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Cleveland Browns News & Rumors

Browns To Hire Eagles’ Catherine Raiche

May 4th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Catherine Raiche‘s NFL rise is set to continue, and the next step will take place in Cleveland. The Browns are set to hire the Eagles executive, according to USA Today’s Jori Epstein (on Twitter).

Previously rising to the role of Eagles vice president of football operations, Raiche is set to work in an assistant GM-type capacity with the Browns, per Epstein. The Browns lost Andrew Berry‘s previous top lieutenant, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, when he became the Vikings’ GM. Raiche has only been in the NFL since 2019 but experience in an assistant GM role, serving in that capacity with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 2017.

Raiche, 33, interviewed for the Minnesota job Adofo-Mensah landed. The Eagles promoted the young exec to the VP of football ops role in May 2021, making her the highest-ranking female exec at that point. With the Browns, she will still hold that distinction. Raiche worked with Berry in 2019, when the current Browns GM worked as the Eagles’ VP of football ops. After rising to the role Berry vacated, Raiche is set to play a significant role in Cleveland.

The Eagles have lost a few key personnel staffers this offseason. Both Ian Cunningham and director of player personnel Brandon Brown left for jobs with the Bears and Giants, respectively, during the winter. The Eagles also fired college scouting director Casey Weidl earlier Wednesday.

Panthers Still Open To Veteran QB Addition

May 4th, 2022 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Panthers came away with a Day 2 quarterback in this draft (Matt Corral), third-round picks do not necessarily block teams from further investments at this position. The team will continue to look into the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Baker Mayfield and now Nick Foles, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.

GM Scott Fitterer said post-draft the team would go with its current group — one headlined by Sam Darnold and Corral — but Garoppolo or Mayfield would provide an upgrade. The Panthers and Browns had discussed Mayfield ahead of last week’s second round but could not determine how to divvy up the since-replaced QB’s fifth-year option salary ($18.9MM). Darnold is already attached to that sum, which would make Carolina eating all of Mayfield’s option price a non-starter. As such, Mayfield is in limbo.

This marks the second Garoppolo connection to form in the past few days, with the Texans also believed to have the longtime 49ers starter on their radar. Houston did not draft a quarterback last week. Few Garoppolo connections emerged this offseason, with the 49ers’ high asking price limiting teams’ interest. The eight-year veteran’s shoulder surgery provided a roadblock as well.

Foles, 33, languished on the Bears’ bench for most of last season. The former Super Bowl MVP also lost his starting job in both 2019 (to Gardner Minshew in Jacksonville) and ’20 (to Mitchell Trubisky, after having taken it from the incumbent earlier that year). Last season, Andy Dalton and Justin Fields ran Chicago’s offense in all but one game — a Foles-directed win in Seattle — and the Bears finally cut bait after the draft.

Corral became a Panther after the team traded into the third round, giving up its 2023 third-rounder to do so, but the team might have had its eye on a different QB. The Panthers had a deal on the table to trade back into Round 2, when Corral, Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder were on the board amid their Friday-night freefalls.

“I had the card in my hand, and [owner David Tepper] looks at me and says, ‘What do you want to do?’” Fitterer said, via Breer. “And we both just kind of took a moment, and we looked at the board, and we decided the right thing to do was to be patient. Let’s not overpay. Let’s be smart about this. Let’s not dig ourselves in a hole for next year. Let’s inch back on trading with these quarterbacks.”

The Falcons and Titans took Ridder and Willis, respectively, and Breer adds the Panthers would have been fine going with Sam Howell instead of Corral. They decided on the Ole Miss product, and the in-state product fell all the way to Washington atop Round 5.

Latest On Jadeveon Clowney, Jarvis Landry

May 3rd, 2022 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite adding a pass rusher and wideout in the draft, the Browns could still re-sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Speaking to reporters, Browns GM Andrew Berry said the team’s draft decisions wouldn’t preclude them from re-upping the two veterans, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Veteran Browns reporter Tony Grossi echoed that sentiment (on Twitter), saying the Browns continue to target Clowney and a receiver.

We heard last month that a Cleveland return was still in play for both Clowney and Landry. However, the organization obviously couldn’t rely on either player returning, so they selected UAB defensive end Alex Wright with the No. 78 pick and Purdue wide receiver David Bell with the No. 99 pick.

Clowney, 29, has famously never landed a long-term contract as a veteran, going from a 2018 fifth-year option to a 2019 franchise tag to one-year deals with the Titans and Browns in the following years. Playing opposite Myles Garrett, Clowney registered nine sacks last season. He played with Watson for two seasons in Houston.

