Artis Hicks Will Add Experience To Cleveland Browns Offensive Line

With Eric Steinbach gone for the season, the Cleveland Browns felt they needed some depth at guard.  Enter 10-year vet Artis Hicks, who was signed by the Browns to a one-year contract.  Hicks was released by the Washington Redskins on Saturday.

Hicks was signed by current Browns GM Tom Heckert as an undrafted free agent when Heckert was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002.

Hicks will immediately battle for the starting spot at left guard vacated by Steinbach when he underwent back surgery last week.  Steinbach will miss the entire season.  The Browns were currently starting rookie Jason Pinkston at LG, but Hicks will provide some much-needed experience should the rookie falter as the regular season amps up.

"We do like Pinkston a lot," said Heckert before Hicks was signed. "We think he's going to be a really good player. We'll see how it shakes out this week and who's going to be starting at left guard."

The Broncos waived  offensive lineman Pat Murray to make room for Hicks on the roster.

Cleveland Browns Add Six Players To Practice Squad

A day after cutting down to 53 players, the Cleveland Browns added six players to their practice squad for 2011, all six having spent training camp with the Browns.

The team can add up to eight players to the practice squad so a couple of moves are expected over the next few days as the team prepares for a Week 1 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. 

The practice squad includes:

Dominic Alford(OL)

Jarrod Shaw(OL)

Tyler Clutts(FB)

Quinn Porter(RB)

Brian Sanford(DL)

Rod Windsor(WR)

Cleveland Browns Awarded QB Thaddeus Lewis Who Was Cut By St. Louis Rams

The Cleveland Browns made their roster cuts on Saturday, but for three players who thought they had made the team Sunday came as a harsh realization.  The Browns continued to tinker with their roster on Sunday, winning waiver-claims on three players - quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, linebacker Quinton Spears and defensive lineman Emmanual Stephens.  Spears was cut by the Miami Dolphins while Stephens was let go by the Atlanta Falcons.

To make room on their 53-man roster, the Browns waived defensive lineman Auston English and linebacker Benjamin Jacobs.  Also gone is defensive lineman Derreck Robinson.

Lewis, a former standout at Duke, was a practice squad player in St. Louis in 2010 when current Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator with the Rams.  before Lewis became available the Browns were planning on carrying just two quarterbacks - starter Colt McCoy and backup Seneca Wallace.  

Lewis lost the backup quarterback battle in St. Louis to A.J. Feeley.  Sam Bradford is the starter.  Lewis played well, however, going 23/32 for 266 yards.  he was 22/28 for 255 yards and 2 TDs in 2010's preseason.

Lewis was a four-year starter for the Blue Devils, throwing for over 10,000 yards and 67 touchdowns.

Browns Make Final Cuts, Place Brandon Jackson On IR To Get To 53

The Browns cut nine more players this evening plus placed running back Brandon Jackson on Injured Reserve to get to the maximum roster-size of 53 heading into the regular season.

Among the cuts tonight were quarterback Jarrett Brown, fullback Tyler Clutts, running back Quinn Porter, wide receiver Rod Windsor, offensive linemen Jarrod Shaw and Dominic Alford, linebackers Archie Donald and Brian Smith and defensive lineman Brian Sanford.

Here is the complete story via Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

The article includes these bits of good news for some players:

"Some "bubble'' players who made the team are rookie cornerback James Dockery, first-year defensive lineman Auston English, undrafted rookie running back Armond Smith and second-year defensive tackle Scott Paxson. Several others, including Brown, will be considered for the Browns' practice squad Sunday."

Browns Trim Roster To 63 With 10 More Cuts To Go

The Cleveland Browns have cut 17 players, including wide receiver Demetrius Williams and defensive back Coye Francies, to shrink their roster to 63, with 10 more cuts still to be announced to get to the 53-man limit mandated for the beginning of the season.

Among the cuts by position were:

• Defensive Backs -- Coye Francies, Carl Gettis, Ramzee Robinson and DeAngelo Smith
  
• Defensive Ends -- Andre Caroll
• Defensive Tackles -- Travis Ivey and Ko Quaye
  
• Linebackers -- Eric Gordon, Steve Octavien and Sidney Tarver
• Tackles -- Branndon Braxton, Calton Ford and Phil Trautwein
• Tight Ends -- Evan Frosch
• Wide Receivers -- L.J. Castile, Chris Matthews and Demetrius Williams

Williams was signed last October after playing four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and Francis was a 2009 6th-round pick by the Browns.

