The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Great week to be local pro sports fan
Browns begin training camp in Berea; Cavs, Indians could shake up rosters
If you follow pro sports in Cleveland, the next few days are going to get your attention.
The Browns open training camp on July 28. One night later, the Cavaliers enter the NBA draft holding onto the third pick. The MLB trade deadline is 4 p.m. July 30.
• The Browns haven’t started training camp with this much anticipation since 1987 when they were at Lakeland Community College. Marty Schottenheimer was the head coach and Bernie Kosar was the quarterback.
The 1986 Browns lost the AFC championship game to Denver at Cleveland Stadium, and the 1987 team vowed to use that experience to be better prepared if it played for the conference title again. They met the Broncos in a rematch in Denver with the same result.
Anticipation is high for this team, not only because they finished 11-5 in 2020 and won a playoff game for the first time in 26 years, but because the coaching staff and offensive players return intact — much as the 1987 team did. Anticipation is also high because of the way General Manager Andrew Berry rebuilt the defense through the draft and free agency.
There are storylines to follow — Greedy Williams vs. Greg Newsome to be the right cornerback; how ends Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley fit on defense, whether safety Grant Delpit is completely back from his Achilles injury; who starts at defensive tackle among Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliott, Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell.
And the biggest storyline of all — exactly how will wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. fit into the offense, when will he be ready, and can he get through 17 games uninjured?
• The last time the Cavaliers picked third or sooner was in 2014 when they drafted Andrew Wiggins first overall. Then they traded him to Minnesota for Kevin Love.
General Manager Koby Altman can be as bold as he dares to be. Most mock drafts have him selecting 7-foot forward/center Evan Mobley from USC with the
third pick — assuming the Pistons take forward Cade Cunningham first and the Rockets take guard Jalen Green second.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported the Cavaliers are “one of the most active teams in the league on the trade-talk front, rumored to be making overtures to acquire a second pick in the top 10.”
Givony isn’t saying what the Cavs would be willing to give up to get another top-10 pick, but small forward Jonathan Kuminga from the Congo or shooting guard James Bouknight of Connecticut would be good fits — Bouknight, especially, if Atman trades guard Collin Sexton. The Cavaliers continue to be linked to a trade with the 76ers for Ben Simmons, but buyer beware; according to a report on libertyballers.com, the 76ers have not been able to get in touch with Simmons to form a workout plan since Philadelphia’s season ended.
The Cavaliers should not trade for a player that will be difficult for J.B. Bickerstaff to coach.
• The Indians, 49-48
and idle on July 26, began the day nine games behind the White Sox in the A.L. Central and five games behind the Oakland A’s for the second wild-card spot. The Blue Jays, Yankees and Mariners are also ahead of them, meaning the Tribe would have to leapfrog four teams to qualify for a one-game playoff on the road. Tampa Bay, which just took three of four games from the Indians, has a 4.5 game lead for the first wild-card spot.
Indians president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff already have the youngest 26-man roster in the Major Leagues. The 40man roster could be even younger by 4:01 p.m. July 30.
Third baseman Jose Ramirez, second baseman Cesar Hernandez and catcher Roberto Perez are players that could be traded for prospects at the deadline.
Earlier this month, Antonetti said he would be active at the trade deadline to acquire starting pitching with Shane Bieber (shoulder) and
Aaron Civale (finger) “weeks away.” There is still no timeline for them to return.
The Indians hold club options on Ramirez ($12 million), Hernandez ($6 million) and Perez ($7 million) in 2022.
Bieber has missed eight starts. Civale has missed six. Both pitchers are on the 60-day injured list, which means Bieber can’t rejoin the Indians until Aug. 13 at the earliest. Civale can’t return before Aug. 21.
The Indians don’t have to trade Ramirez, Hernandez or Perez. The best option for Antonetti and Chernoff could be to wait out the storm and challenge for the playoffs with all three players still on the roster next year.
Trading for prospects who might not be ready before the Indians can no longer afford Bieber (he has three years of arbitration and then hits free agency in 2025) isn’t a good plan.
Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @jsproinsider