Spieth closed with a 2-under 70, missing a 5-foot par putt on the final hole that would have set yet another record. Instead, he tied Tiger Woods at 18-under 270.

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jordan Spieth got more than redemption and a green jacket Sunday. He took his place among the best in the game with a Masters victory for the ages.

One year after he lost a bid to become the youngest player to win the Masters, the 21-year-old Texan turned in one of the most dominant wins ever at Augusta National. He never let anyone get closer to him than three shots after his record start. He never gave anyone much hope on Sunday.

Spieth closed with a 2-under 70, missing a 5-foot par putt on the final hole that would have set yet another record. Instead, he tied Tiger Woods at 18-under 270.

For all the talk about the Grand Slam bid by Rory McIlroy and the return of Woods, this week was about the arrival of another star.

"It's awfully impressive," McIlroy said after finishing fourth. "It's nice to get your major tally up and running at an early stage in your career. It's great to see, great for the game, and I'm sure there will be many more."

Spieth became the first wire-to-wire winner at the Masters since Raymond Floyd in 1976, and this might have been even more special. Craig Woods in 1941 is the only other Masters champion who led by at least three shots from the opening round to the trophy presentation.

Phil Mickelson tried to make a run. So did Justin Rose. Neither got closer than three shots at any point, and it wasn't long before Spieth was making another birdie putt to take the drama out of the back nine.

Mickelson (69) and Rose (70) tied for second. It was the 10th time Mickelson has been runner-up in a major. Woods jarred his right wrist then he struck wood under the pine straw on the ninth hole. He recovered and closed with a 73, 13 shots behind.

Spieth won for the third time on the PGA Tour and fifth time worldwide. He will rise to No. 2 in the world, still a ways to go to catch McIlroy at the top. When McIlroy won back-to-back majors last year to establish himself as the game's best player, the quest was to find a rival.

Spieth answered that this week on perhaps the biggest stage in the sport with his record-setting week at Augusta.

___

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson wrote this report.

Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Indians on Sunday with another lopsided victory.h

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If a message can be sent on the second week of April, the Tigers sent one to the Indians.

No.1, they didn't win the last four AL Central titles by accident.

No.2, they're not all that impressed with Sports Illustrated picking the Indians to win the World Series.

The Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the Indians with a 8-5 victory on Sunday at Progressive Field. If a team can be beaten in all phases of the game, consider the Indians beaten in all phases of the game.

Detroit outscored the Indians, 25-15. They out-hit them, 43-27. The also proved once again that they have Miguel Cabrera and the Indians have no way to get him out.

Cabrera went 11-for-14 in the series, including a 4-for-4 effort Sunday.

In Sunday's victory, Cabrera hit two homers, a double and a single. On the two homers, he stuttered stepped before hitting third base, in full view of the Tribe's dugout. Then he seemed to be jawing with Tribe fans as he approach home plate.

Cabrera hit a two-run homer against TJ House in the first. In the fourth, he hit a leadoff homer against Austin Adams.

After giving up Cabrera's two-run homer, House hit Victor Martinez with a pitch and plate umpire Dan Iassogna warned both benches.

Short appearance

House's first start against the Tigers did not last long. He allowed six runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.

The Indians promoted right-handers Adams and Shaun Marcum before the game to patch their battered bullpen. They both ended up pitching, Adams going 2 2/3 innings and Marcum five innings. It was Marcum's first big league appearance since July 6, 2013 with the Mets.

Marcum went five innings in that appearance as well, but it was a start and he allowed six runs on 11 hits against Milwaukee.

The five-inning relief appearance was the longest by an Indian since Carlos Carrasco went five innings against the Angels on on Aug. 9, 2013.

Who's your daddy?

The Tigers improved to 18-5 at Progressive Field since the start of the 2013 season. In those 23 games, they've outscored the Indians,156-97.

Say what?

After both teams were warned when House hit Victor Martinez in the first, why wasn't Tiger right-hander Angel Nesbit ejected for hitting Lonnie Chisenhall in the sixth?

Manager Terry Francona asked Iassogna about it.

"He said, "I looked at the situation,'" said Francona. "I told him you're the one who created the situation."

I love you Cleveland.

Cabrera's 11 hits are his most ever in a three-game series. He arrived in Cleveland hitting .182 and left hitting .520.

In his career against the Indians, Cabrera is hitting .357 (184-for-516) with 31 doubles, 37 homers and 117 RBI in 133 games.

He leads all active players in slugging percentage, homers and RBI against the Indians.

That hurt

After taking two out of three from Houston to start the season, the Indians had a 1.04 ERA and a .096 batting average against.

It was a different story against the Tigers as Tribe pitchers posted a 7.67 ERA and a .364 batting average against.

What's next?

The Indians are off Monday and then open a two-game series against the White Sox on Tuesday. Tribe right-hander Carlos Carrasco will face Chicago lefty Jose Quintana on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Sportstime Ohio, WTAM and WMMS will carry the game

Cleveland Cavaliers center and NBA champion Brendan Haywood chats with CineSport's Noah Coslov about what he's telling his teammates about how different the playoffs are, and possible opponents.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Don't charge your game and study your opponents -- that's the message Cavaliers center Brendan Haywood has been sharing with teammates as they get ready for the playoffs.

