Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (4/8/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• Browns NFL Draft profile: DT Keeanu Benton could plug a big hole (Thomas Moore) - The Cleveland Browns have seen a revolving door at the defensive tackle position these past few seasons. General manager Andrew Berry will have another chance to address the situation in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Wisconsin defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection as a senior, might catch Berry’s eye if he is available when the Browns are on the clock in the third round.
• Report: ‘Dog’ of a slot corner has virtual meeting with Browns (Jared Mueller) - For the Cleveland Browns, CB Kei’Trel Clark is the player that I have found to be a perfect fit for the team. At the NFL combine, I shared about the Louisville Cardinals cornerback. Now comes a report that Cleveland has had a virtual meeting with Clark, the “dog” of a slot cornerback:
• NFL Draft Insight: Could LB Dee Winters be the Browns answer at linebacker? (Barry Shuck) - GM Andrew Berry has provided the Cleveland Browns with enough linebackers to begin the season. Anymore that comes out of the NFL draft will simply be for development or depth. Not so fast.
• The impressive nuance used by Browns offensive line (Jared Mueller) - For the Cleveland Browns, there is a reason they signed Bill Callahan to a new contract after the New York Jets tried to interview him for their offensive coordinator position. The nuance of the offensive line is difficult to understand from the outside but highly respected around the league.

Cleveland Browns:

• With offseason needs filled, Kevin Stefanski under pressure to make Browns contenders in 2023 (ESPN) - By any measure, the Cleveland Browns own one of the top rosters in the NFL. And so, the pressure has fallen on fourth-year head coach Kevin Stefanski to mold this talented group into a postseason participant, if not a Super Bowl contender. Anything less would constitute another major disappointment.
• A look at some of the Browns’ top 30 visits by NFL draft prospects (cleveland.com) - The Browns are in the midst of their top 30 visits at team headquarters in Berea, in which 30 non-local draft prospects can interview with club officials and undergo physical exams, but no on-field workouts are permitted.
• Draft on Tap: Rounding up the latest mock draft predictions for the Browns (clevelandbrowns.com) - The Browns entered the offseason knowing they would have to wait a while for their first pick in the 2023 draft. Now, after trading their second-round pick to the Jets for WR Elijah Moore and the 74th overall pick, they’ll wait a little longer.

NFL:

• Tennessee Titans, Jeffery Simmons agree to contract extension (The Tennessean) - The Tennessee Titans and star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons have agreed in principle to a four-year contract extension, ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported Friday.
• From Amazon to NFL hopeful: How FAMU’s Xavier Smith turned dreams to reality (ESPN) - Xavier Smith finished his high school playing career without much attention or fanfare. His dreams of playing football at a higher level appeared bleak. He didn’t have the snazzy statistics like some other prospects, and at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, he didn’t pass the eye test either. And now, he’s hoping his dreams will become a reality during the 2023 NFL draft after recently completing his college career at Florida A&M.
• Newly signed Buccaneers safety Ryan Neal ready to prove he’s ‘a legit starter’ (NFL.com) - Ryan Neal made his NFL career the hard way, going undrafted out of Southern Illinois in 2018. A restricted free agent, the Seahawks gave Neal a $2.63 million tender, and it appeared he’d continue his upward trend in Seattle. But after the Seahawks signed Julian Love, the club rescinded the tender, making him a free agent. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday, where he’ll have a clear shot at earning a starting role alongside Antoine Winfield Jr.