Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns To Excuse Baker Mayfield From Minicamp

The Browns are scheduled to begin their minicamp June 14. Deshaun Watson is on track to participate with his new team, but the Browns ensured Wednesday their previous starting quarterback will not.

Baker Mayfield will be excused from Cleveland’s minicamp, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets, describing this as a mutual decision. The parties decided this will be the best course of action, one that will prevent Mayfield from being fined for his absence and stop further distractions — amid a slew of quarterback-related turmoil for the Browns — from taking place.

[RELATED: Which Team Will Acquire Mayfield?]

This comes shortly after the 49ers excused Jimmy Garoppolo from their minicamp. Garoppolo still has a chance to return to the 49ers, despite the team preferring to trade its four-plus-year starter. Mayfield, who requested a trade in March, is almost certainly done with the Browns. Wednesday’s decision offers further evidence its four-year starter will move on, regardless of Watson’s status.

Mayfield has been away from the Browns for an extended stretch, having made his trade request just before the team’s trade for Watson and shocking financial commitment. The Browns have engaged in trade talks with the Panthers, and the former No. 1 overall pick has been linked to the Seahawks. Neither NFC team has blinked, even with both having questionable-at-best quarterback situations. At least, that is where the Panthers and Seahawks stand presently. Things could change if those teams determine Mayfield is a necessary upgrade, but the holding pattern has persisted for several weeks. The Browns will need to pick up almost all of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fifth-year option salary; they are willing to pay a sizable chunk of it.

Cleveland cutting Mayfield would save little, since he could sign with Carolina or Seattle for the league minimum (due to offset language) and stick the Browns with $17MM-plus in dead money. The Browns have Jacoby Brissett positioned as Watson insurance. With lawsuits continuing to pile up against the Pro Bowl passer, a lengthy Brissett stretch seems certain for the 2022 Browns. Mayfield should be expected to be with another team by the time a (presumably) Brissett-quarterbacked Cleveland squad debuts.

For now, the disgruntled QB will finish his shoulder rehab away from the Browns. Mayfield is expected to be ready for full participation in training camp.

24th Accuser Files Civil Lawsuit Against Browns’ Deshaun Watson

A week after a 23rd woman filed a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, another massage therapist has done so, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The number of women who have accused the Browns quarterback of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault stood at 22 for many months. The 23rd accuser filed suit after seeing two of Watson’s accusers, Kyla Hayes and Ashley Solis, detail their allegations during an episode of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in late May.

The 24th lawsuit indicates the accuser and Watson met for two massages, the first ending early because the quarterback took a phone call. The second is when the alleged misconduct took place, with the suit also indicating the plaintiff quit massage therapy because of it, according to Barshop and ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter. This suit also alleges Watson sought massages from “random strangers on Instagram” more than 100 times, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Real Sports segment also indicated Watson has received more than 100 massages in a year.

Watson has denied all allegations against him, but the rising number of accusers will apply pressure on the NFL from a public-perception standpoint. The league has concluded its interviews with the 26-year-old passer. The period for pretrial discovery expires July 1, pointing to a suspension coming after that date. Watson has not been criminally charged, but that is not necessary for a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Ten of the first 22 accusers made criminal complaints against Watson. Those led to two grand juries not recommending charges against the embattled quarterback. The civil suits are also not expected to be resolved until at least 2023, with the increasing number of suits set to drag this process out. But a suspension is expected to be handed down before this season begins. Additional punishment could emerge after the conclusion of the civil suits, but with that process set to pause from August 1, 2022-March 1, 2023, it is possible this matter will not be finalized by the start of the 2023 season.

Monday’s lawsuit mentions the “happy endings” remark Watson defense attorney Rusty Hardin made during an interview with Houston Sports Radio 610 last week, Barshop adds (via Twitter). Hardin referenced happy-ending massages not being illegal, and while Watson’s defense leader later attempted to clarify his remarks as hypothetical, the attorney for all 24 accusers, Tony Buzbee, said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) they would be used in civil suits alleging Watson attempted to turn massages from therapeutic to sexual in nature.

