Tag: Malik McDowell

NFL Draft: Malik McDowell is Seahawks’ biggest bust, not Aaron Curry

At the very least, Curry managed to see the field in a Seahawks uniform.

It’s draft season, and while the Seattle Seahawks are gearing up, it’s time to look back and have a discussion on who the biggest bust in franchise history truly is.

I know, I know… after reading this title you’re probably itching to tell me how wrong I am in the comments section, so let me get this out of the way first: I am not making the argument Aaron Curry *wasn’t* monumentally disappointing. When you have the No. 4 overall pick, and you draft a “can’t miss” prospect, you expect to have a difference maker for the foreseeable future. While Curry was far from that caliber of player, the Seahawks were able to recover from this stumble.

After two years, Curry was supplanted by a true franchise-cornerstone in K.J. Wright, then Seattle was able to get at least a draft pick back when traded to the Raiders. At the very least, Curry managed to see the field in a Seahawks uniform, which is a lot more than anyone can say about Malik McDowell. I cannot stress this enough: disappointing play is better than literally nothing.

Although he was a second round pick (No. 35 overall) McDowell was actually Seattle’s first pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Seahawks originally had the No. 26 pick, but instead of selecting available defensive players like T.J. Watt or Tre’Davious White, they continued to trade back to No. 35 for McDowell. For the record, Budda Baker was the very next pick, and Dalvin Cook went six picks later. 

McDowell would go on to never see the field for Seattle. McDowell suffered injuries from an ATV crash before training camp which cost him his rookie season. The need at defensive line was so great for the Seahawks they traded franchise staple Jermaine Kearse and a second round pick (which eventually became tight end Dallas Goedert) to obtain defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to fill McDowell’s role. Seattle was unable to re-sign Richardson the following offseason.

Additionally, by focusing on defensive line instead of the much-maligned offensive line, the Seahawks did not draft available linemen such as Ryan Ramczyk or Cam Robinson. Skipping Robinson directly hurt Seattle later in the year, as he sealed the edge on a crucial 3rd-and-long for running back Leonard Floyd to convert late in a Week 14 game, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to ice a 30-24 win over the Seahawks.

However, the need for offensive line was still very much present. Again, by ignoring this in the draft in favor of McDowell, Seattle was forced to trade for Houston Texans tackle Duane Brown for a second round and third round pick. Brown had a solid run in Seattle, but Ramczyk and Robinson are both bigger contributors in the NFL at this point in their careers.

Aaron Curry may not have been the player he was promised, but Malik McDowell cost the Seahawks far more in draft capital and set the team back. Ultimately, selecting McDowell cost Seattle three second round draft picks, a third rounder, and a fan favorite receiver. All this and the Seahawks never got one tackle out of him.

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Browns DT Malik McDowell arrested on aggravated battery in Florida

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated battery and other charges in Florida.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell was arrested on Monday on suspicion of two felonies – aggravated battery on an officer and resisting an officer with violence – and the misdemeanor crime of public exposure, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, who first reported the story.

McDowell is no stranger to the criminal justice system, having had numerous run-ins with law enforcement in the past.

Cleveland.com was able to obtain a police report of the latest incident, which was alleged to have occurred in Deerfield Park, FL. Per the report:

A Broward County Sherriff’s officer responded to a report of a naked male walking near a school on Monday afternoon. When the officer arrived, he observed McDowell sitting on a curb. The report states McDowell charged at the officer at full speed with a closed fist and the officer was unable to avoid the attack or use non-lethal or de-escalation tactics.

The officer wrote in the report he was dazed by punches which he described as being “swung with extreme aggression.”

Following the altercation, the report states McDowell fled and was tasered after a brief pursuit on foot and handcuffed.

The Brows have already issued a statement acknowledging the team’s awareness of the ongoing situation and are attempting to gather more information.

McDowell was originally selected by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Michigan State but never played a snap for Seattle. The defensive tackle sustained a head injury in an ATV accident the summer before his rookie season and was eventually released in 2019.

He was signed to a one-year deal with Cleveland in 2021 and logged 30 tackles, three sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed in 15 games played for the Browns this season.

