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Browns, DE Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Continuing Relationship; Latest On Coaching Staff

January 1st, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney joined Cleveland on a one-year contract in 2021, and he signed another one-year deal to remain with the team last offseason. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, player and team are interested in continuing their relationship in 2023, and perhaps beyond.

Clowney never landed the massive, $20MM/year contract he was targeting when he hit free agency for the first time several years ago, but after a disappointing 2020 season with the Titans, he appears to have found a home with the Browns. Last year, he posted nine sacks — the second-highest total of his career — and proved to be a worthy complement to superstar DE Myles Garrett. That landed him a contract worth $10MM for 2022.

While he has again missed time due to injury this season and has posted just two sacks in his 11 games, his contributions — as has often been the case with him — go beyond his surface-level stats. Pro Football Focus has assigned him a strong 75.9 overall grade, the 29th-best mark among 121 qualified edge defenders, and it rates him as a quality performer against both the run and pass.

Garrett himself lobbied for a new contract for his running mate last offseason, and his opinion on the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft has not changed. “When [Clowney]’s out there, you can feel his presence,” Garrett said. “He’s setting the edge, he’s making [tackles for loss]. He’s making big plays.” Defensive coordinator Joe Woods added simply, “we need him.”

Clowney said in June that quarterback Deshaun Watson‘s decision to join the Browns impacted his own decision to remain in Cleveland. Due to Watson’s lengthy suspension and Clowney’s recent concussion, the former Texans teammates have shared the field for just three regular season games this year, and Cabot suggests that Watson’s presence could convince Clowney to return. The Browns will have plenty of work to do to reinforce the interior of their defensive line this offseason, so finances will be a factor in determining whether they authorize a third contract for Clowney. Nonetheless, it appears that another deal is very much in play.

Woods, however, may not be so lucky. According to Cabot, the third-year defensive coordinator “will be looked at closely” this offseason, and he could receive his walking papers. The Browns are in the middle of the pack in terms of total defense, which is a steep drop-off from their top-5 showing in 2021, and their run defense has been particularly porous. Cleveland gives up 134.3 rushing yards per game, the eighth-worst figure in the league, and the team ranks 24th in the NFL in defensive DVOA. Their scoring defense (22.9 points allowed per game) ranks 21st.

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer is also on shaky ground, per Cabot, though head coach Kevin Stefanski will be retained (despite recent reports that he might be on the hot seat).

Browns Place LB Jordan Kunaszyk On IR

December 31st, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns are down another linebacker. The team announced that they’ve placed linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk on injured reserve, ending the player’s season.

Kunaszyk suffered a hand injury during Cleveland’s loss to the Saints last week. He’ll now join fellow linebackers Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jacob Phillips, Sione Takitaki, and Anthony Walker Jr. on injured reserve.

After spending the previous two seasons with Washington, Kunaszyk joined the Browns this past offseason. He was among the team’s final roster cuts, but after earning a spot on the practice squad, he quickly found a role for himself on the 53-man roster. The 26-year-old ultimately got into 15 games (two starts) for the Browns, compiling 22 tackles and one forced fumble.

To take the open roster spot, the Browns signed linebacker Tae Davis from the practice squad to the active roster. Davis was promoted for each of Cleveland’s past three games, collecting four tackles over that span. The former UDFA started his career with the Giants, including a rookie campaign where he had 33 tackles.

The Browns made two additional moves as they prepare for tomorrow’s game against the Commanders, promoting running back John Kelly Jr. and defensive tackle Roderick Perry II from the practice squad.

C Ethan Pocic Wants To Re-Sign With Browns

December 31st, 2022 at 10:25am CST by Ben Levine

Following a breakout campaign in 2022, Browns center Ethan Pocic is eyeing a sizable pay raise this offseason. However, if the impending free agent has his way, he’ll be sticking in Cleveland.

“I just feel like this is where God called me to be,” Pocic said (via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “This is what God wanted. Just coming in here, working with [offensive line coach] Bill [Callahan] and [assistant offensive line coach] Scott [Peters] and then everything around them, whether it be the O-linemen, the weight room, the training room, everyone’s on point, so you’ve got a lot of good help around you.

“With a new system, it’s kind of a new way how you see things, and I got to see it [Callahan’s] way. Me and him are on the same page. Bill, he knows how to coach players, man. He’s future Hall of Famer. Him and Scott — and they work well together — both of them, man, I’ve learned so much [from]. I can’t thank them enough.”

