Helter Skelter » Freddie Kitchens emerged from the Browns‘ draft room

BEREA http://www.newyorkjetsteamonline.com/trevon-wesco-jersey , Ohio (AP) — looking like a wide-eyed rookie.Things had been moving pretty quickly for Cleveland’s first-year coach, who seemed a little dazed after spending three whirlwind days observing general manager John Dorsey and his staff relentlessly work the phones with other NFL front-office executives while selecting seven new players.“It was very intriguing and exciting,” Kitchens said Saturday.And, for once, not distressing.The Browns didn’t have any glaring holes to fill this year. They found their franchise quarterback, Baker Mayfield, a year ago and Myles Garrett, the No. 1 overall pick in 2017, appears to be the coveted game-changing edge rusher. Cleveland’s got star power in wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, and there are enough talented pieces that they’ve become a fashionable pick.The expectations are sky high. In some corners, Super Bowl high.But Kitchens isn’t ready to stamp his team a contender, never mind a champion.“This time of year, everybody wants to talk about the roster and wants to crown somebody,” Kitchens said, his Alabama accent dripping on words. “All of this is good, but this is not going to win us any games. This is not even going to win us a quarter. It is not going to do anything for us but set us up for failure if we don’t have our head on straight and we are ready to play football because the games are going to be won and lost in September.“All of this other stuff is fluff. It is just things for people to talk about in April and May. You are going to have a different narrative come September, and that is when we want to control the narrative, not in April or May.”With an eye on getting tougher, the Browns picked five defensive players — two cornerbacks, two linebackers and a safety — along with a kicker and an offensive tackle.But Alexander Mattison Jersey , above all, Kitchens said the team wanted committed players.“We added guys that enjoy the game of football, enjoy practicing football, enjoy playing football, enjoy competing on a day-in and day-out basis,” he said.“That is where I think we have made the biggest strides.”Some other highlights from Cleveland’s second draft under Dorsey:WHO THEY GOTCB Greedy Williams (second round, LSU), LB Sione Takitaki (third round, BYU), CB Sheldrick Redwine (fourth round, Miami), LB Mack Wilson (fifth round, Alabama), K Austin Seibert (fifth round, Oklahoma), T Drew Forbes (sixth round, Southeast Missouri State), CB Donnie Lewis Jr. (seventh round, Tulane).SURPRISE MOVEStaying put. The story line entering the draft was whether Dorsey, who had made 17 trades since coming to Cleveland in 2017 http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/dru-samia-jersey , would move into the first round after dealing the No. 17 overall pick to the New York Giants in the Beckham swap. He targeted three players but found the asking price was too high for his taste. Dorsey did jump three spots in the second round to acquire Williams, considered one of the SEC’s best pass defenders.It was mildly surprising the Browns hung on to running back Duke Johnson, who asked to be traded shortly after the team signed free agent Kareem Hunt. But Johnson remains in Cleveland — for now — and Dorsey doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to part with Johnson unless he’s overwhelmed by an offer.HOW THEY DIDDefense dominated as the Browns added depth and potential special teamers. They never imagined Williams would still be around in the second round, and the team was equally pleased when Wilson, rated a first-rounder by numerous draft experts, dropped.Wilson, who had 71 tackles for the Crimson Tide last season, intends to make teams regret passing on him.“I just want to show that in this draft I was the best linebacker,” he said. “There were 31 teams that slipped up on me, and somebody is going to have to feel all the pain that I had built up these past few days.”WHAT’S NEXT?Johnson’s status will remain a topic of conservation while Hunt gets integrated. Hunt will serve an eight-game NFL suspension for two physical altercations before he’s eligible to play, but the Browns have been pleased with his progress.“He is doing great,” Kitchens said of Hunt, who was on the field this week for the first time with Cleveland. “He is doing everything we are asking him to do, exceeding expectations from the standpoint of how he is in the building, how he is around the players, and how he is on the field.“He is doing things in the community, he is continuing to work on an everyday basis, and he is not taking any days off from the standpoint of becoming a better person, a better player, and I think everybody is going to see the benefits of that.” NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees found a receiver who hadn’t played most of the season to sustain a late touchdown drive. The Saints‘ defense found a way to force two fumbles in the fourth quarter. And New Orleans’ punt-return unit stopped a fake punt less than a yard short of a conversion that might have helped Pittsburgh protect a late lead.Combine that with some good fortune on decisions by the officials Daniel Jones Jersey , and it added up to a third straight fourth-quarter comeback for these charmed 2018 Saints, who’ll finish the regular season as the best team in the NFC.Brees capped a 326-yard passing performance with 2-yard touchdown toss to Michael Thomas with 1:25 left, Sheldon Rankins stripped JuJu Smith-Schuster in the final minute, and the Saints clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 31-28 victory over the Steelers that dealt a significant blow to Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.Article continues below ...