Browns News

"Tickets are still available for the 28th annual Akron Browns Backers Banquet May 19 at Tangier restaurant. Among those expected to attend are players Derek Anderson and Phil Dawson, coach Romeo Crennel and assistant coaches Rip Scherer, Ted Daisher and Anthony Lynn. Alumni include Don Cockroft, Kevin Mack, Dick Ambrose, Tom Cousineau, Bob Gain, Earnie Kellermann, Reggie Langhorne, Dante Lavelli, Cleo Miller, Rich Mostardi and Frank Stams. Jim Mueller will be master of ceremonies."

" In the first year of offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski's system, the Browns jumped from 31st in total offense to eighth. Their 402 points were the third-most in franchise history. Last year's Browns outscored the best season of the Brian Sipe-era Browns by 43 points. In the past 30 years, only the 1987 Browns of the Bernie Kosar era were more prolific. That team would have scored 434 points over 16 games if not for four games interrupted by the players strike. So what do these Browns do for an encore? Chudzinski sees a lot of room for improvement."

"Looking at the faces around the table at a bowling alley nestled inside of a local GameWorks, Willie McGinest's decision seems natural, if not easy. Sitting with his father, Willie McGinest Sr.; mother, Joyce; sisters, Lisa and Tanisha; fiancé, Gloriana; and daughters, Rylie, 3, and Halie, 1, celebrating the third annual Willie McGinest Day in his hometown of Long Beach, the veteran linebacker concedes this will likely be the last time he'll enjoy this day as an active player. "

" The coaches' grades are in from Browns rookie camp. Seven players who attended the camp on a tryout basis were signed. They knocked seven players previously signed off the roster. The tryout players signed are offensive lineman Nathan Bennett (Tennessee), receiver Nate Hughes (Alcorn State), cornerback Mil'Von James (Nevada-Las Vegas), cornerback Damon Jenkins (Fresno State), linebacker Asa Matthews (Northern Colorado), linebacker Xavier Mitchell (Tennessee) and running back Austin Scott (Penn State). "

"The Continental Airlines flight bringing Austin Scott back to Allentown touched down at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday. Scott was still soaring an hour later. The former Parkland High School football star came back from a tryout at the Cleveland Browns' rookie minicamp with a 1-year contract. Scott, a running back who played sparingly at Penn State University because of injuries and personal issues, showed enough of his talent, speed and skill at the tryout to earn his first NFL contract. NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, which means that Scott must make the 53-man roster or the team's practice squad in order to have the contract honored."

" UNLV head coach Mike Sanford is convinced the Browns will be just as thrilled with linebacker Beau Bell as they are with the last Rebel he sent them, cornerback Eric Wright. "The Browns were very smart in how they evaluated Bell," said Sanford, who has known Browns General Manager Phil Savage since the early 1990s when Sanford was an assistant at USC."

"Browns cornerback Eric Wright has already envisioned what will happen when former UNLV teammate Beau Bell makes his first NFL tackle. ''Hopefully, he'll make them fumble so I can pick it up and go in for a touchdown,'' Wright said. ''It will definitely be a high-speed collision.'' Bell was Cleveland's first choice in the 2008 draft, and the Browns traded up in the fourth round to pick the 6-foot-1, 244-pound inside linebacker whom General Manager Phil Savage called a ''hammer-type hitter.''"