The Browns still have interest in bringing back Landry despite releasing him earlier this offseason in a cost-cutting move. Landry’s five-year Pro Bowl streak stopped after the 2019 season, and he finished with a career-low 570 receiving yards last year. When Watson is available in 2022, the Browns should feature superior aerial capabilities.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/22

May 2nd, 2022 at 9:13pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Rams To Acquire Troy Hill From Browns

April 30th, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Rams are bringing back corner Troy Hill, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. They’re reacquiring him from the Browns. Los Angeles will give up a fifth-round pick in 2023, the Rams announced.

The 30-year-old Hill started his career as a Bengal in 2015, but he then spent six seasons as a Ram before signing a four-year, $24MM contract with the Browns entering last season. Hill ended up appearing in 12 games and making four starts as a Brown in 2021, but he didn’t record an interception after picking off a career-high three passes the previous year.

Hill had his greatest success as a Ram to this point, and he’ll reunite with the reigning Super Bowl champions. He’ll join Jalen Ramsey and Jordan Fuller near the top of their CB depth chart in 2022.

Browns Draft K Cade York At No. 124

April 30th, 2022 at 12:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The first kicker is off the board. The Browns used pick No. 124 to select LSU kicker Cade York.

Alongside Tennessee’s Cade Mays, York was considered to be one of the best kickers in the draft. The LSU product firmly established himself as an NFL prospect in 2021 after connecting on 15 of his 18 field goal attempts and all 39 of his extra point tries. This followed a 2020 campaign where York connected on 85.7 percent of his field goals and 100 percent of his extra points.

This is the highest a kicker has gone off the board since 2016, when the Buccaneers selected Roberto Aguayo in the second round.

The Browns relied mostly on Chase McLaughlin as their kicker in 2021. The 26-year-old saw time in 16 games, but he only connected on 71.4 percent of his field goal attempts (15 for 21). He did, however, make 36 of his 37 extra point tries. The Browns re-signed McLaughlin back in March, so a kicking competition is surely coming.

Panthers Out Of Running For Browns QB Baker Mayfield?

April 30th, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers entered the weekend as the favorites to acquire Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, with ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin tweeting on Friday that talks could soon “heat up” between the two teams. Instead, the Panthers traded up in the draft to select Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral with the No. 94 pick. So what gives?

According to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson (on Twitter), talks between the Panthers and Browns were “halted” after the sides couldn’t come to terms on a deal. Specifically, the two front offices were squabbling over how to divide up Mayfield’s $18.8MM in guaranteed money next season. Of course, the money might not have been the only reason why the Panthers seemingly pivoted from a veteran to a rookie; per ESPN’s David Newton, adding a quarterback via the draft “always was [GM Scott] Fitterer‘s first choice.”

Now, Robinson’s report might not necessarily stop trade talks altogether, but for what it’s worth, Fitterer seemed to shut the door on adding another QB to the grouping of Corral, Sam Darnold, and P.J. Walker.

“I never put an absolute on anything,” Fitterer said (via Newton). “We came into this weekend with the intention of getting a quarterback, and that’s what we did. And we’re going to go with this group.”

With one suitor apparently out of the running, the options appear to be drying up for Mayfield and the Browns. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the Seahawks were the only Mayfield/rookie QB suitor to not add a signal-caller through the first two days of the draft. The Lions and Saints have also been mentioned as potential landing spots, while the Panthers and Falcons (who selected Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder) would be out. Fortunately for the Browns, the worst-case scenario is no longer a concern; with the Steelers drafting Kenny Pickett, the Browns no longer have to worry about cutting Mayfield and watching him land in Pittsburgh.

Texans Acquire No. 44, Select WR John Metchie

April 29th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans have moved up to add to the receiving corps. Houston has traded picks 68, 108, 124 to the Browns for No. 44, using it to select WR John Metchie.

The other member of the dynamic Alabama receiving tandem involving Jameson Williams, Metchie had two highly productive years with the Crimson Tide. In 2020, he posted 916 yards and six touchdowns, but took an even bigger step this past campaign. In 13 games, he totalled 96 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight scores.

Unfortunately, the Canadian – just like Williams – ended his college career with a torn ACL. He is expected to be recovered in time for the start of the season, though. If that is the case, he should have at least a secondary role on Houston’s offense as a compliment to the recently re-signed Brandin Cooks. Cleveland, meanwhile, will continue a lengthy wait to make their first selection in this year’s draft.

Latest On Panthers’ QB Pursuit

April 29th, 2022 at 4:46pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:46pm: The Panthers and Browns have continued their conversations on Mayfield, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (video link). The expectation now is Cleveland needing to eat a chunk of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fifth-year option salary would stand to improve Mayfield’s price tag, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the cost for the since-replaced QB is expected to be a Day 3 pick.

