DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Player News Continued.....

Did you see the video of Mayfield running from cops/ getting tackled---mature and Baker Mayfield??- I don't get it. Mayfield is an over-achiever...some talent, but I'm glad we let him go. Maybe marriage and a few kids will help. He's got good arm, but is short--I don't see him winning anything-- he's a average QB. And he isn't a Brown--- go DW, show your talent this year- finally. To date- I'd rate our trade for DW--poor.

Yep. I've watched as lot of kids do stupid things who grew up to be good people. But I certainly agree I brought that and other things up before he was drafted. But I'm not going to hold what he did in college against him now. I mean it's not like he was in his mid 20's committing sexual assault against women or something.

Kinda surprising.

The owners/management with these reckless contract extensions are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Now you have situations like the Broncos paying Russell Wilson almost 40 million to play for the Steelers and ending up with Zach Wilson.

It is going to be weird if/when Zach ends up the better Wilson for the Broncos.

would like to have Hendrikson

Guys, this has been in motion for several years now. Why are you so surprised?

It started with the drafted rookies being placed on a rookie limit. The money has gone to proven players. It has taken away from the mid level player. They now get cut as they go to a 2nd contract.

Difference makers get paid handsomely, the others get cut in favor of rookies. The way it should be unless an 8-8 team is the desire.

That's the reality.

Yeah, it truly seems like the STARS are getting paid and teams kinda just use the draft to plug and replace others

I laughed when someone said that Miami's BIG THREE WR corp would be unstoppable ... IMO, OBJ means nothing

It appears some NFL teams tend to disagree with you.

Good for Scotty. I watched him play a lot at BG....we had season ticks while my son went there. He was one of the few lone bright spots on some horrible teams.

The price for retaining Cooper just seriously spiked!

Always here to provide the "glass half empty" take. lmdao

Lord have mercy.

And add to this the unprecedented spike in the salary cap. This is why you have salary cap specialists. Our FO has been very good with projecting out and managing the money. I suspect after the salary cap spike this year, they all adjusted their projections and none of this is surprising to them. They waited for the first few big name dominos to fall and then they all more or less fall in line. It’s breathtaking numbers for us mortals but not a cause for consternation imo

Though we may disagree, interesting take by an outsider.



https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...ontracts-busts/51bae7cda2f3842457b2fb4e?

The players on the other end of the contracts:

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...bargains-values/d4afeb0a2b6f72025ba14036

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...ason-moves-2024/69ade758094e66f0da182ace

BEST MOVE:
Cleveland Browns: Signing LB Jordan Hicks
Hicks is coming off a fine season with the Vikings with his rangy playmaking, both in racking up tackles against the run and staying active in coverage. He was a sneaky good tweak to a stout defensive front seven.

WORST MOVE:
Cleveland Browns: Trading for WR Jerry Jeudy
The Browns didn't need to take a flier on another wide receiver with some slot capacity given Elijah Moore and David Bell are still on the roster with No. 1 Amari Cooper. Cedric Tillman and rookie Jamari Thrash are more intriguing acquisitions as youngsters. Jeudy couldn't stay healthy in Denver, ultimately becoming "just another guy."

BIGGEST REMAINING NEED:
Cleveland Browns: Offensive tackle
The Browns could have used some depth and a swing contingency starter given the recent major injury issues of left tackle Jedrick Wills and right tackle Jack Conklin.

This should probably be something that goes from year-to-year and not taking the average annual salary into play as a contract isn't static in terms of making some list like this. Watson could win us the Super Bowl in 2024 and that AAS becomes instantly worth it. But, that said, his contract should still be on it this year as it would be a $63MM cap hit in 2024, but Jeudy shouldn't be at a $4.7MM cap hit.

If giving up 2024 fifth- and sixth-round picks for Jeudy is considered the "worst" move, I'm perfectly fine with that offseason.

Who are this year’s Chargers? Cowboys, Browns top playoff teams most likely to disappoint in 2024
Vinnie Iyer 05-31-2024

The NFL had a dozen teams finish with double-digit wins during the 2023 season. All of made the playoffs in either the AFC or NFC, making room for only two 9-8 teams.

There's a good chance several of those teams will stumble in 2024. Both the AFC and NFC had three new playoff team last season, good for a 43% turnover (6 of 14).

The Chargers took the biggest fall in the AFC, going from a 10-7 wild-card team behind the Chiefs in the West to 5-12, dropping to last place in the division. In the NFC, the Vikings went from 13-4 North winners to missing the playoffs at 7-10.

What 2023 playoff teams are positioned to disappoint and headed for a downfall in 2024? Here comes the breakdown:

Dallas Cowboys (2023 record: 12-5)
The Cowboys have a tricky schedule beyond NFC East play, including facing the a strong AFC North and getting fellow first-place teams in the Ravens, 49ers, Lions, Texans and Buccaneers. Dallas seems bound to slide behind the Eagles as a second-place wild-card team again — if they can make the playoffs.

