Tag: Cleveland Browns

Jameis Winston has high praise for Cleveland as he enters free agency

Listen as Jameis Winston has high praise for fall in Cleveland and his desires for free agency:

Quarterback Jameis Winston is open to a return to the Cleveland Browns and praises Northeast Ohio as he gets set for NFL free agency.

Franchise superstar Myles Garrett isn’t the only Browns player on Radio Row wondering where he’ll play next season. Winston is spending Super Bowl week signed with Fox Sports as a media member. Winston has spent the week in New Orleans entertaining fans and players alike. 

Winston canvassed the Chiefs and Eagles to determine where he would play next season. The two Super Bowl teams were recruiting Winston hard. Winston was flattered by the idea, but the quarterback was adamant he wanted to start next season. 

A few players suggested he play in New York with the New York Giants or stay in his adopted home of New Orleans. In an interview with Kay Adams, Winston said he wants to return to Cleveland. Winston was enamored with the city. He said Cleveland was the most beautiful place for 90 days during the fall. The quarterback famously experienced all four seasons for the first time in his life in Ohio.

I want to see the gunslinger back in Cleveland. Winston didn’t get a fair shake with the Browns. The team was more concerned with tanking once their playoff chances dipped into the single digits. 

Winston battled against multiple playoff teams in his limited starts. The quarterback was still plagued by interceptions, but I think the Browns were scratching the surface with Winston. I think a second year in the system would do wonders for a Browns team that needs an explosive passing attack. Winston is the cheapest option for a Browns team desperate for a quarterback.

Has the Browns’ annual WR trade target emerged?

The Browns are in need of a receiver. Could they give the Niners a call?

Joining in with the likes of Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy, could the Cleveland Browns target another veteran wide receiver in Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers this offseason?

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Samuel could be on the trade market this offseason. With Samuel entering the final year of his contract, San Francisco may look to move him after drafting a receiver in the first round of the NFL draft last season and recently extending Brandon Aiyuk, their younger, more traditional receiver. That situation makes Samuel an intriguing option for teams in need of skill players—including the Browns.

Samuel would theoretically give the Browns a true yards-after-catch monster and a legitimate big-play weapon. His ability to line up all over the field would make it very easy to slide into Kevin Stefanski’s offense, which values creativity and mismatches.

The Browns’ salary cap situation is difficult to navigate, with the team currently $30 million over the cap limit. This can be easily solved with a handful of restructures and cuts made to their current roster and is not a massive detriment. Given Samuel’s contract situation as well, the Niners will likely have to eat a portion of the deal to get a meaningful asset in return.

The Browns should be monitoring closely. If Deebo is available, Cleveland may not find a better opportunity to add a proven needle mover this season.

Could they hit the jackpot with Samuel like they did on Cooper and Jeudy in past trades?

Former first round QB added to list of post-Watson bridge options

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero floated a non-Kirk Cousins option out for the Browns in free agency…

The Cleveland Browns are looking to move on from the failed Deshaun Watson experience, and they could turn to former first round pick Daniel Jones.

Do not discount the possibility that the Browns are highly interested in either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward. However, if the Browns do not view either option as a player who is ready to take over the starting job from Day 1, then a veteran option is also still firmly on the table.

During a media byte on Radio Row at the Super Bowl, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added another name to the list of veteran quarterbacks to watch. While Kirk Cousins, who is almost certainly going to be released by the Atlanta Falcons, is the popular name given his connection with head coach Kevin Stefanski, Pelissero floated out the former No. 6 overall pick Jones as another option:

Perhaps the Browns could be banking on a bit of time away from the New York Giants and with NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota may have straightened some issues out for Jones just as it did for Sam Darnold.

Given the age and play of Cousins a year ago, there is a pathway to seeing the argument for the younger, bigger-armed, and more mobile Jones in the short term as the team looks to move past the horrendous Watson era.

With NFL free agency about a month away, it’s going to get interesting in Berea.

Adam Schefter shines light on Browns’ stance amidst Myles Garrett trade request

The Browns are “dug in” on Myles Garrett despite his trade request

The Cleveland Browns continue to navigate their newest mess, a Myles Garrett trade request, as they look to pick up the pieces from the failed Deshaun Watson experience.

However, despite Garrett’s torrid Radio Row media tour where he continued to affirm his desire for a trade, the Browns do not look like they will change their stance. ESPN’s Adam Schefter solidified that thought as well.

Schefter reports on The Pat McAfee Show that the Browns are “dug in” and will not entertain any trade offers for Garrett:

“We have a team here in the Cleveland Browns, I know that we get swept up in the moment, we got this Defensive Player of the Year requesting a trade out of Cleveland. This is not a surprise to the Browns. The Browns knew about his unhappiness and I think they have asked around and prepared for it. They’ve got some opinions on how to best handle this situation… I think they are dug in and entrenched in their stance that they arenot going to trade Myles Garrett.”

