Browns to 53: D’Onta Foreman Cut, Nick Chubb Moves to PUP - Tracker

AUG 27 RB MOVES The Browns have made their cutdowns to 53, with their multiple moves at the running back position front and center.

They are … releasing D'Onta Foreman, placing Nick Chubb on Reserve/PUP and placing Nyheim Hines on Reserve/NFI.

Jerome Ford is now your Browns RB of record.

AUG 27 SCOUTING CeeDee Lamb has his new contract, a four-year, $136 million deal that will keep No. 88 in Dallas ... with a status that figures to keep the Browns defensive coaches up all night trying to figure out answers for Week 1.

Lamb is central to everything the Cowboys do on offense, as Dallas coach Mike McCarthy breaks it down in a way that sets things up nicely for Cowboys at Cleveland to open the year.

"The talent has been extremely evident since this young man has stepped on a football field," McCarthy said. "Not only does he play every position on the offensive perimeter, but he's also an exceptional returner, and he loves it. He loves being in the backfield and loves running the ball [as well].

"He gives you that opportunity to not only take advantage of that schematically, but he's damn good at all of it."

The Browns know this "schematically.'' Now they get to work at solving it on the field.

AUG 22 TRADE It's a little one. But it's a trade, as the Browns are sending kicker Cade York to the Commanders for a conditional seventh-round pick.

Cleveland of course recently signed Dustin Hopkins to his three-year, $15.9 million extension. That made him one of the NFL's top five highest-paid kickers. So York is excess here, and moves to a Washington team struggling in that area.

AUG 21 SILLY SEASON How can you recognize "fan-boy'' media coverage when you see it? Easy. You simply need to be a real fan with a more-than-cursory knowledge of your Cleveland Browns.

So when along comes a media outlet that suggests the Browns trade for CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, with Amari Cooper as the centerpiece lure, and it uses as its foundation the idea that the Cowboys would see Amari as a "No. 1 receiver who would help them compete for the next few years''?

Yes. Read that sentence again, overflowing with baloney, and you know.

Read here for more, as the Browns are certainly searching for a top-notch receiver ... while having to find a way to do so that actually fits inside the realm of logic .

AUG 8 MEDIOCRE How we define somebody else's "mediocrity'' depends a lot on ...

Our own perch.

To some, the Pittsburgh Steelers have epitomized consistency as a franchise. They've only had three head coaches since 1969, they've had no losing seasons since 2003, and they've got 15 playoff appearances since the turn of the millennium.

But ...

On “ First Things First ,” Kevin Wildes went in on Pittsburgh’s fate this season.

“They have delivered mediocrity like no other team,” Wildes said. “It’s a great franchise. Right there every year, .500! Haven’t won a playoff game in a long time.”

It's true that the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game – or been past the Divisional Round – since a 2016 trip to the AFC Championship Game. But insulting their overall achievements? That seems a bit "shock-jock'y'' ...

Especially to the Cleveland Browns, who would surely privately admit to just a bit of AFC North envy here.

AUG 7 CAUSE OF DEATH Former Baltimore Ravens receiver Jacoby Jones recently passed away at just 40 years old, and now there is a determination of his cause of death.

The former NFL player died of natural causes, according to TMZ , with the details involving hypertensive cardiovascular disease, which is a heart disease caused by long-term high blood pressure.

Jones' career highlight came with Baltimore in Super Bowl XLVII win, when 56-yard touchdown catch and 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped beat the 49ers.

JULY 2 - SJ PASSES AWAY - On Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns announced their mascot, "SJ" passed away. "Swagger J," a Bullmastiff served as the Browns' mascot since Week 10 in 2019 after taking over for his father, "Swagger." SJ was five years old.

"We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved mascot, SJ," the team posted on its social media platforms. "We are so grateful for his many years of loyal support and cherish all of the wonderful memories he helped create for fans young and old."

Inline

JULY 2 - BANE VS. BATMAN? - The beginning of training camp is just weeks away for the Cleveland Browns, and with the start of camp will come the return of players from injuries. The current injury list is quite a lengthy one for the Browns, which features several key contributors like quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb, and right tackle Jack Conklin.

While fans already have a good feeling about Watson's recovery, who has been the star of multiple social media posts from the Browns as he threw on an every-other-day schedule during the offseason program, the status of Conklin was still unknown.

However, that has seemingly changed as the 29-year-old announced in a recent Instagram post that he is "back" from his season-ending knee injury.

"Nothing is easy after an injury especially multiple. I could never have made it thru with out my wife @caitlyn_conklin she is my rock," Conklin wrote. "I talked to @nchubb27 and there may be one dark knight but the first person to rise from the pit was bane!"

This is big news for the Browns as they will enter training camp with at least one of their offensive tackles fully healthy.

JULY 2 - COOPER CALLOUT - As the time begins to wind down for the Cleveland Browns before the start of training camp, which is set to kick off with their first practice on July 24, a potential holdout looms for star receiver Amari Cooper .

The 30-year-old receiver who held out of the Browns' mandatory minicamp due to entering the final year of his five-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys has one self-proclaimed goal this offseason: getting paid . However, if a deal is not worked out beforehand, his absence could extend into training camp.

While the Browns are reportedly already working on an extension, a new Instagram Story post from one of the receiver's friends, per Brad Stainbrook, might put the optimism of a new deal being close to getting done in doubt.

"Where is the work from these guys y'all believe in so much," Oneway Estabon questioned on his Instagram Story