Well, the end of the minor league regular season is upon us. Columbus and Kinston will carry on in the playoffs, but for the other Indians affiliates, it’s time to pack it in and head home. Some players will head to instructs, some to the various fall leagues around the hemisphere, and some will simply head home to rest and recuperate during the offseason. These guys will have about six months until they have to report for spring training, and most have plenty to work on during the offseason.

As for me, it was a great first year covering the minors here on TCF. I’m ever-thankful to Swerb for the opportunity, and hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I have. As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, criticisms or even compliments, shoot me an e-mail and let me know how to get better. I’ll be doing recaps of each affiliate’s season, hand out some end of the year hardware (figuratively of course) and before we know it, it will be time to put together the top-50 list again. But without further delay, on to the final ATF of the year…

LeVon Washington, CF-LCC: 1-4, HR (4), RBI, R, K

Washington was a top-10 prospect in the organization going into this year, and people (myself included) were expecting big things from him at low-A Lake County. He suffered a couple of nagging injuries in spring training, and was never really able to get untracked. He spent some more time on the DL during the season, and was just never able to play consistently enough to show off his talent. His final line of .218/.331/.315 with 4 HR, 20 RBI and 15 bags is somewhat disappointing, but you have to remember that Washington turned 20 years old this past July. He’s still somewhat young for full-season ball. Washington still has all the tools to be an impact player at the big league level, and will still be a top-10 prospect going into next season.  

• Beau Mills, 1B-COL: 2-4, 2 2B, R, K. Mills is hitting an even .500 in his last 6 games (12-24) with 3 HR and 5 RBI. He finished the AAA regular season hitting .269/.326/.496 with 7 HR in 119 at bats for the Clippers.
• Rob Bryson, RP-AKR: 2 IP, H, 2 K. In his last 10 outings, Bryson has thrown 16 1/3 innings, allowing 5 ER (all in one outing), struck out 18 and walked 7.
• Chun Chen, C-AKR: 1-4, 2 K. Chen didn’t follow up his breakout 2010 quite the way I’d hoped, but still turned in a solid season for AA Akron. He finished the year on a 8-game hitting streak, going 10-31 with 2 HR and 7 RBI over that span.
• Mike Rayl, SP-KIN: 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 K, BB. Between two A levels this year, Rayl has gone 6-8 with a 3.42 ERA with 121 K and 26 BB in 123 2/3 IP.
• Cody Allen, RP-KIN: 3 IP, H, 3 K. Allen’s first action in the Carolina League was a success. Between the NYPL, Lake County and now Kinston, Allen has thrown 53 2/3 innings and recorded 73 strikeouts while allowing just 8 ER.
• Bo Greenwell, LF-KIN: 2-5, 2B, R. Greenwell finished up the regular season on a 5-game hit streak, going 6-16 with 3 BB over that span.
• Danny Salazar, RP-LCC: 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K. Signed in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic, Salazar is back on the mound after missing a significant chunk of time with a UCL reconstruction. He threw 14 2/3 innings between Arizona and Lake County, striking out 18 and walking 4.
• Ronny Rodriguez, SS-LCC: 2-4, RBI. The 19-year old Rodriguez turned in an impressive season for Lake County, finishing with a .246/.274/.449 line in 98 games. He popped 11 HR, drove in 42 runs and stole 10 bases.
• Gio Urshela, 3B-LCC: 1-3, 2B, BB, R. Urshela finished 2011 with hits in 8 of his last 10 games, including a HR and 4 2B. Already a gold glove caliber fielder at the hot corner, Urshela needs to add strength and work on barreling the ball with

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Francisco Lindor, SS-MVS: 2-5, RBI, R, 2 K

Lindor ended up playing 5 games for Mahoning Valley, going 6-19 (.316 AVG) with 2 RBI, one BB, 4 R and a stolen base. By all reports, he looked smooth and fluid in the field and confident and relaxed at the plate. Despite being just 17 years old and playing in a league that features mostly guys who just graduated from college, Lindor held his own in his limited playing time. My scouting report on Lindor from when he was drafted can be found here, and nothing has changed since then. He’s the Indians top prospect and a potential future star, but he’s still a ways away from reaching the big leagues.

