Browns News

"Day 1 of training camp in a town known for keeping a level football head: 3:24 p.m.: Brady Quinn runs on to the field. Marriage proposals and "We Want Quinn" chants are considered, just not voiced. 3:30: Lining up for calisthenics, players begin clapping. Fans match the applause.

If fans were truly getting carried away with the Browns' chances this season, they would have no doubt followed the clapping with jumping jacks and neck bridges. 3:35: First chant of "Super Bowl" goes up. But, in an impressive show of restraint, there's no roman numeral specification. 3:38: GM Phil Savage says this camp doesn't have a circus atmosphere, the need for crisis management or No. 1 picks ..."

"On the first day of training camp, the sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds and eventually lost the fight. But optimism was still beaming on every spectator's face. The few raindrops that fell dur ing the first practice were shining in the light like jewels. So began a season in search of at least a division crown. Coach Romeo Crennel said he is always the same guy. Neither success nor failure changes him. He has been here since 2005, with no playoffs. But 10 victories, as were compiled last season, is usually enough to play in January. That season got him a two-year contract extension through 2011. "We will embrace the expectations," he said. "It beats the alternative." This ..."

"The palpable difference in this Browns training camp starts at - where else? - the quarterback position. There's no controversy, no hint of debate and amazingly little discussion about the subject that rages outside the confines of the team. There's no coin flip to determine playing time - the unfortunate metaphor of last year's camp.

"Thanks for bringing that up," Derek Anderson said with a laugh. Anderson arrived tanned, fit and brimming with the confidence of a quarterback coming off a Pro Bowl season and banking a new three-year contract. A year ago, he was the underdog, almost an afterthought, to unseat Charlie Frye as the starting quarterback. He lost the infamous ..."

"Joe Jurevicius' status for the season is up in the air, Browns General Manager Phil Savage said Wednesday. Jurevicius (knee) and offensive lineman Ryan Tucker (hip) were both placed on the active/physically unable to perform list, where they will remain until after the first cut to 75 on Aug. 26, Savage said. When asked if he'll have them both for the season, Savage sounded more optimistic about Tucker than Jurevicius, who's undergone four surgeries in the off-season, including three to remove staph from the scoped knee.

"We feel good about where [Tucker] is," said Savage. "I think we're a little further down the line in terms of where he is recovery-wise. With Joe, it's a ..."

"Browns receiver Donte Stallworth opened training camp on the sideline after pulling a hamstring while training at home. Acquired in free agency from the New England Patriots to take over the No. 2 receiver spot, Stallworth played catch with Braylon Edwards during Wednesday's first practice session. General Manager Phil Savage said Stallworth could miss a ''couple days.'' ''He's a little sore; he's working with the trainers,'' coach Romeo Crennel said. ''He's shown that he'll get treatment all the time; he'll do whatever he has to do to get back.'' His absence could help young receivers Travis Wilson, Syndric Steptoe and Steve Sanders and journeyman Kevin Kasper, signed in January, catch ..."

"As the Browns opened training camp Wednesday afternoon, the Dawg Pound seemed transplanted into a section of bleachers along the side of the practice fields. But even if they were prompted by boredom during what was essentially a one-hour walk-through, two chants started by the rowdies sounded totally foreign. The first was ''Super Bowl, Super Bowl.'' The other, ''D.A., D.A.'' With the Browns coming off a 10-6 season that fell one game shy of the playoffs, expectations are at a high not seen in Northeast Ohio since the glory days of the 1980s. The loudest of the announced capacity crowd of 2,524 were only vocalizing the dreams of long-suffering Clevelanders who hope to see their team play ..."

"On the first day of training camp, the sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds and eventually lost the fight. But optimism was still beaming on every spectator's face. The few raindrops that fell during the first practice were shining in the light like jewels. So began a season in search of at least a division crown Coach Romeo Crennel said he is always the same guy. Neither success nor failure changes him. He has been here since 2005, with no playoffs. But 10 victories, as were compiled last season, is usually enough to play in January. That season got him a two-year contract extension through 2011."

