Cleveland Browns Offseason Glance
Phil Savage Making Bold Moves in Free Agency and NFL Draft
May 6, 2008
The Cleveland Browns surprised just about everybody in the NFL community in 2007 by compiling a 10-6 record along with boasting one of the most explosive offenses in the league. Despite not making the playoffs, the team, and the entire city of Cleveland, has high hopes for the 2008 season, thanks in large part to the following offseason moves made by General Manager Phil Savage.
Re-Signing Derek Anderson
One of the first moves made by Savage was to re-sign one of the largest catalysts of the offense – quarterback Derek Anderson. After throwing for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns (accounting for one of the best offensive outputs by a quarterback in Browns history), Anderson was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate. Despite the outcry that the second half of his season was full of struggles, as he threw nearly as many touchdowns as interceptions (12 to 10), Savage re-signed him to a three-year, $26 million deal, with $14.5 guaranteed. He is expected to be the starter going into training camp.
Patching Up the Defense
Statistically, the Browns had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2007. Luckily, Phil Savage realized that if the Browns wanted any shot at the playoffs, the defense would have to improve, mainly the defensive line. Sacrificing the team’s second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Savage was able to obtain defensive lineman Corey Williams from the Green Bay Packers, and he was signed to a six-year deal worth $38 million, with $16.3 million guaranteed. Additionally, the team traded its third-round pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden to the Detroit Lions for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers, drastically altering the look of the defensive line. Williams and Rogers are regarded as top-tier linemen and are expected to open up a lot of holes for the linebackers.
In addition to fixing up the defense (although it remains thin at cornerback), wide receiver Donte Stallworth was also signed to a seven-year, $35 million deal, with $10 million guaranteed. Stallworth was essentially signed to open up the field even more and take pressure off Pro Bowler Braylon Edwards. No matter who is the quarterback, there will be plenty of options to throw to, including the third wide receiver Joe Jurevicius and Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr.
The 2008 NFL Draft
In 2007, the Browns traded away their 2008 first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys so they could move up and draft quarterback Brady Quinn. That left the Browns without a pick in the first three rounds of the 2008 NFL Draft. With their first pick coming at 104th overall, the Browns selected Beau Bell, a linebacker out of UNLV. He is a hard-nosed, powerful player expected to make an immediate impact on special teams at the very least. He totaled 323 tackles in his career to go along with 10.5 sacks and was named the 2007 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
The Browns also drafted tight end Martin Rucker of Missouri (4th round, 111th overall), defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin of Iowa State (6th round, 190th overall), wide receiver Paul Hubbard of Wisconsin (6th round, 191st overall), and defensive end Alex Hall of D-II St. Augustine (7th round, 231st overall).