“That’s one thing these guys have done a good job with, coming up with plays when we needed it. We’ve won a lot of different ways this year,” Saints coach Sean Payton said after New Orleans (13-2) reached 13 victories for the third time since he became coach in 2006. “I’m proud of this team. Man, they’ve showed a great resolve — dealt with injuries, dealt with all the adversity you might have in a long season.”Pittsburgh drove into potential tying field-goal range on its final drive, but Smith-Schuster fumbled while landing on Rankins after a short reception and linebacker Demario Davis recovered.“One thing you know about this team is we’re resilient,” Rankins said.Alvin Kamara gained 105 yards from scrimmage and ran for two touchdowns for New Orleans. Receiver Tedd Ginn Jr., playing for the first time since Week 4, caught a 25-yard pass on third-and-20 during the Saints’ go-ahead series.The late rally came after New Orleans kept it close with two crucial fourth-quarter stops. Safety Kurt Coleman forced Pittsburgh’s first fourth-quarter turnover when he stripped Stevan Ridley and defensive end Alex Okafor recovered in Saints territory.The Steelers briefly preserved their four-point lead when L.J. Fort blocked Wil Lutz’s 50-yard field goal attempt with 6:16 left. But New Orleans quickly forced a fourth-and-5 and then stopped upback Roosevelt Nix a yard short of a first down when he took the snap on a fake punt with a little more than four minutes to go.“I just wanted to be aggressive,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “I like the play.”Ben Roethlisberger passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns for the Steelers (8-6-1), connecting 14 times with Antonio Brown for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Pittsburgh fell into second in the AFC North behind Baltimore and out of playoff position.The Steelers could still win the division with a victory next week and a loss by the Ravens. Their path to a wild card is unlikely at best because it would require Indianapolis and Tennessee to tie. Pittsburgh’s loss also clinched a playoff spot for the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.“We’re playing pretty good football, but it might not matter,” Roethlisberger said. “Obviously we don’t control our destiny anymore. We have to take care of business next week.“You can be as skillful as you want on both sides of the ball and special teams, but there is still a small element of luck involved in football. A play here, a play there. If that’s what it is, I don’t know, but it’s the game of football.”New Orleans went up 24-14 in the third quarter when Kamara dove over blockers at the line of scrimmage Quincy Williams II Jersey , capping a drive highlighted by his career-long 42-yard reception.But the Steelers seized momentum back with a nine-play, 75 yard drive that included three passes to Brown, the last a 3-yard TD toss. Pittsburgh then took a 28-24 led with on its next drive, which again ended with a TD pass to Brown, who split double coverage by Coleman and Marshon Lattimore for his 20-yard score.FLAG FORTUNEThe Saints’ final scoring drive was aided by a pass interference call on fourth down, marking the third Saints touchdown drive of the game aided by such a call.The first also came on a fourth-down play in the first quarter when Joe Haden placed his hand on Kamara’s back on a pass that appeared overthrown.“I don’t know what they saw. I just tried to jump up and go get the ball,” Haden said. “It’s an offensive game. You can’t touch these guys. … I’m very frustrated.”A play later, Mark Ingram scored from a yard out for his franchise-record 50th rushing touchdown, surpassing Deuce McAllister’s mark set in 2008.KICKING STREAKBefore Lutz had a kick blocked, he made his franchise-record 26th straight field goal, surpassing the Saints mark set by Hall of Famer Morten Andersen during the 1992 and ’93 seasons.BEN AND BROWNRoethlisberger now has 33 TDs passing, breaking his single-season mark of 32 set in 2007 and 2014.Brown clinched a sixth straight season with at least 100 catches — making him the only NFL receiver to do so — and six straight seasons with 1,200 yards receiving. He also has 15 touchdown catches, surpassing his career best.INJURIESSteelers: Nickel cornerback Mike Hilton was examined in the blue tent by team medical staff but returned to action. … Starting linebacker Vince Williams left the game in the second half.Saints: Left tackle Terron Armstead left the game in the first half, returned to action a few series later, but then left the game again for good in the second half. After that, Andrus Peat moved to left tackle and rookie Will Clapp took over at left guard.UP NEXTSteelers: Host Cincinnati on Sunday, needing a win to have any hope of advancing to the playoffs.Saints: Finish the season at home against Carolina on Sunday.