CLEVELAND, OHIO (TheOBR.com) - Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
Football is now in full swing, with college football heading into its second week, where most programs are playing, and two NFL games already under our belt. It's a great time of year. I love everything about it - the crispness in the air, the pre-game festivities and having actual football to discuss on the forums. Love this time of year!
Saturday mornings are often a little slow for news, though. During the regular season, the team typically just goes through a walk-through on Friday, which is mostly closed to the press, so you're left tracking who's on the field warming up and relying on often-subdued press availabilities from coaches. So, there's not a lot of Browns news to react to this morning.
BROWNS HEALTHY HEADING INTO THE OPENER
The Browns' scheme of hiding their starters from pre-season games has paid off, as the team can field everyone on their 53-man roster except for Mike Hall as things currently stand. The team had more "intense" practices this year, but those didn't result in more injuries (Martin Emerson suffered a non-contact injury). While the downside of keeping veterans off the pre-season fields is typically a simple lack of reps, the team made up for that by travelling to do two practice sessions with the Panthers and Eagles.
Usually, this time of year, we're bemoaning how banged-up the Browns already are, and while the injury to Emerson hurts for sure, the team had enough time to deal with it (and basically chose not to). No one knows what lies ahead, but so far (knocks on wood), the team's horrific injury luck seems a little better this year. If it continues, fans need to credit the Browns as much as they've questioned their training and practice approach in recent years.
HOW DID ADIN HUNTINGTON SLIP THROUGH THE DRAFT?
I was talking Browns with my son yesterday, and the subject of Adin Huntington came up, primarily, how the heck did he drop through the draft to the Browns? The defensive lineman was a terror in the pre-season, showing up in all three phases of the game, particularly impressing with his speed on special teams. For a 280-pound lineman, Huntington is surprisingly fast, and, oddly, he wasn't grabbed in the draft process.
Adin Huntington
Adin Huntington (Photo: Getty)
The reason for that appears to be a couple of things. First, he seems to be sort of a "tweener", a little big as an edge and with a body type not necessarily lent to playing on the defensive interior. Teams like players that fit a specific mold, and Huntington really didn't check that box. Secondly, Huntington had an under-the-radar career in college, going from Kent State to Louisiana-Monroe, and finally to Tulane. None of them are "big programs" that have two dozen scouts at each game. While Huntington put up some great numbers at ULM, he wasn't someone whose college experiences led him to the top of draft boards.
Still, testing numbers popped off the charts, which undoubtedly brought him to Andrew Berry's attention, as Berry seems to love him some RAS scores. Good thing for the Browns as they seem to have got a real find in Huntington. We'll see what impact he has as the regular season starts tomorrow.
THIS IS NOT THE INTERNET I WANTED
Last night, I was surfing around and discovered that an old colleague had started up a new sports network, pulling along with him dozens of collaborators. When I checked the content, this well-funded new network was doing whatever everyone else does: Churning out mostly aggregated clickbait. Great. Same old crap from a new source. I then checked the old network, where he had pulled his contributors, and discovered that the old clickbaiters had been replaced by new ones—the clickbait had multiplied.
Several times a day, I will go through hundreds of Browns news links to populate the OBR News Ticker and see if anything is interesting going on. Less than five percent of what I see actually gets used. That's because I discard everything that doesn't come from a trusted source, isn't paywalled, or aggregated. The Ticker only includes sources that I believe add some level of value and aren't just for those who can afford to subscribe to every outlet.
Back in the 1990s, when this site was established, many of us were excited about the internet and its potential to disseminate information freely, resulting in a better-informed and more intelligent humanity. What we now see is nothing but fact-based sources locked behind paywalls and scavengers trying to make money from ads by misleading people into clicking. If anything, even in our little niche here, the internet is perpetuating misinformation and false narratives. (Now attach a supermind to it, AI, and get ready for the demolition derby!)
Here at the OBR, we also paywall some of our content. We have to do that to make ends meet. Otherwise there would be no OBR at all. However, we run a significant percentage of our content for free because I still believe in the basic mission of providing people with information, regardless of their ability to afford a subscription. It's a balance between profitability and purpose. This is even more valuable in the age of the misinformation rodeo.
News on the internet shouldn't be just for those who can afford 100 news subscriptions. Nor should those with fewer means be relegated to reading weightless aggregated crap. Struggling to find that right balance is the trick of the modern digital publishing world, and, by and large, that world is failing its consumers.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
Newswire Bloviation Archive
OBR STUFF
VIDEOS
Browns 3D- Cleveland Browns host Cincinnati Bengals week 1 Pregame - (youtube.com)
2026 QB Class Updates, Stock Up Stock Down, and a Look at CFB Week 2 - (youtube.com)
Two-Minute Check-In: Browns Practice 9/5/25 - (youtube.com)
ARTICLES
Cleveland Browns Week 1 Rooting Guide - Jack
OBR Staff Roundtable: Predicting the Score of the Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals - Jacob
Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 9/5: On Myles Garrett, Browns Stability, and More - Barry
Cleveland Browns Film Room Harold Fannin Jr. Vs. Kent State - Sam
Here is the Formula for the Cleveland Browns to have a Successful 2025 Season - Fred
Cleveland Browns Practice Update: Myles Garrett Practices on Friday after Missing Thursday with Hip Injury - Fred
FORUM POSTS
ASK THE INSIDERS (VIP)
Scout team QB?
Trade Judkins?
Another Judkins Question
Mike Hall-Ravens
Quinshon for week 1
How does the league office work?
Rules on Injury Designations
INSIDER DISCUSSION (VIP)
Forcing the leagues hand
THE WATERCOOLER
OT: Friday Night Football Chargers-Chiefs
Fred on his expectations for 2025 (Audio with WTAM)
Fantasy team names
How hungry are the Cleveland Browns in 2025?
Freds Two-Minute Check-In: 9.5.25
OT: Ohio State football coaches legacy, and ranked
Which RB will take the biggest step forward?
Here is to a new season!
LiveWire Thread for 95 - Twitter, Video, Articles
Delpit Talking Smack About Bengals?
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond...
Deep Breathing Can Create Psychedelic Bliss in Your Brain, Study Shows - (goodnewsnetwork.org)
I'm sure that there are those in the mostly-male world of Massive Morning Missive readership who will make fun of me for this, but I'm a firm believer in the power of meditation. Taking just 5-10 minutes a day can help in many ways, and I try to engage in it as much as possible. Unfortunately, the business of the webdork lifestyle often interferes, and I frequently miss days. I'm the poorer for it. Now come studies that indicate that, once again, confirm the power of breathing exercises. Don't be afraid to give it a go. No one will know, unless you're stupid enough to run a public website and prattle on about it.
WRAPPING UP
When not yammering himself into furious mockery, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
CONTACT Barry to sponsor the OBR. We have plans for nearly any budget!
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