Hector Rondon, SP-MVS: 2 IP, H, K

Yesterday would have been a great day to take in a game at Mahoning Valley. Rondon made his 2^nd rehab appearance coming off of Tommy John surgery, and the result really isn’t the story here, it’s the fact that he is back on a mound facing live hitters. Rondon will likely see some action in instructs this fall, and then will be back fighting for a spot on a crowded Columbus pitching staff come spring training. I still think his future is in the bullpen, and if the Indians decide to go that route with Rondon, he could be in the mix for a big league job as soon as late-2012.

• Eric Berger, RP-COL: IP, ER, 2 H, K, BB. After posting a 2.53 ERA for AA Akron, Berger has struggled for AAA Columbus. He’s allowed 16 ER and walked 14 in 14 1/3 IP, but does have 20 K.
• Thomas Neal, DH-COL: 2-4, R, K. Acquired for Orlando Cabrera, Neal has struggled with injuries since arriving in Columbus. He’s only played in 9 games for the Clippers, hitting .250/.294/.281.
• Tim Fedroff, CF-COL: 1-4, 2B, R. Fedroff is hitting .308/.400/.385 in his last 10 games for Columbus, and has hits in 9 of those 10 games.
• Bryce Stowell, RP-AKR: W (1-0), 1 1/3 IP, H, 3 K, BB. Stowell has been solid lately, and has thrown 7 2/3 scoreless innings with 10 K and 3 BB in his last 4 appearances.
• Cory Burns, RP-AKR: S (35), 1 1/3 IP, H, 3 K. Burns is closing the season strong; his line over his last 10 appearances is 0.66 ERA, 17 K, 4 BB in 13 2/3 IP.
• Toru Muratu, SP-KIN: W (3-2), 6 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 5 K. Muratu did a nice job yesterday in game 1 of Kinston’s doubleheader, throwing 6 strong innings and turning it over to Gulimet for the one-inning save. For the season, Muratu is 3-2 with 58 K and 10 BB in 49 2/3 IP.
• Preston Gulimet, RP-KIN: S (35), IP, 2 K. Perfect frame for Gulimet, who did a nice job bouncing back from a poor outing on Saturday.
• Michael Goodnight, SP-KIN: W (1-0), 5 1/3 IP, ER, 3 H, 6 K. Goodnight had an outstanding Carolina League debut, and his win clinched the playoffs for the K-Tribe.
• Trey Haley, RP-KIN: S (1), 1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K, BB. Another solid outing for the rehabbing Haley. He now has 27 K and 17 BB in 28 2/3 IP for the K-Tribe.
• Bo Greenwell, LF-KIN: 2-5, RBI, BB, 2 R. Greenwell has hit the ball hard all season, but a lot of those hits have been right at people. In his 7 games in Kinston since returning from surgery to put a plate in his broken pinky finger, Greenwell is 5-20 with a double and 4 RBI.
• Adam Abraham, 3B-KIN: 1-7, HR (17), 2 RBI, R. Abraham is finishing the season hot, as over his last 10 games he’s hitting .297/.381/.622 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. His OPS of .796 this season doesn’t seem like anything too special, until you realize that it is 8^th in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League.
• Tyler Holt, CF-KIN: 2-8, 2B, 2 R, K. Holt is hitting .254/.365/.325 on the season for Kinston, with 2 HR, 26 RBI, and 34 stolen bases.
• Casey Frawley, SS-KIN: 3-7, 2B, RBI, R, K. Solid day for Frawley, who is hitting .290/.410/.452 in his last 10 games.
• Kyle Blair, RP-LCC: 3 IP, 3 K. Three perfect innings for Blair, who has been much better since his return from Arizona. In 9 appearances since being banished to the AZL, Blair has thrown 19 innings, allowing 4 ER while striking out 12 and walking 5.
• Drew Rucinski, RP-LCC: W (1-0), IP, 3 K. Across three levels this year, Rucinski has 47 K and 10 BB in 37 IP.
• LeVon Washington, CF-LCC: 2-5, R, K. Washington is 8 for his last 21, and is trying to close out his injury-plagued 2011 on a high note.
• Gio Urshela, 3B-LCC: 2-5, HR (9), 2 RBI, R, 2 K. Urshela popped his first HR since July last night, and has hit in 8 of his last 10 games for the Captains.
• Alex Lavisky, C-MVS: 0-4, 4 K. Mercifully, Lavisky’s 2011 season has come to an end. Between Lake County and Mahoning Valley, Lavisky hit .203/.266/.354 with 13 HR and 52 RBI. He tallied 443 AB between the two levels, and struck out 137 times.

