Baby Steps...You can also pick up which ever left over free agent is on the market when the dust settles from the draft. You have the luxury of all that cap space. I want to retain Kizer though. As much as every one hates him now, he CAN be groomed to play in this league with his talents. Sitting behind Cousins would do him a world of good, then in 3 years, you'd have to make a decision whether to trade away Cousins or let Kizer walk in free agency. I hate to curse anything, but since Cousins has taken over permanent starter duties, he hasn't missed a single game. That takes a special talent that only franchise QBs seem to possess, the Mannings, Brady, Brees type players don't miss games...Cousins is at least in that category for franchise guys.
lol! amen I like that idea better than keeping Hogan on board. I agree. I hated watching him play, and I don't have a ton of faith, but we all know he was thrown into the fray way too soon. There is some "Cam Newton" in his game, and you know that I like that aspect. He was in way over his head. Kelly had it right. Kizer needed another year at ND. But I don't want to give up on him yet either. I like the idea of him at #3 though. He's the emergency QB. If he loves this game, and puts in the work, maybe he can have a decent career. He has physical talents that few possess...
Well. You know how things go here....If he signed a big fat contract in Cleveland, and then got stepped on by his own lineman in preseason game #2, causing him to be out the first six weeks of the season, would that shock you? I seriously doubt it.... Not trying to be pessimistic, but forget an entire season, when was the last time a Browns QB lasted 10 games in a row? I love the team you assembled, but being only one play away from Kizer coming in to run the show, is a scary thought....
Is it scarier than Josh Rosen, with Kizer backing him up? The college QB that had worse stats than Kizer and missed multiple games to injury...oh yeah, and rumor has it, he isn't totally committed to football..That scares the living hell out of me. The ONLY college QB I want to even discuss being in a Browns uniform is Baker Mayfield...there's him and everyone else. It isn't even close. Every other prospect scares the hell out of me in fact. I just don't see spending $25-$30M per year on Cousins and then drafting a QB #1 overall. In what universe would that (expecting him to sit for 4 years behind your shiny new QB) make more sense than getting the best player in the draft....Saquon Barkley...and getting a player that can help your defense become elite in Minkah Fitzpatrick at #4. If you don't take Mayfield #1, you probably don't get Baker Mayfield. I think when the dust settles, he is the first QB taken in the draft. The thing is, since they have the #1 overall pick, it will be decided prior to free agency. Either they are going #1 overall QB or they are going all in on Kirk Cousins...it won't be both.
I gotta admit...The idea of signing Kirk Cousins, and then using the #1 and #4 picks on Barkley and Fitzpatrick is just....
I've been saying that since the notion of signing Cousins first surfaced....We agree on that. There's no way they are going to sign him and then turn around and spend a top 5 pick on a QB...
Here's the other thing to digest: 2017 DeShone Kizer Hue Jackson calling 65% pass plays, with Isaiah Crowell running 85% of the remaining 35% run plays, throwing to Seth Devalve, Rashard Higgins, Ricardo Lewis and David Njoku(the second half of the season) for the majority of the time for receivers... 2018 with my roster Todd Haley calling 60% pass plays, with Saquon Barkley and Sony Michel running the majority of the 40% run plays, throwing to Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, Marqise Lee and David Njoku (still having Duke Johnson as an outlet as well as both Barkley and Michel who can catch the ball proficiently)....I'd like to think even DeShone Kizer would improve markedly in that situation.
Why wouldn't he? Its not like that cap space money is sitting in one of Haslam's bank accounts drawing interest. Its a spreadsheet number only. No different than headcounts on a roster. {edit} After thinking about this . . . It IS real money. Its just in an NFL bank account.
He's the guy I would go with at #1 without even thinking twice...But I'm going to get behind whomever the Browns select. Seems like it'll be Mayfield or Allen if I was guessing... I just don't want to go through another ridiculous season like 2017...We must add a veteran QB to this roster. I'm hoping we make a deal for Alex Smith, if our plan is to take a QB high in the draft. I can't think of a better bridge QB...We have the money to add a couple years to his deal. Let's get this done, or lets get the Cousins plan done. Either way, lets spend some money and fix this QB quagmire that never seems to end for us...
