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- Reggie Langhorne’s story: Grandma’s porch, 19 receivers, Marty’s challenge (Terry Pluto) - “I just realized I’ve been selling cars longer than I played in the NFL.” That’s what Reggie Langhorne said when explaining how he came to the Browns. Langhorne is in his 10th year with Serpentini Chevrolet of Westlake. He spent nine years catching passes for the Browns and Indianapolis, his last pro season being 1993.
- Curtis Weaver ‘ready to hit the ground running’ after missing rookie season (clevelandbrowns.com) - The Cleveland Browns’ belief in Curtis Weaver still appears to be strong. Even though they bolstered the position with three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney and 2017 first-round pick Takkarist McKinley in free agency, the Browns were content with not using a pick on a defensive end in the 2021 draft, where many analysts and mock draft experts believed they’d use an early pick to add to the group. That didn’t happen, which makes Weaver one of a handful of defensive ends vying for roles behind Myles Garrett, Clowney and McKinley.
- The Browns rarely draft Buckeyes, so they must see something in DT Tommy Togiai (News 5 Cleveland) - On Saturday during the 2021 NFL Draft, general manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns were busy adding defensive pieces to the roster, from cornerback Greg Newsome II to linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. But the defensive line’s interior still needed to be addressed. Cue Tommy Togiai.
- Browns draft shows they’re willing to bend their own rules a little if it will help the team (Browns Zone) - General manager Andrew Berry is well aware of the scouting report on the analytics-forward front office led by him and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta. So Berry couldn’t resist cracking a joke after the Browns traded up seven spots to select Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at No. 52 in the second round last Friday.
NFL:
- Bears’ next QB dilemma is when to play Justin Fields (ESPN) - It’s not an overstatement to call quarterback Justin Fields’ arrival in Chicago the city’s most celebrated sports moment since the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. The Bears — almost universally panned for their spotty Day 1 draft record over the past decade — administered a shot of adrenaline to the fan base when they pulled off a draft-night blockbuster trade with the New York Giants in order to move up nine spots and select Fields 11th overall.
- NFL informs teams they can hold training camp off-site again (NFL.com) - The NFL informed teams on Friday they will be allowed to conduct training camp away from their team facilities if they so choose, but must prepare and submit a full infectious disease emergency response (IDER) plan to the league.
- No cutting players because they are unvaccinated (Associated Press) - An NFL team can’t release a player simply because he is not vaccinated for COVID-19, a person with direct knowledge of the league’s directive told The Associated Press on Friday. Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane hypothetically suggested this week that he’d do so if it would provide more freedom within the team facilities for meetings and offseason programs.
- Giants reportedly livid Eagles traded up ahead of them to select DeVonta Smith at 2021 NFL Draft (CBS Sports) - The New York Giants were all-in on DeVonta Smith, until their plans were foiled by their NFC East rivals. The Philadelphia Eagles, who were one spot behind the Giants heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, traded up with the Dallas Cowboys — of all teams — to select Smith with the No. 10 overall pick (one spot ahead of the Giants).