Daily Dawg Chow: Browns news (3/31/22)

Cleveland Browns:

• Browns GM responds to criticism over Deshaun Watson contract (Larry Brown Sports) “We have enough to worry about with our own team and our own roster. We can’t realistically make decisions with our competitors in mind. So that’s not something that we’ve really given a lot thought to.”
• Paul DePodesta confident Browns got both sides of Deshaun Watson intel; they’ll showcase his dual-threat ability despite risks: Browns Takeaways (Cleveland.com) “It was again, just sort of so detailed, so thorough. ... [It] really was pretty remarkable the lengths everybody went to to get comfortable with the situation.’’
• Garafolo: Baker Mayfield has been throwing with veteran WRs (NFL.com) “NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo: Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been throwing with veteran wide receivers.”
• Analyst Names 2 Darkhorse Teams For Baker Mayfield (Browns Nation) “Open it! Go to the 2-year window. Who is going to need a quarterback in 2023? Look at some of these contracts and … what teams can exit (their quarterback commitments)?”
• 8 Players The Browns Should Draft (YouTube) Quincy Carrier assesses some draft prospects which should be available to the Browns at pick 44 and beyond.

NFL:

• NFL notebook: Arians steps down as Bucs’ coach, Bowles takes over (St. Louis Post Dispatch) “I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another,” Arians said in a statement released by the team. “... I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition — everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.”
• Vikings agree on deal to bring back CB Patrick Peterson (Washington Post) “The 31-year-old Peterson had a solid first season with the Vikings in 2021, by far their most reliable cornerback in pass coverage.”
• Bears sign ex-Arizona safety Dane Cruikshank (Arizona Desert Swarm) “Cruikshank goes from playing on one of the NFL’s best teams to joining a Bears franchise in rebuilding mode under new head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles.”
• Digesting the New NFL Overtime Rules, How to Build a Data Driven League (YouTube) Pro Football Focus’s Kevin Cole and Sam Schwartzstein break down and discuss the new NFL overtime rules in the latest edition of Unexpected Points