Brendan HaywoodCineSport 

In the video above, Haywood -- who won a NBA championship with Dallas in 2011, chats with CineSport's Noah Coslov about what about how different the playoffs are, and possible opponents.

Meyer's contract extension will take him through the 2020 season and, to start, give him a raise of nearly a million dollars this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's Urban Meyer is the new highest-paid football coach in the Big Ten after a raise and contract extension announced Monday by the school.

Meyer will now make $5.8 million for the 2015 season instead of the $4.9 million he had been scheduled to make. The raise is part of a revision and extension starting this season that will run six years, through the 2020 season.

That also extends Meyer's previous deal by two seasons. (He previously had been signed through the 2017 season, but a year was added to his contract for each Big Ten championship, and the Buckeyes did win the Big Ten last year.)

* Inside the details of Meyer's new deal

Raises throughout the contract mean that Meyer will average at least $6.5 million per year over the six-year deal. And the extension means he is signed through his 56th birthday.

Meyer was the sixth-highest paid coach in the country last season when the Buckeyes won the National Championship. Athletic director Gene Smith said then that he wanted Meyer to be ranked among the top five coaches in the nation in salary. Now Meyer certainly will be. According to the USA Today coaching salary database, only Alabama's Nick Saban now makes more than Meyer.

Saban has coached four national championship teams. Meyer has coached three. No other active college coach has won more than one.

Meyer's deal also takes him past new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who was hired on a seven-year contract paying him $5 million per season, and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio.

* Read Urban Meyer's new contract 

According to USA Today's database, which Smith himself monitors, Meyer ranked sixth in salary last season behind Saban, Dantonio, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops, Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin and Texas coach Charlie Strong.

"Somewhere along the line as an institution we'll have to talk about that to get him back in the top five, which is where I believe he should be," Smith told Northeast Ohio Media Group in December in New Orleans, before the Buckeyes beat Alabama in a College Football Playoff semifinal and then went on to beat Oregon for the national title.

Smith said then a new contract wasn't imminent. But that was before Meyer lifted a trophy as confetti fell. And Smith knew a deal was coming eventually.

"We know that at some point it's going to come up," Smith said then. "We're not naive."

The changes to Meyer's contract are subject to a vote of the Board of Trustees at their meeting June 3-4.

"I am honored to serve as football coach at The Ohio State University and to represent this great university," Meyer said in a statement. "It is a privilege to coach and mentor the young men in this program, and I want to thank President Drake and Mr. Smith for their support and their trust in me."

In three seasons at Ohio State, Meyer is 38-3 and a perfect 24-0 during the Big Ten regular season.

"Urban Meyer has done an excellent job strengthening our culture of commitment to academics, career development and winning championships," Smith said in a statement. "Our young men continue to thrive under his leadership, whether on the playing field where they are national champions, through life skills pursuits like Real Life Wednesdays, internships and job fairs, and academically through program-wide efforts to monitor the progress of every student-athlete which has helped the team achieve its highest graduation success rate at 78 percent.

"Additionally, he continues to develop his coaches and attract talented leaders when needed."

Hall-of-Fame quarterback believes Johnny Manziel can succeed as a pro.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach still believes in Johnny Manziel. The former Cowboys signal-caller, who back in November told USA Today's FORTHEW!N that he and Manziel would be "very similar" on the field, is again coming to the Browns quarterback's defense, this time on the heels of Manziel getting out of rehab.

Jim Corbett, also of USA Today, talked to the NFL legend:

"Staubach believes the fellow Heisman Trophy winner has the talent to make it as an NFL starting quarterback, if he truly works at his craft the way he promised but never delivered when Manziel said before last year's draft he was done with living up to his Johnny Football lifestyle." 

Staubach tells Corbett that he believes Manziel's size isn't an issue:

"'If he really truly gets his life back on track, his talent is Russell Wilson-type talent,' Staubach told USA TODAY Sports.

...

'But you have to be more than just a talent as a quarterback. You have to be mentally tough and you have got to be a leader. And you have to transfer that to your teammates.'"

Hit the link to read more from Staubach on Johnny. Lots of folks in Berea are hoping Staubach's right.

(USA Today: Johnny Manziel released from rehab)

More Cleveland Browns links

Browns receiver bids hilarious farewell to Troy Polamalu (Fox Sports)

Reassessing Browns' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address (Bleacher Report)

Looking at the draft's top pass rushers (Fox Sports Ohio)

NFL links

2015 NFL Draft: Scouts talk bluntly about Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and the top quarterbacks (NJ.com)

When it comes to NFL potential, Garrett Grayson has it covered (Denver Post)

NFL Draft Truth or Hype: WR Breshad Perriman (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Vote in the poll to let us know who you think deserves to be named Team of the Week for March 13, 2015.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Who would you vote as your Northeast Ohio high school sports Team of the Week?

Every week, we will give you an opportunity to respond and share who should be our first Team of the Week winner. This week's nominees are as follows:

1.Benedictine baseball team helps coach Brian Sliwinski gets 300th win on Monday in 13-0 win against John Hay.

