The Browns continued to whittle away their long list of draft picks by signing
fifth-round cornerback DeMario Minter and sixth-round nose tackle Babatunde Oshinowo to four-year contracts.
Neither player is expected to play much from scrimmage in 2006, although
Minter should help on special teams. He is trying to beat out Pete Hunter and
Antonio Perkins as the fourth cornerback.
Oshinowo is playing behind 38-year-old Ted Washington and will compete with
J'Vonne Parker to be Washington's backup.
LINEBACKER PASSES AWAY: Linebacker Galen Fiss, the defensive
captain of the Browns' 1964 championship team, passed away July 17. He played 11
seasons for the Browns. In the second quarter of the championship game 42 years
ago against the Colts he tackled Lenny Moore for a five-yard loss on a screen
pass. His teammates consider it one of the biggest plays of the game, because
according to fellow linebacker Vince Costello, Moore could have scored a
touchdown and given the Colts a 7-0 lead had Fiss missed. The Browns won, 27-0.
"I played with Galen for 10 years," Costello said. "To me that was the
greatest game he ever played. Nobody plays a perfect game, but Galen came close
that day."
UNIFORM TWEAKED: The Browns are altering their uniforms
slightly this season to resemble those worn in the 1950s, including helmets with
gray facemasks. They have decided to make the obsolete equipment available to
fans for purchase in the form of a 'locker room sale' on July 29 and Aug. 13 at
their training complex in Berea, Ohio.
RETURN OF THE ELF: The Browns were born in the All-America
Conference in 1946. The math is not perfect, but the current Browns are
commemorating the 60th anniversary with a logo depicting the Brownie elf
stiff-arming his way through the zero on the number 60.
LITTLE ONES TO GET SIGNATURES: A new autograph policy has
been established for training camp whereby children aged 12 and younger will be
randomly selected and given color-coded tokens they can exchange for an
autograph at a tent with the corresponding color. Fans not receiving tokens can
still get autographs, but now the young children given tokens will not be
overlooked.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I have a mean streak on the field. You don't
want to be a mean guy off the field because you will never have any friends." --
Rookie guard Isaac Sowells on the difference in his personalities on and off the
field