The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
National analysts give Browns rave reviews
The Browns are receiving top grades for their drafting this week, including high marks from Bleacher Report, NFL. com and Pro Football Focus. Plus, Jeff Schudel on Logan Allen and the Cavs.
What a weekend it has been for Browns EVP of Football Operations Andrew Berry.
A day of smiles was just beginning when his wife, Brittan, gave birth to their daughter, Eden Ruth Berry, at 8:10 a.m. April 29.
The Browns selected cornerback Greg Newsome II with the 26th pick in the first round about 15 hours later. Berry followed that by moving up seven spots in the second round April 30 to take Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with the 52nd pick and Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz 91st overall.
Berry is receiving national praise from the way he is molding the Browns into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Bleacher Report gave him an “A” for the Newsome pick, and “A+” for getting OwusuKoramoah in the second round and “C+” for the Schwartz pick.
“Newsome steps in and immediately fits the Browns’ Cover 4-heavy scheme,” Bleacher Report wrote in its grade summary. “The Northwestern product is the class’ best zone corner and extremely smooth in coverage. He solves the last immediate need in the Browns’ projected lineup.”
The reference was to right cornerback Greedy Williams not being fully recovered from a right shoulder injury suffered in training camp last summer.
NFL.com gave the Browns one grade — an “A” — for taking OwusuKoramoah and Schwartz on Day 2 of the draft.
“The Browns needed more athleticism at the linebacker position, and traded up to get it in JOK,” NFL.com wrote. “He played at 215 pounds in 2020, which is part of the reason why teams didn’t pick him earlier, but he can grow into an excellent coverage ‘backer with the ability to attack outside runs. Schwartz’s speed was too good for the Browns to ignore in the third round. If he can consistently catch the ball, he’ll be dangerous.”
And here is what Pro Football Focus is saying:
“Cleveland made two of the best signings of the offseason prior to the draft, bringing in safety John Johnson III and slot corner Troy Hill in free agency. Those two additions, along with edge defender Jadaveon Clowney, gave the Browns the second-best roster in the NFL, in our eyes, entering the draft.
“But after the first two days of the 2021 NFL Draft, they are making a legitimate push to dethrone the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for that top spot in 2021. After stealing cornerback Greg Newsome II in Round 1, they committed highway robbery by taking linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at the 52nd overall pick via trade.”
PFF ranked OwusuKoramoah 19th overall on its draft board and speculated “an unknown medical issue” and role concerns caused other teams to shy away from him.
Berry and Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta were asked on Zoom calls about JOK’s health and both said they had no worries. DePodesta said Owusu-Koramoah is “a perfect fit” for the Browns’ defensive scheme.
“I can’t begin to speculate in terms of what made him, I guess, allegedly drop, but I can say that we were very comfortable with him from a medical standpoint,” Berry said.
Berry is sort of like Nick Chubb. Chubb never pounds his chest or celebrates wildly after scoring a touchdown. Likewise, Berry is not allowing all the adulation to affect him.
“The praise doesn’t really mean a whole lot because quite honestly, nothing has really happened on the field,” Berry said. “I like there is a ton of excitement around the team, and the bulk of the credit goes to our players last year and our coaching staff for bringing it all together as a team.
“The reality of it is we’ve added players and made roster decisions that we think give us the best chance at having a very successful season, but I think I’ve been in the NFL enough years to know that all that does is give you a chance. Every year is really unique and different. Sometimes, the bestlaid plans don’t come to fruition. We’re optimistic. We like the guys we’ve added, but really, it doesn’t amount to anything at this point.”
The Browns were 11-5 last season. The last time they finished over .500 and made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons was in 1988 (10-6) and 1899 (96-1) during a stretch when they made the playoffs five straight seasons.
Allen on demotion
Logan Allen was the surprise of spring training for the Indians, but reality set in less than a month into the regular season. Allen was sent to the alternate site in Columbus after giving up a home run, a home run, a walk and a home run to the first four batters he faced April 28 in a game with the Twins. Allen was pulled after 1 1/3 innings and charged with six runs. He gave up three home runs to the Yankees in 2 1/3 innings in his previous start.
Allen gave up only one home run in his first three starts, but teams obviously figured him out quickly.
“Baseball’s not easy,” Allen said before being sent down. “I had this ability in spring training to throw all four of my pitches with aggression and put them where I want them. Lately it’s been all aggression and the command has been spotty.
“Nothing needs to change with the routine. It’s just tweaking some things. The confidence is there. I’m doing a disservice to my teammates doing this multiple times in a row. I just need to keep working and I’ll be fine.
“I’m not worried. I’m upset I let my teammates down, and I’m upset the last few outings have come to this, but it’s part of it. So I have to go down there and attack and hopefully when I come back we don’t have these tough conversations.”
Triston McKenzie is now fourth in the rotation. Left-hander Sam Hentges will move into McKenzie’s spot as the fifth starter as McKenzie moves up to replace Allen. Cal Quantrill will stay in the bullpen for now and be prepared for long relief.
“Quantrill will stay stretched out because Hentges isn’t going to be going seven innings right off the bat,” manager Terry Francona said on a Zoom call from Chicago.
If they had a do-over, the Indians probably would not have traded Adam Plutko to the Orioles for cash or a player to be named later. Plutko has worked strictly in relief with the Orioles. He has pitched 15 innings in 10 games and has a 1.20 ERA, but he showed in his time with Indians he can start. He started 36 games for the Indians over five seasons with the Tribe. He was 14-12 in his time with Cleveland.
Thinking NBA Draft
The Cavaliers were 2142 heading into their home game with the Miami Heat on May 1. Just two weeks ago they were in contention for a play-in spot in the postseason, but they lost 10 of 12 games to fall out eight games behind the last spot with nine games remaining.
The two important days for Cavs fans to circle on their calendar are June 22 and July 29 — the dates of the NBA lottery and the draft 37 days later.
Putting together a mock draft is difficult enough when knowing where a team is slotted. It is foolhardy to make predictions without knowing when a team is picking, but that hasn’t stopped NBA analysts from predicting what the Cavaliers will do.
NBCSports.com has the Cavs picking sixth and taking shooting guard Keon Johnson from Tennessee. He is 6-foot-5, 185 pounds and 18 years old.
The Cavs are good at getting younger, but not very good at getting better.
Bleacher Report has the Cavaliers picking fifth and taking forward Jonathan Kuminga of the G league Ignite.
“If Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen are long-term starters, Cleveland could use a scoring forward in between,” the summary on Kuminga says. “Kuminga, 6-8, 220 pounds, would give them one with speed, power and athleticism.”
Bleacher Report also suggests the Cavs might trade the pick for a veteran to get off the rebuilding wheel they’ve been on since LeBron James left after the 2018 season.
I didn’t know that
... until I read my Snapple bottle cap.
There are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way Galaxy . ... A full moon is nine times bright than a half moon . ... In 1634, tulips were a form of currency in Holland . ... A rainbow can be seen only in the morning or late afternoon . ... Chameleons can move both their eyes in different directions at the same time . ... Twins have a high occurrence of left-handedness.