DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Tyrod Taylor Headed to Free Agency

Tyrod Taylor will be heading to free agency. The Browns quarterback left his imprint on the franchise in his limited time in Cleveland. He showed toughness and grit during his time playing and he showed professionalism after he was benched.

Unfortunately, the Browns could not salvage a draft pick or any commodities for Taylor at the trade deadline, but his departure will leave the team with just over $15 million in newly created cap space. General Manager John Dorsey should absolutely be able to put that money to good use and it just adds to the already staggering amount of cash the Browns have to play with during this time.


It is something the Browns will need to capitalize on as soon as possible. In just a few years, rookie contracts for players like Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield will be up and they, among others, will command bigger payouts.

In reality, Taylor’s contract is only a small dent in terms of how much cap space Cleveland has right now, but that money can still get talent into the building. What Dorsey does with it remains to be seen.

Courtesy Bowns Wire :

The Browns are Currently 4th in Cap Space $82,452,741 (Over the Cap) with TT's $15 Mil. we will have $97,452,741

I am not sure what this is supposed to be.

Just some FA news you can take for what it is or leave it

It’s not really news though. We’ve known Taylor was going to be a free agent since we acquired him.

Anyway, if Taylor is willing to sign for backup money (about $5 millionish), I’d love to have him back. My guess is he gets a lot more money and a better opportunity to play somewhere else.

He probably will leave, I just thought it would stir some conversation things seem dead today ...

Maybe he can give some life to the jaguars, though they’re in cap hell.

I don't think anyone will give him $15 mil maybe $10 and he could end up in Jax to mentor Haskins ...

Haskins is a Giant, bro. I think they are gonna go after him.

Jax could trade up ...

I just hope that neither Pittsburgh nor Cincinnati gets him.

I don’t see either as a likely destination. I’d bet he goes to a team that he can at least compete for a starting job. Jaguars, Dolphins, Washington, and Broncos all make sense.

It sounds like a lot of money, but we do want to sign Garrett and Mayfield down the road. We also have to pay the players we plan to draft in a few months.

Here is a good breakdown showing why we might have $25 mil in actual money we can spend.

https://dawgpounddaily.com/2019/01/19/cleveland-browns-2019-salary-cap-outlook/

he'll end up in a place that drafts a QB this season ... much like he was last year

So are we saying that Tyrod Taylor is going to opt out of a $15M contract or that the Browns will cut him? (Sorry, I'm not familiar with his contract.) It seems unlikely to me that he would walk away from a contract that's probably 3 times more than he'll get as a free agent.

He’s a free agent.

Thanks. I guess we'll need a backup QB. It could be him for the right amount. I can't see anyone signing him to be their starter.

I meant Haskins, actually.

I think the Giants are looking to move away from Eli, but I see that more with a drafted rook who can sit behind Eli for a year.

He is going to do well to get a backup job somewhere.

Maybe we use this as a way to discuss who you'd like to see replace him..

For instance,a I like having Stanton here as the third guy.. He may have been a help to Baker... not sure. If they coachs feel that way, then I'd like to see him remain, but he's not a guy I want to rely on if needed...

Who's out there with experience that would be willing to be the back up?

Stanton is among the worst QBs in the league. If he plays there is a 100% chance we lose that game. He’d make DeShone Kizer look like Tom Brady.

I know that Stanton can play,, I just wonder how well he can play nowadays.

Anyway, yeah, getting a young guy with some talent would be good I suppose. I liked having Taylor there. He wasn't horrible by any means,, He's clearly not Mayfield, but then again, would he be with Kitchens as his Head Coach? don't know that.

Still think I'd prefer another experienced back up...

I just don't know who is out there. Every year there is somebody. This year the top 3 I see are Tyrod, Teddy, and Fitz.

Tyrod and Teddy probably aren't ready to concede to a back-up role. Fitz might being in his late 30's.

Our best bet is probably go with Stanton and draft a qb fairly high...maybe round 4 and develop him. Then when he is demanding a trade for a starting shot, we trade him. Maybe we can get a 3rd or better. Do what the Pats have done with Brady's back-ups.

