Your original question implied "Osweiller money"....Everyone knows that will never get it done. I wasn't the only one that thought you were implying we could sign him for that... It would still be dumb to go all in on Cousins (highest paid qb), AND draft a QB that high...Why would you want to immediately piss off your "franchise guy" that you just invested major money in? The QB room would be a tension filled nightmare and both guys would want out....
Tell you what, TD . . . I'll admit I'm dumb if you never ever again post, "the QB is the most important position in football".
Why would you piss him off? Pretty easy to point to the Browns history of averaging 3 QBs per year and wanting insurance against injury to the starter. You immediately make Cousins the starter and give the youngsters every opportunity to learn and grow in the system. Now, if one happens to pass him up and it's obvious, then that's on Cousins, not the franchise.
Here's the other point we need to discuss... WHO IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE DRAFT? If (and it's looking like a long shot not to) we have the first overall pick in the draft, wouldn't you want the best player in the draft by evaluation? I am curious to hear some of your picks for the BP in this year's draft.
I'm not into scouting college players anywhere near the degree you are, Irish. So I'll simply list my greatest positions of need and let you draft nerds fill in the names. Quarterback Wide Receiver Inside Linebacker Free Safety Left Tackle
Hey, if you guys think it would be a good idea to make Cousins the highest paid player in NFL history to be your QB, and then turn right around and spend your most valuable commodity on a player in the draft that will have obvious designs on replacing him, then more power too ya...I think it would be ridiculously stupid. And it would never happen in a million years...Don't ya think your new $100M investment would like to see ya use that pick on someone that could actually help the team win on Sundays, instead of a guy that he can only look at as a back-up???? I get that you are sick of the QB dilemma in Cleveland, Lym. We all are...That doesn't mean we should lose our minds...Don't be so fuckin grumpy. There's a reason why this scenario has NEVER happened...
Happily. Top 3. Quarterback: Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Lamar Jackson Wide Receiver: Calvin Ridley, Courtland Sutton, Anthony Miller Inside Linebacker: Roquan Smith, Kendall Joseph, Stacy Thomas Free Safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marcus Allen, Quin Blanding Left Tackle: Connor Williams, Mike McGlinchey, Orlando Brown Jr. And I'll do you one better. Best Under-The-Radar Guy for each position: Quarterback: Ryan Finley, NC State Wide Receiver: Cody Thompson, Toledo Inside Linebacker: Micah Kiser, Virginia Free Safety: Kris Weatherspoon, Troy Left Tackle: Brian O'Neill, Pitt
This is a really fair point and one that's probably going to be discussed in contract negotiations. I think Cleveland is the long-shot to land Cousins for a myriad of reasons (history of QB futility, Hue Jackson, no weapons, etc.) but one of them could very well be the agent's discussion with the Brown's F/O regarding that pick. "My client is willing to sign if you're thinking of adding a player like Saquon Barkley. Less-so if you're looking at a Josh Rosen." From a lot of reports, Cousins seems to be a moody kind of guy, so drafting a QB early may damage what could be (at least from my perception) a fragile psyche.
In a perfect world, after landing Cousins, the Browns are able to draft Saquon Barkley at #1 and Minkah Fitzpatrick with Houston's first. They trade a couple of picks to move back into the first round and grab Anthony Miller, who rounds out a receiver crop that looks light years better with a reformed Josh Gordon and healthy Corey Coleman. Everyone buys the height-hype and Baker Mayfield is sitting there at #33 overall - ripe for the picking.
Funny . . . Cousins didn't have a problem being drafted by the same team that just spent a king's ransom to draft RGIII - IN THE SAME DRAFT!!! I think he just might be used to QB competition.
Meaning he should know better than anyone that status (No. 2 overall pick, highest paid QB in the NFL) doesn't keep you safe from a better player on the roster. When Cousins was drafted, Kyle Shannahan told him very bluntly that he was being drafted to be developed into a "tradeable asset".
Let me ask you this, TD; Would you be upset if The QB room looked like this - Cousins, Kizer, Mayfield (or whoever) and Kessler. - and - The WR room looked like this - Pryor, Coleman, Gordan, (pick one from Sam's list) and whoever you want to carry over from this year. - and - It only cost you two of the boatload of available draft picks.
The point is, if you are paying Cousins major money to come to Cleveland, it's like a marriage. You don't want to screw up the relationship immediately.... Irish, I understand our need for quality depth at the QB position, but when you select a QB in the top 5 of the draft, he's not only expected to start, but he's expected to be a "franchise QB". A superstar....He's expected to start sooner rather than later. The whole dynamic would be messed up. Cousins is a proven commodity. You've made the investment/commitment. The money says, "he's your guy"...Drafting as you suggest would piss him off in a major way, and the rookie would hate ya as well...He want's to play...He won't want to come knowing we just signed a franchise QB in his prime. It's crazy to think that would work smoothly....
He wasn't a proven NFL star at the time...He was just a guy with a chip on his shoulder because he wasn't selected much higher in the draft.
Is he? I know he's a Top 10 QB in Jay Gruden's offensive system. The same system that was previously used in Cincinnati when Andy Dalton was a Top 10 performer. The same/similar system that is used in Minnesota and makes Case Keenum and Sam Bradford look like world beaters. Similar to the system that went to Los Angeles and took Jared Goff from "draft miss" to "second-best QB in the NFC". Cousins is proven in Washington... it remains to be seen if he has the same level of success elsewhere. Especially within the confines of Hue Jackson's offensive system. Kirk Cousins (2016 Season w/Desean Jackson): Kirk Cousins (2017 Season w/o Desean Jackson): (BTW... check out those pic differences! Cousins went from "I'll have her home by 8:00, sir" to "She calls me 'daddy', too".
