Stephenson Absent From Browns Minicamp
- Multiple AFC West teams gave Donald Stephenson chances to be a starting right tackle, but he could not maintain the job in Kansas City or Denver. He’s now in Cleveland but was not present for the start of Browns minicamp, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Stephenson missed a sizable portion of Cleveland’s OTAs, per McManamon, as well and would be in position to incur fines for missing minicamp workouts. Hue Jackson said Wednesday this situation will be explained soon. Stephenson may not have a solidified roster spot, with the Browns having signed Chris Hubbard and drafted Austin Corbett in the second round. Shon Coleman is also in the mix for either the starting left tackle job or a swing role, which could make matters more difficult to stick with his most recent AFC franchise.
- J.W. Johnson, son-in-law of Jimmy Haslam, will now serve as Browns executive vice president, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. Johnson will assume those duties July 1. La Canfora reported last year Johnson was moving into a bigger role with the Browns. Johnson worked at CBS Sports for many years before spending four years at Haslam’s Pilot Flying J company earlier this decade.
Browns’ Howard Wilson Done For Year
Cornerback Howard Wilson is expected to miss the entire 2018 season with a torn patella tendon, the Browns announced on Tuesday. It’s an unfortunate setback for the 2017 fourth-round pick, who also missed his would-be rookie season with the same ailment. Wilson is expected to be placed on injured reserve in the coming days.
[RELATED: Which AFC North Team Had The Best Offseason?]
In 2017, the Browns traded up with the Broncos in order to select the Houston standout. The 6’1″ defender missed the bulk of his 2015 collegiate season with a torn ACL, but came back strong in ’06 as he intercepted five passes. After three serious knee injuries in four years, Wilson’s football future is in flux.
Fortunately for the Browns, they are not short on options at cornerback. The Browns’ revamped secondary will see free agent pickup T.J. Carrie start opposite of first-round pick Denzel Ward with newcomers E.J. Gaines and Terrance Mitchell among those in support at cornerback.
Josh Gordon Next Browns Player To Be Extended?
- After Duke Johnson signed his new contract yesterday, Josh Gordon is the next Browns player likely to be extended, opines Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland. While Grossi says he’ll have to first prove to GM John Dorsey that he can stay on the field, he “can see the Browns rewarding him with a multi-year deal to head off a possible huge payday in unrestricted free agency in 2020.”
Poll: Which AFC North Team Had The Best Offseason?
Over the past week we’ve asked you which AFC West and NFC West team had the best offseason. Another division with a lively past few months has been the AFC North. All four teams drafted quarterbacks, and all four teams changed one of their coordinators. Here’s a quick recap:
The Browns had the most high profile offseason. Holding the number one and four overall picks, the Browns and their draft plans were the topics of endless offseason discussion. When the draft finally came, they ended up taking quarterback Baker Mayfield and cornerback Denzel Ward with those picks. They made a string of splashy trades, acquiring Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall. They were also very active in free agency, signing Carlos Hyde, Chris Hubbard, E.J. Gaines, and Drew Stanton among others. Cleveland did have some significant departures with Joe Thomas retiring, Isaiah Crowell signing with the Jets, and DeShone Kizer traded for Randall. They also added an offensive coordinator for the first time under coach Hue Jackson, hiring Todd Haley after he was not retained by the Steelers. It’s been a long time since there was a competitive Browns team, but with all the offseason moves GM John Dorsey has made, this should be the most talented Browns team in recent memory.
The Ravens joined the Browns in drafting a quarterback in the first round, taking Lamar Jackson 32nd overall. Joe Flacco remains the starter for now, but it won’t be long before Jackson is pushing him. After Dean Pees retired, the team promoted Don Martindale to replace him as defensive coordinator. The team released Jeremy Maclin and signed Michael Crabtree to replace him, also adding John Brown and Willie Snead to further bolster their receiving corp. They also signed Robert Griffin III, who will be fighting for a roster spot this summer. Other than that, they were mostly quiet during free agency, and didn’t make many trades. It will be virtually the same Ravens team taking the field in 2018 as they seek to build on their 9-7 record from last season when they just barely missed the playoffs due to tiebreakers.
The Steelers also drafted their potential quarterback of the future, taking Mason Rudolph in the third round. They notably let Haley walk due to years of disagreements with Ben Roethlisberger, replacing him by promoting quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner. They used their first round pick on safety Terrell Edmunds and took wide receiver James Washington in the second. Other than that, they were mostly quiet, not signing any well-known free agents other than linebacker Jon Bostic. The Steelers elected mostly to return the same team that has dominated the division in recent years.
The Bengals had the most low profile spring. They signed defensive tackle Chris Baker and signed Matt Barkley to replace A.J. McCarron as Andy Dalton‘s backup. They swapped first round picks with the Bills to acquire offensive tackle Cordy Glenn, who the team hopes will help shore up the offensive line deficiencies they’ve faced the last couple of seasons. They took center Billy Price in the first round, and lost their defensive coordinator Paul Guenther to the Raiders. They hired Teryl Austin away from the Lions to replace him. The Bengals will have to hope that Dalton can have a career renaissance and bring them back to being the team that made the playoffs five straight years not too long ago. They’re currently projected by many to finish last in the AFC North, but have the talent to potentially make some noise.
Which team do you think had the best offseason in the AFC North? Vote in PFR’s poll below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Johnson, Dorsey Discuss Extension
“I’m excited,” Johnson told ClevelandBrowns.com. “It’s fun to see how this team is shaping out and I want to be a part of it. You can see it with the guys they brought in on offense like Tyrod (Taylor) and (Jarvis) Landry plus the guys we already had. I think bringing in coach (Todd) Haley adds another dimension to our offense and it gives coach (Hue) Jackson the chance to be the head coach. John Dorsey has been bringing in guys that can play, that can ball, and that gives us a chance. Now it’s about going out and doing it now.”