"I think I heard a rumor that Browns training camp opens today. Imagine that one slipping by. The opening of camp always prompts some thoughts about the state of the team, and this season is no different. I think there is little reason not to be optimistic about the Browns' chances. They have questions, but no more than any other team, and the questions they have are answerable. As camp opens, there's really no reason to think they cannot win the division."

"The opening of camp always prompts some thoughts about the state of the team, and this season is no different. I think there is little reason not to be optimistic about the Browns' chances. They have questions, but no more than any other team, and the questions they have are answerable. As camp opens, there's really no reason to think they cannot win the division. I think it has been a long, long time since we looked at the Browns' roster and did not find a position that lacked a solution. I think that's a nice feeling to have. I think the more I think about it, the more I like coach Romeo Crennel's response to the offseason question, ''What does it mean that you were given a ..."

"Any day now, freeway commuters will see new orange, brown and white billboards with an unlikely battle cry for a town typecast as perennial sports victim: ?There?s always this year.? What?s this? Hope? A dash of self-confidence even? Last summer, a quarterback chosen by coin flip led the Browns onto their Berea practice field fresh off a 4-12 season. As training camp opens at Browns headquarters today, last season?s 10-6 mark and near-playoff miss, a roster of rising stars and a rugged, ready-for-primetime schedule are whipping up a wave of optimism not seen since the Bernie Kosar era of the late ?80s."

"The benefit of hindsight is always 20-20. Never has anyone looked back and been wrong. So it will be as the eternal question is pondered: Should the Browns have tried to acquire Jason Taylor? Let's admit that perhaps the Browns did try to acquire Taylor and were rebuffed, or that they discussed it at length and decided the cons outweighed the pros. There were times this offseason when it seemed the Miami Dolphins would not trade Taylor, or that the price might be too high. The Washington Redskins' acquiring last season's sack leader for a second-round draft pick in 2009 and sixth-round pick in 2010 seems a tad like a deal that could have piqued the Browns' interest."

"Teams in the Browns' AFC North Division inherited four of the eight toughest schedules in 2008, based on last year's records. That's why several experts are predicting a 9-7 record could win the division. The flip side is it's doubtful the second-place team could earn a wild-card berth. The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers head into training camp as the team to beat. The Browns would rank ahead if not for their 0-9 record against their archrivals the past four years. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals both have high hopes, but fell behind the Browns last season. Here's a look at the Browns' rivals as camps open this week."

"The dog days of summer are officially here with NFL training camps opening across the league. A number of teams reported to camp over the weekend with the remainder of clubs scheduled to report by the end of the week."

"What do you think is General Manager Phil Savage's great est concern as Browns training camp kicks off Wednesday? The still-thin cornerback situation? The absence of a proven runner behind Jamal Lewis? Receiver Joe Jurevicius' lingering staph infection? All are reasons for Savage to fret. But his biggest worry is that his camp roster isn't big enough. And he's not alone among NFL GMs. Training-camp rosters are one thing in sports that have been consistently shrinking. In the 1980s, it was routine for teams to bring 100 or more players to camp."

"There were times in the Browns' off-season when it appeared tight end Kellen Winslow might be a negative issue in 2008. He started talking about wanting a new contract at the Super Bowl in February. He had another knee surgery - his fourth, at least - after the Pro Bowl. In April, the Browns traded a future draft choice to pick a tight end, Winslow's possible successor. And then Winslow missed all of the team's voluntary off-season practices in May and June."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"The Cleveland Browns training camp that kicks off with its first open practice Wednesday, July 23, is like none in recent memory. There's no quarterback controversy, no scramble to field five healthy offensive linemen, no high-round draft pick holdout to occupy the headlines."

"The Cleveland Browns had one of the most potent offenses in the NFL last year, finishing the season ranked No. 8 overall. That being said, the team is looking to improve on that success in 2008 by adding a new twist to their offense that will center on fullback Lawrence Vickers. The fullback position was thought to be a dying breed, but with the way that Vickers performed last season has forced Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski to cook up some diabolical schemes to get his fullback more involved in the team's offense."

"When the Browns open training camp Wednesday, there will be one notable absence. A quarterback controversy. But when Derek Anderson signed a three-year, $26 million contract with $14.5 million guaranteed, the Browns committed to Anderson in 2008. Brady Quinn, the Notre Dame star drafted in the first round in 2007, will be the backup for another year, barring injury."

