DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Lamar agrees to contract

Can't wait to see the contract details

Got her done before the Draft. I'm sure there was a line in that.

Not saying this is the case, but it would be funny if it was a sign and trade type thing. For example Texans give up picks to Baltimore and just get the guy they wanted.

Kinda figured it was going to happen at some point.

Lots of good QBs in the AFC again. Wow.

Injury Prone like OBJ ... Go Get them Myles

2 of the highest paid QBs now in the AFC North.

Bengals and Chargers up next! ... I figured that the qauranteed $ would be 180M minimum based on being a first round pick.

He got a good deal imo.

Nice contract, I approve.

Lamar in the North means more parity within the division. It would be nice if he'd suit up and beat the Bengals once and awhile, he's only played 1.5 of the last 5 games (team 1-4). Looks like another few years of fist-fights for the division... if he holds up.

70% guarantied money. That's going to be the new minimum standard for franchise QBs. Hurts has the injury rider that puts him in the same place (255 / 179). Burrow will probably push closer to 80%.

Well, that sucks.

The AFC is loaded w/QBs. I was making a new Top QB list while I was suspended and other than Hurst, all of the top guys are in the AFC. It's going to be a rough road for us.

Glad you are back for the draft. We don’t always agree but you have great insights

Can't wait until he starts overthrowing Odell and the pouting starts

Lamar should send Jimmy Haslam a big thanks or at least take Jimmy and DEE out for a nice dinner!!!!

It's funny to think back to when Browns and Ravens seemed to be playing 'chicken' with the QB contracts... before the Browns said "hold my beer". Lamar could easily be in year three of a 5/150 extension if the Raven's would have been more proactive early. I think I would rather be there, than where they are now, if I were them. I'll know for sure if he gets injured again this year.

I might not be right about this, but I think the Jalen Hurts deal was the biggest influencer on Lamar's contract.

If that's the case, it would be only right for Lamar to invite Jalen to the dinner also!!! Welcome back Vers!

I was actually thinking maybe Lamar and Jalen should split the bill.

That would be a gentlemanly thing to do!!!! I'm sure they can afford it!!

Considering PFF Grades for last season and the AFC North teams all set at the QB position now, the Browns have the 4th rated QB in the division right now based on last years on the field production - (Burrow 92.0, Jackson 85.2, Pickett 75.5 and Watson 55.3).

Speaking of contracts, anyone hear that when Jalen Hurts was restructured, this year's salary is only $1,000,000? Can we assume he is set to get a lengthy suspension from the league. That has to be the only reason that year one of his deal would be for so little.

I think that's because of their cap situation, they were really stretched thin for cap space...and why they had to part with some talent leaving (like Gardner-Johnson whom they traded away a draft pick for) and retaining Slay took most of their cap. But I could be wrong

Indeed, the contracts have been getting bigger because of DW, so after Hurts signed one bigger, BAL knew they had to do it asap or it was just going to get worse as new QB contracts start coming out

I was being sarcastic. The Browns were accused of making Watson's first year salary at $1,000,000 so he would have less of a fine when suspended. Apparently, critics did not buy the cap strategy which was the real reason.

If you thought it wasn't going to turn out this way, raise your hand......

You have to remember that Steve walks around with a hatchet in his hand for the Browns.

I agree, Kevin Cole talked through this on his pod cast "unexpected points" last week.
He surmised that the difference between Hurts (a secound round pick) and Lamar (a former first round pick) was about 70M in guaranteed $$$ which came to 180M ... Lamar gets 185M qauranteed ... so it looks as if the Ravens were able to use the Hurts contract to come to an equitable offer.

And still no other team has been foolish enough to give a QB a fully guaranteed contract.

If one is trying to use the excuse that the current QB a team has is an excuse to give another QB a fully guaranteed contract that is unprecedented I guess that works for you. I don't think baker was a QB who could have taken the Browns to a SB. So on that we very much agree. Even though others will tell lies to the contrary.

Th problem seems to be that every other team in the NFL who has fixed, managed or addressed their QB issue has never went to the lengths the Browns did in order to do so. And I understand the entire "DW is only 27" argument. But he didn't sign a lifetime contract. And the previous contract he signed, which was in Houston, he refused to even honor.

Nobody had to "roll with baker" to address the QB position. I doubt many people at all thought continuing with baker was the answer. But I'm pretty sure a lot more people thought this crazy guaranteed contract wasn't a reasonable solution.

Like I said, no other team had done this before and no team has done that since. I think that speaks much louder than all the reasons people can come up with to rationalize that the Browns did.

Bone, I couldn't agree with you more. Your opinion is spot on. I do agree with most of what you say on these boards. Keep it coming. You're one of the most articulate and levelheaded fans on this board.

Not to be picking on an individual person but running around waving the "we are great flag" every year without looking critically at the team and roster doesn't make you an avid Browns fan - a blind one maybe but no more an avid fan than I am who looks at the weaknesses within the team equally as much as the positives.

I don't make up the numbers created by the on the field performance. Though it's true that Watson hadn't played a meaningful game in almost 2-years, as an established veteran - he was outperformed by a rookie last year in the AFC North by Pickett. As far as what Watson did 2-years ago, Russell Wilson was a top 6 QB in 2020 too and has tailed off dramatically the last 2 seasons being 32 and 33 at the start of those seasons. Nothing is a given with the continual changes in personnel, coaches, and team atmosphere not to mention injuries and under performers.

Now, I expect Watson will improve, how much improvement is the question. I also expect that the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers will improve too. That said, the Browns were the cellar dweller in the AFC North last year and coming off 2 consecutive losing seasons. The climb is steeper and the questions greater going into a must win season for the Browns. That doesn't make me anti Cleveland, it makes me a realist.

So, yes, I'm sometimes critical of the Browns because they have not shown they are contenders on the field though I don't carry a "hatchet" as you claim but I sure as heck don't and won't wave the "Browns are great flag" until they prove it on the field. That is the main reason I haven't been participating in all the FA and trade hoopla going on in this forum. I've seen this rerun for the last 20 years and the results are always the same.

The fair-minded fan would of course be highly disappointed in Watson's performance last year even with have missing almost 2 years. A 55.3 PFF grade for a top 5 QB after missing some time is worrisome. Burrow and Mahomes led the NFL in 2022 with PFF grades of 92.0 and Mahomes was 1st and Burrow 3rd in the NFL QB Index with Watson at 28th and at the bottom of all AFC North starters. So, excuse me if I'm a little skeptical of Watson returning to top 5 form.

So, do I believe the Browns will be an improved team next year - YES I DO! However, I know the Bengals, Ravens, and Steelers will be improved too. Have the Browns improved enough to overtake those teams in the division - I'll believe it when I see it.