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Cache of cash will buoy Browns
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
The Browns will have a lot of holes to fill in the third off-season of the reign of General Manager Phil Savage as general manager-RD%>. And they will have plenty of money and room under the salary cap to fill them.

NFL teams were informed last week that the salary cap will increase to $109 million in 2007 (up from $102 million this year) and it will rise in 2008 to $116 million.

According to figures published by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Browns currently rank fifth in the league in projected salary cap room for 2007. They have $33.3 million to spend. The only teams with more room are San Francisco ($42.1 million), Buffalo ($39.7 million), Arizona ($36.7 million) and Tennessee ($36 million).

Last year, Savage was one of the league's top spenders in free agency. He doled out more than $100 million in maximum value contracts to sign center LeCharles Bentley, left tackle Kevin Shaffer, linebacker Willie McGinest, nose tackle Ted Washington, receiver Joe Jurevicius, punter Dave Zastudil, tight end Darnell Dinkins and center/guard Bob Hallen.

The returns have been mixed, to say the least.

The Browns are currently reviewing their needs for 2007 and gauging the players available in free agency against those positions in the draft.

They will have needs on offensive and defensive line, cornerback, running back and quarterback.

In addition, the Browns figure to lose some players to free agency. Scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season are: offensive linemen Cosey Coleman, Hank Fraley and Lennie Friedman; defensive linemen Alvin McKinley and Nick Eason; cornerback Ralph Brown; receiver/returner Dennis Northcutt; and safety Brian Russell.

Savage said last week that he does not foresee re-signing any of his potential free agents before the end of the regular season.

Danielle can answer this better than me.....obviously......but, I think it would be a mistake to let Hank test free agency. It would be smart for the Browns to sign him NOW! That is....if he is even considering resigning w/the Browns.

Btw........haven't seen Danielle for awhile. I know she's pregnant. Hope she's okay and just sick of us posters.

Nice sig K, love that one, <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

This is where we really need to cram our heads together and make this off-season work.. We really need to stop signing guys over 29 years old, and find real players, with real heart, and great skills.. These signing to plug holes for next year crap has to stop.. We need to start building with young, productive players that have some years left.. You don't build a house with old lumber and we have to stop doing that here in Cleveland..

Resign Russell, Fraley, Eason and McKinley...let Coleman, Brown and Northcutt go... Retain Friedman if price is right... if not, let him go.

We need O-Line and D-Line, 2 each....picked in the first four rounds (if we don't trade down for 4 first day picks...). Second day should be CB and RB. Free Agents should be for depth and experience.... stopgaps until 1st day rookies can play (for Romeo, that should be in 2 to 3 years... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />).

Looks like they have quite a bit of money. Something tells me that with the way the Browns have played, they are going to have to overpay free agents...BIGTIME! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Cutt offer him a special teams contract. Not a receiver contract.

Cutt Big Ted, Willie Mcginnest, Baxter, Cutch, Andruzzi, Tucker allow Alvin and Coleman to walk. Resign Russell to a 5 year deal. McGinnest lost 3 steps this year, how many will he lose by next?

I know its not popular but u get rid of players before they expire, you dont go out and sign them or even resign them.

Resign Fraley if we are going young on OL via the draft, a vet ceter is huge.

Yea & look what it gets you ! <img src="/images/graemlins/saywhat.gif" alt="" /> .. Draft , Draft , Draft .. If you " Could " find an OL , or DL that was just now coming into his prime , Maybe , other wise look at Big Ted , Wille , Coleman , Druzi OOOOOOOOOOuch .. and what kind of return are we getting from Shaffer ????????

Would like to see Russel & Fraley return ! <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

Over spend or not, I don't see a great advantage being way under the cap.



They all pretty much suck too.

What did the rest of the article have to say?

This is better news than I had expected.

We have some decisions to make. I agree with keeping Fraley and resigning him sooner rather than later is in our best interests.

If Baxter or Bentley cant play next year, I wonder if they count against the salary cap.

I also wonder if the Browns would give them an injury settlement and have more cap room.

I agree. With the Browns luck/injury history, I think they'd be better off drafting OL/DL, grooming them, probably not paying them as much as a free agent, and that way, if they suffer a career threatening/ending injury (ala Bentley), they haven't invested a boatload of money.

Yes, they do count.


Not likely. The cap hit would be larger than just keeping them. Even in the event of doing this, we're still on the hook for any signing bonus money they received, so the cap hit for that would accellerate onto this year on top of whatever the settlement amount would be.

Now, the important part is that none of it matters. If we indeed have this much cap space for 2007, we have that much INCLUDING Baxter & Bentley.... financially, there's no reason to dump them. Additionally, if they are on IR they don't use a roster spot, removing the only other possible reason for dumping them.


In short, they aren't likely to be going anywhere.

They count unless we cut them. Then, only the remain portion of the bonus we paid them would escalate to hit next years cap if we cut them before June 1 or be split over two season if we cut them after June 1.

I agree to the extent that I dislike signing the aging vets at the end of their careers. I don't have the same problem with signing someone in FA that is just now coming out of their first contract and is still young with good talent ie.. Bentley.

I'd be happy signing Manuwai or Steinbach. On the other side of the line, I notice that Justin Smith is UFA along with Freeney.. One older guy I gave some small thought to was London Fletcher and I'm curious about Adalius Thomas. Another target of mine would be Nate Clements.