"Browns No. 3 receiver Joe Jurevicius likely will miss the first five games of the regular season after undergoing the fourth procedure on his right knee since January, General Manager Phil Savage said Thursday. After postseason arthroscopic surgery, Jurevicius contracted a staph infection that has required three clean-outs, the most recent June 30."

"Browns No. 3 receiver Joe Jurevicius likely will miss the first five games of the regular season after undergoing the fourth procedure on his right knee since January, General Manager Phil Savage said Thursday. After postseason arthroscopic surgery, Jurevicius contracted a staph infection that has required three clean-outs, the most recent June 30. Speaking on his weekly radio show on WTAM, Savage said Jurevicius, 33, a 10-year veteran, ''probably will'' start the season on the physically unable to perform list."

"Cleveland Browns veteran receiver Joe Jurevicius likely will start the 2008 season on the physically unable to perform list. In an interview Thursday morning with Cleveland radio station WTAM, Browns general manager Phil Savage said Jurevicius' most recent knee surgery performed on June 30 will cause him to miss extended time. If he is placed on the PUP list, Jurevicius will have to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season. Although the Browns are only confirming two surgeries, the procedure was at least the third performed on Jurevicius' knee in the past seven months after he contracted a staph infection following his initial surgery."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"Donte' Stallworth is a man of many pursuits. But when it came to being pursued in free agency, Stallworth wanted a suitor that could provide more than just the most cash; he wanted a team that had a wealth of talent as well. Stallworth, who became a free agent when the Patriots elected not to pick up $8 million in roster bonuses, landed in the land of Lake Erie, LeBron James, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, catching on with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns went 10-6 last season - their best record since being reincarnated in Cleveland in 1999 - and narrowly missed the playoffs. After adding Stallworth, who signed a seven-year, $35 million deal, and reinforcing the interior of its ..."

"When it comes to science, a small child either looks backward or upward, to the dinosaurs or the stars. Robert Smith looked up. Today, at the age of 36, he still sees stars, albeit with ever more powerful implements. "I was a fan of astronomy as a little kid," said Smith, "but I didn't buy my first telescope until my rookie year in the NFL. I was out on a lake at night, fishing, and looking at the sky when it hit me. Shoot, I can afford a telescope now. So I went straight out and bought one." Smith was one of the amateur astronomers profiled in last year's PBS special "Seeing in the Dark." The show was not about his football career. It was about intellectual curiosity."

"Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius had his second knee surgery since January on Monday, a procedure that could prevent him from reporting to training camp on time. Jurevicius had swelling and discomfort in his knee related to his first operation, and the club said in a statement released today that he had a further ''clean out'' on Monday to help him recover. The team said no determination has been made on Jurevicius' status for training camp, which opens July 23."

"Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius has undergone a fourth surgical procedure on his right knee and his status for training camp is in question. Jurevicius, a Chardon native, had the first surgery to clean up previous damage in the knee following last season. He had two more surgical procedures to treat a staph infection. In a team news release, the Browns did not disclose the nature of the most recent surgery. The release said he had experienced "ongoing swelling and discomfort in his knee" and "had a further clean-out to help him in his recovery and control his symptoms.""

"Browns cornerback Daven Holly vowed not only to return in 2009, but to come back from his major knee injury a better player and person. "I know fans have been wondering how serious this is and whether or not I'll be back," said Holly in a phone interview. "But I expect to make a full re covery with no loss of speed or strength. A delay is not a denial. I'll come back better, stronger, faster and more mature than before." Holly said tearing multiple knee lig aments is devastating, but it's a test of his faith and persever ance."

"Kevin Jones went through a workout Saturday while four NFL teams watched the running back sprint and cut just five months after he had major knee surgery. Dr. D.S. Ping, who has been helping Jones rehabilitate his right knee, said Miami, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Detroit sent representatives to the workout in Saline, Mich. The Lions cut their former first-round pick in March with one year left on his contract after he hurt the knee late last season, adding to the injury woes that have stunted his success in the league. The Cleveland Browns also called, Ping said, and asked for a video of the workout."

