Latest On Terrelle Pryor, Jamie Collins
The Browns and contract-year wide receiver Terrelle Pryor began extension talks in October, but the two are unlikely to strike a deal by the end of the regular season, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The club will have until March 9 to either extend Pryor or place the franchise tag (worth nearly $16MM) on him; otherwise, he could hit the open market and head elsewhere. There’s motivation to get a deal done on Pryor’s end, though, as he has offered effusive praise for the organization multiple times this year.
Cleveland has shuffled through five different quarterbacks en route to an 0-13 record, but that hasn’t prevented the 27-year-old Pryor from breaking out as the top target in its aerial attack. The former Ohio State and Raiders QB leads the Browns in catches (63), targets (116), yards (858) and receiving touchdowns (four). As a result, the 6-foot-4, 223-pounder stands to cash in as arguably one of the two best wideouts (alongside Alshon Jeffery) on track to reach the market. The Browns should be able to stop Pryor from becoming a free agent, however, as they’re set to enter the offseason with upward of $64MM in cap space.
By locking up Pryor, the Browns would at least leave open the possibility of using the ~$14.8MM franchise tag on another important soon-to-be free agent in linebacker Jamie Collins. There’s no word on whether the Browns and Collins have engaged in contract talks yet, but they do hope to keep him, according to Cabot. Since the Patriots sent Collins to Cleveland in a stunning late-October trade, the 27-year-old has piled up 49 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in five games. Between Collins’ overall work with the two clubs this year, he ranks 29th among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.
Collins, who turned down an $11MM-per-annum extension from the Pats before they traded him, is reportedly aiming to top the $12.36MM average annual value Panthers superstar linebacker Luke Kuechly received on a five-year, $62MM extension in September 2015. That’s not an unrealistic goal for Collins, as he also has a track record of excellence and should benefit from the NFL’s ever-increasing salary cap. When Kuechly inked his deal, the cap ceiling was just over $143MM. By next season, that figure will sit between $166MM and $170MM.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/16
Today’s practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Sam Brown
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Bryson Albright, RB Cedric O’Neal
Chicago Bears
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby
- Placed On P-Squad IR: TE Justin Perillo
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Trevon Coley
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: Kitt O’Brien
Lions Claim LB Corey Lemonier
The Lions have claimed linebacker Corey Lemonier off waivers. Lemonier was let go by the Browns on Wednesday. 
Cleveland claimed Lemonier, a former Niner, off waivers leading up to Week 1. The 2013 third-round pick went on to tally eight tackles and two sacks in eight appearances (one start) prior to his release.
Lemonier first broke into the league as a third-round pick of the Niners. Unfortunately, that pick didn’t really pan out for Trent Baalke. The Auburn product was mainly a special teamer for San Francisco from 2013-2015. He didn’t really turn over a new leaf with Cleveland this year, but he’ll try and get something going in Detroit.
Browns’ Alvin Bailey Handed Two-Game Ban
The NFL announced that Alvin Bailey has been suspended for two games. The offensive lineman violated the league’s substance abuse policy when he was arrested for a DUI in late September. 
As a part of his plea deal, Bailey paid a small fine and had his license suspended for six months. His suspension begins immediately and takes him out of the Week 15 and 16 games against the Bills and Chargers. He’ll be eligible for the team’s season finale against the Steelers on Jan. 1.
The 25-year-old joined the Browns on a free agent deal after spending previous years as a depth player with the Seahawks. This year, he took on a larger role while Cameron Erving was sidelined. For his 13 games (five starts), Pro Football Focus has Bailey ranked as just the No. 60 offensive guard in the NFL out of 78 qualified players.. According to the advanced metrics, Bailey’s pass blocking has been fairly strong while his run blocking has been downright atrocious.
Big Game For RG3 On Sunday
Like Bills coach Rex Ryan, Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III seemingly has a lot in the line in this week’s Cleveland-Buffalo tilt.
