PHOENIX — Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. better be feeling dangerous if they have to face the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots in a primetime matchup on the road in week one.
The NFL announced on Monday that the Bears and Packers will open the 100th NFL season on Thursday night Sept. 5, and the Patriots will host a Sunday night opening game.
With the Browns being one of the teams traveling to Foxboro, Mass. this year, they’re a candidate for that primetime matchup.
And with Beckham in the house now, it would certainly make for must-watch T.V.
But would it be unfair to pit the 7-8-1 Browns of 2018 against the defending Super Bowl champs in week one? In Freddie Kitchens’ first game as a head coach?
“That's why you play the game of football -- for the challenge that lies ahead,’’ Dorsey said at the NFL Annual Meetings here. “You're gonna play what the schedule makers deem. The NFL is hard.’’
The Browns can play up to five primetime games this year, and will be strong candidates with the star-studded cast.
“Cleveland Browns fans deserve that,’’ said Dorsey. “If they get that, they deserve it. It's part of the National Football League. Yes, it's his first time going through this as a head coach but he's been through it. He's been a part of good teams.’’
Here are some other things we learned from Dorsey:
1. Dorsey praises controversial DL prospect Jeffery Simmons
Dorsey acknowledged that Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is on his radar in this draft despite suffering a recent torn ACL and being caught on videotape in high school punching a woman.
Simmons pled no contest to misdemeanor simple assault and was convicted of malicious mischief.
But his coaches at Mississippi State vouch for his character, and Dorsey seems to really like him.
Can Dorsey afford to add another player to the team with a video showing him committing violence against a woman?
“What you should do is you should talk to the coaches and the support system at Starkville, Mississippi State, and just see what kind of man that guy really is,’’ Dorsey said.
He wouldn’t say if he’ll bring him in for one of his 30 visits but ‘one way or the other’ he’ll meet with him before the draft.
“I know his hometown,’’ he said. “I can always drive down there."
He acknowledged, “we're still doing our research with regards to some other stuff, but I know on the film when you watch him play the game of football, he's a really good football player. Really good."
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah also had high praise for Simmons in a pre-combine conference call.
2. More than 15 first-round grades.
Dorsey dismissed reports that he was willing to give up the No. 17 pick to the Giants because the Browns didn’t see any true first-rounders after that.
“No, I think this is a really good draft class,’’ he said. “I’m perfectly happy with the number of first round players we have evaluated on our board right now. And it’s more than 15.
3. On trading Duke Johnson
Dorsey re-iterated that Johnson is a valuable member of the team even though the Browns signed Hunt. But will he trade him closer to the deadline in October?
“I’ve told you all along I think Duke Johnson is a very talented player and I can envision him doing more nice things for the Cleveland Browns,’’ he said.
Has Johnson asked for a trade?
“I haven't talked to Duke, no,’’ he said.
4. He defended second-year kicker Greg Joseph
Dorsey defended Joseph, who made all of his kicks 39 yards or less, and went 6-of-9 from 40 yards or more.
“I believe in competition in all walks of life,’’ Dorsey said. “I mean, everybody wants to run Greg Joseph out of here, but the last I looked, when I looked at his field-goal percentages, last year he was better than Dan Bailey and he was better than the guy in New England (Steve Gostkowski), and he was a rookie."
Asked if he could draft a kicker with one of his eight picks, he said, “Al Davis drafted one in the first round. My philosophy will always be the same: if you're worthy of being drafted, we'll draft you. We have a good personnel staff and a really good special teams coach and if organizationally we decide a guy is worthy of a draft pick, we take him.’’
Browns asking NFL to let Kareem Hunt remain with the club during his 8-game suspension, source says
The Browns want Hunt to be able to attend meetings and workouts at the club's facility during his ban, a league source told cleveland.com. Typically, players are banished from the facility during such a suspension.
5. On sky-high expectations now that OBJ is here
Dorsey re-iterated “we haven’t done anything yet’’ despite all the Super Bowl talk now that Odell Beckham Jr. is here.
“Let's remember, it takes 53 guys to play the game of football,’’ he said. “This is a total team sport. As a matter of fact, one of the best team sports there is in all sports. So you know what they are, are those expectations in March, but you have to earn it through everybody working for the same goal, and that starts in OTAs, goes through training camp and then you come together as one and then you begin to win games in the fall. So this is a long season."
6. On Greg Robinson’s one-year deal
Robinson signed a one-year prove-it deal worth $7 million, but only $500,000 guaranteed. It means the Browns can still explore their options in the draft or elsewhere at left tackle.
“Maybe it says more about the player than it does the organization 'cause maybe the player is willing to bet on himself and say, 'You know what? I’m pretty dang good,’’’ Dorsey said.
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2019/03/browns-john-dorsey-on-a-possible-browns-patriots-opening-matchup-and-more-from-the-nfl-meetings.html
2019-03-26 01:55:00Z
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