Daily Dawg Chow (2/20/12)

by Jon @ DBN on Feb 20, 2012 6:30 AM EST

Cleveland Browns:

"Eric Steinbach: Steinbach to become cap-casualty" (Rotoworld) - Don't get baited into a certain ESPN Insider (paywall) article about Eric Steinbach possibly out of Cleveland in 2012, similar to this one on Rotoworld. That rumor seems to stem from a simple answer in this week's "Hey, Mary Kay!" segment in The Plain Dealer.
"AFC North weekend mailbag" (AFC North Blog) - There's a short question and answer in there about Matt Flynn and Colt McCoy, which offers something other than more RG3 coverage.
"Browns’ two first-rounders is a fair price for the #2 pick" (WFNY) - If you're like me and don't mind all the RG3 perspectives, here's another. Craig Lyndall of WFNY makes the case that both of our first round picks is a fair asking price to move up.
"Cleveland Browns' football/soccer brainstorming a bizarre encounter" (Plain Dealer) - If you were curious about the strange news that Randy Lerner had the manager of his soccer team meet with Pat Shurmur, here's a lot more detail.

NFL:

"Source says WR Johnson doesn't expect Bills to use tag" (NFL.com) - This is fantastic news for Browns fans that are still holding out hope that we can somehow sign Stevie Johnson. The source said that the two sides are "far apart" in negotiations. Sadly, this is probably just Johnson's agent trying to scare the other side by going to the media.
"Avril hopes Lions don’t use franchise tag on him" (AP via Yahoo! Sports) - In more free agency news, Cliff Avril would rather have a deal than be franchised tagged. His agent said the talks are going slow.
"New York Daily News suggests Peyton could fill Jaworski’s chair" (PFT) - Today in Manning-Watch: We hear about a possible landing spot for Peyton Manning being... the ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast booth.
"The future of the franchise tag could be bleak, for players" (PFT) - Here's a really interesting look into the future of the franchise tag and how it doesn't look good for players.

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Adios Steinbach- hello Steve Hutchensen!

by Boston Browns on Feb 20, 2012 6:55 AM EST via mobile reply actions

isn’t Steinbach like 5 years younger than Hutchinson and still under contract with the Browns? I understand the whole cap casualty thing but I would think Steinbach has more upside and years left in his body than Hutchinson does.

by PaduaDSP on Feb 20, 2012 10:42 AM EST reply actions

Yeah, I don’t think Steinbach is going anywhere.

by Jon @ DBN on Feb 20, 2012 10:44 AM EST up reply actions

Hope not, that would not be a great upgrade. I would love Hutchinson as a 1-2 year stop gap in addition to him though.

by HenryDawg on Feb 20, 2012 10:58 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed. MKC is, as usual, just stirring the pot for lack of anything creative or relevant to write about.

I really appreciate the work here Jon, and have enjoyed the Daily Dog Chow feature, but that non-story about Aston Villa and the Browns was one of the most worthless pieces of crap that i’ve read by Livingston – which is saying a lot.

by Vududawg on Feb 20, 2012 1:05 PM EST up reply actions

Livingston just may be my least favorite columnist at the PD. We have had many a laugh at the lunch table over some of his nonsensical, rambling, run on sentences. A newspaper is supposed to be written with something like a 3rd grade reading comprehension level in mind. Sometimes it takes three or four Engineers several readings to figure out just what in the world he’s trying to say.

We also like to crack on Pluto for his “Scribbles in my notebook”, “Talking to Myself”, and other methods of copping out rather that writing an article.

Then again, Grossi was an arrogant ass and MKC is a schill in our eyes, so maybe we’re just too picky. I’ll take a well written piece on DBN over anything football related in the PD every day of the week.

What does that MEAN - TO PLAY US OUT?!!?!?

by DaveDawg09 on Feb 20, 2012 1:17 PM EST up reply actions

Amen, brother.

Sometimes I wonder if the blog-world we live in is a result of the vast amount of info out there, which necessitates the “blurb” style format, or if its just a reflection of our diminished intelligence and attention span.

