Browns Were Eyeing Titans QB Alex Tanney
The Titans recently raised the weekly salary of practice squad quarterback Alex Tanney to nearly $31K because the Browns were expressing interest in signing him to their active roster, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tanney is now earning the same salary he’d be netting if he were on a 53-man roster. For reference, most practice squad players make the PS minimum of $6,900 per week.
[RELATED: Browns Keeping Cody Parkey For Now]
Tanney, 28, has spent time with seven clubs during his career, and has prior experience with the Browns, having been on their roster during the 2013 season. His only game experience came last year with Tennessee, when he completed 10-of-14 passes for 99 yards and one touchdown in Week 16. Tanney was waived off the Titans’ active roster two weeks ago, and has been part of their taxi squad since.
There’s no timeline to reference in regards to when exactly Tennessee raised Tanney’s salary, but it would make sense that the Browns were approaching Tanney in the last week or so. After Josh McCown went down with injury, Cleveland was looking for another quarterback to pair with rookie Cody Kessler. The club ultimately agreed to sign veteran Charlie Whitehurst, presumably after whiffing on Tanney.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Waiver Priority Now Based On 2016 Record
We’re coming up on Week 4 of the NFL season and that means that waiver claim priority will be based on the current league standings instead of last year’s. Of course, waiver priority is based on the inverted NFL standings, which have built in tiebreakers to sort out the many logjams that naturally occur.
Throughout the offseason and the first three weeks of the regular season, the Titans enjoyed top priority thanks to their 3-13 finish last year. Now, we have a brand new pecking order. Here is a full rundown of the current waiver claim priority, which will change from week to week:
1. Jaguars
2. Saints
3. Bears
4. Browns
5. Chargers
6. Lions
7. Jets
8. Cardinals
9. Bills
10. Colts
11. Dolphins
12. 49ers
13. Buccaneers
14. Bengals
15. Titans
16. Redskins
17. Panthers
18. Falcons
19. Cowboys
20. Giants
21. Raiders
22. Packers
23. Chiefs
24. Rams
25. Seahawks
26. Texans
27. Steelers
28. Ravens
29. Eagles
30. Broncos
31. Vikings
32. Patriots
Browns To Be Without Nate Orchard A While
- Continuing the string of trouble at the tight end position this season, Jordan Cameron suffered a concussion against the Browns and won’t play on Thursday against the Bengals, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports. This makes four concussions in the past four years for Cameron, who is in his second season with the Dolphins.
- Browns linebacker Nate Orchard has a high-ankle sprain, which he sustained on the final play of Cleveland’s overtime loss in Miami, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports (on Twitter). Orchard is expected to be out “a while.” Additionally, Tramon Williams suffered an AC joint sprain during the loss, Hue Jackson said Monday. It’s unclear how long the veteran corner will be out.
Browns OL Alvin Bailey Arrested
Browns offensive lineman Alvin Bailey was arrested early this morning for operating a vehicle under the influence, as Allison Wood of The Royalton Post writes. The Browns effectively confirmed the news in speaking with Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link) and expressed “extreme disappointment” in his actions. 
Bailey tested over the legal limit on a portable breath test and officers also spotted green flakes in his car which were believed to be marijuana. The lineman “was cited for failure to comply, drug abuse, drug paraphernalia, and speeding. Bailey has a Sept. 29 court date with regards to these charges.
Bailey joined the Browns on a free agent deal after spending previous years as a depth player with the Seahawks. Recently, he took on a larger role as Cameron Erving was sidelined. If Bailey is disciplined or cut, the Browns will have yet another hole to address.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Keeping Kicker Cody Parkey For Now
Despite his lackluster performance on Sunday, the Browns are planning to roll with kicker Cody Parkey, head coach Hue Jackson told reporters, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). For what it’s worth, Jackson did couch his declaration a bit, saying his intention “right now” was to keep Parkey.
[RELATED: Josh McCown Out 2-4 More Weeks]
Signed this week to replace the injured Patrick Murray, Parkey face-planted in his Cleveland debut, missing three-of-six field goal attempts, including a potential game-winner at the end of regulation against the Dolphins. The Browns went on to lose the game in overtime, leaving Parkey squarely planted as the scapegoat. For his career, however, Parkey has been an above-average kicker, converting 87.5% of his field goals and all of his extra point attempts.
