Browns Worked Out Steven Daniels
- Boston College linebacker Steven Daniels is visiting Washington this week, and has previously worked out for the Browns and Colts, among other teams, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
Browns No. 2 Pick May Be Available; Execs Believe Joe Thomas Should Have Been Dealt
- The Browns also prefer Goff, per La Canfora, which means they are a prime candidate to move off of the No. 2 pick (we first heard rumors of Cleveland making their pick available last week). While the Browns would be missing out on pass-rushers like Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner, the optics of not passing on a quarterback at No. 2 is appealing.
- Several executives believe the Browns should have already traded left tackle Joe Thomas, according to La Canfora. Cleveland could have used any draft capital they received from a Thomas deal to try to move up to No. 1, and have the chane to select the quarterback they truly want. Alternatively, trading Thomas would have made a Tunsil selction obvious.
Cabot: Browns Should Take Whichever QB Rams Don't, Should Not Trade Down
- The Browns were expected to take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick even after signing Robert Griffn III, and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes that the Rams’ leapfrogging Cleveland to take the No. 1 overall selection should not change that. Regardless of whether Los Angeles selects Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, Cabot believes the Browns should simply take whichever player is still on the board, as both have franchise quarterback potential.
Latest On Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel
In the latest inauspicious chapter in the lives of Browns receiver Josh Gordon and free agent quarterback Johnny Manziel, someone identifying himself as Gordon was with Manziel at a rented home in Los Angeles that had incurred damage, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Further, alcohol and what appeared to be drugs were visible, rental agency owner Nicholas 
Goodwin told Cabot.
“I didn’t recognize Josh because he’s not as recognizable as Johnny,” Goodwin stated. “I sat and talked to him and said ‘how do you know these guys?’ He goes, ‘I played with Johnny over at Cleveland.’ I said, your name? He said ‘Josh Gordon.’ And I was like ‘wow, OK, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for these guys to be hanging out together.'”
While Goodwin said he didn’t witness either Gordon or Manziel engage in drug or alcohol use, he claimed to see what appeared to be cocaine on a table. Goodwin also saw substances that looked like mushrooms and marijuana when Gordon and Manziel were in the home, in which they partied from April 4-6, he said. As a result of the damage done to the home, Manziel has been served with a legal demand for nearly $32K in damages, Cabot writes.
Gordon’s troubles are particularly frustrating given that he looked like one of the premier players in football in 2013, the last time he took the field for an extended period of time. In 14 games that year, Gordon racked up 87 receptions, a jaw-dropping 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. However, various substance abuse-related suspensions have cost Gordon 29 of the Browns’ last 48 games. He missed all of the 2015 season thanks to a positive alcohol test and could also sit out the 2016 campaign after the NFL denied his petition for reinstatement this week on the heels of another failed substance test.
Gordon, who turned 25 on Wednesday, will have a chance to reapply for reinstatement Aug. 1. However, the league will keep the ban in place if his off-field behavior doesn’t do a 180. The league’s decision to not reinstate Gordon came after it collected a tainted urine sample from him in March. Both the “A” and “B” samples were flagged as diluted and came up positive for marijuana. While the actual level of marijuana was below the 35 nanograms per milliliter required for a positive test, the diluted sample is considered a positive test.
Unlike Gordon, Manziel – a 2014 first-round pick – hasn’t shown much promise on the field. Manziel’s off-field behavior has been far worse than his on-field performance, though, as his checkered history helped lead the Browns to release him over the winter and has stopped teams from pursing him as a free agent. Super agent Drew Rosenhaus, who began representing Manziel in March, announced earlier this week he would drop the 23-year-old as a client if he didn’t seek treatment for his substance abuse problems. That came after Erik Burkhardt, Manziel’s previous agent, publicly cut ties with the former Texas A&M star in early February. Rosenhaus told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he is only thinking about the QB’s well-being.
“This is a life or death situation right now,” Rosenhaus said. “This is not about football. I’m not going to stand by and watch him injure himself.”
Rosenhaus provided an update on the situation Friday, suggesting to Mike Florio on PFT Live that he doesn’t think he and Manziel are “on the same page” about the life changes the ex-Brown needs to make.
After a storied college career which included winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012, Manziel has made just eight starts in the NFL, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. It’s difficult to imagine Manziel ever setting foot on an NFL field again without a complete turnaround away from the gridiron. Unfortunately, though, an off-field about-face doesn’t appear imminent.
