DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum John Dorsey

john Dorsey's updated list:

both tackles
outside LB's
#1 WR
CB
depth

I’d add a pocket pushing dline

Right now I think that is our #1 need. And this draft just so happens to be very deep and talented at DT

I clearly remember hearing Farmer say that he picked Johnny Manziel, Jimmy Haslam didn't make the pick.

I guess it is open to some debate what that means and I think Jimmy may have pushed the idea, but at the time I didn't think it a bad pick. Nor did most.

Sounds about right. Keep in mind, the Browns do have the most cap space in the league. We have some extra picks as well, which will no doubt be used to help fill out the roster. It'll be interesting to see how Dorsey continues to build this team.

Hey, I'm excited about the present, but it doesn't hurt to peak into the future too.

My list:

Outside WR
OT
Versatile LB
Disruptive DT

That would do wonders

When I look at the list of needs, I tend to only look at the current team. I am sure we are going to lose a few guys in free agency. Anybody have a list of which players on our current roster will be free agents after the season?

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/cleveland-browns/


Tyrod Taylor QB 30 CLE TBD $15,250,000 UFA -
E.J. Gaines CB 27 CLE TBD $4,000,000 UFA -
Earl Watford RT 29 CLE TBD $950,000 UFA -
Phillip Gaines CB 28 CLE TBD $880,000 UFA -
Greg Robinson LT 26 CLE TBD $790,000 UFA -
Orson Charles FB 28 CLE TBD $790,000 UFA -
Rod Streater WR 31 CLE TBD $790,000 UFA -
Ray-Ray Armstrong OLB 30 CLE TBD $790,000 UFA -
Carl Davis DT 27 CLE TBD $738,084 UFA -
Breshad Perriman WR 25 CLE TBD $705,000 UFA -
Juston Burris CB 26 CLE TBD $630,000 RFA -
Rashard Higgins WR 24 CLE TBD $585,000 RFA -
Jermaine Whitehead FS 26 CLE TBD $555,000 ERFA -
Briean Boddy-Calhoun CB 26 CLE TBD $540,000 RFA -
Trevon Coley DT 25 CLE TBD $510,000 ERFA -
Da'Mari Scott WR 24 CLE TBD $480,000 ERFA -
Pharaoh Brown TE 25 CLE TBD $480,000 ERFA -

I only see 4-6 off that list I would keep.

1. Gaines
2. Charles
3. Robinson
4. Calhoon
5. Perriman (possibly)
6. Higgins (possibly)

Our core will be coming back and we will be a much better team next year.

2020-2022 are the years we need to worry about retaining our draft picks/FA.

Higgins is a no brainer IMHO. He's not going to demand top tier money and he's much better than a depth signing. Perriman too for that matter.

I my mind Higgins stays here without question ...

I’m good with one tackle ...

I really would like to see what DH can do with coaching and weight training ... he has PHYSICAL SKILLS u can’t teach ... with hom starting with GREAT FEET ...

His technique is basically NON-EXISTENT ... zero leverage ... lots to work with there ...

One tackle please unless u wanna take a flier late in the draft for a second one ..

LBer and tackle baby ...

One tackle early and then a flyer later on, good oline can be had later.

I'm of the idea that a team should take an Oline every year in one of the top three rounds

Higgins should be kept. He can be a good 4th WR

Didn't know where to put this question. It seems Dorsey tends to give players second chances etc. That being said, does anyone think he looks at Reuben Foster once/if the 49ers release him?

I think the 49ers were giving Foster a second chance. So, Dorsey would be giving him a third chance.

I guess that depends on who you were listening to. There were a lot of fans and draft gurus who felt Manziel was a terrible pick.

But see, to me all of that means nothing. Many felt Mayfield was one helluva reach. But you see, as fans and supposed draft gurus, they aren't making seven figure salaries to figure it all out. The media pushes certain players and soon the fans become convinced they're right.

But only 32 people make the big bucks to figure all of that out. In the case of owners like Jerry Jones, even those guys making the seven figure salaries don't get to make all the choices. I'm not sure what kind of owner we have in Haslam. I do know he is the man who signs the checks. I also know that up until Dorsey, he has made terrible decisions in terms of finding the right people to coach and find talent for this team. Nobody up until Dorsey had a clue how to actually build a team. We did have one guy who knew how to tear one apart in a smart way, but when it came to building it back up, even Haslam knew he needed a different man for that job.

So the future and who actually chooses our next HC remains to be seen. I'm not sure who will actually make that choice. No matter what anyone says, they can't be 100% sure either. For all of our sakes I certainly hope it's Dorsey and there are some signs that he will, or at least should have that control. Let's just hope for the best.

Yes, a full year after the selection was made and he just got caught trying to communicate down to the sidelines. He fell on the sword. The very next day after Manziel was selected, a coach went on the radio and said Jimmy made the call.

I tend to believe news that happens directly after an event than the spin the comes later...like a year later. It's like Mike Silver saying the very night of the draft that Hue didn't want Wentz and then try to spin it a year later when there was turnmoil and a power struggle in the organization. Or like Hue saying he wanted Wentz or Watson or Trubisky or Mahomes or, etc. etc., etc. but said trust me on Kessler the very night of the draft.

Thanks for the list.