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My God, it will never end.

In a statement released by Ohio State, the University has announced it has self-reported violations made by three OSU football players (running back Jordan Hall, cornerback Travis Howard, and safety Corey Brown) to the NCAA. Hall, Travis and Howard reportedly received impermissible benefits from a charity event earlier this summer -- each totaling $300 or less.

The three players have been suspended for at least the first game of the season against Akron. The university has already filed for reinstatement for those players with the NCAA. Looking at how the NCAA handled the current Miami suspensions, the punishment for these three players could be anywhere between a two-game suspension and an under-water, fight-to-the-death cage match with an angry octopus (because that is how the NCAA operates -- so deal with it).

It’s hard to tell how this impacts Ohio State’s current standing with the NCAA, and whether this will make the coming penalties any worse this October.

What’s even harder to comprehend is the exact level of stupidity at which these guys are operating their life under. Attention Ohio State players: please stop being stupid.

The Kent State Men's Basketball program has seen its stature elevated over the last decade or so. Ever since the Antonio Gates, Trevor Huffman days – when the Golden Flashes were finding success in the NCAA Tournament and its coach was using the blessing of incredible timing to parlay his one season at the helm of the Flashes into a big-time job at Arkansas – Kent State has been viewed as one of the premiere "mid-major" programs in the country.

The Golden Flashes usually end up with a premium ESPN BracketBuster game on national television (see the series with St. Mary's) and will pop up on ESPN2 a few times every year. As long as Kent is in the MAC it will never become a major college basketball program, but being mentioned among the cream of the mid-major crop is not too shabby.

A season removed from an appearance in the MAC Championship Game and a fairly deep run in the NIT, Kent State is reaping its just rewards. On Nov. 15 the Golden Flashes will open the 2011-12 season on national television when they travel to Morgantown to face West Virginia in the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. The game will tip off at 10 a.m., lifting the lid on what is quickly becoming the most heavily-anticipated season in school history.

The Golden Flashes return 10 letterwinners from last season, including MAC Player of the Year Justin Greene, Defensive Player of the Year Michael Porrini and Sixth Man of the Year Carlton Guyton. Rob Senderoff will be in his first year at the helm of the Flashes, replacing Geno Ford, who defected to Bradley under questionable circumstances.

Senderoff is a long-time assistant at Kent, having also coached at Indiana.

The Indianapolis Colts and head coach Jim Caldwell have hired former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel as a “Game-Day Consultant” -- which entails him being in the booth as a “replay consultant, among other things.”

Tressel’s move is curious and has people thinking he might pursue a position full time on an NFL coaching staff. Tressel spent a lot of time during his tenure in Columbus fighting off rumors that he was contemplating a move the big league. Ohio State’s former head coach has been traveling to various training camps this fall, including a pit-stop in Cleveland to watch the Browns.

But for now, he will do whatever a Game-Day Consultant does. If that really entails “replay” consulting, I can imagine Jim Caldwell’s headset filled with Tressel screaming, “RUN DAVE, RUN DAVE, STOP PASSING AND RUN DAVE!”

Felix Sterling, SP-LCC: 6 IP, 4 H, 7 K, BB

Sterling had his best start in low-A last night, but it ended up being in a losing effort when Lake County could only muster 4 hits and no runs in a 12-inning loss. The 6’3, 200lb 18-year old righty out of the Dominican Republic has now made 7 starts for the Captains, going 2-3 with a 3.93 ERA, 30 K and 21 BB in 34 1/3 IP. Obviously, he walks need to come down, which is why Sterling’s start last night was so encouraging. Sterling’s size, youth and stuff have him in consideration to be a top-10 overall guy in the Indians system right now, so if you’re in the Cleveland area and can get out to Lake County for a game before the end of the season, try and make it one of Sterling’s starts.

