Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (6/17/13)

Cleveland Browns:

• "Browns Hire Architect As Planning For FirstEnergy Stadium Renovations Move Forward" (92.3 The Fan) - "Earlier this year the home of the Cleveland Browns got a new name, now a major facelift is in the works. Owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have made it no secret that FirstEnergy Stadium is in need of an overhaul."
• "Browns Film Room: Shawn Lauvao" (DraftBrowns.com) - "After playing in 42 games and starting in 33 games in his three-year NFL career, it is officially time for Cleveland Browns’ right guard Shawn Lauvao to live up to his status as the 92nd overall pick (third round) in the 2010 NFL Draft. After missing the first six games of his career with an ankle injury, Lauvao played in 10 games and started in one to finish out his rookie campaign."
• "What Barkevious Mingo’s Browns contract might look like" (WFNY) - "Barkevious Mingo hasn’t signed a deal with the Browns just yet, even as he was on hand for the new sign to be placed on what will now be known as FirstEnergy stadium. With the new collective bargaining agreement and rookie wage slotting, it’s only a matter of time before Mingo’s deal gets done."
• "FirstEnergy signs appear on Cleveland Browns Stadium" (Beacon Journal) - "Workers from Sign-Lite of Cleveland installed FirstEnergy’s name on Cleveland Browns Stadium Friday as part of the renaming of the pro-football facility. FirstEnergy is paying $102 million over 17 years to name the facility FirstEnergy Stadium: Home of the Cleveland Browns."

NFL:

• "Sources: WR Cruz signs contract tender" (AP) - "Wide receiver Victor Cruz has signed his $2.879 million tender with the New York Giants. Two people familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Friday that the restricted free agent with three years in the NFL had signed the tender while he works on a long-term deal with the Giants."
• "Arian Foster of Houston Texans downplays calf strain" (NFL.com) - "Houston Texans running back Arian Foster was sporting crutches three weeks ago after going down with what coach Gary Kubiak termed a 'pretty good calf strain.' But wide receiver Andre Johnson quickly downplayed the severity of the injury. Now, Foster is doing the same."
• "After tryout, Jets sign TE Winslow to 1-year deal" (AP) - "Kellen Winslow Jr. turned a three-day tryout into another chance at reviving his NFL career. The former Pro Bowl tight end was signed to a one-year deal by the New York Jets on Friday after a solid performance during the team's minicamp this week."
• "Vladimir Putin denies stealing Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring" (CBS Sports) - "Get ready for another Cold War -- or at least a war of words between Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Earlier this week, the Patriots owner insinuated that Putin stole Kraft's $25,000 Super Bowl XXXIX ring while Kraft was visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005."