Meanwhile, Browns sources pushed back against a weekend report that suggested the club chose Parkey over fellow free agent kicker Robbie Gould on the basis that Parkey was less expensive. “Money played no role in the decision,” the Browns source told Ulrich in a full article. “It’s ridiculous to think that it would.” Cleveland’s specials team coach Chris Tabor reportedly preferred Gould, but the front office chose to go in a different direction.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns ST Coach Preferred Gould To Parkey
The Browns endured an agonizing defeat for the second straight week, and their new kicker hovered at the center of the loss to the Dolphins. Cody Parkey missed three field goals, including what would have been a game-winning 46-yarder at the end of regulation. But the new Cleveland kicker was reportedly not the preferred choice of Browns special teams coach Chris Tabor.
Instead, the sixth-year Browns ST boss wanted the team to sign Robbie Gould, whom the Bears recently released, but he was overruled by Browns management, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports. The Browns signed Parkey on Saturday morning after top kicker Patrick Murray sustained an injury Friday. Cleveland’s decision-makers decided Gould, a 12th-year veteran, was too expensive for them. This led to the decision to bring in third-year man Parkey, per Salguero.
Gould made $3.6MM with the Bears last season and remains a free agent. Parkey, per OverTheCap, is set to make $529K upon signing with the Browns, who possess just more than $48MM in cap space.
Browns’ Josh McCown Out 2-4 More Weeks
Browns quarterback Josh McCown will be miss two-to-four more weeks after strain and hairline crack in his left shoulder, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Corey Coleman Avoids Surgery]
In the meantime, the Browns will rely on rookie third-rounder Cody Kessler to manage the offense. Against the Dolphins today, Cleveland has also mixed in QB-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor, who completed three-of-five attempts for 35 yards. The Browns also agreed to terms with veteran Charlie Whitehurst last week, who would be next in line should Kessler go down.
McCown, 37, went 1-7 as a starter for the Browns last season. In his one game under center for Cleveland this year, the veteran completed 20 of his 33 passes and threw two touchdowns with two interceptions.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Sign Cody Parkey
The Browns have found a kicker to replace the injured Patrick Murray. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the team has signed former Pro Bowler Cody Parkey. The reporter notes that the team also placed Murray on the injured reserve, presumably ending his season.
There were whispers yesterday that the Browns were likely to sign Parkey after Murray went down with an injury during practice. The 24-year-old made a Pro Bowl as rookie in 2014, but a groin injury soon derailed his career with the Eagles. The kicker was released by Philadelphia back in early September after he lost his job to Caleb Sturgis. In 19 career games, Parkey has converted 87.5-percent of his field goals and all of his extra point attempts.
Murray, meanwhile, was playing his first season with the Browns following two years in Tampa Bay. In 16 games for the Buccaneers, the 25-year-old converted 83.3-percent of his kicks. In two games with the Browns this season, Murray made one of his two field goal attempts and three of his four extra point opportunities.
Browns Work Out Five
- Two running backs (Zac Brooks and Gus Johnson) and three receivers (Mario Alford, Kenny Bell and Cayleb Jones) auditioned for the Browns on Friday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links). The only member of the quintet with game experience is Alford, who saw action in one contest with the Bengals as a seventh-round rookie last year and caught a single pass.
Browns Likely To Sign Cody Parkey
The Browns are likely to sign free agent kicker Cody Parkey, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). If a deal materializes, Parkey will fill in for Patrick Murray, who hurt his left knee in practice Friday. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes (via Twitter) that Murray tore his ACL in the same knee two years ago.
The 24-year-old Parkey spent the first two seasons of his career with Philadelphia, which cut him Sept. 3. As a rookie in 2014, the former Auburn Tiger connected on 32 of 36 field goals and nailed all four attempts of 50-plus yards en route to a Pro Bowl bid. Parkey then began last year by making three of his first four field goal tries and going a perfect 7 of 7 on extra points, but he landed on injured reserve Sept. 29 with a groin injury.
Between his departure from the Eagles and his forthcoming deal with the Browns, Parkey garnered interest from the Giants.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.