The 23rd lawsuit emerged before Hardin’s comments, but it alleges Watson offered each accuser $100K to settle the cases. Not all of the accusers were prepared to settle, Florio notes, adding Watson’s team included “aggressive nondisclosure agreements” as part of those settlement offers. The NDA matter came up when the Texans and Dolphins were discussing a Watson deal before last year’s trade deadline. The Dolphins moved in a different direction, leading to the Browns signing off on a trade and historic extension agreement. They now await to learn how much time their new quarterback will miss.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel Retires

Romeo Crennel has been in coaching since 1970 and has been an NFL staffer since 1981. The former Browns and Chiefs head coach announced his retirement from coaching Monday.

The Texans have employed the longtime defensive staffer for the past eight years and change, and while Crennel had left his defensive coordinator post by 2021, he was still with the organization. The decorated staffer is stepping down from a day-to-day role, however.

Football has been my entire life and it’s been a dream come true to coach for 50 years,” Crennel said. “I’ll miss everything about coaching and teaching, but the thing I’ll miss the most is being around the guys every day. … I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to spend more time with my grandchildren while staying around the game of football.”

Crennel, who will turn 75 this month, has five Super Bowl rings on his resume as an assistant, collecting them with the Giants and Patriots. He began his NFL career as a special teams coordinator on Ray Perkins‘ Giants staff in 1981, staying on in New York throughout Bill Parcells‘ tenure and through Ray Handley‘s two-year stint — before rejoining Parcells with the Patriots in 1993. Crennel later followed Parcells to the Jets, working as a position coach under Parcells and Bill Belichick.

Although Crennel spent five-plus seasons as a head coach, he is probably best known for leading the Patriots’ defenses in the early 2000s. Crennel rejoined Belichick, his longtime Giants coworker, in 2001 and served as his right-hand man on defense. Tom Brady later became the Patriots’ centerpiece, but Belichick and Crennel’s defenses led the way in the early 2000s, lifting the Pats to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons. New England finished first and second in scoring defense during its 2003 and ’04 championship seasons, respectively, when the team went 34-4.

The Browns had employed Crennel as their defensive coordinator in 2000 and brought him back as their HC on the heels of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. While this did not reverse the struggling team’s fortunes, Crennel led Cleveland to the playoff doorstep in 2007 — a 10-6 season. He resurfaced as a head coach with the Chiefs, taking over as Todd Haley‘s late-season replacement in 2011. The Chiefs handed the Packers their only regular-season loss that year, leading to Crennel’s promotion. But their 2012 slate was a low point for the franchise, with a 2-14 season leading to Crennel being a one-and-done as Kansas City’s full-time HC.

Bill O’Brien brought in Crennel as his DC in 2014, and after ex-Crennel charge Mike Vrabel served in that role in 2017, Houston again turned to the veteran following Vrabel’s Tennessee exit. Two of J.J. Watt‘s three Defensive Player of the Year campaigns came under Crennel, who helped the team secure playoff access with the likes of Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler under center. Upon being moved to interim head coach in 2020, at age 73, Crennel became the oldest person to be a head coach in an NFL game, breaking George Halas‘ record in doing so.

Browns Have Discussed Bringing Back Odell Beckham Jr.

Beyond Amari Cooper, the Browns are set to rely on a host of young wide receivers. Despite being linked to re-signing Jarvis Landry, the team has been hesitant to add a veteran here just for the sake of adding experience.

A healthy Odell Beckham Jr. would qualify as something more. Although it would be a strange development for the Browns to bring back Beckham after such a public divorce, the team has discussed this scenario, Armando Salguero of Outkick.com notes. The circumstances have obviously changed, given the team’s bumpy Baker Mayfield-for-Deshaun Watson transition. Of course, Beckham’s health has led to him remaining in free agency into June. The Browns know full well how much injuries have affected the former Giants superstar’s career.

