Category: Latest Browns News

Numbers prove Browns’ new guard Zak Zinter is a brick wall

Zak Zinter is now a member of the Browns, and they may have found a gem.

With their third round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns went north of the state border to land Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter.

While he broke his tibia at the end of the Wolverines’ regular season win over the Ohio State Buckeyes (where new teammate Michael Hall Jr. reigns from), Zinter was nothing but consistently dominant when on the field. And the numbers back it up.

According to PFF, Zinter has played 677 pass-blocking snaps since 2022 and has allowed just 14 quarterback pressures and only two sacks in that time frame. These are the kind of numbers the Browns are hoping Zinter brings south with him as he travels from Ann Arbor to Cleveland.

He will have the luxury of not needing to see the field right away and the privilege to learn behind two of the best in the business in Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

Did the Browns land a gem?

Browns HC Kevin Stefanski launches new foundation to serve underprivileged kids in Cleveland

The head coach is giving back.

On the heels of receiving a new contract this offseason from the Cleveland Browns, head coach Kevin Stefanski is digging his roots into Northeast Ohio.

Announced today, the head coach and his family are launching a new foundation, The Keepers Foundation, to aim at serving underprivileged youth in Cleveland.

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From their website, here is the mission statement of The Keepers Foundation:

“The Keepers Foundation invites you to invest in our youth. In a world where opportunities are not equally distributed, The Keepers Foundation is a source of hope for young people in our communities. The Keepers Foundation seeks to raise vital funds to support young individuals in Northeast Ohio by fostering a sense of shared responsibility. Financial support from sponsors will enable The Keepers Foundation to support programs and initiatives aimed at empowering individuals through educational opportunities, mentorship programs, or access to essential resources. Your support will play a pivotal role in unlocking the potential of these young individuals, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.”

Former Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips signs with the Houston Texans

Phillips heads to Houston

After being drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft, Jacob Phillips spent the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Browns. Injuries have plagued the young linebacker, who has only appeared in 20 games over his four seasons in Cleveland.

Now Phillips moves on as he signs a one-year deal with the Houston Texans. If Phillips can stay on the field, it is hard to argue he lacks the athleticism to be a solid player. He needs to grow stronger and work on his pursuit angles, but he has excellent range and sideline-to-sideline speed.

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If the money were right, I would’ve been ok with Phillips coming back, but it makes a ton of sense the team decided to move on. Now the Browns are betting on another athletic linebacker who hasn’t played up to his ability, Devin Bush. Now will the Browns add to the linebacker room in this weeks draft?

Browns RB Nick Chubb the highest-graded player from the 2018 NFL draft class

There is nobody better from the Chubb’s draft class.

With the 35th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected running back Nick Chubb out of the University of Georgia.

And boy has that worked out well for them over the last six seasons since he joined the team.

In fact, with a career grade of 94.8 according to PFF, there is nobody who has graded out higher from the draft class six years ago.

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The Browns desperately need Chubb back as their rushing attack hit a wall last season as Kareem Hunt and Jerome Ford carried the majority of the load. They have added running backs Nyheim Hines (more of a return specialist and pass catcher) and D’Onta Foreman to the roster to help carry the load in the meantime.

However, there is no doubt that the Browns will feel the effect of missing Chubb until the star running back can get back on the field for the brown and orange.

Browns DE Myles Garrett third-highest graded player from the 2017 NFL draft

Garrett was well worth the top selection

There were some rumblings that not everyone was locked in on Myles Garrett as the number one overall pick in 2017. But in the end, the Cleveland Browns made the no-brainer move, making Garrett the top pick, and that was the right move.

According to PFF, Garrett is the third highest-graded player from that class in career grades, with a 94.2 grade. The two players above him are future Hall of Famer Patrick Mahomes (96.1) and one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, Christian McCaffery (94.5).

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Garrett is coming off arguably his best season, as he won the Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time in 2023. Cleveland had one of the best defenses in the league last year, due in large part to Garrett. The Browns are set to run it back next year, retaining Za’Darius Smith and veteran Shelby Harris to partner with Garrett.

Now, we wait for the draft, when Cleveland may be inclined to add even more talent to the defensive line.

Former Browns OT Joe Thomas ranked as the best player from the 2007 NFL draft Class

Former Cleveland Browns Left Tackle and Hall of Famer Joe Thomas was ranked as the best player from the 2007 NFL draft class according to PFF.