Teams do not trade core, foundational players. Teams do not trade future first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famers. Garrett can continue to make this messy if he would like, but it does not look like the Browns are changing their minds.

Until a trade occurs, do not expect a trade to occur.

Projected next contract value for every Browns pending free agent

What will some of these Browns free agents be expecting on the open market? Let’s take a look.

The Cleveland Browns enter NFL free agency with gobs of pending free agents, including running back Nick Chubb.

Chubb has expressed his desire to stay in Cleveland and get a new deal done sooner rather than later. However, he is far from the only free agent the Browns may have to work with. Names like quarterback Jameis Winston, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills, wide receiver Elijah Moore, and tight end Jordan Akins are all unrestricted free agents as well.

So what could the cost to retain some of their talent be? Or a better question for some, what will their value be on the open market? We take a look here at what the next contract on all of the pending Browns free agents could be at the start of the new league year.

These numbers come from Over the Cap’s free agency valuation and PFF’s top-100 free agency projections. Of note: OTC’s valuation is not a projected contract, but a dollar figure of a player’s value to their next team. Some players will have valuations in the thousands of dollars despite the salary minimum being around $1 million.

PFF’s numbers, however, on the few that fall into the top 100 free agents, are projected contract values.

OT Jedrick Wills

OTC valuation: $1.16m

PFF projection: $3m

QB Jameis Winston

OTC valuation: $9m

PFF projection: $6.25m

C Nick Harris

OTC valuation: $1.586m

PFF projection: n/a

RB Nick Chubb

OTC valuation: $1.179m

PFF projection: $3m

WR Elijah Moore

OTC valuation: $8.797m

PFF projection: n/a

TE Jordan Akins

OTC valuation: $5.089m

PFF projection: n/a

DT Mo Hurst

OTC valuation: $225k

PFF projection: n/a

LB Devin Bush

OTC valuation: $3.811m

PFF projection: n/a

RB Nyheim Hines

OTC valuation: n/a

PFF projection: n/a

S Rodney McLeod (retiring)

OTC valuation: $2.645m

PFF projection: n/a

OG Michael Dunn

OTC valuation: $736k

PFF projection: n/a

OT Germain Ifedi

OTC valuation: $1.306m

PFF projection: n/a

TE Geoff Swaim

OTC valuation: $957k

PFF projection: n/a

LB Khaleke Hudson

OTC valuation: $2.256m

PFF projection: n/a

WR James Proche

OTC valuation: $426k

PFF projection: n/a

OT Hakeem Adeniji

OTC valuation: n/a

PFF projection: n/a

RB D’Onta Foreman

OTC valuation: $1.08m

PFF projection: n/a

OT Geron Christian

OTC valuation: $18k

PFF projection: n/a

CB Mike Ford

OTC valuation: $2.37m

PFF projection: n/a

CB Tony Brown

OTC valuation: $634k

PFF projection: n/a

OT James Hudson III

OTC valuation: $1.19m

PFF projection: n/a

RB John Kelly (restricted)

OTC valuation: $29k

PFF projection: n/a

DT Michael Dwumfour (exclusive rights restricted)

OTC valuation: $3k

PFF projection: n/a

QB Bailey Zappe (restricted)

OTC valuation: $1.542m

PFF projection: n/a

TE Blake Whiteheart (exclusive rights restricted)

OTC valuation: $1.525m

PFF projection: n/a

EDGE James Houston (restricted)

OTC valuation: $1.511m

PFF projection: n/a

S D’Anthony Bell (restricted)

OTC valuation: $4.118m

PFF projection: n/a

LB Winston Reid (exclusive rights restricted)

OTC valuation: $3.046m

PFF projection: n/a

Podcast: Who are the top five RBs in the 2025 NFL draft?

The Browns may need a new running back earlier in the NFL draft than many expect. Who are the top five in the class they could target?

The Cleveland Browns could look for a running back in the 2025 NFL draft, so who are the best ones?

With All-Pro Nick Chubb entering free agency after back-to-back season-ending injuries, there is a ton of uncertainty at the running back position in Cleveland. While Chubb wants to return to Cleveland, there is much left up in the air right now for the team to navigate.

Good thing the guys over at Daft on Draft have watched the tape and have broken down their top five running backs in the NFL draft. They talk about it on the Daft on Draft Podcast. Could the Browns target one of these five guys?

This podcast can be heard on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also find it on YouTube below:

What Browns GM Andrew Berry has to say about Shedeur Sanders

Hear what Browns GM Andrew Berry has had to say on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders:

There has been buzz about the Cleveland Browns and the potential selection of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the franchise’s new face, but ultimately, that decision will be made by general manager Andrew Berry.

