Orion

With Jacob Phillips leaving perhaps they go that way early. (not that Phillips was much of a player for us)

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter Texans are signing former Browns free-agent linebacker Jacob Phillips to a one-year deal, per source. ------------- He never really did much for us. I'm figuring that we'll draft a LB'er somewhere in the draft.

From the team site. For the OL drafters. https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/draft-on-tap-assessing-offensive-linemen-prospects-in-the-2024-nfl-draft

I think that another factor was the thinking that the guys that were previously drafted to take over the IDL were now ready to step in and play at a high(er) level. And as we found out they were rotational talent at best. Yes. Round 2 is more of a sweet spot for guards. In general the pecking order would be: LT, then RT, followed by G & OT's that are projected to be G's....and sprinkle the C position in there somewhere based on talent and/or ability to play G also. We all have our own ideas on which position(s) we would like addressed 1st, and there'd be valid reasons for all of 'em. But with no 1st round pick yet again we need to draft BPA and not try and force anything...at least until round 5. Picks 54 & 85 have got to be able to help us in the future. If they can help us this season, that's gravy.

I agree with everything you said. AND, I'm not real high on Wills. (I'm the one who claims that he's got it written in his contract that he only need block for 3.5 seconds per play) IMO, there are 3 positions that are 'first round important' positions. QB, premier edge rusher and LT. Not that you can't find really good ones in later rounds...but the probability goes down on a faster curve. I think it'll be 2025 for LT...unless they find one on day 3 this year.

IMO, because we do have Jedrick Wills, we will not be drafting for the LT spot in round 2...and the RT spot seems set with two guys that could start...as well as the RG/RT veteran that we just signed. Though I do expect a day 3 OT selection.

Wake me up when it's Friday night. Another year that I don't mind that band rehearsal is Thursday night.

That's cool. But he could swing over to RT if needed. And he's wiley ol' vet who's seen it all before. It'd be great if he turned out to be an upgrade to our depth.

Here's our 1st round pick The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent OL Germain Ifedi. The club also placed T Justin Murray on reserve/retired. Ifedi (6-5. 325) is entering his ninth NFL season out of Texas A&M. Originally a first-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Ifedi has appeared in 102 career games with 83 starts with the Seahawks (2016-19), Bears (2020-21) and Falcons (2023). He has made 59 career starts at right tackle and 24 right guard. Last season, he spent most of the season on the Bills' active roster but did not appear in a game.

...can't fault them for that.

Kirksey was pretty good. I remember before a Monday night game (perhaps it was Thursday night?), Chris Collinsworth described Higgins, "Well he's not fast. And he doesn't run particularly good routes. But he and Baker have a chemistry." I kept hoping that the next year would be the year that he made the jump....but he was never much more than a cornerback's dream receiver to cover. Kind of like DPJ. A couple of receptions per game...on a good day. Higgins had a pretty good schtick though...walking the red carpet.

Since he has some time, perhaps he should hit the books and draw up some more QB run plays for himself. You know, one's where he takes on tacklers and stuff...to show his love for the game.

Higgins....wasn't he the one that almost scored a TD one time? Congrats and thanks to both!

So when will he be ready to go? Well, that depends, as Watson explained (quotes via a team-provided transcript😞 For those keeping score at home, “they” is referring to the Browns training staff, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Los Angeles-based surgeon who operated on Watson, and Watson’s group, which includes his quarterback coach Quincy Avery. --------- Clear as mud...

On the Draft Value Chart, our 7th round pick #127 is worth 1.4 points. And pick 243 is worth 1 point. The #1 overall is 3000 points. In order to move to the top of the 6th round we'd have to trade about 20 seventh round picks. I guess we could say that the math doesn't work at the quantum level.

...truth be told, I view 7th rounders as glorified free agents. But they're free agents that have to come to your team. - A week and a half 'til we're on the clock!

Wait. The LT led the team to championships? We gotta get this guy!

I was a fan back when there were no domes. But this is a very different time. There ARE teams with domes. AND there's free agency which they didn't have in pre dome times. - I wonder how many Minnesota Vikings privately dreamed of taking Bud Grant behind the stadium and knocking some sense into him for not allowing them to use sideline heaters while the opponents, on the same sideline, could thaw themselves out while on the sidelines. "Make them suffer! It makes them tougher!" Some fans had to have amputations after the Chiefs playoff game this year. The game was not invented / intended as a winter sport. But games are being played practically into mid-winter.

It would be easier to attract players to the organization. Believe it or not, there are players that don't like playing in the freezing wind, rain and/or snow. Like Anthony Walker who just told his agent to find someplace warm and that he's sick of the cold. Or Deshaun Watson who doesn't like the cold such that it took a quarter billion guaranteed to get him here.

Similar to what I said in February. Once we got through the bulk of free agency our more crucial needs became more in focus. Now one can take a look at a few Big Boards and see what players are ranked in the area of pick 54...or 85. Then one can take a cursory look at players at positions that you think are in need of help. ( the Browns home page did a segment on Ricky Pearson. I've not read it...but I'll probably get around to it )

My son had one of those games. It was 2 on 2 basketball. Big heads. I laughed so hard playing that game with him.

Cleveland pockets a seventh-round selection in 2024 from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for OT Leroy Watson IV. --------- 7th pick in the 7th round (227). So, with less than two weeks until the draft we now have: Round 2 (No. 54 overall) Round 3 (No. 85 overall) Round 5 (No. 156 overall) Round 6 (No. 206 overall) Round 7 (No. 227 overall) Round 7 (No. 243 overall)

Ya know those padded bonnets for the helmets that some of the players use in practice and/or scrimmages. Some day those will be mandatory.

That's more or less the 64k question. (the 'less' being that we don't think he'd be Charlie Frye bad) But there does exist the possibility that all of the missed time and all of the pressure to perform up to the standard of a 3 first round pick traded player...negativity towards him from part of the Browns fan base...lingering legal issues, etc. might weigh on him to the extant that he never returns to his previous level of play. I wouldn't bet $ either way.

Yeah, but it's been so long that I think that the When has become If.