https://twitter.com/MaryKayCabot/status/1677009908552589322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1677009908552589322%7Ctwgr%5E571f6f02edf36f21dcf990d841f95611e3acae3f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2023/07/06/browns-sign-thakarius-keyes/

@unsympathetic said:

Because our cap space is obviously infinite, let's trade for a guy on Washington's DL that some of us are familiar with.

Commanders declined Chase Young's 5th year option - 2023 is his last year under contract.

Why not at least think about it ...... remember when Chase looked like a can't miss Pro Bowl talent ?  Has he just lost the desire to stick it out there now and play NFL football  ?  

Commanders declined Chase Young's 5th year option - 2023 is his last year under contract.

Henry was originally signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of the University of Virginia. He spent training camp and the preseason with the Panthers before being released and eventually signed with the Atlanta Falcons in mid-October, where he spent most of the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad.

Despite not appearing in a regular season game, the Falcons signed Henry to a reserve/futures contract in January of this year but ultimately decided to waive him on May 15.

Henry played two seasons at Virginia after transferring from Saint Francis University. He appeared in 21 games for the Cavaliers, making five starts, and finished his two-year stint with 41 receptions for 809 yards and seven touchdown receptions.

Thedford has taken a circuitous route to the NFL as he started his college career as a defensive end at Southern Methodist University before transferring to Utah and converting to playing tight end.  An undrafted free agent in 2020, the 6-foot-6 and 325-pound Thedford has spent time with the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League, where he played tight end, and, most recently, with the Denver Broncos, who waived Thedford last week with an injury settlement as he is dealing with a hip flexor injury.

As for Haeg, the seven-year veteran joined the Browns in 2022 after playing four years with the Indianapolis Colts, one year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a single season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ended up appearing in one game last season with the Cleveland, playing one snap on offense.

The most notable part of Haeg’s release is that it clears $2 million in cap space for the moment, as only $500,000 of his $2.5 million base salary was guaranteed, which gives general manager Andrew Berry a little more room to work with in case he wants to add another player (“cough, DeAndre Hopkins, cough”) to the roster in the coming days.

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Another 6'3 WR for the bottom of the roster.

An un-injured Tillman would have gone substantially higher than where we got him.. he was the better WR on vols last year and most projections had him in rd2 anyway.  Could do a lot worse than having as an "NFL Comp" a 2022 pro bowl alternate last season despite bad QB play -- IND's Pittman.

Fun with draft comps on NFL.com: Zay Flowers comp was Travis Benjamin, Elijah Moore's comp was Antonio Brown, JSN's comp was Jarvis Landry

Also to anyone who "rather would have had Hyatt" -- Hyatt went in the 3rd because NFL teams viewed him as having less of a route tree than Tillman and having less skill vs press [hyatt is 170, tillman is 215].  Hyatt actually didn't slide -- Tillman did due to injury.

We know that Coach Schwartz loves his 1 gap fits.

We know that he is adverse to sending blitzes - as evidenced by being towards league bottom during his time in Philly hovering around the 20% mark.

His defenses consistently turn out top half pressure rates despite bottom 1/3rd blitz rates.

 The biggest reason is a coaching philosophy that trends towards a 'less is more' approach that minimizes the focus on the brute force of numbers, but instead maximizes the idea of creating ideal pass rushing lanes.   While there are multiple parts to creating lanes, one of the biggest is pre-snap alignment.    Smith's ability to rush from the edge, the DI and as a 2pt backer over either A gap really stands out as the ability Schwartz had identified as priority #1 for his last free agent piece.

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Smith's ability to get skinny when shooting the L-A gap is pretty damn crazy. 

 While I expect ZS's snap count to be a bit limited in the early going, it's who will fill in the other snaps that has me also intrigued.    Ogbo played a good deal of 2pt rusher in Houston, I'd suspect he takes not only the edge role, but the snaps when rushing over the Center.    Meanwhile Mcguire and Thomas should fill out nicely playing on the edge in the more 'base' 4 man fronts.

Browns sign CB Chris Westry

Cleveland adds some depth at cornerback with a player who has played for the Cowboys and Ravens.

he 6-foot-4 and 200-pound Westry was initially signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He landed on injured reserve for his rookie season and then spent the majority of the 2020 season on the practice squad in Dallas, although he did appear in two games that year, playing nine snaps on defense and 19 on special teams.

In 2021, Westry moved on to the Baltimore Ravens, appearing in six games and playing 184 snaps on defense and another 66 on special teams. He posted a nice tackling grade of 84.4 and a solid run defense grade of 79.7 from Pro Football Focus, but struggled in coverage with a grade of 50 and allowed a quarterback rating of 118.6 when targeted in coverage.

-----  Some think we'll be utilizing man coverage more this year.  As they'll be saying at Indy, "He's on the bubble."   

