May 20, 2013

NFL Free Agency: Browns Add Pashos and Fujita

March 7, 2010 by 29 Comments

nfl_g_fujita_195 Ronald Martinez GettyThe Cleveland Browns have announced that they have added Tony Pashos and Scott Fujita to the roster.  Pashos is a right tackle most recently on the bench in San Francisco after getting a broken shoulder in October of 2009.  Pashos will certainly compete for the right tackle position this upcoming season, if not be the starter already.  In his press release, Holmgren stated that Pashos would compete both inside and outside on the offensive line.

Scott Fujita is an even more interesting signing if you ask me.  Fujita is experienced, big, and has been a playmaker over his career.  I won’t sit here and try to tell you he is one of the greatest linebackers of all time, but it is possible he comes in with the best pedigree since Jamir Miller, and without the mileage of Willie McGinest when he showed up in Cleveland in 2006.  The 8 year veteran is 30 years old, has 19 career sacks and 5 career interceptions.

It is nice to see the Browns address some spots of need, but you have to wonder what it feels like to be in D’Qwell Jackson’s house right now.  The Browns still control Jackson’s future, and the addition of Fujita doesn’t necessarily mean that the Browns will say goodbye to D’Qwell.  At the same time, with Matt Roth also tendered and linebackers like Eric Barton and David Bowens coming back, the position gets a bit more crowded and the Browns’ bargaining power goes up just a little bit.

For more, check out ProFootballTalk’s article about the Saints’ perspective.

More on the new players from the Browns’ Press Release:

The 29-year-old Pashos originally was a fifth-round draft choice of Baltimore in 2003.  He has spent four years with the Ravens (2003-06), two with Jacksonville (2007-08) and one with the 49ers (2009).  During that time he has played in 74 games with 55 starts, all at right tackle.  Over a three-year period from 2006-08, he started all 47 games in which he played.  This includes 16 with the Ravens in 2006 and the Jaguars in 2008, and 15 for Jacksonville in 2007.  In 2006, he was part of a Ravens line that allowed only 17 sacks, the second-lowest total in the NFL that year, while running back Jamal Lewis rushed for 1,132 yards.  In 2007, he was a member of a Jaguars line which led a running game that averaged 149.4 yards per contest, the second-best figure in the league, led by a 1,202-yard rushing effort by Fred Taylor, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry.  In 2008, Jacksonville averaged 4.2 yards per rush attempt as both Maurice Jones-Drew (824) and Taylor (556) surpassed the 500-yard rushing plateau.

The 6-6, 325-pound Pashos was a four-year letterman at Illinois (1999-2002) where he started 47 games at right tackle and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection as both a junior and senior.  He graduated with a degree in history and a minor in political science.  Born August 3, 1980, he attended Lockport (Ill.) High School, where he earned a total of nine varsity letters, including four in football, three in track and two in powerlifting.

(Photo Ronald Martinez – Getty Images)

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  • bobby

    I like the added depth. Pashos is usually healthy, i think hes missed 1 game prior to his injury. He should be better then St Clair immediately, and it buys time in for a mid round rookie to not have pressure to start right away assuming they take a RT in the 3-5 round range. Fujita is definitely a shocker for me. Definitely makes Dqwell expendable if someone were to sign him (plus we get a #2 back). I am interested to see where Fujita lines up and how he makes the transition to 34 from 43.

  • CP

    Solid pickups. Heckert mentioned that Fujita has “been exposed to several different defensive schemes and has been successful in all of them.” Did any of those include the 3-4?

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    Fujita is a stand-up guy. After reading the NYT piece on his upbringing and his outspoken stance on rights issues, it’s good to have a guy like that coming to the team. Class.

    Hope he has motor to go with class though.

  • SouthBayBuckeye

    I love fajitas and how they sizzle when the waitress brings them out to me.

  • coacha12

    Damn, I forgot about Roth. That is gonna be a crowded LB Corp but it’s great to have the depth and protect ourselves in case we lose anyone to RFA or injury.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig Lyndall

    The Browns are probably hoping someone signs one of their RFA so they can have a second round pick. By signing a vet, they open themselves up to letting a RFA go and getting a second round pick for it.

    Then again, can you imagine someone going out of their way to sign DQ or Roth and give up a second rounder in the process? Hard for me to believe.

  • Eric

    Fajitas!? Damn you for making me lol!

  • sam

    Yeah, I also read that NYT bit on Fujita. The guy sounds like one of the few people in the NFL that has a brain.

  • bobby

    I can see DQ getting a 2nd rounder once the first wave of FA goes through. Roth probably wont.. but Jackson is just one year separated from the league lead in tackles and was on pace for it again last year.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    Backups? The Browns don’t need to sign backups they need to sign starters especially for a defense that had more holes then Swiss cheese.

  • bobby

    @10- i believe both of these guys are being brought in to start. Fujita as it stands will probably be next to Jackson (assuming he stays) tho he could start opposite of Kam, and Pashos as it stands will be RT. I would still think the browns want to add a RT in the draft, but its not as high of a must have now. We can draft a rookie who can compete for RT and if he wins, great, if not let him back up for a year or two then we have our starter.

