Chew on this

If DB Jereme Perry makes the team and appears in a game for the Browns this season -- and his odds are pretty decent -- he will become the first "sandwicher" of the new Browns era. I use the term to mean a player who appears in a regular season game for the Browns both before and after appearing in a regular season game for another NFL team.

My tally shows that three men who played for the original Browns returned to the reborn franchise in 1999: Jerry Ball, Orlando "Zeus" Brown, and Antonio Langham. But no one yet has left the "new" Browns and returned.

For the record, other "sandwichers" in Browns history include Paul Warfield, Ernest Byner, "Turkey" Joe Jones, Jim Ninowski, and Jack Gregory. Am I missing anyone?

Back forty

As someone born in 1968, I love this NFL Films video. Enjoy Warfield's grace, a ball-hawking secondary, a great period soundtrack, and gems like this from mouth of Gib Shanley:

Twenty-six-year-old Milt Morin is the biggest, most effective tight end in Browns history. Once he's loose in the secondary, he has the awesome force of an irate hippopotamus.

50 turns 51

The Browns think they may have landed something of a ringer by drafting Beau Bell in the fourth round. Time will tell, but today is as good a time as any to reflect briefly on another linebacker that the Browns acquired to play inside on their 3-4 defense.

A mere 26 years ago, Tom Cousineau came home. The St. Ed's stud and Ohio State All-American signed the biggest contract in Browns history at the time, $3.5 million over five years. Today, he turns 51.

He didn't come cheap, and not just monetarily either. If you think the Browns overpaid for Brady Quinn, Corey Williams, and Shaun Rogers (I don't, but again, time will tell), check out what the Browns sent to Buffalo in trade: their first-round pick in '83 (used on Hall of Famer Jim Kelly), their third in '84 and their fifth in '85.

Cousineau was the draft's first overall pick in 1979, but he signed with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes after feeling slighted by the Bills.

Three years later, amid much hubbub, including a still-very-readable cover story in Sports Illustrated, the curly-haired 25-year-old began his NFL career with high expectations and some talented teammates. The linebacking corps included Clay Matthews, Chip Banks, Dick Ambrose, and Eddie Johnson.

Browns owner Art Modell's quote is interesting in retrospect:

"I know that if Cousineau performs, nobody will care what I signed him for. If he doesn't, it'll be Modell's biggest boner ever."

He played four seasons in Cleveland, at times quite well. Number 50 made his fair share of tackles (including the pictured gang tackle of Kellen Winslow), but never a Pro Bowl. He finished his career with two seasons as a backup in San Francisco, then resettled in northeast Ohio, where he still lives.

He wasn't a bust, but neither was he the breakthrough player that my teenaged enthusiasm envisioned. Still, no other former Buckeye (with the possible exception of Pepper Johnson) has had a better Browns career since Cous came home.

All right by me

As the Browns sort through their impressions of the rookie minicamp, signing seven of the 54 tryout players and dropping six of the recently-signed UDFAs, plus practice squad holdover RB Kory Chapman, it's nice to see my favorite current Brown, Joshua Cribbs, make Sports Illustrated's listing of the top UDFAs between 1994 and 2005.

Supersized census a smart strategy

Gotta like the idea of inviting a whopping 54 players to try out this weekend's minicamp. Yep, that's in addition to the five draftees and 15 undrafted free agents signed this week.

Some of the tryout invitees played for big-time programs and slipped through the cracks in the draft and the ensuing flurry of signings. Others are admitted longshots, including Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure's 29-year-old son.

This big group of hopefuls not only provides ample personnel for some meaningful practices, but also serves a positive PR function for the Browns organization.

Before the draft, Phil Savage said the Browns sent letters to every college in Ohio informing them of the weekend tryout situation. The Browns, as the letter said, would need bodies in order to have a full practice, and any eligible player who'd like to take a crack at the NFL would be considered for the opportunity.

"They can always say they wore that orange helmet and played for the Cleveland Browns, if only for one weekend," Savage said.

This proves that the regime's earlier efforts to bring in players with local ties (Cribbs, Fraser, Zastudil, Stewart, Bentley, et al) were not just tokenism, not that I had any doubt. It does help cement the Browns as a destination employer in regional football circles.

That's a little jargony, I know. But really, I'm strongly in favor of anything that helps localize pro sports teams, counteracting the prevailing, all-too-accurate perception that athletes are just mercenaries who'll follow the money wherever it leads them, at the expense of continuity, cameraderie, connections, community.