@tiamat63 said:

  Most GM's will show loyalty to "their guys" to a fault.

Spot On ! and hate it...

The roster bubble going to get real, on decisions made on keeping OL, DL, to DB's taking up 9 to____ spots at each position..

Large room of WR's (14)..  The number we've kept is 6... 

We may just stay roster slack at RB/TE? 4 has been the roster kept number at both positions. 3 looks it, at this time 

MKC/// "Bill Musgrave's coaching history focuses on coaching quarterbacks, but apparently he will be in advisory role for the overall operation of the offense".

LB'ers ? Berry has maintained keeping 6 as the roster number (2/3 mainly play ST's).. count 9 going into camp.. injury history may say not to reduce the roster size?/ but surely, stay on the radar, looking for some upgraded depth 

long             way            to          go...  stay tuned 

@unsympathetic said:

Aren't you happy we spent a second-round pick on a DE whose top pass-disruption skill is something normally mentioned as a skill of 300# plugger DT's? This is fine.

Follow-up question: Should Alex Wright be a professional football player in 2023?  Looking like there's one roster spot for both him and Thomas.

3rd rounder - and no, I wasn't happy then, I'm not happy about it now.  

 As of typing this, Isiah Thomas was the more complete football player.  However I.T. was a 7th rounder while Wright was a top 100 pick.  Most GM's will show loyalty to "their guys" to a fault.

@tiamat63 said:

6'7 Alex Wright getting his hands in the air up the middle? Easy, that's his best attribute

Aren't you happy we spent a second-round pick on a DE whose top pass-disruption skill is something normally mentioned as a skill of 300# plugger DT's? This is fine.

Follow-up question: Should Alex Wright be a professional football player in 2023?  Looking like there's one roster spot for both him and Thomas.

Interesting things I saw just week 1 alone.

ZS at the 4tech being used as an interior pass rusher.

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Back to a more "traditional" 5 tech.   Also in this pic, is 315lb Dalvin Tomlinson also parked on the edge as a 5tech.  

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ZS is able to use his quickness and strength to fire into and control the RG's outside shoulder.

Dalvin is actually out there doing his best Reggie White impression.  That's a big man to be playing outside.

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 This is really what I love to see and clearly what the Browns front office has (FINALLY) come around on.    You need a complete pass rush.  There's zero interior pocket integrity, and Dalvin Tomlinson has actually gotten around on the edge here.  No room for Rodgers to step up, and no where to go laterally to buy time to throw.   

  This rep ended up with Aaron having to eat this potential throw and Smith getting the sack.    You'll notice the red line, where previously its been bent out towards the Brownies defense the past year...  That wasn't the case in Minny.  They re-establish and control the LoS - something Schwartz will have nothing less than in 2023.  

It really is impressive with the presence of Tomlinson, Smith, Ogbo, Mcguire, Isiah Thomas, Wright, and Myles just what combinations can be thrown at an Oline in passing downs/distances.

 You want Myles to rush more on the interior? Not a problem, we have Ogbo and Smith on the edge.  You want 6'7 Alex Wright getting his hands in the air up the middle? Easy, that's his best attribute.   Do you want to bluff that double A-gap with Obgo and JOK and play a game called "who's it gonna be?"...      All these tools and all of those looks are now available to our defensive coaches. 

@vambo said:

Browns add safety Rodney McLeod to secondary

How does a safety score a 1 yard TD?

 This signing feels a lot like a targeted mentorship role with a large dose of insurance policy. 

 Off Browns topic - Bills signed Poona Ford.  That hurts, would have loved to seen him here over either of Hurst or Hill signings. 

@vambo said:

McLeod is lauded by coaches for his leadership

I like having at least one savvy veteran back there somewhere.  Go Schwartz!

@vambo said:

Browns sign Colby Gossett

depth baby depth,we gonna rock this year

@nickers said:

According to Socials.. Jed doesn't like it here...

Why?  Are they asking him to block more than three and a half seconds?

@nickers said:

Strange... According to Socials.. Jed doesn't like it here...

Not strange. As much as I am ready to give up on Jed too, given his utterly disappointing play, there is no value in letting him go. 

Maybe he gets some reps at RT, or is included in a trade. At worst, you have a player on a rookie deal a little longer. 

@gumby73 said:

Browns agree to 5th year option on T Jedrick Wills...

Report: Browns make decision on Jed Wills 5th-year option

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2023/5/1/23706360/browns-jedrick-wills-jed-wills-fifth-year-option

Strange... According to Socials.. Jed doesn't like it here...

Report: Browns make decision on Jed Wills 5th-year option

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2023/5/1/23706360/browns-jedrick-wills-jed-wills-fifth-year-option

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2023/04/browns-re-sign-guard-michael-dunn-for-depth-as-offseason-program-gets-underway.html