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Browns DT Malik McDowell arrested on multiple charges in Florida

The Browns’ Malik McDowell was arrested in Florida on multiple charges

The troubles of Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Malik McDowell continue.

McDowell was arrested Monday in Florida on multiple charges. They include battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, and public exposure.

The battery and resisting officer are both felony charges while the exposure charge is a misdemeanor, according to Broward County court records.

“We are aware of the very concerning incident and arrest involving Malik McDowell and are in the process of gathering more information,” the Browns  said in a statement. “We understand the severity of this matter and our thoughts are for the well-being of all involved. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Per the police report obtained by Cleveland.com:

… a Broward County Sherriff’s officer responded to a report of a naked male walking near a school on Monday afternoon. When the officer arrived, he observed McDowell sitting on a curb. The report states McDowell charged at the officer at full speed with a closed fist and the officer was unable to avoid the attack or use non-lethal or de-escalation tactics.

A judge found probable cause for the charges during McDowell’s first court appearance Tuesday morning.

Authorities say The Learning Experience on Hillsboro Technology Drive was in session when surveillance video shows McDowell going naked onto the property. The learning center — which caters to children 6 months to 6 years old — went into a brief lockdown, with Nan Zamora of the company saying they saw “a gentleman roaming the parking lot without any clothing on. And he seemed to be not himself.”

McDowell allegedly fled and was tasered after a brief pursuit on foot and handcuffed.

McDowell was a second-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks out of Michigan State in 2017. He never played for them after suffering a head injury in an ATV accident before training camp.

More from Cleveland.com:

McDowell has had a number of legal issues since entering the league, most notably when he fought with two Lathrup Village police officers after getting stopped for suspicion of drunk driving in 2019, according to the Detroit News. The NFL suspended him for the first two games of the 2019 season as a result of the incident. He also faced charges of concealing stolen property two months later: a $74,000 Ford F-150 Raptor pickup he claimed to have bought off the street.

McDowell pleaded guilty to charges of assault/resisting arrest, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and receiving and concealing stolen property in October 2019. He was sentenced to 11 months in prison and three years probation and had to write three essays as part of his sentence.
He had 33 tackles and three sacks while starting 14 games for the Browns in 2021.

Former Spartan, current Cleveland Browns DT Malik McDowell arrested in Florida

Malik McDowell arrested in Florida on charges of public exposure, assaulting an officer

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Man, this is a tough story to cover. The saga of Malik McDowell has been long, arduous, and sad, but this year it seemed to have a happy ending as the former Spartan seemed to finally get his mind right and had a great season with the Cleveland Browns.

Unfortunately, McDowell was arrested on Monday in Deerfield Beach, Florida with “aggravated battery on an officer, resisting an officer/obstructing with violence and exposure of sex organs in public.”

McDowell has had trouble with the law in the past, so much so that he was completely out of the NFL from 2019 until this season, but impressed so much with the Browns that many thought they would likely re-sign him.

The legal process will still have to play out but at least for right now this is a very concerning looking story for the former Michigan State standout.

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Browns DT Malik McDowell arrested in Florida for public exposure, physical altercation with police

Disturbing details as McDowell is arrested in Florida on three charges including battery of an officer and public exposure:

Cleveland Browns DT Malik McDowell is back in the news for off-the-field issues. Monday, the Cleveland starter was arrested on three charges stemming from an incident in Florida including aggravated battery of an officer and public exposure.

McDowell’s checkered past, as well as physical health issues, had kept him from playing an NFL game before 2021 despite being a second-round pick in 2017. He had legal issues in the past that also included a physical altercation with law enforcement. Video of that altercation is included in the linked piece.

The Browns gave McDowell a chance this offseason in a surprise move. He rewarded the team with good play and was named a starter.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Monday’s arrest included McDowell with a “violent attack” as described by the officer:

The deputy said McDowell “charged at me … at full speed with closed fist,” leaving the deputy injured, the report said.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office arrested McDowell in Deerfield Beach on Monday on charges of exposing himself in public, resisting arrest with violence and battery on a law enforcement officer.

According to their report, law enforcement received a call of a naked man near a learning center for children that was in session. Responding to that call led to the incident. The official inmate record notes bond amount of $25,000 for the battery charge.