"The Cleveland Browns have entered contract negotiations with representatives for Beau Bell, their rookie fourth-round linebacker from Nevada-Las Vegas. Discussions are only in the preliminary stages, but the team's top pick is expected to be signed before training camp opens next month. During a phone interview with Bell on Sunday, the linebacker shared his enthusiasm about being in Cleveland and taking part in training camp at the club's Berea headquarters."

"Though Browns players have frequent interaction with legendary running back Jim Brown at practices and meetings, the team's rookies saw him in a completely different light Wednesday. While all 20 of the Browns' rookies - draft picks and free agents - took their annual tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, most couldn't help but notice the fact that Brown, one of the league's most decorated figures and one of the most famous players in the team's history, was shown on almost every wall and in several of the hall's displays."

"There are just 100 paid campers for the Derek Anderson Football Camp July 7 through July 10 in Scappoose, but that's 100 more than there were last year late in June. "Last year, we didn't get a single paid camper until June 25, and we ended up with 225," says coach Ryan Svenson, chief organizer for the camp. "We expect over 400 this year." Anderson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback from Oregon State and Scappoose High, and friends have recruited a number of pro and college athletes, plus local coaches and volunteers, to help with the camp. NCAA regulations don't allow college players to be promoted, but Svenson says several players from Oregon State and a few from the University of ..."

"''To the fans of Cleveland who may have thought I would not be ready to play, I would not miss this season for the world. I think the city should be excited about what we have in front of us and where we can go.'' Adding to his optimism are the offseason trades for defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams and the free-agent signing of former New England Patriots receiver Donte Stallworth to take over his No. 2 spot. Stallworth, a six-year veteran with 31 career touchdowns, has the quickness to get open that Jurevicius lacks and has already developed chemistry with quarterback Derek Anderson. ''There's an opportunity for this team to do something that hasn't been done in a ..."

"Bengals cornerback Jerrid Gaines has endured a three-month roller=coaster ride in the NFL. The former Springfield South High School and Miami University star was down when he went undrafted, up when Cleveland signed him, down again when the Browns released him after rookie minicamp on May 4 and up again when Cincinnati snared him on May 29. "I couldn't understand why Cleveland let me go," Gaines said. "I was shocked. I thought I was just as good or even better than a lot of guys there. But I just said, 'Well, somebody else will like me.' Now it's like, wow. I'm here, and I've just got to keep fighting for myself.""

"When Romeo Crennel's three daughters were young, he'd sometimes stand in the hallway at dawn, press an imaginary bugle to his lips and blow reveille at the top of his lungs to rouse them out of bed - just as his father did to him. The son of a strict career Army sergeant, Crennel has military roots so ingrained that when the going gets tough in Berea, he steps outside his office and marches down the hall in lockstep, calling cadence in his head, "left . . . left . . . left, right, left . . ." "When I'm feeling sorry for myself, that always gets me back to where I need to be," said the Browns head coach."

"Brady Quinn wants the Browns to win the Super Bowl, and he wants to lead them there. Sitting for a second consecutive season behind Derek Anderson can't appeal to the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, especially since he had been a starter since the final nine games of his freshman year at Notre Dame. Rather than making waves that could divide the locker room, though, Quinn seems prepared to tread water for what could be at least seven more months."

"Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo shot 84 at Torrey Pines, but he has nothing on the Browns' Derek Anderson when it comes to golf. Anderson had the guts to take on 2003 British Open winner Ben Curtis last week at Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon. Curtis carded a 66 on the 7,127-yard, par-72 Tom Fazio layout, which is ranked 60th on Golf Digest's list of America's 100 greatest courses for 2007-08. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 quarterback shot 78 and said that included a trio of 3-putt bogeys."

"A year ago at this time, the Browns didn't know who their starting quarterback would be and whether anybody would warm to Rob Chudzinski's new offense. So confident was the team in its defense that the coordinator was given a contract extension and implicitly designated the next head coach - if one were needed. Yes, things have changed. As the Browns hit summer recess following the conclusion of coach Romeo Crennel's minicamp Thursday, the tide indeed has turned."