You have to have a mix. Veteran Olinemen are fine.

The key is balance...we need to use both the draft and FA to make things work in the modern NFL.

I REALLY would like to see them make a run at Adalius Thomas. Since Wimbley is the ONLY pass rush threat, pair him with Thomas & you might have a holy terror for a pass rush. The $64,000 question is, how much damage did Bart Scott's badmouthing of the Browns do to deter Thomas from being interested?

Clements would be expensive but man i would love to see him wrapped up for about7 years.

Here's how I would use that cap room without putting us in cap hell for the next decade.

Sign Vincent Muwaui(sp?) the guard out of JAX.
Sign Michael Turner(RFA) from SD and extend his contract.
Sign either Clements(BUF) or Samuel(NE) to complement Bodden.
Use the draft to build the trenches.
JMO.

and you can't cut em without an injury settlement... so it's instantly too expensive.

Interesting. I'm really surprised that Savage is coming out right now saying how we won't re-sign anyone until after the season. I find that hard to believe. I have to think he's using that right now as a bit of a strategic bargaining ploy. "We really like having you, Hank, but we're just not planning on re-signing anyone right now." Might get some guys to push their agents a little bit. Might not.

Most of those guys will probably be released. I think Fraley hasn't done horrible, and I would be surprised if we let Coleman go (could at least be a backup), as long as he's willing to stick around for the right price. Also, with the rumors swirling that Bentley could be out even longer, I have to think we'd keep someone like Fraley around who at least is familiar with our team.

I'll also be REALLY surprised if we let Russel go. He's done well and we've seen we can have him, Pool and Jones on the field at the same time. I have a feeling we'll re-sign him. In addition, with Baxter's injury and some uncertainty about McCutcheon, I wouldn't be surprised to see more Pool and Bodden at CB with Jones and Russel at S.

I think McKinley and Eason will be gone unless they're going to stay for the right price. They haven't really impressed me this year to think they deserve a good pay increase.

JMHO

well, I think it's his way of sending a message to the guys, especially after how we just got our butts kicked. Shape Up or Ship Out.... I, for one, like it.

On top of that, I seem to recall that only Davis, Bodden & Roye got new deals last year.... other than Russell & perhaps Fraley, I'm not sure who has played to a similar level that we may be losing.

At least he locked up Cribbs for 6 years. Cribbs wont even make over $1 million dollars in any of those years. Good value for a long time.

Plus, it's not like the spending spree we've been on over the past 2 off-seasons has resulted in quality players on the field ........ <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Do we have any excess cap space for this current season? If so, can we use to resign Fraley and slot some of the money into 2006. I suspect this is A) not allowed OR B) not possible since we do not have excess 2006 cap space.

Just as with the draft, free agent signings are a crap shoot. Not a big a crap shoot as the draft, but most free agents are available for a reason-- their teams do not think it is worth paying the money to resign them.

I think we need to set injuries aside in our consideration. What did they do healthy? Was it enough? If I define keepers as those who produce, this gets easier. Winning will breed popularity.
So will solid coaching. I do not sit this in Romeo's lap completely. But he is bright enough to see the light; he just does not DEMAND CHANGES from the playcallers. Other teams look faster, hit harder, don't seem to wanna tackle ballcarriers, oh, around the ears. If I will fail, I want it to be with you are playing heady, who seem to give a major hoot about losing, and such. This attitude needs to be fixed. No media til it does!
Da Browns will return. We can be better, but the sidelines decide when that must be.<img src="/images/graemlins/naughtydevil.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

FA's are not going to want to come here unless they're from the area,didn't last year,it will be harder this year,re overpay greatly.
We will be overpaying for the aged,infirmed,or underachiever.

Just currious... Who didn't want to come here last year?

He said that last week, which would be before the Squeeler game.

Personally, I don't think a game had anything to do w/it. Nice spin, though. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Look at Drew Brees, he went to a Saints team that had been terrible. In the end, money talks and we'll have plenty to spend.

Bart Scott, We offered him more money but he decided to remain with the Ravens.

This year he has 81 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 interceptions <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Kalimba Edwards,Maku whatshisname from balt.

Im actually pretty glad we didnt get Kalimba Edwards, If we got him we probably wouldnt have got Kamerion Wimbley and also Kalimba only has 1 sack this year. <img src="/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

was that money or team loyalty?

they way things are going.... we need about 53.8 million to spend on free agents...

Trevor Pryce for one, and the Lions DE. His name slips my mind but those are 2 we talked to and did not want to come here. Joey Harrington.. We arent exactly the place to come and get your rings for a premier free agent.

Spin? What am I trying to cover up?? <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Pryce was I'm sure heavily influenced by the "Browncos." IMO he's a bad example. As for Harrington, do you blame him? He wanted to go to a situation where he actually had a chance to succeed. With our terrible O-line play since our return, why would ANY QB want to come here, regardless of the payout. Untill we build the trenches, QB is one position we'll have trouble landing in the free agent market. As for other positions, if the price is right, they'll play anywhere. JMHO.

My attitude on the deal is this....

If a player is a good player and knows he will get multiple offers, he goes with the team that will give him the best shot at the superbowl.

If he is your average schmuck he goes with the money.

You also have a group of players who may be finishing up there careers who for some reason want to finish in their home town.

The good young free agents aren't really that attracted to us at this point....we get the marginal player, the old guy, or this past season, some guys with hometown ties.