Browns Make Personnel Changes
The Dolphins made a number of moves this offseason, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the team was focused on improving the locker-room culture. The front office deliberately pursued team-first players who would “buy in, be diligent about studying and preparation, and do things the way the staff wanted.”
While the organization may have been focused on shifting the culture, quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn’t believe there was a culture issue in the first place.
“I don’t think we had a bad culture,” he said. “I think the guys that we brought in have already bought in and now we’re fully aligned and we can just drive forward. I think that’s a big factor in the performance of teams is everyone being on the same page.”
On the flip side, Jackson writes that safety Reshad Jones did admit that he’s already seen improvements to the team’s mindset.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…
- Jackson notes that Dolphins undrafted rookie cornerback Jalen Davis received a $20K signing bonus on top of his $25K in guaranteed money. The writer wonders if the defensive back could end up sticking around, especially since he earned the most money among the team’s undrafted free agents. Linebacker Mike McCray received $12K in guaranteed money and and a $1oK signing bonus.
- The Ravens added quarterback Robert Griffin III earlier this offseason, and they subsequently drafted signal-caller Lamar Jackson. While the rookie will surely provide the 28-year-old with some competition for backup reps, Griffin told Mike Jones of USA Today that the draft selection wasn’t a slight at himself or Joe Flacco. “When they drafted Lamar, I didn’t look at it as a shot at me or a shot at Joe,” Griffin said. “It was ‘OK, Lamar is coming in here, and it’s our job to help him learn the offense and help him compete.’ So, for me, my job is to show them that I’m an asset to the team and not a detriment. … One (reporter) asked me if I was trying to showcase for other teams. No, my focus is, ‘I’m a Baltimore Raven. I’m showcasing to them that this is where I’m supposed to be.’ ”
- We heard earlier today that the Patriots and tight end Rob Gronkowski were zeroing in on a new contract.
Packers Hire Former Browns Scout
- Gutekunst also made some adjustments to the team’s scouting staff. Matt Malaspina will rise to Sullivan’s old job. A 20-plus-year NFL veteran, Malaspina was hired as a Packers college scout in 2017. The Packers promoted Sam Seale to a national scouting role after he spent time working primarily as a west region scout, per PackersNews.com. Chad Brinker will now work as Green Bay’s assistant director of pro scouting and serve as a salary cap analyst, while Pat Moore will come over from the Browns and work as a college scout for the Packers. While former Packers exec John Dorsey is now the Browns’ GM, Moore spent five years in Cleveland working under previous regimes. Former NFL defensive back Brandian Ross will make greater inroads into the scouting world. The Packers are promoting the 28-year-old, who played for three teams from 2012-15 after coming into the league as a UDFA out of Youngstown State, to a college scouting role after he spent last year as a scouting assistant. Luke Benuska will also earn greater responsibility; he’ll work as a college scout after serving as a pro scout.
Scot McCloughan No Longer With Browns
This offseason, new Browns GM John Dorsey brought Scot McCloughan on board as a consultant. But, after a front office shakeup, the former Redskins GM is no longer exclusive to the team, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. 
McCloughan, who helped steer the Browns towards selecting quarterback Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick, has returned to consulting for multiple teams through his private company. Despite a messy divorce with the Redskins, it would not be surprising to see McCloughan back in the GM conversation for another team down the line.
While several long-time Browns scouts have been pushed out, Browns Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry remains safe thanks to his relationship with team owners, Cabot hears. However, something will have to give as the Browns have three player personnel VPs in Berry, Alonzo Highsmith, and Ken Kovash.
The new-look Browns still have work to do as they sort out their front office, including talks on a new deal with running back Duke Johnson.
Browns, Duke Johnson Discussing Extension
Duke Johnson says that he and the Browns are in discussions about a contract extension (Twitter link via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com). The running back also says he is “very optimistic” the two sides will come to an agreement. 
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 is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal which will carry a modest $2.084MM cap number. Because he was a third-round pick and not a first-round selection, the Browns do not have the option of extending his deal via the fifth-year option. The franchise tag is technically still in play, but the Browns want to keep that possibility open for other players who are scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season.
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves.
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB DeMarquis Gates
Houston Texans
- Released from Reserve/PUP list: DL Matthew Godin
New York Giants
- Waived: CB Tim Scott
Draft Pick Signings: 5/22/18
Here are Tuesday’s draft pick signings:
- Third-round tackle Chukwuma Okorafor (pick No. 92) signed his four-year Steelers contract. Out of Western Michigan, Okorafor could be in line for a swing role this season. And Chris Hubbard showed how valuable that could be, with Marcus Gilbert having struggled with injuries and a suspension in recent years.
- The Browns followed suit by inking third-round defensive lineman Chad Thomas (pick No. 67 out of Miami) and fourth-round wideout Antonio Callaway (No. 105), Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. A Florida product, Calloway has already been mentioned as a player who could put pressure on 2016 first-round pick Corey Coleman.
Johnny Manziel: I Was “Close” To NFL Deal
Johnny Manziel is heading north of the border to suit up with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Before agreeing to play in Canada, Manziel believes that he was on the cusp of landing an NFL contract. 
“I think it was close,” Manziel said (via PFT). “I did reach out and talk to multiple teams and coaches I had met in my first couple years in the league.”
