Browns Wrap Draft Class
The Browns’ draft class is in the books. On Friday, the Browns inked third-round linebacker Sione Takitaki, which means that all of the following players are officially in the fold:
- 2-46: Greedy Williams, CB (LSU): Signed
- 3-80: Sione Takitaki, LB (BYU): Signed
- 4-119: Sheldrick Redwine, S (Miami): Signed
- 5-155: Mack Wilson, LB (Alabama): Signed
- 5-170: Austin Seibert, K (Oklahoma): Signed
- 6-189: Drew Forbes, T (Southeast Missouri State): Signed
- 7-221: Donnie Lewis Jr., CB (Tulane): Signed
Last year, Takitaki led BYU with 118 tackles, but many teams had him low on the board due to his past off-the-field troubles. Takitaki got into a dorm fight in his freshman year, allegedly stole property on campus as a sophomore, and spent time away from the program in 2016 due to academic issues.
In spite of those red flags, the Browns are excited about Takitaki’s potential.
“Takitaki is a tough son of a gun,” Browns director of college scouting Steve Malin said during the draft. “I’m excited about having Takitaki because of his physical presence and what he brings to this organization. Obviously, there is a lot of exposure that all of us in the personnel department got on all these players.”
Patriots Out On Gerald McCoy?
Although the Patriots had been previously mentioned as a possible suitor for Gerald McCoy, New England is not currently in the mix for the free agent defensive tackle, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Additionally, the Browns are not considered the frontrunners to land McCoy, per Cabot.
Roughly a quarter of the NFL has reportedly expressed interest in McCoy since he was released by the Buccaneers earlier this week. The Browns, Ravens, Falcons, Saints, Colts, Bengals, and Panthers have all at least considered reaching out to the veteran interior defender, but the only team known to have actually scheduled a visit with McCoy is the Browns.
McCoy was under contract for $13MM in Tampa Bay, and it still seems unlikely he’ll be able to match that total on the open market. (If a team had been willing to pay that salary, the Buccaneers likely could have found a trade partner). But given the level of interest in him, McCoy could push for a lucrative one-year pact. For reference, fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who just replaced McCoy in Tampa Bay, landed one year and $9.25MM.
McCoy, 31, ranked fourth among defensive tackles with 21 quarterback hits in 2018 and finished as the NFL’s No. 28 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Gerald McCoy To Visit Browns
Gerald McCoy will kick off his free agent tour by visiting the Browns on Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Browns GM John Dorsey has also confirmed that McCoy will meet with team brass (Twitter link). 
The Browns have been connected to McCoy for some time, but they decided against trading for the defensive tackle while he was under contract for $13MM in the upcoming season. After his Bucs release, the Browns might be able to sign him at a lesser rate without giving up any draft capital.
There’s also mutual interest between McCoy and the Ravens, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com hears. The Browns’ up-and-coming roster appeals to McCoy, per Cabot, but he also likes the Ravens’ top-ranked defense a lot and has some relationships in that locker room. The Patriots, Falcons, Saints, Colts, and Bengals are also interested in the six-time Pro Bowler.
Browns Inquire On Gerald McCoy
The Browns have inquired on free agent defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. We learned earlier this week that the Browns discussed McCoy internally and their interest seems to be genuine now that they have made direct contact with the six-time Pro Bowler. 
The Browns weren’t interested in trading for McCoy when he was set to make $13MM in 2019, but he could potentially be had at a lower rate now that he is a free agent. Of course, the Browns won’t be the only club to kick the tires on McCoy, especially since the Bucs took fellow defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh off the market on Tuesday. The Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Cowboys, Broncos, and Vikings would all make varying degrees of sense for the accomplished sack artist.
Meanwhile, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) notes, Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is already lobbying to bring McCoy to Cleveland.
Browns Considering Gerald McCoy
The Buccaneers have moved on from Gerald McCoy, but he might not be out of work for long. The Browns have had “positive” internal discussions about the defensive tackle, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 
Fowler also hears that price will be a driving force in the Browns’ interest level, which goes for any free agent. McCoy’s pedigree as a six-time Pro Bowler suggests that he could fetch a high price on the open market, though his recent production complicates matters.
McCoy did not make the Pro Bowl last season, his first snub since 2011. Still, he managed six sacks and graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ upper-echelon interior defenders. He’s also proven to be durable, having played in at least 14 games in each of the past seven campaigns.
At this juncture of the offseason, McCoy stands as one of the top free agents left on the market. Of course, he would have had a stronger market if he was released in March, but there are still dollars to be spent in the NFL. The Browns, for example, have upwards of $33MM to burn. Ten other clubs – the Colts, Texans, 49ers, Titans, Raiders, jets, Bills, Dolphins, Eagles, and Seahawks – have more than $25MM in breathing room.
