Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns star linebacker Mychal Kendricks has admitted he participated in an insider trading scheme -- and now he's been hit with federal criminal charges.

Kendricks -- who was on the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl team last season -- allegedly made around $1.2 MILLION by making trades based on non-public information he got from a friend, which is illegal.

In exchange for the tips, Kendricks allegedly hooked up his friend with perks including cash, NFL tickets and a visit to a Teyana Taylor music video shoot.

Officials say Kendricks would speak with his friend using code words -- almost an acknowledgment that what he was doing was wrong.

Kendricks is facing serious prison time if convicted.

Seems the 27-year-old's strategy is to comply with officials and cut a plea deal because he's already publicly admitted to the crime.

"I would like to apologize," Kendricks said in a statement Wednesday morning ... "Four years ago, I participated in insider trading, and I deeply regret it."

"I invested money with a former friend of mine who I thought I could trust and who I greatly admired. His background as a Harvard graduate and an employee of Goldman Sachs gave me a false sense of confidence."

"While I didn’t fully understand all of the details of the illegal trades, I knew it was wrong, and I wholeheartedly regret my actions."

Kendricks says he's been cooperating with authorities and will "accept full responsibility for my actions."

"Although I did not take any of the profits for myself, I am committed to repaying all of the funds gained illegally and accept the consequences of my actions."

The Browns have just announced Kendricks will not make the trip to Detroit for the final preseason game on Thursday.

A 22-year-old woman claims she was raped in an apartment where 2 Cleveland Browns players live -- telling police a friend of tight end David Njoku had sex with her after she fell asleep at their pad.

Njoku is NOT accused of any wrongdoing but has been interviewed by police over the incident.

According to the police report, the woman claims she went to the upscale downtown Cleveland apartment complex where Njoku lives with WR Rashard Higgins early Saturday morning after a night of drinking with her friends.

The woman claims she fell asleep in Higgins' bed, but when she woke up a 3rd man -- Kashwayne Nelson -- was having sex with her. She immediately tried to call 911 but Nelson allegedly pulled the phone away and grabbed her by the hair.

The woman says she managed to leave the apartment and later got in touch with police.

When cops arrived, they spoke with Higgins -- who said he had hooked up with the accuser earlier that night but had left the apartment because he couldn't sleep.

While Higgins was out of the apt., Nelson allegedly snuck in and raped the woman.

Cops also spoke with Njoku -- who acknowledged Nelson is his friend who also lives in the apartment -- but Njoku says he was in his bedroom the entire evening and didn't know anything about the incident.

Ultimately, cops arrested Nelson on suspicion of rape. Cops also say he gave them a fake ID when asked for identification -- so he was also booked for obstruction of justice.

The Browns issued a statement to Ohio.com saying, "Rashard immediately notified us of the situation and he and David fully cooperated with the police while being interviewed."

Johnny Manziel says he was initially EXCITED about being drafted by the Browns -- but when he finally got to Cleveland ... all he wanted to do was leave.

"Once I landed and went to Berea, Ohio for the first time, I was like, 'Can I go back to college?'"

"I don't know anybody, I don't know where I'm at. It's cold. I don't like it," Manziel told Kevin Hart while taking an ice bath on his show, "Cold as Balls."

Manziel opens up like a book to Hart -- talking about everything from his drug use in college to wanting kids with his new wife, Bre Tiesi.

On the drug topic, Manziel said while playing at Texas A&M he felt like "I was the guy who had to party to be able to play good."

Manziel said he later realized he didn't like who he had become and wanted to change his life for the better.

"I'm at a point now where I can look back, I can reflect and realize that I was one way -- that was wrong. What can I do moving forward? Because I can't change how I was."

"That's all I can do and just try to stack enough good days together and stack enough things together to get back to where I wanna be."

Johnny says he's determined to work his way back to the NFL.

He also farted during the interview.

Baker Mayfield is not only the Browns' best backup QB ... he's clearly the team's best shirtless model too -- 'cause dude is selling underwear now, and he's killin' it!!

The Cleveland rookie announced his partnership with undie company PSD Underwear on Tuesday ... and he did it topless -- with a Tiger AND a Rolls-Royce.

The abs were out ... the underwear was exposed. It was great.

But ... what exactly are the under garments of Baker's choice?? Per the company, they're 88% polyester and 12% spandex with a "breathable athletic feel."

Plus ... they not only come with his Browns' No. 6 embroidered on them -- they also feature a "contoured sealed pouch."

Which ... if you're unfamiliar -- is VERY important for the ex-Oklahoma QB.

