DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Free Agency Part 2

You lay out good arguments.

But the Dorsey was not fired argument is semantics and weak. Of course, he was going to turn down a lesser role. I wouldn't continue to use this as some type of iron clad argument.

Mayfield was exposed last year for the fraud he is. He is another Rick Mirer. He will never come close to his rookie production. NFL DC have figured him out. He is a less athletic Johnny Manziel.

42 year old Tom Brady had the NFL 22nd rated pass block win rate and even at 42 years old he outplayed Mayfield by a large margin and Brady was under duress for most of the year.

the excuses will run out for Mayfield next year.

j/c:

Does anyone want to actually talk about free agency? I posted my thoughts a bit ago. Unfortunately, they were on the last post of page 1.

This thread is all over the place and I apologize for my role in derailing it.

I do think talking about what the Browns should do in free agency is an interesting topic.

From Pro Football Talk:

Packers Appear Set To Move On From Bryan Bulaga

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/03/11/packers-appear-set-to-move-on-from-bryan-bulaga/

Yeah. I heard that and I think he would be a better option that Peters due to their age difference and we wouldn't have to trade for him like we would w/Williams.

Milk brought up that he would be a good schematic fit, as well.

I think starting two rookie OTs would be a nightmare.

Talking about the myriad of holes this team has is aligned with free agency. We all know it doesn't align with what you WANT people to think about how many needs there are, but it's a fit.

Gotta like the persistence in trying to control the narrative.

I think getting Keenum as the backup to reunite with Stefanski (did they actually meaningfully overlap, or was Stefanski not working with QBs when Keenum was there?) would be a sneaky good move. Guy can ball in the right situation, which is what you want in your backup. Depending on his personality, he might also help get Baker in gear.

We better be tampering with linebackers like nobody has ever tampered before. I cannot stand our team, with as many holes as they already have, creating more holes. I can understand Kirksey, but I cannot understand watching Scho walk out the door without having at least an equal replacement ready to go. Who knows, maybe they're confident and ready to pull the trigger on a FA. If we go through FA w/o landing a clear, starter-caliber person at the position, I'm going to be really worried/mad.

I think Keenum has always accepted his role. He has also proven success.

I mentioned earlier that re-signing Joe Schobert would be my number one priority in addressing the Linebackers. This is often overlooked, but he is a 3-down player. That's a fairly unique trait in today's NFL. Saves you a roster spot and should justify paying him a bit more money.

j/c:

Free Agents of interest:

1. Anthony Harris - S
2. Vaitai - OT
3. Derek Wolfe/Shelby Harris - DE/DT
4. Trevathan/Kwiatkoski - LB (Would prefer to resign Scho)
5. Keenun - Backup QB

I forgot DE when I made my post earlier.

I would keep Vernon.

Not only is he a 3 down player he is a leader on D. He at least would be telling our other inexperienced LB's where to line up.

I think rolling w/Joe and Wilson would be good as our two primary LBers. Wilson is young and very raw. He had to learn on the job last year. He was a guy who could have used an extra year in college, but he has a lot of potential w/excellent physical gifts. I think he is a guy whose body will fill out and he'll learn the game.

I think both and Joe [already is] and Wilson [getting there] are good against at defending the pass and that is important in today's game. I also think Wilson has the ability to do well against mobile qbs such as Lamar.

I would agree with these.

At this point in the rebuild, and with the assets we had going into the 2018 draft, I would hope to not have this many holes on the roster. With that said, I don't think it is a mess (if Baker is good). Our offense should be dynamic (if Baker is good).

The defense is definitely worrisome and could be classified as a mess. As Rishuz pointed out we basically have one building block on defense in Myles Garrett. I would argue that Denzel Ward is also a building block just not as much of a sure thing as Garrett. Other than those two we don't have much. Larry Ogunjobi took a huge step back in 2019. Sheldon Richardson will turn 30 during the season and will probably be cut after the season. Olivier Vernon might not be on the team in a week. The secondary after Ward is a huge question mark. I like Greedy Williams and think he will take a big step forward going into his second season. We don't have a nickel corner because we cut T.J. Carrie (who was overpaid). We don't have a safety on the roster with starting experience except for Morgan Burnett (who is coming off a torn Achilles and will probably be cut).

Luckily we do have a decent amount of cap space and the cap will go up a ton if the new CBA is ratified. I would expect we fill in at least four starting spots in free agency.

I'm sure there is a thread about free agency somewhere on here ... oh. Never mind.

Triggered .... .... yuppers ... that’s what it is ...

They're working on that award now. It will be known as "The Sashi Trophy". You know, for teams bereft of talent who have no shot at getting a Lombardi Trophy.

Posted while you are writing about it...

BRYAN BULAGA
T, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reports the "conservative market" for impending free agent RT Bryan Bulaga projects as $12 million annually.

For reference, only 16 tackles currently rake in $12 million-plus annually, and all but two (Trent Brown, Ja'Wuan James) line up at left tackle. It's obviously a tall ask for an organization that's had a firsthand view of Bulaga's lengthy injury history, seeing him finish as PFF's No. 16 tackle out of 81 qualifiers while mustering through 16 games for only the first time since 2016 (and on the final year of his contract, nonetheless). A few weeks shy of flipping the calendar to 31, Bulaga won't struggle to find suitors on the open market.

