DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum So.. the first weekend of FA is in the books.. How'd we do?

Bleacher report has their assessment:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2881...t-so-far#slide2

Key additions: RT Jack Conklin, TE Austin Hooper, DT Andrew Billings, SS Karl Joseph

The Cleveland Browns are no strangers to being offseason winners, but the hope is they have addressed needs that will help franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield thrive.

The biggest move Cleveland made was locking up former Titans right tackle Jack Conklin. The Browns had arguably one of the worst offensive lines last season, mostly because of poor play at the tackle positions.

Conklin should shore up the right side, as he is widely regarded as one of the NFL's best tackles. While he may not be the best pass protector, his ability to dominate as a run-blocker, specifically in a wide-zone scheme, makes a ton of sense in head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense. And with Bill Callahan coaching the offensive line, expect him to get the most out of the 2016 All-Pro.

The Browns also added the top free-agent tight end in Austin Hooper. While Cleveland didn't have a need at the position, one of the league's most dangerous receiving weapons in the middle of the field should pull attention from Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. If nothing else, Hooper gives the team another red-zone option.

Cleveland also added two young, emerging defenders in tackle Andrew Billings, 24, and strong safety Karl Joseph, 26. Both players have improved over the last few years and figure to be big-time contributors.

If Cleveland can continue to rebuild its offensive line through free agency and the draft, don't be surprised if it bounces back in a major way next season. There is too much offensive talent for this team to fail to live up to expectations in 2020.


** I tend to disagree with the part that says we didn't have a need at TE.. Other than that I pretty well agree w BR

I’d give us an A honestly .. we addressed two huge holes with good players and really didn’t break the bank in either case.

We may have overpaid a tad for Keenum, but having a backup who’s started (successfully) in this system is valuable

I think one should consider what we have done and not done at the LBer and at safety before assigning an "A" to this FA period.

What if that was by design? Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was. If so.. ipso facto I would infer that the design is attack those positions at/in the draft.

If all that is true then I would tend to regard the FA as a success. They attended to the needs in FA and we are hoping the plan is to address draft with BPA strategies

I would give them a solid B. They have addressed some holes and filled them with decent players and didn't ransom the farm to help our space. These are addressed before the draft. A decent backup QB is part of that grade for me. I can't toss an A out there after first week; more importantly, I don't want to bang on them for what they didn't do. Judging anything on what it might be or could have done instead is folly in my book, an excuse to parade negativity that isn't evaluating real actions and actual products. We tend to do that here; it strikes me as having the same kind of irrelevance as cooking "competition" shows where the judge has to badmouth it by way of what they preferred more or less of, not the dish. There is a place for correction, but not as an end to itself IMO. Like we got a huge TE considered the top or nearly top choice available. That and Conklin alone can validate a B thus far. The defense is extra glory if it works. FWIW

I found your post slightly confusing. It seems that it would be hard to attack a position in the draft while also using BPA. That would seem to indicate that your plan would be that LB'er would be the BPA at your picks. That's something you can't "plan on".

To clear any misunderstandings up.. I hope the FO approaches the draft with BPA in mind. That's why I'm favoring Simmons over the LT. Any LT.

If Simmons is there at #10 and the FO thinks he is the BPA then I have no problem with us taking him. We can get a LT later in the draft. I know we need a LT but Simmons opposite MG with a healthy Vernon, WOW that's some line!!!

I like what they did ...

Conklin was a great get and very reasonable .... interesting its a two year deal ... I’m gonna be very interested at how these guys work the cap over the next 3 years ... more on that later ... well one last thing on the cap ... everyone is praising the two year deal cause it frees up space to sign others down the road ... it also means we have to have another RT in two years ... its a catch 22 in a way ... that’s not a complaint just pointing something no ones mentioned out ..

We overpaid for hooper but he was well worth it IMO and that’s just the nature of the beast that is FA ... he’s a nice target down the middle and catches everything .. great addition ...

