Category: 2020 NFL Free Agency

Daily Fantasy: The one Browns player you need to start in Week 2 on DraftKings

Hooper is going up against a Bengals defense that allowed 73 yards to tight end Hunter Henry last week, first among all Chargers pass-catchers.

The Browns’ showdown with the Bengals Thursday will be the first of three straight favorable matchups for quarterback Baker Mayfield, who needs a statement performance. To get that, he’s going to look to tight end Austin Hooper, this week’s must-start in daily fantasy football from DraftKings.

Odell Beckham has the potential to have a big game in Week 2, as Bengals left cornerback Darius Phillips struggled in coverage against Chargers star Mike Williams, but with he and Mayfield still not on the same page,

Hooper is going up against a Bengals defense that allowed 73 yards to tight end Hunter Henry last week, first among all Chargers pass-catchers.

With the Browns focusing on a committee approach at running back between Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and tight end David Njoku now on injured reserve with a sprained MCL, Hooper has an excellent chance to lead the Browns in targets this week.

Hooper serves as a low-end TE1 while Njoku is sidelined, and he offers the best upside for Cleveland pass-catchers until Mayfield and the Browns offense truly figure out their identity and pecking order.

Browns sign veteran LB Malcolm Smith

The Browns signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith on Sunday

The Browns have made an addition to the linebacking corps. The team signed former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith to a contract on Sunday.

Terms of the deal with Smith are undisclosed. The veteran spent last season between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys. He had auditioned for the Browns earlier this week and signed once he cleared COVID-19 protocols.

Browns sign DT Ricky Walker

Walker is in his second season out of Virginia Tech

The Cleveland Browns added another player to the defensive line on Saturday. The team signed free agent Ricky Walker to a contract and added Walker to the active roster.

Walker is in his second NFL season out of Virginia Tech. He was undrafted in 2019 but signed shortly thereafter by the Dallas Cowboys. He played through the preseason but did not make Dallas’ final roster. The 6-2, 301-pounder also had a run with the Tampa Bay Vipers in the short-lived XFL.

The Browns had an open roster spot after waiving DE George Obinna during the week. Cleveland’s roster is back at the 80-man camp limit. Walker tried out for the Browns on Wednesday and cleared all COVID-19 protocols in order to be signed on Saturday.

Browns will hold a tryout for veteran LB Malcolm Smith

Smith was the MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks

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The Cleveland Browns will hold a workout this week for free agent linebacker Malcolm Smith.

Smith, 31, is best-known as the MVP of Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks. He had a pick-six off Peyton Manning and also racked up 10 tackles in the Seahawks’ blowout win over the Denver Broncos following the 2012 season.

His best seasons have been with the Oakland Raiders in 2015-2016, the only years where the 6-0, 225-pounder been a full-time starter. Smith notched over 100 tackles both years and created seven takeaways (5 forced fumbles, 2 INTs).

Smith divided his 2019 season between Jacksonville and Dallas after being a preseason cut by the San Francisco 49ers. He’s not been the same player since tearing his pectoral muscle in the 2017 preseason while a member of the 49ers.

The Browns still have a need for a veteran linebacker regardless of the prognosis for starting LB Mack Wilson’s injured left knee.

Browns bring in 4 kickers for workouts

Austin Seibert made 25 of his 29 FG attempts as a rookie

Austin Seibert has been the only placekicker on the Cleveland Browns roster for nearly a year. Since beating out Greg Joseph in a training camp battle last summer, it’s been all Seibert.

The Browns decided that might need to change. Or perhaps they were motivating the second-year kicker from Oklahoma. Either way, the team brought in four free agent kickers for a workout on Wednesday.

Veterans Nick Folk and Kai Forbath are the most notable of the foursome, none of whom were signed as of press time. Matthew McCrane and Cody Parkey also visited with the Browns.

The 35-year-old Folk is in the top 50 in NFL history in scoring, while Forbath ranks 9th in NFL history in field goal accuracy. Both were affiliated with the Patriots in 2019.

Seibert made 25 of his 29 field goal attempts in his rookie campaign. He did struggle more on extra points, missing five. He made the PFWA All-Rookie team, as did punter Jamie Gillan.