2. Holy Name baseball earns a 3-2 win against Valley Forge.

3. Holy Name softball defeats St. Thomas Aquinas, 7-5.

4. Twinsburg tennis comes from behind to defeat Norton.

5. Avon Lake baseball escapes with a win against Columbia Station.

6. Beachwood baseball team holds out for a 3-2 road win at the diamond against Hawken.

7. Walsh Jesuit baseball's defense leads to win against Westlake.

8. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy lacrosse tops Padua.

9. Chagrin Falls baseball beats Hudson in extra innings.

10. Wild pitch gives Lakewood baseball win against St. Ignatius.

11. Brecksville softball beats Poland Seminary to stay undefeated.

12. Cuyahoga Heights softball with an undefeated record of 8-0.

13. Nordonia baseball after trip Myrtle Beach (SC).

Our high school sports staff will go through the nominations and decide which ones to include in the poll to decide who wins the Team of the Week. Look for the Team of the Week poll every Monday afternoon. Voting is open until Thursday at noon. The winner will be announced Thursday afternoon. 

Did we miss one? Let us know by adding an answer into the poll or leaving a message in the comments section below.

We want to hear from you. Whether it’s asking us questions in the comments or commenting as you check out all the high school sports content, please take advantage of the comments section and let us know your takes on local teams, players and conference predictions. 

Sign up here for a free account. It's a fast process and you'll be able to comment on all stories forever.

Follow our high school sports Twitter account, @NEOVarsity for high school sports news and score updates and be sure to use the hashtag #NEOVarsity when Tweeting about high school sports.

Contact high school sports producer Cameron Moon by email (ncline@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@nathanielcline). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

St. Edward officials have already conducted a handful of football coach interviews in the search to find Rick Finotti's successor.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio -- Officials at St. Edward are showing no preference between offensive or defensive coaches in their search to find Rick Finotti's successor.

Athletic Director Paul Michalko said a panel of seven administrators and school officials has already interviewed a handful of candidates, and the prevailing qualification for the new head coach is that he is a "good fit" rather than somebody with a background on one side of the ball or the other.

"We don't have an ideal knowledge set that we're looking for," Michalko said. "We're not looking for an offensive guy especially or a defensive guy. Our staff right now is in place and we're looking for that perfect fit at the top."

St. Edward assistants Dan Scanlon and Pete Pappas are conducting the team's off-season conditioning and workout program, and Michalko said the search committee is working to get a coach in place quickly. But there is no set date or deadline for an announcement.

"We don't really have a rush to get a head man in place," Michalko said. "If we're dealing with somebody that works somewhere else, we're not going to get him until school lets out anyways."

Michalko said once the new coach is hired, he will have discretion to hire his staff, whether that means bringing in new coaches, keeping current staff, or a mixture of both.

"That's the way it's always been with all of our head coaches, they assemble their own staff," he said. "That's not unique to football, that's everybody."

Michalko said the application process closed April 3 and the committee did not interview many candidates while school was out last week for spring break.

He said about 45 coaches submitted resumes six years ago when Finotti was hired, and that about the same number of applications came in this time around.

"We're in that ballpark," he said.

A handful of St. Edward alumni are among those who applied for the job, Michalko disclosed, though he would not go into detail about their identities or levels of coaching experience.

"They're all over the board," Michalko said of the candidates. "There are lots of experienced guys who have shown an interest. We're treating them all the same."

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your related Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag. 

Follow high school sports reporter Joe Noga on Twitter @JoeNogaCLE or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff tells CineSport's Noah Coslov why the Pacers are the one team that the Cavaliers don't want to face.

The Cavaliers first round opponent is still up for grabs. The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff tells CineSport's Noah Coslov why the Pacers are the one team that the Cavaliers don't want to face.

Meyer got extra private jet time and a bonus for winning coach of the year while his retention bonuses went down.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Inside the numbers and details of Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer's new contract, which was announced on Monday. It will run through the 2020 season and pay Meyer an average of $6.5 million per year.

* Meyer signed the contract on April 6, athletic director Gene Smith signed it on April 9 and and Geoffrey Chatas, Ohio State's senior vice president for business and finance, signed it Monday.

* Meyer gets new six-year deal from Ohio State 

* Meyer's original deal when he signed it on Nov. 28, 2011, ran through the 2017 season. The deal included an automatic one-year extension for every Big Ten title, so with the conference championship last season it had been extended through the 2018 season. This one goes through the 2020 season, ending on Jan. 31, 2021.

* The money in these contracts is all in bits and pieces. Ohio State, as an athletic department, started off paying Meyer $700,000 per year in 2012. Now he'll make $818,640 as a base salary.

Also, Ohio State had been paying $40,000 a year into a deferred plan for Meyer. Now it will be $480,000 per year. Big jump there.

* See Urban Meyer's new contract 

* Meyer is paid by Ohio State for his media and public relations duties, including a radio show and TV show. Meyer's first contract paid him $1,850,000 per year for that. Now he'll make $2,665,360 for those duties.

* Then there's the Nike part of the deal. He had been making $1.4 million a year in the shoe, apparel and equipment part of the contract. Now he'll make $1.566 million per year.