Griffin, who hadn’t played since Week 1 (exactly three months) because of a shoulder injury, completed 12 of 28 passes for 104 yards and an interception. Now, with three games left in the season, RG3 might be playing for his future with the Browns. In the event Griffin doesn’t impress during that time frame, the club could release him in the offseason and take on just $1.75MM of his $9.25MM cap hit for 2017.
Four Teams Tried To Claim RB Darius Jackson
When the Cowboys released Darius Jackson, the league took notice. The Browns, of course, used their top waiver priority to snag the rookie running back, but they weren’t the only team to put a claim in on him. The Eagles, Giants, and 49ers all tried to snag Jackson off waivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Giants have had issues in the backfield all season long and there’s a lot of uncertainty about the position headed into next season. Rashad Jennings was initially brought to New York with the idea that he would be the team’s workhorse in the backfield. Instead, he has struggled to stay on the field thanks to various injuries. There has been talk about Paul Perkins, but he hasn’t gotten a lot of opportunities this year and he hasn’t done much with the few chances given to him. Bobby Rainey has been used as an effective pass-catching weapon and blocker, but he doesn’t have the makings of a No. 1 RB. Shane Vereen recently returned to action, but his status is up in the air after suffering a concussion. All in all, the Giants were curious to see what they could get out of Jackson and they were willing to either cut Rainey or carry five tailbacks to find out. Of course, given their record, the Giants faced long odds of landing Jackson.
While the 9-4 Giants are in line for a playoff spot, the 49ers and Eagles are pretty much playing with an eye on 2017. At 1-12, the Niners are No. 2 in waiver priority behind Cleveland. The Eagles, meanwhile, are no higher than seventh in the queue.
The Niners are currently carrying four running backs in Carlos Hyde, Shaun Draughn, DuJuan Harris, and Mike Davis. Davis, a 2015 fourth-round pick, may have been expendable given his lack of usage this season. In eight games this year, he has only 19 rushing attempts for 50 yards.
The Eagles are dealing with multiple injuries at running back. Recently, Wendell Smallwood was shut down for the year with a knee injury and Darren Sproles is in concussion protocol. If Sproles is unable to go against Baltimore this week, the team will start Ryan Mathews and use Kenjon Barner and the newly-promoted Byron Marshall in support. With a successful claim, Jackson could have slotted in as the team’s No. 4 RB with the Eagles attempting to sneak Marshall through waivers and back on to the practice squad.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch first reported that the Niners put in a waiver claim on Jackson.
Browns Cut Corey Lemonier
- To make room on their roster for the newly acquired Darius Jackson, the Browns have waived linebacker Corey Lemonier, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. Cleveland claimed Lemonier, a former 49er, off waivers leading up to Week 1. The 2013 third-round pick went on to tally eight tackles and two sacks in eight appearances (one start) prior to Wednesday.
Details On Jamar Taylor's Extension
- Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor‘s three-year, $15MM extension includes $5.5MM in fully guaranteed money, relays ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).
Browns Claim RB Darius Jackson
The Browns claimed promising rookie running back Darius Jackson off waivers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys dropped Jackson from the roster yesterday in order to make room for the return of Darren McFadden. 
Jackson, a sixth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, did not see playing time this year as he was buried behind talented backs like Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris. The Cowboys were likely hoping to sneak Jackson through waivers this week and sign him to the practice squad, but word has been out on Jackson for some time now. If Jackson has been as solid in practice as coaches have been saying, then the Cowboys could come to really regret losing him.
Jackson stayed all four years at Eastern Michigan and seized a starring role in his senior year. In 2015, the 6’0″, 221-pound tailback rushed for 1,088 yards off of 208 carries with 14 touchdowns. He also added 21 catches for 201 yards and two scores.
Browns Promote Gabe Wright
- The Browns announced that they’ve promoted DL Gabe Wright from the practice squad to active roster. Wright, a former Detroit draft pick, was claimed by Cleveland earlier this year.