Tag: Cleveland Browns (Page 34 of 57)

      Browns: Brady Quinn isn’t available

      April 24, 2009 /

      According to a report in the Denver Post, the Broncos recently contacted the Browns about possibly acquiring Brady Quinn and Cleveland told them that the third-year quarterback wasn’t available for trade.

      Well this blows my whole Mark Sanchez-will-be-a-Cleveland-Brown idea straight to hell. I wonder if the Browns don’t want to deal Quinn to a fellow AFC competitor or just don’t want to deal him period. Or maybe they want to deal Derek Anderson instead?

      Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this report is that the Broncos are still interested in acquiring a quarterback. When they traded Jay Cutler to the Bears a few weeks ago, several media outlets reported that Denver was satisfied with Kyle Orton as their starter.

      But with two first round picks as leverage, the notion of Denver trading one of those selections for the opportunity to trade up to draft Sanchez surely exists. It just depends on whether or not head coach Josh McDaniels feels as though Sanchez can run his offense. If he does, then Sanchez could work behind Orton until he’s ready for game action.

      Getting back to Cleveland, if Quinn is off the table, it’ll be interesting to see if the Browns make any trades this weekend involving players that are currently on their roster. For the past month, speculation has grown that the Browns could trade Quinn and/or Braylon Edwards by draft weekend, but maybe Eric Mangini isn’t as willing to part with those players as originally thought.
      I’m dying to see what the Browns do at No. 5.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Are the Bills trying to trade up for Andre Smith?

      April 24, 2009 /

      Scout.com is speculating that the Bills are trying to trade up from their No. 11 spot ahead of the Bengals at No. 6 in order to nab Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith.

      Buffalo is obviously in huge need of a left tackle after trading Pro Bowler Jason Peters to the Eagles last week. If they want to get ahead of the Bengals (a team also in need of a tackle), then they may have a trade partner in Cleveland.

      The Browns have the No. 5 pick and while some speculate that they could be targeting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez or Texas Tech wideout Michael Crabtree with that selection, they have bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball. (The reason people are speculating about Cleveland taking Sanchez or Crabtree is because some believe that the Browns will deal either/both Brady Quinn or Braylon Edwards by the end of the draft.)

      Cleveland’s biggest need as it outside linebacker and unless Aaron Curry falls to No. 5, no other linebacker prospect would be worthy of that spot. So if Buffalo wants to trade up, the Browns could drop back to No. 11 and then target a defender like Brian Orakpo or Everrette Brown there.

      What’s interesting is the possibility (emphasis on “possibility”, because this is still only a rumor) that the Bills would even want Smith, a prospect who has had his fair share of problems leading up to the draft. He was suspended for the Sugar Bowl game in early January, showed up to the NFL scouting combine out of shape and reportedly had a lackluster showing at his Pro Day. But the fact that teams still consider him a top 10 prospect speaks to his immense talent. (If he didn’t carry all of that baggage, he would be a serious candidate for the top overall pick.)

      It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Buffalo has the desire to move up and if they’ll pull the trigger on a trade. Tackle Michael Oher of Ole Miss could be there at No. 11 if the Bills don’t trade up and while he doesn’t have as much natural talent as Smith, he also comes with less baggage and is still one of the best offensive line prospects in the draft.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      Kiper’s latest mock has Sanchez falling to Redskins

      April 23, 2009 /

      In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has USC quarterback Mark Sanchez falling to the Redskins at No. 13.

      5. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
      Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech: The stress fracture in his left foot shouldn’t affect his draft status. He’s a big-time player who should have a Larry Fitzgerald-type career in the NFL.

      13. Washington Redskins (8-8)
      Mark Sanchez, QB, USC: Sanchez definitely is one of the top five to eight players available in this draft, and getting him here would be a bit of a steal, because had he returned to USC for his senior season, he likely would have been the No. 1 overall pick.

      14. New Orleans Saints (8-8)
      Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State: Wells is a nice fit for the Saints after they let running back Deuce McAllister go in the offseason. He could be a perfect complement to Reggie Bush.

      19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
      Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State: Freeman is an interesting prospect because he throws a great ball and has imposing size at nearly 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds. However, his inconsistent play puts him in the boom-or-bust category.

      24. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
      Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State: Pettigrew remains the No. 1 tight end on the board and would be a help to young Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

      It’s easy to disagree with someone’s mock just days before the draft, but the above are the projections I find the most fault in.

      Continue reading »

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Edwards-to-Giants trade dead now?

      April 23, 2009 /

      According to the New York Daily News, a deal between the Giants and Browns involving wide receiver Braylon Edwards is all but dead at this point.

      According to a source familiar with the situation, the Giants no longer see any hope of acquiring the Cleveland receiver and are moving forward with their plans to take a receiver early in the NFL draft. The sticking point still appears to be GM Jerry Reese’s refusal to part with the Giants’ first-round pick and the Browns’ refusal to take anything less.

      It’s pretty much been that way since Reese and Browns GM George Kokinis first talked about Edwards in February, but until very recently there was at least some optimism inside the Giants’ organization that one of the two sides would blink. Reese has no plans to blink, the source said, and the Giants are now convinced that Kokinis won’t either.

      So, barring a late drop in the Browns’ asking price – or a dramatic change of heart by Reese — the Giants will head into Day 1 of the draft focused on getting a receiver to help out a corps thinned by the losses of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer. Several sources have said they almost certainly will take a receiver in Round 1, though there’s at least a small chance they’ll draft a linebacker, depending on how the first 28 picks break.

      If a deal with the Giants is in fact dead, it’ll be interesting to see if the Browns can move Edwards at all this weekend or sometime before the season starts. His contract is up at the end of the year and it’s doubtful that he’ll want to re-sign with Cleveland. Of course, that might not be such a bad thing either, considering he’s largely underachieved up to this point in his career. Still, Cleveland would surely love to get something for him before he bolts at the end of the year.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Browns passing on Michael Crabtree

      April 22, 2009 /

      Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plan Dealer is reporting that the Browns will pass on Michael Crabtree at No. 5.

      The Browns have all but crossed off Michael Crabtree as a candidate for the No. 5 overall pick, said a source.

      The Texas Tech receiver brought a diva attitude on his visit to the club facility last week and did not impress coach Eric Mangini and others, the source said. In fact, Crabtree was described by some in the building as “not nice.” After Crabtree left, Mangini secured last-minute workouts with borderline first-round receivers Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, Kenny Britt of Rutgers and Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia.

      What’s funny is that the same paper reported just yesterday that the Browns are still in love with Crabtree, so who knows. Rumors are going to run rampant for the next couple days leading up to the draft.

      The fact that the Browns are looking at Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Britt and Mohamed Massaquoi would lead me to believe that they’re going to wait on addressing their wide receiver need until later in the draft – even if they do wind up trading Braylon Edwards.

      Cleveland will be one of the more interesting teams to follow on draft day. Their biggest needs are at linebacker (more outside than inside), cornerback and wide receiver, but what they do at No. 5 will obviously depend on what prospects come off the board in front of them. If Aaron Curry falls into their lap, it would be hard envisioning them passing on the best talent in the draft. If they have plans to trade quarterback Brady Quinn, then Mark Sanchez is a possibility at No. 5 if Seattle doesn’t take him at No. 4. And if they can get out of the No. 5 pick altogether in order to acquire more picks and get better value for their first round pick, then that remains a logical option, too.

      Either way, Mangini and new GM George Kokinis are doing a fantastic job not revealing their hands.

      Update: ESPN’s Michael Smith also says that the Browns won’t take a receiver at No. 5 and his information is usually pretty solid.

      NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

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