* Meyer's performance bonuses also went up. He still makes an extra $50,000 for the Buckeyes winning their Big Ten division and $100,000 for winning the Big Ten Championship.

For making a major playoff bowl outside of the four-team playoff, Meyer will now get $200,000 instead of $150,000.

For making a playoff semifinal game, he'll get $250,000 instead of $200,000.

For making the College Football Playoff National Championship, he'll receive $350,000 instead of $250,000.

Just like the old deal, he doesn't actually get anything for winning the national title, just reaching the title game.

* Hello, coach of the year bonuses. These are included for the first time. Meyer gets $50,000 for Big Ten Coach of the Year, which he didn't win last season, and $75,000 for a national coach of the year award.

* Meyer's access to a jet for personal use increased from 35 hours per year to 50 hours per year.

* This is interesting. Meyer's retention bonuses went way down. He's getting more money up front, but less for sticking around.

Here were the previous bonuses for being employed on certain dates:

- $450,000 on Jan. 31, 2014 (which he received)

- $750,000 on Jan. 31, 2016

- $1.2 million on Jan. 31, 2018

Now, all he retention bonuses are just $160,000 a pop. He gets $60,000 on Jan. 31, 2016, then $160,000 on Jan. 31 of each of the next four years, through 2020.

Reporters from cleveland.com are heading to Mentor on Tuesday to check in with the Cardinals football team. Post your questions for coach Steve Trivisonno and his players.

MENTOR, Ohio -- Continuing through the remainder of the spring sports season, Northeast Ohio Media Group reporters will bring you on-campus updates from several area high school football off-season workout programs.

The spring campus tour makes its way to Mentor on Tuesday to chat with veteran coach Steve Trivisonno and the Cardinals.

Among the top football programs in the state for more than a decade, the Cardinals will be reloading for the 2015 season after falling to Hudson in the third round of last season's OHSAA Division I playoffs.

Post your questions for Trivisonno and his players in the comments section below. How far do you see the Cardinals advancing in the 2015 postseason?

All you need is a free cleveland.com community account. It’s an easy process and takes a couple of minutes (click here for an account). Afterward you’ll have the ability to comment on all stories throughout cleveland.com.

Joe Thomas, Karlos Dansby, Dwayne Bowe, and Brian Hartline will be among the nine Browns players who will wear the new uniforms at the unveiling Tuesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns will be dressed to the nines on Tuesday night.

They'll use nine of their top players to unveil their nine new uniform combinations at the Cleveland Convention Center.

The players are left tackle Joe Thomas, safety Donte Whitner, defensive end Armonty Bryant, linebackers Karlos Dansby, Barkevious Mingo and Chris Kirksey; and receivers Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline and Taylor Gabriel.

In addition to the current players showing off the long-awaited uniforms, the Browns will have nine alumni gracing the orange carpet: Hall of Famer Jim Brown, Hanford Dixon, Dan Fike, Bob Golic, Kevin Mack, Greg Pruitt, John Thierry, Jamel White, and Felix Wright.

The unveiling, which is open to select season ticket holders, will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will be broadcast live from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. by Browns' new TV partner Newschannel 5.

Also on hand for the gala will be Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, team president Alec Scheiner and representatives from NIKE, who spent the past two years designing the uniforms in conjunction with the Browns.

"We're cautiously optimistic and hopeful that the fans will really like it and the players will really like it," owner Jimmy Haslam said at the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix last month.

Fellow owner Dee Haslam is confident the Browns struck the right balance between progress and tradition.

"I think I can fairly say that,'' she said at the annual meeting "That was the goal, to balance it well. I think we've done that."

She knows, however, that it's difficult to please everyone.

"There's going to be a zillion opinions on whether (people) like it or don't like it," she said. "At the end of the day it's how you play the game."

Whitner, a Cleveland native and Glenville High grad, enthusiastically gave the new uniforms a thumbs up after getting a sneak preview recently.

Best jerseys in the league! Hands down! 9 different color combos! [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] [?]

— DonteHitner (@DonteWhitner) March 24, 2015

And at a press conference in February to discuss the Browns new logos, Scheiner promised that the new duds will be more exciting than the logos were.

"I do think we'll move the uniform farther ahead than the logo,'' he said. "We were very respectful of the logo, and I think our fans have given us permission to move forward quicker with our uniforms. We're always trying to strike the balance (between moving forward and tradition). I feel like with the Nike and the NFL and the people in our building, we've done a really good job with that. Even though it will be more radical in the mark evolution, we're still kind of keeping the things our fans care about.''

He added that he was excited about the new looks, which includes a modernized helmet.

"Once again, what's important is we push ourselves forward, match the energy and forward-thinking of the city, but link to our tradition and respect our tradition which is an incredible tradition,'' he said.

Photos of the purported new uniforms have leaked out, including one from a store in Columbus that put a batch of the orange ones its shelves and then later pulled them.

The Browns new orange jerseys have already hit shelves and they're a 10 http://t.co/DHCHpckVNi pic.twitter.com/n6A7PEb2r6

— Bottlegate (@Bottlegate) April 12, 2015

The new jerseys might not look exactly like that, but they're likely to be very close. According to leaked photos, the new uniform includes jerseys and pants in orange, brown and white, which can be used in nine different combinations.

Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell shed some light on his pending NBA decision on Monday night. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- D'Angelo Russell isn't trying to make anyone sweat it out. It's not about that. It's about him finally having the time to think about what lies ahead.

On the surface it seems simple. Follow the money.

That would be the at least $3.1 million he'd be guaranteed if taken with one of the top 5 picks in June's NBA Draft. That's where Russell's being projected, most places have him even higher than that.

So, no-brainer, right? To almost every outside observer, yes.

Not to Russell.

"It's funny because no one knows what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing. If I knew I would've made a decision by now," Russell said Monday night before being honored at Ohio State's scholar-athlete dinner. "I'm really just taking it slow, going at my family's pace, not anybody else's pace. The deadline is coming up. I know we'll know before that."

Some will take that comment as a glimmer of hope that Russell might return to Ohio State for his sophomore season. The deadline to declare early for the NBA Draft is April 26, and Russell is among the few high-profile freshman holdouts left.

He'll sit down with his family this weekend -- something he hasn't been able to do since Ohio State's season ended in the third round of the NCAA Tournament last month. He'll have a decision after that.

Life has been a whirlwind for Russell since the season ended. Pile the weight of the NBA decision on top of his obligations on the awards circuit. The consensus All-American and Big Ten Freshman of the Year just returned from Los Angeles, where he rubbed elbows with Julius Irving and Karl Malone, and won the Jerry West Award for the nation's best shooting guard.

Trips to California, conversations with hall of famers, fancy, national-televised award shows. Russell is getting a taste of the life already.

He has to decide if he wants that life now, or a year from now after another season at Ohio State.

Only Russell doesn't seem like a kid with that kind of heavy decision to make. He joked about being ready for a rematch with Arizona, which ended the Buckeyes' season on a night where Russell shot 3-for-19.

He made light of reports that surfaced Sunday night that he had already made his decision, and was just sorting through agents.

"I don't really get too high with it or too low with it," Russell said. "Seeing the things on Twitter, the things people say, making up stuff, it's funny to me. I laugh at it every day."

This is Russell's decision to make. When he does, we'll know.

But life has to go on for Ohio State, that's why Buckeyes coaches were still out over the weekend looking at potential 2016 recruits. That class has one player already, and the Buckeyes can add another if Russell leaves early.

Thad Matta has to be realistic. The carrot dangling in front of Russell is enticing, and Matta can't pretend like everything will work out and Russell will be back. So he's covering all of his bases, eager to accept Russell if he comes back, ready to move on and fill that roster spot if he doesn't.

"He's kind of taking it slow also," Russell said of Matta. "I appreciate him for that. When we talk it's more, 'How are you doing?' It's not 'What are you doing?'"

They're taking it slow because this is a position neither side envisioned being in when Russell committed to Ohio State.

Russell was a high-profile recruit, sure, a five-star talent who was going to have Ohio State's offense run through him. But Russell was thought of more as a two-and-done type than one who could leave after one year and be a high lottery pick.

It's crazy how one season can change things.

"I didn't come into college saying I want to be a one-and-done-type guy, trying to get in and get out," Russell said. "I was a guy who came, unpacked my bags and was looking to get comfortable the best way I can. It's great moving at my own pace."

As we wait for a decision, we're all moving at Russell's pace.

Gipson's 11 interceptions since the start of 2013 rank second only behind the Seahawks' Richard Sherman. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Retiring Steelers' stalwart Troy Polamalu is about to pass a torch.

Blessed with good hands and great instincts, Browns Pro Bowler Tashaun Gipson's is well positioned to pick it off and search for blockers.

For the first time since 2002, the AFC North will feature neither Polamalu nor Ed Reed, two of the game's great safeties and opponents who terrorized Cleveland quarterbacks for so many seasons. It could be pay-back time for the Browns - assuming they can get Gipson's signature on a long-term contract.

The 24-year-old is poised to become the next dominant ball-hawking safety in the division and one of the league's best. Coupled with Donte Whitner, a three-time Pro Bowler and 10-year veteran, the Browns have a formidable last line of defense. Their secondary, anchored by Pro Bowl corner Joe Haden, 25, is entering its prime at a time when pass defense has never been more important.

The club led the NFL last season in opposition quarterback rating (74.1) and pass breakups (99), while finishing second in interceptions (21). Given the assets allocated to the secondary and the importance coach Mike Pettine places on defensive backs, maybe it shouldn't be surprising.

Steelers' safety Troy Polamalu bedeviled the Browns for 12 seasons. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer 

But the unit's long-term success might hinge on ensuring Gipson remains a part of it. The Browns placed a second-round tender ($2.356 million) on the Wyoming product for this season with hopes of locking him up before entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Pettine offered no updates on a possible contract extension last month at the annual NFL Meeting.

"We're well aware of his situation and he's a player that played very well for us, (who's) young, very talented," the coach said. "I don't want to get into specific players' negotiations and end up negotiating through the media."

The Browns didn't sign Haden to his five-year, $67.5 million extension until after the 2014 NFL Draft and there's been no evidence to date a deal won't get done.