Stay tuned for the next wave of cuts, coming later today, as the days count down to the season opener on September 11 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

Chicago Bears Beat Cleveland Browns 24-14 In Final Preseason Game

At last the exhibition games are over.  The Cleveland Browns can focus on the Cincinnati Bengals and forget what was a mostly forgettable final preseason game against the Chicago Bears - a 24-14 loss at Soldier Field that saw both teams rest most of their starters in favor of the J.V. football that so many fans are tired of paying full-price for.

The Bears did have a few big names on the field, including wide receiver Johnny Knox who caught a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Caleb Hanie.  Knox, who'se been a starter in Chicago for the past couple of years has lost his spot to former Cowoys receiver Roy Williams who was signed as a free agent in July.

As for the Browns, Colt McCoy never saw the field and 1st Round pick Phil Taylor played just a quarter as Cleveland chose to rest their players for the September 11 home opener against the Bengals.

Seneca Wallace got the start for Cleveland and looked, well, plain bad going 4/9 for just 52 yards.  The Browns' offense got nothing going until late in the 1st half, and by then the Bears had a 17-0 lead.

Jarrett Brown played the 2nd half, throwing a touchdown pass to Rod Windsor while running back Armond Smith continued to look good, rushing for 47 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.

The Bears outgained the Browns 249-230 and the Browns were just 3-11 on third down.

Browns Take On Bears In Final Preseason Tuneup

The Browns travel to Chicago on Thursday night to take on the Bears at 8 p.m. in the final exhibition game of the year before the season opener on September 11 vs. Cincinnati.

The key thing in a final "practice" game is for no starters to get hurt, and so there will be little if any action for Colt McCoy and others on both sides of the ball who will be starting against the Bengals.

But tonight is a big, big game for players who are on the bubble as far as making the regular season roster or being cut. So while there might be some sloppiness, there will also be intensity with so many players trying to make that last impression.

Dawgs By Nature has all things Browns, including game threads, opinions, and fine articles.

Bleacher Report has 4 things to look for tonight, and more.

Fox Sports weighs in with their Browns' page for yet another look at all things NFL.

For a view from the opposing camp, so to speak, there is The Chicago Sun-Times' Bears page, worth a read, and of course...

There is Windy City Gridiron for a more fan-centric look at da Bears.

Let's get through this thing tonight, find a couple of last-minute keepers, and most importantly, let's not see anyone get hurt -- for either team.

Go Browns!

An Addition At A Time Of Subtractions: Browns Land Ravens' OT Oniel Cousins

The Browns have added some muscle to their offensive line -- after a big loss to said line -- with the addition of tackle Oniel Cousins off of waivers from the Baltimore Ravens.

Cousins has appeared in 25 games over parts of three seasons with Baltimore, but has only started four times, including one start in sixteen games in 2010.

Cousins is 27 years old, 6’ 4" tall and checks in at a reported 320 pounds. He played at the University of Texas-El Paso, and was drafted in the third round with the 99th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Guard Eric Steinbach is lost for the season after having back surgery and being placed on Injured Reserve. While Jason Pinkston is the most likely candidate to fill Steinbach's slot, coach Pat Shurmur said that the team will explore other possibilities.

For more on Cousins, check out the complete story via Cleveland.com.

Browns Cut 8 Players On Sunday In Precursor To More Cuts On Tuesday

The Browns began paring their roster on Sunday, letting eight players go, including four defenders, three on the offensive side of the ball, and one kicker.

Let go were wide receivers Johnathan Haggerty and Juan Nunez, quarterback Troy Weatherhead, kicker Jeff Wolfert, defensive end Jabari Fletcher, safety Brett Johnson, cornerback Darian Hagan and defensive tackle Kyle Anderson.

August 30 is the day when all rosters must be cut down to 80 players, so no doubt a lot of names will be on everyone's lists today.

For a complete look at all transactions for the Browns -- not just now but throughout the year -- I highly recommend NFL.com's comprehensive list. There are, of course, all the Cleveland cuts, as well as links to cuts for every other team, for those of you who like to peruse the players that come available and wonder if they are worth bringing in to Berea.

Cleveland Browns Roster Cuts: Browns Are 17 Players Lighter After Saturday Cuts

Cleveland Browns need to begin roster cuts on Tuesday enroute to 53-man roster on Saturday.