• Joe Martinez, SP-COL: 7 1/3 IP, ER, 4 H, 5 K, BB. Martinez had an excellent start spoiled by the bullpen, and he ended up with a no-decision.
• C.C. Lee, RP-COL: 2/3 IP, K. In 27 1/3 AAA innings, Lee has a 2.30 ERA, 39 K and 10 BB. He stands an excellent chance of being in the ML bullpen next season.
• Nick Hagadone, RP-COL: L (4-3), 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H. With Josh Judy unavailable, Hagadone was called on for the save opportunity. He failed to convert, and the Clippers lost a tough one 3-2 on a walk-off single after the leadoff hitter reached base via an error.
• Chun Chen, C-AKR: 0-4, BB, K. In stark contrast to 2010, Chen is struggling to finish out the season. He’s hitting just .182/.300/.325 in 21 games in the month of August.
• Chris Jones, RP-KIN: 3 IP, H, 2 K. Jones has quietly but together a solid season for Kinston, as the southpaw has gone 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA, 62 K and 29 BB in 69 1/3 IP.
• Adam Abraham, 3B-KIN: 2-4, HR (14), RBI, R, K. Overall this season, Abraham is hitting .251/.361/.426 with 14 HR and 63 RBI.
• Tyler Cannon, 1B-KIN: 2-3, HR (6), 2B, RBI, BB, R. Cannon has been hot lately, hitting .300/.378/.425 in his last 10 games.
• Nick Bartolone, 2B-LCC: 2-3, BB, 2 SB, CS. Lake County had 4 hits yesterday; Bartolone had half of them. He’s had a disappointing season overall, but is hitting .323/.364/.452 in his last 10 games.
• Will Roberts, SP-MVS: L (1-2), 6 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, 7 K. Outstanding start for Roberts, who is now 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA, 27 K and just 5 BB in 36 2/3 IP.
• Trevor Crowe, RF-AZL: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 3 R. Another good night at the plate for Crowe, and 5 more innings in RF. He’s 4-10 with 2 HR and a 2B in Arizona so far.
• Bo Greenwell, DH-AZL: 2-2, 2B, 3 RBI, BB, R, SB. Another guy on a rehab assignment, Greenwell is 5-5 in his 2 AZL games with 3 2B. His OPS is 2.600, which would be a record if that holds up.

Justin Toole, 1B-KIN: 4-4, 2B, RBI, R.

Toole is an easy player to cheer for, as he is a guy who gives max effort 100% of the time and really does everything to maximize his abilities. I’ve seen him make several diving plays in BP, a time when most players are checking out the girls working in the stadium. He’ll play anywhere, and has seen time at 1B, 2B, 3B, SS and OF this year for the K-Tribe. He even went all Andy Marte and pitched an inning last year, throwing a perfect inning with a strikeout. He’s 24 years old with a .642 OPS in high A, so he’s not an elite prospect by any means, but he’s a guy you love to have in the org who might be able to grind his way to the show someday as a utility infielder.