Gipson certainly has said the right things publicly.

"I'd love to finish my career playing in this city," he told NEOMG on Oct. 31. "This is the first organization to give me my opportunity, the first one that took a chance on me, an unheralded guy coming out of Wyoming that nobody wanted to take a chance on. God blessed me to come here so I definitely want to finish my career here, play here in the city of Cleveland."

Haden has evolved into a team leader, one who offered to work out with troubled corner Justin Gilbert in offseason. Gipson possesses similar traits, serving as a terrific example to other undrafted free agents on the Browns.

He learned at the padded knee of T.J. Ward during his first two seasons and did the same last year while teaming with Whitner. Gipson is a high-character player whose career continues to ascend. His six interceptions ranked second in the league last season despite missing the final five games with a knee injury.

The Browns were 7-4 with Gipson in the lineup and 0-5 without him. Granted, the slide was due more to offensive ineptitude, but the fact his peers league-wide voted such a young player to the Pro Bowl is a testament to the respect No. 39 is gaining.

"I know we voted for him, our receiver group," Ravens receiver Steve Smith. "He's making plays and doing an excellent job. Injuries happen, but it's really what you do while you're in there."

Gipson has nine interceptions in his last 14 games. His 11 INTs since the start of 2013 rank him second behind only Seahawks' Richard Sherman. It doesn't put him in a class with Reed and Polamalu, who played pivotal roles on Super-Bowl winning teams, but it places him on an impressive career arc. He not only picks passes, but pops opponents, delivering several memorable hits in the 2013 season.

Obviously, the Browns won't win consistently until they develop a good quarterback. In the meantime, their secondary gives them a chance against the likes of Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton. Division rivals completed just 54.4 percent of their passes last season for five touchdowns against seven INTs. Those numbers could improve if Gilbert figures it out in his second season and free-agent Tramon Williams, 32, still has some tread left in his game.

The Browns and other divisional teams are relieved to wave goodbye to Polamalu, who made big plays in so many ways over 12 seasons. Gipson has the potential to be the AFC North's next great safety.

Getting his name on a Browns' contact is the first step.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Detroit Pistons. Check back to see all their photos as the gallery is updated. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group photographers are at Quicken Loans Arena as the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Detroit Pistons. Check back to see all their photos as the gallery is updated. 

The Cavaliers accomplished a lot in a 109-97 win over the Detroit Pistons, but they lost a key member during the game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Detroit Pistons are in evaluation mode as the organization assesses the skillset of a few young players to judge how they might fit with the team moving forward.

But the obvious assessment was that they didn't fit on the same court with the Cavaliers because they were manhandled, which led to an 109-97 trouncing put forth by the Cavaliers to earn their 19^th win in their last 20 games.

Cleveland (52-29) led by as many as 26.

LeBron James secured his second triple-double of the season by contributing 21 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in 32 minutes. It's his second triple-double in his last four games and the 39^th of his career.

Detroit (31-50) couldn't handle Cleveland's spread offense and often times found themselves in compromising positions that opened up their defense for huge driving lanes and kick-out opportunities.

The spacing resulted in Cleveland hitting 17-of-32 3-pointers. JR Smith drained half of those threes by nailing eight-of-13. It's the second time in his last four games that he has knocked down eight treys. He finished with a game-high 28 points.

Cavaliers Head Coach David Blatt orchestrated the minute distribution like he would have had it been a normal game with something on the line. They looked sharp and crisp.

However, the game didn't go without disappointment for Cleveland.

Point guard Kyrie Irving never made it out of the locker room for the second half. The Cavaliers said he was experiencing right hip tightness and as a precaution, elected to sit him out the rest of the game. He scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds along with dishing three assists.

Cleveland has now won six of seven matchups against the Pistons. Andre Drummond had 20 points and nine rebounds and Caron Butler put in 19 points. Reggie Jackson supplied 18 points and eight assists.

What this means

It's all part of Blatt's plan to sustain rhythm, conditioning and continuity. Even though most of the Cavaliers' main players hadn't played since Friday, judging by Monday's performance, they didn't miss a beat.

The balance of rest and rhythm is what the organization is focused on and with blowouts such as this one, they were able to accomplish both.

Joined a select few

When Smith knocked down the team's seventh three of the game late in the second quarter, the Cavaliers became only the 11^th team in NBA history to nail 800 3-pointers or more in a season.

Of those 10 teams before them, none of them went on to win the NBA title. The Cavaliers are the third team this season to reach that mark. They have made 810 threes thus far.

Who's on deck?

The final regular season game for the Cavaliers will have them hosting the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Cavaliers lead the season-series 2-1.

Kyrie Irving sits out the second half of the game against the Pistons with hip tightness.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving never made it out of the locker room for the second half against the Detroit Pistons as he experienced right hip tightness.

The Cavaliers are calling it a "precautionary measure." Backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova started in his place.

Irving has been recovering from hip soreness and he sat out the last two games because of the injury.

The All-Star point guard had 12 points, three rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes of play. The Cavaliers were leading the Pistons 62-37 at the half.

