Carl Nassib

Penn State defensive lineman Carl Nassib performs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine. He impressed the Browns enough to be taken in the third round.

(AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The video apology and the donation of one game check -- about $35,000 to a fund for the families of Dallas police officers -- is just a first step for Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell.

I hear Crowell will do some other things in conjunction with the police once he reports for training camp. The Browns have stressed to Crowell that a simple apology is not enough, and that he hurt a lot of people by posting a drawing of a policeman having his throat cut.

It was a social media post Crowell received, and then he posted it on his Instagram account. The Browns didn't even know about the picture until it was removed. It was only posted for a few minutes, and Crowell said he realized his mistake and took it down.

The Browns put out this statement: "We have spoken to Isaiah regarding his extremely disturbing and unacceptable social media decision. It was completely inappropriate and we have made him aware of our high level of disappointment. Isaiah has apologized but also knows that just an apology is insufficient and that he must take steps to make a positive difference after a very negative and impactful post."

Because the running back has been in no trouble in his two years with the team, there were no plans to waive him. That was especially true following discussions with Crowell. The 23-year-old seemed sincerely apologetic, according to the team. He is anxious to do more for the police.

We'll see if he follows up on that promise. We still need to hear live comments from Crowell, not just a video from his Facebook account where it's clear he's reading something.





FANS UNHAPPY

I wrote a column stressing the serious nature of Crowell's actions, but not wanting the Browns to waive him. I talked about the need for a real apology and a donation to help the families of police. I wrote that before Crowell took those steps.

I also wrote: "If the team wants to suspend him, that's their decision. They know Crowell far better than most of us. But cut him for this -- assuming he really is sorry and wants to make amends? That's not what I'd do."

Most emails I received ripped me for that stance. The largest came from those wanting Crowell immediately fired. But there were a few who thought I was too harsh. They said he was just reacting to all the disturbing news of minorities dying in encounters with police. He didn't want police killed.

I had haters on both sides, and many of the comments were ugly. I didn't even look at my Twitter account for several days. We all know Twitter doesn't exactly bring out the best in people.

One of the more cogent emails came from Chris, a law enforcement officer.

"You say Crowell needs to apologize but it seems like you are almost giving him a free pass? Make up your mind and quit playing both sides of the fence because he's an athlete. Had a police officer posted a picture similar to this with the roles reversed ... apology or not, his/her job is gone.

"You come off as a hypocrite by defending these guys because they are good at sports? Crowell deserves forgiveness. But that doesn't mean he deserves the incredible opportunity to make an insane amount of money to play a game. He is supposed to be a role model? HA! The Browns aren't going to be very good anyways. It would be in their best interest to cut Crowell and wish him luck.

"Sorry Terry, I'm sure I speak for many when I say you are wrong on this. As a die-hard Indians fan often searching for your articles, I'll simply pass them up from now on. You just indirectly defended the actions of an athlete who posted an image of a police being executed by way of a slit throat. You don't carry a gun to work every day. You should of just left this one alone."





ABOUT THE BROWNS

1. I keep looking at a list of healthy defensive linemen for the start of the season. Desmond Bryant may miss the entire season because of a pectoral injury suffered during a workout. Armonty Bryant is suspended for the first four games.

2. The day before Desmond Bryant's injury was announced, ESPN put out a list of the most underrated players. Guess who was the pick for the Browns?

3. ESPN wrote: "Bryant's 91 percent stop rate against the run was third in the league, and he led the team with six sacks. But you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone outside northeast Ohio (and few within the Cleveland city limits) who knows who he is."

4. If I had to pick a starting line right now for Ray Horton's 3-4 defense, it would be Xavier Cooper and John Hughes at the ends, Danny Shelton at tackle. The new coaching staff is very intrigued by the speed of Cooper. They think he has the ability to be an impact pass rusher.

5. Rookie Carl Nassib caught the eye of defensive line coach Robert Nunn, who is intrigued by the 6-foot-7, 275-pounder from Penn State. He led the Big Ten with 15.5 sacks and was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. He had 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks vs. Ohio State.

6. The door is wide open for Nassib to grab some playing time. But many scouting reports consider the third-round pick to be a bit of project. It's so hard to judge rookies in minicamps because there is no tackling or NFL-type hitting.

7. I've long liked Jamie Meder, the underrated defensive tackle from Ashland. He played in all 16 games last season, and the 310-pounder had 33 tackles. This is an opportunity for him.

8. Cooper showed some flashes as a pass rusher, mostly in the preseason. Lots of playing time is right there for the 2015 third-round pick.

9. The only healthy veteran D-lineman is Hughes. I wrote about Shelton last week, and his need to keep in shape. The Browns have Dylan Wynn in camp. He had a strong 2015 preseason but spent most of last year on the practice squad. They also have undrafted free agents Nile Lawrence-Stample and Kyle Rose.

10. After his suspension, Armonty Bryant might end up playing playing more as a pass-rushing linebacker. With Desmond Bryant out, the Browns don't have much depth on the line, unless some of the young players really surprise.

11. I bet the Browns bring in some more linemen. You will see a lot of players signed during training camp as they watch the waiver wire.

12. Former Brown Earnest Byner will be the guest of the Wahoo Club on July 24 at 11 a.m. The event will be held at the Winking Lizard in Bedford Heights. Call Bob Rosen at 440-724-8350 for information.