The Browns released the following statement on McDowell’s arrest:

We will update the situation as information becomes available.

Questionable Malik McDowell penalty from Week 6 leads to a fine as well

A questionable penalty now has also been fined. See multiple angles of McDowell’s play on Kyler Murray here and judge for yourself:

The Cleveland Browns have already played their Week 7 game with a 17 – 14 victory on Thursday Night Football over the Denver Broncos. The NFL is just finishing up with some business from the Browns Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Cleveland fans remember vividly how poorly the early part of the game against the Cardinals was officiated. While some of that got overshadowed by the Browns poor performance for the rest of the game, it didn’t help the team start well either.

A couple of the penalties that were called involved Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray. A roughing the passer call happened despite Murray barely moving after being touched and never falling to the ground.

Another penalty involving Murray has come back to light as Malik McDowell was just fined $3,667 for a play that many do not believe should have been a penalty anyway:

The play in question had Murray scrambling around, trying to make a play when McDowell closed in on him on the sideline. As Murray started to throw the ball away, the Browns defensive lineman attempted to make a play on the quarterback. McDowell ended up pushing Murray’s own arm into his own head, knocking him to the ground.

A play that didn’t seem worthy of a penalty now earns a fine.

Here are two replays from different angles of the play in question:

 

 

Obviously, the NFL not only believes that McDowell’s play deserved a penalty but that it was also fineable. It will be interesting if McDowell, his teammates, coaches or the organization make any statements publicly following the fine.

7 key Browns players the Chargers must game plan for in Week 5

Highlighting a few players on the Cleveland Browns that could make it difficult for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Los Angeles Chargers take on the Cleveland Browns this Sunday at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Here are a few players on the Browns that the Bolts must hone in on to come out victorious.

EDGE Myles Garrett & Jadeveon Clowney

The Browns boast a fearsome front that has terrorized opposing backfields every week. But there has not been a player that has done as much damage as Garrett this season. Garrett has seven sacks and 25 quarterback pressures through four games, which rank first and second in the NFL. Rookie Rashawn Slater has quickly established himself not only as a top rookie but one of the better tackles in this league, allowing pressure on just 3.4% of his pass-blocking snaps in 2021 (8th at left tackle). This will be arguably his most challenging matchup yet. Clowney, on the other hand, should pose a threat to right tackle Storm Norton. The veteran pass rusher has totaled 21 pressures, 13 hurries and three sacks.

DT Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell

One of the main reasons Cleveland ranks first in the league in run defense is because of the two men in the middle of the defensive line. Along with doing the dirty work in the trenches to allow their teammates to roam freely to attack ball carriers, Jackson and McDowell have been a nuisance for opposing interior defensive linemen, often seen pushing them five yards into the backfield to collapse the pocket. Between the two, they have combined for 22 pressures and 16 hurries. The Chargers’ interior has been rock-solid for the most part in the first four weeks. However, Matt Feiler has experienced some struggles in pass protection, most notably against the Raiders.

RBs Nick Chubb & Kareem Hunt

After being gashed on the ground the first three weeks of the season, the Chargers only surrendered 48 rushing yards against the Raiders last Monday. While there’s some hope for improvement after the fine-tuned performance, it won’t be an easy task against a Browns backfield that ranks No. 1, averaging 177 yards per game. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt averages 5.4 yards per carry. It all starts with winning the matchups up front to avoid holes from being created, rallying to the football and technically sound tackling.

LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

It doesn’t come around often that rookies make these lists, but the Browns’ second-round pick has been playing out of his mind since stepping on the field. With the combination of his size, speed, instincts and physicality, Owusu-Koramoah has impacted the passing game just as much as he has against the run. He’s already racked up eight run stops on 36 snaps in run defense for the NFL’s highest run-stop percentage at the position, per Pro Football Focus. On top of that, the first-year player leads the team in passes defended (4).

4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 5 opponent: Browns

Highlighting important things to know about the Chargers’ opponent ahead of Week 5.

Following a victory against the Raiders, the Chargers are set to take on the Browns in hopes of picking up their third-straight win on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 1:05 pm PT.

