Browns Working To Re-Sign Terrelle Pryor
While the Browns could use the franchise tag to stop pending free agent wide receiver Terrelle Pryor from hitting the open market, the team would much rather retain him on a multiyear contract, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. As a result, the Browns are “redoubling efforts” to re-sign Pryor and will meet with agent Drew Rosenhaus this week, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Cleveland and Rosenhaus will have “strong discussions,” a source told Cabot.
As a 27-year-old who possesses size (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) and speed, Pryor will be among the most sought-after players available this offseason if he actually reaches free agency. It’s arguable he’s currently among the top two unsigned wideouts in the NFL, joining the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery, after Pryor broke out last season as part of a one-win team. Despite having to work with five quarterbacks, most of whom were mediocre or worse, Pryor (an ex-QB himself) piled up 77 receptions, 1,007 yards and four touchdowns on 140 targets in his first serious action as a receiver.
Notably, both Pryor and the coach who has developed him as a pass catcher, the Browns’ Hue Jackson, have spoken highly of each other over the past year. Pryor has made it known that he’d like to stay under Jackson’s tutelage, though he cautioned in December that “it’s got to come down to what my agents think is right for me.” Those agents might not have as much say as they’d like if the Browns slap the estimated $15.826MM franchise tag on their client between Feb. 15 and March 1. A long-term pact, on the other hand, could net Pryor at least $10MM per year and $28.5MM in guarantees (the same deal the Rams gave Tavon Austin last summer), CBS Sports’ Joel Corry posited in November.
Regardless of whether they tag or re-sign Pryor, the Browns – with a league-high amount of cap space – shouldn’t have difficulty retaining him if that’s their goal. The team has already stopped its top pending defensive free agent, linebacker Jamie Collins, from getting to the market, having awarded him a four-year, $50MM deal in January.
NFL Exec.: Trubisky Better Than Wentz
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer spoke to one high-level NFL personnel executive who believes that Mitch Trubisky has more upside than Carson Wentz and that the Browns would be wise to select him with the No. 1 overall pick. The Browns also hold this year’s No. 12 overall choice, but Trubisky will not fall that far, so if Cleveland wants him, they will need to make him the top choice in the draft.
- Former UVA standout Ausar Walcott, who was signed by the Browns as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 draft, is resuming the pursuit of his NFL dream, as Dan Duggan of NJ.com writes. Walcott was charged with attempted murder in June 2013, and was subsequently cut by Cleveland. The charge was eventually dropped to aggravated assault, and while Walcott was free on bail, he was certainly not going to be signed by an NFL club while he was embroiled in a legal battle. But he was acquitted by a jury a few months ago, and the 27-year-old hopes to at least catch on with a CFL team as he tries to work his way back to the NFL.
Josh McCown Eyeing Future Coaching Career
Veteran NFL quarterback Josh McCown isn’t ready for retirement just yet, but he is already considering a career in coaching following his playing days, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Browns coach Hue Jackson recently predicted McCown would be a “rising star” in the coaching ranks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and told McCown he’d be welcome on the Cleveland staff any time. Indeed, many NFL clubs would be interested in hiring McCown as a coach after he retires, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: Tyrod Taylor On Browns’ Radar]
“I definitely don’t discount it as part of my future,” McCown said in regard to coaching. “It’s just when that time is. I don’t feel like it’s now. I could wake up tomorrow and feel a deep conviction that, you know what, I was supposed to go that route, and I would pursue it. But right now, I feel like I still have something left to give as a player, so I want to maximize that as much as I can.”
McCown, 37, was released by the Browns earlier this week in a move that saved the club more than $4MM. During his two years in Cleveland, McCown often dealt with injuries and posted only a 1-10 record as a starter, but as Ulrich notes, McCown often played better than his statistics indicated. From 2015-16, McCown completed 60.4% of his passes while tossing 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Myles Garrett Clarifies That He Isn't Opposed To Playing For Browns
Of course, following those comments, Garrett had to backtrack and clarify that he’d be fine being selected by the Browns with the top pick in the draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/10/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Browns have re-signed exclusive rights free agent wide receiver Rannell Hall, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. Cleveland originally signed the 24-year-old Hall off Tampa Bay’s practice squad near the end of the 2015 campaign, but a broken fibula caused him to miss the entirety of the 2016 season. Hall, who’s appeared in just a single NFL contest, will make league minimum salary as he attempts his comeback.
- The Bears have signed tight end Justin Perillo, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Perillo, 26, finished the year on the Packers’ practice squad injured reserve after spending eight games on the active roster. All told, Perillo has managed 15 receptions and one touchdown during his three-year career.
- Linebacker Trevor Roach has retired from the NFL, the Bengals announced today. Roach, 25 next month, originally signed with Cincinnati as an undrafted in 2015, and subsequently bounced between the practice squad and active roster for the next two years. The Nebraska alum appeared in an NFL game for the first time in 2016, ultimately playing in four contests.