Ultimately, Manziel says he did not want to squander his opportunity to get things going in the CFL given the time that has passed since his last professional snap. In theory, Manziel could have waited for something to materialize in the NFL, or for a non-binding short-term deal in the Alliance of American Football in 2019, but he did not want to sit on the sidelines any longer.
“It was really the wait,” he said. “I didn’t want to get into something down the road where I’m waiting until August, waiting until training camps open, and then if something doesn’t transpire I’m getting here late.”
Manziel agreed to sign a two-year deal with the Ti-Cats – the minimum length of a deal in the CFL – and it contains no possible outs for the NFL, as stipulated by league rules. In theory, the Ti-Cats could grant a request for release between now and 2020, but they are under no obligation to do so.
For now, it looks like Manziel will not resurface in the NFL before the end of this decade.
Cabot: Browns Unlikely To Re-Sign Taylor
It does not appear the Johnny Manziel saga will return to the NFL until at least the end of the decade. Manziel’s two-year contract with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats is a binding deal, and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets no escape clause for the purposes of venturing to the NFL exists in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. The CFL previously voted on a possible escape-hatch option, but the proposal was rejected. La Canfora adds Manziel’s professional football options will come exclusively in Canada for the next two years (Twitter link). The NFL may be a faraway bridge considering how the former Heisman Trophy winner fared in his two years with the Browns and the many months that went by without any team showing significant interest.
- Hue Jackson has repeatedly said he would like Tyrod Taylor to start throughout this season. But cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot does not see the Browns opting to re-sign Taylor after this season. She expects Mayfield to make a serious charge for the starting role at some point this season. If it turns out Taylor is a catalyst that leads the Browns to a major turnaround, Cabot expects him to hit the market as a coveted commodity — and one the Browns will not be paying for — in 2019.
Poll: Which Team Best Addressed QB Spot This Offseason?
This turned out to be an important year for quarterback acquisitions. Many teams’ short- and long-term futures will depend heavily on the players they added over the past two months.
A fourth of the NFL made major investments in outside talent at the quarterback position this offseason. Which team did you think is in the best position after all the dominoes fell?
Three teams acquired their unquestioned starters via trade or free agency. The Redskins’ trade for Alex Smith ensured they were not going to pick a quarterback in the draft. As did the Vikings’ subsequent Kirk Cousins agreement. The Broncos entered the draft as a borderline QB destination, but John Elway valued Bradley Chubb more than Josh Allen or Josh Rosen, eschewing a Bills offer that would have given his team extra first- and second-round picks. So, Case Keenum is going to be Denver’s starter.
Four of the five teams that used first-round picks on quarterbacks made sure to add bridge-type solutions, with the Browns moving first to get Tyrod Taylor. The Jets and Cardinals then respectively proceeded to bring in Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon. And the Bills made the final stopgap addition in A.J. McCarron. But these players, for the most part, are 2018 placeholders — at best.
Was Baker Mayfield worth the No. 1 overall pick? Or did the Browns make what could turn out to be the costliest of their spree of modern quarterback misjudgments last month? Several Cleveland executives independently rated Mayfield as the draft’s premier passer, going against the grain of the many teams that viewed Sam Darnold as this year’s top passing prospect. The Jets appear to have appreciated this bold move, and Darnold is almost certainly going to see extensive time in 2018. PFR readers believe he will.
The Bills worked the phones relentlessly in an effort to install Allen behind McCarron, and the Cardinals reportedly had the Wyoming prodigy rated as their top QB as well. But Allen could need extensive seasoning, and as of now, a returning playoff team has a fifth-year player with 133 career pass attempts set to open the season and possibly close it as the starter.
Conversely, the player the Cardinals invested in was tabbed by many draft experts as the readiest pro. And Bradford being in front of Rosen for 16 games may be asking a lot from the injury-prone veteran. The Ravens are already planning Jackson packages, and although the player whom some teams wanted to work out as a wide receiver may need a season to develop, this draft’s most dominant college QB resides in Baltimore behind Joe Flacco.
Armed with one of the league’s most talented rosters, Minnesota had the most obvious case to pursue a veteran. And the Vikings made history by authorizing a $28MM-AAV fully guaranteed deal for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Cousins, who may be the safest option among all of these players. But he’s now the league’s second-highest-paid passer and tethered to the Vikings through 2020. Smith is coming off his best NFL season, but his Chiefs teams disappointed in two home playoff opportunities. Washington could also be much further away from contention than Minnesota, and the Redskins have now brought in quarterback who for all the stability he offers is four years older.
It’s debatable the Broncos’ contention window could still be open, with many of their core Super Bowl 50 performers still on the team and having played the past two seasons without much help at quarterback. But a 5-11 team armed with only its second top-five pick since 1992 passing on two coveted QB prospects to pursue the 30-year-old Keenum, a late-blooming talent or a player who benefited from better circumstances, could also be classified as a bold choice as Rosen and Allen’s careers unfold. The Broncos only committed to Keenum for two years and are paying Football Outsiders’ No. 4 2017 DYAR passer $10MM less per year than Cousins commanded.
So, with all things considered, which of these franchises is best set up after this offseason? Did one of the teams that spent a first-round pick on a QB ensure a decade and then some of stability and promise? Or did the teams that went strictly for vets get this right? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/18
Here are Friday’s minor moves.
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers from Seahawks: DE Marcell Frazier
- Waived: LB Austin Calitro
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Kayaune Ross
- Waived: WR Kolby Listenbee
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Jason King
- Waived: WR Chris Lacy