Cleveland Browns:
- "Brady, Ngata, Reed, Matthews are types of players Lombardi can’t let slip away" (Canton Rep) - "If everyone agrees that NFL teams are best built through the draft — you’d go blind looking for two general managers who say otherwise — what does the expansion era say about Cleveland’s player pickers?"
- "Are Cleveland Browns bidding Pro Bowl aloha to Josh Cribbs, Phil Dawson?" (Plain Dealer) - "Aloha means goodbye, too. There are a couple reasons to watch the Pro Bowl Sunday. A few more if you also happen to have the flu and a broken leg. Let me rephrase. There are at least two good reasons to record the game."
- "Lingering Items--A Banner Edition" (TheClevelandFan.com) - "There are any number of ways to look at the upcoming Super Bowl and the local and national media won't tire of trying to tell you what that should be. But really if you're a Browns fan is there any other context than to look at the participants and use them as a benchmark for how far your team has to go? Didn't think so."
- "Random thoughts on the Cleveland Browns" (FS Ohio) - "Thoughts, observations and rambling incoherencies on some matters related to the Cleveland Browns: Item: Jimmy Haslam told reporters at the Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night that a decision on re-signing placekicker Phil Dawson would be up to new GM Mike Lombardi and the coaching staff."
NFL:
- "Report: Jake Long wants 'at least' $10 million annually" (PFT) - "Jake Long was once considered in many circles to be the best left tackle in football. His stock has fallen off dramatically due to myriad injuries and declining performance, and he’s slated to hit a deep free-agent market for offensive tackles this March."
- "New Jets GM Idzik calls Revis to explain situation" (AP) - "John Idzik was in full damage control mode in his first day at the New York Jets' facility. The newly hired general manager reached out to Darrelle Revis on Thursday, a few hours after the star cornerback wrote on Twitter that he was ''speechless'' about rampant trade rumors."
- "Charges won't be filed against 49ers' Crabtree" (AP) - "Criminal charges won't be filed against 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree after an alleged sexual assault in a hotel after the team's playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco's district attorney said Friday."
- "J.J. Watt suffers injury to finger on left hand in Pro Bowl" (PFT) - "Somewhere between splitting out as a wide receiver on the third play from scrimmage for the AFC and the midpoint of the first quarter, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt mangled a finger on his left hand."