The former Seahawks second-round pick mostly disappointed during his five seasons in Seattle. While he started 40 of his 58 appearances, he generally graded out as a middle-of-the-road center, per Pro Football Focus. After inking a one-year, veteran-minimum deal with Cleveland this past offseason, Pocic was expected to provide depth at the center position behind expected starter Nick Harris.

Harris ultimately went down with a season-ending knee injury, forcing Pocic into the starting lineup. The lineman has made the most of the opportunity, turning into one of the top players at his position. Heading into the final two weeks of the season, the 27-year-old currently ranks third among 39 qualifying centers, per PFF. He’s started all 11 game he’s appeared in this season, with a knee injury forcing a stint on injured reserve.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 27th, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, much is still to be decided both in terms of playoff positioning and the order of the upcoming draft. Five teams are still eligible to land the top pick.

The Texans remain in pole position to hold the No. 1 spot, but their win over the Titans (coupled with the Bears’ losing streak extending to eight games) leaves Chicago just a half-game away. The fact that the Bears would likely select a defensive player rather than a quarterback with the top pick adds considerable intrigue to the potential implications of them ending up with that slot.

With the Browns continuing to struggle even with Deshaun Watson back from suspension, there is a distinct possibility that four first-rounders which changed hands (including Cleveland’s top 2023 pick, part of the package they sent to Houston for Watson) land in the top 10. Another premium selection would obviously soften the blow of losing out on the No. 1 spot from the Texans’ perspective, should that take place.

The final Wild Card spot in each conference is still being contested by several teams, resulting in a logjam of 7-8 squads in the middle of the order. Several head-to-head matchups will be played out between those clubs, which could lead to plenty of change in their positioning over the next two weeks. The race for both the AFC and NFC South titles will also have a significant impact on the final order, given the average (at best) record each division’s winner will have at the end of the regular season.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 17:

  1. Houston Texans: 2-12-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-12
  3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  4. Arizona Cardinals: 4-11
  5. Indianapolis Colts: 4-10-1
  6. Atlanta Falcons: 5-10
  7. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  8. Carolina Panthers: 6-9
  9. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-9
  10. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  11. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  12. Seattle Seahawks: 7-8
  13. Tennessee Titans: 7-8
  14. New England Patriots: 7-8
  15. New York Jets: 7-8
  16. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-8
  17. Green Bay Packers: 7-8
  18. Detroit Lions: 7-8
  19. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-8
  21. Washington Commanders: 7-7-1
  22. New York Giants: 8-6-1
  23. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
  24. Baltimore Ravens: 10-5
  25. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 11-4
  27. Cincinnati Bengals: 11-4
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-3
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 12-3
  30. Buffalo Bills: 12-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-2

Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice

HC Kevin Stefanski Helped Deshaun Watson Join Browns

December 25th, 2022 at 8:33pm CST by Adam La Rose
  • The pursuit of Deshaun Watson was one of the league’s top storylines this offseason, with the Browns ultimately winning out. A large reason the recently-suspended passer chose to go to Cleveland was the nature of their fully-guaranteed, $230MM contract offer, of course, but another factor loomed large. The presence of head coach Kevin Stefanski was a “major reason” Watson chose to join the Browns, notes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The third-year HC has been reported to be on the hot seat this season, one in which the team has fallen short of expectations. A strong connection between he and Watson could help the Browns put together an encouraging end to the campaign, though, and help Stefanski remain in his post for at least 2023, the first year where Watson will be available for a full schedule since his acquisition.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Browns To Extend RT Jack Conklin

December 23rd, 2022 at 11:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

This is turning into quite the morning for high-profile offensive line moves. Barely an hour after the Packers locked down Elgton Jenkins, the Browns agreed to a deal that will keep Jack Conklin off the market.

The Browns and Conklin agreed on a four-year, $60MM extension Friday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Conklin’s deal includes $31MM fully guaranteed. Conklin, who arrived in Cleveland as a free agent in 2020, was set for free agency again in March. The Browns, as they have done at other O-line positions in the recent past, will prevent that from happening.

Like Jenkins, Conklin spent this offseason recovering from a major knee injury. The patella tendon tear Conklin suffered in November 2021 sidelined the former first-round pick until Week 3 of this season, but Cleveland’s right tackle has played in every game since that debut. After locking in guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, the Browns will keep another upper-echelon blocker.

Conklin only made his way to Cleveland after the Titans passed on his fifth-year option and a free agency accord. Tennessee drafted Conklin in the 2016 first round; he was the first player recently fired GM Jon Robinson chose. While Conklin earned All-Pro honors as a rookie, he suffered a torn ACL in 2018. The following May, the Titans did not pick up his option. After he played a major role in the first of Derrick Henry‘s two rushing titles (during the 2019 season), the Titans — who had both Henry and Ryan Tannehill as free agents in 2020 — let him hit the market. That ended up being the Browns’ gain, and Friday’s extension will set up Conklin for a long-term Ohio stay.

