Chargers, Browns Interested In Geno Smith
The Chargers and Browns have expressed interest in free agent quarterback Geno Smith, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). The Giants are also eyeing the former Jets signal-caller, and met with Smith last week.
Los Angeles re-signed its No. 2 quarterback Kellen Clemens last week, but he only inked a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, meaning the Chargers would incur just $80K in dead money if they decided to cut bait with the 33-year-old. Philip Rivers has been remarkably durable during tenure as the Chargers’ starter, as he hasn’t missed a start since taking over more than a decade ago. As such, Smith wouldn’t be in line for much playing time if he opted to join Los Angeles.
The Browns, meanwhile, offers a wide open quarterback position, as the club is currently employing Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan (Cleveland also has Brock Osweiler under contract, but will reportedly trade or release him before he ever plays a down for the team). While the Browns will likely add a quarterback at some point in the upcoming draft, Smith would likely have a chance to earn playing time in northeast Ohio. For what it’s worth, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link) isn’t getting the “vibe” that the Browns are interested in Smith.
Smith, 26, started one game for the Jets in 2016, but tore his ACL in that October contest and missed the remainder of the season. The former second-round pick has only attempted 56 passes over the past two years. PFR’s No. 14 free agent quarterback, Smith could still re-sign with Gang Green if the club doesn’t find a better option.
Three Teams Inquired On Kirk Cousins Trade
Three clubs have approached the Redskins about a Kirk Cousins trade within the past two weeks, but all three teams’ inquiries were declined, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns were not one of the clubs that asked about Cousins despite rumors a Washington/Cleveland Cousins deal could occur.
While Cabot doesn’t identify any of the trio of teams that did call on Cousins’ availability, it’s fair to speculate the 49ers were among the group. San Francisco has been linked to Cousins since the moment Kyle Shanahan was named the club’s next head coach, as the two enjoyed an excellent relationship while Shanahan was the Redskins’ offensive coordinator.
In theory, a team like the Browns or 49ers could roll the dice and trade for Cousins without an agreement for a multi-year deal in place. The two sides would then still have several months to hammer out a contract before the July 15th deadline. If that’s unsuccessful, they would have him for $23.94MM in 2017 with the option of tagging him again for $28MM+ in 2018.
Browns Claim James Wright
- The Browns announced they’ve claimed wide receiver James Wright, whom Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link) yesterday reported had been waived by the Bengals. Wright, a former seventh-round draft pick, is entering the final season of his rookie deal. Afflicted by a nagging knee injury, Wright managed to appear in only 24 games with the Bengals, primarily serving as a special teams player during that span. The 25-year-old will now reunite with former Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson in Cleveland.
Latest On Kirk Cousins
“There’s a growing belief in some circles” that the Browns will try to acquire Kirk Cousins from the Redskins via trade, one league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Redskins have the ability to trade Cousins now that he has signed his one-year franchise tender. 
Depending on who you believe, Cousins either requested a trade last week or simply asked whether he would be getting moved. But, another source tells Florio that Cousins was concerned about the fact that the Redskins can now trade him. Specifically, the source says, he was concerned about being traded to the Browns.
Last month, there was conflicting word on whether Cousins would be open to joining the Browns. One reporter said that Cousins would only want a trade to the 49ers while another said that he finds the Browns to be “intriguing.” Cousins cannot formally block a trade, but he could deter a team from trading for him by refusing to negotiate a long-term deal.
In theory, a team like the Browns could roll the dice and trade for Cousins without an agreement for a multi-year deal in place. Then the two sides would still have several months to hammer out a contract before the July 15th deadline. If that’s unsuccessful, they would have him for $23.94MM in 2o17 with the option of tagging him again for $28MM+ in 2018.
Of course, there’s also the matter of getting a trade done with the Redskins. As Florio writes, an offer of the No. 12 overall pick plus their newly-acquired second round choice from Houston could get it done.
Isaiah Crowell Drawing RFA Interest
The Browns placed a second-round RFA tender on Isaiah Crowell but are seeing teams debate potential pursuits of the fourth-year running back. At least three teams have inquired about Crowell, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
It would cost another team a second-round pick to pry Crowell from Cleveland. However, the Browns under their Sashi Brown– and Paul DePodesta-headed leadership have prioritized draft capital. They traded down multiple times from their No. 2 overall perch during the 2016 draft and played a part in a historic trade for Brock Osweiler last week to acquire a second-round pick. So, seeing a team sign Crowell to an offer sheet might interest the Browns despite the team placing that second-round tender on their starting ball-carrier.
Crowell turned in his best season in 2016, rushing for 952 yards and seven touchdowns for the 1-15 Browns. He did so despite the team losing both of its starting guards — Joel Bitonio and John Greco — as the woeful season went along. The Browns also lost Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz to free agency and experienced a litany of quarterback injuries, but Crowell’s 4.8 yards-per-carry mark resided as by far his career-best figure.
