NFL Notes: Draft, Browns, Patriots, Texans

Draft

• Florida K Eddy Pineiro has announced that he will enter the 2018 NFL Draft. (Greg Auman)

Browns

A week after saying that the prior regime failed to acquire “real players,” Browns new GM John Dorsey walked back that assessment of the team.

“Listen, you guys are professional wordsmiths,” Dorsey told 92.3 The Fan on Tuesday, via ESPN.com. “I am not a professional wordsmith. I’m a football guy. My intent was to say we don’t have enough good football players. There’s some good football players on this team.

“Are there some good young football players on this team? You bet there are. And you know what, we’re going to get some more football players, and we’re going to get some Ws, too.”

Patriots

• Ian Rapoport reports that Patriots veteran DL Alan Branch does not need surgery for his meniscus injury.
• However, Rapoport adds that the expectation right now is that Branch will be sidelined for a few weeks with this issue.

Texans

Texans first-round QB Deshaun Watson said he is hopeful the team will retain HC Bill O’Brien, who is in the final year of his contract, and added that he would like to play under him his “whole career.”

“We have a great relationship,” Watson said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Coach OB is fun to play for. He’s very tough on you. He wants you to be successful. I would love to have coach OB back and I’m ready to have him with me for my whole career.”

• According to Aaron Wilson, the Texans worked out TE Zach Conque, DE Kasim Edebali, DT Rickey Hatley, S Calvin Pryor and DB Tracy Howard.
• Of this group, the Texans signed Conque signed to their practice squad.