NFL FANTASY FOOTBALL
 Cleveland Browns - Priority News
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 2/9/10 3:18am et |
| The Cleveland Browns have announced they have terminated the contract of WR Donte' Stallworth. |
The Huddle's Take: This comes as little surprise. Stallworth is now free to pack up his baggage and look for work elsewhere in the NFL.
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 2/6/10 5:45pm et |
| Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports the Browns will release WR Donte' Stallworth, but the formality of an announcement may not come immediately, according to a source. The red-letter date regarding Stallworth is March 20. If he is on the team's 80-man roster on that date—the 15th day of the 2010 league year—he would earn a $1 million roster bonus. The Browns do not intend to pay it, so Stallworth will be released by then. |
The Huddle's Take: Stallworth will be reinstated by the league following the Super Bowl, but he doesn't figure into the Browns' plans so expect the announcement of a release to come sooner rather than later—and definitely by March 20.
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 2/5/10 4:58pm et |
| Bob Glauber, of Newsday, reports NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said suspended Cleveland Browns WR Donte' Stallworth will be reinstated after Super Bowl XLIV. |
The Huddle's Take: The Browns haven't made public their decision on what to do with Stallworth, though in all likelihood they'll cut him loose. He may still have something to offer an NFL team as a complementary receiver, but he comes with plenty of baggage.
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| Jerome Harrison - RB |
Posted 2/4/10 11:15pm et |
| The Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Cleveland Browns general manager Tom Heckert said RB Jerome Harrison showed he could play last season but is not sure if Harrison could handle the majority of carries for an entire season. 'He did a heck of a job at the end of the season, but whether a guy like Jerome can carry the ball that much throughout the whole season, that's a little difficult to say. But at least he proved that he can play in the league. It was unknown until this year, so I think he did himself a favor and we think he's a good player,' Heckert said. |
The Huddle's Take: It appears that Jerome Harrison went a long way in quieting his critics at the end of the 2009 season and is certainly considered the front runner to start for Cleveland next year. It is unclear how much time he will get carrying the ball but it should be substantial as long as he remains healthy.
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 2/4/10 11:15pm et |
| The Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports suspended Cleveland Browns WR Donte' Stallworth is eligible for reinstatement Monday, Feb. 8. General manager Tom Heckert said, "We really haven't (made a decision). It's something (Browns owner Randy Lerner) is probably going to be involved in as well. We'll have to discuss it as an organization." |
The Huddle's Take: Time will tell how this will play out but Stallworth could be a nice sleeper in the Browns offense especially with the departure of Braylon Edwards last year. He could make a nice veteran complement to Mohammad Massaquoi in a very young Cleveland offense barring any setbacks along the way.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 1/29/10 10:49pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns WR Josh Cribbs said team president Mike Holmgren has reached out to him and said he would like to work on a new contract with Cribbs. |
The Huddle's Take: Holmgren has plenty of fires to put out in Cleveland, but it sounds like he's on the right track with regards to keeping the Browns' most dynamic player in town.
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 1/25/10 10:08am et |
| Tony Grossi, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports the Browns have no intention of bringing back suspended WR Donte' Stallworth next season. |
The Huddle's Take: The Browns aren't exactly stacked at wide receiver, but the team doesn't need the baggage that accompanies Stallworth.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 1/22/10 10:17am et |
| Mary Kay Cabot, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Browns WR Josh Cribbs' agent, J.R. Rickert, said he has had "very positive" dialogue with the team in the past week about Cribbs' contract. Cribbs is optimistic about a good outcome. Rickert said, "We have a much clearer indication that something can be worked out and that it's not just lip service." Rickert said team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert have "made it clear to us that they had not made a take-it-or-leave-it proposition or a final offer. The tone and tenor were very positive and we feel this is something we're going to sit down and work on. Josh feels very good about it." |
The Huddle's Take: Cribbs doesn't have a whole lot of options: he's under contract, so he can either play for the Browns or sit out. On the other hand, he is the most dynamic member of the Cleveland offense and by most standards is underpaid. Expect the team and Cribbs to find some common ground in the middle and rework his contract this offseason.
