Once again the Triple Cities Browns Backers will attend a game in Cleveland this coming season. Twenty members took advantage of the group ticket offer. We will be in the Dawg Pound on Monday Night, October 13th to see the Browns take on the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.

Tailgate plans will be developed as we get closer to the date. It is always a fun time and we are especially excited to attend a Monday night game.

The Browns open the 2008 regular season at home against the Cowboys on Sunday Sept. 7, then host the Steelers in Week Two in a Sunday night national TV game, the first of five nationally televised prime-time games the Browns will play.
The Browns return to Monday Night Football when they host the Super Bowl champion Giants on Oct. 13. They also play two Monday night road games, Nov. 17 at Buffalo and Dec. 15 at Philadelphia.
The Browns host the Broncos in Week 10 on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8:15 p.m.
The five national prime-time games are the most ever for the Browns, who haven't played on national television since 2006 and haven't played on Monday night since 2003.

Click Here to view the entire 2008 Browns schedule.

*Jim Corbett, USA Today/USA Today Sports Weekly -- "In the first 24 hours of free agency, Browns general manager Phil Savage sent a clear-cut message: Savage went for it the way he believes his team is ready to. With the sharp re-signing of Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson to a three-year, $24-$26 million deal that could be worth $14.5 million guaranteed, the signing of free-agent, deep-threat receiver Donte' Stallworth and two trades that yielded the starting interior of a potentially dominant defensive line, Savage appeared to be channeling Anderson in his starting debut -- that 51-45, Week 2 torching of Cincinnati. The general manager was on fire, hitting touchdown after touchdown. Though as New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli cautioned a reporter this time last year when everyone was proclaiming the Patriots as the team to beat after an aggressive opening spending spree, "They don't hand out any trophies for what you do in March or April,'' the Browns are off to a strong offseason start. What team has more potential firepower with the return of a Pro Bowl alternate quarterback, the re-signing of power back Jamal Lewis and Stallworth to run opposite Pro Bowlers Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow, Jr. with veteran slot receiver Joe Jurevicius? Still, for such an impressive beginning to the rebuilding season to yield the desired January and early February payoff, Savage must now fill the team's need for linebacker and secondary help without benefit of second and third round picks dealt in trades for defensive tackles Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. Based on his start, he's likely to use another free-agent signing and then the draft to complete an impressive makeover."

Browns running back Jamal Lewis wants to finish his career in Cleveland. Now he'll have a chance to do just that.
Lewis, 28, agreed Thursday to a three-year contract through 2010, the Browns announced. It is believed to be worth $17 million. Lewis made $5 million last season, including $1.5 million in incentives.

Browns Quarterback Derek Anderson and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. were named to the AFC Pro Bowl team Monday, becoming the fifth and sixth Browns headed to Honolulu.

The Browns haven't had that many Pro Bowl participants since 1995. They haven't had more then six since sending eight in 1988.

Anderson and Winslow both were first alternates when the Pro Bowl teams were announced in December. Anderson will replace the Patriots' Tom Brady, while Winslow will replace Antonio Gates of the Chargers.

The 2008 Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. EST and be broadcast live on FOX.

Since I last posted to the page a few things have happened with the Browns that are worth noting;

1) Romeo Crennel signed a two year contract extension through 2011. It was reported that the contract is worth $2 Million per year.
2) Contract offers have been sent to Derrick Anderson and Jamal Lewis in hopes of resigning them before free agency gets into full swing on February 29th. I beleive they will re-sign Lewis without too much trouble (look for a two year deal and then he will retire). Time will tell if Anderson's agents and the Browns are on the same page.
3) Winslow will have off-season knee surgery. He had postponded scheduling it hoping that he would get a shot as a Pro-Bowl alternate. Antonio Gates did not opt out by the deadline (Wednesday, Jan 30) so KII has gone ahead and scheduled the surgery.
4) Long snapper, Ryan Pontibrand, was named to the AFC Pro-Bowl roster. Pontibrand along with Braylon Edwards, Josh Cribbs, and Joe Thomas makes more Browns going to the Pro Bowl than I can recall in a long, long time.

With the announcement a week ago that the Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski had declined an interview for the head coach position in Baltimore and then signed a contract extention in Cleveland came the news that Todd Grantham was out as the defensive coordinator. While the Browns lit it up on offense all season, they were dead last in the league on defense. So the change should come as no surprise. So now it will be Mel Tucker's turn to see if he can do the same with the defense that Chud did with the offense.

Tim

Tucker named defensive coordinator

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/article.php?id=8116

Zac Jackson, Staff Writer
01.12.2008

Last January, the Browns struck gold by hiring a young coordinator who was an Ohio native and had previous ties to the Browns.

This year, they're hoping to do the same.

Mel Tucker was hired as the new defensive coordinator Saturday morning, a day after the team announced Todd Grantham would not return for 2008. Tucker, who turned 36 last week, is a Cleveland Heights native who spent the last three seasons coaching the Browns' defensive backs. He was Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator in 2004, and prior to that had coached three previous years with the Buckeyes and also at LSU and Miami-Ohio. His knowledge of the environment, the organization and the personnel made him a strong candidate to be promoted from within.

"We are excited to have Mel as our defensive coordinator," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "He has a football plan, a life plan, coaches the fundamentals and relates well with the players. I believe he will be successful in this new role."

Tucker takes over a defense that ranked near the bottom of the NFL statistically last season after a poor start but played much better in the second half of the season. It's a similar situation to the one offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski inherited last January, and the Browns' offense finished among the top 10 in the league last fall. Tucker will be especially familiar with a young but talented group of defensive backs. Safeties Sean Jones and Brodney Pool came on very strong at the end of '07, their first full season starting together, and rookie cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald showed promise for the future as well.

"I would like to thank Randy Lerner, Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel for the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator for my hometown team," Tucker said. "I'm looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and I'm confident with hard work we can improve our defense. We have a great group of players on this team and my familiarity with them will be an asset."
Tucker received a two-year extension on his current contract and is under contract with the Browns through the 2010 season.