DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns' Offseason Activity

Generally, I'm not worried about this group spending stupid and getting us into cap trouble. I wouldn't mind if we would deviate somewhat from that playbook and get opportunistic with the cap crunch that's coming.

I think what many struggle with, including myself, is getting in this cap hell by selling out to win a super bowl in a 2 year window, not doing it and then having to go back to rebuilding.

I want to be a serious super bowl contender for the next 10-15 years..

On the other hand, I understand that teams like the Indians could have won multiple world series if they had just been willing to spend on their own players and go get that one or two guys who could have put them over the top.

There is just no guarantee that by risking going into cap hell that you are going to win the prize before the window shuts..

The better-run franchises (Patriots, Steelers, Packers, Chiefs, and others) have found a way to avoid teardown/rebuild situations. A big part of that is having your long-term answer at QB. When those teams have a down year, they go 8-8 or 9-7, not 4-11 or worse. Another big part of that is finding productive players in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft. Berry and crew should study those successful teams and copy them. It also wouldn't hurt to steal some scouts from those successful teams.

You also don't normally see them spending like crazy in FA either.

Where the problem comes with that is instability. If you have a long time coaching staff the systems on your team are entrenched with the entire coaching staff and your vteran players. That makes developing players within that system much more conducive. A revolving door in your coaching staff makes that much more difficult. It can be done it's just far more rare.

All good points, the other thing they don't do is make a habit of adding players at the end of their career to large multi-year salaries because that fails more often than it works.

and we're just in the beginning stages of setting up this sort of consistency.
We've gotten in the neighborhood, but we don't have an address there, yet, so we haven't "arrived". As long as we keep having solid, sensible free agency periods and productive Drafts, then we don't need to worry about spending big for one last piece. We'll be in the hunt every single year.

The myth of spending big to make a push is a fool's errand, there is pretty much never just one last piece that finishes it for you, you're either there or you are not. I cannot think of a single Super Bowl winner who got there solely because they spent big on a mega-signing and acquired one particular Free Agent the prior offseason. I recall lots of hype about teams for doing this, but I don't recall it ever paying off.

ok, as I hit 'Submit', I realize that the Bucs who signed Brady, Gronk, and half the NFL *may* be construed as the exception to that rule... but, they bought a LOT and won't be able to keep all of it.

Much of that defense is getting a new contract somewhere else this offseason.

I think there's a place for the judicious use of FA signings, but I'd prefer it be with ascendant players who (a) fill a need and (b) are going into their 2nd contract. Avoid the tail-enders who might be available, unless its a bargain price.

Peyton Manning and Broncos.

That dude is the best.

All the names he just rattled off that we have under contract for only the next 2 years nearly gave me a heart palpitation.

I might be in the minority here, but I would love for Haden to find his way back to Cleveland.

March will be maybe the most important month of the 2021 season!

No thanks. He's JAG at this point in his career.

Shouldn't Randy Moss be on that list?

They traded for him.

That is why I have said it doesn't make sense to say we shouldn't draft Offensive players. You have to have guys ready to step in when the roster starts to turn.

As was also noted, how many rookies are really going to step in next year and make a big impact? Maybe the first round guy, but we have to remember we aren't drafting #3 anymore. When we are drafting produces fewer day one impact starters.

The better you get, more the need to draft BPA because as we can see to some degree, and the Pats chart clearly shows, every year you are having to replace a number of good players.

You best have them in the pipeline or your team is going to get older and older.

A old team in the NFL averages maybe 25.5 years old.

I don't know where else to put this but since I looked it up real quick a few quick hiters.

Patrick Mahomes- 477.631 million, 39.8 million per year, 45 million in 2022, based on Percentage of the Salary cap, base salary 832,000.

Jared Goff, 4 years 134 million, 25 million signing bonus, ... avg. / year, 33,500,000 - 110,042,682 guaranteed.