Josh Gordon's off-season is WAY more complicated than we thought -- the Browns WR is in the middle of a nasty child support war ... and if he doesn't make things right, he could go to jail.

Christina Lockhart has been fighting like hell to get the troubled NFL star to fork over child support for their 3-year-old daughter for years ... but it's been a fight every step of the way. She clearly feels Gordon's screwing her over.

Lockhart recently got a court order forcing Gordon to pay $6,765 per month starting August 1 ... but her lawyer told WKYC she has NOT received the payment.

The child support figure is tied to Gordon's 2018 salary with the Browns -- $800,000 -- but there's a catch.

Gordon's attorney claims in court docs the WR won't get his first paycheck until September 9 -- Week 1 of the NFL season.

But, in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge clearly outlines the penalty for missing payments -- up to 30 days in jail for the first violation, 60 days for the second violation and 90 days for the third.

Dez Bryant just touched down in Cleveland ... and the dude's already signing Browns gear!!

The free agent wide receiver was spotted scribbling his signature on a Browns helmet at Cleveland Hopkins Airport on Thursday ... right before he's scheduled to meet with the team.

FYI -- Cleveland's had a lot of trouble getting a hold of Dez ... with Browns GM John Dorsey saying Bryant wasn't returning any of his phone calls last week.

But, Dez quickly responded with a tweet saying he would be making a visit to The Land this week ... adding he "wouldn't mind playing for the Browns."

Yeah, Baker Mayfield is cocky, but that's a great thing ... so says Browns legend Earnest Byner, who tells TMZ Sports the QB has the perfect mindset for bringing the franchise back to relevance.

FYI -- Byner knows all about the Browns' struggles ... he was considered the face for Cleveland's 52-year title drought, thanks to his infamous fumble in the 1987 AFC championship game.

But, Byner says he met with several new rookies and vets at a recent team dinner and was blown away by their determination to change the narrative for the historically awful Browns ... especially Baker.

The Steelers have been dominating their rivalry with the Browns for YEARS ... but LaMarr Woodley says that's all about to change ... telling TMZ Sports Cleveland is finally a legitimately dangerous team.

FYI -- the Stillers has had their way with Cleveland ... going 33-6 since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999.

The Super Bowl champ says the Browns have made all the right moves to get back to relevance ... and warns his old club they don't wanna meet Cleveland in the playoffs.

The Browns got a lot of hype this year -- with the additions of Baker Mayfield, Tyrod Taylor and Jarvis Landry ... and the squad looked pretty good against the Giants on Thursday (we know, preseason ... but still).

The lucky NY Giants fan who got Baker Mayfield's 1st-ever touchdown pass Thursday night -- THREW IT BACK ON THE FIELD ... and the whole thing is on video.

Baker hit Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku for a 10-yard strike in the 2nd quarter -- and Njoku tried to gift the ball to a fan in the end zone.

But, the fan wasn't a Browns supporter -- or a fan of money -- because he took the valuable pigskin and fired it right back onto the field in disgust ... screaming and yelling the entire time.

The fan then started pointing to his Giants hat while the crowd at MetLife Stadium in NJ cheered him on.

Ultimately, Big Blue lost the game -- and the fan lost an opportunity to turn that collector's item into a serious profit.

Baker Mayfield's first game as a Cleveland Brown wasn't just impressive ... it was ONE OF THE GREATEST STARTS EVER -- so says NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger.

Baker took over for starter Tyrod Taylor at the end of the 1st quarter of Cleveland's game against the NY Giants Thursday night ... and lit it up -- chucking two TD passes.

Baldinger -- who had a long NFL career as a lineman in the '80s and '90s -- was floored ... calling it afterward, "one of the greatest rookie quarterback debuts I've ever seen."

"This ability right now just to be able to make this throw to the sideline -- like, the throw is ridiculous," Baldinger says of one of Mayfield's highlights.

Baker's coaches had been steadfast earlier in camp that he's the backup to Tyrod ... but it might be tough to keep that same spiel up now.

Antonio Callaway had gun parts and ammunition in his car (in addition to weed) when he was pulled over in Ohio ... and the police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows it made the lead officer get "real nervous."

The Cleveland Browns rookie WR -- selected in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft -- was pulled over on August 5 at 2:59 AM in Strongsville, Ohio for a routine traffic violation.

The cop smelled weed and searched the car -- finding a small amount of marijuana under the driver's seat ... along with the backstrap of a Glock firearm and several rounds of ammo.

You can see the officer gets very serious when he finds the bullets and gun parts -- ordering Callaway to put his hands in the air and stay put.

