Rumors swirling of Ray Edwards to Cleveland

With news surfacing of Charles Johnson returning to Carolina with a long-term, big money contract, one of the most coveted free agents of 2011 may be have just been taken off the board. For teams seeking a defensive end, Johnson was one of the two most sought after at the position alongside former Minnesota Viking Ray Edwards.

It is being now reported by multiple credible sources that Cleveland is right at the top of Edwards' list for his next career move. Although the Browns certainly beefed up their defensive front with this April's draft, the move to new Defensive Coordinator Dick Jauron's 4-3 still leaves Cleveland with questions at defensive end. Edwards would provide an immediate answer at that spot, and would assuredly make Jauron's job a bit easier.

Nonetheless, it is possible that much of the speculation surrounding Edwards to Cleveland could be a tactic by Edwards camp to drive up the asking price so that another suitor, possibly the Eagles, would be pressured into giving him an even bigger pay day. Time will tell.

Here's a look at Edwards' career thus far:

Edwards is entering his 6th season out of Purdue. All five of his professional seasons have been played in Minnesota. He has produced at a steady rate while in the league, and has had 5 sacks or more in each of the last 4 seasons. With 26.5 total sacks through the last 4 seasons, he would provide an immediate boost to a team's pass rushing ability.

New Look

As stated in the "Welcome," this blog is a bit of a work in progress. As I learn more and more, specifically in graphic design, the more the website will grow. Today, as of around 8 PM, the website is transitioning to a new look. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Browns pick up Former Vol

Jarrod Shaw, a 6'4, 330 pound OG from Tennessee has announced on twitter that he is now a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Browns Bring in D2 Wide Reciever

L.J. Castile, a 6'3 wide receiver from Delta State has signed with the Browns. Castile was played part of his career at Houston before transferring to DSU. He led Delta State to a national championship game appearance in his senior season, and was named All-GCS as well as All Super-Region 2.

Browns Undrafted Free Agent Update

Dominic Alford, Guard - Minnesota


(via twitter)


Alford has made his decision to become a member of the Cleveland Browns.


" @goldengopher76: IM A CLEVELAND BROWN!!! "


Alford is originally from Cleveland and seems thrilled to be involved with the franchise.

An update on Dane Sanzenbacher

As previously reported, Former Buckeye's WR Dane Sanzenbacher is headed to the Chicago Bears. Many Browns fans wanted to team to go after the OSU alum. According to his agent, Joe Flanagan, Dane was contacted by almost all NFL teams, and the decision came down to Chicago and Cleveland. It sounds like the decision was Dane's, and had nothing to do with a lack of effort by the Browns front office.

Status of NFL Unrestricted Free Agents

(via http://www.foxsportsohio.com/  and the Associated Press)

"CLEVELAND BROWNS: RB Mike Bell, K Phil Dawson-a, S Abram Elam, TE Greg Estandia, DE Jayme Mitchell, DB Sabby Piscitelli, DE Derreck Robinson, LB Matt Roth, DT Robaire Smith, WR Chansi Stuckey, DB Nick Sorensen, LB Jason Trusnik, FB Lawrence Vickers, G Floyd Womack, CB Eric Wright, G Billy Yates,

LIKELY TO STAY: Dawson, Womack.

LIKELY TO LEAVE: Bell, Elam, Roth, Smith, Stuckey, Vickers.

TOSSUP: Estandia, Mitchell, Piscitelli, Robinson, Sorensen, Trusnik, Wright, Yates"

The article above basically tells us nothing that we haven't already heard, but here's an update in case you've been living under a rock since December.

Undrafted Free Agent update

Andre Carroll, DT, Delaware State

(via twitter)

JeffLynchSports Jeff Lynch

SMWW.com congrats to NT/DT Andre Carroll (Delaware St) signing w/ Cleveland Browns #NFL #Browns #NFLPA #lockout #NFLdraft

Former Buckeye Signings

Jake McQuaide - St. Louis Rams
Dan Sanzenbacher - Chicago Bears
Bryant Browning - St. Louis Rams
Justin Boren - Baltimore Ravens
Dexter Larimore - New Orleans Saints
Brandon Saine - Green Bay Packers
Devon Torrence - Minnesota Vikings

Will continue to update as more names begin to surface.