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| Donte' Stallworth - WR |
Posted 1/19/10 10:16pm et |
| SI.com, reports NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will reinstate WR Donte' Stallworth so that he'll be able to sign with any NFL team in 2010. Stallworth is still under contract with the Cleveland Browns. |
The Huddle's Take: Prior to his suspension, Stallworth was considered to be the likely starter opposite Braylon Edwards in the offense in Cleveland. What a difference a few months make as Edwards has departed for the Jets which leaves Josh Cribbs, Mohammad Massaquoi and now Donte Stallworth as the top receivers heading into next season.
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| Jerome Harrison - RB |
Posted 1/15/10 12:40pm et |
| Marla Ridenour, of The Beacon Journal, reports Cleveland Browns team president Mike Holmgren has seen enough out of RB Jerome Harrison, who rushed for 570 yards and five touchdowns in the final four games of the year, to know that he likes him. "I love him as a player," Holmgren said. "I thought what he did at the end of the season was remarkable." Harrison was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent March 5, but he will be a restricted free agent unless an agreement to the CBA is reached before then. |
The Huddle's Take: It wouldn't be surprising if one of Holmgren's first moves in Cleveland is to extend Harrison's contract and make him the focal point of the Browns' running game. While it's unlikely a new CBA will be in place in time to let Harrison become a UFA, he'd still likely command enough attention as an RFA to drive his price up.
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| Brady Quinn - QB |
Posted 1/12/10 10:31pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn (foot) will not need foot surgery in the offseason, according to president Mike Holmgren. Quinn will return to Cleveland next week to be examined by the team's medical staff. |
The Huddle's Take: The news on Quinn is encouraging at this point and should help him increase his probability to be at full strength prior to the start of the 2010 season. The Browns seem to be steadily improving and could be a team on the rise heading into next season.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 1/6/10 10:52pm et |
| The Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports the Cleveland Browns have offered WR Josh Cribbs an "insulting" $1.4 million a year. Cribbs' agent, Peter Schaffer, said, ."They need to treat him fairly or he'll never play for the Browns again. He will demand a trade and he will walk out of there and they won't see him for the offseason -- they won't see him ever again." |
The Huddle's Take: Cribbs is without question one of the most explosive playmakers on the Browns roster and is capable of taking the ball to the house everytime he touches it. Despite the early verbage between the team and Cribbs, it would be hard to imagine the Browns letting this talented player get out of town any time soon.
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| Jerome Harrison - RB |
Posted 12/27/09 11:31pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Harrison rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown on 39 carries in Week 16. The 39 carries set a franchise record for most carries in a game. |
The Huddle's Take: This is the second week in a row that Harrison has exploded for a huge performance. The Browns have clearly found there starting running back for next season which could give Cleveland the bruising rusher it has been missing for the last few years.
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| Brady Quinn - QB |
Posted 12/26/09 4:48am et |
| Updating previous reports, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi reports Browns QB Brady Quinn has been diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain in his left foot. He'll be in a walking boot for four weeks. |
The Huddle's Take: The Browns already put Quinn on Injured Reserve and will foist Derek Anderson on us this week.
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| Derek Anderson - QB |
Posted 12/22/09 11:44am et |
| CBSSports.com reports the Cleveland Browns have placed QB Brady Quinn (foot) on Injured Reserve. QB Derek Anderson will now be the team's starting quarterback. |
The Huddle's Take: Quinn had begun to somewhat establish himself as the Browns' quarterback, but this will be the second season in a row he'll finish on IR. Anderson, with two good performances, will at least have a shot at being able to compete for the No. 1 QB spot in training camp. That is, unless new grand poobah Mike Holmgren decides to get rid of both of them and start from scratch.