" The Browns might have to keep looking for a cornerback who can provide depth this season. Of the 19 defensive backs the Browns brought in for rookie camp, cornerback Darnell Terrell of Missouri has the best credentials. But Pro Football Weekly had him ranked as the 31st best corner and Mel Kiper Jr. had him ranked 30th. Terrell was under the impression he was going to go anywhere from the third to the fifth round, but went undrafted instead. After the draft, about 15 teams called, but he chose the Browns. He's one of three undrafted defensive backs signed by the team. The other 16 are here on a tryout basis. "

" Mike Rucker, recently retired Pro Bowl defensive end for the Panthers, remembers his little brother Martin standing on his toes and craning his neck to watch Mike terrorize quarterbacks as a member of the Nebraska 'Huskers. "He was barely tall enough to see over the fence," said Rucker of Martin, who was drafted by the Browns in the fourth-round out of Missouri. "He was al ways at the games and then in teracting with all the players afterward at barbecues back at the house." "

"Todd DeLamielleure just turned 29 and hasn't played football in five years. The son of hall of fame guard Joe DeLamielleure said his life changed last summer, when his firehouse in Charleston, S.C., lost nine men in a furniture store inferno. A firefighter for 31/2 years, Todd DeLamielleure was off duty that day. The deaths of his friends had a huge impact on the former Duke and Hofstra linebacker."

"Phil Savage almost didn't survive his first year as Browns general manager. In December 2005, he found himself caught in a power struggle with team President John Collins that owner Randy Lerner later compared to ''a marriage gone bad.'' Savage was saved by a groundswell of support from fans who remembered him slaving in a windowless room for then-Browns coach Bill Belichick and valued his skills as a talent evaluator. "

" The fire still burns deep within Todd DeLamielleure, and not just the one that keeps alive his dream of playing pro football. It's also the one in which he lost nine of his fellow firefighters in a blaze in Charleston, S.C., last June. It was the loss of those young men, some of whom were his closest friends, that led DeLamielleure - son of former Browns guard and Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure - Berea for a tryout with the Browns as a linebacker at the age of 29. "

" Last year, the Browns won 10 games for the first time since their expansion birth in 1999. They ended a six-year drought when they sent not one but six players to the Pro Bowl. For 2008, they were assigned five games on prime-time TV - an official signal from league executives that big things are expected from the Browns. As the man calling virtually all the shots, Savage was rewarded with a new deal, but not before he gave contract extensions to coach Romeo Crennel and both of his coordinators. "

" In another case of "yes, you can go home again," former St. Peter Chanel High School football and basketball star Steve Cargile has been claimed by the Browns via waivers from the Denver Broncos. Cargile, a converted safety, remembers participating in a Browns local tryout prior to the 2004 draft. The Butch Davis regime wasn't interested. "

"A fun part of the NFL draft is to reflect on some of the scouting reports. The negatives are especially entertaining because you end up thinking that a lot of these guys have about as much chance to make it in the league as a middle-aged sportswriter. The most bizarre I've seen this year concerned Martin Rucker, a tight end from Missouri who the Browns selected in the fourth round with a pick obtained from the Dallas Cowboys for next year's third-rounder."

" The cornerbacks are: Jerrid Gaines of Miami (Ohio), Gerard Lawson of Oregon State, Darnell Terrell of Missouri and Jonathan Zenon of Louisiana State. "

"N othing happened on draft weekend to upset the balance of power in the AFC North. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the defending champions and the team to beat. The Browns are the top challengers to Pittsburgh's crown. "

"South graduate Jerrid Gaines signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night, April 27, and to celebrate, he took a nap."

" Longevity issues with Kellen Winslow and a potential contract dispute factored into the Browns making a surprise trade in the fourth round of the draft Sunday. They gave up their 2009 third-round pick to select pass-catching tight end Martin Rucker of Missouri. "

"They added an All-American tight end in Rucker, who set the career record for receptions at the same university that produced Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. And they found valuable insurance in case offseason surgeries delay the return of tight ends Kellen Winslow Jr. and Steve Heiden or if Winslow stages a training-camp holdout while seeking a renegotiated contract."

" New Browns tight end Martin Rucker always seems to be following in the footsteps of a Winslow. Rucker, whom the Browns selected in the fourth round Sunday after trading next year's third-round pick to Dallas, played at the school where NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. set records, the University of Missouri. "

" The Browns are hoping Paul Hubbard, their new, big wide receiver out of Wisconsin, can step in and replace Joe Jurevicius someday. Jurevicius, entering his 11th season, said after last year that he might retire after the 2008 season despite being under contract through 2009. "

"Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year the past two seasons. . . . Had 320 tackles at UNLV, including 126 tackles and three sacks last year."

