Cleveland Browns 2017 Season Preview: Quarterbacks

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

**PREVIOUS**
The Coaching Staff
The Running Backs
Offensive & Defensive Line

On Wednesday Head Coach Hue Jackson announced that rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer will start the the third preseason game and that "he (Kizer) is certainly positioning himself well to earn the starting job." So it looks like its going to be Kizer's team in week one...So what should we as fans expect from the quarterback position in 2017?

First things first, DeShone Kizer is a rookie and is the youngest quarterback in the NFL this season. And I think that's important to note before we all go crazy with expectations.

This team was built to handle a rookie quarterback. The Browns went into the off-season and rebuilt their offensive line with the signing of J.C. Tretter and Kevin Zeitler. Last year, the Browns gave up the most sacks in the league. Some of it was on the quarterbacks but a lot of it was because of the struggles of the offensive line. With the rebuild of the offensive line the Browns will be a run heavy team with Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, and Matt Dayes.

Those two factors will take a majority of the pressure off of Kizer. He won't have to throw the ball 30 times a game to win. And its not like Kizer isn't going to make rookie mistakes, like we seen in the first two weeks of the preseason. Whether its poor decision making, fumbling the snap under center, or not sliding on scrambles these are all teachable moments. The way we judge Kizer shouldn't be wins and losses, but how he grows week-to-week into a more comfortable NFL quarterback.

DeShone Kizer gives the Browns the best opportunity to win games this season. Kizer's arm strength will keep defenses honest with the deep ball and prevent teams from stacking the line of scrimmage which will only help the running game. Kizer also has an ability to run the ball. He was a solid runner at Notre Dame and with his 6'4 235 frame gives the Browns another running threat in short yardage and red zone situations.

Its exciting to see a rookie quarterback start from day one, something we haven't seen since Brandon Weeden in 2012. Kizer earned this opportunity to start week one and has worked his way up from third string quarterback in the first week of the preseason to first string in the third week.

If Cody Kessler plays in 2017 it means Kizer got hurt. Its that simple. We know what we have in Kessler. He can come in, manage a game, and that's about it. He's not gonna make the big play but he's also not gonna make the big mistake.

Brock Osweiler's tenure with the Browns might be coming to an end real soon. He was given an opportunity to grab the starting job and he failed. If he's not traded by the end of the preseason I expect Brock to be released when the Browns cut down the roster to 53.

Krunch Time With Katelin: 5 Takeaways From The Browns First Preseason Game

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The Cleveland Browns defeated the Saints 20-14 in the first week of the preseason. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer played the entire second half and lead the team to a win with a 45 yards touchdown pass to take the lead with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter. The game was an up-and-down game for the Browns. They committed 12 penalties most of them being either false starts or because of being lined up offsides. With that being said here are five thing that stood out to me in the game against the Saints.

1. Myles Garrett looks the part as the consensus number one overall pick. Garrett got into the backfield a number of times. Both in passing and run stopping situations. But what was most impressive about Garrett was when he chased down the Saints running back 15 yards down field after he broke a tackle. That was the play that sticks out most to me. Garrett's hustle and speed to run all the way down field to help force the running back out of bounds is exactly why this defense will be vastly improved.

2. The defense causing two turnovers. Both were forced fumbles because the defensive linemen swatted at the ball when attacking the quarterback. If the Browns are going to win games this year this is exactly what they need to do. Give the offense a short field to work with and then capitalizing on it. Which they did, the first fumble recovery ended with a touchdown run from Matt Dayes. And the second was the game clincher with 17 second left.

3. Cam Erving isn't good. Its that simple. At this point I don't know if he will even make the team. The guy tries and gives 100% effort on every play, but at some point the Browns will have to give up on Erving. The tape shows that he looks lost out on the field and the amount of times he gets manhandled on the line is concerning. Yes, he'd be another first round bust for the Browns but at this point I don't think fans care much about that.

