manner of hope in desperate cities such as ours. I do not come today to artificially enhance that hope or to bury it, just to say the only things those teams shared were the NFC and quarterbacks primed for the occasion. Short of changing conferences, Mike Holmgren's best option for speeding the Browns' revival as new team president is to overhaul the position he knows best. His background in quarterbacks makes him invaluable given the NFL in 2010. His timing? Eh. There's no obvious one-step remedy for Holmgren as there was for the Saints when first-year head coach Sean Payton landed his ..."
Birds QB rumors
Comment
February 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"If there is one day in the NFL year when we ought to be free of worrying about Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, it should be Super Bowl Sunday. Alas, such is not the case. We've had reports from ESPN folk who apparently have too much time on their hands, with their network not doing the game. Adam Schefter says multiple teams have asked the Birds about all three of their quarterbacks and three teams have called about Michael Vick. Sal Paolantonio added that three teams - Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo - have had multiple conversations with the Eagles about Donovan McNabb. Don't know the exact teams myself, but I understand there have been a lot of calls, many of them not about any QB in ..."
Are the Super Saints a good omen for the Browns?
Comment
February 7
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The first time Tony Grossi and Bud Shaw held a Super Bowl debate, Grossi picked Indianapolis to beat the Chicago Bears. Something about Peyton Manning being too good to lose and Rex Grossman being too Rex Grossman to win. Shaw, who picked Chicago, now contends the sun was in his eyes and he suffered a concussion when he mistakenly tried to wear his helmet phone. Now they look at another Super Bowl, No. XLIV, featuring Manning again. But this time the opposing quarterback, the Saints' Drew Brees, is the one who led the NFL in passing in 2009. The casual fan has a tough call, especially the casual Cleveland fan. It's not as easy as rooting for Arizona to beat Pittsburgh this time around. ..."
Browns will have to act on Donte Stallworth after NFL reinstatement on Monday
Comment
February 6
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Donte Stallworth's NFL suspension will be lifted after Sunday's Super Bowl, Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed on Friday. That puts the ball in the Browns' court. Upon reinstatement, Stallworth will return to the Browns' roster. A source has told The Plain Dealer that the Browns will release Stallworth, but the formality of an announcement may not come immediately. The red-letter date regarding Stallworth is March 20. If he is on the Browns' 80-man roster on that date -- 15th day of the 2010 league year -- he would earn a $1 million roster bonus. The Browns don't intend to pay it, so Stallworth will be released by then. Until he is released, the receiver would be allowed to return ..."
Colts kicker Matt Stover has many ties to Cleveland Browns
Comment
February 6
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"If there has been one player riding shotgun with Browns fans through the team's turbulent recent history, it is Matt Stover. Stover, 42, will become the oldest player to appear in a Super Bowl on Sunday when he kicks for the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. The Colts are Stover's fourth NFL team in 20 years. His entire career, though, has been intertwined with the Browns. For instance, Stover spent his rookie season in 1990 on injured reserve with the New York Giants. He was the understudy there to Matt Bahr, the popular Browns kicker during the franchise's most recent great playoff run in the 1980s. After the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, Stover followed Bill Belichick ..."
Browns' Stallworth will be reinstated, NFL's Goodell says
Comment
February 6
Baltimore Sun
 
"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth will be reinstated from his suspension for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk. At his annual Super Bowl-week news conference Friday, Goodell said Stallworth's suspension will be lifted after the Super Bowl on Sunday. Goodell said he met with Stallworth about a month ago, and the receiver is "in a better place than he was." Goodell said Stallworth recognizes what he did and has prepared himself to return to the NFL."
Browns will have to act on Donte Stallworth after NFL reinstatement on Monday
Comment
February 5
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Donte Stallworth's NFL suspension will be lifted after Sunday's Super Bowl, Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed on Friday. That puts the ball in the Browns' court. Upon reinstatement, Stallworth will return to the Browns' roster. A source has told The Plain Dealer that the Browns will release Stallworth, but the formality of an announcement may not come immediately. The red-letter date regarding Stallworth is March 20. If he is on the Browns' 80-man roster on that date -- 15th day of the 2010 league year -- he would earn a $1 million roster bonus. The Browns don't intend to pay it, so Stallworth will be released by then. Until he is released, the receiver would be allowed to return ..."