OBJ has torn the same ACL twice in 15 months, the first coming with the Browns, and is not expected to be ready until around the midseason point. Still, Browns players — including Myles Garrett — have made overtures to the talented wideout returning. Beckham, 29, said earlier this offseason he is open to it, despite lobbying to leave Cleveland — and then awkwardly doing so, wrapping a disappointing Browns tenure — last year. Other teams remain in the mix, most notably the Rams.

Sean McVay said in May he still wants Beckham back in his offense, though the Rams giving Allen Robinson a three-year deal worth $45MM and being in negotiations for a Cooper Kupp raise stand to complicate matters financially. Thought to be on his way back to Los Angeles earlier this offseason, Beckham and the Rams’ contract talks did not move the needle for the high-profile receiver, Salguero adds.

Landry has attempted to recruit Beckham to New Orleans, but the Saints have reloaded at receiver. Landry, Michael Thomas and Chris Olave are positioned as the team’s top three here, and although Thomas has become a bigger health risk than Beckham, this is a more crowded depth chart than the Browns appear to have. It would seem Beckham would be more needed in Cleveland, which is set to rely on third-year talent Donovan Peoples-Jones and third-round rookie David Bell alongside Cooper.

The Browns outflank the Rams and Saints in cap space, leading the league by a wide margin at $40MM-plus, but OBJ’s injuries do not present his latest free agency as a true bidding war. Beckham already received his monster payday — coming via the five-year, $90MM deal the Giants authorized in 2018 — but the second ACL tear derailed his hopes at another high-end receiver contract. The NFC playoffs and Super Bowl LVI’s first half displayed OBJ’s talents, but the injury trouble that began in New York may lead to him going year-to-year on the contract front. With his age-30 season on tap, Beckham is nearly out of time to show he can still be a reliable contributor.

NFL Concludes Interview Process With Deshaun Watson

With questions still swirling around the NFL’s investigation into Deshaun Watson, another important point in the process has been reached. The league has concluded its interviews with the Browns quarterback, as detailed by Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today

[RELATED: New Lawsuit Filed Against Watson]

According to Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, the NFL has conducted a “hell of a detailed investigation” in the wake of 23 lawsuits filed against him alleging sexual misconduct. Hardin added that the league – which met with the 26-year-old on two separate occasions – interviewed him for “a total of four days”.

This latest update comes not long after commissioner Roger Goodell said the league was nearing the conclusion of its investigation, which is unrelated to the ongoing civil litigation Watson is facing. With the interview process complete, attention will now turn to the disciplinary decision the league will make, which could include a fine, suspension, and additional punishment in the future pending the result of the civil trials.

“I don’t want to extoll on how detailed their investigation has been in case when they make their mind up that we seriously object – which I think there may be a very good possibility of that – but we just don’t know” Hardin said. He and his team, along with Watson himself, have maintained that the Pro Bowler has done nothing illegal, which is the conclusion two grand juries have come to with respect to criminal charges.

The civil cases are still bound for trial at this point, though it has long been known that none of them will go to court during the upcoming NFL season. By the time that process begins, the league will have handed down its discipline, but, in the absence of settlement agreements being reached, it will remain a major talking point for the Browns’ franchise signal-caller.

Free Agent Stock Watch: DT Larry Ogunjobi

We were very close to not having to write this Stock Watch. In mid-March, free agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi signed a deal to join new head coach Matt Eberflus and new general manager Ryan Poles in Chicago. A failed physical led the Bears to call off the agreement, returning Ogunjobi to free agency. 

As I said before, Larry Ogunjobi embodies everything we are looking for in a Bear,” Poles said in a statement. “He is a special person and player. During the league’s negotiating window earlier this week, we agreed to terms with him, subject to him passing a physical here. After a standard and thorough physical and medical review with Larry yesterday afternoon, our medical team deemed him to have failed his physical and, therefore, unfortunately, we are not signing him today. This is difficult and it is emotional for everyone involved, but ultimately is what is in the best interest of protecting the Chicago Bears.”

Ogunjobi’s second free agent deal was set to earn $40.5MM over three years. He would have been entitled to a guaranteed $26.35MM at signing. Compared to his one-year, $6.2MM deal with Cincinnati last year, Ogunjobi was set for a substantial raise. Now, the 28-year-old is back on the market, searching for his next home.