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| Jerome Harrison - RB |
Posted 12/21/09 12:12am et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Harrison had 34 carries for a team-record 286 rushing yards with three touchdowns Week 15. He also caught two passes for 12 receiving yards. |
The Huddle's Take: Cleveland's running game has been inconsistent for much of the season but Harrison has posted one of the best performances by a Browns runner in some time. It would be hard to imagine him repeating this type of production any time soon in a depleted Cleveland offensive unit. He could however be viewed as a decent No. 3 running back with some upside.
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| Brady Quinn - QB |
Posted 12/15/09 10:40am et |
| The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini is not ready to commit to QB Brady Quinn as the team's quarterback of the future. Mangini said, "We're going to look at the whole body of work and all of the different things -- and not just for Brady but for the group -- and see where we are and assess it at that point as opposed to doing it right now." Mangini is pleased Quinn hasn't thrown an interception in the past four games, but he acknowledged that the team will try to improve Quinn's accuracy. |
The Huddle's Take: Unless the Browns make some bold free agent moves in the off-season, or Quinn and their young receiving corps suddenly blossom, expect Cleveland to be a Fantasy black hole yet again next season.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 12/15/09 2:42pm et |
| Updating a previous report, Mary Kay Cabot, of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini is not opposed to the idea of using WR Josh Cribbs at running back. 'As a traditional running back, it wouldn't be something I'd be opposed to,' said Mangini. 'I've liked the role that he has now, but that's definitely something we could continue to explore and figure out more ways.' However, Mangini is also worried about overusing Cribbs as both a running back and wide receiver. 'What you don't want to do, too, is use him so much that it now becomes almost the law of diminishing returns. The plays that he can produce as a returner are so explosive. You'd hate to have drop-off there. It's a case of trying to find the right balance.' |
The Huddle's Take: Cribbs was very effective last week as a running back in the Wildcat (or Wild Brown, or whatever they call their version) formation against Pittsburgh, so much so that he was the team's leading rusher. If Mangini chooses to experiment with Cribbs as an RB in a traditional formation, it'll come at the expense of Chris Jennings. Jennings may be worth at least some Fantasy consideration this week against the Chiefs, but not if he and Cribbs will be splitting carries.
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| Chris Jennings - RB |
Posted 12/11/09 10:46am et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns RB Chris Jennings had 20 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown Week 14. It was the first rushing touchdown scored by a Cleveland running back in more than a year. |
The Huddle's Take: It was Jennings and not Jerome Harrison handling the workload for the Browns, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners who chased Harrison's two-TD performance from Week 13. With both Jamal Lewis and James Davis done for the year and the Browns already in rebuilding mode, Cleveland might be giving Jennings an audition for the 2010 job.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 12/11/09 10:46am et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns WR Josh Cribbs had eight carries for 87 yards out of the team's wildcat formation Week 14. Cribbs also had 104 return yards and caught a nine-yard pass in the game. |
The Huddle's Take: Cribbs is the most dynamic player on the Browns' roster, and it's taken 14 weeks for the team to find a way to get him enough touches to truly impact the game. Now brace for him to revisit the issue of his contract, which he has expressed disappointment with since last offseason.
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| Cleveland Browns - TM |
Posted 12/10/09 8:10pm et |
| The Cleveland Browns have declared QB Brett Ratliff, CB Coye Francies, LB David Veikune, CB Gerard Lawson, TE Greg Estandia, WR Jake Allen, DL Kenyon Coleman, OG Rex Hadnot inactive for Week 14. |
| Jerome Harrison - RB |
Posted 12/9/09 11:10pm et |
| Cleveland Browns RB Jerome Harrison (illness) was limited during practice Wednesday, Dec. 9. He is listed as probable for Week 14. |
The Huddle's Take: Harrison is clearly the featured back in Cleveland with the loss of Jamal Lewis for the remainder of the season. Rookie running back Chris Jennings could also see some action but Harrison is the man as long as his illness doesn't keep him off the practice field the entire week.
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| Brady Quinn - QB |
Posted 12/6/09 8:02pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn went 25-for-45 for 271 yards and three touchdowns in Week 13. |
The Huddle's Take: Don't look now but Quinn is starting to show glimpses of a possible chance at long term success. It will be interesting to see what Cleveland does with things in the off season.