Undrafted Rookie updates

James Dockery, CB - Oregon State

(via twitter)

JDOC4 James Dockery

However my family and I have decided that Stl is not the best fit for me! with that in Mind, I'll be taking my " Talents" to The Cleveland Browns !!!!! Lets Go Dawg Pound..Thats Official!!!!

13 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

»

Undrafted Rookies

Almost two hours after the 10 AM time when offseason activity can begin, the only activity we can see unfolding is the acquisition of undrafted rookies. Through the rumor mill, here is a list of players reportedly headed to Cleveland.

Carl Gettis, CB - Missouri
Alex Wujciak, LB - Maryland
Chris Matthews, WR - Kentucky
Troy Weatherhead, QB - Hillsdale (Div. 2)
Brian Smith, LB - Notre Dame
Sidney Tarver, LB - Tennessee State
Blayne Donnell, RB - Louisville
Jabari Fletcher, DE - Appalachain State
Doanld Buckram, RB - UTEP
Kyle Anderson, DL - Georgetown College
Juan Nunez, WR - Western Michigan

All of these guys are being heard through the twitter wire, so take it with a grain of salt. More updates coming as more guys names shot through the blogosphere.

A Summer of Boredom: The Conclusion

Ultimately this summer’s boring sports schedule leaves us doing one thing, which is something Cleveland fans find themselves doing most of the time anyways: waiting for next year.

A Summer of Boredom: Part 4 - We Need Tiger Back

Golf with Tiger was another fun story. He rose to the public eye under the tutelage of his father, and he appealed to basically every part of society. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 15 years, you don’t need an explanation of Tiger success, or the Tiger’s personal life scandal.

However, the talking point worth mentioning is how vital Tiger had become to golf. As Tiger chased Jack’s record, many said if he did break it, it wouldn’t mean as much because he faced lesser competition. The lack of competition may have been beneficial to Tiger’s chase, but it was also beneficial to the game as a whole. People love a larger than life hero, and Tiger was all that and more. That is why when Tiger’s world came crashing down, golf lost part of its luster as well.

It’s great to have a feel good story every now and then in the sports world. But lately with golf, just about every Major has become a feel good story, and quite frankly, the stories are becoming a lot better than the golf. I doubt too many people honestly wanted Charl Schwartzel to win this year’s Masters. Golf is down. Anybody can win lately, because nobody is that good. Stars such as Phil Mickelson have failed to take the stage in Tiger’s absence, and young guns like Rory McIlroy have made just as many headlines for choking as they have for dominating.

There is only one way to fix this: we need Tiger back. So, I am begging, pleading, or whatever you may call it for Tiger to come back. And I’m not talking about banged up, injury plagued Tiger. I want to see the Sunday Tiger of old, dressed in red out for blood. The game needs its star, and the fans need one too. It’s time Tiger gets his head on straight, stops causing drama like firing his caddie, and starts winning tournaments again. Everyone knows he can do it, including the other players on tour. Until Tiger steps up and performs at the level everyone expects him to, golf will stay at its place in sports, low on the totem pole.

A Summer of Boredom: Part 3 - We Need Another Lance

Let’s take a glance at cycling. The Tour de France developed more popularity in America than ever with Lance Armstrong. It gave the US someone to pull for: an American overcoming the odds of cancer who still managed to dominate a grueling competition over and over again. Without Lance, most people couldn’t name five riders in the tour. The only time the tour ever gets any serious coverage is when, like a few stages ago, a car slams into several bikers. And even then, it’s not to cover the race, but instead to laugh hysterically at bikers flying into a barbed wire fence. (That may sound awful, but it truly was hilarious to watch. If you haven’t seen the video, watch it now.)

Last year Lance rode again. It was a stunt for his foundation against cancer. He didn’t have much chance to win, but people tuned in just to see him one last time. It was a lot like watching Michael on the Wizards. He wasn’t going to dominate everyone like in his prime, but at the end of the day people still loved to see MJ out on the court.

Now that Lance is gone, one of the premier sporting events of the summer is suddenly uneventful. Fans don’t have anyone to watch, and for the most part, don’t know what’s going on. Cycling without Lance is bland. It’s a lot like golf without Tiger, which brings me to my next point.

