BROWNS Sanders is Butch Davis' first draft-pick casualty

The Cleveland coach said this year's camp was the most competitive in his Berea experience.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Tight end Darnell Sanders was released Sunday by the Cleveland Browns, the first draft pick cut by Butch Davis since he became coach in 2001.
Sanders, selected in the fourth round (No. 122 overall) of the 2002 draft out of Ohio State, had 18 receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown in two seasons.
Among the other notable players let go as Davis trimmed his roster to 53 were defensive end Mark Word, whose contract was terminated, and wide receiver Frisman Jackson.
The biggest surprise may be that the Browns kept four running backs, including disgruntled James Jackson, a third-stringer who recently asked to be traded.
But the best offer the Browns got for him was a late-round pick, and with Lee Suggs currently nursing a neck "stinger", Jackson gives them some depth and insurance for the time being.
Pick percentage
Before Sanders' release, Davis had kept 27 of 28 players he had picked since replacing Chris Palmer after the 2000 season. The lone exception was linebacker Jeremiah Pharms, who was drafted in 2001 but released because of drug charges.
"This is probably the most difficult time of the year for all head coaches and certainly for me, when you are forced to release players that have worked extremely hard the past five months," Davis said in a statement. "This has been our most competitive training camp.
"The improvement in the health of our football team from last year, our off-season acquisitions in free agency and the draft, and the growth and evolution of last years young players made for some very difficult decisions."
The other players waived were: defensive lineman Felipe Claybrooks, linebacker Sherrod Coates, offensive lineman Lewis Dawson, wide receiver C.J. Jones, offensive lineman Chuck Klabo, running back Nick Maddox, fullback Corey McIntyre, tight end Chad Mustard, defensive lineman John Nix, offensive lineman Scot Osborne, offensive lineman Craig Osika, linebacker Uyi Osunde, kicker Derek Schorejs, defensive lineman Cedric Scott, defensive back Ricky Sharpe, linebacker Mason Unck and defensive backs Tim Wansley and Roosevelt Williams.
The club also reached a contract settlement with offensive tackle Scot Osborne and placed center Jason Anderson on injured reserve.
Alston safe
The release of Jackson and Jones means Richard Alston made the final roster. Alston, an undrafted free agent from East Carolina, caught touchdown passes in the final two preseason games and has been returning kickoffs.
Word made two starts and played in all 16 games for the Browns last season. He had four sacks and was one of the few defensive lineman the team could count on to pressure the quarterback.
However, Word became expendable when the club signed free agent Ebenezer Ekuban in the offseason and by the emergence of Corey Jackson, who played in NFL Europe.
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