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ABCs of the Cleveland Browns offseason

Andrew Hawkins had two twin baby girls and wrote a piece on the Players Tribune detailing an elaborate hoax he used to help get him toward his dream of playing in the NFL.

Brian Hartline was signed by the Browns to complement Hawkins and the wide receiving corps. Hartline dove straight into the Cleveland community, dancing the night away at *A Prom to Remember*.

Cornerback Tramon Williams signed with the Browns after a highly productive eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Several Cleveland coaches have commented on how Williams' big game experience will be much-needed down the stretch.

Dwayne Bowe is now in the fold as Cleveland's potential No.1 wide receiver. Bowe predicted he will revitalize his career last week on Cleveland Browns Daily.

Ever-so-popular Joe Haden went on a media tour at the Super Bowl, defending teammate and also announcing he's becoming a Global Ambassador for the Special Olympics.  

First-round pick Justin Gilbert made a trip to Miami in early March to work out with Haden. Said Haden: "He's growing up."

Group of Browns players – Alex Mack, Gary Barnidge, Johnson Bademosi and Barkevious Mingo – headed to Turkey to teach football to youth as part of Barnidge's American Football Without Barriers non-profit organization. 

He's been rewarded: Cleveland re-signed defensive lineman John Hughes one year prior to his contract expiring. Read why it's not community work for Hughes; it’s changing lives.

Isaiah Crowell was busy speaking to students back in February about second chances and how not to dwell on mistakes. There are big plans to get Crowell more involved in the passing game this season.

Johnny Manziel entered treatment on Jan. 28. Coach Mike Pettine has visited Manziel and has kept in regular contact with the quarterback.

Kevin O'Connell was hired to coach quarterbacks. A former NFL backup quarterback with the Patriots and Jets, O'Connell also worked with Manziel during his pre-draft process one year ago.

Logo was updated, while the Dawg Pound logo was completely altered. See all the changes here.

Mike Pettine said the biggest goal this offseason will be building the defense into a dominant unit. The head coach trusts where that side of the ball is going with defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil, so much so, that he's now shifted his focus toward coaching offense.

Numerous players are on schedule with their injury recoveries: Mack (leg), Armonty Bryant (knee), Mingo (shoulder), Tashaun Gipson (knee) and Phil Taylor (knee).

Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was hired in January and immediately hit the ground running, building a new playbook while also keeping Cleveland's zone-running concepts. Here are five staples of the new scheme.

Phil Taylor says he wants to retire as a Cleveland Brown and he's also switching positions to nose tackle. Also stay tuned to ClevelandBrowns.com for an upcoming feature on the defensive lineman's renowned skills in the kitchen.   

Quarterbacks Josh McCown and Thaddeus Lewis were added to the roster. The Browns feel more than comfortable with McCown entering the season as the starter. Said Pettine: "If we wanted a mentor, you can bring a coach in that can do that. To me, the guy can still play."

Ray Farmer said many have unfairly written off quarterback Connor Shaw, who will compete for playing time as soon as OTAs begin in April.

Spencer Lanning revealed his growing hobby for astronomy, specifically chasing comets. The Browns re-signed the punter to a new deal in March.

Terrance West told ClevelandBrowns.com he’s using boxing as a way to drop weight, hoping to go from 228 pounds to 215.

Uniform launch will take place April 14 and a half hour long special will air on NewsChannel 5.

Vroom, vroom: Cornerback Robert Nelson has been using his smart car as a training method.

Wedding bells are ringing: Paul Kruger got engaged to his lovely fiancée Jacqui. The two will tie the knot this summer.

X-factor? Taylor Gabriel says smaller receivers like Steve Smith and Antonio Brown have him motivated to show he can be an every-down wide receiver.

You can count on Karlos Dansby, who went out of his way to recruit former Miami Dolphins teammate Randy Starks to come to Cleveland.

Zillions of players are being linked to the Browns in the upcoming NFL draft – OK, maybe not that many, but what else starts with the letter Z? Take a look at our recent mock draft, where the consensus pick at No.12 is Washington defensive lineman Danny Shelton. 

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