Goodell: Suspended WR Stallworth will be reinstated
Comment
February 5
NFL.com
 
"Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth will be reinstated to play at some point after Sunday's Super Bowl, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a news conference Friday. Stallworth was suspended without pay for the 2009 season last August after reaching a plea agreement on a DUI manslaughter charge in Miami. Stallworth, who was under the influence while driving, struck and killed a pedestrian while driving on a causeway connecting Miami and Miami Beach on March 14, 2009. He served 24 days in jail and was placed on house arrest. Goodell did not say exactly when reinstatement into the NFL was forthcoming but it seems sooner, rather than later. Goodell said he met with Stallworth ..."
Cleveland Browns receiver Mike Furrey is awed to be an NFL Man of the Year finalist
Comment
February 5
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Just being one of three finalists for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is an honor, said Browns receiver Mike Furrey. But the depth of that honor really hit home when he spoke Thursday night with former teammate Kurt Warner, who won it last year. "He's won the Super Bowl MVP and been the league MVP, and he said it's the greatest thing he's ever received in his career," Furrey said. "You're talking about a (future) Hall of Fame quarterback. That speaks volumes. It's the greatest award you can receive at this level." The award honors a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing performance. It has been given every year since 1970 and was ..."
Troy Smith's agent insists that he made trade request
Comment
February 5
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Jamison Hensley, blogger for Ravens Insider, blogs that the agent for Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Troy Smith insists that he made a trade request to the Ravens in late December. But, according to the blog, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said he never received a formal trade request from Ralph Cindrich, Smith's agent. "I am better than 90 percent sure that Ozzie was called and a message left with him before the season ended regarding Troy Smith's request for a trade after the season," Cindrich told The Baltimore Sun in an email Friday. "I can confirm that with records.""
Saints long snapper Jason Kyle was in Cleveland Browns' 1999 expansion draft
Comment
February 5
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Mamas, let your babies grow up to be long snappers. That has got to be the moral of the Jason Kyle story. Kyle, long snapper for the New Orleans Saints, now has made it to his second Super Bowl since passing through Cleveland. Don't recall the name, Browns fans? Kyle was one of the 38 players selected by the Browns in the 1999 expansion draft. But he never played a down, never delivered a long snap, because he tore a knee ligament on the first day of the team's first minicamp. Like many players who wind up on a Browns roster, Kyle went on to, well, better fortune if not fame. He was released by the Browns the following summer, signed with Carolina a year later and carved out a career as a ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
Comment
February 5
Boston Globe
 
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Former Cleveland Browns GM Phil Savage named consultant by Philadelphia Eagles
Comment
February 4
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Former Browns General Manager Phil Savage is back in the NFL in a part-time role. Savage was named by the Philadelphia Eagles today as a player personnel consultant for the 2010 draft. The Eagles have undergone some front office changes since Tom Heckert left to become Browns GM, and Savage could fill a huge void for them. New Eagles GM Howie Roseman is not a draft guru, and Ryan Grigson, promoted to player personnel director, is more familiar with the pro personnel side of things. In a statement released by the Eagles, Roseman said, "I've always admired the work Phil Savage has done. And after spending time with him this past year, I realized how well we could work together." Savage has ..."
Browns Tom Heckert impressed by Florida's Tim Tebow
Comment
February 4
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns General Manager Tom Heckert just returned from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. and had good things to say about Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who was criticized sharply by experts such as ESPN's Todd McShay. "I think (Tebow) knew (he'd take heat) there and he went way up in my book for doing that, because originally there was talk that he wasn't going to go,'' said Heckert at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, where he was a presenter. "I think it's great that he went. He's a competitor and he wants to show what he can do. I thought it was great that he showed up, I really did. Because he knew what was going to happen." Heckert disagrees with the critics who say Tebow can't ..."
