Editor's note: Tony Grossi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN 850 WKNR.
Culture club: Every new Browns regime talks of “changing the culture.”
They start by blowing up huge sections of the facility at 76 Lou Groza Blvd. and reconfiguring offices and hallways, hauling in new equipment and furniture, and re-painting the walls with bold new slogans.
Then they gut the roster and hope their younger, cheaper players are better than the higher-priced ones infected by habitual losing they inherited.
Rinse. Repeat.
The ultimate culture-changing agent is winning, of course. But this final step has eluded all of owner Jimmy Haslam’s football regimes.
Hue Jackson has been assigned the task of “changing the culture” by New Browns Order executives Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta. But so far, the culture change is still in the “gut the roster” stage.
Since the NBO took over in January, the Browns have waved goodbye to:
Johnson Bademosi, Travis Benjamin, Dwayne Bowe, Travis Coons, Karlos Dansby, Austin Davis, Jim Dray, Tashaun Gipson, Brian Hartline, Paul Kruger, Andy Lee, Alex Mack, Johnny Manziel, Barkevious Mingo, Craig Robertson, Mitchell Schwartz, Randy Starks, Donte Whitner, and K’Waun Williams … plus others.
In the past 10 days, Mingo (traded), Kruger (terminated) and Lee (traded) were the notable departures.
So who’s next?
Let’s examine the six players remaining on the roster who are older than 30.
1. Quarterback Josh McCown, 37
Two weeks ago, it was reported the Dallas Cowboys were pursuing McCown to be their backup to Tony Romo. Now, Romo is out with another back injury and rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott has been named the team’s starter. More than ever, the Cowboys need a veteran backup. And the unfortunate, non-contact knee injury to Teddy Bridgewater on Tuesday means the Vikings need one, too. The pool of available quarterbacks has deepened. The Broncos are trying to trade Mark Sanchez and the Chargers released Zach Mettenberger. Meanwhile, McCown’s value to the Browns has actually increased, as starter Robert Griffin and rookie Cody Kessler have been spotty in the preseason. McCown just may stay, after all.
2. Cornerback Tramon Williams, 33
Moving him to nickel back, which covers the slot receiver in three-receiver formations, is a good idea. At his age, Williams can’t run with the best No. 2 receivers in the league, but he can be effective covering slot receivers in the confined traffic areas in the middle of the field. Through attrition, Williams now owns the third-highest salary ($6.2 million) and third-highest cap number ($6.98 million) on the roster. But moving Williams would elevate Justin Gilbert into a top-three role, and he certainly has not earned that.
3. Left tackle Joe Thomas, 31
He is the most marketable player on the Browns’ roster – a Hall of Fame-caliber left tackle still in his prime and with three years left on a team-friendly contract. Thomas mostly appeals to a Super Bowl contender needing to protect a franchise quarterback. Currently, the market is cool for a starting left tackle, but it will heat up if a Super Bowl contender loses one to injury prior to the Nov. 1 trade deadline. If that happens, there is no question that Thomas will draw trade conversation, as he did a year ago from the Broncos. The Browns didn’t pull the trigger on that trade last October. This new regime might not resist if the opportunity arises this fall.
4. Right guard John Greco, 31
His four-year contract extension signed in 2013 reaches its apex this year with a $2.925 million salary, and then goes down in its final year of 2017 to $975,000. Greco is a solid, under-rated lineman who can be insurance at center if Cam Erving doesn’t come through. This may sound weird, but I consider Greco untouchable.
5. Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins, 30
Hawkins’ past association with Jackson while with the Bengals is a terrific security blanket for him. But he has missed a large chunk of training camp with a hamstring injury. He is bracketed as a slot receiver by Corey Coleman on the high end and Taylor Gabriel on the low end. And he does have only two touchdowns in two years with the Browns. Hawkins wouldn’t seem to have much trade value.
6. Tight end Gary Barnidge, 30
In the midst of his breakout Pro Bowl year in 2015, he signed a team-friendly, three-year contract extension. I would rank him another untouchable because the depth chart after him is nothing but unproven players at a key position in Jackson’s offense.