"Known as a big hitter, Bell totaled 320 career tackles, second on the school's all-time list and fifth in Mountain West Conference history."

" The Browns are hesitant to part with any of their 2009 picks, but they know that's the only way they could trade into the third round. The likeliest potential partner for a trade could be one of nine teams with multiple picks in the third round. Four teams have three picks in the round - Atlanta, New England, Baltimore and Kansas City. Teams with two picks in the round are Detroit, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati and Houston. "

"Before 9 p.m. Saturday, the first two rounds of the NFL Draft were complete and the Browns had been just passive observers. But Phil Savage's day was not nearly done. The Browns' general manager and his staff were about to reconvene to discuss moving into the third round, which begins at 10 this morning. "

"UNLV linebacker Beau Bell, a player the Browns will have their eye on in the draft today, has the numbers "5656" at the end of his phone number, a nod to Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor."

"The throw in of Leigh Bodden in the trade for Shaun Rogers created a need for a cornerback. He doesn't have to dislodge the top three of Eric Wright, Daven Holly and Brandon McDonald, but he does have to be good enough to play immediately on special teams and early enough in sub defenses."

"Brady Quinn, whom the Browns consider their first-round pick in this year's draft, said he and starter Derek Anderson are already pushing each other in the off-season program."

"The Browns were the story of the 2007 NFL draft because of smart choices and aggressive trades. This year, they are bystanders - at least on the first day."

"Think the draft is a crapshoot? Try guessing who the Cleveland Browns are going to pick in the fourth round Sunday, April 27, at No. 122 overall?"

"If you're a Cleveland Browns fan, do you have a feeling — or maybe fear — creeping in the back of your mind that the front office will suddenly decide to be clever on draft day and trade one of its young quarterbacks, Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn, to move up in the draft?"

" Browns tight end Steve Heiden underwent surgery last week to repair to a bulging disk in his back, his agent, Jack Wirth, confirmed Friday. Heiden, whose surgery was first reported on ESPN.com, will be out of the Browns' off-season program for about three weeks, Wirth said. "

"Gee, is there anything going on this weekend on television? With the NBA playoffs rolling on, a full slate of Major League Baseball games, the Stanley Cup playoffs (yes, hockey still exists) and NASCAR, there is plenty. ESPN and the NFL Network are both offering coverage of the NFL Draft, the annual hypefest surrounding college football players looking for fortune and glory on the professional playing field. Every other event will have to line up to see who gets the privilege of playing second fiddle. "

"Crable, whom the Browns spent an hour with at the NFL Combine in February and might land in the fourth round of this weekend's draft, became just that. As an outside line backer for the Wolverines, he finished second in the nation with 28.5 tackles for losses last season and added 7.5 sacks."

" Should the Browns be singing the no-pick blues come Saturday? Most national NFL Draft experts don't think so. Guys who make their living analyzing the draft, such as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network's Mike Mayock, think the Browns were smart to trade away their top three picks to acquire Brady Quinn, defensive end Corey Williams and defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. One national personality to speak out against the Browns' moves is ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd, and he is not a draft specialist. "

" If Browns quarterback Brady Quinn had it to do all over again, he probably would have just gone fishing with fellow first-rounder Joe Thomas. Instead, the whole world watched on ESPN while he tumbled down the first round of last year's NFL Draft like Alice down the rabbit hole. Still, Quinn doesn't wince when he looks back on his nationally televised free fall. "

"At Ohio State, right tackle Kirk Barton was known for his way with words and lack of convention. When it came to the latter, his lighting a cigar in the press room after a 2006 victory over Michigan might have been rivaled in the coach Jim Tressel era only by Ben Hartsock's notion to leave a snow angel on the White House lawn. And when the media needed an honest and witty answer, only Anthony Gonzalez was in Barton's league. But in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft this weekend, Barton might have been wise to ignore his press clippings."