Of course the Browns should and do go anywhere to secure the talent necessary to win. But if they become known as a franchise that looks with extraordinary care for gems in their own backyard, then that becomes one more great reason to root them on. It ain't just cheering for the laundry. It's supporting a local institution that offers tangible hope to the thousands of young area athletes at all levels who strive to excel at the sport.

It helps paint their football dreams in brown and orange.

Now back to the nitty-gritty. NFL owners recently beat back a proposal to expand the off-season roster above the current limit of 80. The demise of NFL Europa and the NFL pre-season roster exemptions for its players will make things even tighter this summer as teams prepare for cutdowns to the 53-man limit for the grueling regular season.

The roster on the official site currently lists 90 players, so any given tryout player will need to show something amazingly special pretty darn fast to have even the slightest chance at a brief Browns career. Realistically, the best he can hope for is to merit a callback should opportunities later arise at his position. A spot on the eight-man practice squad would be his ceiling for 2008.

Still, the large tryout is no mere formality. In this salary-capped era, there are only so many ways of getting a competitive edge. The gradual but huge expansion of coaching staffs has been one strategy. Making full use of the scouting department's work, plus scouring the small schools other teams probably overlooked, just makes good sense.

Mining through a mass of raw talent, if it has even a ten-percent chance at yielding a golden flash like Josh Cribbs, is well worth the catering bill.

Zahursky's dirty nose

Beat writer Steve Doerschuk has a nice blog post today, reflecting on some of the undrafted free agents of the Browns' recent past. Relive the brief but unforgotten Browns careers of Bill Duff, C.J. Jones, "Sweaty" Rob Smith, and Clint Stickdorn here.

Cake for four

Several ex-Browns birthdays today. Each of these guys had good NFL careers, with their best seasons being played for the benefit of other teams. Oddly enough (or is it evenly enough?), their birth dates are separated by exact decades:

• Tony Peters is 55
• Mark Bavaro is 45
• Earl Holmes is 35.

And Bob Briggs is 63. Even though he doesn't quite fit the descriptions given to the other three, I'm wishing him a happy birthday too, based on the facts that he a) was born in the same city as I, and b) shares the same alliterative initials as the Browns' top draft pick this weekend.

Mortgaging the future no crisis

For the second straight year, Phil Savage has traded away a future pick to load up on draft day. This time, he did it twice. He sent next year's third-rounder for Dallas' mid-fourth, used on Missouri TE Martin Rucker. Then, he reacquired the sixth-rounder sent to Philly for Hank Fraley by giving them next-year's fifth. With that, he drafted Wisconsin receiver Paul Hubbard.

To some, this might seem like mortgaging the future a little bit. That's exactly what it is: paying a future premium for something you couldn't otherwise acquire today. Happens all the time when people buy houses.

Maybe it's the wrong economy for such an analogy, but I'll risk it. These moves can be useful, wise even, if a) they finance assets that don't depreciate, or at least not too quickly, and b) the price paid -- the interest rate, if you will -- is not too high.

Last year, the gambit was for Brady Quinn. It's still too soon to know what value he'll ultimately provide, but there's no reason to think any less of him as a QB prospect now than when he was drafted. And since the Browns went 10-6, the first-round pick Dallas got as part of the trade was much less valuable than most thought it would be. So it seems like a good deal.

This year, the measures will be whether a) Rucker and Hubbard at least make the 53-man roster, and b) the Browns make the playoffs and thus drive down the value of the 2009 picks they surrendered.

Part of me suspects that since so much work goes into draft preparations, Savage was exceedingly willing to extend himself in order to achieve more immediate outcomes, i.e. land more quality players. But players are not outcomes in themselves; they are instruments toward winning.

If these young offensive weapons help the team in '08 and beyond, it will be worth it.

Rucker's case is easier to defend at first glance. Winslow's career longevity is far from assured. Heiden just had back surgery and is already 31. So is third-stringer Dinkins. The highly-productive Rucker will get plenty of early reps in Chud's TE-friendly offense, probably make this team one way or the other, and see rookie action on special teams at least.

The Hubbard situation will be interesting. Most teams keep five WRs. The Browns already have Edwards, Stallworth, Jurevicius, and Cribbs. If they're healthy (a very big if in JJ's case), that leaves just one spot up for competition among Hubbard, Cleveland native Steve Sanders, 2006 third-rounder Travis Wilson, veteran workout warrior Kevin Kaspar, and two other young holdovers, Syndric Steptoe and Efrem Hill.

