Agents to NFL Players: Avoid Browns Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mike Florio reports that agents are now telling their players not to sign with the Browns as free agents.

One agent went as far as to say that they'd put their players on another team's practice squad before putting them on the Browns roster.

This isn't surprising. A forced 10-hour bus ride for rookies, a jerk of a head coach, lots of losing, living in Cleveland, and a suspicious number of staph infections would cause me to steer players away from the Browns, too.

What's interesting is that this has leaked out. You don't often get these kinds of tidbits. I've always assumed NFL players will always follow the money. In fact it could be that a couple disgruntled agents contacted Florio about this, but most don't care.

All I can say is, it's good to be a Steeler fan, where players (James Harrison, Max Starks, Chris Kemoeatu) take less than market value to remain a Steeler. Mangini really needs the win this week in Denver.

2009 AFC North Predictions Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Finally, the last one. The Steelers' home division plays the NFC North and the AFC West this season. Last year this division was home to both AFC Championship Game participants and between them they had three of the best games of the season.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers - The World Champs are well-coached, uber-talented, and reasonably focused.
2. Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals defense was better than it looked last year, Palmer provides a big boost to the offense, and Marvin Lewis is underrated as a coach.
3. Baltimore Ravens - Flacco is no savior. The defense is getting older, plus they lost Bart Scott.
4. Cleveland Browns - The only easier spot to pick was the Lions. Mangini has taken a mess and made it messier.

At some point tomorrow I'll predict wildcards, Super Bowl, etc.

Quinn Learns from the Master? Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Per John Clayton at ESPN:

Coming off a 4-12 season, the Browns obviously have a lot to work on. Derek Anderson said the radio receiver in his helmet wasn't working Sunday, so he had to work with hand signals. Anderson said Brady Quinn, who was quarterbacking the White team, schooled White defenders on those hand signals, which made it harder for Anderson to work a drive filled with short passes. Details, details, details.

So Brady Quinn is stealing hand signals--from his own teammate--while playing under the guy who ratted on the guy who taught him to steal signals for stealing signals?

Hilarious. How do the Browns continue to employ the most unintentionally entertaining characters in sports year after year after year? Quinn, Mangini, Phil Savage, Romeo, Kellen Winslow II, Dwayne Rudd... Even Bernie Kosar doing the preseason color commentary makes me laugh.

Case in point: this video, in which (in the second half) Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards are the only two people who get talked into wearing old-person sunglasses.