Peyton Manning Unlikely to Join Browns Front Office
There was speculation late last season that Peyton Manning would retire and take a prominent front office position, perhaps in Cleveland. Manning has since retired and the Browns’ presidency is currently vacant, but it doesn’t sound as if the 39-year-old will end up with them.
Browns Will Meet With TCU WR Josh Doctson
- TCU receiver Josh Doctson has visits and/or workouts set up with the Vikings, Browns and Bengals, reports Getlin (Twitter link). The Vikings reportedly think highly of the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Doctson.
Browns Notes: RGIII, Draft, Thomas, WRs
New Browns head coach Hue Jackson was one of the AFC coaches who spoke to reporters over breakfast in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday morning. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from that conversation….
- Jackson liked the way Robert Griffin III handled some “tough” questions during his visit to Cleveland, tweets Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. The head coach added that he spoke to RGIII about the possibility of taking a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, suggesting that “the cream always rises to the top” (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). In other words, the team could draft a quarterback early even if it signs Griffin, resulting in a competition for the starting job.
- Jackson plans to spend extra time with five or six quarterback prospects prior to the draft, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), Jackson has already spent a good deal of time with Jared Goff, and will attend Carson Wentz‘s pro day on Thursday.
- Echoing what Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown said on Monday, Jackson stressed that veteran offensive lineman Joe Thomas “is not going anywhere,” calling him the best left tackle in the NFL (Twitter link via Cabot).
- Jackson identified wide receiver as an area the Browns need to address, indicating that he wants to add bigger, stronger, and faster players at the position (Twitter link via Ulrich).
Latest On Browns, Robert Griffin III
There is “mounting buzz” about the Browns’ intent to sign Robert Griffin III, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. La Canfora adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if the two sides reached agreement on a deal this week. Griffin visited the Browns just days ago and the visit reportedly went well.
If the Browns sign RG3, they will receive outside interest in quarterback Josh McCown, per LaCanfora (Twitter links). La Canfora asserts that the Broncos, Rams, and Jets could all explore a deal for the veteran quarterback. In addition, he says that an RGIII signing would not preclude Cleveland from going after a QB in the draft.
McCown was placed on IR in December, but finished the year with fairly respectable numbers. Although the Browns only won one of his eight starts, he completed 63.7% of his passes, throwing for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He’s now entering the second season of the three-year deal he signed with Cleveland as a free agent in 2015.
Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.
Griffin looked like a superstar in the making as a rookie, but his completion percentage dropped in 2013 and Washington went 3-10 in games that the former Heisman Trophy winner started.
Injuries knocked Griffin out of the starting lineup in 2014 and ’15, the latter coming in the preseason, when Washington opted to shelve Griffin and begin its exit strategy from its one-time franchise quarterback. The team released him earlier this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Downplay Interest In Colin Kaepernick
Speaking today to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown downplayed the team’s interest in 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, suggesting that those trade discussions were “way over-reported,” as Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets.
According to Brown, the team isn’t currently actively engaged in trade talks for Kaepernick, and only had preliminary discussions, which didn’t include specific negotiations on draft pick compensation or a new contract for the quarterback. Brown added that the Browns didn’t instigate those conversations, and Grossi clarifies (via Twitter) that it was Kaepernick’s representatives, rather than the 49ers, who contacted the Browns.
Although it’s possible that Brown’s comments today are a negotiating tactic or an attempt to regain some leverage, it doesn’t seem likely at this point that Cleveland will land the San Francisco signal-caller. The Browns appear more focused on other options, including Robert Griffin III, who visited Cleveland on the weekend — no deal with RGIII is imminent, but the club is doing its homework on the former No. 2 overall pick.
The Browns, Jets, and Broncos were identified earlier this month as the three teams showing interest in Kaepernick, but the Jets’ interest was believed to be tepid, so if the Browns aren’t a serious suitor either, it looks increasingly likely that the 28-year-old will be a Niner or Bronco in 2016. San Francisco is expected to continue to explore the trade market after Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, but the team is also prepared to hang onto him if no suitable trade offer materializes.
In addition to downplaying Cleveland’s interest in Kaepernick, Brown also suggested that a Joe Thomas trade is not in his club’s plans, as Grossi tweets. With fellow linemen Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack departing in free agency, there was some speculation that Thomas would ask for the Browns to be traded, but if that’s something the team intends to consider, the executive VP of football operations isn’t tipping his hand.
“That’s not our plan at all,” Brown said. “Our plan is not to trade Joe Thomas.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Browns' Pursuit Of RG3, Kap
- Former Bengals OC Jay Gruden expects Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard to command hefty contracts, per Hobson. “You have to tip your hat to that offensive scheme over there and the way Andy [Dalton] is throwing the ball around,” Gruden said. “That’s what that offense is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to get people touches, just not A.J. [Green]. Marvin and Mo got big contracts. A.J. has already established himself. Eifert will get a big deal. Giovani will get a great deal.” Gruden, who watched former auxiliary wideout Andrew Hawkins attract a solid contract from the Browns a few years ago, doesn’t anticipate a big drop-off from the Bengals’ offense after Sanu and Jones left. “[The Bengals] will be fine,” Gruden said. “Andy will throw it to the open guy and he’ll make someone else a couple of million dollars.”