For what its worth, I completely agree with your assessment of all of the above “journalists”. I don’t think its too much to ask that professional writers consistently provide relevant insight while still using correct style and grammar. There’s a hell of a lot of people who would love to cover the Browns… damn the notion of tenure.

by Vududawg on Feb 21, 2012 3:56 PM EST up reply actions

I hear you on that. Not everyone is going to enjoy every article I link to. I try to pick good stuff, but there’s not always that much Browns related news on a daily basis. As you probably have noticed, a lot of the time it’s going over the same topics.

by Jon @ DBN on Feb 20, 2012 3:54 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, I know you have a pretty limited pool to work with in a daily format like this. Please don’t take it as a complaint or insult, I dig the column.

by Vududawg on Feb 21, 2012 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

I understood where you were coming from.

by Jon @ DBN on Feb 21, 2012 5:00 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t think getting Hutchinson is completely out of the question. He was a Holmgren pick who signed with minny in Chilly’s first year there. I don’t think it will happen, but if it does they may try putting him at RG. I really don’t see it as just stirring the pot, there could be fire behind this smoke.

I teach good life choices. That's why I almost didn't graduate high school.
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by bross09 on Feb 20, 2012 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

Is there really smoke yet?

by Jon @ DBN on Feb 20, 2012 4:11 PM EST up reply actions

smoke in the sense that it was mentioned.

I teach good life choices. That's why I almost didn't graduate high school.
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by bross09 on Feb 20, 2012 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

If the article would have been about the difficulties for the Vikes in keeping him, and the attraction of Holmgren for Hutch coming here in FA, I would NOT have accused her of stirring the pot.

But when the focus is on letting one of our most reliable OLs walk for no solid reasons, I call that unfounded speculation.

By the way, I say hell yes, go after Hutch!

by Vududawg on Feb 21, 2012 4:02 PM EST up reply actions

I understand where you are coming from with that 2nd part. I do understand its a possibility, but kinda seems like it could be stirring the pot.

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by bross09 on Feb 21, 2012 5:27 PM EST up reply actions

I think this is the important part;

still under contract with the Browns

I don’t think there is any reason to cut him, even if he just becomes depth.

The Browns also have more cap space than probably 75% of the League, so I’m not sure that anybody needs to become a “cap casualty” at this point. That is of course, unless we made a big splash in free agency – which we know is not the M.O. of our F.O.

What does that MEAN - TO PLAY US OUT?!!?!?

by DaveDawg09 on Feb 20, 2012 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

What are we, 21 million under? If we have to franchise Jackson, that will cost 8.5 million. Draft picks will cost about 5-6 million. Then we have about 6-7 million to resign our guys and sign new guys. That 6 million could be important, especially if Hillis and Dawson get nice size contracts.

by browns8 on Feb 20, 2012 3:48 PM EST up reply actions

About 29 million under

by HenryDawg on Feb 20, 2012 4:22 PM EST up reply actions

The Browns should get Harry Redknap to talk to Shurmur . . .

by Les Fleurs Du Mal on Feb 20, 2012 10:44 AM EST reply actions

Get Harry in and we’ll have Manning on a 15 year contract for $45 a year, Hillis will be paying us to play, a new stadium, and a huge amount of interest from the FBI.

Allegedly…

....just need a guy called Byner to play RT...

by LondonBrown on Feb 20, 2012 12:11 PM EST up reply actions

’Arry was acquitted! COYS

by Les Fleurs Du Mal on Feb 20, 2012 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

Ive said a few times I wouldnt be terribly shocked if Steinbach were cut. the youth movement is in full effect and they may want to keep pinky at LG.

by -bobby- on Feb 20, 2012 11:54 AM EST reply actions

Great bit on Phil Taylor. I was skeptical about some fans saying he had a bad year or wasn’t worth the pick. Now I have some evidence to back up that gut feeling. Makes me want another awesome DE to complement Sheard (sp?) even more.

Is it he, Mario?

by BiggieBrown on Feb 20, 2012 12:13 PM EST reply actions

That’s where I’m leaning at the moment. Get a great DL in a 4-3 and you’re talking serious D.