A Summer of Boredom: Part 2 - The NBA and NFL Lockouts

The NBA and NFL lockouts are a real pain in the backside. Fortunately, they don’t usually occur at the same time. But since they are, it’s time to blame them both for my sports boredom. The time from mid-June to the start August are period of the offseason in both sports. It’s when teams change up their rosters, and hearts like mine get broken.

Had there been no NFL lockout, we’d be talking about how Kevin Kolb is going to transform a team’s offense, or how another team is now a competitor with the addition of Nnamdi Asomugha. Granted, all the offseason talk about sports may be speculative, but it’s still a fun part of the year.

We don’t have that this year. Instead, we get to see Adam Schefter and Chris Mortenson play a guessing game (and fail) as to when the lockout will actually end. It’s like the time when you were 7 years old and the weatherman calls for 9 inches of snow but all it did was rain. Ultimately, you’re going to school disappointed and left thinking the weatherman doesn’t know what he’s talking about (or in this case, the ESPN talking heads.)

With the NBA lockout, we don’t even have meetings to hear about. Unlike last year, where super teams were forming in New York and Miami, the only super team we may see next year is Turkey’s Besiktas. There is no “Decision” to gripe about. There isn’t even speculation about what’s going to happen to guys like Jawad Williams.

The only thing to report about in both the NBA and NFL’s situations is that millionaires are arguing with billionaires, and the average American sports fan is left out in the cold.

A Summer of Boredom: Part 1 - Baseball and a Summer Sports

When it comes to sports, summertime is always a bit of a downer for me once the NBA Finals pass in early June. The only thing to watch is usually baseball, which is never very exciting for me personally, because there are 162 games, and I only pay attention from the end of the NBA season until the NFL starts back up.

One thing I’ve come to realize about baseball is that for every thrilling moment, say a 30-15 start to the season, there is an equal and opposite slump that inevitably follows. So it’s always tough for me to get fired up about the regular season when I know that odds are very high the good times won’t last.

Unfortunately, I’ve also come to realize that the Indians, like some other small-market franchises, are basically the farm system for the teams in the majors with deep pockets (think New York, Boston, Philly, etc.) We grow great young talents. We become more and more competitive, and then, at the moment we can finally taste a title, we can no longer afford our players (think 2007 ALCS team). We end up trading players or failing to resign them, and the entire process starts all over again, while the guys we watched grow up in Cleveland are elsewhere winning championships. It’s a painful cycle that I refuse to invest in.

Since I don’t allow myself to suffer with the Indians, I usually try and find other ways to entertain my sports-minded brain. Last year for example, I got to spend the entire summer watching Lebron James’ every move, hoping and praying he would return to Cleveland and bring us the title he kept promising. When he decided against that, and figuratively pissed on the city on national television, I got to spend the rest of the summer reflecting on what could have (I believe should have) been. I had a chance recollect how close we had gotten, and then ponder upon how inexplicably far we were from a title this city so desperately craves. However, even though I got my heart broken last summer, I was still entertained.

Oh, how a year can change. This summer I’ve found myself at a record level of boredom. I can’t honestly think of a time when I’ve had this much trouble feeding my sports appetite. Yesterday was a new low for me. Here’s what was on the TV lineup during my day:

·         Senior Tour Golf

·         Women’s bowling

·         Men’s international softball

·         International swimming relays

·         Formula One Racing

If you find yourself wildly entertained by ANY of these, I applaud you. On the other hand, I found myself desperately convincing myself not to gauge my eyes out. I could only come to one conclusion: we need NBA and NFL free agency period; we need another Lance Armstrong; we need Tiger to quit sleeping with Denny’s waitresses and learn to play golf again.

Ok, so maybe that’s more than one conclusion, but all are very true.

Greed: The NFL Lockout's Driving Force

Entering this offseason, it seemed inevitable that a lockout was in the National Football League’s future. It was very obvious to the public that there was a significant gap between the owners’ and the players’ feelings.  For many, the players’ views made the most sense. From the end of the season until where we stand today, a person’s perspective upon the NFL may likely have changed, and for good reason.

