Cleveland Has Trade Deals in Place for Edwards and Quinn

The Cleveland Browns have made it clear that anybody on their roster could be had via trade for the right price, except maybe LT Joe Thomas and LB D'Qwell Jackson. Pro Bowl TE Kellen Winslow has already been traded out of town to Tampa Bay and it appears as if some of his teammates may be out of town as well.

Former Browns personnel chief Mike Lombardi writes that the Browns have in place first-round offers for both quarterback Brady Quinn and receiver Braylon Edwards.

It is likely that the Browns will wait until draft day to finalize the deals, depending on how the draft shakes out. Pulling the trigger on a trade if a player they covet slips into the range of their prospective new picks.

One player the Browns hope will slip to them at number 5 is Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, whom, according to Lombardi, the Browns are in love with.

Giants and Browns Trade for Braylon Edwards Agreed to in Principle

The Giants have been trying to find a playmaker to replace the legally challenged and recently released wide receiver Plaxico Burress. The two prime suspects are Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin and Cleveland WR Braylon Edwards.

We have just heard that ESPN 950 in Philadelphia is reporting that they have learned the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns had agreed in principle on a trade that would send Braylon Edwards to New York for first and fifth round picks in the draft later this month. The rumor also said that the Giants had called a press conference for 10am on Thursday.

It is being reported elsewhere that the Browns have set the asking price at 1st and 3rd round picks to obtain the rights to the former Michigan star receiver. So if this rumour turns out to be true the Giants have definately gotten themselves a steal.

Stay tuned and if the rumor has legs we will likely know for certain at 10am tomorrow.

Stallworth Charged, Could Face Up To 15 Years

Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns was charged with killing a pedestrian last month while driving drunk after a night out in a South Beach nightspot.

An arrest warrant charging Stallworth, 28, with DUI manslaughter was filed in the March 14 accident that killed 59-year-old Mario Reyes. If convicted, Stallworth would face up to 15 years in prison.

Stallworth's blood-alcohol level after the crash was .126, well above Florida's legal limit of .08, according to results of a blood test. Stallworth will also be charged with DUI, which carries a possible six-month sentence plus fines and community service for first offenders.

"Whenever a deadly accident occurs and a driver is impaired, families suffer," said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in a statement. "I can only repeat this message over and over: If you are going to drink, don't drive."

Stallworth, is expected to surrender in court Thursday, has said publicly that he is "grief-stricken" over the accident. Prosecutors said they will ask that he be released on $200,000 bail.

Information from the associated press was used in this report.

Bears/Browns Swap Tackle Via Free Agency

Earlier this month the Cleveland Browns added long-time Bears OT John St. Clair to solidify the right side of their o-line, taking away a player the Bears desperately wanted to re-sign after the announcement that their other long-time OT John Tait had retired.

The Chicago Bears filled that void by signing a former Brown, OT Kevin Schaffer to a three-year deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Shaffer started 47 games for the Cleveland Browns the past three seasons, 31 at right tackle and 16 at left. Shaffer was selected by Atlanta in the seventh round of the 2002 draft. He made 39 starts with the Falcons and started the 2005 NFC title game against the Eagles.

QB Competition in Cleveland

The Browns new head coach Eric Mangini, is still evaluating his roster and that includes the quarterback position. Derek Anderson is a former Pro Bowl quarterback and Brady Quinn is a high profile, former first round pick and hometown hero, but both quarterbacks were inherited by Mangini and new GM Kokinis so they hold affiliations to either signal caller.

"I don't have a projected starter at this point," Mangini said Tuesday at the NFL meetings.

Anderson received a big contract after his breakthrough '07 season, a three-year, $24 million deal with a $5 million bonus he collected this month. But he struggled before being replaced by Quinn for the ninth game.

Quinn, who has a five-year, $20.2 million contract, lasted just three games before breaking a finger on his right hand and needing surgery.

That is a lot of money tied up in two players at the quarterback position, so the Browns may consider shopping, one of the two high priced players. It has been speculated that both are on the trade block.

A wiser option would be to send one of the QB's and some draft choices to the Broncos in exchange for the disgruntled Jay Cutler. Who is also on the trade block and wants out of Denver after finding out the he was almost apart of a 3-way trade for Matt Cassel.

"George and I are looking at any opportunity to improve the team," Mangini said of general manager George Kokinis. "But I'm in no way saying that is specific to the quarterback situation. We'd look at any opportunities to improve the team, but not specific to the QB situation. Any opportunity that came up, we'd look at it."

Browns Add Insurance, Sign WR Patten

The Cleveland Browns may be without the services of WR Donte Stallworth, for a long time, if not permanently as he awaits the legal repercussions of a fatal accident he was involved in earlier this month. When Stallworth's car struck and killed a pedestrian with his Bentley in Miami Beach.

In response to these events the Cleveland Browns have added some insurance in the form of WR David Patten, who had previously played with the team in 2000. The terms of his contract were not disclosed.

