Browns, Exec Ron Hill Mutually Part Ways
- The Browns and senior player-personnel associate Ron Hill are mutually parting ways, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). Hill, a longtime scout and executive with several teams, joined Cleveland in 2014 under then-GM Ray Farmer.
Joe Thomas Would Prefer Browns Avoid QB At 1
Should the Browns‘ newly assembled power structure consult the team’s franchise player about a plan for the No. 1 overall pick, Joe Thomas would not use it on a quarterback. Going into his 11th year, the perennial All-Pro left tackle would rather see his team use the selection to bolster the pass rush.
Thomas, who has two years left on his Browns deal and will turn 33 during the 2017 season, said in the past the Browns need to identify a franchise quarterback. There isn’t a better spot to do that than the No. 1 pick. But this quarterback class — fronted by Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer and Cleveland-area product Mitch Trubisky — has divided scouts. The Browns have been reportedly coveting Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett at No. 1 and considering a Watson pick at No. 12. But obviously, the versatile Clemson talent is no lock to be there when Cleveland’s second first-round window opens, given quarterback prospects’ rises as drafts near.
Latest On Terrelle Pryor’s Future
The Browns have already kept one of their best potential free agents, linebacker Jamie Collins, from hitting the open market in March. While they now face the possibility of losing wide receiver Terrelle Pryor to free agency, it doesn’t sound as if the 27-year-old will have the opportunity to shop himself around the NFL. The Browns are “very likely” to place the estimated $15.826MM franchise tag on Pryor, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported earlier this week (Twitter link).
With the most cap space in the league, the Browns can easily afford to tag Pryor, though a multiyear deal would be preferable for the club. The same could be true for Pryor, who expressed a desire on multiple occasions during the season to stay in Cleveland for the long haul.
“I love to play for [Hue Jackson] and I enjoy playing for him this year and I’d love to play for him longer,” Pryor said in December. “But at the end of the day, it’s got to come down to what my agents think is right for me.”
Jackson, under whom Pryor broke out as he transitioned from quarterback to wideout, revealed Wednesday that the Browns are “working hard” to retain their free agents, including Pryor (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com).
On Pryor’s goal to remain a Brown, Jackson stated: “It means a lot. I hope all of our players that are there want to be there. That’s the kind of environment we try to create, but as he’s done, he’s got to do what he needs to do, and we hope it all works out. We’re working our tails off, I know that, to make things happen.”
If Pryor were to actually reach free agency, he’d be arguably the top pass catcher available, depending on whether the Bears are able to prevent Alshon Jeffery from hitting the market. The 6-foot-4, 223-pound Pryor is coming off a year in which he led the Browns in catches (77), targets (140), yards (1,007) and receiving touchdowns (four). Those quality numbers came in spite of a less-than-ideal quarterback situation in Cleveland, which shuffled through five different signal-callers in a one-win season. The Browns will undoubtedly look to upgrade under center this offseason, and it seems whichever QB they tab as their answer in the coming months will be able to count Pryor among his weapons for at least the 2017 campaign.
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Browns Could Trade No. 1 Overall Pick
The Browns received a haul in exchange for trading away the second overall pick in 2016, and the club is willing to do the same thing with the first overall selection this year. Speaking to reporters today, Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson refused to rule of the possibility of another deal, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes.
[RELATED: Browns Sign Jamie Collins To Extension]
“Everything for right now is going to be negotiable and talked about,” Jackson said. “Until we sit down and talk about where we are and what we’re trying to do, then will we know. I think we haven’t had those discussions. I think right now we’re just in the beginning phases of all of it. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to that decision.”
Cleveland, of course, holds two picks in the first round (Nos. 1 and 12), and could be eyeing multiple players at each slot. The Browns front office reportedly has an “astronomical” grade on Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett, who currently looks like the favorite to be selected first overall. Quarterbacks, of course, are also an option for the Browns in the first round, and the club has been linked to Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and DeShone Kizer, the top-three signal-callers in the draft.
“We all a know a quarterback is very important to our football team,” Jackson said. “But is he the best player? We’ve got to find that out. We need to put one on our team. We’re going to find one. I promise you guys that. We’re going to do that. I think that’s imperative. I think we all know that, and that’s what we’re going to accomplish.”
If Browns Don't Select Watson, They'd Be "Passing On Michael Jordan"
The Browns may want to think twice about who they select with the top-overall pick. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the organization would be making a giant mistake if they pass on Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Swinney also said Watson would be a perfect fit for Browns head coach Hue Jackson.
Redskins To Shop Kirk Cousins?