I do *L* when writers say he’s gonna open up things on the outside for OBJ and VG ... no ones gonna shift there coverage away from OBJ or VG to make sure Hoop is covered in the middle ... I’ll take my chances with Hoop if I’m a DC ...

Love to know what the original plan was at LBer ... what it is now and the different versions of it on the way to get here ....

I’m shocked we have the most cap space in the league at this moment and weren’’t more aggressive with some of the top safeties or LBers ... i don’t know enough about what was out there to talk specifics or even know if there wasn’t much if anything out there on D .. i know there was no good options at LT and we got the best tackle and the on the market ,,, and there both good players ...

Will be interesting to watch the rest unfold ... extremely happy with the O right now and looking forward to see what unfolds on D the rest of the off season ...

Go get um Andy ...

One week in and we picked up a staring RT (where we were poor), a starting TE who was the best on the market at a position of need, a young starting SS (where we had no one), a young, progressing run-stuffing DE (where we had an old-ish one) and a terrific backup QB who could be here for 5+ years...

I don't know how that's not an A.

I don't think they are done at replacing the ONE LB we had - and unfortunately lost - who was any good or actually played meaningful snaps last year.

Diam,

Did you just state that we overpaid a skill position receiving option...but it was worth it?

Ducks...covers head...runs...and apologizes in advance if that snark starts a Vice Grips value argument.

so your setting the grading scale for all of us

Is that what you get out of "I think one should consider"?

Well I like what they have done - a lot.

Can they fix every need and upgrade every position in FA? No. So we still have some big holes and areas of need.

But I think with the signing of Conklin we ease the pressure of "needing" to sign the best OT at 10 and it gives us options in the draft. For those dreaming of Simmons I don't see any scenario where he drops to 10.

I love the Hooper signing and I love the idea of having two very good receiving TE's lining up when we are in a 2 TE formation. Njoku still has the potential to grow into something special - physically he is a freak - but he's also been woefully inconsistent. Hooper to me - highest paid TE in the NFL or not - was a great signing given the scheme we plan to run.

I love signing a good FB that is more than 1 dimensional - and I love signing a quality back up QB.

I like the Joseph and Billings signings - Joseph has a higher ceiling than any of the Safeties we had on the team last year - I hope we find a way to play to his strengths and avoid exploiting his short comings. A new team and scenery might be what he needs to reach the potential he showed and made him the 14th overall pick in the draft. I think the Sendejo is OK. I think he can start at FS and not be a down grade.

All the other signings? Meh. Depth or camp fodder. Hoping we are not relying on them, if any one of them surprises - great. But I'm not hoping or expecting anything.

Big holes left to fill? Potentially every LB position ! Mack showed coverage flashes - BJ Goodson *might* be ok? But again - uninspiring if that's the plan. . . I'd love to see a play maker at FS, or a young guy to learn for a year and/or push Sendejo for playing time. Another OT opposite Conklin. Sure - holes to fill but manageable with the draft and roster cuts and maybe another signing before the end of FA.

I think one should consider that this is a message board and participants should be allowed to state what they wish without someone trying to control the narrative...at least that's what I got out of it.

I think one should consider not using the phrase "one should consider". Instead of using phrases like that, just state your opinion and move on.

For example...I'm giving this FO a B-/C+ since I don't feel they've adequately addressed the safety and linebacker positions. /post

If we made VG the highest paid WR I’d agree with the menZas ...

Anyone with eyes and a clue knows the value VG brings to this team ... some only understand and base everything off stats ... that’s a shame ...

My favorite part is them saying that Hoop was a good deal but VG is overpaid ... ...

You guys are really reaching on this one. But I'm not surprised.

