BROWNS BYTES
Finally, there is some confirmation that the Browns are willing to part ways
with starting center Jeff Faine.
According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns have given
Faine's agent
permission to pursue a trade. This granting of permission was long expected
as the Browns have fielded several calls from interested teams since their
signing of Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley on the opening day of free
agency ten days ago.
While the paper goes on to say that, if Faine is not dealt, he would start at
center--with Bentley moving to guard--sources have consistently told The
OBR that it is “highly, highly unlikely” that Faine would remain on the
roster.
And even more unlikely that Bentley would make the move back to the guard
position. At least willingly.
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Throughout this off-season, many a Browns fans entertained thoughts of
Julian Peterson in orange and brown in 2006. Unfortunately, those thoughts
can be wiped from their short- and long-term memory as the linebacker has signed
with the Seahawks.
Shortly after losing a court ruling regarding free-agent Steve Hutchinson,
and deciding not to match the Vikings' offer to the guard, the Seahawks put pen
to paper on a deal with the Pro Bowl LB.
According to the Seattle Times, the two sides agreed on a
seven-year, $54 million contract, which included $18.5 million in bonuses.
Late last week, The OBR reported that the biggest reason for
the relative lack of interest in Peterson were his contract demands. Sources
said that Peterson was seeking $18-$20 million in guaranteed money, which caused
a certain amount of trepidation for several teams, including the Browns.
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This morning, Pat McManamon of the Akron Beacon Journal
came to praise Paul Tagliabue, who announced yesterday that he
would step down as
commissioner of the NFL in July of this year.
While we have not come to bury Tagliabue, we have come to toss our two cents
of reality into the national media love fest.
Yes, Tags played a major role in returning football to Cleveland. However,
there are two issues that, for now, are being buried in a torrential downpour of
plaudits.
The biggest issue, of course, was allowing the Browns to move in the first
place. He could have been pre-emptive; instead, he refused to go against one of
the old-guard owners until the deafening cries of Browns fans around the world
could not be ignored.
Secondly, and nearly as important, was the dragging of the NFL's collective
feet in getting an ownership group in place in a timely manner. That's a misstep
that Browns fans continue to pay for to this day.
The commish is not dead nor, as far as we know, is he dying; there is no
reason why the entire portrait of his commissionership cannot be put on full
display, warts and all.
A legacy is what it is: the whole of one's work.
Save the gloss for the eulogy.
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According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, “various reports” have
the Bengals and head coach Marvin Lewis in
serious discussions with the agents for linebacker LaVar Arrington.
We can only assume that Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is
involved in a vast majority of those “various reports”.
In a related story, Schefter is reporting that Arrington is drawing interest
from both the defunct Canton Bulldogs and soccer's Manchester United.