....just need a guy called Byner to play RT...

by LondonBrown on Feb 20, 2012 12:16 PM EST up reply actions

Did I miss the thing on Taylor..

by -bobby- on Feb 20, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions

I did too. No idea what they’re talking about.

by Bumblyjack on Feb 20, 2012 2:28 PM EST up reply actions

I just went and looked for it, I didn’t see up there. There was a really interesting article about some of the “myths” from this season. The most interesting sections were about Phil Taylor and the myth that we only had a good pass defense because teams ran the ball constantly on us. It was really good and now I can’t find it. I will keep looking.

by BiggieBrown on Feb 20, 2012 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

It was on a fan shot by HenryDawg. Though I read as part of the Daily Dawg Chow. Here is the link.

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/cleveland-browns/1-browns-archive/9085-kibble-a-bits-post-super-bowl-thoughts

by BiggieBrown on Feb 20, 2012 2:51 PM EST up reply actions

That’s a pretty good article, the section on the pass defense’s stats in particular.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Feb 20, 2012 4:50 PM EST up reply actions

Stanford Routt signed with the Chiefs today. Is this a sign that they aren’t going to pay Brandon Carr?

by Bumblyjack on Feb 20, 2012 2:19 PM EST reply actions

Looks that way.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 20, 2012 7:37 PM EST up reply actions

How? Free agency hasn’t started yet?

XBL - TheRabbit087. Get at me.

by SpecialBrownie on Feb 20, 2012 7:41 PM EST up reply actions

He was cut by the Raiders.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 20, 2012 9:05 PM EST up reply actions

is that a quirk in the CBA? I don’t understand why a released player can sign before all the other free agents.

by PaduaDSP on Feb 20, 2012 2:25 PM EST reply actions

Because their contracts are “completed” when they are cut. As for the free agents, their contracts with their previous teams are still valid until the start of Free Agency.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 20, 2012 7:38 PM EST up reply actions

TCR

by alirenee on Feb 20, 2012 8:08 PM EST up reply actions

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 20, 2012 9:07 PM EST up reply actions

TCR

"We just lost to the Steelers 20 hours ago and that still hurts. I need to get home and eat a burrito." -Phil Dawson

by Adrock2099 on Feb 20, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

That’s what I found.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 21, 2012 9:29 PM EST up reply actions

This is the Correct response.. all the cool kids are using it

by alirenee on Feb 21, 2012 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

Oh, okay. Thanks.

Why did the Steeler fan grow a mustache? So he could look like his mother.

by Bernie19Kosar on Feb 21, 2012 9:29 PM EST up reply actions

Hmm, what could Alex McLeish teach Pat Shurmur? Given his track record he could teach a sucky team to suck a little bit less (Birmingham/Albion) and a struggling good team to struggle a lot more (Villa).

Honestly, I think he was sent over here to get a dose of optimism from the Browns guys. McLeish always has that gloom and doom look of despair at the slightest hint of trouble while Shurmur, Heckert, and Holmgren are maintaining a positive outlook.

Translation: There is nothing Alex McLeish could teach us and a lot some members of our staff could teach him, so I’m actually inclined to believe that Lerner sent him here to learn from us.

by Bumblyjack on Feb 20, 2012 2:27 PM EST reply actions

They could just be discussing how both teams’ points per game were very close to one another.

Resident Tim Couch Apologist.

by Dawg Nuts on Feb 20, 2012 4:24 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

I rec’d and then I cried.

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."
— Winston S. Churchill
I have the best wife - ever.

by JustBob on Feb 20, 2012 5:31 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs

Guys only real football talk please.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on Feb 21, 2012 11:54 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I have a hard time believing, after watching the embarrassingly bad guard play this past year, that we would let Steinbech go. It’s a position in which we have no depth and even less talent. Hopefully Pinkston keeps improving, and I know we are counting on him to… Luavo is the one who may be left in the cold when we bring in some competition in camp….

BUT, if somehow we’re not confident in his health, see ya Steinbech and a $7.4 million dollar cap hit

BUT, if we are confident in his health and for some reason need some cap room (unlikely) i could see a restructure as a possibility…

by alirenee on Feb 20, 2012 8:19 PM EST reply actions