This from ESPN:

Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns will never be a Donovan McNabb-type of quarterback. But the lanky, strong-armed signal caller is doing everything he can to improve the weakest part of his game.

Anderson, coming off a Pro Bowl season in 2007, is currently working out at a SPARQ (speed, power, agility, reaction, quickness) training facility in Oregon that focuses on improving his mobility. He also watches a lot of game film and is spending a little time on the links playing golf as training camp practices begin in Cleveland on July 24.

As the Browns’ high-powered offense continues to evolve, second-year offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski is installing more rollouts and screens into the playbook this season to give opponents different looks. That will require Anderson, a traditional pocket passer, to be more fleet of foot to execute the additional plays. He also has to work on his touch on short throws.

SOURCE

For Immediate Release
July 1, 2008

MEDICAL UPDATE ON BROWNS WR JOE JUREVICIUS

In the process of his recovery and preparation for the upcoming season, Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius has had ongoing swelling and discomfort in his knee. Joe had a further clean out to help him in his recovery and control his symptoms. The procedure was performed late yesterday at the Cleveland Clinic. No determination has been made on Joe’s status for training camp, which opens July 23rd.

LONDON – The 15,000 tickets made available in the second general admission sale for the NFL’s overseas regular-season game on October 26 at Wembley Stadium in London, England sold today in 30 minutes. Last month, the first 40,000 tickets for the game between the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints sold out in 90 minutes.

“Once again this demonstrates the huge interest in the sport in the UK,” said ALISTAIR KIRKWOOD, managing director of the NFL’s UK office. “Fans here are excited to be able to see two teams of this caliber playing in the UK, and with a full Wembley Stadium, we expect the atmosphere to be electric when the Saints and Chargers take the field.”

The NFL has committed to playing at least one game in the UK for each of the next three seasons, beginning with this year’s matchup of teams who have each come within one game of reaching the Super Bowl in the past two seasons.

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played the NFL’s first regular-season game outside North America last year, when a sellout crowd of 81,176 packed Wembley Stadium on Sunday, October 28. The Giants earned a 13-10 win en route to capturing a Super Bowl title.

The Cleveland Browns continue to be one of the most active teams in the NFL this off-season. They have been looking for help and making deals to bring players in and move players out.

Here are a couple of quick hits regarding the Browns…

FB Charles Ali, according to the Plain Dealer, is being put on the trading block. The Browns love the way Ali blocks but right now, Lawrence Vickers is the starter and should remain that for Week 1. The Browns could be looking for a CB in return if some team needs a powerful FB.

WR Eric Parker, according to the Union Tribune in San Diego, is being shopped around the league by the Chargers. Parker was plagued by injuries last year and one team reportedly interested is the Cleveland Browns. Parker’s ties with Cleveland are Offensive Coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Parker has surgury on his right big toe and did not play last year. He was also the Chargers primary punt returner from 2004-06.

New word on this deal have the Chargers out-right cutting Parker. This would mean the Browns, if interested, could get him without paying a draft pick.

WR Matt Jones, according to Jaguars beat writer Michael C. Wright, appears to be ready to be cut by Jacksonville. While there is no direct tie of him to Cleveland, the speculation surrounding Parker makes this assumption plausible.

Jones entered the league amidst some high expectations. Insiders now consider him in the same mold of a Joe Jurevicious. Given the uncertain health of the Browns wide-out, this gives more credibility to the rumors the Browns are looking for a capable JJ-type ball catcher.

We’ll keep an eye open and let you know if anything happens on this front.

The Cleveland Browns have waived three free agent rookies today to make some room, presumably, for the drafted rookies on the final roster.

Wide receiver Nate Hughes, LB Xavier Mitchell, and CB Darnell Terrell were all given their walking papers today.

One could raise an eyebrow or two at the release of CB Darnell Terrell since the position he plays is the weakest for the team. Must have really not showed enough to the team for not even being invited to training camp. Terrell was one of the most highly touted undrafted free agents in this class.

The team also signed OG Derrick Morse to a contract, no details have been released. Morse was signed to possibly take over the roster spot vacated by the release of OL LeCharles Bentley.

More details as they come in…

Sometimes I get links that are pretty cool.

Today is no exception. I present to you a couple of pretty cool guys laying down some great lyrics about our team and the meaning of being a fan of the Cleveland Browns.

Check them out and hopefully you’ll buy a couple of their songs and support them.

There is more information coming out of the situation surrounding the release of C/G LeCharles Bentley. I guess we now know the reason behind the release of the player.

This from ProFootballTalk.com:

Regardless of where center LeCharles Bentley goes next, it doesn’t come as a surprise to some league insiders that Bentley is no longer a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Per a league source, the Browns released Bentley due to a case of mutual loathing. “It was a bad deal,” the source said. “Player hated team, team hated player.”

The Browns had to wait for Bentley to pass a physical before cutting him loose, in order to avoid any grievances. Once he passed the physical, he was out the door.

