Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (2/12/22)

Cleveland Browns:

• Browns must draft a QB on Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft (Bleacher Report) - The mere mention of Baker Mayfield on social media will cause an avalanche of responses from the internet ether. He’s easily one of the NFL’s most divisive figures. Mayfield also serves as the most logical path forward for the Cleveland Browns in 2022. But the organization shouldn’t bank on a bounce-back year without having a contingency plan.

• D’Ernest Johnson discusses story of his improbable path to NFL on ‘Today’ show (clevelandbrowns.com) - D’Ernest Johnson’s story of his improbable path to the NFL continues to gain more and more national recognition. Johnson, a three-year veteran who carved his path to the pros after he was a mahi mahi fisherman in the Florida Keys, shared his story of perseverance and dedication Friday on NBC’s “Today” show with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. He was invited to discuss what drove him toward never giving up on his NFL dream and what it was like to enjoy his best season as a running back with the Browns in 2021.
• Austin Corbett shed Cleveland Browns bust label to become Super Bowl starter for L.A. Rams (Beacon Journal) - Austin Corbett still remembers Oct. 15, 2019, well enough to list the times he woke up, received a life-changing phone call from former Browns General Manager John Dorsey and departed Cleveland on a flight to Los Angeles. It’s the day Dorsey gave up on Corbett panning out as the first pick in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and traded the offensive lineman to the Los Angeles Rams for a fifth-round selection in 2021.
• Browns passed on Evan McPherson and must find a reliable kicker fast - even if it means drafting one (cleveland.com) - Before the 2021 NFL Draft, Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer went to watch kicker Evan McPherson work out. The Bengals took the leap and drafted McPherson in the fifth round. He was the only kicker drafted in 2021. In the end, it was the right choice, considering how instrumental and reliable he has been in the Bengals’ run to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday.

NFL:

• The wait is finally over: Sam Mills is a Pro Football Hall of Famer (nola.com) - he Field Mouse is going to Canton. The third and final time was the charm for Sam Mills. In his third year as a finalist and final year of eligibility as a modern-era candidate, the former New Orleans Saints linebacker made the cut and earned enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.
• At Long Last: Cliff Branch to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (raiders.com) - It’s never too late to live in football immortality. Legendary Raiders wide receiver Cliff Branch was officially selected to Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. Branch will posthumously be inducted into the Hall of Fame this August.
• Matthew Stafford over Jared Goff: Will Los Angeles Rams’ QB gamble pay off with Lombardi Trophy? (NFL.com) - The Los Angeles Rams are back in the Super Bowl three years after Sean McVay’s first opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The organization leaned all the way into its “stars and scrubs” roster construction over the past year, leveraging future draft picks to acquire Matthew Stafford and Von Miller. But is this year’s team better constructed to win when it matters most?
• Stand and Deliver: How Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford survive—and thrive—under pressure (The Ringer) - These QBs have been among the best in the league in plenty of categories this season, but especially how they perform under duress—something that will undoubtedly come in handy in this Super Bowl.