The Panthers are also a candidate to trade into Round 2 for a rookie, but that would be quite costly. Because of its trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson, Carolina does not pick again until No. 137. Carolina is, however, high on Willis and Corral. Both visited the Panthers earlier this month, joining fellow potential Carolina target Howell in doing so.

12:04pm: Day 1 of this year’s draft has come and gone, and Sam Darnold remains at the top of the Panthers’ quarterback depth chart. While that doesn’t come as a surprise, the team’s situation at the position could still change in the near future. 

[RELATED: Panthers Select Ekwonu At No. 6]

According to Jeff Howe of the Athletic, Carolina’s interest in veterans such as Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo could heat back up. Given the fact that they made the expected move to bolster their offensive line by drafting Ikem Ekwonu sixth overall, he writes, the Panthers “now should be players for Mayfield.”

The two parties were linked in the build-up to the draft, with Carolina finding themselves as one of the runners-up to acquire Deshaun Watson. After initial reports indicated the team had little, if any, interest in Mayfield, the Panthers emerged in the eyes of many as the favorite to acquire him. Doing so, however, was only thought to be feasible after at least the draft’s opening round.

As Howe notes, any potential trade involving Mayfield is complicated by a number of factors. One is his contract; the 2018 No. 1 pick is due $18.86MM on the fifth-year option, just as Darnold is. For that reason, Howe writes, “the Browns are prepared to pay a portion of Mayfield’s salary to facilitate a deal.” Another is the team’s complete lack of Day 2 picks, taking them out of the running to draft the likes of Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell or Matt Corral without sacrificing 2023 capital.

“I think we’ll look at every opportunity out there” said general manager Scott Fitterer, via Howe’s colleague Joe Person, regarding the QB market. “There’s still some really good players in this draft. And we’ll also look at every opportunity outside the organization.” Whether the team acts on those opportunities will be worth monitoring as the weekend progresses.

Texans Considering Round 2 QBs; Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo On Radar?

April 29th, 2022 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Lovie Smith voiced support for Davis Mills early in the offseason, GM Nick Caserio was noncommittal about the second-year QB’s starter status going forward. Everything Houston has thus far done points to Mills receiving another opportunity, but the team may make a late entrance to the quarterback market.

The Texans considered the prospect of trading back into Round 1 for Malik Willis, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Houston, which also liked Kenny Pickett, holds the fifth pick in Friday’s second round (No. 37 overall). Willis’ fall opens the door to a potential investment for a Texans team that can certainly afford to give a rookie quarterback a redshirt season, given where the Caserio-led franchise is on its rebuild track.

This draft producing the first one-QB first round since 2013 opens the door to teams making lower-cost investments tonight. Ole Miss’ Matt Corral, who is on the Saints’ radar, and Desmond Ridder qualify as potential second-round picks. North Carolina’s Sam Howell may well go off the board tonight as well. The Buccaneers, Vikings, Titans and Giants pick in front of the Texans in Round 2. There are some QB landmine spots here for Houston, which runs the risk of missing out on its preferred second-day passer by standing pat.

Should the Texans not take a quarterback tonight, two veterans are available in trades. The team is likely to explore a Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo addition, Howe adds. This would seem contingent on Houston not drafting Willis or another QB in Round 2. While the Texans are still fine with running Mills back out there in 2022 and did not consider drafting a passer with either of their first-round picks Thursday, per Howe, the team is not committed just yet.

The Panthers and Seahawks have been connected to Mayfield, with the former a bit more closely linked. Garoppolo’s market has yet to take shape, with the longtime 49ers starter still rehabbing from surgery on his throwing shoulder. The Texans were not interested in Mayfield when they traded Deshaun Watson to the Browns, but Howe adds the expectation of Cleveland needing to eat some of the QB’s fifth-year option salary ($18.9MM) has changed the equation. The 49ers’ asking price for Garoppolo remains too high for the Texans, however, though Caserio’s time with the ex-Tom Brady backup in New England does create a logical connection here — Garoppolo’s desire to end up with a contender notwithstanding.

Another wrinkle here is the 49ers’ willingness to keep Garoppolo through training camp. That could put the former Super Bowl starter in position to need another team’s QB injury to prompt a trade. Absent a reasonable offer, the 49ers are willing to carry Garoppolo’s salary ($26.9MM cap number) to camp, per Howe. This would hinder their ability to extend Deebo Samuel or Nick Bosa, but Garoppolo doubles as an insurance policy in case Trey Lance is not ready to take over.

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