Armed with extensive cap space in 2020, the Browns used a chunk of it to land Conklin on a three-year, $42MM pact. The short-term deal allowed the Michigan State product a chance to hit the market again before turning 30. Finishing up his age-28 season, Conklin ended up using that three-year accord to his advantage and will become the rare player to sign three lucrative deals in his 20s.

Although this $15MM-per-year extension does not place Conklin among the top five wage-earners at his position, the $31MM fully guaranteed sits fourth among right-siders. For AAV, Conklin’s deal checks in sixth at the position. The 2023 O-line free agent market is now considerably worse, with Jenkins and Conklin off the board. Conklin had said recently he wanted to finish his career in Cleveland.

Coming off the severe injury, Conklin sits just inside Pro Football Focus’ top 40 at tackle. PFF gave him top-20 assessments from 2019-21, and it stands to reason Conklin will be in better form as more time passes from the patella tendon setback. PFF rates the Browns’ O-line eighth overall, though the team’s center issues have dinged the unit a bit. The team will not have to worry about right tackle for the foreseeable future.

The Browns were unable to stay in the thick of the playoff race during Deshaun Watson‘s suspension, and the highly paid quarterback has not shown much of his Texans form since returning from the 11-game ban (and 17-game paid absence last year). But Nick Chubb booked a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl this week. The star running back has rushed for 1,252 yards and matched his career high in touchdowns (12) already. The Browns cut center J.C. Tretter this year, leading to his retirement, but have prioritized extensions for their O-line finds. Bitonio and Teller are signed through 2025, and left tackle Jedrick Wills‘ rookie deal — based on how the Browns handle his fifth-year option — can run through 2024. Conklin is now signed through 2026.

Browns Activate C Ethan Pocic From IR

December 23rd, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Browns are getting their offensive line back to full health after activating starting center Ethan Pocic from injured reserve. Pocic will return back to play after sitting out the required four games before returning from IR.

Upon his rookie contract expiring, the Seahawks’ former starting center signed a one-year contract with the team that drafted him in the second round in the 2017 NFL Draft. After that fifth year in Seattle, Pocic signed a one-year deal joining the Browns. Pocic became the team’s starting center and started every game until a knee injury sidelined him only two plays into the Browns matchup with the Bills back in November.

With Pocic out for the rest of that game, the Browns called on backup center Hjalte Froholdt to finish the contest. Froholdt would be depended on to start the next four games with Pocic on IR, as well. Now that Pocic has returned to the active roster, Froholdt will go back to his role as the first interior lineman off the bench for Cleveland.

It’s a big piece for the Browns to be adding back to their offensive line. Pocic has made significant strides during his time in Cleveland. After five fairly average years in Seattle where, at his best, Pocic ranked 15th out of 39 graded centers in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Pocic is having a career year in Cleveland. Out of 39 graded centers this season, Pocic has graded out as the third-best in the league, combing his fourth-best 84.1 run blocking grade and his 17-ranked pass blocking grade. Pocic’s return will be a significant boost for quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb, and the rest of the Browns offense.

To make room for Pocic on the active roster, the Browns have waived veteran reserve center Greg Mancz, who was signed to the roster when Pocic first got injured. Unrelated to the injury news, the Browns have also promoted linebacker Tae Davis as a standard gameday elevation for tomorrow’s matchup with the Saints. Davis will be playing in his third contest of the season.

QB Notes: Jets, Pickett, Chiefs, Carr

December 21st, 2022 at 1:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zach Wilson will start for the Jets in Week 16, Robert Saleh confirmed. This was the expected Jets path, given the updates on Mike White‘s injured ribs. The short-week assignment made White’s road back tougher, and the team’s preferred starter will have a mini-bye to recover ahead of a possible Week 17 return. White attempted to receive clearance from as many as 10 independent doctors last week, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com adds he is still consulting with doctors. But the Jets are proceeding cautiously with the fifth-year passer. Saleh does not believe the injury White suffered against the Bills is a season-ending malady, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. White is due for unrestricted free agency in March.

