DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Fixing the Browns this off season...

webbage stuff

The Cleveland Browns enter the off-season with several needs and an equal amount of assets.

Browns247 takes an early look at a mock off-season for the team as well as a potential depth chart.

Cleveland's biggest needs are at quarterback, cornerback, wide receiver and free safety. There could also be a need at running back and offensive tackle depending on what happens with Joe Thomas as well as Isaiah Crowell. The Browns are in a great position this off-season with a projected $118,046,366 in salary cap space as well twelve choices in the 2018 NFL Draft including five in the first two rounds.

The free agency period begins Mar. 14.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not in a good financial position which means it would be difficult for them to retain running back LeVeon Bell. The Browns should offer him a multi-year package at roughly $12 million annually. It is a steep increase over what Devonta Freeman got from the Atlanta Falcons.

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson was franchise tagged last off-season and he is set to hit the open market with a familiarity to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. He would be an immediate upgrade over anything the Browns have and would add depth to the position. A long-term deal worth $13 million annually should get the job done.

Finally, Cleveland should sign veteran quarterback Alex Smith to a relatively short deal worth about $20 million a year. It is one final chance at a pay day. He can tutor the next phase in the quarterback process while adding some depth and consistent play at quarterback.

The addition of those three players would cost $45 million. It would take the salary cap space down to $73,046,366, which is more than enough for the rookie salary pool and any other free agent decisions.

The 2018 NFL Draft is really where Cleveland needs to make their fortune.

The team is currently projected to have two selections in the top-5. Those picks should be used on UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen as well as Florida State safety Derwin James. Rosen could develop under Smith rather than be thrown to the wolves while learning how to be a professional in the league. James' addition would allow the Browns to move Jabrill Peppers to a more natural strong safety role. The selection is a rare chance to improve two positions.

At the top of the second round, the organization selects Rosen's teammate, offensive tackle Colton Miller. Miller is an insurance policy for Thomas. If he elects to retire, Cleveland is prepared. If he returns, it is only delaying the inevitable. The career of the future Hall of Fame lineman is coming to an end and the Browns need to be prepared. Fans have seen what his loss has meant this season. The Baltimore Ravens were able to pressure off the edge all game and it led to direct points on the board.

Indiana wide receiver Simmie Cobbs and Florida State outside linebacker Josh Sweat are taken in the second round. Florida State inside linebacker Matthew Thomas is taken at the top of the third round. Depth is starting to be addressed.

Draft Recap:

1 - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

1 - Derwin James, FS, Florida State

2 - Colton Miller, OT, UCLA

2 - Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana

2 - Josh Sweat, OLB, Florida State

3 - Matthew Thomas, OLB, Florida State

An updated look at the depth chart:

QB - Alex Smith, Josh Rosen, DeShone Kizer

RB - LeVeon Bell, Duke Johnson, Matthew Dayes

FB - Danny Vitale

WR - Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman, Simmie Cobbs, Ricardo Louis, Rashard Higgins

TE - David Njoku, Seth DeValve, Randall Telfer

LT - Joe Thomas, Colton Miller

LG - Joel Bitonio, Spencer Drango

C - JC Tretter, Austin Reiter

RG - Kevin Zeitler, Marcus Martin

RT - Shon Coleman, Rod Johnson

Offense - 25

DE - Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib

DT - Danny Shelton, Trevon Coley, Larry Ogunjobi, Caleb Brantley

OLB - Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, Josh Sweat, James Burgess

ILB - Joe Schobert, Matthew Thomas, Dominique Alexander

CB - Trumaine Johnson, Jason McCourty, Jamar Taylor, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Howard Wilson

FS - Derwin James, Derron Smith

SS - Jabrill Peppers, Derrick Kindred

Defense - 25

P- Britton Colquitt

K - Zane Gonzalez

LS - Charley Hughlett

Special Teams - 3

The remaining six draft choices should be used to address depth at linebacker, cornerback and safety. A kicker should also be considered because of the struggles with rookie Gonzalez.