LeBron James recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against Pistons, following his triple-double against Chicago on April 5.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James tallied his second triple-double in eight days and the Cavaliers dumped Detroit 109-97 in the penultimate game of the regular season.

James registered 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in 32 minutes, returning after sitting out Cleveland's 38-point loss to Boston (along with three other starters) on Sunday.

Coach David Blatt wanted his starters to play normal minutes, but there were some awkward moments as the game wore on and James needed just one more rebound for his 39th career triple-double, which didn't come until the fourth quarter.

James' previous triple-double came against Chicago on April 5.

Here is an instant, quarter-by-quarter briefing on James' performance against the Pistons.

1^st Quarter

Stats: 2 PTS, 4 RBS, 3 AST, 1-4 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James snuck behind the Pistons for a steal on their side of the court, then fired a behind-the-back, bounce pass to Timofey Mozgov for a dunk at 7:56.

Briefing: The play, which was one of James' better plays this season, was indicative of the goings on at The Q on so many levels. Start with Mozgov - he outrebounded the Pistons 8-6 and also contributed eight points. The Pistons were clumsy enough to allow James to pick their pockets, and they trailed 36-14 at quarter's end. And James was really active, pressuring Detroit into turnovers and attacking in the lane. One sore spot for James in the first. After a steal to open the game, James took an elbow to the groin. Took him a couple minutes to shake it off.

2^nd Quarter

Stats: 5 PTS, 4 RBS, 4 AST, 1-2 FG, 3-4 FT

Highlight: James caught a pass as he was heading into the lane, but rather than score he flipped it behind his back to Mozgov for another dunk with 2:34 to go.

Briefing: He opened the quarter by pushing his way into the lane and drawing fouls. James' final basket of the half was also in the paint, a put-back of his own miss. He's working all parts of his game, fine tuning for what's to come. Up 25 through two quarters and with the playoffs approaching this weekend, how many minutes will Blatt really allow? Case in point, Kyrie Irving hobbled around with an apparently sore right hip (that's why he sat Friday's game) for most of the first half. He was clearly favoring it.

3^rd Quarter

Stats: 13 PTS, 1 RB, 4 AST, 5-9 FG, 0-0 FT

Highlight: James whipped a pass from behind halfcourt to J.R. Smith, who caught it around "Loans" a few feet behind the three-point line and drained one from there at 1:58.

Briefing: Smith was unconscious Monday - eight treys and 28 points. James completed his offensive drills by opening up from the outside. He canned three treys on his own and knocked down another midrange jumper. Earlier in the game, the Cavs became just the 11^th team in NBA history to make at least 800 three-pointers in a season. There was nothing left for James to do - Cleveland was up 20 in a meaningless game -- except grab one more rebound for a triple-double. Blatt left him in to try.

4^th Quarter

Stats: 1 PT, 1 RB, 0 AST, 0-2 FG, 1-2 FT

Highlight: Detroit's Reggie Jackson missed a jumper and, finally, James corralled his 10^th rebound at 8:09.

Briefing: It got to the point where James appeared to be haggling with Blatt during live action to let him stay in until the triple-double was secure. Once it fell into his hands - to be fair, James climbed into the air for that rebound - he was out of the game. When he exited, with 7:41 remaining, Cleveland led 98-84...which matters not at all. The Cavs locked up the No. 2 seed in the East last week.

Totals: 21 PTS, 10 RBS, 11 AST, 7-17 FG, 4-6 FT 32 MIN

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Pistons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to be at full strength when they play the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's reporters bring you the latest on the game in the comments section below.

Make sure you're following Chris Fedor, Chris Haynes and Joe Vardon on Twitter.

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs lead Pistons, 93-73. J.R. Smith, behind eight made three-pointers, has 28 points. LeBron James has 20 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from his second triple-double in the last four games. Kyrie Irving has scored 12 points, but will be held out the second half with tightness in his right hip. The Pistons are led by Caron Butler's 19 points. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Pistons, 62-37. J.R Smith leads the way with 16 points, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. Kyrie Irving has 12 points while Timofey Mozgov already has a double-double, with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Detroit is led by Jodie Meeks, who has nine points off the bench. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Pistons, 36-14. Timofey Mozgov and Kyrie Irving each scored eight points. J.R. Smith added seven. The Pistons were led by Andre Drummond, who scored six points. 

Game 81: Cavs (51-29) vs. Pistons (31-49)

Tip off: 7 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov.

Pistons probable starting lineup: Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Caron Butler, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

Berea-Midpark sprinter Caleb Samol and distance runner Eric Peterson discuss training differences between sprinters and distance runners.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sprinters and distance runners compete in their events on the same track at a meet but the way each trains and prepares for races is quite different.

Berea-Midpark seniors Caleb Samol and Eric Peterson are an example of teammates who train in different ways to reach the same goal: to finish first.

Samol, a state qualifier in the 4x100- and 4x200-meter relays and the 300 hurdles in 2014, knows that in order to succeed in an event like the 100 -- which lasts less than 15 seconds -- reaction time is as crucial as anything.

"You can have all the strength in your legs," Samol said. "But if you're the last one out of the blocks, you're not winning because that race is short. It starts with blocks."

