Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (6/17/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• Kareem Hunt rumor: 1st team with interest in RB identified (Jared Mueller) - The Kareem Hunt story with the Cleveland Browns is likely over. The hometown kid excited fans with his passion, got paid well for being a backup running back in the NFL and has his production mostly fall off a cliff last year while requesting a trade or new contract.
• How does the Browns defense stack up in PFF’s rankings? (Thomas Moore) - Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and the coaching staff will continue the process of fixing the defense during training camp and the preseason, so in the meantime let’s take a look at how Pro Football Focus ranks Cleveland’s defensive talent heading into the 2023 season.
• NFL Supplemental Draft returns: Interesting WR prospect already approved (Jared Mueller) - The NFL Draft is big business. The NFL Supplemental Draft, not so much. But on Friday came news that the NFL Supplemental Draft will be held for the first time since 2019.

Cleveland Browns:

• Which AFC North secondary poses the biggest challenge to Deshaun Watson’s passing attack? (cleveland.com) - The Cleveland Browns’ trajectory — both this season and going forward — is tied directly to how well quarterback Deshaun Watson plays. But the Browns’ divisional foes are building schemes and secondaries with the opposite goals in mind.
• What’s left to be answered by Browns between minicamp and training camp? (Beacon Journal) - There are six weeks between the end of Browns minicamp in June and the official start of their training camp on July 22 in West Virginia. While there are no major issues hanging over the Browns this summer, there are still a few questions to be asked before they get to The Greenbrier Resort.
• Ranking the Browns’ position groups from strongest to weakest (Browns Wire) - The Cleveland Browns made significant upgrades to their roster, but did they leave any weak links behind?

NFL:

• Panthers’ Bryce Young put his ‘stamp on the locker room’ during OTAs (ESPN) - Carolina Panthers players knew management was taking a quarterback with the top pick of April’s NFL draft, but until commissioner Roger Goodell called out the name of Alabama’s Bryce Young, they weren’t sure which one. The ensuing group text among the players expressed overwhelming approval. Nothing that happened during offseason workouts, which came to a close Wednesday, changed that.
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba grateful for Seahawks’ patience with hamstring issue: ‘I feel like we are ready to go’ (NFL.com) - From emerging from the shadows of star teammates at Ohio State, to dealing with an injury that cost him most of his final season with the Buckeyes, Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s road to the NFL has already included a few twists and turns. His journey is guaranteed to include a few more. His new team, the Seattle Seahawks, is aiming to make that path as smooth as possible.
• Derek Carr laments tough ending with Raiders but hopes hard lessons helped (Associated Press) - New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr apologetically said he failed to give the Las Vegas Raiders the best version of himself last season and is focused on not letting that happen again with his new team.