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Nick Foles, current contract, 3 yr. 24 million, (with Chicago Bears) 8 million signing bonus, 21 million guaranteed.

( I just looked at these as, "current contract" to get a ballpark of what I should think would be a "reasonable" contract extension offer to offer Baker Mayfield, (whom somewhere I read the team would first pick up year #5 the option probably of Bakers' current 1st rookie deal)

Russell Wilson, extension with seahawks april 5 2019,
agreed to 140 million, new money, 65 million dollar signing bonus. 107 million guaranteed. Average annual of 35 million.

Dak Prescott, Signed 1 year at 31,409,000 with QB, Cowboys, 31,409,000 guaranteed, (same for annual average)

Ben Roethlisburger, Ben has the largest NFL 2021 salary cap hit, 41.25 million. In the final year of a 2 year 68 million contract extension signed in April 2019.

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Drew Brees, 2 years 50 million dollars with N.O Saints, including 25 million guaranteed, ( I understand he retiered but these details )
In 2021 base salary of 1,075,000 with a cap hit of 12,225,000 and a dead cap of 22,650,000

Tom Brady, 2 year, 50 million "virtually" guaranteed +9 million in incentives (Tom and Buccaneers)

Kyle Murray, Qb Ariz. former #1 overall pick,
signed a 4 year 35,638,014 with a 23,589,924 signing bonus, and avg. salary of 8,914,504
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Matt Ryan, Qb falcons, In 2021, Ryan will earn a base salary of 23 million, have a cap hit of 40,912,500
and a dead cap of 49,937,500

Baker Mayfield, Of your Cleveland Browns
4 year 32,682,980- of which the same is guaranteed, had a 21,849,440 signing bonus and an Average annual of 8,170,745.

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DeShaun Watson, currently in a 4yr 156 million extension (?guaranteed) in 4th year through 2022.
had a 27 millon dollar signing bonus annual avg. 39 million .. guaranteed, 73,717,123

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Again I'm finding these under search of "player name current contract"
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Kirk Cousins, (Vikings I think), 31 million for 2021,
age 32, career earnings 140,469,288
2 year extension march 16th 2020 -66 million
overall 3 year 96 million
(Had 1 year remaining on his 3 year 84 million before his 2018 with 3603 ydes 26 tds 6 ints.
(( sounds like Baker similar stats in my opinion))
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Lamar Jackson, current contract, 4 year 9.47 million (2018)
ehh is currently "asking" for neighborhood of 4 year 170 million with 42.5 million guaranteed for <-- that may have been written in July of 2020.

That's the last one I did, some notes I took on quarterbacks and what they are paid.

I just want to go on record (as if anyone's keeping track, LOL) that I would make an exception in the case of JJ Watt being available. I'd be willing to trade draft capital for him and signing him to a 1-2 year extension, if it didn't break the bank.

I was leaning more toward the double-dip approach where you bring in a vet on a 1-2 year deal and draft a guy to rotate and develop.

I mean, even if the injured/covid guys come in and help, as far as contracted guys who actually played more than 10 or so snaps last year our defense is:

RDE- Myles Garrett; Adrian Clayborn; Joe Jackson
DT- Andrew Billings*; Jordan Elliott
DT- Sheldon Richardson
LDE: Porter Gustin; Curtis Weaver*
WILL-
MIKE- Mack Wilson; Jacob Phillips
SAM- Sione Takitaki
RCB- Greedy Williams*; MJ Stewart
LCB- Denzel Ward
SCB-
FS- Grant Delpit*; Sheldrick Redwine
SS- Ronnie Harrison

No way around it. That is a cheese defense. Get the short term guys while they are cheaper than usual, but we are going to have to throw draft capital at the defense if e are going to be able to afford to extend the offensive core we already have.