Three RBs...A speedster, a pounder and Duke who can be a good dual threat. Pound the bejeezus out of the opposition. NFC North football. Old school football... there's still a place for it.

I agree about old school football. At some point you still have to run the ball be it to run out the clock or in bad weather which we have in our division especially in January in a playoff game.

I love how Derwin James (6'3 220) is always considered the FS when Peppers (5'11 210) is listed as the SS. They have a very similar skill set too. To me, it's not a big deal. It just speaks to the ambiguity of the position and Derwin's talents.

LOL Leveon Bell would be a miracle

Alex Smith probably would be too ... but that one is more feasible

If Leveon becomes available we gotta throw all the money at him. make it guaranteed too. idc, it's not my money, it's scammed trucker's money owned by a crook lmao. but the thought of Bell running behind this line, well I'd express them but they're so explicit it might get me suspended.

Yeah, I'm all for throwing money at him ... the problem would be if he'd actually accept it

Throw all the money you want at LeVeon. He's not leaving a championship caliber team to come to 1-31 Hue Jackson. His dream scenario is 25 touches a game, not 10.

With Hue calling plays ??

good point

I have no confidence that Hue Jackson would use Bell properly.

I think Bell will go the highest bidder, which means we have a chance because we will have [among] the most money.

The scenario painted would go a very long way to help address our glaring needs.

We certainly have glaring needs on the field but we have the best scenario for turning this around quickly with all the cap space and draft picks. We make the right moves and we could be a serious contender within 2 years. It's all on our FO to make the right decisions.

We are also, hopefully, going to have a bunch of draft picks to re-sign in a few years.

Agreed and if we start contending it will be a lot easier to resign them.

Beware of Britt Syndrome with big guarantees.

Just saying.

The best possible thing that could happen to the Browns is if they hired a strong-willed, energetic, no-nonsense, knowledgeable Head Coach and gave him full control of the team.

Sorry to the millennials who despise discipline.

Why on earth would we invest heavily at RB with a coach that doesn't run the ball?

How do you know the tendencies of a coach that has not been hired yet?

Exactly. It won't be Hue as the coach next year.

I think Hue will start out the year .. after game 5 ... who knows

I don't like his picks 3 and 4.

I'm also not hip to Smith. How damn long are we supposed to keep Rosen on the bench? This dude needs to be turned loose by game 5. He's READY. Not a good mix when you bench a 20M QB before the half way mark of the season. Rosen is too damn good to hold back. Get a Vet but not Smith.

He's also WAY to lite at CB.

Sign Johnson if you want, or Butler, Gaines, whoever. But we need to target a 1st Round talent that falls to the 2nd day.

The quickest way to fix this Defense is to sign a Top FA CB, get another with one of the Top 2 Second Rounders and target Minkah-Fitzpatrick or James with the Houston pick.

And TAKE ROSEN at #1.

LB should be the target with our late 2nd or first pick in Round 3.

I don't see Joe Thomas leaving the NFL due to injury. I fully expect him to be our LT next year. This is just me, but I wait until 2019 and take a LT even with our first pick. That's just me playing strategy.

Not particularly crazy about signing Bell at 12M either. Strong RB Class. CB and RB with 33 and Houston pick in Round 2.

Rather see a Jarvis Landry in FA. Insurance for Gordon. Gordon, Landry and Coleman is a STUD trio. And if Gordon falters, we don't miss a beat.

Could you imagine this Offense with those 3, a Solid drafted RB, Duke and Njoku? With a QB that actually DOES hit the Broad Side of a Barn?

We are set up so crazily good this off season. These kinda moves will change how we are looked at across the NFL and will make FA's WANT to come here.

This is why some say we are SOOO close to breaking this Wide Open.

Howard Wilson will be with us next year right? could we not use that draft pick else where?

Like WR or LT?

