DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Cut Dwayne Bowe?

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/10/cleveland_browns_big-money_sig.html

BEREA, Ohio – The world celebrated Back to the Future Day on Wednesday.

If Browns general manager Ray Farmer could travel through time he'd likely hop in the DeLorean and order Doc Brown and Marty McFly to throw it in reverse.

The 2014 NFL Draft? You betcha. The first stop, however, would be March 20 when the Browns opted to sign Dwayne Bowe to a two-year, $12.5 million deal with $9 million guaranteed.

The wide receiver still might contribute to the team's cause, but coach Mike Pettine made it clear Wednesday the 31-year-old remains down the depth chart and appears no closer to seeing the field.

The top four receivers "are entrenched," Pettine said, despite the fact only one (Travis Benjamin) has caught a touchdown pass six games into the season. Wideout Marlon Moore also is prioritized based on his special-teams work.

It doesn't say much for Bowe, who's been inactive four times and taken just 12 snaps. It seems to say plenty about what the coaching staff thinks of Farmer's signing.

The general manager isn't expected to address the media again until at least midseason so we're not sure what he's thought of Pettine's handling of his pricey import, a healthy scratch the past two weeks.

The next time Farmer speaks he'll be asked for his assessment of 2014 first-round picks Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel and 2015 first rounders Danny Shelton and Cameron Erving. Among the quartet only Shelton plays regularly and, by the nose guard's admission, isn't having the desired impact as of yet.

Farmer also can discuss the progress of specialists Andy Lee and Travis Coons, left guard Joel Bitonio, corner Tramon Williams, running back Duke Johnson and quarterback Josh McCown, who's performed better than many expected despite a 1-3 record.

But it's the Bowe signing, which appears to grow worse by the week if only because the amount of guaranteed money. And when it comes to the former Chiefs wideout, March 20 and the 2014 NFL draft are intertwined

Farmer drew criticism for not selecting a wideout in the receiver-rich draft a year ago: Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, Martavis Bryant, John Brown, Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin, Sammy Watkins, Jarvis Landry, Allen Robinson. The GM defended his decision by pointing to the success of the Seahawks, who don't possess a front-line wideout but made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.

Lets forget for a moment good quarterbacks like Russell Wilson routinely raise the level of supporting casts. Focus on the fact Farmer paid serious coin to Bowe, a former front-liner who didn't catch a TD pass a year ago.

After missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury, he's compiled two targets and no catches. The Browns desperately need a big body other than Gary Barnidge to help their red-zone offense, yet the coaches aren't willing to play the 6-foot-2, 222-pound Bowe.

It's sometimes difficult to project how a rookie will transition into the league or a free agent will play in a new setting. Farmer's familiarity with Bowe, however, dates to their days together in Kansas City. His targets have been dwindling for four straight seasons. His ability to gain separation from defensive backs also has been in decline.

Bowe has enjoyed a productive career. He also seems like a decent person. He hasn't been a problem in the locker room like former Browns malcontent Ben Tate.

The receiver still has 10 games to prove he's a "big red-zone threat." It's too early to rank him among the Browns' great free-agent disappointments, but Bowe is nearly making as much guaranteed money as Andrew Hawkins, Brian Hartline, Benjamin and Gabriel combined ($10.277 million).

Translating Pettine's comments from Wednesday: he might need one of the "entrenched" four to suffer an injury before Bowe sees the field again.

Oh, to be able to go back in time.

Let me also add: Brian Hartline has been a massive disappointment (nearly invisible) thus far as well

would have rather kept Miles Austin. jmo

Is it because he is not being targeted? And why would that be? I don't pretend to know...

Dwayne Bowe ‘playing like a Brown,’ John DeFilippo says

“Dwayne has been great,” DeFilippo said. “He has been great since he stepped foot in this building. For a guy that had as much success has he has had, he bought into what we our doing. He bought into our plan and playing like a Brown.





Each Thursday, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo's comment on Bowe is the same: “It's a long season. We're going to need Dwayne before it's over.”

Was thinking the same thing. He was a surprise last year.

Just a wondering-out-loud question that has been rattling around in my head the past few days, and I'm not sure where to look up the answers:

Each team must spend a minimum portion of the salary cap in real dollars each year. The Browns notably had a TON of cap space heading into this season, which means that we also likely were really, really low in the "real dollars" for the season department. All of Bowe's money is guaranteed, which means that he counts as "real dollars".

What are the chances that he was signed simply because we needed to spend the money to satisfy the CBA's rules on spending minimums?

For sure. More production, better reliability and at a much, much cheaper cost.

There's nothing anyone can say about Bowe that's of a positive nature. That would least be taken seriously anyway.

DBN presents an detailed and thorough explanation as to what the 89% minimum spending requirement is in the NFL, and where the Cleveland Browns stand when it comes to cap hits vs. cash spends.

http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2015/3/9/81...9-cash-spending

That would make Farmer even dumber than I think he is.

signing Bowe to just "meet a salary cap requirement" is beyond idiotic IMO ... that doesn't mean we didn't do that though

You do tend to make some funny comments.

Thanks bro ... the humor on this board can help mask the sadness of the franchise

Best comment so far: "What are the Browns gonna need Dwayne Bowe for? A loan?" LMAO

Thanks for the laugh. I really need it!

I have a theory. I think Pettine would be happy to be rid of Bowe, but knows Farmer is not going to cut him. So, by making him a healthy scratch every week, he is pretty much guaranteeing that Bowe's time in the league is over.

I was good with the signing, but had no real idea about Bowe, just some memories of him making some big catches years back. I have also gave Farmer the benefit of the doubt, but no more.

