CLEVELAND TEAMS

Eric Steinbach was the high-profile signing, but the Browns have been busy adding more players that will help fill out their roster. Defensive lineman Robaire Smith should be a starter at right end and can move to the middle on passing downs. Offensive lineman Seth McKinney was injured last season and might be a risk, but he can provided much-needed depth on the offensive line. He has started at center and at guard.

Let’s hope the Bengals don’t match the offer sheet for nose tackle Shaun Smith. If he’s in the fold, the Browns can feel much better about both lines.

They’ll probably address the lines in the draft as well, but at least they won’t be doing so as much out of desperation. There are some good offensive linemen in this draft, so hopefully they’ll snag one in the first three rounds.

Trading Reuben Droughns makes sense now that we have Jamal Lewis.

This is definitely an upgrade at the tailback position. If Lewis is healthy, the Browns will have a legitimate offense next season, especially if they add another lineman as everyone expects. It’s hard to warm up to the former Raven, but he can be a force and he’s only 27 years old. Having bone spurs removed from his ankle could set him up for a big year. He’s also the punishing kind of runner that helps in our physical division.

I have no idea if this will affect the draft. Lewis has a one-year deal, so this should not prevent them from drafting Peterson. Also, if they’re serious about looking at Brady Quinn, adding someone like Lewis will give the offense a running identity while they groom Quinn for the future.

My preference right now would be Peterson, then Joe Thomas if he’s available, then trading down. I don’t want them to go with Quinn at #3.

Now that he has had bone spurs removed from his ankle, Jamal Lewis says he can still run with the best of them:

He said he is fully recovered from off-season surgery to remove bone spurs in an ankle and, when in condition, could run a 40-yard dash in the low 4.4 (seconds) or high 4.3s.

Meanwhile, the Browns are shopping Reuben Droughns.

Tony Grossi provides some info that might help explain the Browns’ strategy:

Droughns is due a $1.75 million roster bonus on March 17. He also is due a $1.25 million base salary, which means he is a $3 million player if the Browns keep him.

That might have been the figure that Lewis agreed to. He had a standing offer of between $1.5 million and $2 million on the table from the Ravens.

So the Browns might be thinking that they are better off replacing Droughns, whom they have severely soured on, with Browns-killer Lewis for one year. That might not interfere with plans to take Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson with their first pick in the draft.

He also says that the Browns are determined to feature two backs next season, so it’s still very possible that they will take Peterson.

Terry Pluto calls the move a wise gamble.

Cavs get a big one on the road – Lebron continues to assert himself.