For comparison's sake, our offense is:

QB- Baker Mayfield; Case Keenum
RB- Nick Chubb; Kareem Hunt; D'Ernest Johnson
FB: Andy Janovich
TE- Austin Hooper
TE2: Harrison Bryant; David Njoku
WR1- Odell Beckham, Jr; Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR2- Jarvis Landry
WR3- Khadarel Hodge; Ja'Marcus Bradley
LT- Jedrick Wills, Jr
LG- Joel Bitonio; Michael Dunn; Colby Gossett*
C- JC Tretter; Nick Harris
RG- Wyatt Teller; Drew Forbes*; Blake Hance*
RT- Jack Conklin; Chris Hubbard


Don't get me wrong, I'm all for drafting a swing tackle, a WR and maybe a RB (in case we have to chose between extending Chubb or keeping Hunt next year). Heck, maybe even a TE if we move on from Njoku for cap reasons, but that should be day 3 development guys.

I would be either 1) disappointed or 2) wildly elated that offensive talent that shouldn't be there fell to us, if we didn't take 3 defensive players in the 1st 2 days (barring using picks to trade up).

I’ve said most of the year: our defense needs a playmaker at every level ... DL, LB and secondary. Get one difference maker at each level

Helpful post as we start to measure and judge where we are within our own roster.

Two questions come to mind. First, does the PS enter into this comparison exercise? Anybody been coached up and improved to step up and into a position in your opinion? Two, how does FA figure into the process here?

I as k because some of our depth chart folks stepped up and played well. I guess anybody we have and find them serviceable, that gives us more latitude and options for the draft and hopefully can help us in FA spending. I am still giddy about how we overachieved, so I am enthusiastically hoping for impact players, mostly on defense. But I found the chart interesting. Has to be cogent for this process, I imagine.

The list I made is an "as is" just to help me visualize. It does not include anyone who did not play at least more than a handful of snaps last year (except the returning draftees and covid guys) and does not include our pending Free Agents.

I made it for the defense first when I realized how few guys we actually had under contract (a lot of one and done contracts last year in FA).

Ideally, one in each group: DE, DT, DB, S, LB.. .or, at least 4 of the 5.

The league rules no longer allow Corners to do much to affect games.
Safeties can still have an effect on a defense,
but I'm starting to think Cornerbacks are about as effective as kickers to win a game with any regularity, you may get lucky on a turnover, but otherwise it's just get a respectable role player in later rounds or free agency, as a matter of fact, get a bunch to rotate.
Like the Browns had this past year, and I feel this past years' defense was the most effective it's been in a few years, (except for a couple of games but not consistently)

I think that is why it was stated that corners might not have much impact. If the refs don't let them play, they don't have much impact in a positive way.

I don't agree with corners not having impact, but refs can mitigate their impact if they are calling every bump along the way. Dixon and Minnifield would suck in todays over regulated NFL.

This is sage advice. I like the way you address this with defense first priority. And Purp, I really think the groups you put in there are part of our vulnerability. I would welcome seeing what order you might prioritize those groups into, since it seems we will need to address this in FA and the draft. Not sure that I would expect a pure draft spread of these to provide some of the immediate help we need. But it is a solid list with which I agree. The offense has plenty of room to help itself up IMO. Solid stuff, guys!

j/c:

Ewwww.

There's not much to take away from that. Totally different situations and a WR doesn't do it by himself.

His rookie year, they still had "Good Eli" whereas his first year here we had "Bad Baker" and Freddie. This season was abbreviated and just *slightly* hampered by world events.

It's indicative of there being a difference in production, but it says nothing beyond that. Just saying this to get ahead of those that would take this and try to use it as evidence of, well, ANYTHING.

I know the NFL is business and players will make their money when they can...but thinking about the QB situation across the league...when is enough $$$ enough...$20 million a year goes along long way...at what point do $30million QBs cut their own nose off despite their face? Is Baker greedy or is he really a team player that understands his success will come multiple times over as a $20 million man as opposed to being the highest paid....I kinda feel Baker is the type of player that would choose success at the expense of a few more bucks in his wallet.

But doesn’t the union really frown upon players taking less than what there worth? Or is that baseball?