IN THE FOLD — Now that all the healthy draft picks are signed to five-year deals, the strategy looks good in the long term. But as I wrote before, the holdouts are one factor that could hurt the Browns this year. Judging from a fairly lackluster performance in today’s scrimmage against Buffalo, there’s a lot […]

Chris (no relation to Betty) Crocker is the latest rookie holdout to sign a contact. The third round pick out of Marshall agreed to one of those five-year deals that the Browns are insisting on. At a certain point, these youngsters — whose agents hate the idea of deferring possible free agency — lose their […]

Chaun Thompson reportedly said at minicamp that he’d “play for free” (though I can’t seem to Google it up). No one took him literally. But now it looks like Carmen Policy will come closer to granting the holdout rookie linebacker his wish. If he doesn’t sign by Thursday, the Browns will lower their offer. I […]

This interesting profile of QB Spergeon Wynn, the Browns’ sixth-round pick in 2000, contains all sorts of descriptions that those who suffered through his rookie year will find rather amusing. “Stunning physical attributes” “has the arm strength to match the prodigious gunboats he plants on the field” “a heater that would impress Brett Favre” “His […]

Have you seen the Browns’ new logo design thingy? It’s a football with a “B” inside, and it’s already finding its way onto the merchandise. Depending on your point of view, the “B” can stand for Browns, Berea, Butch, Bernie, or (the only two-fer on the roster) Brant Boyer (unless you think rookie free agent […]

Finally, Faine’s in the fold. The first-round pick ended his holdout and will be at practice on Tuesday. I’m looking forward to some vivid training camp reports of feisty showdowns between Faine — presumed to be the new starting center — and defensive tackle Gerard Warren, himself a former first-round pick and rookie holdout.

Now the real pressure starts. Rookie long-snapper Ryan Pontbriand, a surprise fifth-round draft pick, became the first of the team’s 2003 picks to sign. He inked a five-year deal today. Perhaps the re-signing of Bryan Pittman helped convince Pontbriand that a holdout was no longer in his best interest. In any case, he can now […]

As training camp is underway (for all but the Browns’ draft picks, anyway) news and views abound, so check out some of the links at right. From where I sit, here are the latest up and down ticks in the stock of individual players. Sure, camp has just begun, but it will fly by, as […]

The Browns are now the only team in training camp without any of their draft picks signed. This is discouraging, and it’s starting to irk Butch Davis, who at first downplayed the importance of the rookie-only practices, then warned the holdouts that they were hurting their own chances. Sure, at face value it seems inexplicable […]

This American Prospect piece, written by a Browns fan, speaks eloquently to the role that sports has played in our civil life. In decrying ESPN’s hiring of Rush Limbaugh, Michael Tomasky points out that one more facet of American community life is at risk. “One fundamentally healthy thing about sports fandom is that, if I’m […]