Browns Undecided On Starting QB
- Browns coach Hue Jackson says he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback coming out of OTAs, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. Signs are pointing toward Robert Griffin III, though, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. Whether veteran Josh McCown makes the team will depend on how Griffin and third-round rookie Cody Kessler fare in the coming months, Grossi opines.
Browns Sign Two Fourth-Round Picks
- The Browns signed fourth-round wide receiver Ricardo Louis and fourth-round tight end Seth DeValve, as Wilson tweets.
Joe Thomas Could Again Be Trade Chip
- Nearly dealt to the Broncos at last season’s trade deadline, Joe Thomas could again be on the block if the rebuilding Browns flounder as they’re expected to, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. Thomas said on multiple occasions this offseason he’s glad the Browns didn’t trade him, but it’s somewhat difficult to imagine the 31-year-old likely future Hall of Famer being content on a Browns team mostly bereft of talent as this year’s deadline approaches. A six-time All-Pro, including the past three years, with three years left on his contract, Thomas could still possibly fetch a Cleveland team obsessed with stockpiling picks a first-round selection from a tackle-needy franchise. The Seahawks still come to mind after ending up without a veteran blind-side blocker this offseason despite interest in multiple talents who signed elsewhere.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/27/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Ravens have signed sixth-round wide receiver/return man Keenan Reynolds, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Earlier today, United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter gave Reynolds permission to defer his obligations with the Navy to play in the NFL in 2016. Reynolds had a stellar four-year playing career at Navy, where he served as a dual-threat quarterback and accounted for 119 touchdowns (88 rushing, 31 passing).
- The Browns announced the signing of fourth-round defensive back Derrick Kindred. Kindred played in 50 games during his time at TCU, including 30 starts. In that span, Kindred recorded 235 tackles, 15 passes defensed, eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. With Kindred in the fold, the Browns have now signed eight of their 14 draft picks.
Browns Sign Emmanuel Ogbah
- The Browns announced that they have signed second-round pick Emmanuel Ogbah. The deal is worth $6.6MM (including a $3MM signing bonus) over four years. The six-foot-four linebacker earned the Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year last season, and he compiled 28 sacks during his three-year tenure at Oklahoma State. With the signing, the Browns have now signed half of their record 14 draft picks.
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Joe Thomas Happy To Continue Career With Browns
- Longtime Browns left tackle Joe Thomas stated at the end of last season that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue his career with rebuilding Cleveland, but the nine-year veteran is now pleased that the team didn’t trade him. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had been traded, but I’m happy that I didn’t. So it’s kind of a happy ending,” he told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Thomas, who has gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, is also pleased with the Browns’ new head coach, Hue Jackson. “I was always jealous of the guys that were in Cincinnati running Hue Jackson’s offense because it’s a very offensive line friendly offense, a lot of quick throws, a lot of easy fade balls, a lot of different formations to spread the defense out, confuse them, get them into really vanilla looks, some up-tempo stuff, smash-mouth football, he really wants to run the ball inside the tackles,” he said.
Browns Sign WR David Richards
- The Browns signed undrafted free agent wide receiver David Richards, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Arizona product first hooked on with Atlanta after the draft but was waived soon after.
Browns Release Brian Hartline
1:05pm: The Browns formally announced the move via press release.
12:16pm: The Browns have released veteran wide receiver Brian Hartline, according to a source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT (via Twitter). 
Hartline suffered a broken collarbone during a December win over the 49ers and immediately underwent surgery to correct the issue. The local product, who played his college ball at Ohio State, finished his first (and only) season in Cleveland with 46 catches, 523 yards, and a pair of touchdowns.
The 29-year-old Hartline (30 in November) had become a focal point of Cleveland’s offense the weeks leading up to his injury, averaging 10 targets per game from Week 8 though 13. He didn’t score during that span, but he did haul in 26 passes for 266 yards. In fact, in the game where Hartline suffered his major collarbone injury, he recorded eight receptions for 107 yards before exiting early.
After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Dolphins, Hartline signed a two-year, $6MM deal with the Browns prior to the 2015 season. The club will now save $3MM against the cap by releasing Hartline him. After a total coaching and front office overhaul, it’s not a big surprise to see Hartline go.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Sign Dennis Parks
- The Browns have signed former Rice receiver Dennis Parks, and placed kicker Jaden Oberkrom on the reserved/retired list, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Cleveland just claimed the undrafted rookie Oberkrom off waivers from the Jaguars on Wednesday, so the TCU product must have quickly decided to not pursue an NFL career.
Joe Haden's Timetable Somewhat Murky
- Joe Haden is uncertain to return for Browns training camp after offseason ankle surgery, but the seventh-year corner insists he’ll be ready by Week 1, Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com reports. Haden, who missed 11 games last season due to concussion issues, admitted it was “a little upsetting” to hear Sashi Brown say it was too early to tell whether he’d play on Sept. 11 in the Browns’ opener. “I think I’m going to be back definitely for sure not to miss any regular-season time,” Haden said Wednesday after undergoing surgery March 16. “I don’t really know about training camp. … But I just know for sure that my whole thing is I’m not missing any games.”