Barring a surprise, the Browns are pretty much done with Free Agency this year. Here is my take on their additions and losses for the 2007 off-season.
ADDITIONS
Tim Carter - WR - New York Giants (trade for Reuben Droughns)
I don't know much about you other than you fit the sterotype for a Browns wide receiver. Mid-sized, kinda fast and sketchy hands. Welcome to the club. Hoepfully you have a chip on your shoulder and want to prove something.
Lennie Friedman - OL - Re-signed with Browns
Given the poor (and that's being nice) state of the Browns offensive line, I consider this a solid move. Freidman provides veteran depth at G and C (you never know when we'll need a C) and when he had to fill in last year there wasn't a lot of times when you noticed him, which is good for an OL. This by no means diverges from my 8 years of pleas for drafting some OL in the draft. It still needs to happen. Besides I still think of the scene in "Major League" where the construction workers are going over the Tribe's roster...
"Ricky Vaughn... Willie Hays... Lennie Friedman... who the f&$# are these guys?!?"
And yes, the movie line is Mitchell Friedman, but give Lennie some love.
Jamal Lewis - RB - Baltimore
Sweet lord. I will try and take emotion out of this. But looking at this impartially, J-Lew is an upgrade over Reuben. Reuben just seemed unmotivated last year and it definitely shows that he is a converted FB. This one year deal is eerily similar to the Indians' tactics with veteran FAs so it will interesting to see how motivated J-Lew is. He still rushed for 1,100 yards last year with an aging yet better O-Line and is still considered "in his prime" but can the ridiculous amount of carries he's had and his past knee surgeries come back to haunt him? Only time will tell. There I made it a whole paragraph without saying that if anyone in Cleveland needs a large chuck of cocaine they now know who to call. (Well almost a whole paragraph.)
Seth McKinney - OL - Miami
See my comments for Lennie Friedman. I like the depth. Always can use more centers. But for God's sake please draft some young lineman. I don't have anything funny to say about you like Lennie. Plus, you wear #68. This is a bad number for me. You're on my bad side McKinney. Watch yourself...
Antwaan Peek - DE/LB - Houston
We need other pass rushers than Kamerion Wimbley but you've been a role player your whole career. Questions abound through my mind... Can you stop the run? (History says no.) What does this mean for Willie McGinest? Why can't Leon Williams play a little OLB? What ever happened to Chaun Thompson? Is Matt Stewart still on the team? Is Mason Unck Morman or am I just stereotyping all people form Utah? Why was Norberg on the I Luv U? Why would Vincent Ludwig be involved in a plot to kill the Queen? And more importantly, where the hell was I?!?
Shaun Smith - NT - Cincinnati
You're big, fat and young. Ted Washington is big, fat and old. Nose tackles are hard to come by so I like this low key signing. Sometimes the most subtle signing turns out to be the best. But it why wouldn't the Bengals re-sign you? You didn't get arrested and they have major injury concerns on their DL. Strange... I hope I am just over analyizing this but we need DL help in a big way so I will take anyone at this point.
Robaire Smith - DE - Tennessee
Experience in the 3-4. I've actually seen you make plays and you're still young. I can buy into this one. We'll see how you pan out. We just need to keep upgrading our talent to shrink the gap with the rest of the NFL. You aren't a superstar but you're better than what we've had.
Eric Steinbach - G - Cincinnati
We overpayed for you but we hadto. No one is going to come to a bad team for less money. This in one OL siging that I am all for. If you draft Joe Thomas at LT (or someone else in Round 2) and have Steinbach at LG that's a solid left side of the line for 8-10 years. So the second year in a row the Browns got the premeir OL in free agency. Let's hope this one turns out better than last year's. No offense, LeCharles.
Kenny Wirght - CB - Washington
I live in DC. I saw you play every week. I hear about you on the radio every week. You sir, are Ralph Brown 2007. You were burnt every week. The Redskins had the 31st ranked D out of 32 in the NFL. The Browns had the 32nd. I guess in makes sense why you are coming here. I would rather try and develop the young guys (Holly, Perry, Perkins, Fontenot) than watch you get burnt every week. I just don't get this one.
SUBTRACTIONS
Alvin McKinley - DE - signed with Denver
Did you ever make a play here? Ever? Did we ever say wow, Alvin McKinley had a helluva game? I think Mark Word had more sacks in one year than you've had in your entire career. We never notice you when you were here and we won't notice you're gone. Have fun in Denver with the other ex-Brown douche bags. Courtney Brown... CUT! Gerard Warren... still a giant piece of poop. Yes, I said poop.
Dennis Northcutt - WR/PR- signed with Jacksonville
Dreams do come true. Word is that you were as big as, if not a bigger malcontent in the locker room than Braylon Edwards. Given your habit of choking and getting the dropsies in the most crucial moments. (Cleveland will never forget your wide open drop that would have sealed the playoff game versus Pittspuke in 2002.) Of Kevin Johnson, Andre Davis, and Quincy Morgan how did you last the longest? Thank god Jacksonville signed you to a 5 year, $17 million deal. You are nothing more than a punt returner... ass.
Brian Russell - S - signed with Seattle
I don't like this at all. I'm all for giving Brodney Pool a shot and I think he can thrive, but Russell was the leader of the D last year, had a monster 2006 after a sub par 2005 and is still in his prime. With the lack of depth at CB last year, we had a surplus at safety. Whether we can say that this year is yet to be seen.
Terrelle Smith - FB - signed with Arizona
I did a whole blog on Big T. To sum it up... Great guy, wrong scheme in place. Good luck in Arizona.
The Doctor is out.
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