“Duke Johnson is a good football player,” Dorsey said. “His hard work and commitment to the Browns organization is appreciated and we are excited to extend his contract and keep him in a Browns uniform for years to come. Duke is an excellent representative our organization. He leads by example and we look forward to him playing an important role with the Cleveland Browns moving forward.”
Browns, Duke Johnson Agree To Extension
The Browns and running back Duke Johnson have agreed to terms on a long-term contract extension, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year addition worth $15.6MM, including $7.7MM guaranteed. 
With nearly $70MM in cap space, it wasn’t difficult for the Browns to make room for Johnson’s deal. The two sides have been in talks throughout the offseason and a pact came together well in advance of the team’s mandatory minicamp.
If the deal were to start this year, Johnson would be ninth amongst all NFL running backs in terms of annual average value. When the pact kicks in next year, Johnson will probably be just outside of the top ten at his position.
Johnson, 25 in November, has averaged 4.2 yards per carry in his three NFL seasons while playing largely in a backup capacity. In 2017, the Browns often utilized him as a pass-catcher and the results were tremendous. Johnson set new career highs in catches (74) and receiving yards (693) and was a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating season for Cleveland. This year, he’ll serve as the Browns No. 2 ball carrier behind free agent addition Carlos Hyde.
Johnson was initially set to enter the final year of his rookie deal with a modest $2.084MM cap number. He has now received a significant pay bump.
In addition to Hyde and Johnson, the Browns further bolstered the running back group by drafting former Georgia standout Nick Chubb in the second round of last month’s draft.
Mychal Kendricks Contract Details
- Mychal Kendricks‘ one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Browns contains a $500K signing bonus and a $1.4MM base salary, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. As such, it appears Kendricks is due either a roster bonus or a significant total in per-game roster bonuses. Either way, his new pact doesn’t appear to guarantee him a roster spot in Cleveland, especially given the Browns’ depth at the position. Cleveland believes Kendricks can play all three linebacker positions, but the club already boasts Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, and Joe Schobert at the second level, meaning snaps could be sparse for Kendricks.
Browns Release LB Tank Carder
The Browns announced the release of linebacker Tank Carder. Carder was released in order to make room for new addition Mychal Kendricks. 
Carder missed the entire 2017 campaign after suffering a torn ACL, but the Browns re-signed him this offseason to a low-cost one-year deal to see what he could do after his recovery. The deal likely had little or no guarantees, so the release should have little impact on the Browns’ tremendous amount of cap room.
Carder, 29, is really a linebacker in name only and has rarely played on the defensive side of the ball. However, he was a key cog on Cleveland’s special teams unit when he was on the field. In each of his healthy Browns seasons, he saw at least 60% ST playtime. The former fifth-round pick, was with Cleveland from the 2012 through 2017 seasons and was voted a team captain in 2016.
Browns Sign LB Mychal Kendricks
The Browns have agreed to a deal with veteran linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson (on Twitter). Kendricks and the Browns agreed to a one-year, $3.5 MM pact, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Kendricks was released by the Eagles last month after reportedly refusing to take a pay cut of $4.5MM. He has spent the last six seasons with the Eagles and visited with the Vikings and Raiders, along with the Browns. The Eagles took Kendricks in the second round of the 2012 draft. Kendricks’ brother, Eric, was a second-round choice of the Vikings in 2015 as a linebacker as well.
The 27-year-old is expected to report to the Browns’ OTAs on Tuesday, per Cabot. He’ll compete for a starting spot in the 4-3 scheme of Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, with 2017 Pro-Bowler Joe Schobert, Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey. Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports reported late last week that Kendricks was expected to immediately assume a starting role with the Browns.
Kendricks appeared in 15 games last season, starting 13, and racked up 75 tackles. He also logged 16 tackles in the postseason amid the Eagles’ run to their first-ever Super Bowl title. Pro Football Focus rated Kendricks as the No. 9 linebacker in the NFL.
The Eagles had shopped Kendricks around before his May release but were unable to move him during or prior to the draft. Kendricks had also requested a trade in the 2016 offseason after diminished playing time in 2015 and ’16 but was pressed into action last season after a season-ending Achilles injury to Jordan Hicks.
Browns Sign RB Nick Chubb
The Browns have signed rookie Nick Chubb, according to a tweet from the running back’s agency. As dictated by his slot, Chubb will receive a four-year deal worth about $7.4MM with a $3.45MM signing bonus. He’ll carry a modest cap number of $1.342MM in 2018 with modest increases between now and 2021. 
Chubb became the second of the Browns’ second-round picks this year when he was selected at No. 35 overall. After running for 1,345 yards in his final year at Georgia, Chubb holds promise as a solid all-round back at the pro level.
Many evaluators feel that Chubb is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. That’s not necessarily a major dig on Chubb, given that many running back prospects have struggled with ball security and other basics in the NFL. However, he doesn’t profile as the fastest back in the league and his lack of usage on passing downs in college leaves some mystery about his ball-catching and blocking abilities.
Fortunately for the Browns, they already have a dynamic pass-catching back in Duke Johnson and an established runner in Carlos Hyde. Chubb won’t be tasked with a large workload right off of the bat, which should allow him room to progress at a reasonable pace.
As shown on PFR’s draft pick signing tracker, the Browns have just two picks left to go in No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield and No. 4 overall choice Denzel Ward.