He's got to be talking about Vontae Davis, Vernon's younger brother. He came in for an interview with the team recently. 30-year cornerbacks coming off back-to-back seasons of injury who've already lost a step? Yeah... he's getting league minimum or no deal at all.
Guys... you know this is just a post to trigger people, right? I could be way off the mark... but in what world has A.J. McCarron gone from backup to an average quarterback to highly desirable free agent quarterback in a class and year when not only is there a historic number of potential free agents, but also a very solid draft class to choose from? Ignore Jimmy Garoppolo for a second because he was good not great in his limited time with San Francisco and he was backing up a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Talking just guaranteed money, Glennon got $18.5 over three seasons... just north of $6 a year. He'd started 18 career games prior to signing that deal and it was received overwhelmingly as a huge shock (oh, and it got the previous regime fired). If McCarron's guaranteed dollars are anything north of $5 a year, I'll be floored. McCarron is worth a three-year, $36 million deal (sure) but it's going to be $15 million guaranteed with at least $10 million in signing bonus. Like @IrishDawg42 said... it'll effectively be a one-year contract. Moving on to receiver... Browns (and Browns' fans) should give up the hope of Jarvis Landry. He's likely going to be re-signed or tagged by the Dolphins. They'd be ignorant as all get-out to let him walk, especially with a murky/unsettled QB situation. Terrelle Pryor should - and likely will - come back to Cleveland. His one-year "prove it" deal flopped and he didn't have even a 10th of the season he probably hoped. A reunion with Al Saunders should be encouraging to both player and team and he can probably be had on the low-end of the market, which was reset at $6.75 million a year guarantee (Jeffery). A two-year, $20 million deal with $12 million guaranteed should get it done. Sammy Watkins would be huge for this team. Not because he's good - he's been a bust his entire career (*cough* called it *cough*) but he's not coming in at the Jeffery deal. He's going to follow the money only, but we just handed $10.5 million for one "year", so we really can't complain if and when Watkins gets close to that $6-7 million a year (guaranteed) range. Three-years, $27 million with $18 million guaranteed? Running back is not a position anyone's spending real money on - especially $9 million total a season (the highest contract right now is $8.25 TOTAL a year for Freeman with an average of $3.6 guaranteed. Carlos Hyde is not an upgrade to Isaiah Crowell, so even if that parting is mutually agreed upon, they're not going to replace him with an inferior product at a criminal contract value. IF they were to sign Hyde, who's a two-down back, you're looking at max $10 million for three seasons with perhaps $6 million guaranteed. The RB market is frankly garbage and we're heading into one of the richest RB draft classes in a decade. Lastly, is the secondary. No one's signing Vontae Davis to anything other than a slightly-above league average deal. He's been trash since hitting the Pro Bowl in an outlier season with the Colts (2016). Coming off an Achilles's injury and turning 30 soon, he's not a starter by any means. We'd be looking to add depth, leadership or potential replace McCourty's spot (a move to FS for him, perhaps?) but he's not an upgrade.
I get this is the Browns and they'll have to over-pay for talent, but we're talking about tier three and four dudes here.
The bait post is a stopper specialty...I just like talking football, so I willingly take it.... Why even pay that much for Sammy Watkins? He disappears from games like it's his job. He couldn't produce in a strong Rams attack. Dude was their 4th or 5th option at best...I just don't want him. I'd rather spend a high pick on Sutton.... I like the idea of Carlos Hyde in Cleveland to replace Crow, because he likes the idea. And there is plenty left in that tank...the former Buckeye is baller... Vontae Davis is nothing to get excited about...Not sure about league minimum, but I know he hasn't been very reliable.
So are you guys saying those guys are not possibilities or thats too much $? Watkins will sign for more than Pryor so if he turned down 4 yrs $32M or whatever the rumor was why couldnt SW get $9M yr?
Because the market simply isn't there. Your'e talking total dollars, and I get that. If you checked out my post, you'd see I agree with your $9 million mark, but guaranteed bucks are the only number that matter in the NFL. Pryor and Watkins each both deserve around $6 at the high end.
I'm worried about Joe Thomas. Forget his QB assessments. Joe has always been willing to offer his opinions on the matter, and when has he ever been right? Joe knows offensive line. Regardless of how many tweets, which are ALL of good nature btw, you can rest assured that Dorsey isn't being swayed by anything Joe says. Thomas has been remarkably durable. He might have another 4 solid years of anchoring the LT position in this league. I don't really understand why it would bother ya that he supports his teammate with a positive remark... The thing that worries me is that when I saw him on the Golic & Wingo, he looked small. He looked like he was 30 pounds lighter than he should be. I know this has been brought up recently so I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought that. His arm injury is preventing him from full workouts, and he says he has trouble keeping his weight up because of it.... IMO that is hugely concerning. I don't have reason to believe he can't get back, but at his age, ya never know. I trust in JT. I don't care what he says about our QB situation. I think it's amusing. He's humorous and he'll probably be on TV a lot when he retires. But I know that he just wants to win...There are a LOT more important things to worry about than moving on from Joe Thomas.
I don't disagree with you, and I do value what Joe Thomas brought to this organization, but he's had 49 wins in his 11-year career and isn't thinking about the long-term success of this franchise. He's thinking about what's best for Joe Thomas.
Someone remind me to never play chess with Sammy. He has an inate ability to know what people are thinking.
He is thinking about winning some football games...There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone in the organization should be thinking about that.
Plus, it's not Joe's job to concern himself with the long term success of the franchise....He's a football player. Losing is hell.
A case could be made that Joe was, in fact, concerned about the long term success of the Browns. Yes, without a doubt, Joe was paid handsomely over the years by the Browns. But does anyone (besides Stopper) think for an instant that a different team wouldn't have paid him? Joe chose to remain a Cleveland Brown.