Super Bowl just reinforces Mike Holmgren's plans for the Cleveland Browns
Comment
February 2
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The dominant players in next Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV will be the quarterbacks. Of course, you say. Peyton Manning of Indianapolis and Drew Brees of New Orleans are the cutting edge of NFL passers in a sport dominated more than ever by the quarterback position. Manning captured his record fourth league MVP award for leading the Colts to a 14-2 regular-season record. Brees was the league's No. 1-rated quarterback, Manning No. 7. They were among a record 10 quarterbacks who passed for more than 4,000 yards in the 2009 season. This is the fifth time in the past 10 years that two quarterbacks ranked in that season's top 10 met in the Super Bowl. Recent Super Bowls have featured quarterbacks ..."
Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins swap salary-cap specialists
Comment
February 2
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Browns completed their long-anticipated trade with the Miami Dolphins today. Of salary-cap specialists, that is. It was a straight-up trade of the Dolphins' Matt Thomas for the Browns' Dawn Aponte. Thomas, a 12-year member of the Dolphins, was named Browns Vice President -- Football Administration, the role held by Aponte during the 2009 season. Aponte, meanwhile, was named Senior Vice President of Football Operations for the Dolphins, filling the role vacated by Thomas. The trade occured because Bryan Wiedmeier, the Browns new executive vice president of business administration, came from Miami and wanted to bring Thomas with him. Bill Parcells, who runs the Dolphins, agreed to let ..."
Josh Cribbs on All-Decade team
Comment
February 1
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Joshua Cribbs, got a little extra bargaining power Sunday when he was named to the NFL's All-Decade team as a kick returner. Cribbs, who is trying to get a new contract from the Browns, was one of three return men on the team, with Dante Hall and Devin Hester the others. In five seasons, the former Kent State quarterback has returned two punts and a record eight kickoffs for touchdowns. The most recent Browns to make the All-Decade team were Ozzie Newsome and Frank Minnifield for the 1980s. NFL ALL-DECADE TEAM: 2000s OFFENSE (p-2010 Pro Bowl participants) Quarterback — Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. Running Backs — Shaun Alexander, Jamal Lewis, Edgerrin James, LaDainian Tomlinson. ..."
Longtime Mike Holmgren aide Gil Haskell may soon join Browns front office: NFL Insider
Comment
January 31
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Gil Haskell, one of Mike Holmgren's closest friends and advisers in the NFL, is expected to join the Browns soon. Haskell was on Holmgren's coaching staffs in Green Bay and Seattle. In fact, Haskell was with Holmgren for 15 of Holmgren's 17 seasons as an NFL head coach. Haskell, 66, is expected to be appointed as an adviser to the Browns president. In that capacity, he may be called on to conduct a thorough evaluation of the Browns' offense and have major input in the direction it takes in the second season of coach Eric Mangini. Haskell's roots go back to pre-Bill Walsh years with the San Francisco 49ers when his uncle was part owner of the team. His coaching career began with John ..."
Pro Bowl praise has a Hall of Fame flavor for Cleveland Browns' Joe Thomas
Comment
January 31
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"If Joe Thomas keeps up this way, the Browns might someday have to name a street after him, too. As it is, he pulls into work every morning at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard, named after the Browns' last great left tackle -- one who made the Pro Bowl nine times and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974. But Thomas is traveling on Groza's path in more ways than one. On Sunday, he'll play in the Pro Bowl for the third time in his three seasons, and he's already about halfway down the road to Canton in the view of some experts. "I staked my reputation on Joe Thomas when he was coming out of Wisconsin and I have another bold prediction," said UCLA assistant Bob Palcic, Thomas' college position ..."
Troy Smith wants to play for the Cleveland Browns
Comment
January 31
Baltimore Sun
 
"Troy Smith wants to play for the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens backup quarterback recently told ESPN Radio's Cleveland affiliate. Smith, who grew up in Cleveland, has occasionally talked about his affection for the city since he was drafted by the Ravens in 2007. When asked about his desire to play for the Browns, Smith told ESPN Radio, "There is no doubt about it. It has always been a childhood dream of mine." Smith added, "It's funny how we always talk about Cleveland. That's the first thing that comes to mind with anything I do whether I get a chance to come home and be a part of that organization or not. You know, I would love to get that chance if that opportunity comes up, but the ..."