Browns sign center Casey Dunn, waive OG Jovahn Fair

Dunn played under Browns OL coach Bill Callahan in Washington

Casey Dunn’s audition for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday turned into a job for the center on Sunday. Just before the start of Sunday morning’s practice session, the Browns signed the free agent center to a contract.

To make room for Dunn, the team waived guard Jovahn Fair. His tenure with the Browns lasted less than a week.

Dunn is a familiar face for Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan. He began his career in Washington in 2018 while Callahan was the interim head coach of the Football Team, playing in two games. He spent most of the 2019 season on the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.

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Browns worked out Ron Leary, 2 other linemen

Browns worked out Ron Leary, 2 other linemen

The long-reported workout for free agent offensive guard Ron Leary and the Cleveland Browns finally happened on Saturday, per the NFL’s transaction wire. Leary was one of three interior linemen working out for the Browns in Berea on Saturday.

Leary made his appearance, which had been reported earlier in the week. The veteran starter has experience working under Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Along with Leary, centers Joey Hunt and Casey Dunn also auditioned for the Browns. Hunt started eight games at center for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 and has appeared in 34 NFL games since 2016, but Seattle cut him earlier this offseason despite signing the TCU grad to a tender offer.

The Browns are still scrambling for depth on the interior offensive line after three players opted out for COVID-19 reasons. In addition, starting center JC Tretter is sidelined for at least a week after undergoing a minor knee procedure.

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Report: Browns bring in veteran OG Ron Leary for a visit

Leary is a 31-year-old vet with years of starting experience

“We are going to look across every position to add talent and competition over the course of the next few months.”

Andrew Berry said those exact words twice and a close variation of it three others during his press conference in Indianapolis at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Thus far, the greenhorn Browns GM has been a man of his word.

Faced with a depth issue at offensive guard thanks to three COVID-19 opt-outs, Berry has wasted little time in trying to add talent and competition before the hitting begins in training camp next week. Berry and the Browns have signed two guards who would qualify as “competition” in Jovahn Fair and Michael Dunn. Now they’re chasing the “talent” part of the equation.

According to a report from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Browns are bringing in veteran Ron Leary.

The free agent spent the last three years in Denver, starting all 29 games he played in. Prior to that stint, Leary spent his first five seasons in Dallas, a regular starter for the final four of those when he was healthy. The 31-year-old has battled numerous injuries throughout his career.

There is familiarity for Leary with the Browns. New offensive line coach Bill Callahan was his coach with the Cowboys from 2012-2014.

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Report: Browns inquired about Jaguars EDGE Yannick Ngakoue this offseason

Ngakoue has yet to sign his franchise tender offer and just fired his agent

The Yannick Ngakoue saga in Jacksonville continues to spill out all over the league. Ngakoue is the team’s top pass rusher and the Jaguars used their franchise tag to lock up the potential free agent for 2020. He’s never been happy about it.

Now Ngakoue has fired his agent, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The young EDGE has yet to sign his franchise tender, which means the team can still trade him.

That’s where the Cleveland Browns come in.

Earlier this offseason there was reported interest in Ngakoue from the Browns. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com confirmed that earlier suspicion and noted the Browns had indeed inquired with the Jaguars about acquiring the 25-year-old.

His situation with the Jaguars is still very much up in the air. His new agent could advise him to just sign the franchise tender and play out the year for the $17.8 million and then become a free agent in 2021. Or he could stay the course and force the Jaguars to trade him. It appears the Browns would still have at least a cursory interest in Ngakoue.

Browns sign OG Jovahn Fair to the active roster

Fair is an undrafted rookie from Temple and an Akron native

The Cleveland Browns continue to try and build offensive line depth. A day after signing veteran free agent Michael Dunn, the team announced it has inked another free agent lineman to a contract.

Jovahn Fair, an undrafted rookie guard from Temple, is the newest member of the Browns offensive line. Fair joins the team after initially signing as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this offseason.

He was a four-year starter at Temple at guard. Fair is a Northeast Ohio native, a graduate of Akron Firestone High School.

In order to make room for Fair on the 80-man roster, the Browns released CB Jameson Houston.