Hallelujah training camp practice has begun... We still have a couple of weeks before the fake football starts. So we might as well discuss a couple of subjects that everyone should have an opinion on, players and their contracts. 1) Is anyone opposed to trading Duke if he actually brings fair market value, what is your view of fair market value? 2) Should Damarious Randall GET PAID prior to the season start? He's in the last year of his contract and if they don't sign him, he is most likely going to test free agency. If he improves on what he did last year, he will be inline for a big payday. You MIGHT get a slight discount of you sign him before he tests the market. 1-my opinion) I think the Browns have a small window to try and win a Lombardi Trophy by taking advantage of the carry over salary cap..I believe it should be all hands on deck and utilize EVERY piece of a puzzle they can to get every yard and point they can this year and possibly next. I wouldn't trade him because I don't think he would bring anything higher than a 3rd rounder from a contending team, thus closer to a 4th rounder. His value, when utilized properly, has a much higher ceiling than that. The only way I would entertain an offer is if it contained another player that would/could be at a higher value to the team than he is once Hunt returns. In other words, if another team has an influx of talent at one position, but would benefit from Duke, maybe a trade could be worked out. 2-my opinion) First off, I love Damarious Randall. I think he plays the game very smart...however...I also think we need to at some point be smart about money. No where will you find Randall's name in a top ten list of any kind. Whether that is defensive backs or even breaking it down to safety. The closest you will find is Athlon Sports, where they have him ranked as the #15 safety in the NFL. Now, that includes both FS and SS, but still... Safety seems to be a position that can be replaced through the draft and get players that play at a high level. I want to sign him, but I don't want to break the bank for him. I would put my dollar amount around the $9,000,000 ave/yr range...I think he will be looking for, and possibly getting, closer to $12M if he hits free agency.
re: Duke Johnson, Jr. Duke signed his current contract on 6/8/18. That was AFTER both Carlos Hyde - and - Nick Chubb were added to last years' roster. He got paid handsomely then ($1.8M guaranteed, $3.0M cap hit for 2019) and remains today the highest paid RB on the roster (Chubb $815K guaranteed, $1.7M cap hit - Hunt $0 guaranteed, $975K cap hit). So, if he wants out, it can't be because of money and it shouldn't be because of projected touches as he was 1 of 3 RB's then and he is 1 of 2 1/2 RB's now. In other words: his logic doesn't wash with me. Unless he becomes an irritant in the locker room (which early reports don't indicate), then hold him to his contract at least for the 1st eight weeks of the season. This could very well be the hardest part of Freddie's new job. re: Damarious Randle. Free Safety is one of the easier positions to fill. You have natural free safeties coming out of college, veteran free safeties available in free agency and cornerbacks who can convert to FS to pull from. If Randle is looking for $12M/year as a free agent, let him go for it. If, however, he is willing to resign for a more realistic number, then sign him. We will soon have much bigger fish that must be resigned than Damarious Randle.
Duke is an asset. He has talent, is a good guy in the lockeroom, and young. He stuck his foot in his mouth by going public with the "I want out" speach. It's his only drawback. If he wasn't one of the first 3 questions at every presser, he would be a non subject: a RB who's making very good money, and not being worked to death or injury. A pretty sweet gig, if you ask me. I get he wants more touches, more opportunities, but what can he possibly expect? If he gets traded, is he going to be the #1 guy somewhere? Can he really expect more money? I'm not convinced, so I think his agent bought his desire to get more playing time (a mistake by a weak agent) and that Rosenhaus probably sees that, and wants to tone it down, and wait for the oppty to make a move. If Chubb gets hurt, or Hunt f's up, he's needed. If not he's well compensated. A lot of worse situations exist. How about the Browns keep him til Hunt gets back, trade him and go on to win a Super Bowl. How bad would it suck to be Duke then?
and Sterling Sheppard is out, plus now they have Golden Tate facing a four game suspension for PED's......Not going well for Big Blue WR's so far.
I really don't want the Browns to go into this season with a huge question mark at Kicker. Dorsey should get Matt Bryant in here, before it's too late. The Kickers in house are really struggling. It's too important of a position.
Phil Dawson thought he was signing a deal in Cleveland to "retire". Should have read the fine print...
That ^^^^^^^ post made me curious. So, I went and looked. There have been 17 kickers drafted in the past 10 drafts by 12 different teams. (5 teams have drafted a kicker twice.) All but 2 of those 17 were drafted from the 5th round on. (Roberto Aguayo - 2nd and Alex Henry - 4th)
And we were one of them -- oof. Looking at active kickers since 2009 with at least 30 career attempts, here's your best ones (by field goal percentage): 1. Justin Tucker, undrafted (from Texas, just like Phil Dawson!!) 2. Harrison Butker, 7th (233 overall) - grabbed by Dorsey in Kansas City 3. Matt Bryant, undrafted (from Baylor - so, Texas) Bottom line... get a guy from Texas.
Greedy in the 2nd round, and Mack Wilson in the 5th.....I think both will prove to be outright steals.
And.... Matt Bryant is still available...just saying. IF they are really putting together a Super Bowl push, Bryant should be added...I don't understand what they are waiting for. If they are missing this many kicks in practice, what in the hell do they think the result will be in a game?
If we play the Giants in the Super Bowl and they beat us after going 18-0... then I will tip my hat to them.
Crazy Crextin’s Mad Musings... The first preseason game is Thursday. We are likely not to see any of the starters for more than a series or two, with a number of players not even dressing. The only thing offensively that I am interested in is how well the O-line comes together. Without solid O-line play; this offense wont’ be the juggernaut everyone is hyping them to potentially be. It concerns me that no one has stepped up to solidify the starting gig at RG. It appears that Colbert isn’t making the transition one would think a second round, second year player should. With that said, I’m more concerned about the depth on the D-line given some reports that the second team DL function better as construction cones rather than stuffing holes and stopping the run. Spoiler GAMES ARE WON OR LOST IN THE TRENCHES I am intrigued at how the LB corps is shaping up. There have been good reports about this year’s rookie crop. I can’t wait to see Wilson and Takitaki in action. At the end of the day I get the feeling either Taylor or Armstrong will be the odd guy out. I don’t see the Browns keeping 7 LB’s. I hope that there is sufficient depth at Safety given the reports that the Browns will employ a 4-2-5 base defense with 3 safeties. By all accounts Greedy is pushing Mitchell for the starting gig opposite Ward. At the end of the day I’m hoping for an injury free outing with some young players stepping up to claim depth positions on both sides of the ball. GO BROWNS!
