Comings and goings in Cleveland
Lots of activity in Berea this week, as the Cleveland Browns signed defensive ends Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker as free agents and resigned defensive back Dimitri Patterson.
While the Rucker/Parker combo are not Mario Williams, it is still a decent move by the team, with Rucker being a decent run stopper (and we all know the Browns can use all the help they can get defending the run) and Parker can still effectively rush the passer.
Parker isn’t an every down player any more, but he can still rush the passer, according to Cold Hard Football Facts, who wrote that “he can handle a decent amount of work and still produce. Even though he found opportunities limited in Philadelphia, he still responded with 22 combined sacks, hits and pressures on 138 pass rushes (last season).
And Parker knows how to get to the quarterback, recording six sacks in 2010 and eight sacks in 2009.
For his part, Patterson brings depth to the defensive backfield.
On their way out of town were safety Mike Adams, running back Peyton Hillis and left guard Eric Steinbach.
Of the three, Steinbach is the only one we really were all that broken up about as the Browns need all the help they can get along the offensive line.
It will be interesting to see if the Browns have anything planned for this week as the second week of free agency is when the smart teams (i.e. those that don’t play in Washington) find value in free agency.
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Nice work by Liverpool on Sunday, as Luis Suarez and Stuart Downing both found the back of the net in a 2-1 win over Stoke in the FA Cup.
Liverpool moves on to the semi-final at Wembley.
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Staying in the FA Cup, Bolton defender Fabrice Muamba remains in intensive care after medical staff took two hours to get his heart beating on its own following the 23-year-old’s collapse during the quarterfinal match with Tottenham Hotspur.
“Fabrice Muamba remains in a critical condition in intensive care in the Heart Attack Centre at The London Chest Hospital,” according to a joint statement from the team and the hospital. “He was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening after collapsing at White Hart Lane, where he sustained a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup Quarter Final against Tottenham Hotspur.”
Scary stuff.
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Finally, ever wish the Cleveland Indians had a different name a logo?
Then head over to UniWatch, where they are running a contest to rename the team and design a new logo and uniform for the Wahoos.
(Photo by Getty Images)
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