“He had been a major pain in the ass,” the source said. “Non-compliant, out of town, on his own schedule. He never endeared himself to the brass or his teammates.”

Bentley tore a patellar tendon in the first training camp practice of 2006, and a staph infection significantly complicated his recovery. Last year, there was tension between Bentley and the team because the Browns thought he should undergo another tendon replacement surgery instead of attempting to rehab the one that had been ravaged by the infection.

And so as Adam Schefter of NFLN pointed out on Wednesday, Bentley pocketed $16.6 million despite never playing for the Browns in any game.

After you read this, decypher through some of the comments that some reporters have mentioned…

Marla Ridenour, Beacon Sports Journal;

Waiting for his mother to pick him up, he sat on a bench and checked his cell phone. A member of the Browns’ broadcasting staff ran out to hug him and say goodbye. Then he spied a familiar face and waved, smiling. Willing to chat off the record, there was no hint of regret or sadness in his voice. He seemed happy, relieved that two trying years were past and he was moving on.

When his mother arrived in a white luxury coupe, he climbed in the passenger seat. He told a fan waiting near the entrance for autographs, ‘’I'm leaving and I’m not coming back.'’

Mary Kay Cabot, Plain Dealer;

“There was just too much water under the bridge for me to put it all aside and forget about it,” said Bentley, who asked for his release and was granted it. “So much has gone on that the fans don’t even know about, and I just felt it was best for us to go in different directions.”

Phil Savage;

In explaining the decision to accommodate Bentley’s request, General Manager Phil Savage said: ‘’We feel like the landscape of our team has changed from July of 2006. As far as the Browns and LeCharles, I think it’s a chapter that finally comes to an end. We’ve got some closure to it now and we can go our separate ways in a positive manner.

‘’It’s a big disappointment for everybody, but particularly him. He’s got great pride in the kind of player he had been prior to getting here and he’s got expectations and goals of trying to reach that level again. He feels like he can play and only time will tell.'’

I may have not been a math major, but last I checked 2+2 still equals 4. There may be some major truth to this whole situation.

It is a sad day for Browns fans and LeCharles Bentley fans. I know I am not alone in wishing it could have worked out for everyone and he would have been the man he was billed to be when we initially signed him.

God Bless Bentley. Good luck to you.

We give a guy 16 MILLION DOLLARS for basically ONE practice and after we provide the means for him to get healthy he wants out?

We gave him the financial wealth to rehab and get well enough to help us someday.

As a player you go through multiple surgeries, TWO YEARS of rehab, and intensive training just to get back on the field; as soon as it happens, you are afraid of the competition that is in front of you?

What the hell is going on around here?

This is ridiculous.

Did the Browns make some moves to ensure the other 52 guys on the roster had a fair chance to compete? Yep. Why wouldn’t they? After being out of football for 2 years, nobody is saying LeCharles is a has-been, but he is far from being a Pro-Bowl caliber player on Day 1. If he can not see that, than he is delusional. Read the rest of this entry »

A lot of Browns fans are sitting idly by for any sign of news on the status of Cleveland’s native son, LeCharles Bentley.

He was supposed to have a physical at the Cleveland Clinic. The physical will determine whether he is allowed to get back on the field in a Browns uniform. The Browns want to protect themselves and Bentley’s health, regardless of Bentley’s desire.

LeCharles has a such a string desire to play for this team, he will stop at nothing to get back on the field. That desire could get him in trouble with his body. If his knee is not 100% structurally sound, Bentley could injure himself again and have residual effects on his quality of life. This is no doubt a situation where the Browns GM, Phil Savage is being a father figure and protecting one of his kids from himself.

We will know today, I’m sure of it, of his status. Our thoughts and prayers are with LeCharles.

Even while we wait for the news, fans really need to take a look at our offensive line. Hopefully, everyone realizes that this O-line has improved over last years squad. Even if Bentley is not cleared to play for the Browns in 2008, the Browns O-line will be just fine. Read the rest of this entry »

Cleveland Browns defensive back, Gary Baxter, is going to participate in the annual NFL Broadcast Boot Camp which runs from June 16-19.

Baxter, along with 19 other former and current NFL players, will take part in this program. The program covers a wide range of topics with instructors from each of the NFL’s broadcasting partners – CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC, NFL Network, Sirius Satellite Radio, Westwood One Radio, plus local radio and TV. It will include hands-on work in areas such as tape study, editing, show preparation, radio production, control room operation, studio preparation, production meetings, field reporting and game preparation. Each player will tape segments as a studio and game analyst and take part in a networking session with television executives. Each player also will serve as a live radio host on Sirius NFL Radio, a new feature added this year.

From last year’s group of 20 players at the inaugural Broadcast Boot Camp, 12 attendees have already earned broadcasting jobs as a result of their participation in the program.
Read the rest of this entry »