Pro Football Focus announced that former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas was the greatest player from the 2007 NFL draft.

The rankings are based on the player’s career PFF grades. Joe Thomas’s career PFF grade was 95.1. It is a testament to how refined and technical he was as a player. Thomas was a craftsman who perfected his technique over a ten-year career. While his contemporaries may have been stronger or faster, no one could match Thomas’s down-to-down consistency. He was the cornerstone of a franchise that was anything but consistent. 

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Thomas’s consistency is highlighted best by his PFF grades compared to his peers. Thomas scores well ahead of the other three Hall of Fame players from the 2007 NFL draft. The 2007 NFL draft may go down as one of the best drafts in the history of the NFL. It could potentially see four more class members in the Hall of Fame. Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Marshal Yanda, and Eric Weddle could all be enshrined in Canton by the end of the decade.

No matter how many players get into the Hall of Fame, Joe Thomas was the best player. There was a lot of debate in 2007 about whether the Browns should draft Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, or Joe Thomas. While all of them would’ve helped, the Browns made the right choice choosing Joe Thomas. He brought respectability to an unrespectable franchise. 

Browns: Amari Cooper gives Nick Chubb a very fitting comeback gift

From one silent leader to another

It was easy to see how much the Cleveland Browns missed running back Nick Chubb after he went down against the Pittsburgh Steelers in week two of the 2023 season. After suffering a devastating injury, Chubb is attacking his rehab just like he always does in preparation for a comeback in 2024.

The Browns will undergo an offensive evolution next year, and having Mr. Reliable at running back will help that change go smoothly. On Saturday, Chubb posted a video on social media showing the gift that the team’s top wide receiver, Amari Cooper, gave him.

Chubb always dawns the Batman nickname, so Cooper gave him a diamond Batman symbol with a simple message on the back: “Batman Returns.” There still isn’t a concrete timeline for Chubb’s return to the football field, but if he has anything to say about it, it will be sooner rather than later.

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The Cleveland Browns could potentially have the Comeback Player of the Year award winner for two years in a row when Batman returns.

DT Maurice Hurst II named Browns’ Stay in the Game Ambassador

Hurst will encourage kids to stay in school and improve attendance

Back for his second season with the Cleveland Browns, defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II is teaming up to encourage kids to stay in school. Hurst is the new Stay in the Game Ambassador, hoping to improve attendance and set up more kids for success later in life.

The network was founded by four organizations, including The Cleveland Browns Foundation, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Proving Ground, and the Columbus Crew. It’s awesome to see Hurst get more involved in the community in only his second year with the team.

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Hurst showed on the field last year that when healthy, he can be a great rotational player at the position. The Brown’s defensive line should be just as disruptive in 2024 as they were last year, and the season will likely again hinge on how quarterback Deshaun Watson performs on this loaded roster with the team’s eyes set on a Super Bowl.

Browns host MSU CB Decamerion Richardson on 2024 NFL draft top-30 visit

As the 2024 NFL draft nears, the Browns continue to host prospects. This time, they brought in cornerback Decamerion Richardson.

Could the Cleveland Browns draft another cornerback in the 2024 NFL draft? With the event one week away, the Browns have hosted Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson on a top-30 visit to Berea.

The Browns have drafted a cornerback in each of the last three draft classes, selecting Greg Newsome II in the first round in 2021, Martin Emerson Jr. in the third round in 2022, and Cameron Mitchell in the fifth round just a year ago.

The team will not turn down any added depth to their secondary as they have kept that room locked and loaded.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, Richardson ran a blazing 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He racked up seven passes defended by the Bulldogs in 2023.

The Browns found great success in the last Mississippi State cornerback they drafted in Emerson Jr. just two years ago. Could Richardson follow in Emerson’s footsteps to Cleveland next weekend?

Browns sign former first round OL Germain Ifedi

The Browns have added another offensive lineman to their roster.

After a roster spot opened up along their offensive line after Justin Murray retired, the Cleveland Browns have now signed a former first round pick in Germain Ifedi.

While Ifedi’s career has not lived up to that of the first rounder that he was of the Seattle Seahawks back in the 2016 NFL draft, he has started a great deal of NFL games throughout his eight-year career.

Look for Ifedi to be a camp body on the 90-man roster during training camp, but he is a long shot to make the Browns roster as they look to get back in the playoffs again in 2024.