Ogunjobi was a third-round pick out of Charlotte in 2017, getting drafted by the Browns. As a rookie, Ogunjobi was a rotational player. He played in 14 games, earning one start. Ogunjobi recorded 32 tackles, 1.0 sack, and 4.0 tackles for loss as a rookie.

He was named a starter on the line in his sophomore season and held down the job for the rest of his rookie deal, only missing two regular season games over his three years as a Browns’ starter. His second and third seasons were nearly identical. In each year, he recorded 5.5 sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss. His stats dropped a little bit during his last year in Cleveland, but over his last three seasons with the Browns, he totaled 148 tackles, 13.5 sacks, and 25.0 tackles for loss.

Ogunjobi signed with the Bengals last offseason on the one-year deal mentioned above. Ogunjobi got back to his normal ways with his best season to date. He recorded 49 tackles, but added 7.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss. Ogunjobi set himself up to be a premier, young pass-rushing defensive tackle.

Unfortunately, Ogunjobi was injured during the Bengals’ Wildcard victory over the Raiders. The foot injury would require surgery, ending Ogunjobi’s season with the Bengals. It was reported shortly after his contract with the Bears was cancelled that the failed physical stemmed from that injured foot. Poles offered that the failed deal would have prevented them from adding other free agents during the legal tampering period, as well, so the failed physical became a non-starter.

Regardless, the Bears set a clear market for the defensive tackle heading into his sixth NFL season. A three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $13.5MM is a nod to the accomplishments of Ogunjobi’s young career, but maybe includes a knock for injury. The deal would have given him the tenth-highest AAV in the league. Besides outliers like three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, who is on a six-year deal, and expert run-stopper Brandon Williams, who just finished a five-year deal with the Ravens, most of the top defensive tackles in the league are signing three- to four-year deals.

Who lands Ogunjobi, then? Atlanta could certainly use a playmaker in the middle of the defensive line. Many thought they would make a move for UConn’s Travis Jones, who ended up going to Baltimore in the 2022 NFL Draft. Giving Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees Ogunjobi to pair with Grady Jarrett could do wonders for that defense. Similarly, the Saints would be more than happy to put Ogunjobi alongside David Onyemata. Shy Tuttle is currently set to start next to Onyemata, and Ogunjobi would be a big upgrade in production.

Ogunjobi visited the Jets in early May, but no deal was reached. You probably can’t rule out the Bears, though. Despite the unfortunate outcome, there was enough of a connection that the two reached a deal initially. The Bears did sign Justin Jones to fill their tackle role, but if Ogunjobi is able to pass a physical with the team, he would represent a substantial upgrade over Jones.

Whoever does decide to reach a deal with Ogunjobi, a similar contract to the Bears’ offer should be expected. Ogunjobi should expect a three- or four-year contract from $12MM-$15MM per year. The once-failed physical may take a chunk out of his guaranteed money, but Ogunjobi should still be looking forward to a big payday once he signs the dotted line.

Browns Reach Agreement With RB D’Ernest Johnson

The Browns showed their interest in retaining running back D’Ernest Johnson when they gave him an RFA tender. Today, they have come to terms with him on a one-year deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

The contract is worth up to $2.433MM – the exact amount of this year’s right of first refusal tender. However, as detailed by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter), this is a new deal, rather than a matter of Johnson simply signing the tender. The pact includes $900K in guaranteed money.

The 26-year-old has been with the Browns since 2019. He saw a significant amount of playing time on special teams, including opportunities as both a punt and kick returner. That continued the following year, but he did see a slight uptick in offensive snaps as well. It was in 2021 that he took a significant step forward in terms of production.

Appearing in all 17 games (including two starts), the former UDFA turned 100 carries into 534 rushing yards and three touchdowns; he added another 137 off of 19 receptions. For the third straight season, he averaged no fewer than five yards per carry, though that figure holds much more weight in the context of his 2021 workload. Given that efficiency, it came as little surprise that the Browns tendered him.

