La Canfora: Major Shakeup Could Be Coming For Browns
- In the wake of the Browns’ 0-10 start and head coach Hue Jackson‘s curious decision to bench rookie QB Cody Kessler in the second half of the team’s loss to Baltimore on Thursday night, La Canfora writes that tensions are mounting once more in Cleveland. The benching of Kessler–who has been one of the few sources of optimism for the club this year–created a rift between the front office and coaching staff, and it appears that more changes are on the way. At the very least, defensive coordinator Ray Horton could be relieved of his duties sooner rather than later, but owner Jimmy Haslam, who has a penchant for wholesale changes, could initiate another major shakeup. La Canfora adds that Haslam and his wife, Dee, have become increasingly hands-on, with roughly 10 departments reporting directly to ownership. Morale is especially low within the organization, as the Haslams are not football people by trade and their increased involvement is only serving to alienate their direct reports.
Horton's D A Plus For Collins' Cleveland Prospects?
- Ray Horton‘s defense giving Jamie Collins fewer coverage assignments should allow him to put up more numbers than he did with the Patriots and further enhance his value, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes. Collins playing every snap in the Browns‘ loss to the Ravens on Thursday night could help the team’s process in convincing the fourth-year linebacker he has a long-term home in northeast Ohio.
NFL Investigating Robert Griffin III, Browns
Another day, another NFL investigation. This time, the league is looking into the activity of Robert Griffin III prior to the Browns loss to the Ravens on Thursday. The quarterback was seen throwing passes to rookie wideout Jordan Payton. It’s probably not much of a surprise, but this violates one of the NFL’s rules regarding injured players.
As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes, the NFL doesn’t allow players on the injured reserve to work out on the field an hour before kickoff. Fortunately for RG3 and the Browns, it doesn’t seem like the player did anything wrong. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has photo evidence (via Twitter) that Griffin had finished his routine more than an hour before kickoff. Meanwhile, for what it’s worth, coach Hue Jackson seemed confident that the team didn’t break any rules.
“It would be if it was 60 minutes prior to the game starting,” said Jackson (via Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com). “Then he cannot be out there throwing to a player, any player at that particular point in time, from what I understand from the rules.
“From what I know, we did not break the rules. Obviously, until the investigation is complete, you don’t know. We will wait for them to have that down, but hopefully, everything will be alright as far as that is concerned.”
Ignoring the investigation, it’s actually an encouraging sign that Griffin is back to throwing (even if it was only for a brief stretch). The Browns have yet to designate which player on the IR will be eligible to return this season, and considering the team’s struggles at quarterback, Griffin doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. The 26-year-old inked a two-year, $15MM contract with Cleveland this offseason, but a shoulder surgery forced him to the sideline during the team’s first game of the season.
Browns Notes: Jackson, Kessler
Cleveland fell to 0-10 on Thursday when it dropped a 28-7 decision in Baltimore, but first-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson hasn’t lost any support from ownership. “Jimmy Haslam and Dee Haslam have been outstanding,” Jackson said Friday (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “Obviously, they don’t like to lose, either, but they understand the plan and what we’re trying to accomplish.” Considering the Browns are in a full rebuild and have “the youngest team in the league with the most rookies,” as Jackson pointed out, it’s no surprise he’s safe.
Robert Griffin III To Have Shoulder Scan Soon
Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III will have his shoulder scanned “in the next couple of weeks,” reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), who adds that the examination will determine if RG3 will be able to play again in 2016. Griffin hasn’t played since suffering the shoulder injury during Week 1.
[RELATED: Browns Want To Extend Pryor Or Collins Soon]
Cleveland placed Griffin on injured reserve eight weeks ago, so if healthy, he technically could have played against the Ravens tonight if the Browns had opted to designate him as their player to return from IR. Clearly, however, RG3 isn’t yet ready to return, although a recent report did indicate that he won’t have to undergo surgery on his ailing left shoulder. Cleveland has a few other candidates that could return from IR — namely defensive back Jordan Poyer and linebacker Nate Orchard — so the club would have to weigh the pros and cons of bringing Griffin back.
With the Browns winless and seemingly attempting to develop rookie quarterback Cody Kessler, there may not be much incentive to have Griffin return. RG3 is signed through the 2017 campaign at an affordable rate, so if Cleveland still believes he could be a part of their future efforts, getting him low-pressure snaps at the end of the year could be viable.
Browns Want To Extend Pryor Or Collins Soon
This month, the Browns went from having one player who could conceivably earn the franchise tag to having two players who are worth holding on to. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has been one of the team’s few bright spots in what has been an incredibly trying season. He seemed like a shoo-in for franchise tag consideration until the pre-deadline deal for linebacker Jamie Collins. Now, the Browns are intent on locking up one of the two players before the end of the year so that they can use the franchise tag on the other player, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). 
Cole’s report doesn’t come as a huge surprise. It’s only common sense that the Browns are intent on keeping both players beyond this season and they can only kick the can down the road with one of the two players. In the case of Pryor, the team has already started contract talks with his reps. The Browns have yet to discuss a new deal with Collins, but those discussions should get underway soon.
Pryor, a former quarterback at Ohio State, went from a training camp darling to a legitimate receiving weapon for the Browns this year. The Browns are still in search of their first win of the season, but they may have already found a high-speed playmaker who can provide what Josh Gordon should have brought to the table.
In Collins, the Browns have added one of the league’s very best outside linebackers. There have been rumblings about Collins’ work ethic, but he says that he is ready to bust his behind in Cleveland. He is also open to signing a long-term deal with the Browns, despite their struggles.