  • MP34

    Good points Bobby. Points to management for finding a good linebacker who was an UFA. It sounds like he is a better pickup than either Bowens/Barton from last year.

    As John St. Clair proved last year, “new-to-you” doesn’t necessarily mean better. So, happy with the OT signing but cautious optimism rules.

  • Mallalubba

    For picking up Fujita, the Holmgren/Heckert team gets a big +1 in my book. I’ve always liked that guy and never thought someone would steal him away.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    Bobby is right – these guys will both be expected to start. It actually wouldn’t surprise me if Fujita wasn’t named defensive team captain as well.

  • stin4u

    good pickups IMO, not big names but they’re filling holes we desperately need.

  • Harv 21

    There’s a few things to like about this vis a vis DQ Jackson:

    - The move can be seen as Holmgren’s immediate statement to other players that Cribbs’s deal better not open the floodgates for more renegotiation demands. This should help rein in some expectations.
    - Based on his statements last year, Jackson was one of the players Mangini liked most. If we wanted confirmation that Heckert’s opinion on personnel counts a lot more, this is it.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com DP

    I, for one, like Fujita and the fact that now, if one LB goes down (assuming we keep Roth and DQ), guys like Trusnik aren’t starting. It’s not a knock on Trusnik; he did all you could ask of him last year considering what we expected him to do. He’s just not a guy I want starting eight or nine games.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @bobby I would have to believe at least Fujita would be a starter my comment was more towards the people who thought he was brought in as a backup. Lets remember just how bad the Browns defense has been it’s not like they have 11 NFL starters.

    Btw no offense to the people loving the signing of Scott Fujita but give me a break he’s not the second coming of Jack Lambert. Your talking about a journeyman linebacker not someone highly coveted by the rest of the teams in the league. I can’t help but have Anthony Parker signing flashbacks in that just because Cleveland signs a guy they automatically become better then they really are in reality. Fujita will help but then again how could he not lets just keep some perspective is all.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Denny

    Um, I don’t think everyone’s gushing over his ability on the field. I said that he’s a stand-up guy. Read the NYT piece on him and tell me he’s not.

  • toledo
  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @Denny I don’t do semantics and I don’t do opinions on people’s personal issues which that NY Times article is completely about. I’m giving my opinion on sports namely Cleveland sports and hopefully as much “on field” situations as possible. Whether Fujita is a stand-up guy or not I have no clue I’ll just stick to his play. Hopefully his addition will be positive in all concerns I just don’t see him making the impact where it counts the most and that is on the field. Obviously this is the first move so I’ll wait to see what else is done I just hope the next move is better then the first, onward and upward, a small building block if you will.

  • enginerd

    You guys are missing the real issue: They give varsity letters for Powerlifting?

  • Oppie

    Big fan of the Fujita signing. Great guy to have in the locker room and on the field. I’m definitely a big fan of the guy, especially after hearing how before leaving N.O. he gave half his Super Bowl check to charity (Half to Haiti Relief and Half to N.O. Restoration). Definitely a class act guy.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    Cleveland is great for character just not winning/championships! The only way we get any young dynamic players is from a ping pong ball because we certainly can’t draft them and we know we can’t pay them enough to come play here.

  • Alex

    I’m with Oppie @23. Just be quiet, boogey. There is no downside to picking up a decent player to help out at a position of need who just won a Super Bowl and DONATED HALF HIS SUPER BOWL CHECK TO CHARITY.

    What are you thinking? That the Browns should pick up a 23 year old Pro Bowl LB? Newsflash – there aren’t any of those available in free agency or trade.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    @23 Your lucky I’m civil and respect this site otherwise I’d respond to your telling me to be quiet in the manner you’d clearly be able to understand but your entire response to me isn’t worth it. “That the Browns should pick up a 23 year old Pro Bowl LB” is truly a fantastic response, yea, that’s exactly what I want along with a 23 year old Pro Bowl QB too!

  • paulbip

    If these players came from the Jets, everybody would be trashing them. Think about it.

  • http://www.msblsim.com boogeyman

    Hey Alex I changed my mind I’m more interested in a 23 year old Pro Bowl cornerback after I heard Cincinnati is interested in Brandon Marshall from Denver. Baltimore added Boldin and if Cincinnati adds Marshall the Browns better upgrade their secondary even more then I wanted before otherwise you can watch Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald run behind Boldin and Marshall all game long. Thanks.

  • Alex

    This will be the last time I read one of your comments, boogey, as you’ve been wrong about everything you’ve said, so we should both be happy – I won’t have to read yours and you won’t have to deal with people pointing out the problems in things you say. Again, you’re complaining about the Browns acquiring a quality player from a Super Bowl winning team at a position of need who is one of the highest character guys in the entire league because he’s not a young dynamic player.

    Step back and think about how absolutely silly that is, especially since you spent months posting in every topic about everything that the only move the Cavs should make involves picking up a 33 year old player for years who’s not a superstar and can easily give up a young, dynamic player to do so.

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