This was a good read.. I'm tempering my expectations based on reading this.

Which is why I and some others have said we may only sign one big FA and some depth guys. I mean Dorsey seems to find talent off the scrap heap so we may have a serious upgrade at positions. But I expect most of those upgrades will come on the cheap.

Yes, it was a good read. Hopefully we can transcend from overpaying for players to underpaying based on the fact that we're a competitive team on the rise.

Hopefully we can transcend from trading our picks for players to signing quality FA's based on the fact that we're a competitive team on the rise.

Tradings picks for players is a pretty viable strategy that many successful team apply.

Yeah, I agree. Trading unknown potential for a known commodity. You made trade off potential, but very rarely are you getting a complete dud.

The Eagles, Patriots, and, this past year, the Rams built significant parts of their teams through trading for veterans.

I just heard an update on Alex Smith, and he will not be ready to start the season. That might be an opportunity for Tyrod.

I don’t know if Alex Smith will play at all. His injury was pretty devastating by itself and then he had complications from the surgery.

It's going to be a long road for Alex. Compound and spiral fractures exacerbated by an infection after surgery. He was out and about for the first time yesterday though...

Broncos might be a great fit. I was pleased with a lot that he did. It would be interesting to see what he could do now on offense.

j/c

I think Stanton is essentially a coach who has to be on the 53 so he can be paid like a backup QB - rather than a coach. That might sound crazy on the surface, however, with the dearth of NFL backup QBs...he's a legit one of them...even if not very good. If we want him around to mentor Baker, we have to still pay him like/as a player. If that's helpful to Baker, I'm all for it.

That said...Stanton should be our #3. That means the #2 guy has to be able to finish a game or start a game or two. That guy is not a mid-Rd rookie project QB. That guy has played in the league and was probably a starter at some point. GUys like these:

Fitz
McCown
McCoy
Tyrod
Bridgewater
Keenum
Simien
Glennon
Hoyer
Beathard

Tyrod & Bridgewater will like get a shot to start somewhere and Keenum too unless the Donkeys get a better option.

If we had Baker/Simien/Stanton...that would be a decent set-up. But it leaves no room for the developmental guy other than on the Practice Squad. I don't think we can go Baker/Stanton/Developmental Guy as long as Stanton is here as a player/coach. I may be underrating Stanton here.

I prefer the Starter/former-starter/developmental guy approach. However, I don't think we are that team as long as Stanton is one of the 3 QBs on the 53. JMO.

I'm just not sure how much longer Stanton is in the plans. He was most certainly helpful to Baker as a rookie from the eye test and by all reports. But Baker progressed quite nicely and we all saw the results. So how much longer does Baker need a sideline mentor in the form of another QB on the roster?

I'm not sure of the answer to that question, but at some point, be it next season or the following season, I feel we will move on to a more common approach to the QB position. That would be a competent back-up and a developmental draft pick as the third QB.

I agree. Stanton's time on a 53 is running out...but another year or two at a million or two...isn't something he'll get as just a coach. (We had the same situation with thoughts of McCown as a QB coach (maybe) but his was another 4-5 million (?) a year for another year or two.)

That said...I don't think Dorsey would keep Stanton if we was not a legit/viable #3...no matter how much Baker likes him. But I DO think Dorsey would forego the traditional approach and allow Stanton to be the #3 over a developmental guy for a year or three.

I think we need a better option as a #2 and if we keep Stanton around, I doubt we go after a rookie to be the #2 and I doubt we keep (4) on the 53 (obviously).

What I'm driving at is the unlikelihood of the Browns drafting a mid-round QB to groom as a/the backup as long as Stanton is the legit/viable #3. Practice squad flyer on an UDFA? Sure...but not using a draft pick unless something crazy falls in our lap...which - if that happened - might be the end of Stanton's time here.

I have no idea what's going on behind the scenes. At some point I feel they will come to the conclusion that Baker doesn't need another QB on the roster as a mentor. It could be as simple as a different approach by Freddie. I have no way of knowing. I think a lot of this will be answered during the FA signing period.