"Kellen Winslow's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Wednesday that he's still hopeful he and the Browns can agree on a contract extension for Winslow. "With Kellen, we have good dialogue with the Browns," Rosenhaus told Sprint Exclusive Entertainment. "I have had discussions with [General Manager] Phil Savage . . . about Kellen's contract. Kellen has made it clear in the past what he would like to accomplish. We're hopeful of getting something worked out with the team.""

"Gary Baxter is back. Seems we've heard this before about the defensive back, but this time it might be true. Bidding to become the first NFL player to return from two torn patellar tendons, Baxter worked in team drills Wednesday morning for the first time since suffering the injuries in 2006. The former cornerback will get every chance in training camp to prove he should stick with the team as a safety — unless he goes the LeCharles Bentley route and demands his release."

"The latest chapter in Cleveland's woeful tale of What Might Have Been ended at midday Wednesday, when LeCharles Bentley walked out the front door of Browns headquarters pulling a wheeled suitcase filled with souvenirs The team cut ties with Bentley Wednesday, when he asked to be released from his contract and the Browns granted his request. He was to be paid $605,000 in 2008, the final year of his restructured contract, but could have made up to $4 million with incentives."

"Now, after being released by mutual agreement, Bentley might get more money as a free agent than the league minimum of $605,000 he was making here. The Browns reduced his contract as the chances grew more remote he would recover fully from the series of medical setbacks. The numbers were also against him on the offensive line. There were too many good players ahead of him. The numbers on his career clock were dwindling. He has been away from the game for two years. He wanted to be more than an "insurance policy" at this time. Would it have been different without the surgical complications, had Bentley made it back last year? Who knows?"

"For the first time, receiver Joe Jurevicius disclosed that he had three surgeries in the off-season - one to clean up an old knee injury and two to treat a staph infection. But the Timberlake native vowed, "I will be back, not only for the season opener, but for training camp." Jurevicius added: "The problem that I did have is now gone, and my rehab has probably gone better than expected. I have exceeded what the trainers had planned for me. I'm ready to get ready for training camp.""

"Hometown football star LeCharles Bentley walked away from his lifelong dream of playing for the Browns on Wednesday because it just didn't feel like a dream anymore. "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.""

"Some folks close to LeCharles Bentley promise he will play in the NFL in 2008. Bentley promised the same thing Tuesday. ''There is absolutely zero doubt that I will be playing somewhere ? starting ? in 2008,'' Bentley said during the Browns' minicamp, according to a transcript the team provided. Bold words, because they come from a guy who has missed two years and who conceded that the staph infection that he fought after tearing his patellar tendon in July 2006 was ''life-threatening.''"

"It should have been an uplifting moment when the door to the Browns' weight room opened at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and LeCharles Bentley sauntered onto the practice field after two years in oblivion. But even as Bentley began what could be an amazing comeback from a torn patellar tendon and three more surgeries for a life- and limb-threatening staph infection, there was an underlying uncertainty. Not about Bentley, a 28-year-old St. Ignatius High School product, playing football again, but whether it will be for his hometown Browns."

"The best news about the Le Charles Bentley comeback is the Browns really don't need him to come back. Their offensive line really is that good. There's something else about offensive lines - you can always use another good lineman. It seems someone always gets hurt, and that's where Bentley may help. The emphasis is on may."

"Browns receiver Joe Jurevicius might not be ready for the start of the regular season, a source close to the situation said Tuesday. Jurevicius, an 11th-year pro and native of nearby Timberlake, has had multiple procedures on his knee in the off-season and is still rehabbing in Berea. He's not participating in minicamp, and it's not yet known what he'll be able to do in training camp. The source said it's much too early to predict whether he'll be ready for the season."

"Horns did not herald the triumphant return of LeCharles Bentley to the practice field Tuesday. The moment some felt might never come was quiet and low-key. Bentley walked gingerly and pensively to join his new Browns teammates. He jostled briefly with running back Jerome Harrison on the way out, but there was no backslapping or handshaking to celebrate the occasion. Whatever congratulations ex tended to Bentley for overcom ing incredible odds and hard ships over nearly two years occurred before he took the field."