Still, the fact that Johnson sits third on the team’s RB depth chart (behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt) makes this move a relatively expensive one. Cleveland currently has Chubb on one of the most lucrative deals in the league at the position, along with Hunt under contract for one more season at a cap hit of $6.25MM. The latter is still part of the team’s long-term plans, despite the presence of Johnson, Demetric Felton and fifth round rookie Jerome Ford. For the upcoming campaign, Johnson will remain a proven depth option available for at least a rotational role.

Nine Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts

Although early June no longer serves as a stretch in which a wave of veterans are released for cap-saving purposes, June 2 still serves as an important calendar date for certain teams annually. Nine teams qualify as beneficiaries this year.

Eleven players were designated as post-June 1 cuts this year, via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. Due to a longstanding CBA provision, teams that designate players as post-June 1 releases see the dead-money burden lessened for that year. Teams can designate up to two players as post-June 1 releases each year.

Here are 2022’s post-June 1 cuts, along with the belated cap savings the teams picked up Thursday:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

As detailed in PFR’s glossary, post-June 1 cuts spread dead-money hits over two years. These teams will be taking on dead money this year and next. A few of the 2023 hits are substantial, but the league’s cap-space hierarchy changed significantly Thursday as well.

Because of multiple restructures, Raiders will carry $9.9MM in Littleton dead money next year. The Cowboys will take on $8.7MM in 2023 for cutting Collins, while the Titans will be hit with $8.4MM for their Jones release. Cleveland, which just gave David Njoku a $14.2MM-per-year deal, will carry a $7.5MM dead-money cost next year due to shedding Hooper’s eight-figure-AAV deal early. The Eagles will be tagged with $11.5MM for their Cox cut, with Corry noting that is the net difference because of a $3.2MM salary cap credit regarding Cox’s 2022 bonus proration. Philadelphia re-signed the perennial Pro Bowler on a one-year, $14MM deal.

Hooper’s release pushes Cleveland’s cap space to beyond $40MM; the Browns’ overall cap-space edge is now a whopping $15MM. That should help the team address multiple needs ahead of training camp. Other teams have more options now, too. As of Thursday, the Raiders hold the NFL’s third-most cap space ($22.5MM, per OverTheCap). The $10MM the Cowboys saved moves them up to fourth in cap space ($22.49MM), while the Bears ($22.2MM), Commanders ($18.4MM) and Seahawks ($17MM) now sit fifth, sixth and seventh.

A handful of this year’s post-June 1 cut crop joined Cox in taking advantage of the modern setup, which allows these cap casualties to become free agents immediately — rather than waiting until June to hit the market. In place since the 2006 CBA, this adjustment let veterans loose early while keeping their cap figures on teams’ payrolls through May. Collins quickly joined the Bengals, while Littleton landed with the Panthers, Hooper signed with the Titans, and Phillips returned to the Bills. The remainder of this group remains unsigned. The savings this lot of teams inherited Thursday may help some of these players’ causes in free agency.

49ers C Alex Mack To Retire

After a lengthy stretch of contemplation about retirement or playing a 14th season, Alex Mack looks to have decided on the former. The decorated center is set to retire, Michael Silver of Bally Sports reports (on Twitter).

This will cap Mack’s 49ers tenure at one year and give the team another interior offensive lineman to replace. Mack started all 20 49ers games last season, rejoining Kyle Shanahan after the two previously linked up in Atlanta and Cleveland. Joining Ryan Fitzpatrick as a Thursday retiree, Mack finishes his career as a seven-time Pro Bowler.

Mack’s seven Pro Bowls are tied for sixth all time among pure centers, and although the Pro Bowl alternate era factors into this count, that number ranks behind only Maurkice Pouncey and Hall of Famers Jim Otto, Jim Ringo, Mike Webster and Kevin Mawae. Mack joined Pouncey on the 2010s’ All-Decade team at center.