Here is the latest from the quarterback landscape:

  • After Mitch Trubisky played in most of the past two Steelers games, the team is ready to move its rookie back into action. Mike Tomlin expects Kenny Pickett to start Saturday against the Raiders, Teresa Varley of Steelers.com tweets. Pickett has now sustained two concussions this season.
  • The conditional 2024 pick the Browns obtained from the Panthers for Baker Mayfield will be a fifth-round choice, David Newton of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter). Mayfield needed to hit the 70% snap barrier with the Panthers. The new Rams starter did not come especially close to that, being demoted and then waived.
  • Derek Carr‘s recent Raiders extension — a three-year, $121.4MM pact — gives the team a three-day window following Super Bowl LVII to jettison the quarterback and save $40.5MM. Carr trade rumors are nothing new; he loomed as a trade candidate for much of the Jon Gruden period. But a GM informed the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he does expect Carr to finally be dealt. Despite the Raiders’ struggles, Carr ranks 10th in QBR. The team’s blockbuster trade for Carr college teammate Davante Adams also might make a trade a tough sell, and the prospect of the Raiders needing to find an upgrade — an impediment to a trade during Gruden’s stay — also makes this a risky path. In his ninth season and having made 141 career starts, Carr is the longest-tenured starting quarterback in Raiders history.
  • Making a push for a second MVP, Patrick Mahomes offered a bit of insight on how he ended up in Kansas City. The sixth-year Chiefs passer said, after a productive meeting with Andy Reid ahead of the 2017 draft, he spoke with multiple teams who indicated they would draft him. During an appearance on Travis and Jason Kelce‘s New Heights podcast (video link), Mahomes said he informed the Chiefs they would need to trade up to at least No. 11 to land him. Mahomes said he did not know the extent of the Saints’ interest at the time — New Orleans held the No. 11 pick — but the Cardinals’ affinity for then-Texas Tech prospect has been known for some time. Arizona picked 13th that year. The Browns also traded their No. 12 pick to the Texans, who chose Deshaun Watson. The Chiefs traded their No. 27 choice, a 2017 third-rounder and their 2018 first to the Bills to secure the No. 10 draft slot. That ended up being a franchise-changing decision.

Updated 2023 NFL Draft Order

December 21st, 2022 at 10:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Christmas Day’s Broncos-Rams matchup will pit two of the league’s most disappointing teams against one another, and the Seahawks and Lions will have a vested interest in this contest. The loser of this game will give one of the latter teams — via the Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford trades — a better chance of landing a top-three pick in next year’s draft.

At 1-12-1, the Texans are cruising home. The Bears are on their heels, potentially set to become the team that selects the 2023 draft’s first non-quarterback. But eight four- or five-win teams reside behind these two, providing some intrigue for fanbases whose squads are not moving toward the playoffs.

The NFC South’s plunge toward becoming perhaps the worst division in NFL history carries draft stakes as well. The Falcons, Saints and Panthers each have five wins, and Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia (via the Saints’ pre-draft trade this year) would see those picks land in the top 10 as of now. The division-leading Buccaneers would see their draft slot check in no higher than 19th. Should one of Tampa Bay’s challengers vault the current first-place team in the standings, the Bucs would see their 2023 first-round slot rise considerably.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2022 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is how the draft order looks entering Week 16:

  1. Houston Texans: 1-12-1
  2. Chicago Bears: 3-11
  3. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
  4. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
  5. Arizona Cardinals: 4-10
  6. Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1
  7. Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
  8. Carolina Panthers: 5-9
  9. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
  11. Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-8
  12. Houston Texans (via Browns)
  13. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
  14. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
  15. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
  16. New England Patriots: 7-7
  17. New York Jets: 7-7
  18. Detroit Lions: 7-7
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
  20. Tennessee Titans: 7-7
  21. Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
  22. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
  23. New York Giants: 8-5-1
  24. Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
  25. Denver Broncos (via 49ers through Dolphins)
  26. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4
  27. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3
  29. Minnesota Vikings: 11-3
  30. Buffalo Bills: 11-3
  31. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1

Next year’s draft will feature a 31-pick first round. The Dolphins’ penalty for the Tom Brady–Sean Payton tampering scandal cost them their 2023 first-round choice.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/22

December 20th, 2022 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Signed off Chiefs practice squad: LB Elijah Lee
  • Designated for return: RB Khalil Herbert (story)
  • Released: CB Justin Layne

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Caleb Huntley suffered a season-ending Achilles injury this past weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The injury is expected to require surgery. The Falcons RB made his NFL this season and has collected 369 yards from scrimmage.

While Russell Wilson is expected to start for the Broncos on Christmas, the Broncos still decided to promote a third QB to the roster in Jarrett Guarantano. According to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter), there was enough interest from other teams (including the Cardinals) for the Broncos to decide to promote the rookie. The UDFA out of Washington State had his first professional gig with the Cardinals before catching on with the Broncos.

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