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| Jamal Lewis - RB |
Posted 12/2/09 4:37pm et |
| The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Cleveland Browns RB Jamal Lewis (undisclosed) was not participating during the media-access portion of practice Wednesday, Dec. 2, and there is speculation that he could be placed on Injured Reserve. Lewis was replaced by RB Chris Jennings as the starter in Week 12. However, Lewis did enter the game for the second play of the game and led the team in rushing yards. |
The Huddle's Take: Lewis has been on the team's injury report for several weeks but has played in each of those games. It would be odd to suddenly end his season, but the Browns are going nowhere this season and they may want to give Jennings a good look over the next five games. Jennings, a rookie out of Arizona, has seen 26 touches over the past three weeks.
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| Jamal Lewis - RB |
Posted 12/2/09 7:04pm et |
| Updating a previous report the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports Cleveland Browns RB Jamal Lewis (concussion) suffered a serious concussion in Week 12 and was meeting with a specialist Wednesday, Dec. 2, according to a source. |
The Huddle's Take: Lewis has already been ruled out for this weekend's game against San Diego and there are some reports that he could be placed on Injured Reserve. It is unclear at this point who will carry the load in the Browns' backfield as rookie Chris Jennings was dinged up last week.
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| Jamal Lewis - RB |
Posted 12/2/09 11:15pm et |
| The Associated Press, reports the Cleveland Browns have placed RB Jamal Lewis (concussion) on Injured Reserve, ending his 2009 season and possibly his career. Lewis announced in November that he planned to retire after this season. |
The Huddle's Take: This is certainly not what the Ravens or fantasy owners wanted to hear in regard to the star running back's future. Lewis has been a force since entering the league and provided the Ravens with a solid battering ram style-runner that would certainly be missed if he is unable to return to action. Cleveland will likely turn to rookie Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison for the remainder of the season.
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| Shaun Rogers - DT |
Posted 11/30/09 11:18am et |
| Mary Kay Cabot, of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reports Browns DT Shaun Rogers will miss the rest of the 2009 season with a leg injury, according to a league source. The exact nature of the injury is not known, but it could be an ankle or an Achilles' tendon. |
The Huddle's Take: If possible, the Browns' run defense will get even worse sans Rogers.
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| Jamal Lewis - RB |
Posted 11/26/09 10:23am et |
| NFL.com reports Cleveland Browns RB Jamal Lewis was limited in practice Wednesday, Nov. 25. |
The Huddle's Take: Jamal has been ceding carries to Chris Jennings of late, and since he's short-timing it with a Browns' team that is clearly in rebuilding mode it wouldn't be at all surprising to see him continue to lose touches regardless of his injury status.
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| Mohamed Massaquoi - WR |
Posted 11/22/09 9:45pm et |
| The Associated Press reports Cleveland Browns WR Mohamed Massaquoi caught five passes for 115 yards and one touchdown in Week 11. |
The Huddle's Take: Massaquoi is quietly developing into a solid No. 1 wideout in Cleveland which appears to be the primary reason the team may have elected to part ways with Braylon Edwards. If the Browns could find consistency at the quarterback position, Massaquoi could be a huge fantasy factor in an offense that throws alot in each game.
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| Josh Cribbs - WR |
Posted 11/20/09 5:19pm et |
| The Medina County Gazette reports Cleveland Browns WR Josh Cribbs (neck) was limited in practice Friday, Nov. 20, and is questionable for Week 11. However, head coach Eric Mangini made it sound as if Cribbs will play. |
The Huddle's Take: Cribbs is a fantastic talent wasted on a team going nowhere. But if he does play, the Cleveland D/ST could be worth a Fantasy look against the Lions. Not only would Cribbs pose a threat to score a TD on every kick he fields, Detroit's Matthew Stafford has been an interception machine lately. If you're in a league that doesn't penalize defenses for yardage/points surrendered, Cleveland is worth consideration.
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