So you're saying the posters who keep using Baker's stats and interceptions as if that was proof of his play last year - without factoring in when the picks occurred (several were late game "throw it up and pray" when we were miles behind) - without factoring in how many interceptions came off catchable balls where the receiver tipped the ball to the defender - without factoring in how many catahcable balls were dropped - without factoring in the OL, the play calling, the star WR who didn't know where to line up most plays .... you're saying those people don't have a clue?

Gotcha

I wholeheartedly agree with that entire post!

I was happy with Conklin and Hooper and agree again, that gives us options at the draft to make some moves or get the right guy. And I love having a fullback.

Overall, not surprised that Berry was able to get a few one-year deals in there to plug holes (he is, historically anyway, 1st and foremost a player personnel guy).

I am still thrown off by Jack Conklin's contract structure, though. I thought we would front load it like Hooper's to ensure easy extensions of the young guys in two years.

I looked at Spotrac, we were in excellent cap position. Given that fact, I think it nudges my grade up to a potential A-

3 years, not 2 years.

Garrett's cap hit is definitely only 2 years away, at best.

And Mayfield, if he returns to form, will also definitely need an extension in 2 years.

I'm not complaining, I'm just thrown off by the structure of Conklin's contract.

Here's an early look at the 2020 NFL cap space for each team. These figures were provided by OverTheCap.com and are as of Mar 21.
...
NFL Cap Space Rankings.
Rank Team Cap Room
1. Dolphins $49,616,077
2. Browns $48,495,640
3. Texans $46,001,942
4. Colts $45,958,488

link

I think the Dolphins are a team on the rise. Let’s say they draft Tua ... they have some nice pieces and assets to build

they have a good head coach also

Okay, so you're both correct, ... BUT! it is conditional ... (if) ... (then)...

Stay safe friends!

i liked him too last year

In my opinion we have done a pretty good job in free agency so far with the exception of linebacker. Nothing about Goodson screams starter to me. Taki Taki was injured most of camp so he may have just been behind the curve because of that. If that sounds like an excuse it is. I don’t want to think we whiffed on a 3rd round pick.

Conklin, and Hooper are no brainers. I especially like the pickup of a FB. Billings seems like a bit of a reach, even though he is a backup.

The safety pickups are where I probably disagree with most. I really like the tandem we brought in. Joseph I believe has played well. Sandjeo has had very good coverage grades the past three years.

I think that we added (maybe) 3 starters (Conklin, Hooper, and maybe Joseph, if we can't find a viable candidate elsewhere)

We lost starters at FS/SS and ILB. (which is the biggest loss)

We'll see. I think that our depth could be improved at a number of spots, or we might just have cheaper options in some cases.

We'll see how things turn out whenever we get to see football again.

If it's a grade for the first week (which isn't even over yet)? A.

If it's a grade for all of free agency? Incomplete.

I'd expect we bring in at least one more safety and an edge player. I also wouldn't be shocked if we sign a wide receiver and a veteran left tackle.

I think we definitely added 3 in Conklin, Hooper, and Joseph.

I think Johnson will be a dime/nickel type back and will be on the field a lot

I think Goodson probably stinks, along with the CB from Dallas

I think the FB may be a nice surprise for our offense given the system

I think Keenum will be a good backup to have, though we hope he never plays

any opinion on billings?

There's a whole thread on him in this forum a few down from this one.

I saw a page on nfl that said we were winners by not subtracting. They were referring to the fact that we are keeping OBJ

I must confess I didnt expect much reaction to this post seeing as it takes a good bit of time to evaluate a FA and a Draft.. but dear lord, I'm shut in the house and it's good to get some football talk. FA is a different animal in that most of these players have a track record that we can look at and discuss..

I think cfrs15 makes some good points with his post.. we are potentially not done yet and there is that possibility of a veteran LT

forgot about him ... i think he’ll be stout in the run/goal line game ... he’s very strong and good in those spots. Anything else (passing downs) he’s not gonna give us much

I'm calling it now - I think we'll love our new Swiss army knife FB... bet he becomes a fan favorite through his contributions.