Browns Considering Moving Erving To Tackle
- Free to use this year as an observational campaign now that they’re 0-8, the Browns are considering moving Cameron Erving from center to tackle, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. PFF rates Erving as its worst center among the 34 qualifying as full-time snappers. Hue Jackson intends to keep trying the 2015 first-rounder at center but acknowledged a position change could be in the cards, with Ulrich noting tackle would be the move. The 6-foot-6 Erving started at left tackle for two full seasons at Florida State before moving to center during his senior year in 2014. Cleveland obviously has Joe Thomas at left tackle and opted not to trade him again, but Thomas turns 32 this offseason and will continue to see his trade value diminish as he ages. The Browns have Austin Pasztor at right tackle.
Browns To Start Kessler Over McCown
SATURDAY, 8:55am: While the Browns clearly want to secure that elusive first win, coach Jackson acknowledged that the quarterback decision was partly motivated by the future.
“He has some uncanny ability. He has some moxie, some poise and he has demonstrated that. He has done some good things in games, but you have to do it over a number of opportunities to really know that it is truly in there,” Jackson said (via Patrick Maks of ClevelandBrowns.com).
“That’s why I need to keep playing him to evaluate this and to know what we see is right and for sure. I will not get to know these things if I do not play him. It is best to let us find out. We understand the situation we are in. The beautiful part about it all is our team does not look at it as if our coaches are not giving ourselves the best chance to win. We feel like he will help us, and then we have a very capable guy in Josh, if something was to happen, that can go in there and play as well. I feel good about where we are right now.”
FRIDAY, 12:12pm: Browns coach Hue Jackson announced that Cody Kessler will start at quarterback on Sunday. The rookie will be slotted ahead of Josh McCown, even though McCown is healthy and able to go on Sunday against Dallas. 
[RELATED: Corey Coleman Set To Return]
Clearly, at 0-8, the Browns are playing for the future and not for the current season. When McCown was under center for the Browns, he showed that he can move the offense down the field, even if he’s not exactly a world-beater. Kessler doesn’t air it out the way that the veteran does, but he is obviously in their future plans whereas McCown is not.
McCown, 37, is under contract through the 2017 season and is slated to carry a $5.04MM cap number next year. However, Cleveland can cut him loose before June 1st and save $4.375MM against just $666K in dead money. Today’s move isn’t a signal that McCown is a goner, of course, as they could retain him as veteran insurance for a younger option.
Ray Horton On Jamie Collins
It’s possible rookie sensation Dak Prescott has permanently taken Tony Romo‘s job as the Cowboys’ No. 1 quarterback, but the injured veteran still expects to start when he’s healthy enough. At the same time, he’s pleased with Prescott’s success. “Tony wants the organization to be left in good hands when he’s finished playing, and he can see that Dak is going to be that guy,” one of Romo’s friends told Jason King of Bleacher Report. “They’ve found his successor, and Tony is happy about that.” Romo returned to practice last week from the broken bone he suffered in his back during the Cowboys’ penultimate preseason game on Aug. 25. That injury opened the door for Prescott, who has helped the Cowboys to an NFC-best 6-1 start while posting superb numbers.
More from around the NFL:
- The Redskins are going to face a difficult offseason decision regarding impending free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, opines Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com. After Cousins went on a second-half tear last year to lead the Redskins to an NFC title, the team placed the $19.95MM franchise tag on him. So far, though, the 28-year-old has been closer to a league-average signal-caller than an elite one this season, argues Barnwell. That’s not necessarily a negative if it comes at a reasonable cost, but Cousins’ already lofty price tag will rise to $23.9MM if the Redskins franchise him again in 2017. Nevertheless, in the event Washington is unable to reach a deal with Cousins by the time free agency opens, it might have to tag him for a second straight year. Otherwise, given what the relatively unproven Brock Osweiler received as a free agent last winter, Cousins could command in the neighborhood of $45MM in guarantees on the open market, Barnwell suggests.
- The Giants have totaled a paltry nine sacks through seven games this year despite pouring serious money into their defensive line during the offseason. No NFC team has taken down opposing quarterbacks fewer times than the Giants, but head coach Ben McAdoo emphasized Friday that he’s unconcerned (per Brian Heyman of Newsday). “We say it all the time: Stats are for losers. We need to make the quarterback uncomfortable,” said McAdoo. “We need to make him move, make him chatter his feet, make him early or late with the throws. Numbers are numbers.” Here’s a stat McAdoo might like better: The Giants’ defense ranks seventh in the NFL in QB hurries (53), which indicates the team’s rushers have been in enemy passers’ faces quite often.
- Although the Browns are reportedly dragging their feet on long-term contract negotiations with newly acquired linebacker Jamie Collins, defensive coordinator Ray Horton raved about the former Patriot on Friday. “Very athletic, very smart, dynamic,” said Horton (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “We’re going to ask a lot of him and obviously see what he can handle, but so far, I have been really impressed with his smarts and his savvy and athleticism on the field and really off the field, too, of just learning something and not hesitating to translate it in his mind.” The Patriots started taking Collins off the field on rushing downs, notes Cabot, but that won’t be the case in Cleveland. Horton expects to use the 2015 Pro Bowler as both an inside and outside linebacker. That should benefit Collins, who will secure a substantial raise – whether it’s from Cleveland or another team – in the coming months.
Browns Notes: Williams, Erving
- The grievance for cornerback K’Waun Williams against the Browns is expected to be heard around February, his agent tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter). Williams just had ankle surgery on Monday and 12-week recovery period is expected.
- The Browns are considering switching second-year man Cameron Erving from center to right tackle, head coach Hue Jackson said Friday (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com). The 2015 first-round pick struggled at guard as a rookie, starting in just four of 16 appearances, and has performed poorly at center this season while battling injuries. Erving, who has appeared in five of the Browns’ eight games, is currently Pro Football Focus’ worst-ranked center.