Berea-Midpark coach Ryan Nigro works on reaction time with his sprinters to make sure they get off the blocks as fast as possible. He said he uses weighted sleds to try and help his sprinters get more explosion out of the blocks.

"We really work on explosion, driving your knees and arms coming out of the blocks," Nigro said. "Then, we do plyometrics — box jumps — to work on the explosive technique. We do a lot of jump rope to develop the calf muscles. And we run some stairs as well."

At the Medina Relays on Saturday, Samol won in the shuttle hurdle relay and the sprint medley.

After he competed in three events at state and placed twice, Samol knew going into his senior season that he was going to have to step up this spring.

"It hit me like, 'We're losing a lot of people this year. So I have to step up my game a little bit,'" Samol said.

Peterson ran three relays in Medina on Saturday, the 4x1,600, 4x800 and the distance medley. He helped the 4x800 finish second.

He also ran cross country last fall, but prefers running track because of course condition.

"The terrain is the same no matter where you go, no matter what meet you run at," Peterson said. "I think it's much easier than up and down hills, twists and turns and stuff."

Peterson also ran indoor track in the winter. With very little downtime from cross country season to indoor track season then to outdoor track, Nigro knows they have to be careful in case of injuries.

One thing the Titans have done to try to get their distance runners' times down is to give them a chance in the sprint events, particularly the 4x400.

"The 4x400 is one that all of our kids run, whether they're a sprinter or a distance runner," Nigro said. "The 400 is the event that you can hang your hat on as a track coach. That's really where we've tried to develop foot speed is in the 4x400."

Peterson said with the multiple laps around the track, there are adjustments he makes within a run as far as when to back off and when to push.

He enjoys the 800 and the mile runs because of the chance it provides him to use some speed.

"It's a lot of fun to run both of those," Peterson said. "The 4x800 is probably my favorite event, too, because you've got three other guys depending on you. I really like the 800 and the mile."

The Indians, as expected, purchased the contract of catcher Brett Hayes from Class AAA Columbus to team with Roberto Perez following the knee injury to Yan Gomes on Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It looks like Shaun Marcum's comeback story has ended in Cleveland, but one never knows about these things.

Marcum, who pitched five scoreless innings Sunday against Detroit, was designated for assignment to make room for catcher Brett Hayes. The Indians needed Hayes in the wake of catcher Yan Gomes' knee injury Saturday night against Detroit.

With Hayes, the Indians now are back to full strength at catcher along with Roberto Perez.

The Indians have also signed right-handed Jhoulys Chacin to a minor-league deal. The Rockies released Chacin on March 22 after he avoided arbitration in January and settled on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Colorado still had to pay Chacin an estimated $1.35 million under the rules of the current collective bargaining agreement.

Chacin is currently trying to strengthen his arm in Goodyear, Ariz. After going 14-10 with 3.47 ERA in 2013, he slipped to 1-7 with a 5.40 ERA last year. This spring his fastball velocity was down.

At some point Chacin will report to Class AAA Columbus. Chacin, 27, pitched regularly for the Rockies from 2010 through 2013.

Monday night the Indians signed veteran reliever Ryan Webb after he was released by the Dodgers.

"Between Webb and Chacin we're trying to add some depth," Francona. "You don't know what's going to happen, but in the first week of the season we've already had several things happen.

"And you don't want to dip into the younger kids who might not be ready. We've got confidence in our pitching guys Mickey (Callaway), Carl (Willis, Columbus pitching coach) and Ruben (Niebla, minor league pitching coordinator) that maybe we can find a guy who has had trouble somewhere else and he can find some new life here. That would be the object of that."

Hayes, 31, hit .333 (9-for-27) with three homers and seven RBI this spring for the Indians. He appeared in two games for Columbus before the Indians purchased his contract. Last year, Hayes split the season between Kansas City and Class AAA Omaha. He was signed in December to a minor-league deal.

"He swung the bat really well in spring training," said Francona. "More importantly, with the way he can catch and throw, the game doesn't get altered if he catches, which is a really big deal.

"We're fortunate that Perez is here, but he's certainly not going to catch every game. Brett has played in our division. He knows the league and he knows our pitchers."

Gomes sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Saturday on a ninth-inning play at the plate. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Marcum's five-inning appearance against the Tigers on Sunday was his first in the big leagues since July 6, 2013 when he pitched with the Mets. He spent all last season rehabbing his right shoulder with the Indians.

GM Chris Antonetti told Marcum before he was promoted from Class AAA Columbus that if he made an appearance Sunday it would proabably be a "one and done." Since Marcum had to be added to the 40-man roster, he knew if he accepted the promotion, he'd almost certainly be designated for assignment because the Indians had to make a move with Hayes.

When Marcum pitched so well against the Tigers, Francona said, "We tried and tried to find a way to keep him. We didn't actually make the move on Sunday after the game because we were trying to find a way to keep him.

"I came in again Monday and we went over and over and over it. There was just no move where we weren't going to lose a young kid. The hope is we don't lose Marcum, he goes back to Triple-A and he'll be available in 10 days if needed."

The Indians have 10 days to trade, release or put Marcum on waivers.

"It wasn't a fun thing to do, but it was probably the right thing to do," said Francona.