Scratch Brandin Cooks from the list of Browns trade targets. The Texans traded him to the Cowboys in deal reminiscent of the Browns' trade for Amari Cooper last year. (Houston Chronicle)
#HeyTony: What’s the latest on Browns pursuit of a veteran wideout?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Hey Tony: Any hot updates on our next WR trade/add? Where do you think Kareem Hunt ends up? Will miss him.
-- Greg, Westlake, OH
Hey Greg: With Brandin Cooks traded by Houston to Dallas on Sunday, the likeliest veteran receivers on Browns radar via trade include Jerry Jeudy (Broncos), Hunter Renfrow (Raiders) and Elijah Moore (Jets). I believe free agency is less likely, but the names linked to them include Mecole Hardman (Chiefs), D.J. Chark (Lions), and Marquise Goodman (Seahawks). I’m adding Trent Sherfield (Dolphins) on this list. Undrafted in 2018, he had his best game against the Browns last year. If you want to include Odell Beckham in that group, have at it. I believe Hunt ends up with the Bills or Chargers.
Hey Tony: What are the chances the Browns trade down in the draft?
-- Ken, Crystal Lake, IL
Hey Ken: If the Browns are able to trade for a speed receiver – or sign one in free agency – I think the odds turn favorably to them trading down. They will receive kudos for collecting extra picks at the expense of bypassing a better player taken at No. 42. Happens every year under GM Andrew Berry.
Hey Tony: I know you mentioned not being a fan of trading down from 42. However, does moving back just a little bit in the second round to acquire another third make any sense given all the various needs and no other high-end picks? Or “just make the pick!”?
-- Matt, Columbus, OH
Hey Matt: Listen, I’m not totally against it if they acquire a receiver before the draft. Moving a few notches down in the second round is OK. I guess I just don’t trust their evaluation process on players they bypass v. those they take. (Although M.J. Emerson last year was a real good find in the third round as a replacement for CB3 Greedy Williams.) If they were better at evaluating what players do on the field – instead of leaning so heavily on athletic scores – moving down and collecting an extra pick makes a lot of sense. I’m not blind to that.
Hey Tony: Who should be the Browns #1 FA target at LB? WR?
-- Andrew, Parma Heights, OH
Hey Andrew: Inasmuch as their cap space is down to about $10 million, I doubt they would acquire a receiver with a high cap number in 2023. For example, Cooks brings the Cowboys a cap figure of $12.3 million. These hidden nuances help to explain the low trade price for higher-priced players like Cooks and Amari Cooper a year ago. As for linebacker, I’d expect the Browns to budget no more than $2.5 million on this year’s cap. In other words, re-signing Anthony Walker or signing a veteran to a one-year deal seems the most likely occurrence.
Hey Tony: Which is more likely within the next 5-10 years: a new indoor stadium or extensive renovations to FES and keeping it an outdoor venue (like it should be)?
-- Larry, Brunswick, OH
Hey Larry: Excellent question. The Browns have very ambitious plans to renovate FirstEnergy Stadium. they believe they can transform the stadium and solve the troublesome accessibility issues at a cost far less expensive than building a new one. Evidently the Haslams have set a cap on their preferred contribution to costs, which they have not revealed as yet. They know a new stadium would exceed $2 billion. Their plans keep FES as an outdoor stadium as the centerpiece of a wide-ranging lakefront development plan. The city of Cleveland, per Mayor Justin Bibb, is preparing its own plans for lakefront development. Perhaps that plan favors an indoor stadium, which would come at a far greater cost. The outdoor v. indoor issue isn’t a deal-breaker. It’s all about the percentage of private funds v. public funds. Ultimately, the public-private partnership necessary for a comprehensive redevelopment must be in total unison for something to get done. It is healthy for this conversation to rev up because the Browns’ lease at FES expires in 2028. It’s time to agree on a vision for the role of Browns stadium in lakefront redevelopment.
Hey Tony: When talking about elite NFL quarterbacks, Watson’s name is often not mentioned. What does he need to do for that narrative to change?
-- Andy, New Albany, OH
Hey Andy: Lead the Browns to at least 11 wins, plus a win in the post-season. If he does that, none of his personal statistics matter and his reputation as an elite quarterback will be restored. There are no excuses in 2023.
Hey Tony: Do you think players should use their social media accounts to communicate with fans during the season? It seems to be a distraction and players seem to get angry by some fans’ comments. Do the coaches have any say?
-- Josh, Galena, OH
Hey Josh: First of all, coaches may discourage players from using social media, but they can’t forbid it. That toothpaste is out of the tube and never can be put back in. I think it’s cool that players use social media to engage with their fans. Some use it to break news. Some use it to circulate images of themselves working out, etc. Some use it to dispute something read or said by conventional media. You’re right, though. Players should avoid reading their mentions. It just gets ugly.
Hey Tony: If Deshaun Watson returns to an elite level, do the Browns have the rest of the necessary pieces in place to make a legitimate Super Bowl run?
-- Leonard, Troy, OH
Hey Leonard: This is where new coordinators Jim Schwartz and Bubba Ventrone come in. They will have more impact than any new player in putting the Browns in the thick of the playoff chase.
Hey Tony: How does the Pro Football HOF treat players from the old USFL and there stats? Does a guy like Herschel Walker’s record setting performance count for induction?
-- Jay, LaGrange, OH
Hey Jay: Yes, non-NFL stats and performance counts. It’s the Pro Football Hall of Fame – not the NFL hall of fame. The outside-the-NFL careers of Warren Moon (CFL) and Jim Kelly (USFL) contributed to discussions leading to their election. Going way back, Browns Hall of Famers Paul Brown, Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley, Bill Willis and Lou Groza certainly benefitted from their success in the All-America Football Conference before the Browns were admitted to the NFL in 1950.
Hey Tony: Will spreading out the offense give Nick Chubb more running lanes, since it will be hard to stack the box against a spread offense? Or will he struggle to adapt to different types of schemes in the run game?
-- Raymond, Canton, OH
Hey Raymond: Chubb will be fine no matter what passing formations the Browns elect to use to help Watson regain his old form.
Hey Tony: Is Josh Dobbs our best bet as a backup QB?
-- AJ, Avon, OH
Hey AJ: I thought so. However, either the Browns are sleeping on him and will lose him or he is sitting on a better opportunity elsewhere. I’d be surprised now if they get him back.
