Browns Hire Sam Shade
- The Chargers have hired former UCLA assistant Rip Scherer as their new tight ends coach, reports Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Scherer will replace John McNulty, who recently left Los Angeles in order to become Rutgers’ offensive coordinator. Scherer, for his part, has a history of coaching quarterbacks in the NFL, and has done so with the Browns (2005-08) and Panthers (200-10). The rest of his coaching tenure has been spent in the NCAA, and he’s been a play-caller at stops such as Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, and Southern Miss.
- The Browns have added Sam Shade to their staff as an assistant special teams coach, the club announced today. Shade will work under Amos Jones, who replaced Chris Tabor as Cleveland’s primary special teams coach earlier this year. Shade spent the 2017 campaign as Georgia State’s cornerbacks coach, and previously served as special teams coordinator at Samford for seven seasons.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Browns Hire Scot McCloughan As Personnel Consultant?
Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan — widely regarded as one of the league’s top talent evaluators — has joined the Browns as a personnel consultant to assist the team in this year’s draft (although Mike Jones of USA Today tweets that McCloughan is still running his private pre-draft scouting service and is not exclusively assisting any one team). McCloughan and new Browns GM John Dorsey are close, and both men worked together in Green Bay under then-Packers GM Ron Wolf. Washington fired McCloughan in March 2017, and McCloughan subsequently filed a grievance against the Redskins, the outcome of which is still pending.
Cleveland has 12 picks in the 2018 draft, including Nos. 1 and 4 overall, so McCloughan’s talents will certainly be put to good use (assuming he has, in fact, joined the Browns’ staff). McCloughan has previously said Oklahoma signal-caller Baker Mayfield is his favorite QB in this year’s class, though team sources indicate that there is no clear favorite if Cleveland decides to use the top pick on a quarterback.
McCloughan participated in meetings with the Browns’ full scouting department yesterday, so it certainly sounds as if he is working for Cleveland alone at this point.
Browns To Bow Out On Kirk Cousins?
- While the Browns will explore a Kirk Cousins contract, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com’s consensus after this whirlwind week is the team will eventually shift its focus to a bridge quarterback to pair with the signal-caller chosen at No. 1 overall. Given the near-$30MM-per-year requirement Cousins could come with, given a team like the Browns being likely forced to overpay in this scenario, she concludes the likely outcome will be the Browns pivoting to the likes of A.J. McCarron and whomever the Vikings don’t prioritize.
Latest On Johnny Manziel
Recently, Johnny Manziel‘s agent set a deadline of January 31 for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats to present his client with a deal to his liking. That date has come and gone, but the Ti-Cats say that they will continue to pursue a deal with the troubled quarterback. 
“While the discussions with Johnny Manziel and his representative have been very cordial and informative, there is nothing imminent and nothing to report. We will continue to do our due diligence and will have no further public comment on the matter as we move forward,” the team said in a statement.
Manziel’s camp is trying to play hardball with Hamilton, but the reality is that the QB doesn’t have many options on the table. So far, no NFL team has been willing to take a chance on the former first-round pick, not even on a practice squad deal. The Tiger-Cats hold the CFL’s exclusive negotiating rights for Manziel and the north-of-the-border league is the best professional platform for Manziel to showcase himself. Ultimately, he may have no choice but to accept whatever offer is put in front of him.
In his statement last month, agent Erik Burkhart said that he was seeking a contract in line with what other Ti-Cats QBs have received in recent years. As ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert notes, last year’s starter Zach Collaros earned about $500K in 2017.
For his part, Manziel doesn’t seem to think the two sides are far apart in negotiations (Twitter link).
2018 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB
Bears: Adrian Amos, S
Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB
Bills: John Miller, G
Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB
Browns: Duke Johnson, RB
Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB
Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR
Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB
Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB
Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL
Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB
Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB
Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT
Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL
Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB
Packers: Jake Ryan, LB
Panthers: Daryl Williams, T
Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G
Raiders: Clive Walford, TE
Rams: Jamon Brown, G
Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB
Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR
Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR
Steelers: Jesse James, TE
Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/31/18
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2018 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Cleveland Browns
- TE Devon Cajuste
- DB Denzel Rice
- OL Christian Schneider
Houston Texans
- DL Darius Kilgo
Browns Toying With Kirk Cousins Push?
