DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Will Cut Hooper

I thought they'd keep Hooper based on no one else in the receiver corp at the time of the Njoku tag. With the Cooper trade and the Watson trade news that came into fold, it looks like they are freeing up as much money as possible in 2022. Still they will be on the hook for a decent amount in 2023.

Thanks for the memories, Hooper!

I'll never forget those passes clanking off your hands or the catch and immediately fall down for a gain of 4 yards.

Watson gaining steam

He wasn't a bad player. He just wasn't providing positive value with regards to his contract.

I wonder if this leads to re-signing Carlson.

This is my interpretation as well, but I'm not sure. Remember, FA hasn't actually officially begun, so Hooper really hasn't missed anything (officially).

Interesting that it took the FO this long (from today back to when Njoku was franchised) to make the decision, but I'm in micro-analyzing mode with everything going on.

The league year starts a 4:00 P.M. today - it's at that time and everyday moving forward that the Browns must be cap compliant.

Salary Cap calculation to the highest 51 Salary Cap numbers on the team and all signing (and option) bonus pro-rations and all rosters bonuses. This rule – the Rule of 51 – is in effect from the beginning of the league year in March until the first game of the regular season.

The NFL's cap is a hard cap that the teams have to stay under at all times, and the salary floor is also a hard floor. Penalties for violating or circumventing the cap regulations include fines of up to $5 million for each violation, cancellation of contracts and/or loss of draft picks.

With Hooper, the Browns carry his entire 13.25M cap hit until after 6/1. Then and only then will the cap savings of 9.5M be available to use.

If the Browns are getting Watson, cap availability has to be generated from the movement and/or restructure of players currently on the roster before signing Watson. The Browns are about 22M short of Watson's current contract after the current moves take place after 4:00 and Hooper's savings are not available.

Somebody has to come back, or suddenly we won't be running pointless 3-TE sets every other down any longer.

Miller Forristall!

I'm not sure if Hooper is the disappointment, or the way we used him is. He was a consistent high production TE in Atlanta. Here, in this offense, he simply isn't. Nobody is, except Chubb.

Hooper was a much better and more willing blocker than I expected. As a receiver he was much worse than I thought he would be.

Supposedly, he just got a ton of targets in Atlanta. To me, that doesn't address his hands issue as well as his immobility.

He caught all his targets in Atlanta. Over 77% including an insane 80%+ in 2018 right before we snagged him. Averaged about 64% in Cleveland.

He fell every time he caught the ball too lol. His YAC was probably not good

This. The reduction in targets would explain lower receptions, yards, and TDs. But not the unreliable hands and immobility and inability to break a tackle. Maybe he needs a fresh start.

His targets can go to Cooper. And as someone said, maybe an end to the large number 3 TE sets?

Actually, Hooper's YAC in 2018 was 237 yards and in 2019 was 335 yards. With Cleveland the YAC was 174 in 2020 and 185 in 2021. As previously stated, he caught 80.7% of his targets in in 2018 and 77.3% of his targets in 2019. Since coming to Cleveland 65.7% in 2020 and 62.3% in 2021. If you're not going to use the players skill set, you will always get reduced numbers. The question that needs asked of the Browns is why go out a sign a Hooper to the richest TE contract in football at the time to cut his receptions to under 40 per year. This was not a Hooper problem, this was a Stefanski problem.

For all you anti Hooper - pro Njoku people - Njoku's catch percentage has been 2017 - 53.3%, 2018 - 63.6%, 2019 - 50%, 2020 - 65.5%, and 2021 - 67.9%. Only one year has Njoku ever bested Hooper's worst year and people say he has a higher upside? How about YAC for Njoku, 2018 - 306, 2019 - 16, 2020 - 87, 2021 - 247 (and 107 of those can in 1 game).

In a nutshell, since they have been together, Hooper has out-performed Njoku in 32 out of 33 games yet instead the Cleveland Browns are going to pay Hooper 11.25M over the next 2-years to not be on the team while paying Njoku 10.931M in 2022 for lower production than the guy sitting at home. Let's not try to close the eyes, Njoku has averaged 30 catches and 351 receiving yards per season over the 5-years he's been with the Browns. Nobody in their right mind should be paying a TE 10.931M for 30 catches and 351 yards - BUT THE BROWNS ARE!

I wonder if maybe he put on weight before he got here knowing he would be doing a lot blocking and maybe that affected his play.

j/c...

I agree with letting Hooper go. Just isn't productive enough for the contract. Additionally I would have let Njoku walk. This is a deep and talented TE draft. I don't think we would havbe a problem getting a TE in round 3,4 or even 5 of this draft that would be as product as Hooper or Njoku and he would be on a rookie contract.

Does this offense look better:

QB - Watson
RB - Chubb, Hunt, Johnson
TE - Njoku, Bryant, DRAFT PICK
WR - Cooper, DRAFT PICK, Peoples-Jones, Schwartz
LT - Wills
LG - Bitonio
C - Harris
RG - Teller
RT - Conklin

Those draft picks aren't contributing much if we trade for Watson. But yes, it looks a lot better.

Will the tight ends drafted in this draft produce this year as much as Njoku though? Most likely not. We have a roster full of players in their primes. We need to think short and long term at this point.

Is Stefanski's offense is built for someone like Watson?

If we acquire Watson and we are still running the ball as much as we did with Baker then there will be major questions about Stefanski going forward.

Or the threat of Watson's legs will open up even bigger lanes for Chubb.

Passing is more efficient than running. If we pass the same amount with Watson as we did with Baker then that is a huge problem.

In general, I agree. With our particular team, I'm not sure the stats bear that out. It's only a problem if it doesn't work.

Yes, I think we should have one of the best RB's in the league and reduce his carries.

If we have Watson? Yes.

Honestly? I think at least as well if not better.
TE's to watch to hold me to the fire are:

My top 3 for where they will be drafted are:
Trey McBride Colorado State (I see him being GEorge Kittle)
Chad Otten Washington
Charliie Kolar Iowa State


My next tier:
Jalen Wydermyer Texas A&M
Jake Ferguson Wisonson
Jeleni Woods Virginia

Other guys ranked high by the draftniks that I am less high on are:
I like these 3 but think they will be drafted too high. At least from what I have seen in mock drafts

Greg Dulcich UCLA
Isaiah Likely Coastal Carolina
Jeremy Ruckert OSU

Ruckert has it all the Buckeyes just didn't throw much to the TE's ...

I like Ruckert and agree that the Buckeyes underutilized him. But most mock drafts that I have seen have him going in the 3rd. I have even seen him taken in the 2nd. To me that is too high.

And just like that, Austin Hooper joined mac in the crusade against analytics.

This board has been arguing for a long time over whether our passing game struggles are the fault of the WR/TEs or the QB (or, some have said the coaches)...

So we traded OBJ, cut Landry (after failed renegotiations), cut Hooper, let Higgins walk, and it looks like they are desperately trying to move on from Baker... so, in the opinion of the coaches and FO, it wasn't the WR/TEs or the QB, it was the WR/TEs AND the QB.... which takes me back to my original thought, maybe it's a lot more about the coaches...

OBJ and Landry were always going to be gone because of their contracts. Higgins was in the doghouse for three different head coaches.

Well said, love it !

Makes one wonder.

After Stefanski's 1st season it was looking bright. After last season.???