Dallas had a rough cap-strapped offseason of limited improvement, losing key personnel and coaching staff, especially on defense. Overall, the Cowboys have been a playoff disappointment, but they've been counted on to come through in the regular season. They might not have enough reliable pieces around Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons to avoid falling to 9-8.

Cleveland Browns (2023 record: 11-6)
The Browns, who host the Cowboys in Week 1, have the most difficult schedule in 2024 based on their opponents' winning percentages from last season (158-131, .547). Cleveland must deal with six games in brutal AFC North play, while also facing Dallas, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Miami.

Getting to double-digit wins vs. that slate seems impossible. They are more likely to regress to 8-9 and 7-10 and continue the inconsistent tenure of Kevin Stefanski. The Browns rode their defense too much in 2024, and there are concerns for their offense with Deshaun Watson still not being a sure thing as their franchise QB.

Miami Dolphins (2023 record: 11-6)
The Dolphins got a break last season after the Jets fell short of expectations. Miami also faded last December, leading to their quick playoff exit vs. the Chiefs.

The offense remains balanced and explosive around Tua Tagovailoa, but the defense is undergoing some key schematic and personnel transition. The Bills and Jets are better teams on the defensive side of the ball and are armed with dangerous quarterbacks of their own on offense.

Miami has to deal with Buffalo and New York twice each in the division with San Francisco, Green Bay, Houston and Cleveland also on the schedule. The AFC field has too many wild-card contenders to think there won't be major turnover.

Los Angeles Rams (2023 record: 10-7)
The Rams had a successful season with low expectations, as Sean McVay pulled one of his best coaching jobs. The offense found a new groove with young stars Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, and the line overachieved. The defense also took advantage of youthful energy to boost venerable Aaron Donald.

Donald, however, retired, and McVay lost more of his coaching staff, with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and offensive assistant Zac Robinson going to the Falcons. The schedule is tricky early, with games against the Lions, 49ers and Packers before a Week 5 bye. Getting the entire NFC West, NFC North and AFC East is tough enough and the Rams also host the Eagles. The Rams are set up to be a ripe regression team after their mild surprise in 2023.

Green Bay Packers (2023 record: 9-8)
The Packers also weren't expected to be a wild-card playoff team after the QB transition to Jordan Love last season. They also have a strong schedule, with their 2024 opponents combining to finish 152-137 (.527) in 2023, tied for fourth-most difficult with the Texans.

Navigating the NFC North, where the Lions rule and the Bears and Vikings figure to be improved with rookie QBs, remains a challenge. The Eagles, Rams, Texans, 49ers and Dolphins are part of the interdivision slate.

There is plenty of crossover with these five teams and that will create some attrition in their competitive results. The Packers have high hopes with Jordan Love, but they are just as likely to go 10-7 as they are 6-11.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl...disappoint-2024/43f31f926d1538f6678590cf

Anyone and everyone can find an "expert" that pushes the agenda they wish from either side. All of those claiming to be an "expert" should be taken with a grain of salt. If they were that good they would have a job in the NFL but they don't.

I agree with you. Nobody can predict the future but what we can do is look at the percentage of fifth and sixth round picks that have any real impact in the NFL. When doing so this certainly wasn't much of a gamble.

Umm ... it seems to me that we have, atg the very least, a starter level RT in Dawand Jones ... and a guy who has started for a number of years in the NFL in Hakeem Adeniji. Is he a Pro Bowler? Probably not .... but for a 4th Tackle, he's pretty good.

If Cleveland's biggest need is OT, then the Browns must be in good shape.

I still do not understand the issue with Watson's contract and why it is detrimental. If not Watson, how much should the Browns pay for that expected level of QB?

The contract involves huge numbers... but to your point I think it's hard to argue that it's handcuffing Berry. He's been active in FA and adding (mostly) good pieces and we haven't run into trouble retaining talent we wanted to hold onto. We probably could've used those draft picks, but those are a crapshoot anyway and we've actually still been able to add a few good pieces.

Agreed and look at it this way. 46 million per year over the next 3 for DW. If Baker was still here, we would probably be paying him 30-35 a year so really DW is costing us 10-15 more per year. Not really much when you consider how good AB has been with salary cap and trades. JMO

Bingo.

That in itself is the issue. Paying 46M per season for that expected level of QB is the going rate - getting a 28th level performance over two seasons and counting isn't. Bottomline is the Browns are and have been paying big money for an elite QB that hasn't performed close to that elite level since 2020.

So, if you paid another QB, how would the results have been different? Or, if you paid less for a starting QB the Browns would have been better?

I get that Watson did not meet your expectations. To be a Superbowl contender, you must pay a QB a similar salary.

Again, I still do not understand the issue with Watson's contract and why it is detrimental. It's the going rate for a Superbowl QB.

Watson is not the answer who are you paying to play QB?