Holmgren confirms that doctors and foot specialist concludes Quinn won't need surgery
Comment
January 28
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 (scroll down)
"Holmgren confirmed that a foot specialist and Browns doctors have concluded that quarterback Brady Quinn will not need surgery on the mid-foot sprain on his left foot. The injury occurred in the Browns' win at Kansas City on Dec. 20 and resulted in Quinn missing the last two games."
Holmgren dislikes quarterback battles
Comment
January 28
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"Those tired of the Browns' seemingly endless training camp quarterback competitions can rejoice. Browns president Mike Holmgren doesn't believe in them. Speaking in a telephone interview Wednesday before he leaves today for a weeklong trip to the West Coast, Holmgren said that approach failed him twice in his 23 years in the NFL. ''I've had a couple instances where I thought that was kind of a good idea and it didn't work,'' Holmgren said. ''You go into training camp and nothing is exactly even. You prefer one over the other or you think one guy's a little bit better or he's a better fit. I've learned, one man's opinion, it's better [to] just pick that guy. He believes, he understands ..."
Mike Holmgren names ex-Packers aide to front office
Comment
January 28
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns President Mike Holmgren has raided the Green Bay Packers of a long-time front office employee. Holmgren confirmed he has named Mark Schiefelbein vice president of football operations. In that capacity, Shiefelbein will report to Bryan Wiedmeier, executive vice president of business operations, in Holmgren's organization restructuring and be responsible for stadium operations. Holmgren said Shiefelbein also will be "very involved in our community outreach programs." Schiefelbein started with Green Bay as a public relations intern in 1989 prior to Holmgren even becoming Packers coach. When Holmgren flew to Green Bay to accept the head coach job in 1992, Shiefelbein was the staffer who ..."
Cleveland Browns continue management restructuring under Mike Holmgren
Comment
January 27
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns President Mike Holmgren has raided the Green Bay Packers of a long-time front office employee. Holmgren has named Mark Schiefelbein vice president of football operations, reported the Milwaukee Journel-Sentinel. Schiefelbein started with Green Bay as a public relations intern in 1989 prior to Holmgren even becoming Packers coach. Schiefelbein was director of football administration/communications with the Packers since 1999."
Browns' Mike Furrey a finalist for NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Comment
January 25
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns wide receiver/safety Mike Furrey has been selected as one of three finalists for the 2009 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, The team made the announcement Sunday afternoon. Renamed in 1999 after the legendary Bears running back, the award recognizes a player's off the field community service activities as well as on-field performance. This is the first time the Browns have had one of the three finalists since their return in 1999. Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher (a John Carroll graduate) and Kansas City Chiefs guard Brian Waters join Furrey. The winner will be announced before Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7."
Finalists named for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Comment
January 25
NFL.com
 
"Three community-minded NFL players will be recognized during Super Bowl week as finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, it was announced Sunday. Washington Redskins LB London Fletcher, Cleveland Browns WR Mike Furrey and Kansas City Chiefs G Brian Waters are the top candidates for this year's award, named for the legendary Chicago Bears running back who died in 1999. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award is the only league award that recognizes a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence. The winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced live on CBS before Super Bowl XLIV on February 7. Fletcher, Furrey, ..."
Credit or not, Eric Mangini had role in Jets' rebuilding; which bodes well for the Browns
Comment
January 24
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 columnist Bill Livingstone
"The New York Jets are playing for a spot in the Super Bowl Sunday against Indianapolis. On their roster is wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who deflected blame with the Browns the way he deflected passes that came his way. The Browns have defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who is the brother of the Jets' much-praised head coach Rex Ryan. At the moment, they have no wide receiver with more drops than the 82nd Airborne. They also have no immediate Super Bowl prospects. They do have the Jets' old coach, however, in Eric Mangini. The Browns had a four-game winning streak when the season ended. Maybe the games didn't mean much, but victories might have been tougher to get than in the two games ..."
Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini on the New York Jets: 'I feel proud of a lot of those guys'
Comment
January 24
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"If they score an upset victory over Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, the New York Jets would reach their first Super Bowl since quarterback Joe Namath put the old AFL on the map in 1969. That would mean automatic iconic status in sports lore. And the man who essentially built the team over the previous three years is absorbing shots almost daily on the back pages of the New York tabloids. Eric Mangini is unfazed. He said he is happy for the Jets he assembled. Happy for the men who fired him, owner Woody Johnson and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum. Happy for the coach who replaced him, Rex Ryan, who is receiving and accepting all the credit for ..."
Donte Stallworth's Browns tenure likely drawing to a close as suspension ends
Comment
January 24
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Browns have no intention of bringing back receiver Donte' Stallworth when his one-year suspension is lifted by Commissioner Roger Goodell after the Super Bowl. It will be the first major decision on a player to be made by the new Browns regime of President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert, and it will not be a hard one. Stallworth was suspended on Aug. 13 after pleading guilty to DUI/manslaughter, a second-degree felony in Florida, as a result of striking and killing pedestrian Mario Reyes while under the influence of alcohol on March 14. Goodell did the Browns a favor by suspending Stallworth for the season because it saved the Browns about $7.6 million of room on their ..."
Braylon Edwardss college, not drops, brought flak from Browns fans
Comment
January 23
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Think about Braylon Edwards in the Super Bowl. Other than Art Modell, who won "the Big Enchilada" after the 2000 season before his ownership of the Baltimore Ravens was bought out, is there a person more reviled by Browns fans than Edwards? The fact that Edwards, too, can reach pro football's summit adds to the frustration of a sports town tormented by a history of near-misses and macabre twists of fate. Edwards, traded to the New York Jets on Oct. 6, is one win from going to a place that has been unreachable for the Browns. All it will take is an upset victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday. No wonder Edwards gave thanks after the Jets' playoff win ..."
Would the Lions trade for DT Shaun Rogers?
Comment
January 23
Detroit Free Press
 
"As Cleveland continues to rebuild its front office, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers could be one of the key players tied to the personnel decisions the Browns make this off-season. And that could pave Rogers' way out of town - and possibly back to the Lions. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Browns president Mike Holmgren was expected to join general manager Tom Heckert and coaches in a thorough examination of the roster this week. That likely would stoke discussion of why the Browns' run defense was dramatically worse in the first 11 games (159 yards per game) with Rogers at nose tackle than it was the final five games (111 yards) after he was lost for the season with a leg injury ..."
Josh Cribbs and agents encouraged by "positive dialogue" with Cleveland Browns
Comment
January 22
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The agent for Browns receiver Josh Cribbs said Thursday that he's had "very positive" dialogue with the Browns in the past week about the team redoing Cribbs' contract and that the player and his agents are optimistic about a good outcome. "We've talked to [Browns President] Mike Holmgren and [General Manager] Tom Heckert and we have an understanding that we're going to work together on this," agent J.R. Rickert said. "We have a much clearer indication that something can be worked out and that it's not just lip service." Rickert said Holmgren and Heckert "made it clear to us that they had not made a take-it-or-leave-it proposition or a final offer. The tone and tenor were very positive and ..."
Ex-coach Eric Mangini still a fan of New York Jets, takes pride in Gang Green's run
Comment
January 22
New York Daily News
 
"Eric Mangini feels like Pete Best, the drummer replaced by Ringo Starr right before the Beatles made it big. But he says he's not bitter about being fired before the Jets started climbing the charts and is rooting for them to beat the Colts in the AFC Championship Game. And he thinks they can. They don't have to do it Eight Days A Week. They just have to do it Sunday. Mangini was at Disney World with his wife and three young sons Thursday, but he believes it's closer to reality than fantasy that the Jets will upset the Colts and make it to their first Super Bowl in 41 years. "I do take a lot of pride in how they are doing," Mangini told the Daily News Thursday night. "Not just in how they ..."
Former NY Jets coach Eric Mangini facing painful football weekend
Comment
January 21
Newark Star-Ledger
 columnist Steve Politi
"I put in the official request with the Cleveland Browns media relations office this week, sending a detailed e-mail as per its instructions, and then wondered which was more likely: * A. Tiger Woods ringing my doorbell and letting me thumb through his little black book; * B. The Nets embarking on a 35-game winning streak to crack .500 and make the playoffs; * C. Coach Eric Mangini granting me an interview. The answer came Wednesday. Mangini likely would have called, a Browns spokesman said, but he is on vacation with his family this week. Here's hoping for his sake the trip was to a distant island — one without TVs — because it would be hard to imagine a more excruciating day ..."