I want Pettine to stay as coach, but Haslam needs to dump Farmer. IMO, his choice of players is what is setting this team back.

O'Neil needs to go too.

If Bowe wasn't making his current salary, then he would have been cut a long time ago (like Nate Burleson last year).

Keeping a player on the roster just because he makes a lot of money is dumb.

That just doesn't make sense to me. I can't see a Head Coach without the pedigree of Bill Belichick pulling that sort of stunt. If Bowe was able (and willing) to contribute to the offense, Pettine would have him dressed at the very least.

There is definitely more to this story, but I'd be more inclined to believe that the fault lies with Bowe. He's the one with the guaranteed paycheck - whether we cut him or not. He's the ONLY one with anything to gain by sitting (as in, he could have decided to take this contract and then willingly not play - last big payday with none of the mileage on his body).

The other stuff smacks of way too much soap opera-ish pettiness that you'd think it was a fight between feuding 3rd graders -- and this supposes that there is even a feud there at all.

In the end, however, the only loss is Haslam's cash. Bowe doesn't have anything to offer this offense at this point and the Midget Brigade is getting it done without him every bit as well as they would with him - so, it's really no big deal.

I don't care about the cash - it's not MY money. The roster spot is valuable to the team, but again, he's an inactive every week, so he's actually helping one lucky youngster on the 53 get looks each week that might otherwise not get to be active.

IMO, he is not willing to play special teams, thus he is not used.

He has to have some redzone value, you would think.

Something sure is fishy here.

Pettine doesn't strike me as the kind of "cut off my nose to spite my face" guy he would need to be in order to hold Bowe out only to make a point. The guy wants/needs to win, and I'm pretty sure he's going to play the people that will help him do that. I think the issue (whatever it may be) begins and ends with Bowe.

Him slacking through his routes and letting passes bounce off his chest confirms this, for me.

It seems you are making excuses for a bad acquisition.

Our red zone offense has been bad. A big reason for that is because we don't have a big receiver to body-up for the ball in tight quarters.

Giving Bowe that much money was a mistake and no amount of excuses will change that.

Thanks for allowing Martavis Bryant to go to the Steelers

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I don't know if it was simply for that reason, but it could have been a big part. It is easier to sell it around the locker room, spending on a vet who has had a decent career over simply awarding a big contract to a 3rd year player who has only played on special teams.

That is what bugs me about some people. They act like the team is spending their money. The fact is teams have to spend so much money per year. I'd bet you can look at any other team and find players making way more then their production would dictate.

Nice point Purp....almost salary cap in reverse.

So, we couldn't have spent that money on guys like Marshall, Crabtree, Murray, etc?

Nice point? Seriously?

If the team was so hell bent on hitting the magical cap # they could have given Gipson a contract. I can't believe for one second this team is so inept that they threw money away on Bowe just to burn cap money. If this were true and the FO was incompentent in their thinking, fire them immediately.

It was a good point. Your point is no less valid.


What we don't know is who we may have tried to sign but couldn't, for whatever reason.


I am not directing this at you because I know you don't feel this way, but some seem to think that if we offer a big contract, players are going to jump. Is it possible that Bowe was the best we could do given the circumstance?

Yeah, we didn't want to pay Gipson, Skrine, Sheard, and Reubin. We didn't want Marshall or Crabtree. But we wanted Bowe to spend money towards the salary cap.

Give Gipson an extension, transition tag Cameron, sign Schwartz to an extension, etc.

Signing Bowe was a mistake as soon as we did it. He had one good season (and even that good season was propped up by an unsustainable TD total).

Also, the salary floor is pretty much a farce with no real consequences.

Like I said, I am sure the media doesn't know everything we try to do. We don't know for fact who we may have tried to sign.


Teams don't normally announce their failed attempts at signing players.

i dont care about te money and the cap thing was talked about before free agents could be signed. they had enough cash spent where they did not have to sign any free agents and be ok.

what gets me. and i am not a ohio state fan or even watch collage football was getting rid of a 6 foot 5 devolope reciever to save a roster spot that has been a waste so far. just can not teach that size and speed.

Pryor is a zero. He has worked out for several other teams and is still unsigned.

Make no mistake, I am not saying it wasn't a mistake based on results to this point, but some of your ideas would have been a mistake.....no way I sign Cameron to a TE cap figure with 2-3 guys pushing that number way up.


It's pretty easy to sit here in the fall moaning about decisions that had to be made last spring.

Cameron would have gotten something like $6.7 million for one year. That is less than Bowe is making.

Also, as other have pointed out, we weren't at risk of falling below the cap floor. Furthermore, there is no real penalty for not reaching the cap floor.

What? You don't think getting a guy like Marshall or Crabtree instead of Bowe for less money was hard to judge last spring?

I am not sure if anyone remembers this [maybe tab, but he might not admit to it] but I recall making a post that said something like Bowe was going to be the most hated man in Cleveland this year.

I think ballpeen has said many times "We don't know who all they contacted, who they couldn't get, and/or who flat out said no when the team contacted their agent."

We don't know if they called about Crabtree or Marshall, or not.

And I think I--and others--have mentioned Gipson, Skrine, Sheard, and Reubin.

Btw------------Marshal was available in a trade. The Jets gave up a 5th for him and are paying him less money.

But we do know they called Bowe. And he's terrible. That is an indictment on their player evaluation.

As I said my friend, you assume those guys would have signed.


I would have had no problem had we gone another direction. All I am saying is maybe Bowe was the only directon we had as a real option.