• Mitch Talbot, SP-COL: W (2-2), 7 IP, 4 H, 8 K, 2 BB. Talbot unleashed the fury last night against Indy, and now has a 4.45 ERA, 27 K and 9 BB in 32 1/3 IP for AAA Columbus.
• Zach Putnam, RP-COL: IP, ER, 3 H, K. Putnam was living on the edge last night, and has now given up 6 ER in his last 3 outings.
• Josh Judy, RP-COL: S (22), IP, 2 K. Make it 6 consecutive scoreless outings for Judy. Now has a 3.31 ERA, 57 K and 24 BB in 49 IP for Columbus this year.
• Travis Buck, RF-COL: 3-4, K. The only Clipper in the lineup with more than one hit yesterday, Buck has 3 hits in 2 of his last 3 games.
• Matt Packer, SP-AKR: L (7-12), 6 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 2 K, 3 BB. Packer has been either really good or really bad in August. His two good starts: 2-0, 16 IP, 16 K, 2 BB, 1 ER. His two bad starts: 0-2, 11 1/3 IP, 6 K, 4 BB, 12 ER.
• Bryce Stowell, RP-AKR: 1 1/3 IP, ER, H, 2 K, BB. The Mustache Mafia member has a 3.09 ERA, 18 K and 7 BB in 11 2/3 innings of work for AA Akron.
• Kelvin De La Cruz, RP-AKR: 2/3 IP, H, 2 K, BB. Microcosm of  KDLC’s 2011 in 2/3’s of an inning. Both outs recorded via strikeout, but mixed in a hit and a walk.
• T.J. House, SP-KIN: L (6-12), 5 IP, 3 ER, 8 H, BB, 7 K. House has really struggled after the all star break this year, going 1-6 with a 7.05 ERA, 34 K and 31 BB in 52 1/3 IP.
• Giovanny Soto, RP-KIN: 2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, BB. The important thing here isn’t the result, it’s the fact that Soto is back and pitching in the Carolina League for the 1^st time since June 5.
• Tyler Holt, CF-KIN: 3-5, K, CS. Last year’s 10^th round pick, Holt is hitting .333/.435/.410 in his last 10 games, and has an overall OPS of .700 for Kinston.
• Michael Goodnight, SP-LCC: 6 IP, 2 H, 9 K, 2 BB. Goodnight did his job yesterday, dominating for 6 shutout innings and turning a 0-0 game over to the bullpen in the 7^th.
• Kyle Blair, RP-LCC: 2 IP, H, K. Blair has appeared in 5 games out of the bullpen since returning from Arizona, throwing 2 innings each time. In those 10 IP, he’s allowed 2 ER, struck out 6 and walked 4.
• Alex Monsalve, C-LCC: 2-5, K. In a 13-inning game, Monsalve was the only Captain to record more than one hit.
• Luigi Rodriguez, LF-LCC: 1-6, 3B, 4 K. In a 13-inning game, Rodriguez was the only Captain to record an extra base hit.
• Joseph Colon, SP-MVS: 5 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Colon is 4-3 with a 3.49 ERA, 52 K and 26 BB in 67 IP for the Scrappers this season. The 12^th round pick in 2009 missed all of last year with elbow problems but is still just 21 years old.
• Alex Lavisky, C-MVS: 3-5, HR (5), 2B, 2 RBI, R, K, CS. August has been Lavisky’s “best” month this season, as he’s hit .246/.288/.377 with a HR and 10 RBI.
• Bo Greenwell, LF-AZL: 3-3, 2 2B. Yesterday was Greenwell’s first game action since breaking a bone in his wrist back in June. Successful return to the lineup, I’d say.
• Mitch Nilsson, C-AZL: 3-4, RBI, 2 R, SB. The 20-year old Australian is hitting .351/.422/.509 with a HR and 7 RBI for the AZL Indians.  

Austin Adams, SP-AKR: W (10-10), 7 IP, 5 H, 7 K, 3 BB.

One of my favorite prospects in the organization, Adams can run his fastball up into the triple digits. He regularly sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and has a power curve that is especially effective against righties. The keys for Adams will be refining his command and improving his changeup, which will help him keep his pitch count down and go deeper into games. On the season, Adams is now 10-10 with a 3.78 ERA, 125 K and 63 BB in 131 IP. Adams is slated to pitch in the elite Arizona Fall League this offseason, where he’ll likely work out of the bullpen. The Indians still see him as a starter though, and he’s a definite top-20 guy in the organization right now.

Jared Goedert, 3B-COL: 2-4, HR (12), RBI, R.

Goedert has quietly put together an impressive month of August for Columbus. After homering in now 3 straight games, Goedert is hitting .386/.463/.714 (1.177 OPS) in 21 August games. He’s still a righthanded CI bat with some pop, and if not for an unfortunate oblique injury this spring would have likely had a shot to play in Cleveland at some point this season. He’s not on the 40-man roster, so a call up to the show when rosters expand is possible but unlikely. Still, Goedert has something to offer at the major league level, the only question is when he’ll get a chance to play and with who.