Browns add four to personnel department
Comment
January 21
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns president Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert put their stamp on the personnel department Wedneday by hiring two of their former colleagues to help run the department. They hired former Eagles executive Jon Sandusky as Director of Player Personnel and former Seahawks coach Keith Gilbertson as Director of Pro Personnel. They also added former Eagles scout John Spytek as a personnel executive and former Seahawks assistant A.J. Durso as a pro scout. In addition, the team signed defensive back Chris Roberson as a free agent for the 2010 season. Sandusky spent the previous nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles with Heckert, the former Eagles general manager, the last two as ..."
Jets make Browns fans green with envy
Comment
January 19
Akron Beacon Journal
 columnist Patrick McManamon
"It's come to this in the NFL playoffs: The coach the Browns could have had is leading the quarterback the Browns should have had throwing to the wide receiver they did have. J-e-t-s. Jets, Jets, Jets. Those fast-flying planes are running on Browns fuel. On Sunday, they play in the AFC Championship Game, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Meanwhile, the Browns remain one of five teams never to make the big game — a list that could shorten to four if the New Orleans Saints go this season. Do these things happen in other NFL cities? Fate, and the NFL gods, just cannot seem to leave the Browns alone. There's just no ignoring the reality that the team that fired the coach now employed ..."
Cleveland Browns win more honors
Comment
January 18
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Left tackle Joe Thomas and return specialist Josh Cribbs were named to the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America all-NFL team on Monday. That represents a sweep of the major postseason team honors for the Browns players. Thomas and Cribbs previously were selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team and also the Associated Press All-Pro team."
Matt Hasselbeck Could End Up a Cleveland Brown
Comment
January 18
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
"There have been some whispers around the league, similar to last off-season, that the Seattle Seahawks could make the aging Matt Hasselbeck available in the right deal. Although new Head Coach Pete Carroll has praised Hasselbeck and said he looks forward to having a Quarterback with his experience, the new regime may want to completely blow up and start over. Even in a down year in a broken down offense, no running game, and back-to-back four-INT games, he still finished with the 17th best passer rating; ahead of 15 other starting QB's. If he has an offensive line in front of him, he can still be a top ten passer. I personally don't advocate dealing Hasselbeck, I think they have other more ..."
Having team President Mike Holmgren in place should speed up the process of Cleveland Browns becoming NFL playoff contender
Comment
January 18
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"A fully functional organization in Berea isn't quite a Yeti sighting. But you still weren't sure you'd see one in your lifetime. Mike Holmgren's arrival as Browns president should not only streamline job responsibilities but also speed the time needed to become a legitimate contender. I know one thing. If we hear less about coach Eric Mangini's "process" in 2010 and more about pushing the fast-forward button on making the postseason, having Holmgren on board already will be worth it. So many coaches espouse processes and five-year plans. You would, too, if it bought you some understanding and time. It's why it was so refreshing when Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly took over in South Bend and ..."
No playoff penalty for WR Braylon Edwards
Comment
January 17
ESPN.com
 
"New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards pleaded no contest to misdemeanor aggravated disorderly conduct this week, was fined $1,000, and given a suspended 180-day jail sentence. But his punishment isn't over yet. Edwards' case will be reviewed under the NFL's personal conduct policy and is expected to result in discipline, though not during this postseason, a league source said. Edwards initially pleaded not guilty in November to misdemeanor assault after he was accused of punching a friend of NBA star LeBron James on Oct. 5 outside a downtown nightclub. The former Browns receiver was traded to the Jets two days later. Even if the Jets win Sunday and advance to the AFC Championship ..."