Here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the Week 5 bout:

Slow start

Quarterback Baker Mayfield’s 2021 season hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Through four games, he has only thrown two touchdowns, which is tied for the second-lowest. In addition, he is coming off arguably his worst game in almost a year, in which he completed only 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards against the Vikings. There are a couple of directions his recent struggles could point to, one of which could be because he is playing with a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that he sustained in Week 2 against the Texans. Maybe the absence of wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who’s on injured reserve with a knee injury, is playing a role in his woes.

Running wild

Stopping the run has not been the Chargers’ forte, and now they are tasked with slowing arguably the league’s most dangerous rushing attacks, which is averaging 177 yards per game. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt make up the one-two punch. Chubb ranks second in the league in rushing yards with 362 yards, while Hunt is averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Bringing them down is not easy by any means, as they are among the best at generating yards after contact.

Championship-caliber defense

The Chargers have one of the better defenses in the league, but the Browns find themselves in the rare elite category. After finishing 19th in defensive efficiency, Cleveland boasts a unit that’s only allowed 16.8 points per game (4th), 250.2 yards per game (2nd), 183.8 passing yards per game (3rd) and 66.5 rushing yards per game (66.5).

Pressure makes the diamonds

A big part of the Browns’ defensive success comes from having an elite front. Leading the NFL in pass-rush win rate, edge defender Myles Garrett has contributed to a lot of their destruction, as he has the most sacks (6) and quarterback pressures (25). Opposite Garrett is Jadeveon Clowney, who’s proving that he was worth the signing, sitting with a 17.4% pressure, which would be his career-high. Inside of those two are Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell, who have dominated opposing linemen, consistently pushing them five yards into the backfield. Two weeks ago, the group sacked Bears QB Justin Fields nine times.

Malik McDowell new starter in Browns unofficial Week 2 depth chart

After not playing a game since being drafted in 2017 to starting in Week 2 of 2021… Quite a ride for the former second-round pick:

The Cleveland Browns will be moving on from their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and preparing for the Houston Texans. The Chiefs game, while a focus all offseason, is one of seventeen for the team.

No game is more important than the next one and the next one for Cleveland is Houston coming to town on Sunday.

The team released their updated, but unofficial, depth chart this afternoon for Week 2. A vast majority of the depth chart remains the same including Odell Beckham Jr. listed as a starter despite missing Week 1’s action and Anthony Schwartz being listed behind Rashard Higgins despite getting far more snaps against the Chiefs.

The big change comes on the defensive side of the ball where Malik McDowell takes over as the starting defensive tackle for Andrew Billings. McDowell made quite an impression as one of the new additions for Cleveland in Week 1.

Against Kansas City, McDowell participated in 69% of the team’s defensive snaps (45) while Billings was in on only 17% (11). This move is not surprising but shows how much the Browns think of McDowell’s progress since his early struggles with Seattle.

Browns Vs. Chiefs: DT Malik McDowell a player to watch

With under an hour until game time, a quick report that the former second-round pick, who has never played in a regular-season game, has the Browns excited:

As the Cleveland Browns get ready to tee it up versus the Kansas City Chiefs, the inactive list is sure to draw a lot of attention. Odell Beckham Jr. and Grant Delpit are two presumed Browns starters who won’t play in Week 1 while Tyrann Mathieu and Frank Clark won’t play for the Chiefs.

With players like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins, Cleveland hopes that they can make up for the loss of Beckham. With Delpit’s injury last year, the team traded for Ronnie Harrison Jr. in 2020 and signed John Johnson III in the 2021 offseason.

One addition that could play a big role when the game kicks off in under an hour is defensive tackle Malik McDowell. McDowell was a second-round pick of Seattle Seahawks but never played for the team. Today’s game would be the former Michigan State star’s first professional game.

According to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson, McDowell is a player that the Browns organization are excited to see on the field:

 

With the Chiefs not much of a running team, McDowell could make an impact pushing the pocket from the inside. That kind of pressure could make life easier on Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley on the outside.

In what may be the longest gap between when a player was drafted (2017) and when he makes his NFL debut, McDowell could be a big story Monday morning.