2018 General Managers Discussion Thread

I have some podcasts and other resources that I listen to and read year round, so I guess never really stop paying attention. As I suspect everyone does, I have a list of over and underrated players. And convictions about what positions deserve priority over others.

 

As Browns fans, we start thinking about the draft usually around Halloween. By Thankgiving we are in "full-scale" scouting mode...

 

O-linemen are easy.

Did they go to Wisconsin?

If yes . . . draft them.

If not . . . keep looking.

 

Just to hit on what we were discussing on the free agent bid thread, I thought I'd bring it over here.

Isn't it true that all my free agent signings are coming in on one year contracts? So it's not like I've set up a "cap hell" situation for next year is it? Obviously, I'd have a lot of work to do next year, but I haven't crippled all chances for future success by going all in in this fashion have I? None of these high priced F/A's are here on long term deals...So I'm locked in on Allen, Ingram and Okung, because of the restructures. That doesn't seem like the worse plan in the world to me in this situation. I'l have about $80m in contracts expiring next offseason, but if I've got a championship, wouldn't it be worth the effort?

The window isn't going to be open a whole lot longer for Phillip Rivers...Just trying to explain what my thinking was, since it differs from the approach of some others...

 

Well I tried. lol!

Still not planning to take my foot off the gas...Can't get conservative now.

 

They are not 1-year contracts unless defined by their contract type (minimums and tenders). Our contracts are not defined but you can probably assume which players likely took contracts at more than simply a year or 2 as far as realism goes. Although there are exceptions like Alshon Jeffery but he was part prove-it deal, part took a discount to join the team he wanted. Jeffery gambled and the Eagles needed to b careful with their cap so that worked out though.

 

Of course...But you know I'm always pushing the envelope as far as I can.

 

Except we aren't going to keep fixing it for you when you cross the line.

 

That's harsh Joe....I never.

 

Don't be a Ralf.

 

Ralf likes to walk the line, but he doesn't cross it...

 

He's pushed that envelope over the edge numerous times.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT
You do NOT have to account for Practice Squad salary cap space.

 

Top 53 roster players only for cap purposes, right?

What about headcounts? Max of 10 players on the practice squad, right?

 

We are not forming practice squads but you can always make a wish list. Normally the PS is about $1.5M for the season. Last year we added $2M to the cap to account for whatever but we didn't this year, so we're waiving the PS cap hold instead. It'll make it easier on us anyways.

 

Ok, this is interesting. On Sportrac, when I go over and click on the Chargers, my Cap space (starting point) used to always say a little over $32m....Now when I go over and click on the Chargers now, my starting Cap space is 34.8m....Did everybody get a little boost, or is that something exclusive to LAC? Not complaining... I got an extra couple million somehow...Just trying to figure out where that came from...

Also, just curious. Why is it that when I check on the OTC site, my Cap space says $23.7m?

The rules say to use Sportrac, so I'm glad about that, but why is there an $11m difference in my Cap space, between the two different sites?

 

The numbers you started with are the ones you use. No matter how much they change on spotrac or overthecap, you continue to use the ones you started with here because that was the actual amount at the roster freeze on February 6th.

The only time you should update any of your cap numbers are when you make a change to the roster here.

 

The best thing about this whole exercise:

I don't have to be as cheap as my teams actual idiotic owner.

 

To be honest . . . Real life demands don't leave me much time (if any) to personally evaluate collegiate players for a mock draft. As a result, I find myself relying on 3rd party "expert's" evaluations and rankings. What I have found over the years, is that these evaluations and rankings are, more often than not, grossly different and rarely do they rank players past the 1st three rounds.

Have any of you found a site, other than Draftec, that posts evaluations and rankings for all potential draftees?

 

NFL.com actually has surprisingly decent write ups of every players strengths and weaknesses, but their actual rankings are a bit odd.