Cleveland Browns' Mike Holmgren caps a long career with repair job in Cleveland
Comment
January 17
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Mike Holmgren likes to say he's a high school history teacher who just got lucky. It was luck, then, that slipped a Super Bowl ring on the ex-quarterback's thick finger, dropped players in his command to mold into some of the NFL's greatest talents and directed him to a town that exists only for cheese and football so they could name a street after him. So, with a little luck, repairing the Cleveland Browns -- Holmgren's task as new team president -- should be a snap. After 11 seasons of mostly bad football, one organizational rebuild after another and a season of empty stadium seats and the threat of games blocked from local televisions, Holmgren is the "serious, credible" football ..."
Can't count on free agency to improve the roster this offseason
Comment
January 17
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Cleveland Browns and all NFL teams will largely have to depend on the draft and trades to bolster their rosters during the offseason. On the Orange and Brown Report, Scout.com ranks the players who will be free agents, including whether they will be restricted (RFA) or unrestricted (UFA) free agents. The top-ranked Browns free agent, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson at No. 42, is restricted. He missed the last 10 games of the season with a shoulder injury."
New York columnist won't let go: writes Jets' firing of Eric Mangini set up playoff season
Comment
January 17
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Eric Mangini, now the Cleveland Browns coach, was fired by the New York Jets after a 9-7 season in 2008. It's the opinion of New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers that Mangini's dismissal was the key move that enabled the Jets to sneak into the playoffs with a 9-7 record this season. He doesn't comment that New York's last two regular season wins, over the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals, were against playoff-bound teams with nothing to play for - at least, in the playoff seedings."
Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins might trade salary cap specialists
Comment
January 17
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"In what would amount to the first trade of the Mike Holmgren administration, the Browns and Miami Dolphins are contemplating swapping salary cap specialists, according to a league source. If it works out, Dawn Aponte would leave the Browns to join the Dolphins, said the source. She would be replaced by Matt Thomas, a vice president of football administration of the Dolphins. The changes apparently are being brokered by new Browns Executive Vice President Bryan Wiedmeier, who was with the Dolphins for 29 years -- three as club president -- before joining the Browns this week. Aponte previously worked for the New York Jets during the time Bill Parcells was coach. Parcells is executive ..."
Cleveland Browns and Mike Holmgren: They've been intertwined for years: NFL Insider
Comment
January 17
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Mike Holmgren's first official act as new Browns president was to retain Eric Mangini as head coach. But it wasn't the first time Holmgren had a direct impact on the Browns' coaching job. Holmgren was the pie-in-the-sky first choice of former Browns President Carmen Policy to coach the expansion Browns in 1999. That wasn't going to happen, of course, because nobody of Holmgren's lofty stature would get involved with an expansion team. Policy's tongue-in-cheek reference to Holmgren as the Browns' top candidate at a Cleveland City Club luncheon in November 1998 earned him a $10,000 fine for violating NFL tampering rules. But Holmgren's impact on the first Browns' coaching search would come ..."
Cleveland Browns dismiss two top executives
Comment
January 16
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Mike Keenan, who was president of the Browns until the arrival of Mike Holmgren on Jan. 5, was fired by the club on Friday, a league source confirmed. Also, Dawn Aponte, the club's chief contract negotiator and salary cap manager, has left the organization. The source said Aponte was joining the Miami Dolphins. Keenan joined the Browns in 2006 and was appointed president in 2008. He answered only to owner Randy Lerner and accompanied Lerner on the coaching search that resulted in Eric Mangini being named coach a year ago. When Mangini was presented to the media, it was Keenan who introduced him. That was Keenan's first and only appearance in a news conference setting. Shortly ..."
Tom Heckert has good track record in draft
Comment
January 16
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Browns President Mike Holmgren said that Tom Heckert will have a lot of responsibility as the team's general manager. But Heckert breaks down his mission this way: "My main job is to find players, and that's what I intend to do." Finding players for the Philadelphia Eagles helped make them an elite team in the NFC. Heckert joined the Eagles as director of player personnel in May 2001. He was promoted to general manager in 2006. In the nine years Heckert assisted in building teams for coach Andy Reid, the Eagles went 11-5, 12-4, 12-4, 13-3, 6-10, 10-6, 8-8, 9-6-1 and 11-5. The 6-10 record in 2005 marked Heckert's only losing season in his 19 years in the NFL, counting 10 with the Miami ..."