Im still thinking Thomas hangs it up but believe he will notify the team if that is his intention.
Too good of a man to let them dangle until it becomes too late to replace him.

Josh Rosen will sit out UCLA's bowl game

 
By: Jeff Risdon | 16 hours ago
link

 
  Perhaps the leading candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, quarterback Josh Rosen will sit out UCLA’s bowl game. The Bruins QB will not play in the Cactus Bowl.
 
 
Bruin Report Online
@BruinReport

#UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen will sit out the Cactus Bowl, according to sources: https://247sports.com/college/ucla/Article/UCLAs-Josh-Rosen-to-Sit-Out-Cactus-Bowl-112685067 …
2:39 PM - Dec 23, 2017

UCLA's Josh Rosen to Sit Out Cactus Bowl
The junior quarterback won't play in Tuesday's Cactus Bowl, and is almost certainly going to the NFL...

247sports.com

 3434 Replies 
 8989 Retweets 
 8888 likes

 
  Several prominent players who are expected to be high draft picks have taken to sitting out the bowl games in the past couple of seasons, but none bigger than Rosen.
 
 
 
 
The QB-needy Cleveland Browns will hold the No. 1 overall pick if they lose either of their final two games. The team has scouted Rosen in person at least twice this season, including his head-to-head battle with USC’s Sam Darnold, another potential No. 1 overall quarterback.

Rosen is the top QB in Draft Wire’s positional ranking, and has been a common projection to Cleveland with the No. 1 pick.

Fix is relatively easy.

New HC. Toub?

Draft Mayfield, Fitzpatrick, RB/WR.

No thanks to James, no thanks to Landry. Tons of good RB in the draft, don't waste second pick on Barkley.

I wouldn't sign Smith either. Start Mayfield day 1.

Boom. We are now winning.

This is like the best post on here this year!!!!

Start a QB on day 1 that isn't ready for the NFL because you passed on a kid who is? Brilliant! lmao

I think I read that Rosen doesn’t want to play for the browns, Darnold has also said that, now what?

I've never seen one quote anywhere that has even suggested that Rosen has said he isn't willing or doesn't want to drafted by the Browns anywhere.

Who cares? These dudes have never left California and literally just came away from 3+ years of being exploited as free labor. These guys aren't exactly labor advocates, they'll play where they're drafted.

We suck now but potentially we've never been better set to break out than in 2018. A young QB should have young talent to grow with. The question remains to be seen is who leads this bunch into 2018? Hue or a young coach who can grow also or some old retread coach?

Here’s a link

https://www.google.com/amp/www.sportingn...9g1qbnprje4myd8


Read it for yourself

Agreed....

And once again, there is no quote by Rosen or his family. As I was saying, speculation means nothing and there was nothing in that report that indicated that Rosen or his family said anything of the sort.

Right here. Again no direct quotes, but this is coming straight from Schefter.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2018/story/...and-commits-him

If this is true - I go to him and basically ask him what it takes for him to want to play here. New coach? Done. New GM? Done. New "enter stipulation here"? Done.

Literally nothing matters until we get that franchise QB. There's one in this draft. We HAVE to get him - but he actually needs to want to play here.

I don't blame him for a second. Our dysfunction and ineptitude is beyond historic. I wouldn't want to touch this franchise if you paid me $10M dollars. We're going to have to hand over the keys to the city to get him. This is the position we've put ourselves in.

The factory keeps churning...

I simply don't believe the situation is that drastic. If it were, I believe there would be actual quotes coming out from him or his family. There aren't any.

One word think that IF you REALLY didn't want to go somewhere you'd REALLY make it clear to all. Get our message out there loud and clear.

For most of you who do not know Josh Rosen, you need to understand that he is really outspoken and controversial. His mouth gets him in trouble a lot!!! He is also very brash and an irritant to teammates and athletic staff. This is his reputation. He is also injury prone due to his slight "frame". I am not surprised he made this comment (I would too!!!).