Who's ready for some Brock Osweiler?!! pic.twitter.com/48yy2Zv2QO

— Ryan McCrystal (@Ryan_McCrystal) August 11, 2017

4. Brock Osweiler didn't play well statistically. 6/14 for 42 yards. But there were some issues with the Browns receivers though. Kenny Britt had some issues in the red zone. Brock threw a great pass into the corner of the end zone but Britt couldn't get his second foot in for the touchdown. Osweiler also had a nice pass to receiver Ricardo Lewis down the seam but Lewis broke in from his route and the pass sailed incomplete. Brock also had a couple of miss throws. One to Seth DeValve which he just missed him for a touchdown, and on a third and long were Brock took a shot down field but threw the ball out of bounds. Overall I think Brock did okay. He seems to have a nice command of the offense and will probably start next against the Giants but he didn't do anything that would give him a commanding lead in the quarterback competition.

5. I know it was only one game and it was against the Saints second-fourth team, but DeShone Kizer made a nice name for himself last night. He lead the Browns to victory and did a nice job moving the ball down the field. Kizer still has a lot to learn. He was sacked three times and each time it seemed like he held onto the ball way to long. Without a doubt Kizer has the best "arm talent" on this team, as we seen on both of his deep balls and he already has shown an ability to step up into the pocket and throw. It will be interesting to see what Hue Jackson does with Kizer for the game against the Giants. I don't think he'd start Kizer but I do think Coach Hue wants to play Kizer with/against better talent.

.@DKizer_14 going DEEEEEEP.

Got 'em. #NOvsCLE pic.twitter.com/062xVHQg5g

— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2017

Podcast 8/9/17: Browns Preseason Game, All-Time Favorite Uniforms & TV Show Reboots

By Raven Williams, @nevaRWilliams

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Krunch Time With Katelin: Browns Free Agency Thoughts

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


Our Cleveland Browns seem to do doing something right...and yeah, I know that sounds crazy. The Browns revamped their offensive line with the signings of J.T. Tretter and Kevin Zeitler, signed wide receiver Kenny Britt, traded for another second round pick (and quarterback Brock Oswieler) and still signed Joel Bitonio to a six year extension.All within the first day of the new league year. Since then its been quiet which is why I thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the signings and also wrap-up the Terrelle Pryor situation.

First, I want to hit on the offensive line moves. It seems the Browns have given up on Cam Erving and might only keep him as a utility lineman. Erving's problems isn't because of a lack of effort but it just seems like he really isn't that good. He struggled a multiple positions in his two years with the Browns and it the Browns would rather not trust him as the starting center protecting whoever is the "franchise quarterback".

Tretter is a really good center but has a list of injuries during his short NFL career. Now, they seem to be freak injuries like the MCL one this past year, but its still going to be a risk with him, which is why the Browns won't get rid of Cam Erving so quickly, and won't (in my opinion) have Cam Erving compete for the right tackle position.

The Zeitler move shows the Browns aggressiveness not just in free agency but for this up-coming season. The Browns front office must believe they will have their franchise quarterback on the roster in July. It would seem crazy for the Browns to sign Zeitler to largest contract in league history for a guard and not have an idea who's going to be playing the quarterback position for the majority of this guys' contract. Now, whether its Jimmy Garoppolo or someone they take early in the draft, it really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that this regime has identified their quarterback and are going to build around him. And it seems like Hue Jackson convinced Zeitler they have a guy in mind and are going to do whatever they can to get that quarterback into a Browns' uniform.

And the Joel Bitonio extension was an obvious good sign that the Browns value their own players highly. And fans can see that with not just Bitonio's extension but Jamie Collins too. Plus, it is good "PR" for the Browns after last off-season with Mitchell Schwartz and his contract debacle.

Signing Kenny Britt was more about not having a hole at receiver if Terrelle Pryor decides to go somewhere else. And the Browns chose a really solid receiver in Britt to be Pryor's replacement. Britt is coming off of a 1000 yard season, a deep threat to open up the field, and also he's a veteran. He's the same age as Pryor but he's not the athletic freak like Pryor. Britt is a veteran so he can lead the Browns receiver room. Not just on the field but off-field too. Britt had to rebuild his career after multiple off the field incidences that lead to him leaving the Tennessee Titans.  