You just don't make a point to acquire an extra pick and then try to sneak him onto the practice squad.

Now, it may be that while Hubbard was chosen with the reacquired pick, the trade was in fact made in order to draft NT Ahtyba Rubin with the adjacent pick, and Savage simply chose to turn in Rubin's card first.

These complexities are part of what makes the draft fun, even after it happens.

I'll promise that if the Browns make the Super Bowl and thus put their two foregone '09 picks at the end of those rounds, I won't complain, even if the targets of those trades soon prove to be wildly errant shots.

Phil and his scouts deserve a wide berth. And with an ascendant team, trading away a few of next year's second-day picks for an early chance at some long-term staying power seems like a sound strategy.

Egregious Snub Publishing Nitwits

So according to ESPN, the Browns never had a first-round pick before Tim Couch came along.

And Baltimore? Well, their draft lineage is the one that includes Ozzie Newsome, Clay Matthews, Eric Metcalf, yes, even Steve Everitt!

Granted, more than half of the top picks between '68 and '95 failed to pan out. Still, they were made by the team known then and now as the Browns, not the Modells.

We'll take ownership of our ineptitude, thank you very much. Now you're on the clock, ESPN.

(via commenter John at the ecstatic Rubin brothers' Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times.)

Far-flung fields

This is only tangentially related to the Browns, but I had no idea that Condoleezza Rice used to date Rich Upchurch.

Rice: the National Security Adviser during the worst security failure in U.S. history, then the Secretary of State during a precipitous decline in American prestige. But, hey, she's a heckuva Browns fan.

Upchurch: a native of Toledo and one of the best punt returners in NFL history. He took two Don Cockroft boots to the house in the Browns' ignominious 44-13 loss in Denver in 1976.

Wonder why it didn't work out...

Sweet schedule worth saving

Courtesy of Browns fan BuckFigBen, here's an outstanding version of the 2008 schedule, with a PDF version here.

What's high in the middle...

When a runner like Jamal Lewis is your workhorse, and your young QB lit it up last year largely because he managed to get the ball out of there promptly, the interior of your offensive line is especially important.

See, Lewis has size, but he's not your typical pounder in the mold of Bettis, Duckett, and Alstott. He's actually quite fleet once he gets up to speed. That's what makes him such a force (which is, by definition, the product of mass and acceleration).

Keeping defenders away just long enough for him to gain traction is key, and that's what good guards and centers can do. They also give their QB that critical first glance downfield by warding off the inside rush and allowing quick three-step drops to succeed.

We Browns fans have long bemoaned the turnstiles at the two guard positions. Sadly, I've tallied no fewer than 28 starting Browns guards since 1999. But now check out the embarrassment of riches stocking the interior line depth chart (scroll down due to Bloggered spacing):

Player	Career games	Starts
LeCharles Bentley	57	57
Hank Fraley	104	103
Lennie Friedman	97	34
Rex Hadnot	63	55
Seth McKinney	69	42
Marvin Philip	0	0
Isaac Sowells	1	0
Eric Steinbach	79	78
Ryan Tucker	133	101

That's right, the Browns' roster at the middle three positions of the line have started a combined 470 games in the NFL. Seven different players have each been starters for at least the equivalent of two full seasons.

Obviously, like a tall sand castle drying in the wind, this cannot stand for long.

Tucker, it seems to me, is destined to drift over to right tackle. The current roster includes only three tackles: Joe Thomas, Kevin Shaffer, and Cliff Louis. Nat Dorsey is a free agent whom Romeo sounds disinclined to want back. Even if Tucker can't beat out Shaffer, he can back him up well, and he could step in if Shaffer needs to relieve Thomas at LT.

In Hadnot, McKinney, and Friedman, we have three experienced players all able to play either guard or center. Assuming that Tucker returns to tackle, Hadnot has the inside track to start at right guard, with Steinbach and Fraley the other interior starters.

So the question becomes how many other linemen make the roster. I think Romeo would like to get by with activating just seven on game days. The flexibility and experience on this line should afford him this luxury. There's room for at most two others on the 53-man roster. Ideally, these would be young, affordable guys whom you envision as viable injury replacements and future starters.

That's not who we have.