I agree with your assessment for the most part. I would try to keep all 6 of those players you list. Others would be special teams/depth guys who know the system vulnerable for upgrade.

The biggest question mark is going to be Robinson. If he performs the rest of the season as we all hope he does, he will want to hit the market and see how much money he can get. I don't blame him, I absolutely would too. But this raises the question of his signability.

I doubt that Gaines will return next season. (either one)

I could see us keeping Perriman, Higgins, Robinson, Boddy-Calhoun, and our ERFAs, who will cost little, and can at least be camp fodder.

I could see Taylor returning, if he can't find a team willing to offer him the starting role.

It is going to be nice going into a draft without planning our #1 pick as a QB.. it's also going to be nice not thinking about how void of talent we are so any good player will be an improvement and we will need them to be a stud immediately.... We can actually be selective...

I think the WR group will get shaken up before next year.. not saying some won't be back but it won't surprise me if we put some emphasis on that either through FA or the draft to try to find a real stud to put opposite Landry... then the other pieces will round out the group..

Would like to see OT taken high, can never have too much OL talent for depth and it's always good to have some youth in the pipeline. I would say the same thing about the CB position...

my only problem with drafting WR's are that they take 1/2 a season for the lights to kick on. The long term ROI could be great but short term it could hurt. Callaway is a great example.

Perriman is making a case to stick on a one year deal IMO

Callaway is starting to get it now ...

I agree, nobody knows how it will finally go down, but as you said, there are signs that Dorsey is firmly in control of football operations.

He is in the lead on the Coach search. Something tells me that isn't to simply make the short list from which Haslam will make a choice. No doubt Jimmy will have to at least semi agree. No way around that on any team.

It was reported that Haslam wanted to keep Hue and just can Haley, but Dorsey told Haslam we need to can both, which we did.

Owners grow just like any other person with a job. You learn. People can dislike Haslam for a lot of things, but he is a very smart person and he is very passionate, competitive person.

I expect half of that list to be allowed to walk. The six players named plus Coley will be about the only ones resigned, I think.

After that, expect there to be a few signings to bring in guys that the new coordinators have experience with. As for special teamers, I expect none of them to stay and I expect all of our ST's to get overhauled - especially the coach.

I expect more guys to want to come here and instruct agents to inquire about it.

Kinda fresh

I agree. This talk about players or coaches not wanting to come here is hogwash. If they don't, it has noting to do with the owner or management. Probably more a lifestyle decision or to play for a ring right off the bat.

I think we should enjoy the rest of the season. Its fun watching us play, so why talk draft now....

I have to say, while there is a lot of angst about when Hue should have been fired, in the long run I think giving him two full years plus was a good thing in the form of attracting HC candidates. It seemed that before Hue Haslam was much too quick to pull the hook. It wasn't a good look and I think it was detrimental to attracting quality HC candidates.

But Hue was given a fair shake and probably more time than many owners would have given him. I think that bodes well for attracting quality HC candidates.

Sometimes a little short term pain equates to long term gain.

BTW- I'm a much bigger fan of Bill Haslam than Jimmy Haslam.

Ironically, we held onto the worst coach of the lot for far too long.

Yeah, the revolving door we had at the HC position was the environment every HC candidate would die to come here for.

I still cannot figure why Hue was hired in the first place. Seems to me Jimma decided he wanted to get the "hottest" candidate that year regardless of whether he was the best - he certainly was not. His own search committee had McDermott rated the best. Jimma went all Manziel on the choice and it cost the Browns dearly.

Hopefully, he has learned from that mistake and let Dorsey do his job.

We all hope for the best in that regard. His history does concern me but hey, let's just paray that the results we all see matter as much to him as it does to us.

I heard that it was people in the building that wanted McDermott and the search firm served up Hue as the best candidate. Hue was also the sports media darling at the time so that could have influenced the decision also.

I agree ... He is a RFA anyways, so I don't think there is even a possibility that he is not on the team next season.

Well unless he is offered a large contract by another team, in which case we receive Draft picks in return if we do not match it.

Well you have that and then giving 2,5 seasons to the worst coach in the NFL history...

So maybe it cancels out....

Everyone who wasn't blind saw this team was being torn down to the studs. People in the industry aren't stupid. Hue got a shot this year with some talent and couldn't seem to get the job done. Giving him that opportunity will go a long way with perspective coaching candidates. It seems you were enjoying the revolving door more.

YESSSSS, would enjoy more if Hue got slammed by the door, along with some pitch and feathers...

But that's my position, never liked the guy, and guess what, I WAS RIGHT.

The worst coach in NFL history says it all, the transformation of the team once he got stripped of power and then fired is just the confirmation on what was obvious.

I don't mind that you got your wish. I'm just glad you didn't get it when you wanted it. The way it actually turned out will give us the choice of a lot more quality candidates.

I'm glad you're finally coming around on Hue.

And rasta has some weird takes on things, but if his wish was to never hire Hue in the first place, then I wish he had gotten his wish when he wanted.

For those that think it didn't matter what HC we had we were going to lose 31 games is just erroneous.


But the universe works in strange ways. 1-15 nabbed us Garrett. 0-16 had us easily picking Mayfield instead of trading up our assets as Sashi had intended to get our QB this year.


Now that Hue and Sashi are both gone it's clear to see that Hue won the battle back in October 2017, but Sashi eventually won the war.