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- John Johnson III says joining Browns ‘no-brainer’ (Beacon Journal) - John Johnson III called joining the Browns “a no-brainer” and “an opportunity of a lifetime” after he passed his physical and signed his contract Friday morning at team headquarters.
- Takk McKinley: ‘If I want to be in this league, I have to start acting like it’ (cleveland.com) - Browns new defensive end Takk McKinley showed up for his introductory press conference Friday nattily-attired in a jet black suit and pink tie, eager to show the world that he’s dressed for success.
- Middle linebacker Anthony Walker leaves lots of admirers in Indianapolis (Browns Zone) - As the Browns celebrated, the Colts mourned. Cleveland signed free agent middle linebacker Anthony Walker to a one-year, $3.5 million deal Friday. He will replace B.J. Goodson, who’s a free agent after exceeding expectations in his lone year with the Browns.
- John Johnson III could make Browns secondary among league’s best (ESPN) - The Browns had a huge need at safety coming into free agency and filled it with one of the top safeties on the market in Johnson.
NFL:
- Steelers re-sign WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (triblive.com) - The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting their top free agent wide receiver back in the fold, but they could be losing one of their top cornerbacks.
- Matthew Stafford excited to play for contender (NFL.com) - Matthew Stafford had to explain his move west to his young daughters, he said Friday, so he and his wife simply told them they were moving to the beach. Inglewood isn’t quite the beach, of course, but it’s close enough, and when compared with Detroit around this time of year, you can’t beat the weather. And we haven’t even mentioned the football upgrades yet.
- End of an era: Cincinnati Bengals cut Geno Atkins (cincinnati.com) - A source told The Enquirer at the conclusion of the 2020 regular season that the Cincinnati Bengals were going to have a discussion with eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins about his future. Those conversations have happened, and the result is the 12-year veteran is starting a new chapter in his career. The Bengals released Atkins on Friday, coach Zac Taylor said.
- Jaguars coach Urban Meyer calls the NFL’s legal tampering period ‘awful’ (CBS Sports) - Urban Meyer will experience many firsts during his first year as an NFL head coach. Meyer — who became head coach of the Jaguars on Jan. 14 and is currently going through his first free agency — made over two dozen transactions during the first several days of free agency, beginning with the league’s two-day legal tampering period.