With quarterback Kirk Cousins unsigned as free agency approaches, the Redskins are willing to weigh their options with the 28-year-old and could entertain trading him, a Washington source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). In addition to the previously reported 49ers, the Browns would likely chase Cousins if the Redskins were to shop him, according to Cole.
The 49ers would consider surrendering the No. 2 pick in the draft to land Cousins, per Cole, which jibes with what ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote Friday. Plus, with Kyle Shanahan set to take over as San Francisco’s head coach, the team would have an obvious connection to Cousins. Shanahan was the offensive coordinator in Washington during Cousins’ rookie year, 2012. Cousins only attempted 48 passes that season as the backup to then-rookie sensation and now-Brown Robert Griffin III, but he might have ended up in a different organization if not for Shanahan. The Redskins used a fourth-round pick to select Cousins, and Shanahan was “integral” in making that happen, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Conor Orr of NFL.com).
Whether via the $23.94MM franchise tag or a long-term deal, Cousins will come at a high price tag next season. That wouldn’t pose a problem for the 49ers’ cap situation, as they currently have upward of $81MM in room as March nears. It would be even less of an issue for Cleveland, the only team with more spending space than the Niners. While the Browns will lose a large chunk of that $108MM-plus when linebacker Jamie Collins‘ mega-extension becomes official, they’ll still easily pace the NFL in available money.
In joining the Browns, who possess the first and 12th picks in this year’s draft, Cousins would head to a team with an offensive system akin to the Redskins’. Browns head coach Hue Jackson and the Redskins’ Jay Gruden were both offensive coordinators in Cincinnati before taking on their current roles and share similar philosophies.
Cleveland, which is coming off a one-win showing in Jackson’s first year at the helm, will have the opportunity to select any signal-caller it wants in the draft and is reportedly high on North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson. Unlike Trubisky, Watson or any other draft-bound QB, Cousins has already emerged as a quality pro and represents a far more established passer than anyone in this year’s flawed class. While Cousins alone wouldn’t turn the Browns into contenders, perhaps he’d help them accelerate their rebuild and start inching toward relevance.
Browns, Jamie Collins Agree To Extension
The Browns have locked up one of the top impending free agents. The organization announced that they have signed linebacker Jamie Collins to a four-year contract. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says (via Twitter) the deal is worth $50MM, with $26MM in guaranteed money.
When reports surfaced last week that the two sides were close to an extension, it was said that the Browns defender was focused on topping Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM average yearly salary. Since Collins’ annual salary will presumably be lingering around $12.5MM, it appears that he succeeded in his goal. Among linebackers, Collins’ annual salary will only trail Von Miller, Justin Houston and Clay Matthews.
Collins had previously turned down $11MM a season from the Patriots. While this new contract surely would have strapped New England, the Browns have plenty of money to spend thanks to their projected $110MM in cap space.
Following three-plus seasons in New England, Collins was traded to the Browns for a conditional 2017 third- or fourth-round pick. The linebacker ultimately started each of his eight games with Cleveland, compiling 69 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. In his seven games (six starts) for the Patriots, Collins collected 43 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack. Pro Football Focus ranked Collins 44th among NFL edge defenders this past season. The 2013 second-round pick was a Pro Bowler in 2015 after finishing that campaign with 89 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles.
“We are going to be aggressive about acquiring talent, and when we had the opportunity to trade for Jamie back in October, it was done with the intent of him becoming a long-term part of our defense,” said Sashi Brown, Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “Jamie has shown throughout his NFL career that he is a very talented player with a rare skill set that allows him to impact games in a number of ways. He’s a versatile, smart, competitive and physical football player who has experienced winning at the highest level. Jamie was great to have in our building this season, and we look forward to him being a Cleveland Brown for a number of years to come. We are counting on him to be a big part of us becoming a winning team.”
“From the day I walked in the door, I felt welcomed by my new teammates and everyone in this organization,” Collins said. “The past is the past as far as last season’s record, but today is a new day. I’m only looking forward. I know we have a lot of work to do, and with Coach Hue leading us and the front office bringing in talent, I feel like we are going to get there and I feel good about continuing my career here.”
With Collins locked up, the Browns can now shift focus to another major free agent. Wideout Terrelle Pryor is set to become a free agent following his breakout 2016 campaign. Since the team signed Collins to an extension, the Browns could look to apply the franchise tag to Pryor.
Browns Asked Watson To Play In Senior Bowl
Browns coaches represent one of the two staffs summoned to instruct sides at the Senior Bowl, and the team made a specific request. The Browns asked Deshaun Watson to play in the Senior Bowl only to see the Clemson quarterback pass on the opportunity, Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports.