Dwayne Bowe Announces Retirement
Former Chiefs and Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has signed a one-day contract with Kansas City and retired from the NFL, the club announced today.
“Retirement” can be used loosely in Bowe’s case: he hasn’t played since the 2015 season and NFL clubs weren’t exactly beating down his door to sign him. But the former first-round pick did experience a good deal of success with the Chiefs, topping 1,000 receiving yards three times, leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns (15) in 2010, and making the Pro Bowl that same year. Bowe, now 34, earned those accomplishments with likes of Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen, and Matt Cassel at quarterback.
After being cut by Kansas City in 2015, Bowe inked a two-year deal with the Browns that contained $9MM in guarantees. That contract turned out to be one of the more apparent free agent blunders in recent memory, as Bowe didn’t record a catch with Cleveland until Week 9 of the 2016 season. He finished the year with only five receptions on 13 targets, and was released the following spring.
PFR extends its best wishes to Bowe and his family as he enters retirement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G R.J. Prince
- Waived: G Kofi Amichia, TE Nick Keizer
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles
- Waived/Injured: DB Jomon Dotson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: D’Ernest Johnson
- Waived: RB L.J. Scott
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: S Adarius Pickett
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: WR Justin Sumpter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: C Tony Adams, G Kyle Fuller
- Waived: C Kirk Barron
- Waived/Injured: G Isaac Asiata
New England Patriots
- Waived: DT Frank Herron
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Alex Brown
- Waived: DL Damontre Moore
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
- Waived: LS Dan Godsil
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Jalen Tolliver
Duke Johnson Plans To Show For OTAs
The Browns refuse to grant Duke Johnson‘s request for a trade, but the running back is expected to show for OTAs, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. But the veteran Browns reporter notes Johnson was not on the field for the first session of Cleveland’s Tuesday workouts. Johnson, understandably, is concerned about his role behind rising star Nick Chubb and new pickup Kareem Hunt, although Hunt will be suspended for the first half of the season. The veteran passing-down back has drawn interest from other teams this offseason, but John Dorsey has insisted that Johnson is in the Browns’ 2019 plans. Despite Dorsey having parted ways with most of the players from previous regimes, he has kept Johnson around. The Dorsey regime extended Johnson in June of 2018. Three years remain on his deal.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Dontae Strickland
- Waived: CB Ryan Pulley, TE Jerome Washington
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB Jalan McClendon, G Patrick Vahe
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: S Abraham Wallace, OL Garrett McGhin, DT Quindarius Thagard
- Released: TE Jake Fisher, RB Keith Ford
Chicago Bears
- Bears Signed: WR Jesper Horsted
- Waived: G Tommy Doles
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB L.J. Scott
- Released: RB Devante Mays
Denver Broncos
- Signed: TE Bug Howard, OL Nathan Jacobson, DL Deyon Sizer, DL DeShawn Williams
- Released: TE Temarrick Hemingway, DL Caushaud Lyons, OL Brian Wallace, DL Jaylen Johnson
New York Giants
- Re-Signed: DL John Jenkins
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: RB Nico Evans, QB Luis Perez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Parker Hesse, WR Cody Hollister
Derek Anderson Announces Retirement
Longtime NFL quarterback Derek Anderson has announced his retirement, the Bills announced today.
Anderson, 35, spent the 2018 campaign in Buffalo, starting two games while completing 42-of-70 attempts for 465 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions. Despite has lackluster performance on the field, the Bills valued his off-field presence enough to sign him to a one-year extension through the 2019 campaign. Anderson has apparently had a change of heart since that December accord was reached, however.
A sixth-round draft choice of the Ravens in 2005, Anderson’s most notable season came in 2007, when he helped lead Cleveland to a 10-6 record and earned a Pro Bowl berth. Anderson subsequently signed a three-year deal to remain with the Browns despite the fact that Cleveland had used a first-round selection on fellow signal-caller Brady Quinn in 2007. The Oregon State product wasn’t able to hold onto his full-time gig, but still started 16 games over the next two seasons.
After making nine starts for the Cardinals in 2010, Anderson signed up for a long-term gig: Cam Newton‘s backup in Carolina. Anderson spent the 2011-17 seasons with the Panthers but was rarely asked to play. During those seven years, Anderson made only four starts and attempted just 168 passes.
The Bills will now move forward with Matt Barkley as the No. 2 to starting quarterback Josh Allen, although the club did also sign Buffalo alum Tyree Jackson as an undrafted free agent.