Engram, Jennings, McDonald among Browns' final cuts

Football Betting Lines

09/04/2010 - Berea, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wide receiver Bobby Engram, running back Chris Jennings and cornerback Brandon McDonald were among the notables released by the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, as the team reduced its roster to 53 players.

Engram, a 14-year NFL veteran, was attempting to extend an esteemed career that began with the Chicago Bears in 1996. The former second-round draft choice out of Penn State, who appeared in five games as a Kansas City Chief last year, also boasts NFL experience with the Seattle Seahawks (2002-08) and Chicago Bears (1996-2001).

Engram has 650 career catches for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Jennings exits the team after appearing in nine games for the Browns a year ago. The Arizona product carried 63 times for 220 yards and a touchdown in 2009.

McDonald was a mainstay in the Browns secondary the past three seasons, appearing in all 48 of the team's games with 27 starts. The former fifth-round pick out of Memphis has eight career NFL interceptions.

Also released on Saturday were defensive back Larry Asante, defensive back Chris Chancellor, offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, defensive lineman Clifton Geathers, defensive lineman Travis Ivey, offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, defensive lineman Swanson Miller, defensive lineman C.J. Mosley, offensive lineman Pat Murray, quarterback Brett Ratliff, defensive lineman Brian Sanford and defensive back DeAngelo Smith.

In other business, the Browns activated defensive lineman Shaun Rogers from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

On Friday, the Browns released defensive back Coye Francies, offensive linemen Casey Bender and Joel Reinders and tight end Joel Gamble, along with wide receivers Jake Allen and Syndric Steptoe.

Cleveland will open its season next Sunday, when it travels to meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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