- The Lions announced that they’ve signed safety Rolan Milligan, who spent last offseason with the Cowboys. A 2016 undrafted free agent out of Toledo, Milligan worked out for the Bears, Falcons, and Giants during the season but never landed a contract.
McCown: Browns Should Pursue Garoppolo
Josh McCown, who was recently released by the Browns, would endorse the team trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes.
Garoppolo, reportedly, is a leading target of the Browns’ front office this offseason. The 25-year-old made two starts while Tom Brady was suspended last season, completing 43 of 63 pass attempts for 502 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s not a large sample size to go on, but execs around the league have been raving about the youngster for some time now.
Johnny Manziel Auditions For CFL Team?
3:05pm: The GM of the Roughriders says the team is threatening to sue over the report (via TSN), so it sounds like it might be bogus.
1:38pm: Are we about to see the birth of Johnny Canadian Football? Johnny Manziel worked out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, according to Justin Dunk of The Hamilton Spectator. 
The workout took place in Florida in January, according to sources familiar with the situation. If that’s accurate, then Saskatchewan could face league discipline since Manziel’s CFL negotiation rights are held by Hamilton Tiger-Cats. For what it’s worth, Roughriders GM/coach Chris Jones denied that the team has made contact with Manziel.
Manziel was released by the Browns more than a year ago and ever since then he has been in the news for all of the wrong reasons. Then, last month, he declared that he is sober and focusing on his comeback. Furthermore, he is reportedly willing to subject himself to drug testing to prove to a team that he is serious. In theory, a successful run in the CFL could endear him to NFL teams.
Over the summer, the CFL’s commissioner said that he would not stand in the way of Manziel joining the league.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Wallace, Browns
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Mike Wallace‘s contract is probably the most difficult cap decision facing the Ravens, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. After a 1,000-yard season, Wallace is the Ravens’ best receiver and they’re looking thin after Steve Smith‘s retirement and Kamar Aiken heading to free agency. However, Wallace has the fifth-highest cap hit on the team at $8MM and they can save $5.75MM if they drop him. In theory, Wallace could be dropped if the team can get a cheaper possession receiver to put next to speedsters Breshad Perriman and Chris Moore.
- The Browns shouldn’t rush into a long-term deal with restricted free agent Isaiah Crowell, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes. With a first- or second-round tender, the Browns can either retain the young tailback or cash in on a compensatory pick if another team signs him away. Grossi says it would be “stupid” for another team to make that kind of investment in Crowell and I’m inclined to agree. Crowell has skills, but he’s not worth a valuable draft pick in addition to a free agent deal.
- The Steelers were without defensive end Cam Heyward for the second half of the season but the D-Line actually managed to stepped its game up. Now, as Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, both the starters and reserves are under contract for next season except Ricardo Mathews, who started five games. Now, the unit can grow together for an additional year and that should mean an additional step forward. As for Mathews, the Steelers may not re-sign him after L.T. Walton came on strong to close out the season.
Jamie Collins, Joe Haden Earn Guaranteed Money
- Browns linebacker Jamie Collins and cornerback Joe Haden; Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree and punter Marquette King; and Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David each saw portions of their contracts become fully guaranteed Wednesday. The details can be found here, via CBS Sports’ Joel Corry.
Bills QB Tyrod Taylor On Browns’ “Radar”
Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo remains the Browns’ No. 1 choice at quarterback, but the club has backup plans in case the price for Garoppolo is too steep. Cleveland will have Bills signal-caller Tyrod Taylor on their “radar” if he’s released by Buffalo, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
[RELATED: Browns Release Josh McCown]
The Bills have until March 11 to make a decision on Taylor: the club holds a $15.5MM option bonus on its quarterback that would lock in $30.75MM in total guarantees. The club is expected to release Taylor before that decision is due, but the hiring of new head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison could change that view. While Buffalo’s front office is said to be in favor of cutting Taylor, McDermott’s view on Taylor is an unknown, as Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News writes, while Dennison’s arrival is thought to be a positive for Taylor given that the pair has a prior working relationship.
Meanwhile, the Browns have been linked to a number of quarterback options this offseason, and are likely to pursue a new signal-caller through the draft, free agency, or via trade. Cleveland now has at least one connection to Taylor, as the club today hired former Bills quarterbacks coach David Lee to the same role. Lee, who worked with Taylor during the past two seasons, will presumably offer Browns head coach Hue Jackson a fresh opinion on Taylor.
Cleveland won’t be the only club to express free agent interest in Taylor, who’s averaged roughly 3,000 yards passing, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions during his two campaigns as a starter. The Cardinals are also expected to pursue Taylor if he hits the open market, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently reported.