Browns’ GM can’t wait to finally meet Beckham
John Dorsey rocked the NFL two weeks ago by trading for Odell Beckham Jr.
Yet the general manager of the Browns hasn’t met with his new superstar wide receiver in person since striking the blockbuster deal March 12. Dorsey expects the encounter to happen April 1, when Cleveland's offseason workout program begins at team headquarters in Berea.
“We’ve had couple phone conversations. We’ve texted,” Dorsey said Monday during the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. “Other people in the organization have talked to him, but there’s nothing like a face to face. You always like to have face to face. So I look forward to sitting there and talking to him.”
Dorsey is confident Beckham has wrapped his mind around joining the Browns and embraced the change. Dorsey explained Beckham has been “really engaging” during their discussions.
“I want him to know who we are, and if he has any questions, let’s talk about them,” Dorsey said. “I think that’s important to get off to a really good start here.”
In August, the Giants signed Beckham to a five-year, $90 million contract extension. But the NFL Network reported the night of the trade that Beckham wants a raise from the Browns.
“That’s the business of football. I’m not going to talk about that,” Dorsey said. “I just want to wait and meet and talk to him face to face. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Dorsey said he hasn’t detected any hesitancy from Beckham — “No, not at all,” the GM said — about coming to Cleveland.
“He’s excited,” Dorsey said. “There’s a genuine excitement there. There’s familiarity with some teammates (receiver Jarvis Landry, a teammate at LSU). There’s familiarity with his position coach Browns GM John Dorsey plans to meet with Odell Beckham Jr. for the first time when the team begins workouts on April 1.
(Browns receivers coach Adam Henry, who previously held the same role at LSU and with the Giants). He’s got a relationship with Baker (Mayfield), so I’m sure he’s excited to be part of this new beginning for him.”
Will Gronkowski remain retired?
Rob Gronkowski's retirement announcement Sunday night hurts the New England Patriots' chances of winning another Super Bowl considerably. Gronkowski's exit could hasten the end of the Patriots' dynasty.
If he remains retired, that is.
Gronkowski is still a relatively young man, even in football terms, shy of his 30th birthday. At some point, maybe his aches and pains won't seem quite so debilitating. The lure of football undoubtedly will remain strong. The Patriots probably will be back in the running for yet another Super Bowl next season.
What if he could, say, miss training camp and a portion of the regular season, and return to play the games that matter most?
There are some in and around the league who wondered Sunday if he really will be done with football. Fellow tight end Jason Witten has returned to the Dallas Cowboys after a season in the "Monday Night Football" broadcast booth. What's to stop Gronkowski from making his retirement similarly temporary?
Opening night
As part of the celebration of its 100th season, the NFL will break from tradition and feature the Packers vs. the Bears at Soldier Field in its season opener Sept. 5.
Usually, the Super Bowl champion is the home team for the prime-time opener, but the league wants to salute historic rivalries in 2019. None fits better than Chicago-green Bay. The teams have met 198 times since 1921. Green Bay leads the series 97-95-6, including the clubs splitting two postseason games.
Bengals, Dennard agree to contract
Cornerback Darqueze Dennard chose to stay with the Bengalsby agreeing toa oneyear deal, keeping Cincinnati's starting cornerback group intact.
Dennard, a firstround pick in 2014, was an unrestricted free agent. The Bengals return Dennard and outside cornerbacks Dre Kirkpatrick and William Jackson— all first-round picks— on a defense that gave up the most total yards and the most yards passing in the league. Dennard has three interceptions in his five seasons with Cincinnati, but none last year.
Maclin retires
Former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin announced Sunday in a Twitter post that he is retiring after nine seasons. Maclin, 30,added that he will post a letter and video in the near future to explain why he is choosing to walk away from the game.