DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum What Now Pt. 2

Congrats to Myles on getting the record.

The Browns are in a tough spot. Recently, Sanders (and formerly Gabriel) has not done anything to show the Browns that they don't need to address the QB position in the offseason and winning the last two games had bumped them down most likely past the two QBs that could easily be drafted by QB-needy teams in LV and NYJ. Assuming that both QB will be gone by #6 and there isn't a viable trade up situation, the Browns have a lot of thinking to do to solve this problem. I"m not sure what the solution is (whether signing a vet or maybe a lesser QB falls later in the first, like a Ty Simpson) but this could be another offseason where our draft spot isn't enough to find a potential Franchise QB.

Yeah, IMO the ownership is the biggest hurdle we have too

I was happy for the team winning the last two games. I was happy for Myles, I was happy for Szmyt, and etc.

I was not happy we won the last two games regarding the reasoning you stated Memphis.

They build a 2.4 billion manure barn

That's one thing none of us has any control over. And that's who owns the team. And just think of how happy people were when Lerner sold the team.

I know I'm a broken record but we won't win but sporadically until Haslam is out of the picture. Until then we're doomed to the Jimmy 2 step...

1. He doesn't know how to hire. He doesn't know how to evaluate talent. He believes that he does. He's also at his core impulsive. Impulsive and powerful only work well when there is also talent or real skill. When there isn't, the baseline will always be disaster.
2. When, by sheer luck, he does land on the right person for whatever job, again he doesn't have the judgement and discernment to recognize it and throws them over when the weather is bad. Which leads back to 1.

Look, I trace ALL of our recent losing to the DW fiasco. If Mayfield is still here, we're $230 million in cap richer either in leverage and/or players, and deeper from 3 more first round picks, this team is a playoff team the last 3. Period. The fact that Berry wasn't fired tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about who drove that trade.

Let's hope we get lucky with the next coach an pull a QB rabbit out of hat. But don't be surprised if when Haslam gets 80% of the way to a great team he gets smart and pulls another "daring" maneuver. He can't help himself.

Brother, I hear ya on his arrogance. His comment on Schwartz was less than inspiring.

But, as has already been said, nothing we can do about it.

We’re not far away (from being competitive again) but Berry and his team needs to first draft the protecting framework before we thinking about drafting (or signing) a potential franchise quarterback.

If we draft a QB this year his rookie contract will end 2028 and at the beginning of 2029 we probably have to pay him $50m ish a season. From a salary cap standpoint it’s far more favorable to draft him when the team is almost complete and all the peaces are there. I know many of you think we should draft the QB first and then build the team around him but in this situation we’re at the moment the first approach I mentioned is way more sensible.

There’re several questions that need to be answered.

How many seasons has Garrett and Ward left in their tank?
Can we find elite wide receivers on FA or is it better to draft them?
What’s our identity when Stefanski is gone?

Do it right.
See it as a three year project.
Find a a head coach who’s strong enough, charismatic enough and experienced enough to be his own man.
No more puppets who dance to the tune of the owner or general manager.

1st round QB’s are typically 4 year contracts with a 5th year club option.That would be 2029 with a club option for 2030.

Cam Ward’s contract goes to 2028 with a club option for 2029

That’s great. Then it’s even more favorable to draft him in 2027.

IMO it would be a huge mistake to use all our valuable draft picks this season without having a protecting oline and at least one very good WR who knows how to catch the ball in rough situations.

This’s is the time when Berry for once need to be cool and don’t trying to search for a Hollywood solution.

I’m not over optimistic with an owner without patience who will be in his ears but maybe a new head coach with more common sense next to him things will get better on the decision making department. When I hear Haslam talk about the “most important 120 days’ I get those “swing and miss” vibes again.

I've heard Saleh's name a few different places. I've also heard the Chargers current DC

I forget the exact words that Haslam used regarding Schwartz, but they weren't totally flattering....'

I'm thinking that leads to more of an offensive minded HC..... I guess we'll see.

But yeah, Schwartz has to be in the mix I would think/hope!

That's not true.

IMO, it was never darker than when we were firing Freddie right after coming off the Hue fiasco.

I know a new HC will probably want his own people but if I were being hired as the HC and took a look at the team, I would realize that my D is really good and probably only going to get better with some injured players coming back. Therefore, If I have no problem with JS I would seriously consider retaining him if he wants to stay, because I would not have to worry about that side of the ball and I could concentrate on the O an ST. Why mess with what's working?

That would be my strategy and I have previously posted that. If we had the #1or #2 pick then take a QB. We obviously don't so try and trade back for another #1 for 2027 and then concentrate on building the O-Line and WR group next draft and FA period.

Yeah, I should've been more clear that that's my opinion. We still have another 1-2 mind-boggling owner decisions before we're back in the depths of hell like we were ~2018-2019.

I do think that the state of the roster will try to be pitched as a perk. Whoever comes in will essentially be able to build an offense with a LOT of resources (picks in the upcoming draft, and then picks and FA cash after that). So I don't think they need to be "sold" on SS, but rather just give him a chance for at least a year.