The well travelled wide receiver has played the last two seasons in New Orleans but has also had previous stops in the New York Giants, New England, and Washington. He won two Super Bowl titles with the Patriots.

For his career Patten has 324 catches for 4,715 yards and four touchdowns in 147 regular-season games in 12 NFL seasons.

'Big Baby' Rogers a No-Show at Browns Workouts

Disgruntled Browns DT Shaun "Big Baby" Rogers' feud with head coach Eric Mangini continues. The Feud began a few months ago when on two separate occasions Mangini refused to initiate conversation with his new star defensive tackle.

Rogers didn't take the snubs lightly, as things escalated to the point where he asked to be released from his six-year, $42 million contract. To further his displeasure with the coach Rogers has been a no-show for the team's off-season workout program.

Despite these workouts being voluntary, it is expected for players to attend and participate, as many view these workout sessions as team building activities. Mangini has said that he expects the entire team to attend and while likely be offended by Rogers' absence.

Rogers is guaranteed a $5 million bonus this month, making the player's release unlikely, and should earn an additional $950,000 in likely-to-be-reached incentives when he's on the field. Mangini has since attempted to reach out to Rogers, but his absence this week makes it clear that there is still much work to be done to patch up the relationship.

Jets Match Offer Sheet to Elam

The New York Jets were determined to keep at least one of their free agents away from Cleveland and have decided to match the Browns one-year $1.5 Million offer sheet for S Abram Elam.

Elam, a restricted free agent was given an offer sheet by the Browns and per NFL rules the Jets had seven days to match it, or recieve compensation in the form of a draft pick. He started nine games last season, his second with the Jets. Browns coach Eric Mangini already has signed four of his former Jets players, and Cleveland signed Elam to an offer sheet last week,

The 27-year-old Elam had 56 tackles and returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown, he also had three forced fumbles. Elam also had 11 special teams tackles.

Paymah Lands in Minnesota After Heavy Recruiting

The Minnesota Vikings have signed highly sought after and former Denver Broncos CB Karl Paymah. He agreed to a one-year, $1.55 million deal, according to a source.

Paymah was under consideration from the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Vikings calling and recruiting, finally got him to commit to joining one of the most talented defenses in the NFL.

Included in the deal, according to a source, are $500,000 of incentives that could take the deal over the $2 million mark.

Paymah, 26, is a 5th year pro with good size for a cornerback at 6-0, 195 pounds. He had five starts in his four-year career all with the Broncos, but was getting more playing time with the team each season.

Bowens Latest to Join Cleveland Jets

The Cleveland Browns may be considering a name change this season as new head coach Eric Mangini has brought another one of his former Jets to Cleveland, the most recent LB David Bowens.

Bowens or "D-Bo", has played for Mangini the past two seasons with the New York Jets. A 10-year veteran, he started five games last season. He recorded 40 tackles, four sacks and his first career interception. The terms of his contract were not disclosed.

The 31-year-old Bowens is the third former Jets player brought to Cleveland by Mangini, who also signed cornerback Hank Poteat and defensive lineman C.J. Mosley.

"David is another example of the emphasis that we place on toughness, leadership and versatility," Browns general manager George Kokinis said in a statement. "He has played inside and outside linebacker and has been a core special teams player throughout his career."

According to NFL.com, in his 11-year career Bowens has 187 tackles, 32.5 sacks and 1 interception.

Patriots Sign Bodden to 1-Year Deal

Cross another one off the list, Leigh Bodden, who ranked #1 on the Alldayfootball.com's List of Forgotten Names, has been signed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.

He joins, C Matt Birk, S Sean Jones and CB Jabari Greer as players on the list who have signed with new teams since the list was posted. DT Tank Johnson and LB Angelo Crowell remain unsigned.

Bodden, 27, was arguably the best cover man still available in free agency, according to most pro scouts. He was released by the Detroit Lions after one dissapointing season with the team where he was playing in an unflattering scheme for his skill set.

The six-year veteran is a versatile defender, who can play man-to-man coverage, off-man, but struggled in Detroit's Tampa-2 zone scheme. He is a physical, aggressive cornerback, who can redirect receivers. At one point, earlier in his career, Bodden was regarded as one of the fastest players in the league.

Bodden has played in 75 career games and started 53 of them. In those games he has notched 299 tackles, 13 interceptions, and 52 passes defensed. He joined the Lions last spring as part of a trade that sent defensive tackle Shaun Rogers to the Browns. The Lions quickly signed him to a four-year, $27 million contract.

Mangini Bringing in "His" Guys

Browns head coach Eric Mangini, is busy shaping his roster with "his" guys, it began with trading away TE Kellen Winslow jr and now he has added one of "his" guys in former Jets cornerback Hank Poteat. A favorite of new Browns coach Eric Mangini, Poteat spent the last three seasons with the Jets. Terms of the contract were not revealed.

The 31-year-old Poteat was a third-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 and played three seasons there. He has also played with Tampa Bay and New England. Poteat, an unrestricted free agent, had two interceptions, a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last season for the New York Jets.

Information from the associated press was used in this report.