Browns Refused Final Chance To Sign Pryor
Prior to signing his one-year contract with the Redskins, wideout Terrelle Pryor gave the Browns one last chance to sign him, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Last week, Cabot reported that Pryor never went back to the organization to see if they’d match, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The reporter notes that the Browns had reduced their offer the second time around, prompting Pryor to take Washington’s $6MM offer (plus a $3MM signing bonus and $2MM in incentives). The receiver ultimately wanted to stay in Cleveland, and he was holding out in hopes that the Browns would increase their four-year offer.
While the Browns wanted to keep Pryor, they weren’t willing to meet his demands. The team was willing to hand out a long-term deal worth around $8.5MM annually, but that compromised the wideout’s flexibility. Considering his desire to stay in Cleveland, we can assume that he would have given the team a hometown discount. However, the annual salary clearly didn’t meet Pryor’s requirements for a long-term deal.
The receiver had also received offers of $10MM and $11MM, according to Cabot, but the 27-year-old had no interest in locking himself into a long-term contract. Rather, Pryor preferred to hit free agency next offseason and fetch a contract that approaches $15MM a season. Pryor also didn’t accept those early offers because he intended to stay with Cleveland, but the Browns’ unwillingness to budge led to him signing with the Redskins.
Consistent play at quarterback would presumably boost Pryor’s value in 2018. Despite playing with five different quarterbacks last season, the former signal-caller had a breakout campaign. He finished the year with 77 receptions for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns.
Week 17 Altercation Led To Osweiler Trade
Osweiler, who was traded in a cap-dump to the Browns last week, was inserted into that game against the Titans after starter Tom Savage went down with a concussion. Savage was ruled out for the game during half time, at which time Osweiler learned that he’d be playing the rest of the contest.
With all the said, the Browns are now stuck with Osweiler, and the team is reportedly looking to move him. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini believes the Jets are a team to watch when it comes to the embattled quarterback.
Contract Details For Kevin Zeitler
- Kevin Zeitler, G (Browns): Five years, $60MM. $31.5MM guaranteed ($6MM 2017 base salary fully guaranteed). $12MM signing bonus. Cash per year values of $18MM, $10MM, $10MM, $10MM, $12MM (Twitter links via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
Contract Details: Britt, Wagner, Broncos
Let’s take a look at the details of some recently signed free agent contracts:
- Kenny Britt‘s four-year Browns deal will provide the ninth-year wide receiver with $10.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Britt will collect $17MM over the first two seasons of this deal, Caplan reports.
- The Lions‘ lavish accord for Ricky Wagner raises the right tackle ceiling, although the base salaries in this contract don’t reflect that early. Wagner will see $3MM in base salary in 2017 and ’18 before those figures spike to $9MM per year from 2019-21, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. Wagner’s deal provides $17.5MM in true guarantees, with his 2018 salary being fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the ’18 league year, per Birkett. Wagner’s 2019 base salary is guaranteed against injury. He received a $14.5MM signing bonus, while the former Raven’s cap hits will be $5.9MM in each of the next two seasons.
- D.J. Fluker‘s one-year Giants pact is expected to be worth $3MM, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. That’s quite a bit lower than what the Chargers would have paid him ($8.82MM) if they kept him after picking up his fifth-year option.
- Menelik Watson‘s three-year, $18.75MM Broncos accord will give the British blocker $5.375MM in fully guaranteed money at signing, Mike Klis of 9News reports. Watson received a $4MM signing bonus. The former Raider will have a $5.5MM guaranteed-against-injury salary in 2018 and is due a nonguaranteed $5.5MM amount in 2019.
- Ronald Leary‘s four-year contract with the Broncos also comes with a fully guaranteed 2018 salary, which will pay former Cowboy $7.65MM for his age-29 season, per Klis. Leary is slated to make $8.15MM in 2019 and ’20, respectively. His 2019 base salary is guaranteed against injury only, with the ’20 slate being nonguaranteed.
- Russell Shepard‘s three-year Panthers deal will be worth $10.5MM, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. The contract includes a $2MM signing bonus and $2.5MM guaranteed. Laine notes the former Bucs wideout will make $4MM in 2017.
- Sealver Siliga‘s one-year Buccaneers deal can max out at $1.5MM, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The contract contains a $200K signing bonus and a $100K roster bonus for the nomadic defensive lineman.
Browns Will Trade Or Cut Brock Osweiler
The Browns are attempting to trade recently-acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler and a fifth-round pick in exchange for a third-round selection, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. If they can’t unload Osweiler via trade, the Browns will simply release him.
Cleveland’s move to acquire Osweiler from the Texans was solely about absorbing his cap charge in order to pick up a second-round pick, so it’s not a surprise that he isn’t in the club’s long-term plans. As previous reports have indicated, the Browns are willing to pay as much as half of Osweiler’s $16MM base salary in order to facilitate a trade. To do so, Cleveland would convert a portion of Osweiler’s salary into a signing bonus, and pay that figure before dealing him elsewhere.
Given the Browns’ ample cap space, they could probably negotiate Osweiler’s salary all the way down to $1MM, making the 26-year-old quarterback a much more valuable asset. Either way, other executives are skeptical Cleveland’s plan to flip Osweiler will be successful, as one personnel man told Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com “no one will do their new trade.”