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Joe Smith signs with the Cavaliers and Browns sign free-agent tight end Robert Royal
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Robert Royal
As expected, Joe Smith cleared waivers and Cleveland signed the forward/center to a one-year contract. Smith should be able to join the Cavs for practice at their facility in Independence today. Cavs fans should expect to see Smith on the bench when King James and his court take on the Celtics in Boston Friday night at 8pm. Head coach Mike Brown will work Smith into his rotations as the game progresses. Smith will be a tremendous help off the bench, not only with added scoring, but especially with his good defense and solid rebounding.
Some fans suggested that the Cavs should have tried to sign former Cavalier, Drew Gooden, instead of Smith. However, in addition to nursing a groin injury, Gooden plays a soft, finesse game, lacking intensity and tenacity, the majority of the time he is on the court. Gooden's play is also very inconsistent. General Manager Danny Ferry was absolutely correct in choosing Smith over Gooden. Gooden has landed in San Antonio with the Spurs for the rest of the season.
The Cavs are a stronger team with Smith rather than Gooden. With guard Sasha Pavlovic coming back from his injury Monday night, the Cavs are getting closer to being at full strength. Cleveland still needs to wait another four or five weeks to get Ben Wallace back after he broke his right leg, but with Smith back in Cleveland, Wallace's absence should be mitigated somewhat.
The Browns finally signed a free agent. According to the Plain Dealer, Cleveland signed former Buffalo Bills tight end, Robert Royal on Wednesday. The official announcement should come later today. In a short statement to the Cleveland newspaper, Royal said:
Everything should be official by Thursday. I’m definitely excited to be a member of the Cleveland Browns and start a new chapter in my life.
Royal, 30, was released by the Bills because Buffalo wanted to clear $8 million from their salary cap. Royal has a reputation as a very good blocker who is not known for having great pass-catching ability. He caught 33 passes for 351 yards and one touchdown in seven starts last year. Royal lost two fumbles and his longest catch from scrimmage in 2008 was for 30 yards.
The well-liked, former Buffalo BIll was limited in his time on the field midway through November of last season because of a hamstring injury. Royal, 6'4", 255 pounds, started his career with the Washington Redskins, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL draft. He signed with the Bills as an unrestricted free agent in 2006. For his eight-year career, Royal has 112 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns.
On the surface, with how the Browns are approaching this off season with regards to releasing players, trading Kellen Winslow, and not pursuing any first-tier free agents (which there are very few of this year), Head Coach Eric Mangini and General Manager George Kokinis are almost telling us that the Browns will be a run-first, pass-last offense in 2009.
The Browns now have three tight ends on their roster; Royal, Steve Heiden, and second-year, seldom-used, Martin Rucker. Royal and Heiden are known as good blocking tight ends and Rucker has no game experience to speak of. Obviously, the Browns' tight ends will be used much more as blockers than when Kellen Winslow lined up in his pseudo-tight end position for the last couple of years.
In turn, that would mean that the Browns will be looking for a running back in this year's draft class, which would mean that they will be pursuing more trades to get more picks in April's draft.
Some analysts have described Chris "Beanie" Wells of Ohio State as a young Jamal Lewis. With the extra pick in the second round acquired from the Tampa Bay Bucs for Winslow, the Browns may use the 37th pick on a running back. Wells may still be there. However, no matter if Wells is there or not, it's obvious the Browns are probably looking at a running back with an early pick, either the 37th or 51st (Tampa Bay).
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