We have Bentley, who we'd all love to see return to anything approaching good football health. But the sign(ing)s just don't point in that direction. I don't see the Browns relying on him whatsoever. Upon resigning McKinney, Phil Savage didn't count Bentley as one of the seven starters he has for the five positions. And so would that ravaged knee prove trustworthy enough to make him a reliable backup, or does that risk a cascading line failure? I fear the latter.

We have McKinney, who returned from a neck injury to start half the year, and now is apparently well enough after shoulder surgery to merit another one-year look-see.

We have Friedman, another year-to-year veteran, who may not be as strong a player as the others, but has the advantage of being a special teams contributor, helping create seams for Josh Cribbs.

Assuming Bentley can't make the team, that's nine right there. Only injury would allow one of the developmental players to make the team. Who are they again?

There's Sowells, the fourth-round pick in '06, coming off shoulder surgery of his own. I've yet to hear any comments implying that he is developing particularly well or that the Browns see him as a stalwart starter some day.

There's Louis, who stuck last year after attending rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. Six-foot-eight from Morgan State, he's not ready for prime time. But just from sheer lack of numbers at the tackle position, he's worth keeping tabs on though.

And there's Philip, who might become a decent center at some point. The practice squad is probably his best hope as a Brown in '08. If he develops, he may have an outside shot in '09. Three of the players ahead of him are on one-year contracts.

So we have plenty of viable depth, especially inside, and a few affordable prospects. They're just not the same people. Even beyond the Bentley comeback drama, the battles on the offensive line will be interesting to follow as spring turns into summer.

My extremely premature projected depth chart:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Thomas	Steinbach	Fraley	Hadnot	Shaffer
Shaffer	McKinney	McKinney	Tucker	Tucker
Steinbach	Friedman	Friedman	Friedman	Thomas

Meet the Browns

Before baseball season hits full stride and April Fools Day diminishes the credibility of anything you might read, here's a quick recap of Browns news since the Pro Bowl. This off-season's moves could prove enough to send this team over the top. (I might say the same thing about my Detroit Tigers, but time will tell in both cases.)

Reports surfaced about a New Year's Day verbal altercation between a party including Brady Quinn and some gay passers-by outside a Columbus restaurant. Police cleared the scene, and Quinn later denied using any anti-gay slurs. Regardless of the who-said-what, this is a black eye for Quinn's reputation, and his endorsement income may suffer. More importantly, I hope he learns all the appropriate lessons from this incident, because he's sure to be in the public eye for a good long while.

RB Jamal Lewis signed a three-year, $17 million ($10 million guaranteed) contract with the Browns rather than head back into free agency. This move cleared the way for all that followed. By keeping the primary rushing duties in his good hands, the Browns could focus on other areas of need. Lewis' effort, performance, and personal growth have certainly turned him away from the Dark Side and into a good guy. Will he stay hungry? I think so.

Several players needed surgery: TE Kellen Winslow (knee scope); WR Joe Jurevicius (knee); OLB Antwan Peek (knee); OLB David McMillan (knee); free agent DL Ethan Kelley (knee); and OL Isaac Sowells (shoulder). Just more evidence of the physical sacrifices these guys make for this kind of career. Getting Peek and McMillan playing at their best seems especially important, given the importance of cranking up the pass rush. Kelley might return this summer for the veteran minimum if his rehab goes well.

Kellen Winslow and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, made it known publicly that the Pro Bowl tight end, currently under contract through 2010, will seek a new deal. In one way, I can't blame them for asking, because who knows how long Winslow's body will hold out. Oops, did I say hold out? That's what I'm concerned about. If it even gets close to that, Squeaky Wheelie will have hell to pay. With any cap cash available for extensions, the Browns first need to get Sean Jones in the fold before he hits free agency after this season.

DL Orpheus Roye's contract was terminated. The 35-year-old, who started 101 games in his eight-year Browns career, would have earned $3 million in 2008. If I'd been a more diligent blogger, Roye would have gotten a farewell post of his own. If they were naming a Brown Of The Decade for the years since the return, he would be a top-shelf nominee. Can't disagree with the move, but still, Roye was one of my favorites.

All eight 2007 practice squad players were signed to return in 2008. Also brought in as a reserve/future free agent was WR Kevin Kasper, who has started ten games over five years with five previous teams. It'll be interesting to see how many players teams will be allowed to bring to training camp, now that NFL Europa exemptions are a thing of the past. Nice to add one new veteran into the mix in case injuries strike the receiving corps, and as an example to the youngsters about how to take care of your body. Credit the Kirk Ferentz connection for this Savage signing.