Antonio told the officer there was NO gun in the car -- just the parts. The officer eventually verified Callaway's claim, but admits to his partner he got anxious when he found the bullets.

In the end, the officer realizes Antonio is a Cleveland Browns player and admitted he felt bad busting him ... since he didn't appear drunk or high and was super polite during the arrest.

At one point, the officer admits he's excited to watch Callaway play -- saying he's "fast as sh*t."

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury heard all the unkind things Baker Mayfield said about him on his new docuseries -- and now, he's got some quotes of his own for his former QB.

As we previously reported, Mayfield said Kingsbury treated him GREAT at TT during his freshman year ... only to kick him to the curb when he suffered a knee injury during a game against Kansas.

Both Baker and his father went in on Kingsbury during the FOX Sports series 'All The Way Up' -- and said the final straw was when TT refused to offer him a scholarship, despite racking up 5 wins as a walk-on.

We reached out to Kingsbury for comment and he told us:

"I’ve always been a huge fan of Baker and loved working with him. He had an incredible career at Oklahoma, and I wish him nothing but continued success as he begins his NFL career."

Baker Mayfield opened up about why he hates his former Texas Tech coach, Kliff Kingsbury, so much -- essentially saying the guy kicked him to the curb when he got injured during a game.

The QB pulled no punches in his new FOX Sports docu-series, 'All The Way Up' -- saying Kliff treated him like a god when he stepped in and won 5 games as a freshman walk-on back in 2013.

But, when Baker sprained his MCL against Kansas -- Mayfield says everything changed.

"It went from being 'the guy' for Coach Kingsbury ... and then when I got hurt, it just changed a little bit ... not a little bit, a lot."

"All the sudden it was as if I hadn't played for him, hadn't done anything for him. It was just different after I got hurt."

Baker's father says the coach "completely withdrew his contact" with the QB after the injury -- "He didn't talk to Baker. He didn't include Baker in the meetings."

But, Mayfield says what REALLY pissed him off was when Texas Tech officials told him they didn't have a scholarship for him after that season ... despite the fact he was 5-0 as a starter.

"I've invested a lot into this and now you're telling me you don't have a scholarship for a guy who won 5 games after choosing to come here? That was the final straw for me."

Josh Gordon will miss the start of Browns camp as he continues to receive treatment for issues that kept him out of the NFL entirely in 2015 and 2016 ... the wideout said in a statement Monday.

"Rest assured this too is a part of my overall health and treatment plan," Gordon says.

J.G. has been hit with several suspensions since he entered the league in 2012 ... almost all stemming from substance abuse policy violations -- and he's been in and out of rehab to try to make things right.

Gordon says there have been no steps backward ... but rather this is all part of the process toward getting better.

"With the help of the NFL, NFLPA, and the Browns' organization, I have been able to utilize the resources available to me that will ensure my well-being on and off the field," Gordon said.

"By continuing to follow the plan set up by our medical director and his team and taking this time before this season starts, we believe it will help me maintain the progress I've made for not only today but for many years to come."

Browns GM John Dorsey added, "We will continue to support Josh as he receives the care needed to maintain his progress."

"We are going to respect his privacy while he is away from the team. Josh will be placed on the non-football illness reserve list until he is ready to return."

Baker Mayfield's ex-Oklahoma teammate is going to bat for the Browns QB ... with Sterling Shepard telling TMZ Sports his boy is really NOT fat -- despite a very unflattering photo on social media.

The Cleveland Browns rookie has been getting criticized over a pic he took Tuesday night with gaming legend Ninja -- in which he appears to be a little thick around the midsection.

So, when we got Shep out in NYC on Thursday -- the Giants receiver told us the camera angle must've been distorted ... not Mayfield's waistline.

"He lookin' good, man, I've been training with him," Sterling says.

"He's been grinding. I already know my man's going to be ready. Ain't worried about that."

Mark Wahlberg says he believes in Baker Mayfield -- so he placed a REAL bet on the Cleveland Browns to win 6 games in 2018.

Yeah, he's being serious.

Don't worry, he also made some less risky wagers -- betting on the Patriots and the Eagles to get back to the Super Bowl this season.

Wahlberg also bet on Ronda Rousey -- casting her in his new movie, "Mile 22" ... and he's super fired up about her role in the flick.

Mark raves about Ronda's performance and says she's more than just an action star -- she's a legit actress who nailed her dramatic scenes like a boss!!!

The movie -- which opens next month -- will be Ronda's most important Hollywood role yet. Of course, she starred in the "Entourage" movie ... but played herself.

Now, she's got a real shot to follow stars like The Rock ... and parlay action sports stardom into a real Hollywood career.