The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Sunday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns and the rest of the NFL have been busy the past two weeks evaluating talent at both the Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.
With the Browns back in the market for a quarterback and holding the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, gathering as much information as possible on the available candidates is more important than ever.
General manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, along with the rest of the talent evaluation team, will now turn their focus to the NFL Scouting Combine, which takes place in Indianapolis from February 27 to March 2.
It is good that the Browns are picking as high as they are as this year’s quarterback class is not considered especially deep after the presumed top two of Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Even though there are rarely ever sure things when it comes to the draft, Cleveland needs to gather as much intel as possible if they do go with a quarterback with the second pick, or trade down and take one later, they need to get this one right.
The Browns have lost an incredible amount of goodwill after the Deshaun Watson trade did not work out, and if they somehow manage to mishandle this latest opportunity it is fair to wonder if that would signal the end of Berry and Stefanski’s time in Cleveland.
There is still plenty of time to figure that all out, so for now let’s kick off the first Sunday since September without an NFL game with the latest edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
- Browns reportedly losing another coach to college (Jared Mueller) – Nemo Washington, a coach as a part of the Bill Willis Coaching Fellowship the last two years, is reportedly joining former Desean Jackson’s staff at Delaware State as their offensive coordinator.
- Senior Bowl: LB Demetrius Knight former QB has coverage skills to play right away (Barry Shuck) – South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight is a menace at linebacker, something that Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to have on his defense.
- 5 players from the Senior Bowl that could transform the Browns roster (Damon Wolfe) – The Cleveland Browns have had an inside look magnified by having a heavy presence on the coaching staff. After evaluating the week in Mobile, their are five players who really stand out as realistic draft picks to improve the team.
Cleveland Browns:
- Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart on the ex-Brown he admires, and his 1st-round grade from a Super Bowl winner (cleveland.com) – Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, whom the Cleveland Browns scouted all week at the Senior Bowl, counts former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as one of the three NFL passers he most admires.
- 5 Shrine Bowl standouts who fit Cleveland Browns positional needs (Beacon Journal) – Today we will look at five players whose performances at the Shrine Bowl could lead them to a prominent spot in the Browns’ draft plans.
- Browns Senior Bowl mock draft: Which participants could be on Cleveland’s radar? (The Athletic) – After spending the week watching Senior Bowl practices — and observing Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry watch the practices — it’s time to start thinking about which potential draft picks might not only fit the Browns but would help them turn things around.
- Hey, Browns, maybe draft a quarterback (Browns Zone) – So as a public service to the Cleveland Browns, and to you, the Browns’ fans, I have been working assiduously on my mock draft for the upcoming NFL Draft. I am not sure when or where the draft is this year, but I am sure that when it starts, I’ll be ready.
NFL:
- Titans meet with Shedeur Sanders, talk evaluation process (ESPN) – Roughly eight members of the Tennessee Titans brass sat dialed in as 22-year-old Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders smiled while answering questions during a meeting last week at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco, Texas. It was the first of many conversations about Sanders potentially becoming the future face of the franchise.
- NFL could use electronics, but no chips, to measure first downs next season (Washington Post) – The NFL is considering the use of optical tracking cameras to determine the line to gain, but the ball would still be spotted manually by the on-field officials.
- Ravens’ Justin Tucker faces new allegations from 3 massage therapists (The Baltimore Banner) – Three additional massage therapists are accusing Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker of sexually inappropriate behavior.
- Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase looking for ‘what’s fair’ in new contract (nfl.com) – Ja’Marr Chase’s astonishing 2024 season couldn’t have come at a better time. The Cincinnati Bengals’ star wide receiver led the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17) this season, becoming just the sixth wideout in the Super Bowl era to achieve the receiving triple crown. Those stats figure to play into him generating big numbers in terms of a new contract, and the 24-year-old is looking to earn “what’s fair” as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.