CB Daven Holly, a restricted free agent, was tendered a contract at the second-round level. He'll compete for a starting job and probably be a key contributor, but if the Browns were really all that high on him, you'd think they'd try to sign him long term. Can you really see the Browns starting him at such a crucial position and then watching him leave after the season for a big payday as an unrestricted FA?

DE Simon Fraser, another RFA, was not tendered a contract and signed with Atlanta. The former Buckeye could be decent depth as a 4-3 pass rushing DE, but he was never well-suited for Cleveland's scheme.

Derek Anderson signed a three-year, $26 million ($14 million guaranteed) contract, assuring him of the starting QB job headed into 2008. If I really thought another team would fork over a first- and third-rounder for him, I'd have been tempted to let the Quinn era begin. But two quality quarterbacks are a must for any team geared up to win in a serious, immediate way, and that's where the Browns are. Kudos to Savage and friends for structuring the deal so that they're not stuck paying starter money to more than one QB for any length of time. DA will be given every chance to shine, but the pressure's all on him to make good. Barring injury, he'll be the Browns' seventh different opening day starting QB in ten seasons. In 2009, Quinn will probably be the eighth in 11.

The Browns traded their second-round pick for franchised Green Bay defensive lineman Corey Williams, who then signed a six-year, $38 million ($16 million guaranteed) contract. Obviously has the looks of a great trade, given the Browns' needs, the available free agent talent, and the draft prospects likely to be available there. My one caveat: he reportedly scored an 8 on his Wonderlic. Granted, he's not a QB or even an OL, but an 8? That's borderline illiterate.

Cleveland traded its third-round pick and starting CB Leigh Bodden to Detroit for Pro Bowl DL Shaun Rogers, who then signed a new six-year, $42 million ($20 million guaranteed) contract. My first reaction to this trade was mild surprise that Savage would actually take on a player with such widely reported motivational problems. Then when I heard that Bodden was part of the price, I was closer to shock. It seemed to fill one hole by creating another. Then, when Rogers got a new contract despite having three years left on his old one, I worried how this might go down with his new teammates. After reading more about Bodden's discontent and Rogers' career, I understand this move a bit better. Still, there is a whole lot riding on this big man's shoulders. Side note: I hope he stays in on kick defense -- 11 blocks in seven season ain't bad at all.

Free agent WR Donte Stallworth (New England) signed a seven-year, $35 million ($10 million guaranteed) deal. This is one piece of the puzzle that makes perfect sense. When was the last time the Browns had a legit #2 receiver? Reggie Langhorne?

Free agent DB Nick Sorensen agreed to stay in Cleveland, signing a three-year contract. Impressed on special teams. Nice not to be churning through these type of players every year.

Free agent G/C Rex Hadnot (Miami) inked a two-year, $7 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) contract to bolster the Browns' offensive line. Didn't think a new O-lineman was in their free agent plans, but this seems like a good investment. He may very well start at right guard. Ryan Tucker might serve as the sixth man, or he could even challenge Kevin Shaffer, who grumbled a year ago but performed fairly well, but might be a touch overpaid for a RT.

G/C Lennie Friedman will return under a new one-year deal. He's good depth and part of the wedge that helped Josh Cribbs run wild on kickoffs.

DB Gary Baxter (UFA) and FB Charles Ali (ERFA) signed one-year contracts to stay with the Browns. Considering his injury, it would be amazing if Baxter could actually contribute. Safety depth and kick coverage is probably his ceiling. Ali backs up Lawrence Vickers and is also on the kickoff return unit.

ILB Andra Davis's contract was restructured, i.e. shortened from three years remaining to just one. Also, OLB Willie McGinest's pay was reduced for his final contract year of 2008. It will be interesting to see what kind of contributions these veteran defenders will make in their (probably) last season here. Most NFL backup LBs play special teams. The Browns can obviously afford to carry them both financially. Can they do it when it comes time to cut down to 53 guys and dress 45 on game day?

Free agent LB Chaun Thompson signed a two-year deal with Houston, ending his five-year Browns career. Savage tried to re-sign him, but it was too little, too late for this former second-round pick. His special teams acumen and raw pass rush ability will be missed, but for all his tools, he never developed into a reliable starter. He might yet.