His dad and head coach of Colorado, Deion Sanders, has already stated that he has spoken to the brass in Cleveland. He has indicated that he is fine with any of the three teams picking at the top of the 2025 NFL draft.

However, what does Berry think about Sanders as a quarterback? During his time in Mobile, Alabama at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Berry spoke on the Colorado and potential future Cleveland quarterback:

“Shedeur is a really impressive young man… He’s poised, he’s calm, he’s smart and you can tell that he’s been raised by – quite honestly – a Hall of Fame dad. We’re going to get to know him even more over the course of the spring but he’s really impressive.”

It becomes a waiting game now as we still have three more weeks until the NFL Scouting Combine, where the top quarterbacks in Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward might not even participate. It is going to get noisy leading up to the draft.

Deion Sanders has already spoken highly of Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, a former teammate of his, and Sanders is an ideal scheme fit in Cleveland as they return to their wide zone identity. There are no barriers between the Browns drafting Sanders if they want to. Unless the Tennessee Titans take him first.

Deion Sanders speaks on whether or not Shedeur Sanders would play for Browns

Deion Sanders has spoken with the Browns. And the results sound promising.

The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback, and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is seen as perhaps the top one in the 2025 NFL draft.

The big hangup, however, was whether or not Deion Sanders, the Colorado head coach and father of Shedeur, would meddle in his landing spot. Many wondered if Sanders, despite a tight fit with the scheme, would be open to playing in Cleveland as the new face of the Browns’ franchise.

However, it sure sounds like Deion has no issues with the Browns being the potential landing spot for his son:

“Sometimes we desire things that aren’t right from us. Whether he goes 1, 2, or 3, he’ll exceed all expectations. We weren’t praying that he would go 1, we were praying that he would go in the first round. Now he allowed me to understand that he wants to top his daddy. His daddy was the fifth pick. He wants to go one through four.”

It did not stop there for Deion either. He was also on the Rich Eisen show and even went as far as to say that he has already spoken with the Browns and the New York Giants, who hold picks No. 2 and 3 respectively in the 2025 NFL draft.

“I just wanna know… If you don’t get your ‘why’s answered, you’re gonna always be curious in life,” he said. “I like to get my ‘why’s’ answered because this is my guy. These are my kids.”

Tthe Sanders family, both Deion and Shedeur, are more than happy if the Browns were to select him with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft this upcoming April.

In need of a new quarterback, and one on a rookie contract at that as they navigate the difficulties of the Deshaun Watson situation, landing Sanders would be a massive win for the Browns.

Nick Chubb speaks on his future with free agency pending

The star running back has thoughts on what he wants out of free agency, and it’s really simple.

The Cleveland Browns are getting set for NFL free agency and running back Nick Chubb is among the names set to hit the open market.

With one superstar in defensive end Myles Garrett already requesting a trade, the Browns could lose another locker room glue guy in Chubb too. He has spoken on what he wants as free agency nears, and it’s simple for him.

He wants to remain a Cleveland Brown.

“This is where I was drafted. This is where I’ve played the last seven years… I’m not sure how it’ll work… This is the first time I’ve been a free agent. But I’d like to get it done sooner than later.”

Chubb, however, told Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal that he has yet to hear from the Browns about a potential new deal. Browns fans need not fret; those talks will occur in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 29-year-old running back is coming off a severe knee injury in 2023 that required multiple surgeries, then suffered another season-ending injury this past season when he broke his foot in December. This one will have a much shorter turnaround as Chubb has likely already returned to football activities.

It is hard to see how a deal with Chubb does not get done from both sides of the table. From Chubb’s perspective, it is easy. He wants to stay in Cleveland. From the team’s perspective and the financial side of things, Chubb will be cheap and likely a short-term deal laden with incentives.

Get it done, Cleveland.

Bucs could fix their secondary problems with one trade this offseason

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shared some news this week that Bucs fans may want to hear. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have struggled with their pass coverage in recent years. The secondary has had investments made to it with an extension of Antoine Winfield Jr. and selections like Zyon McCollum and Tykee Smith.

Despite that investment, they have still struggled to find success. However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shared some news this week that Bucs fans may want to hear. 

The Browns drafted Denzel Ward in 2018 with the fourth pick in the draft. Since that time, Ward has been selected to four Pro Bowls and emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Mary Kay Cabot’s report, though, indicates that if the Browns trade Myles Garrett, Ward may also want to be gone.

If the Bucs cannot get Myles Garrett to come to Tampa Bay, they need to pursue Ward. Either player would immediately help the Bucs defense, specifically their pass defense.

They proved to be a liability all year and, in the end, cost them a decent playoff run.