Several months ago, the owners and players disagreed on issues ranging from a rookie wage scale to extending the regular season. NFLPA members claimed former players are now suffering from the traumatic effects of playing in the early years of the league, when health issues were among the last of concerns.

The NFLPA’s DeMaurice Smith and other leaders, including players such as Kevin Mawae, worked to create an obvious divide between the players and the owners. The Players Association decertified itself as a union, which allowed the anti-trust cases to follow. The league canceled operations such as the annual Rookie Symposium. Obviously something had to give, right?

After months of ongoing labor talks behind closed doors between the elites of both sides, with the preseason hanging in the balance, something gave: the owners. With the player reps stalling and stagnant, the owners took actions into their own hands and passed their own resolution.

The owners stepped out of line. There was an established order of actions during lockouts, and the owners made a move even though it wasn’t their turn. The players were procrastinating, so the owners pushed the ball into their court. This calculated move wasn’t unfair, out of line, or unruly. It was proactive. For the first time in over 130 days, one side finally decided it was time to put ego aside and create a deal.

Not only did the owners make the first positive move, but they gave the players a lot of what they wanted . Let’s take a look:

·         Owners agreed to spend at least 95% of the salary cap for the next ten years. This leaves teams with incredible amounts of money to spend; several teams have $30 million in cap space, including the Bucs who have almost $60 million. One can assume this means higher paychecks for players. This change goes down as a win for the players.

·         Players now have the option to stay under the umbrella of the league’s healthcare plan for life. Once again, the players win.

·         Ex-players benefits have improved with close to a billion dollars more in spending from the owners, including the $620 million Legacy Fund. I believe it’s safe to say this change is in favor of the players as well.

So, the players are now getting even more financial benefits than in the past. Keep in mind these figures: the 2010 NFL league minimum salary for an 8^th year player was $710,000; the average American salary is just over $27,000. If the average American can manage to get by, why can’t the NFL players? Don’t forget that the vast majority of these players got a free education via athletic scholarship in college that they can fall back upon debt free.  The numbers don’t seem to support the players’ argument.

In addition to the financial gains the players have made through this deal, the players now have to work less. Owners have agreed to limit the amount of contact players see through practices each year. They’ve also agreed to shorten offseason workouts. Practice times have been cut shorter. Players also get more days off per year. So, not only do these changes benefit players by earning more money for doing less work, but they could also prolong each athlete’s career as the NFL continues to inch closer and closer to becoming the National Flag Football League.

After the various positives that come out of this CBA, the players still disagree. The only possible reason for this is: Greed. Enough simply never can, nor ever will be enough. Prominent players, as well as player reps, are still upset with the deal. Takeo Spikes, for example, publicly criticized the owners while in the national media spotlight of ESPN’s SportsCenter today.

As a person who is never going to play in front of massive crowds on Sundays with millions watching my every move on TV, I can confidently say these players have forgotten what makes football special. These guys have gotten so caught up in the business aspect of the NFL that they can’t appreciate the incredible opportunity they have every Sunday of the NFL season.

One thing I can guarantee: there are millions of avid fans living vicariously through people they’ll never meet who would play for their favorite franchise for minimum wage. And not $710,000 NFL style minimum wage, but real-life 7 dollars and 50 cents an hour kind of pay.

I being one of those nutcases who still believe in myths like, “for love of the game,” the hardest part of this lockout is seeing the greed spew out while the public watches millionaires arguing with billionaires. Meanwhile cities across the country will see real financial struggles. Middle and lower class families will take monetary hits due to the NFLPA’s chess match with the owners. It is estimated that Canton, Ohio will lose $30 million with the cancelation of the annual Hall of Fame game.

Over the past few weeks, as more and more details come out of a lockout which has become unnecessary, it has become obvious that one party wants to solve the league’s problem while the other wants to point fingers. One party’s actions have been proactive, while the other party is driven by greed. It is for this reason that the NFL owners’ side of the lockout is the only side that makes sense.

Welcome!

What's up guys! Welcome my new blog: Tears From Tower City. This is my first shot at a blog of any sort, so all of this is a bit of a work in progress. Just about everything in this blog will have something to do with Cleveland sports, with a bit of Ohio State athletics thrown in the mix. Feel free to contact me via twitter @TearsFromTCity.