RELATED: Green Bay Packers
SOURCE: Charles Robinson on Twitter
Mar 11, 2020, 3:04 PM ET

JACK CONKLIN
T, TENNESSEE TITANS

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports free agent RT Jack Conklin "could command" $17 million annually.

NFL executives view Conklin as the top tackle in free agency, so this is not a surprising number. PFF graded Conklin as the No. 9 tackle out of 81 qualifiers last season, and he's only 25 years old. It's somewhat rare for a young, quality starter to hit the open market at this position, but here we are. He's been linked to the Browns and the Jets this offseason, although others will definitely be in the mix.

SOURCE: NFL.com
Mar 11, 2020, 12:24 PM ET

CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY
LB, UNSIGNED FREE AGENT

Free agent LB Christian Kirksey is visiting the Raiders on Wednesday.

Kirksey reportedly lined up at least three visits immediately after his release from the Browns, and we now know Las Vegas was one of them. The Raiders need linebacker help, and Kirksey is one of the top options on the market. If they strike out with Kirksey, expect Vegas to address the position with a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

RELATED: Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders
SOURCE: NFL.com
Mar 11, 2020, 12:10 PM ET
NEXT

Pay the Man.

Too rich for my blood. An AAV of $17 million would make Jack Conklin the second highest paid offensive linemen in the league.

I guess I shouldn't say "too rich for my blood" a lot of it depends on how the contract is structured.

and two years down the road, it will look like an amazingly reasonable deal. That's just how it works.

He's the best available OT, so he will get this season's best available dollar.

I'd go with that number, or close to it, and front load the snot out of it and make it for six years.

I liked your post justv to see you get triggered.

Lane Johnson gets 4-year, $72M extension with Eagles

Howie Roseman is investing wisely -- he's spending on the big men up front.

The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed with All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson on a four-year, $72 million contract extension, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported. Johnson's extension with Philadelphia includes $54.595 million guaranteed, Garafolo added.

Johnson's extension comes less than a month after the Roseman's Eagles locked up All-Pro guard Brandon Brooks to a contract that made him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. With an $18 million annual average and the aforementioned guaranteed cash, Philadelphia will boast the highest-paid tackle in the league, as well.

It's money well spent. Johnson is the best run-blocking tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranks as the 16th-best pass-blocking tackle in the NFL, allowing just 23 pressures on 387 passing downs.

Perhaps most importantly, the Eagles got a taste of life without Johnson last week when he couldn't play due to a concussion. Rookie tackle Andre Dillard attempted to fill in in his first start at right tackle in his career at any level, was benched by halftime and veteran swing tackle Halipoulivaati Vaitai didn't fare much better.

Philadelphia breathed a collective sigh of relief when Johnson was cleared for contact this week and participated fully in practice Friday. They can sleep peacefully knowing he'll be an Eagle well beyond 2020.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001...ion-with-eagles

People can't base the cost of a player on existing contracts that are 2 or 3 years old. This is what a top flight RT is getting paid these days.

And there is the market value, right there.

I can look it up, but does anyone know the details of Bulaga's lengthy injury history?"

Teller didn't start until week 9. The game where Greg Robinson got ejected sticks in the mind as a major reason why the OL gets blamed for Baker's struggles. Mayfield got obliterated multiple times that game and never really looked as good as when he was playing well his rookie year afterwards. Hopefully he bounces back and doesn't go the way of the broken Browns' QB.

I don't remember him looking like he did during his rookie year the entire season.

J/c

So Conklin will want what Johnson got, or thereabout

I guess the argument is whether he is a top flight right tackle.

J/C

Bulaga has only started all 16 regular season games 2 out of 10 years. He missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL.

If cutting Kirksey was any indication, I doubt we bring in an over 30 OT with an injury history who wants to be amongst the most highly paid OTs.

It also makes me question Peters and Trent Williams.

Conklin didn't get his 5th year option picked up because of knee and concussion issues, which makes me wonder how real our interest is in him as well.

I wonder if the Dillard and Alshon trade rumor might have legs. Lane Johnson might shift to LT. ...Jordan Mailata moves in at RT. I liked the idea more before I looked at the Eagles OL depth with Peters and Vaitai free agents.

According to the PFF rankings that have been posted he is one of the top RT's ranked.

Top or top flight?

* During the 2012 NFL season, Bulaga injured his hip and in November was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

* Bulaga suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during training camp workouts on August 4, 2013. He missed the entire 2013 season.

* November 29, 2015, Bulaga was sidelined with an ankle sprain. He was later declared inactive for Week 13 against the Detroit Lions.

* During Monday Night Football against the Lions in Week 9, November 6, 2017, Bulaga was carted off the field with a left knee injury. The next day, it was revealed that his left knee was diagnosed with a torn ACL, putting Bulaga out for the rest of the 2017 season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Bulaga

Four years as a pro Conklin has played 16 games every season with the exception of 2018 when he played nine. That would include starting all 16 games in 2019.

Thank you.

Good grief! Really?