Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (3/20/13)

Cleveland Browns:

• "In booting Phil Dawson, Cleveland Browns take a calculated risk" (Plain Dealer) - "When I heard that Phil Dawson had signed with San Francisco, I thought back to a long conversation that I had with him at the start of the 2012 training camp."
• "The Browns are right to lay low with Lombardi" (WFNY) - "There’s no getting around the fact that Michael Lombardi was a controversial hire for the Cleveland Browns. Lombardi’s previous history in Cleveland as well as his presumed track record – including a very long stint off of any team payrolls – is plenty of reason to give the fan-base and the Cleveland media pause at minimum."
• "Weeden's grip on QB job grows stronger" (AFC North Blog) - "When Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam declared last month there would be a quarterback competition, the team was linked to every available quarterback. Would the Browns bring in Alex Smith? Michael Vick? Matt Moore? How about Matt Hasselbeck?"
• "Browns owner Jimmy Haslam: We're not going to go 13-3 next year" (ESPN Cleveland) - "Managing expectations: Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said he’s excited about the additions his team has made since the 2013 league year began this month."

NFL:

• "Proposed RB helmet rule is only fair" (ESPN) - "The most important news coming out of this week's NFL owners meetings doesn't involve Wes Welker's defection to Denver, Jeffrey Lurie's push for a Super Bowl in Philadelphia or the possible abolition of the 'tuck rule.' Instead, it's all about the league trying to legislate what running backs do with their noggins."
• "NFL considering major changes to Pro Bowl" (NFL.com) - "The future of the Pro Bowl has been a front-and-center topic at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, and structural changes to the financial awards and selection of teams are on the table, a high-ranking league official said Tuesday."
• "Cap restrictions, draft philosophy make grading free agency tough" (CBS Sports) - "How do I grade the first week of free agency when I am not a big believer in throwing money around to sign guys? It's a tough dilemma. Do you give high grades to the teams that did nothing, the Steelers and the Packers, because they are so draft-centric?"
• "Rex Ryan: Jets not actively dangling Revis" (AP) - "Rex Ryan is like every coach: He doesn't want to see his best player leave. Yet even while Ryan was saying Tuesday that the New York Jets are not actively pursuing a trade of Darrelle Revis, he sounded prepared to enter the 2013 season without his star cornerback."