Zach Links contributed to this report. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Claim DE/OLB Jackson Jeffcoat
- The Browns have claimed defensive end/outside linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat off waivers from Washington, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jeffcoat, an undrafted free agent in 2014, logged nine appearances (one start), an interception and a forced fumble in two years with Washington.
Titans Working To Move Back Into Top 10?
After the Titans sent their No. 1 overall pick and two other selections to Los Angeles in exchange for four 2016 picks and two 2017 selections, general manager Jon Robinson referred to his collection of picks as “currency,” suggesting that his team might not be done trading. And according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Robinson may be trying to make another first-round move.
[RELATED: Titans send No. 1 pick to Rams]
La Canfora reports that he continues to hear the Titans are “working hard” to trade back into the top 10. Tennessee is currently set to pick at No. 15, and getting back into the top 10 would ensure that the team could land a top defensive player or offensive tackle.
While the Titans explore another draft-pick swap, the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, are also mulling a move, says La Canfora (Twitter link). According to the CBSSports.com insider, most teams expect the Rams to use their top pick on Cal quarterback Jared Goff, who is Cleveland’s preferred signal-caller. Taking that into account, the Browns’ interest in trading their pick has “intensified,” since they don’t think Goff will be available for them.
Of course, while La Canfora’s sources seem confident that both the Rams and Browns prefer Goff to Carson Wentz, there have been conflicting reports on both fronts. As we detailed yesterday, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times and ESPN’s John Clayton are among the reporters who believe the Rams intend to pick Wentz, and multiple reports in recent weeks have indicated the Browns like Wentz as well.
Many draft-pick trades aren’t officially consummated until draft day, once teams trading up can be sure that their desired target(s) will be available, so there may not be any resolution on these situations within the next few days. It’s certainly something worth monitoring as April 28th approaches though — it seems possible that there could be a decent amount of movement at the top of this year’s draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tyler Ervin Visited Browns
- San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin is drawing interest around the league and could end up as a day two pick, says Pauline. The Panthers, Browns, Texans, Saints, and Patriots have hosted Ervin for pre-draft visits.
[SOURCE LINK]
Schrager On Why Browns Could Trade No. 2 Pick
- In an article for FOX Sports, Schrager lays out the case for why there’s a chance the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick, might become the second team to trade down from the very top of this year’s draft.
Eagles May Talk To Browns About No. 2 Pick
- Before agreeing to send their top pick to L.A., the Titans had spoken to the Eagles about the possibility of a swap involving that No. 1 pick, but Philadelphia withdrew its offer earlier this week, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of Philadelphia continuing to explore a potential trade with the Browns, who hold the No. 2 pick. Of course, that would only be plausible if the Rams don’t select the QB the Eagles like, and the Browns decide not to take a QB of their own.
Drew Rosenhaus Threatens To Drop Johnny Manziel
6:38pm: The agreement between Rosenhaus and Manziel was contingent upon him entering a treatment facility and the quarterback hasn’t done so, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links) hears from a source. Rosenhaus, he adds, has never fired a player as a client in his 27 years as an agent.
6:12pm: Agent Drew Rosenhaus has informed Johnny Manziel that he will no longer represent him if he does not get treatment, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Facebook) writes. 
“I have terminated the standard representation with Johnny Manziel in the hopes of helping him get the treatment I believe he needs,” Rosenhaus said. “I have informed him that if he takes the immediate steps I have outlined for him that I will rescind the termination and continue to represent him. Otherwise the termination will become permanent. There is a five-day window for me to rescind the termination. I’m hoping he takes the necessary steps to get his life back on track.”
The former Browns QB has been on Rosenhaus’ roster of clients for less than a month. Manziel’s previous agent, Erik Burkhardt, publicly cut ties with the troubled quarterback in early February. On March 19th, Manziel signed on with Rosenhaus. Soon after, Rosenhaus asserted that Manziel was drawing interest from NFL teams despite his issues, a claim that was met with eye rolls from most football fans.
Rosenhaus’ stance comes days after a report that Manziel has been palling around with former Browns teammate Josh Gordon. Gordon has trouble of his own to deal with after failing a drug test and subsequently having his application for reinstatement denied.
The 23-year-old made eight starts and played in 15 total games for Cleveland, completing 57% of his passes (147 of 258) for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His overall passer rating was 74.4.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.