Free agent LB Shantee Orr (Jacksonville) signed a one-year deal. Destined to fill the role vacated by Thompson: a versatile linebacker with the size and speed to make an impact covering kicks. Whereas Thompson was drafted high out of a minor school, Orr was undrafted from a big-time program, Michigan.

LB Kris Griffin will return after signing a one-year deal. Another special teamer keeping this team strength strong.

Free agent G/C Seth McKinney was retained with a new one-year contract. I figured Hadnot and Friedman were it for O-line signings. It's clear that Savage is taking no chances that injuries deteriorate the line he's built. And it's also clear that the Browns are not expecting anything whatsoever out of LeCharles Bentley.

The holdout that backfired

Brady Quinn's rookie holdout was the worst decision of his life. And given some of the situations this young celebrity has found himself in, that's saying something.

If this wasn't perfectly obvious at the time last summer, the new contract and vote of confidence for Derek Anderson cements the deal. Let me count the reasons.

• The holdout delayed his ability to absorb, execute, and lead the Browns' new offense in 2007.
• It ruined any chance for him to win the starting job outright from the start, which might have pre-empted Anderson's surprising season.
• It clearly irked GM Phil Savage. Never a good idea to pick the first fight of your career with the man in charge of franchise's football operations.
• The coaching staff didn't exactly go out of its way to give the rookie a taste of NFL game action either. If he had been on board from the very first day of camp, would Romeo have looked for a chance to give him more snaps during the season? Maybe. It took the coach months just to use Quinn's name in public.
• Anderson's emergence may very well keep Quinn from reaching the playing time incentives his agent bargained so hard for. He ended up with a deal assuring him just $7.75 million. It could rise to as much as $30 million, but much of that escalation depends on Quinn taking 55% of the team's snaps in two of his first three seasons or 70% by the third year. DA's three-year deal guarantees him $14.5 million.

Still think the Browns regard Quinn as their quarterback of the future? It's iffy. They'll save eight figures by not paying his playing time escalator. The Browns won't play Quinn and still pay Anderson, at least not for any longer than the remainder of a season, and then only in case of abject failure or fracture, something no fan of the team should dream about.

Quinn may be a lifelong Browns fan, a promising young quarterback, and a gentile mensch. But no one's calling him the face of the franchise any more. That day, if it ever comes, must now be preceded by disaster or the distance of time.

What's that old line again? You never get another chance to make a first impression.

The phantom '40s

The official site's Steve King, whose pieces on Browns history are generally pretty decent, strikes a Browns-versus-the-NFL note in reporting on the league's rebuff of Senator Sherrod Brown's request to have AAFC statistics recognized by the NFL.

Funny, though, he never mentions the records kept by the team itself. Yes, it's true. The Cleveland Browns themselves all but ignore their first four years of greatness.

The team's own version of its franchise records, as kept on the official site and its own media guide, pay absolutely no heed to anything that happened from 1946 through 1949. Attendance, yes. Touchdowns, interceptions, and all that hard-fought yardage? Nada.

Most wins in a season? The perfect 1948 team won 15, but the team itself bestows the record on its 1986 edition, which won 13.

Individually, who played the most games for the Browns? Was it Lou Groza (52 AAFC plus 216 NFL) or Clay Matthews (232)? Why must one visit an independent site to compare?

In one place (pdf) they seem almost apologetic about the issue, when Hall of Famer Dante Lavelli ranks just 10th in career receiving yards because his first four seasons are excluded. If an explanatory asterisk is deserved there, it should, for consistency's sake, be peppered liberally throughout the team's record book for all the feats omitted.

No wonder Mac Speedie never made the Hall himself, despite a more accomplished career than his contemporaries who were inducted.

If the Browns themselves can't see fit to reflect the full reality of their own heritage, it seems silly for their employees to bemoan the continuing snub at the hands of "the corporate offices of the NFL."

If the organization is truly serious about honoring the full breadth of its own history, the next media guide will include all the AAFC statistics, with or without asterisks.

Keep Lewis new with tag?

The Browns' key free-agent-to-be, Jamal Lewis, will clearly be rewarded handsomely for his outstanding 2007 debut season in Cleveland. But it will be interesting to see exactly how his contract negotiations play out.

