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SPORTS Saturday 16 March 2019

Slow down: Browns GM tempers expectations after Beckham deal

By TOM WITHERS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Fans
are scrambling to get their
hands on tickets, jerseys
and make their first Odell
Beckham Jr. sighting.
It's only mid-March and
Cleveland's in a full-blown
football frenzy. Expecta-
tions for the upcoming sea-
son, which were already
enormous before the team
traded for Beckham, have
spun out of control.
Browns general John Dors-
ey's trying to rein them in.
Super Bowl? Slow down,
folks.
"Expectations, I hear a lot
about that, but I know this
— good football teams,
they win in the fall," Dorsey
said Thursday, a day after
the Browns officially landed
Beckham in a franchise-
changing trade from the
New York Giants. "What we
have done is we have add-
ed some talent. Now, the
chemistry part has to take In this Oct. 7, 2018, file photo, New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. celebrates a catch against the Carolina Panthers during the first
over with it. half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C.
"Teams win in the fall. They Associated Press
do not win in March, and
that is good teams." signed to plug holes. departures and Cincinnati require him to not only strat- ently grew tired of Beck-
He's constructed a pretty As has been his way, Dors- starting over, the Browns egize and develop players ham and traded him.
good one as well — at least ey never tipped his hand. have been ordained by but manage major person- Dorsey is confident Beck-
on paper. "We lay out certain plans some as the team to beat alities in Beckham, quarter- ham will be everything the
Dorsey, who has trans- on the time," Dorsey said. in the North. back Baker Mayfield and Browns hope.
formed the Browns from "At the end of the day, we Imagine that. receiver Jarvis Landry. "I know Odell is very passion-
winless to contenders in just have been consistent in Dorsey insists his flurry of Dorsey isn't worried about ate, know he is competitive
more than a year, figured saying that we are going major moves was not influ- Kitchens. and I know he can help this
to make some moves dur- to try to create competi- enced by anything exter- "Freddie is one of those indi- football team," Dorsey said.
ing the offseason to up- tion at as many positions as nal. viduals who I love because "If you can get the chance
grade his roster. However, we can going into training "What we attempted to he is so straightforward and to acquire a guy like that,
when he recently said at camp. With the addition do here is add some good honest," Dorsey said. "He you know what? Take a
the combine that he wasn't of certain players that we football players to the is direct. He is going to set shot at him."
prepared to "go for it" it ap- have acquired, I think we team, and then let's go expectations high. There is NOTES: Dorsey would not
peared he would wait until will be competitive and we compete and let's see how that accountability level. comment directly about
the draft to add talent. will begin to try to be com- the group can come to- He will make players be ac- interest in S Eric Berry, who
That changed with his petitive in the AFC North." gether as one and go and countable." was released by Kansas
stunning acquisition of The Browns haven't made achieve the goals that they A three-time Pro Bowler and City earlier this week. "I
Beckham, one of the NFL's the playoffs since 2002, set for themselves and that one of the game's most ex- have known Eric Berry for
biggest stars, along with when their division was cre- the head coach sets for citing players, Beckham a long time," said Dorsey,
Pro Bowl edge rusher Oliv- ated. For most of the past them," he said. "That was comes to Cleveland with a who spent four seasons with
ier Vernon in a trade from 20 years, they've been at not the plan." sparkling resume tainted by the Chiefs. "He is a fine, fine
New York as well as signing the bottom, held down The euphoria surrounding some self-centered antics. person. Of course, we are
defensive tackle Sheldon by powerful teams in Pitts- the Browns has further con- He can be distracting and going to do our research,
Richardson to a three-year, burgh, Baltimore and Cin- vinced Dorsey that Freddie divisive. and if we feel that he fits
$36 million free agent con- cinnati. Kitchens is the right coach. After signing him to a five- this organization, of course
tract. Dorsey also made But with the Steelers and Ra- Kitchens' first job as a head year, $90 million contract in we will make some calls to
several other moves de- vens reduced by offseason coach — at any level — will August, the Giants appar- his representatives."q