More of the latest Browns news and notes from around the web in today’s dose of the Sunday Dawg Chow.
- LSU Tigers-turned-Cleveland Browns Grant Delpit, Jacob Phillips share ‘don’t quit’ mindset (Beacon Journal) – The link is undeniable between Grant Delpit and Jacob Phillips. “It definitely goes back to our LSU days,” Delpit said earlier this month. “Me and him being on the same field basically for our whole time in college. I think we know what each other can do. I think that helps with trust on the field.” That trust has carried on since the duo left Baton Rouge as national champions in 2019. It’s carried on to Cleveland, where the pair were second-day draft picks for the Browns in 2020.
- Can Jakeem Grant Sr. solve the Browns’ punt return woes? (cleveland.com) – The 2020 season was a renaissance for Browns football. Describing what went on that year led to a lot of sentences that included the phrase, “for the first time since …” Even though the season ended with a winning record, double-digit victories and a playoff appearance, there was room for improvement. One of trouble spots was punt returns. As a team, the Browns have averaged fewer than 7.0 yards per punt return only 12 times in franchise history, and four have come in the last eight seasons.
- Johnny Stanton IV proud to speak up as LGBTQ ally (Browns Zone) – Johnny Stanton IV spent a perfect Saturday in June attending the Pride in the CLE March. He used the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative last season to support Athlete Ally, whose mission is to end “rampant homophobia and transphobia in sport” and to champion “LBBTQI+” equality. As the only fullback on the Browns roster, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Stanton is no stranger to head-on collisions and embracing a supporting role. His work as an ally to the LGBTQ community requires much of the same.
- Robert Griffin III: Browns should apologize to Baker Mayfield, ask him to start at QB if Watson is suspended (CBS Sports) – Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show earlier this week, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III — who played for the Cleveland Browns back in 2016 — said that he thinks the team should try to mend fences with Baker Mayfield so that he can take the reins under center if and when Watson is suspended for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
NFL:
- Why one San Francisco 49ers fan is drawing Jimmy Garoppolo every day until he’s traded (ESPN) – Much like her favorite NFL team, Rita Carvalho didn’t expect quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to remain on the San Francisco 49ers this deep into the offseason. But for Carvalho, Garoppolo’s extended stay by the Bay has turned a social media tribute into a labor of love.
- ‘We’re trying to re-establish the culture.’ What Tua Tagovailoa said on Tyreek Hill’s podcast (Miami Herald) – When Tua Tagovailoa heard Tyreek Hill could be traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to Miami, his range of emotions mirrored that of countless Dolphins fans: disbelief, which quickly shifted to immense joy.
- The 10 non-superstars who could shape the 2022 NFL season (The Ringer) – Talent at the top of the roster is required for a Super Bowl run, but so is depth. And these difference-makers could determine whether their teams are playing into January, or watching from home.