• Paolo Espino, SP-COL: W (2-1), 7 IP, 2 H, 7 K. Espino turned in his best start of the season, and is now 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA for the Clippers. In 27 1/3 AAA innings, Espino has 25 K and 7 BB. Seems like he’s been around forever, but still just 24 and very much putting himself on the map as a SP prospect.
• Nick Hagadone, RP-COL: IP, K. Perfect inning for Hagadone, who’s now up to 50 K in 44 2/3 AAA innings and 74 K in 67 1/3 innings overall this year.
• Josh Judy, RP-COL: IP, K. Judy now with 5 consecutive scoreless appearances, and a 3.38 ERA on the season.
• Cord Phelps, 2B-COL: 1-5, HR (14), 2 RBI, R, K. I’d much rather see Phelps back in Cleveland as the UTL infielder with Kipnis on the DL as opposed to Luis Valbuena. Of course, I’d rather see Brian McPeek as the UTL infielder over Luis Valbuena, so that’s probably not saying all that much.
• Jered Head, LF-COL: 2-4, HR (24), RBI, R. Head cooled off in July, posting a .750 OPS overall which was his worst month of the season. He’s picking things back up here in August, hitting .293/.312/.627 in 18 games this month.
• Paul Phillips, C-COL: 2-3, RBI, R, K. Can’t have an ATF without a catcher.
• Cory Burns, RP-AKR: S (32), IP, H. Burns inches closer to the org lead in saves, but still trails Kinston’s Preston Guilmet.
• Juan Diaz, SS-AKR: 2-4, 2B, 2 R. Diaz is hitting .324/.390/.432 in his last 10 games, with a HR and 2 RBI.
• Marty Popham, SP-KIN: W (6-2), 7 IP, ER, 2 H, 8 K, 2 BB. Dominant start for Popham, who’s only blemish was a solo HR allowed in the bottom of the 6^th. Now has 91 K in 92 2/3 IP for Kinston on the season.
• Kyle Landis, RP-KIN: S (3), 2 IP, H, 5 K. Landis picked up right where Popham left off, striking out 5 of the 7 hitters he faced.
• Roberto Perez, C-KIN: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K. After a career month of June that saw Perez hit .309/.434/.485, the defensive superstar has faded at the plate hitting around .205 in July/August. Perez has had a couple of nagging injuries, and his performance at the plate in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League has to be considered a step forward in his development.
• Luigi Rodriguez, LF-LCC: 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R, 2 K. The speedy converted 2B has been solid in Lake County, putting up an overall line of .280/.346/.344 as a 18-year old in low-A.
• Enosil Tejeda, RP-MVS: S (10), IP, 2 K. The 22-year old Scrappers closer has a 3.41 ERA and an impressive 51 K in just 29 IP this year. He’s holding New York-Penn League hitters to a .179 batting average in his 24 appearances.
• Bryson Myles, LF-MVS: 2-3, 2 BB, 3 R, SB, K. Myles is working on a modest 7-game hitting streak that’s seen him go 10-24 with 8 BB and 4 K.
• Tony Wolters, SS-MVS: 1-4, RBI, 2 R. The 19-year old Wolters is hitting .302/.392/.384 overall in the NYPL, with a HR, 19 RBI, and 17 SB.
• Jordan Smith, RF-MVS: 1-4, 2B, 4 RBI, K. Smith only had one hit yesterday, but it was a big one. He cleared the bases with a double in the 6^th inning, giving the Scrappers a lead that they would not relinquish.
• Elvis Araujo, SP-AZL: W (9-1), 5 IP, 2 H, 2 K, BB. The 6’6” Araujo is an intriguing prospect, as right now he looks like a skinnier CC Sabathia, but the first thing the 20-year old needs to do is prove that his injury issues are behind him.
• Trevor Crowe, CF, AZL: 0-2, BB, R, 2 K. No hits, but a step forward in his rehab nonetheless as Crowe played the first 5 innings in the field for the first time since being cleared for baseball activities.
• Leonardo Castillo, 1B-AZL: 2-4, 2 R, BB. One of the more impressive hitters in Arizona, Castillo turned 18 in July and has put up a .313/.346/.464 line with 4 HR and 26 RBI.

Well, we assume.

The Browns showed what they planned to do with their cap surplus by signing All-Universe Left Tackle Joe Thomas to a 7 year contract extension, worth about $84 million ($44 million guaranteed) according to the Plain Dealer.

This is wise use of funds at a good time in Thomas' contract.  One would expect that the Browns will attempt to do the same with several other Browns players, likely starting with Ahtyba Rubin.

Terrelle Pryor was selected in the third round of the NFL’s supplemental draft today by Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders. Davis surprised no one by his move to add the speedy former quarterback from Ohio State. With his love of players who can run, Davis forfeited his pick in the third round of next year’s draft to grab Pryor.

A source told ESPN that the Raiders plan to use Pryor as a receiver, which makes sense considering Pryor has never played the position for more than situational purposes. In all honesty though -- watching Pryor effortlessly leap up and grab that touchdown pass over a helpless Texas corner-back in the Fiesta Bowl three years ago -- it makes me think Pryor could be a dangerous threat if he were willing to commit himself to the WR position. But then I remember who I’m thinking about, and also which team drafted him... and it’s all a wash.