- While noting the Browns‘ meeting with Robert Griffin III went well, Jackson indirectly seemed to intimate a prospective interest in Colin Kaepernick, telling NFL.com’s Steve Wyche (via Marc Sessler) “I can’t comment on players on other teams. But it is where it is and eventually I think all those things will show itself.” Kaepernick should be one of the chief topics of this week’s owners’ meetings, with the Browns, Broncos and Jets having indicated some interest over the past couple of weeks. Jackson went on to call RG3 a “tremendous talent.” Griffin’s now visited the Jets and Browns. The Browns remain interested in Griffin, a source informed Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Cabot notes the prospect of a Griffin-Browns union becoming reality would make the most sense this week, with the Cleveland brass in Boca Raton, Fla., for the meetings.
Browns Split On Trading Joe Thomas?
Several sources have informed Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that Joe Thomas would be open to a trade from the rebuilding Browns to a contender. Numerous executives in turn have pointed out that the Browns, who lost Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack on Day 1 of free agency, should consider moving him as they attempt what could be a lengthy reconstruction effort.
A six-time first-team All-Pro, Thomas has said repeatedly he won’t request a trade. He has $29.5MM remaining on his Browns contract, one that runs through the 2018 season.
La Canfora recalls being stunned the Browns balking at the Broncos’ offer of a first-round pick for Thomas at the last trade deadline, and Cleveland collecting a first-rounder for the 31-year-old left tackle is a move he’d implore the team to make considering the franchise’s current state. Some inside the Browns organization regarded a Thomas trade as a key component to the offseason, while Jimmy Haslam hasn’t expressed the same sentiment, La Canfora notes.
- Regarding the Colin Kaepernick trade pursuit, La Canfora sees the Broncos as the most interested suitor who may be willing to execute a trade, whereas other teams may be willing to call the 49ers‘ bluff and wait for the sixth-year quarterback’s potential release. The CBS reporter doesn’t see the Browns as being enamored with the signal-caller to the point they’d cough up much in a trade despite recent reports. Numerous executives have informed La Canfora John Elway isn’t panicking about Denver’s suddenly barren quarterback situation in private, and La Canfora wouldn’t expect the Broncos’ sixth-year GM overbidding for Kaepernick or spending much on Robert Griffin III.
Browns Met With Dak Prescott
- The Cowboys have scheduled a private workout with Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson says the meeting will take place today, while Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) says the workout will occur on Monday, but regardless of the specifics, Prescott could make sense as a mid-round pick for the Cowboys. Prescott, who was arrested for DUI last week, has also met with the Panthers, Steelers, and Browns, per Wilson.
Browns Doing Their Homework On RGIII
After hosting him for a visit earlier this weekend, the Browns are now doing more extensive homework on Robert Griffin III, making calls to find out more about the free agent QB’s game and his character, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While it may just be a matter of a team doing its due diligence, the Browns’ efforts could also signal that Cleveland has a level of genuine interest in Griffin. By comparison, the Jets – who brought RGIII in for a meet-and-greet but remain focused on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick – don’t appear to have done the same amount of research into the former No. 2 overall pick.
Robert Griffin III Visits Browns
Robert Griffin III has made his second visit since becoming a free agent, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the quarterback met with the Browns today. Garafolo adds that RGIII is flying out of Cleveland without a deal, but it sounds like the visit went well.
The Browns are one of a handful of teams actively seeking out a quarterback upgrade this offseason, with Johnny Manziel no longer in the mix in Cleveland and Josh McCown currently penciled in atop the depth chart. The Browns are viewed as likely to use their first-round draft pick (No. 2 overall) to add a QB like Carson Wentz or Jared Goff to their roster, but acquiring a player with some upside like Griffin wouldn’t be a bad move.
Previously, Griffin visited another team with a hole at quarterback, traveling to New York to meet with the Jets. That visit was subsequently characterized by various reports – and by general manager Mike Maccagnan himself – as more of a meet-and-greet, since the Jets remain focused on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick. RGIII appears to be no more than a potential contingency plan for Maccagnan and Co. at this point.
Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.
Griffin threw for 3,200 yards as a rookie, rushing for another 815, and totaled 27 touchdowns, including 20 through the air. In 2013, however, Griffin’s completion percentage dropped five points and Washington went 3-10 in games that the former Heisman Trophy winner started.
Injuries knocked Griffin out of the starting lineup in 2014 and ’15, the latter coming in the preseason, when Washington opted to shelve Griffin and begin its exit strategy from its one-time franchise quarterback. The team released him earlier this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.