CLEVELAND, Ohio – In this week’s issue of Hey, Mary Kay! I answer questions about Sheldon Richardson, Jadeveon Clowney and more.
Hello, Mary Kay: Good information always! What is the thought behind the timing of Sheldon Richardson’s release? Why not wait until after the draft? Doesn’t that now seem like a need for DT in a concept like Barmore? – Matt Pastore, Columbus, Ohio
Hello, Matt: The Browns had a little over $ 10 million in 2021 after signing Jadeveon Clowney on Wednesday, and that would cover their rookie pool of about $ 9 million. If they want to trade for a player or expand some of their own players, they need some leeway. After the draft, they take on the fifth-year options of Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward and then decide whether to extend or wait the off-season.
They have other key players on the way in the last year of their contracts, such as Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller, and will probably start talking to them about new deals soon. This gives them the opportunity to carry out some of these expansions during the off-season.
It also gives Richardson the chance to catch up with a new team ahead of the NFL draft, April 29 – May 1 in Cleveland. If he does not find a better opportunity, the door is open for him to return to the Browns at significantly less than the $ 12 million he would earn in 2021.
Hello, Mary Kay: Do you think the Browns plan to use Jadeveon Clowney on the inside of the line since releasing Sheldon Richardson? – Jimmie Lytle, Twinsburg, Ohio
Hi, Jimmie: I do think the Browns plan to use Clowney on the inside in some sub-defense, but they would have done it regardless of whether Richardson was here or not. The termination of Richardson’s contract was primarily a financial step: the ability to save $ 12 million on the cap and, as a result, have only $ 1.66 million in a dead capital space, was a step that made too much sense. made to succeed. But Richardson is off here on good footing and he loved playing here. The two parties separated with the agreement that it could be a temporary separation. I think it would be great if he came back at a smaller salary and stopped where he left off with an excellent game within the interior.
Hello, Mary Kay: Starting or getting Grant Delpit the majority of the screenshots this year, and is he completely recovered? – Gus, Swarthmore, Pa.
Hi, Gus: Delpit has posted some rehab videos of himself on social media and seems to be right on schedule or maybe even ahead of his effort to be full at the start of the season. A broken Achilles tendon is a difficult injury to recover from, but the most recent study showed that 78% of NFL players return to the field after a recovery from Achilles. The Browns are very optimistic about the full recovery and workload this season for Delpit, but they also have insurance in the form of John Johnson III as Delpit needs more time or should be part of a safety rotation.
From now on, the plan is for Delpit and Johnson to start, and that both are mostly on the field. If the Browns skip voluntary workouts, we might not see Delpit before the mandatory mini-camp in June, if there is even one. If the NFLPA gets its way, players will not have to show up again before training camp at the end of July, out of plenty of caution during the pandemic.
Hello, Mary Kay: We lost Sheldon Richardson and our defensive line signings are one-year deals. My question is with a long-term perspective: Will Andrew Berry move up and say no. 15 to ensure a top level or a defender in the interior? – Jason Rose, Aliquippa, Pa.
Hi, Jason: The Browns will look at this concept with a view to the future, as opposed to the missing link to get them to the Super Bowl this year. So I think there’s a chance Andrew Berry will have some conversations about the increase in the first round to draft a first player. But he will also consider moving back and staying seated. It all depends on how the round plays out, and who is willing to deal with it. With nine picks (two in the third and two in the fourth), Berry has extra ammunition to negotiate, and I can see him packing a few picks to move up in one of the previous rounds.
Hi Mary Kay: With Sheldon Richardson’s release, do you see it as a precursor to a potential trade, given the flexibility we have now? – Jason Rose, Aliquippa, Pa.
Hi, Jason: This gives the Browns the flexibility to drive and trade or to use some of the hood space to expand some of their veterans this summer. They have decisions to make key players like Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward, Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller. I think Richardson’s release has more to do with allocating resources to younger players over the next year than anything.
Hello, Mary Kay: I get more curious about this, as the Kevin Stefanski-Andrew Berry regime seems to be making strong decisions. How close were the Browns to keeping Freddie Kitchens / John Dorsey at the end of 2019? It feels like Myles Garrett is not suspended, they have at least beaten the Steelers and Bengals and finished 8-8, the best record (rare) since 2007. – Frank Thorn, Chicago, Illinois.
Hi, Frank: They were nowhere near the end of the 2019 season to keep kitchens, and when it became clear early on that he was not fit for the job, the organization finally decided to divorce John Dorsey as well. Dorsey and his leading assistants added a lot of talent to the team, and many of the players helped the Browns go 11-5 and advance to the division round last season. However, there was a clear disconnect between Dorsey and Paul DePodesta, strategic officer, and if the Browns wanted alignment, Dorsey and his crew had to go. The Browns are now moving in the same direction for the first time since their return in 1999.
Hello, Mary Kay: How do you think the Browns will plan to use Troy Hill? Do you think he has the no. 2-cornerback will be if the offense has a two-way receiver appearance, and then go into the slot if there is a three-receiver appearance, or do you think he will just be a cornerback and greedy Williams or ‘ a corner man who sets them up will handle the number 2 corner roll on two WR sets? – Danny, Chardon, Ohio
Hi, Danny: I think the plan is for Greedy Williams, or a corner kick they set up or trade for, to start outside across from Denzel Ward, and for Hill to serve primarily as the nickel back. But the Browns will use three cornerbacks a lot, so Hill will get enough playing time. I also expect him to start at least a handful of games on the outside in place of Ward, who has missed three or four games each season, and Williams, who is suffering the nerve damage in his shoulder. He will work well with his former Rams teammate John Johnson III, which is a big plus.
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