The 49ers have had extensive time to prepare for this outcome and gained around $4MM in cap room Thursday by reducing Mack’s contract and moving $500K up to a June 2022 payment. Mack, 36, signed a three-year deal worth $14.85MM in 2021. That telling transaction will allow the 49ers more flexibility to potentially sign a Mack replacement, though Jimmy Garoppolo‘s $26.9MM cap hold has clogged San Francisco’s payroll for a while. It does not look like that lofty figure will come off San Francisco’s books in the near future, and the team entered Thursday ranking 31st in cap space. Mack’s adjustment still stands to help.

The Browns drafted Mack in the 2009 first round, and he delivered three Pro Bowl seasons in six Cleveland years. The Cal alum enjoyed an interesting offseason in 2014, when the Browns transition-tagged him and Jaguars submitted an offer sheet. The Browns matched the five-year, $42MM offer, but that deal gave Mack the right to opt out after two seasons. He did, doing so in 2016 en route to rejoining Shanahan — his Browns OC in 2014 — with in Atlanta. The Falcons handed Mack a five-year, $45MM deal, giving Matt Ryan a quality center ahead of a key season.

Atlanta’s Shanahan-conducted 2016 offense scored 540 points, which still ranks eighth in NFL history. Mack earned the second of his three second-team All-Pro nods, helping Ryan claim MVP honors. This season ended infamously in Super Bowl LI, but Mack made the Pro Bowl in his first three Falcons campaigns. He only missed two games during his Falcons years, playing out that five-year accord ahead of his return to the Bay Area. Mack earned his seventh Pro Bowl invite, albeit as an alternate, for his 49ers work.

Mack’s arrival helped the NFC West squad, which saw a severe Weston Richburg injury alter its center plans previously. This marks another belated retirement announcement on the 49ers’ O-line, which lost Joe Staley to an April 2020 retirement. The team responded by trading for Trent Williams. If the 49ers have a similar mindset two years later, some experienced snappers are available.

NFLPA president J.C. Tretter remains on the market, after the Browns made their five-year center a cap casualty in March. Former Broncos and Panthers starter Matt Paradis is also a free agent, with ex-Bengals starter Trey Hopkins and former Texans pivot Nick Martin available as well. The 49ers, who lost five-year left guard Laken Tomlinson in free agency, have some young internal options. None resides in the experience ballpark compared to the aforementioned UFA contingent.

Contract Details: Njoku, Addison, Fuller

Here are some details on deals recently signed around the NFL:

  • David Njoku, TE (Browns): Four-year, $54.75MM. The contract, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, has an amount guaranteed at signing of $17MM consisting of a signing bonus of $11.47MM, the 2022 base salary of $1.04MM, and the 2023 base salary of $4.5MM. Unless the Browns release Njoku by the third league day in March of 2023, Njoku will receive an additional guaranteed bonus of $11MM consisting of an $8MM 2023 option bonus and $3MM of the 2024 base salary. The additional $11MM is only dependent on roster status, being guaranteed for injury at signing. The full amount of the 2024 base salary, including the guaranteed amount of $3MM, is $13MM. The 2025 base salary is worth $14.25MM. There are two automatically voided years built in for 2026 and 2027 meant to spread around the bonuses and cap hits. In 2024, Njoku will receive a per game active bonus of $88,235 for a potential total of $1.5MM. In 2025, Njoku will receive a per game active bonus of $58,823 for a potential season total of $1MM. The deal also includes annual incentives of $250,000 if Njoku is named first- or second-team All-Pro and $500,000 if he’s named All-Pro and the Browns make the playoffs.
  • Mario Addison, DE (Texans): Two-year, $7.7MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, has a total guaranteed amount of $4.6MM consisting of a signing bonus of $2MM, the 2022 base salary of $1.5MM, and $1.1MM of the 2023 base salary. The 2023 base salary, including the guaranteed amount, is worth $3MM in total. Wilson reports an annual per game active bonus of $35,294 for a potential per season total of $600,000.
  • Kyle Fuller, CB (Ravens): One-year, $2.5MM. The contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN, is fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $1.38MM and a base salary of $1.12MM.