Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (2/29/20)

Cleveland Browns:

• Andrew Berry bringing thoughtful approach to Browns’ GM job (NFL.com) - This was not the type of rebuild Andrew Berry was thinking about after being hired as vice president of football operations and general manager of the struggling Cleveland Browns last month. Only two weeks into the job, the slender 32-year-old realized his body was going through a transformation. Clothes that used to fit snuggly suddenly had some give to them.
• Packers exploring bid for Joe Schobert (Packers Wire) - The fate of the Green Bay Packers inside linebacker position is still being decided and Blake Martinez isn’t the only name in play. According to multiple agents who have been tracking the free-agent market, the Packers are exploring what it would take to sign former Wisconsin inside linebacker Joe Schobert of the Cleveland Browns.
• Browns taking lead in rectifying NFL’s diversity hiring issue (Beacon Journal) - During Jimmy and Dee Haslam’s tenure as Browns owners, the franchise has made its mark largely for its dysfunction, constant drama and a lack of continuity. But it has stepped to the forefront of the league in one regard. Since the Haslams assumed control in October 2012, the Browns have built a strong record on diversity hiring.
• Why being ‘aggressive’ has multiple meanings for Andrew Berry (clevelandbrowns.com) - In his introductory press conference earlier this month, Andrew Berry used the term “aggressive” when it pertained to how he planned to attack free agency. That same word came up this week at the 2020 NFL Combine. Berry made it clear his “aggressive” approach goes far beyond one area of roster building.

NFL:

• How Mike Mamula changed the NFL combine (ESPN) - Twenty-five years later, Mike Mamula’s combine performance remains mythical in NFL circles, a watershed moment in draft prep and player evaluation that, depending on whom you ask, stands as a testament to perfection through preparation or a warning to teams not to fall in love with the workout warriors.
• Cardinals to play game in Mexico City (arizonasports.com) - The Arizona Cardinals will play a game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City next season as the home team, they announced Friday. A date and opponent will be revealed at a later date.
• Alabama safety Xavier McKinney on NFL draft meeting with Patriots: ‘A little tough, a little awkward’ (USA Today) - Xavier McKinney felt awkward. Sure, one of the draft’s best safety prospects knows it’s a positive that he impressed the New England Patriots enough to score a combine interview. But the Alabama defensive star had questions.
• Punter With Arms ‘Like Logs’ Puts on a Show at the N.F.L. Combine (New York Times) - As Michael Turk, a 21-year-old punter out of Arizona State, approached the bench press at the N.F.L. draft scouting combine in Indianapolis on Thursday, he was cheered on by a crowd of prospects undoubtedly baffled by the sight of the only punter participating in the test. The crowd’s encouragement, and the enthusiasm of Turk’s spotter, Chad Englehart, helped power the special teams hopeful to 25 repetitions of 225 pounds — a record for a punter since the N.F.L. began keeping official combine statistics in 2003.