Lewis will be 29 when next season starts, but the big back proved he still has plenty to offer. In essentially 14 games, he rambled for 1,304 yards, averaging 4.4 per carry and scoring nine times. Add in 248 more yards and two touchdowns receiving, and it's clear just from the numbers that he remains among the NFL's most productive and reliable backs.

Phil Savage rightly wants to keep him around. And if he really, really means it, there is no way that Lewis will play for another team in '08. With momentum building for the team to surpass its '07 achievements, and with no heir apparent feature back, Lewis is just as important in the near term future as he proved to be last season. He stands to be an even more extremely wealthy man in a matter of days or weeks.

The questions from the Browns' perspective are thus:

• If "a good Jamal is a hungry Jamal," as Savage said, how can the team motivate him to the max? Once a multimillion-dollar signing bonus check clears, any stomach gets sated.
• How many more years can Lewis rock? Many figured he was washed up before last season. His decline, whenever it comes, will probably not be a gradual one.
• What is Plan B? In professing a desire to stay in Cleveland, Lewis is saying the right things, but pro football is a business. He would be ill-advised to foreclose his options if that might leave millions on the table. Any good negotiator must be prepared to walk away. So how might Savage land an above-average successor instantly in case the Lewis talks break down?

All three of these questions point toward slapping a franchise tag on Lewis, an idea I haven't heard much about. The Browns haven't used this designation since its creation, so I had to educate myself a bit on its implications. The more I consider it, the more intriguing this option appears.

The Browns and Lewis are currently negotiating a multi-year contract. Obviously, if they come to terms, the franchise tag is irrelevant. But despite the amicable relations between the parties, their interests do conflict. Lewis wants a longer, bigger deal, but the Browns can't risk a salary cap albatross given his age and the position he plays.

A logical compromise might be a three-year contract potentially worth $15 to $20 million, including a hefty signing bonus, steep performance incentives, and another big bonus due after two seasons.

But it's easy to argue that, while Lewis is a special player, effective running backs can be found much younger and cheaper. Still, I want Lewis toting the rock for the Browns in 2008.

That could mean applying the franchise tag.

If they go the "exclusive" route, Lewis would get a guaranteed one-year salary and couldn't negotiate elsewhere. That salary would be the average of the top five backs in the league as of April.

The "non-exclusive" option lets Lewis shop himself around, but the Browns could match any offer or receive two first-round picks in compensation if they decline. Otherwise, he stays on a guaranteed one-year salary equal to last year's average of the top five, which was just shy of $7 million. This is the better choice.

If either tag is applied, the two parties could continue to negotiate a longer contract (though timing becomes an issue if the team wants to keep its franchise designation available for others, such as Anderson or Edwards, while that new deal is active).

Considering Lewis earned $5 million last season, the team's decent salary cap situation at present, and his superlative effort while playing under a one-year deal, the non-exclusive franchise tag is affordable and reasonable. It should be a very strong and open consideration during the current negotiations.

It might be enough to convince Lewis to settle for a two-year, incentive-heavy deal in the $10 to $12 million range rather than the three to five years his agent is discussing. That would be enough for the Browns backfield to be well positioned for a strong and sustained run to carry the team deep into the playoffs.

Todd man out

Some week, huh? We get the Chud drama settling with a reassuring contract extension. There's Phil Savage's season-wrapping presser and all its news hooks, including a possible extension for honcho Romeo himself. Then, an intriguing team and media story with Todd Grantham's ouster. Mel Tucker, the secondary coach, has been promoted to lead the defense.

Amazing, in a way, that the Grantham story flew under the radar for so long. That the narrative of the amazing '07 Browns season must now delve into the decisions and deficiencies of the defensive coordiantor in order to be fully told.

But close Browns observers and readers shouldn't have been totally blindsided by the news. Concluding my midseason rant against the defense, I intimated that Grantham's status certainly deserved to be much shakier than it appeared with his own re-up still fresh from a few months ago.

So many little things each made a big difference in why the Browns didn't quite make the playoffs. Bad plays, bad calls, bad individual games. Now it's increasingly clear that one big thing made perhaps the biggest difference.

I feel like the Browns, less than two weeks from season's end, have already improved their set-up for success in '08.