The best move for the Browns was trading for Houston's second round pick in 2018. The Browns traded their own fourth-round compensatory pick this year for a the second round pick, a sixth round pick, and quarterback Brock Osweiler. The brilliant part of this trade was getting the second round 2018 pick and Osweiler. The second round pick is another asset for the Browns to either draft or to be able to trade up for a certain player they like. But also getting Osweiler "kills two birds with one stone". Osweiler can be the backup quarterback, if the Browns decide to redshirt a rookie quarterback. But his $16 Million guaranteed for this season gets the Browns closer to the NFL minimum they need to spend.  

I believe the Browns probably offered Pryor a similar contract to the one Britt received. But Terrelle and his agent thought he could get way more than he ended up getting. Pryor ended up with a 1-year $6 Million "bet on himself" type deal. Not saying it was a bad idea for Pryor, but if he really wanted to stay in Cleveland, he should have just taken the Browns offer. It would have given Pryor his guaranteed money.

Overall, the Browns moves during the start of free agency have been positive on paper. They still have a lot of cap room to add a player or two on the defensive side of the ball. And hopefully re-sign Isaiah Crowell to be their "bell cow" running back lead by their new look offensive line.

Cleveland Browns Free Agency Day 1 Recap

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The Cleveland Browns were making a ton of moves on the first day of the new league year. They had over 100 Million in cap space to use and boy they put it to good use.

It started this morning when the Browns and wide receiver Kenny Britt agreed to a four-year/ $32.5 Million, $17 Million guaranteed. The 28 year-old came off his best year in the NFL catching 68 passes for 1002 yards and five touchdowns. Britt also had five catches for 30+ yards...and the Browns only had six as a team for the entire season. Britt is a former first round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2009 and revived his career with the Rams, after multiple off the field incidents during his Titans tenure.

The Browns signed left guard Joel Bitonio to a new contract. six years/51.2 Million, 23.7 Guaranteed. Bitonio is one of the bright starts on the Browns and when healthy he is one of the top offensive linemen in the league. Bitonio is also only 25 years old and is only starting to reach his prime as a player.

On top of the Joel Bitonio extension, the Browns signed two offensive linemen. J.C. Tretter and Kevin Zeitler.

J.C. Tretter was the Green Bay Packers starting center to begin the season last year. But ended up suffering a MCL injury mid-season. Tretter's contract is for three years/$16.75 Million, with $10 Million of it Guaranteed. He is a former fourth round pick and last year was the first time he was named a starter. Tretter has a history of injuries but when he's played he was the fifth best center per ProFootballFocus, and is now projected to be the Browns starting center next season.

The Browns also signed former Bengal Kevin Zeitler. Zeitler's deal five-year/$60 Million, $32.5 Million Guaranteed, makes him the highest paid guard in NFL history.

Zeitler is a former first round pick in 2012 out of Wisconsin and has a history with Head Coach Hue Jackson. Zielter has only missed eight games in his career and hasn't missed a game since the 2014 season. The acquisitions of Tretter and Zeitler sure up the offensive line for whatever quarterback in under-center for the Browns in 2017.

Speaking of quarterbacks, the Browns also acquired Brock Osweiler, a 2017 sixth round pick, and a 2018 second round pick from the Texans for a 2017 fourth round pick. The Browns move is comparable to a salary dump trade in the NBA. Per multiple reports, the Browns are either going to trade Osweiler or just release him and eat the $16 Million dollar cap hit for this season. Some speculate the Browns are trying to trade multiple picks to either move up in the NFL draft or attempt to trade for Patriots' backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The Browns are also expected to release quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The Browns claimed former 2014 third round pick Center Marcus Martin from San Francisco. Martin Started 24 games in this three year with the 49ers. He's played center, right guard, and left tackle with majority of his games coming at the center position.

And that recaps day one of the new league year for the Cleveland Browns. After all of their moves the Browns still have $76 Million in cap space left and that could change with Brock Osweiler being dealt and/or Robert Griffin III being released.

Oh and...Terrelle Pryor still hasn't signed with a team...