Despite being a junior, Watson was eligible for the game due to having graduated early. Neither of his potential first-round peers, Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer, are eligible to compete in the top college all-star game. Watson would have played for the South team, which the Browns’ staff is instructing. Bears coaches are leading the North squad. The Browns have been linked to both Watson and Trubisky recently, but the latest report coming out of Cleveland pointed to the Browns eyeing Watson with their No. 12 overall pick. The direct communication with the dual-threat passer certainly points to this interest.
- Multiple key Browns assistants are no longer in the picture, with the team firing Ray Horton and watching Pep Hamilton follow former boss Jim Harbaugh to Michigan. The team went with a big name in filling its DC vacancy with Gregg Williams but did not take the same route to fill Hamilton’s role, promoting tight ends coach Greg Seamon to quarterbacks coach, Cabot reports. Seamon followed Hue Jackson from Cincinnati to Cleveland in 2016 after spending 12 years with the Bengals but has a longer history with the coach. Seamon coached Jackson while serving as offensive coordinator at the University of Pacific in the mid-1980s.
- The Browns are also shifting Mark Hutson from assistant offensive line coach to tight ends coach, Cabot reports. Prior to arriving in Cleveland last year, Hutson’s only previous NFL coaching job came in overseeing the Raiders’ tight ends from 2012-14.
Browns, Isaiah Crowell At “Stalemate”
Already nearing a mega-deal to re-sign linebacker Jamie Collins, the Browns are also trying to lock up running back Isaiah Crowell, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The two sides engaged in “heavy talks” during the season, but they’re currently at a “stalemate” and could meet again next week, tweets Rapoport.
[RELATED: Browns Targeting Deshaun Watson?]
Unlike Collins, who will become an unrestricted free agent in March if Cleveland doesn’t re-sign him, Crowell will remain under the team’s control even if it doesn’t re-up him before free agency opens. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Browns will be able to offer him a first-round tender (worth around $3.8MM), a second-round tender (~$2.75MM) or a right-of-first-refusal tender (~$1.75MM).
The rebuilding Browns would surely place a high-round tender on Crowell, who was among their few legitimate bright spots in a one-win 2016. The three-year veteran, an undrafted free agent from Alabama State in 2014, broke out with 952 yards on 198 carries – good for a robust 4.8 YPC – and seven scores on the ground. He added 40 receptions and 319 more yards as a pass-catching option.
Along with Crowell, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor – a fellow serious threat on offense – is also without a contract heading into 2017. He’ll be unrestricted, but given the Browns’ boatload of cap space (an NFL-high $109MM-plus), they should be able to keep their top unsigned performers in the fold this offseason.
Browns, LB Jamie Collins Close To Extension
FRIDAY, 11:04am: The looming extension for Collins will establish a new high ground for non-rush linebackers, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) Collins’ new deal will be worth more than Kuechly’s $12.36MM-per-year average. The Browns are projected to possess a staggering $109MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap, so they could afford this despite a number of glaring needs.
THURSDAY, 6:55pm: The Browns are nearing an extension with linebacker Jamie Collins and should have an agreement in place by the weekend, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs — Cleveland Browns]
Cleveland, of course, acquired Collins from the Patriots in the fall, sacrificing a conditional third- or fourth-round pick (depending on the circumstances) to do so. New England presumably traded Collins, in part, due to his contractual demands, as he was due to hit unrestricted free agency this March. Collins reportedly turned down an $11MM per/year extension offer from the Patriots, and was intent on topping fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM yearly average.
While those figures may have presented a problem for New England, the Browns are in prime position to meet Collins’ requests, as they’re projected to head into the offseason with a league-high $110MM in cap space. As such, Cleveland has more than enough financial wiggle room to extend Collins, re-sign fellow pending free agent Terrelle Pryor, and explore the open market for upgrades. Of course, by extending Collins, the Browns have afforded themselves the opportunity to use the franchise tag on Pryor if extension talks fail.
Ranking seventh on PFR’s 2017 Free Agents Power Rankings, Collins had expressed an interest in re-signing with Cleveland before hitting free agency this spring. “(Losing is a deterrent) but at the same time, money comes into play around that time,” Collins said last month. “If the money is right then I could stay here. Obviously I’m not going to turn it down.”
Collins, 27, started eight games for the Browns after being shipped to Cleveland, posting 48 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble during that time. All told, Collins graded as just the 44th-best edge defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus, a far lower rating that he’d attained in years past. Reports indicated that Collins had begun “freelancing” in New England’s defense, but clearly the Browns were impressed enough by his half-season stint to retain him for the long haul.