Eagles Ink S Jones

The Philadelphia Eagles let longtime safety Brian Dawkins escape to Denver last week, they made a move today in an attempt to fill the void he left, by signing former Browns safety Sean Jones to a one-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Jones was a 2nd round choice in 2004 for the Browns, he has played his whole five year career in Cleveland. He was mostly used as a strong safety, but his playmaking skills make him a potential replacement for Dawkins at free safety. Jones will have to compete with Quintin Demps for the job.

"I played strong or free (safety) in Cleveland," Jones said. "I'm interchangeable, so either way it doesn't really matter."

The 27-year-old Jones has recorded 286 tackles and three forced fumbles in 60 games, including 44 starts. Jones, listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, had his best season in '06 when he finished with 107.5 tackles and five interceptions.

Browns Get Royal

The Cleveland Browns have added a player to its roster in an attempt to fill the void left by recently traded Pro-Bowl TE Kellen Winslow, by signing former Buffalo Bills TE Robert Royal. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Royal caught 33 passes for 351 yards and one touchdown last season for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in 2002 by the Washington Redskins and is known primarily for his blocking. Royal will join Steve Heiden, and last season's 4th round draft choice (111th overall) Martin Rucker.

Cowboys Sign LB Stewart Off the Couch

The Dallas Cowboys have signed free agent linebacker Matt Stewart to a one-year contract, financial terms wer not disclosed.

The 29-year-old Stewart was a fourth-round pick by Atlanta in 2001 and played four seasons with the Falcons. He spent the next three seasons with Cleveland. In 93 career games, Stewart has 357 tackles, eight sacks and an interception.

Stewart, was out of football in 2008 after getting released by Arizona in the final roster cuts before the season started.

Broncos Add Another

The Denver Broncos continue to re-tool their defense as they work towards a 3-4 alignment, by adding LB Andra Davis. Terms of the contract were not released.

Davis ha played in a 3-4 defense in Cleveland for the last seven-years. in 2008 Davis was 2nd on the tean in tackles with 90, he also added one interception.

Ekejiuba Re-Signs with Raiders

Veteran Raiders linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba signed a three-year contract worth $5.4 Million with $1.25 Million guaranteed

League source say Ekejiuba's contract is the largest one ever given to a core special teams player.

Cleveland and the New York Jets expressed interest in Ekejiuba before the Raiders intensified their pursuit of the player who has spent most of the past four seasons in Oakland.

Sanders Remains a Patriot

The New England Patriots are making good use of the salary cap money they saved from the Cassel/Vrabel trade yesterday by retaining one of their own, the team has agreed to terms with safety James Sanders on a three-year $9 Million contract. That reportedly pays out $4 Million in the first year.

Sanders, 25, turned down more money elsewhere to return to the Patriots. His agent, Steve Feldman, confirmed the agreement.

"It gives him a chance to grow and become a playmaker," Feldman said. "He stays in the same system with a championship team. They know him. He knows them. It was the right fit."

Sanders, started all 14 games in which he played last year. He finished the year with 66 tackles, sixth best on the team, and one interception.

Sanders has been credited by Patriots coaches with aiding the overall communication of the secondary, as his knowledge of the overall defense is considered valuable. The 5-year veteran received heavy interest from the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles before deciding to return to New England.

He is a projected starter at safety for 2009 alongside Brandon Meriweather.

Browns Trade Winslow to Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have traded some undisclosed draft picks for talented TE Kellen Winslow Jr., son of the Hall of Fame TE with the same name.

"Cleveland was great to me," he said in Tampa. "I had a great time playing with Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn. I'm going to miss those guys. But it's also a new opportunity. I've played with some of the guys on this team — Jeff Faine, Antonio Bryant, Luke McCown. I'm as happy as can be. I'm healthy."

Winslow returns to the state where he starred in college. An extremely athletic and talented player Winslow is mostly remembered for his off-the-field antics rather than his play.

Rogers Feels Snubbed by Mangini, Wants Out

Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that Browns Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers is so disgruntled with new coach Eric Mangini and the new regime that he's asked the team not to pay his guaranteed $6 million option bonus next month.

According to a source close to Rogers, he would rather be released after only one season even though he's owed $15 million in guaranteed money.

Rogers' beef come from two off-season incidents in which he feels Mangini snubbed him. The first time, Mangini walked into the Browns' training room and didn't say hello to Rogers, the source said. The second time, Mangini and Rogers were together in the media room at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Jan. 23 and neither acknowledged the other.

Mangini said at a news conference Feb. 4: "I didn't even realize Shaun was there at the time. I know that's probably hard to believe considering how big he is and how big I am. It's like two destroyers missing each other."

The report says some believe there are other reasons why Rogers wants to leave the Browns, but didn't specify. We all have to assume it is in reaction to the fact that Albert Haynesworth another Pro-Bowl defensive tackle is getting ready to sign a monster contract and Rogers is hoping to cash in as well.

Rogers is currently signed to a six-year, $42 million deal that includes $20 million in guarantees and a total of $23 million over the first three years.