The latest of many updates regarding the Browns‘ preference for their No. 1 pick runs indicates John Dorsey may have an issue with Baker Mayfield‘s height. While it’s uncertain if the Heisman Trophy winner’s 6-foot frame will be a deal-breaker, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports hears from a source close to the Browns the new Cleveland GM prefers size in quarterbacks (Twitter link). That and off-field baggage will work against Mayfield, who is slotted by most as a high first-round performer but someone who won’t likely be the Browns’ choice. Hue Jackson‘s on the same page about the size issue. Robinson previously reported Dorsey, though, is a fan of Mayfield’s competitive streak and was zeroing in on he or USC’s Sam Darnold. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper Jr. has Josh Allen going to the Browns at No. 1, and Josh Rosen is generally regarded as the readiest pro prospect. So, the Browns — who wanted Alex Smith to mentor their to-be-determined prospect — will have a complex decision to make.
- Now that the Browns missed out on another trade target, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer mentions Kirk Cousins will warrant consideration. The Browns were planning on signing or trading for a bridge quarterback while their No. 1 pick learns but now could be in the Cousins mix. However, Cleveland’s status after two historically woeful years could derail this. Cousins has said he’s going to value a winning situation, and the Browns are about the furthest thing away from being classified as such. It would seem odd a team that’s at this stage of the rebuilding process would consider Cousins rather than a rookie, but the Browns ($100MM-plus in space) have the money to enter the fray. Cabot notes the Browns will likely know if they’ll have a shot at Cousins before the tampering period begins, and if he’s not interested, they will move on to bridge-type veterans, mentioning Chase Daniel or a Josh McCown reunion as options.
Browns Offered Second-Rounder For Smith
A report Tuesday night indicated the Browns were in the mix for Alex Smith, but it was unclear how willing John Dorsey was to reunite with his former quarterback.
However, the Browns appeared rather serious in their pursuit, with ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon reporting the team offered the Chiefs a second-round pick for Smith.
The Browns, who own three second-round selections, weren’t willing to give Smith the kind of contract the Redskins were. McManamon notes Cleveland wouldn’t match Washington’s extension for Smith.
It’s unclear which of the Browns’ second-round choices was offered. Cleveland owns picks 33, 35 and 63. The Redskins acquired Smith for a mid-third-round selection and emerging cornerback Kendall Fuller. The defender being under contract for two more seasons may have been a key bargaining chip against Cleveland, which has not been said to have offered a player as well as the Round 2 pick.
The Browns were not the only non-Redskins team in the mix for Smith, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN reported was pursued by as many as six franchises. The Cardinals and Broncos were also in on the veteran quarterback.
This marks the second time in less than six months the Browns were willing to fork over a second-round pick for a quarterback they didn’t end up getting.
Cleveland offered Cincinnati second- and third-round choices for A.J. McCarron and nearly acquired the Bengals backup, with the deal infamously falling apart at the 11th hour. The Browns were also reportedly willing to surrender a first-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo. Although expected to draft a quarterback at No. 1 overall, Cleveland remains without a proven passer despite extensive efforts to land a veteran.
Browns Tried To Trade For QB Alex Smith
Before the Chiefs sent Alex Smith to the Redskins, the Browns made a play for the veteran quarterback, according to Mark Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. As many as six teams may have expressed interest in Smith, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Broncos had some level of interest in Smith, but it’s not clear if Denver actually discussed an acquisition with Kansas City, per Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link).
Washington ultimately acquired Smith in exchange for a 2018 third-round pick and an unidentified player, so Cleveland presumably was unwilling to meet that asking price. The Browns not only own higher draft choices than do the Redskins, but also possess more total selections, meaning general manager John Dorsey & Co. had the ammunition to make a deal. Dorsey, notably, previously acquired Smith from the 49ers as Kansas City’s general manager in 2013.
Cleveland is fully expected to pursue quarterback upgrades this offseason, and may be open to adding a veteran signal-caller via trade or free agency and using an early-round pick on a passer. Smith would have given the Browns a competent starter under center, allowing the club to either bring in a first-round rookie — such as USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, or Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield — or give 2017 second-rounder DeShone Kizer more time to develop.
But now that Smith is on board in the nation’s capital, the Redskins won’t be signing fellow quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will now hit the open market. The Browns expressed interest in trading for Cousins during the 2017 draft, and while Cleveland now has a new front office in place, it’s fair to assume the club will have pursue Cousins now that he’s a free agent. The Browns are second in the NFL with nearly $110MM in available cap space, meaning they’ll have the flexibility to offer him a hefty contract.