On a more frivolous note, Grantham is not alone among Todds who have left the Browns without a ticker tape parade in their honor. As a first name, Todd hit its peak popularity in the '60s and '70s but now is given to fewer than 400 American baby boys each year. Here's the extremely mixed fate of the other Browns named Todd:

• Todd Argust -- current director of stadium operations, who apparently can survive flooded sewage
• Todd Bowles -- assistant coach (defensive backs) 2001-4
• Todd Franz -- DB played first two NFL games with Browns in 2000
• Todd Grantham -- departing defensive coordinator, 2005-7
• Todd Husak -- QB camp fodder in '04
• Todd Jones -- 1991 draftee. A high 11th-rounder. Only Todd ever drafted by the Browns.
• Todd McNair -- running backs coach, 2001-3
• Todd Philcox -- backup quarterback, 1991-3
• Todd Stewart -- top team spokesman, 1999-2004
• Todd Washington -- in the '06 cavalcade of centers, he retired within a week.

Coming into their contract years

One key area where Phil Savage and his folks have been outstanding is managing the salary cap. Thoughout his three seasons, the Browns have had ample space to sign multiple big-ticket free agents, plus several other veteran acquisitions, while also locking up their own core contributors and bringing in more than their share of first-round draft talent.

Shrewd management, the higher cap resulting from last year's new collective bargaining agreement, and now an team on the rise. All this means that Savage will have plenty to offer free agents who could address the team's remaining critical needs.

In this post, I outlined the Browns players whose contracts are expiring. But good cap management transcends the immediate. It is also worth examining the players scheduled to be entering their final contract year in 2008.

Why? Three reasons.

1. If such a player is seen as an important part of the lineup for the long term, it makes sense to pursue a multi-year contract extension well before the '08 season is under way.
2. Non-stars who are serviceable and/or have potential deserve watching as well. If they don't get extensions, they may be headed elsewhere in a year's time (or less), and their positions are presumably targets for upgrading.
3. High-salaried players entering their final contract year ought to clearly merit that money, because there are no adverse cap implications -- quite the opposite, actually -- to releasing or trading them before the season starts.

In category 1 is safety Sean Jones. He's clearly one of the best Browns defenders and isn't that far from being Pro Bowl quality. He improved throughout the course of the season, especially in run support. Jones tallied five interceptions for the second straight year, and the Browns did not surrender a single play from scrimmage of longer than 42 yards all season, something no other team can boast. A long-term deal would be great off-season news for Browns fans.

Category 2 players include the following:

• RB Jason Wright, who performed very competently as Jamal Lewis' primary backup and third-down option. He's a smart, high-character guy still in his physical prime. Though not seen as a feature back, another season of 500+ yards from scrimmage could set him up for a nice free agent deal a year forward.
• Mike Adams was the third safety on a squad that carried only three. He's a young veteran backup/special teamer with some starting experience. Depth at this position, while not a critical concern at present, deserves some attention.
• TE Darnell Dinkins' season was hampered by a broken hand, relegating him almost exclusively to special teams. The Browns' offense relies heavily on the tight end (its coordinator having played the position), and a parade of prospects have been brought in over the past year, presumably to compete with Dinkins, who turns 31 this month.
• OLB David McMillan played in a career-high 15 games but was nearly invisible. The fifth-round pick in 2005 has yet to develop into a pass rusher deserving of even rotational use on a less-than-stellar unit. He'll need to step up soon or step aside.

In the high-rent district of Category 3, we have DE Orpheus Roye and OLB Willie McGinest.

Roye turns 35 this month and has been persistently hobbled by injuries since his last effective season in 2005. He's been a very good player for the Browns over the years, one of my favorites, in fact. But an immediate upgrade at his position is the team's most glaring need. And at a 2008 salary of $3 million, he's pricey depth.

McGinest just turned 37 and is scheduled to earn $2.9 million next year. Age has taken its toll on his mobility, but he did give it a game effort this season returning from August back surgery to start 11 games. An admired team leader, he'll probably suit up next season if there's any way his body holds up. But if he starts more than a handful of games in '08, it'll be because the injury bug has swept through Berea once again.

Beyond that, Browns whose contracts expire after next season consist of a few prospects -- NT Louis Leonard, C Marvin Philip, S Justin Sandy, and WR Efrem Hill -- and one special case: C LeCharles Bentley.

As with Gary Baxter, Bentley's contract was quietly reworked due to his devastating 2006 knee injury. Obviously, his future with the Browns and with football is entirely dependent on the success of his lengthy rehab. The comeback of this former Pro Bowl local hero will surely be one of the interesting subplots that play out in the coming months.