"In the few months since he left the University of Tennessee, Antonio Reynolds insists that he has changed. The Buchtel High School graduate is not just talking about the cheeseburgers and fried food that he gave up to lose about 15 pounds before the NFL Draft this weekend, although he conceded that, ''I can't eat all that stuff no more.'' The Vols' two-year starter at defensive end said the time that he spent training at Velocity Sports in South Florida with his agent's other clients was a football revelation."

"This is a so-so year for quarterbacks. Only Matt Ryan of Boston College is considered a potential franchise quarterback, and he might slide beyond where he expects to go not as far as Brady Quinn slipped a year ago, though. Quinn would be the top quarterback in this draft, although NFL sources say it would be a close call between Ryan and him."

"Western Kentucky University WR Curtis Hamilton may not be the biggest, strongest or fastest receiver entering this year's draft, but that hasn't stopped NFL teams from taking a special interest in the wideout. After having watched the player on film, I came away with a complete understanding why teams find him so intriguing. He's a straight baller!"

"Since January, the Browns' scouting department has been on a mission to find the next Adalius Thomas or Shaun Phillips. Or, if the Browns wanted to dream about getting back into the third round of the draft, the next Mike Vrabel or Joey Porter."

"Vernon Gholston, Ohio State: ''He's got wonderful ability, but the knock on him is a lack of every-down consistency. At the top end of the draft, that's going to worry some teams. I played for Bill Parcells and he looks like every rush linebacker Bill Parcells had who was an all-pro. Physically, he looks like Lawrence Taylor or DeMarcus Ware. But I'm not saying he's going to be like them."

"They were one win short of the playoffs last season, so expectations for the Cleveland Browns are exactly where you might imagine them to be — through the roof. Set to make five prime-time national TV appearances, including three on Monday night, they are the NFL's designated darlings, even if Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer questions their worthiness."

"The 2007 Legends Class, quarterback Derek Anderson and kicker Phil Dawson will be honored at the 28th annual Akron Browns Backers Banquet May 19 at Tangier restaurant."

"The Cleveland Browns are without picks in the first three rounds of the NFL draft, all but ensuring that they won't be on the league's radar when the annual picking begins next Saturday. No worries, says general manager Phil Savage."

" In his fourth year as Browns general manager, Phil Savage reached a personal watershed. "I've already done two things that, at least in my mind, I felt I would never do sitting in this chair," he said during a respite at NFL league meetings three weeks ago. "One was to take a receiver in the top five, and the other was to trade away the first day of your draft." Savage is an avowed draftnik who feels more comfortable beating the bushes of the deep South to scout college players than mingling with billionaire owners at lavish resorts. "

"Browns GM Phil Savage says that projecting college linebackers and defensive ends into the NFL’s 3-4 defensive system is one of pro scouting's greatest challenges because few colleges play a 3-4. With as many as a dozen NFL teams now using some form of 3-4, more guessing goes on at this position than most. For instance, most scouting services list Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston at end, but we include him here as a 3-4 outside linebacker. The top players are out of the Browns’ reach, but there may be enough depth to find a keeper in the fourth round."

" Don't expect one last surprise from Phil Savage on draft day. The Browns general manager has nothing up his sleeves to improve on the team's first draft position of No. 122 overall in the fourth round. "We're kind of content just sitting where we are," Savage said Wednesday at his annual pre-draft news conference. "

"Looking for an inkling to the Browns' draft plans? Think late round, and think cornerback. Those are the major hints that Browns General Manager Phil Savage gave at his annual pre-draft news conference Wednesday. Savage maintained his stance that he does not see the Browns trading up into the first day of the draft, and he said he hopes to find a cornerback. ''Obviously, it's a position that we're going to be interested in,'' Savage said."