OPTION #2, you save about $8M in cap space with the following differences. You lose top veteran, gain top draft prospect at QB. Sign 2nd tier veteran to play until rookie is ready. Replace RT with the top tackle in free agency, have him in case Joe Thomas doesn't return and protect new rookies blind side....LOSE the top RB in the draft (imho, potentially could become the best in the NFL)...**However, with the added cap space, you could also go out and "steel" away Le'Veon Bell in free agency for a cool $15M/year over 4 years.... QB **Baker Mayfield draft #1, **Chase Daniel Free Agency /DeShone Kizer(backup developmental only), LT Joe Thomas (He's coming back), LG Joel Bitonio, C JT Tretter, Austin Reiter (retain) RG Kevin Zeitler, Spencer Drango(retain) RT **Nate Solder Free Agency/Shon Coleman, **Nick Gates Draft #97 TE 1 David Njoku TE 2 Seth DeValve/Randall Telfer WR1 Josh Gordon(This was glaring until week 13 and easily could be again) WR2 **Jarvis Landry Free Agency, **Marqise Lee Free Agency WR3 Corey Coleman, **Equanimeous St. Brown Draft #65 RB1 **Sony Michel Draft #63 RB2 Duke Johnson, FB Dan Vitale RDE Myles Garrett, Nate Orchard(retain) RDT Trevon Coley/Caleb Brantley LDT Danny Shelton/Larry Ogunjobi LDE Emmanuel Ogbah/Carl Nassib SLB Jamie Collins, James Burgess(retain) MLB Joe Schobert, **Rashaan Evans Draft #35 WLB Christian Kirksey, **Skai Moore Draft #119 LCB **Josh Jackson Draft #33, **Kyke Fuller Free Agency, Jason McCourty (getting old) SS Jabrill Peppers, **Duke Ihenacho Free Agency, Derrick Kindred(retain) FS **Minkah Fitzpatrick Draft #4, **Bradley McDougald Free Agency RCB **Trumaine Johnson Free Agency/Jamar Taylor NCB Briean Boddy-Calhoun P Britton Coquitt LS Charley Hughlett K **Competition in camp Zane Gonzalez(retain)
The point of these two posts is ONLY to show, this team has a lot of assets to transcend this roster into something 1000% better than it was in 2017. Dorsey needs to go out and make the deals happen, then draft smart. IF he does that, this will be a different team in 2018.
I couldn't agree more. The thing I don't understand is, why was Sashi not spending it?? Why didn't we just match Pryor's deal? Why did we let Gipson leave? Or Schwartz? etc...It just seemed SO stupid to let good players, that wanted to stay, walk out the door, when we had the best cap situation in the league. I guess I always just assumed Sashi wasn't spending the money because the boss wasn't allowing it...
Devil's Advocacy, here, but... It seems like we're looking at a Schrödinger's Team with the Browns. They're simultaneously the worst roster in professional sport incapable of winning even 1 game per season over the past two years... or they're the league's best kept secret from a talent standpoint and they've been held back by an over-matched head coach and poor QB play. So which is it? And the answer, I feel, would determine which way you go in the coming offseason. Option A: If this team is a newly-minted Todd Haley and veteran QB away, why even bother with a QB in the first three rounds of the 2018 draft? Add a few playmakers, grab even a semi-competent QB and let's roll. Tyrod Taylor would get them to the AFC Championship game... right? And I'm not talking defense, either. At No. 1 overall you're taking your running back and No. 4 overall is your new wide receiver. Option B: If this team is a few seasons out still, why trade or sign a veteran at all to be anything other than a mentor to No. 1 overall? Draft the future of your franchise and start them immediately... put them out there and see if they can take it. Give them a better QB coach than Ken Friggin' Zampese and a veteran to lean on and ride the highs and lows. Why tread water with a veteran who costs you cash/picks if they're a placeholder anyhow? As crazy as it sounds, striking a middle ground here might actually be the worst possible thing. Trade for an Alex Smith? Great... he just had a career season and will cost you valuable picks. But he's a winner. But if the roster is bad, what's his ceiling? 3-4 wins next season against that brutal schedule? So why have Smith take the reps when you've picked a QB at #1 or #4 and they're going to get the reigns anyhow. What's the difference between 3-4 and another 0-16 season? As @showstopper says, "if you're not first, you're last". I don't buy the Kirk Cousins hype. I don't know which veteran QB I want here yet. I know I want Baker Mayfield at #1 so everything else would have to fall into place around that. And why, if I'm taking what I perceive to best the best QB in the draft, would I ever let them sit? Just some thoughts this morning.
All we can do it speculate, TD. My GUESS is that the accumulated draft picks and the over the top cap space were both integral parts of Sashi's plan and he was bound and determined to execute that plan at whatever cost to the W/L record.
What do you guys think the value is for Alex Smith? Do you think it'll cost more than a late second rounder? That's the thing we just don't know. With one year left on his deal, it's hard to figure...I suspect if a GM feels strongly that he could get him to sign an extension, he might be worth a late first rounder. I'm positive the Browns will not consider trading one of their first round picks for him, unless they maneuvered way down the board...
Right... because Joe doesn't have many years left. I want the franchise to do whatever will set them up to be successful for the next 10+ seasons, not the next 2-3.
The other wrinkle here is the Dorsey/Kansas City connection. You've got the franchise that fired their GM due to "internal struggles" now working for a direct competitor within the AFC. If you think Alex Smith is good but you're ready to move one (and could use the cap relief), maybe the cost is less... but Sam Bradford, who's a #bum, went for a first and fourth rounders to Minnesota two short seasons ago. I think Cleveland will have to offer up a second this year (negotiable on which one) and a conditional next year (third moving to a two based on wins, starts, etc.). Unless he's starting 2-3 seasons, that's a lot of capital to give up for a loaner.
KC is 29 years old and in his prime. No major injuries in his career. Why do you think he would only be good for 2 or 3 more years? I'd say he's got at least 6 solid years left, and likely more...I've heard he is a health freak like Brady.
That is exactly what my thoughts are as well Lym! He has always talked about the plan. The "plan" was to start winning in year 3 of the "plan"...well it's year 3 and they have what might be the best accumulation of assets the NFL has EVER seen in it's long history. Not even an expansion team is given these types of assets. They have all of these assets to go along with a pretty substantial base roster. This could, if done properly, be the biggest turn around in the history of the league as well...the assets are there. #UseTheAssetsDorsey