I have no idea how many times this needs to be said but if you "build the framework first" you would be able to run block and pass block well first. Any mediocre QB with a good running game and good pass protection could win 7-9 games. That puts you well out of reach to select a franchise QB in the draft unless you have a GM that can identify a franchise QB every other QB needy team has overlooked. That's why the NFL teams that need a QB take the opportunity to draft one when the opportunity to draft one at the top of the draft presents itself.

Your proposal is we wait until we're drafting between 12-18 to draft a QB. That makes no sense at all.

Funny how this poster bashed the team at every chance he could this past year and now in a 24 hour period its....

He must have hopped on one of Elon's rockets to get there that fast!

Jador blows chunks. I know I am a hater and not one of Sanders' sycophants. If he is the QB for next year, seems like it will be another tank year in hopes of getting Arch the following year - which may be the plan.

Not sure what you all were watching but there is nothing about SS games that showed me he is FQB material. Slow processor, not all that accurate, ball security issues, throws wobbly ducks all over the field. 7-10 TD to INT ratio and I maintain that could have been a lot worse had some of the teams had better pass catching DBs. He had 2 good games against the worst teams in football (Raiders and Titans). He had an overall 18.8 QBR in games he started. That is absolutely pathetic.

Just say no...

The league changes too fast and is too competitive to operate on a fixed acquisition philosophy. You pretty much have to operate as an opportunist. We were drafting 3rd with 1 QB needy team in front of us. But we couldn't tank (maybe why Ski is gone?) and now we're drafting 6th with 3 QB needy teams in front of us. Which puts us out of reach for one of the top 2 guys and there's rarely more than 2 good QBs in a draft. Years with 3 are banner years and I don't think anyone thinks this is that year. I think there's a good deal of confidence in Mendoza and not much consensus about anyone else. So.... it could be a 1 QB draft. Or a zero. Or, the 2nd starting QB could be somewhere else, later. I can't say and I don't think anyone else here can either.

Point is, those last 2 wins pretty much took us out of the top QB picks IMO. I stopped sweating the QB pick when we beat Pitt. Mendoza is gone for us, I'd bet my house on that. And probably the #2 & maybe #3 QBs, whoever they may be. Unfortunately I think the option is by default the one he's advocating for; load up on other positions and maybe look for another late round sleeper. I keep hearing people love Mateer...? Don't know much. So unless we LOVE the #2 or #3 guy and want to move up, I would drop back again, try to secure another #1 for next year and try try again. But I think the high QB ship sailed for us this year.

With one gone I can at least see the light in the tunnel. We have some good players and with a couple of successful drafts/signings we can be competitive in two three seasons.
It’s called careful optimism.

I don’t agree with the notion that we should first draft a QB before drafting/signing the protecting framework.
If so we have to do a KCC/Mahomes and bench him the first season, otherwise we will see another Gabriel/Sanders scenario.

The Browns record of drafting/signing/keeping (good) quarterbacks is actually insanely bad so maybe it’s time to try something new.

To add…

He bashed the team/wanted Kevin fired after every loss in our last playoff year. Then after we lost our playoff game against the Texans said the year was a failure because we didn’t make the SB, lol.

I didn’t say it was a failure because we didn’t go to the SB. That’s a lie but why let the truth come in your way when telling a good story.


You in the boys club who all supported the idea of getting Watson, who thought Stefanski was a mythical quarterback whisperer got what you deserved, a couple of more years of misery.
From the first second you were all wrong until the bitter end. Right now some of you try to rewrite your own history but I totally understand why. Some of it is actually comical gold.

I lost faith in Stefanski already in 2021. Go back and see my post from that time. The game against the Steelers.

You could literally see with your own eyes that he was too far out on deep water at that time. The result the Browns has produced after that has proved me 100% right. Including our playoff loss in 2023. Having only one decent season in four years is a huge failure, especially with the players he got to his disposal.

We had a really good roster in 2020 and many of the better players where still with us in 2023 but the loss against the Texans showed us that that lack of recruiting new talents and the head coach inability to get the best out of his offense exposed our shortcomings. Joe Flacco was the difference maker late that regular season, not the head coach.

Bad decision making! From all in executive positions. That’s the answer you all searching for.

Make sure you let us know which teams are calling you to interview for a coaching position, or as a GM

I don't actually disagree with you in the Browns situation at the current time. What choice do they have left now other than that? Maybe they have a rabbit up their hat that I'm unaware of but this is more for those who claimed the Browns should do it that way when we were still in the position it looked like they would be drafting higher.

My comment was meant for those who use that as a general philosophy. Sorry for the confusion.

I certainly hope you recuperate from the way you are feeling now. Look, I get it. I'm not that super optimistic poster a lot of the time. We have bumped heads in the past because I felt your optimism was over the top and unrealistic. But it takes all kinds to make a world. Eotab filled that role for many, many years. But he is now gone much to the sadness of many of us. It appeared you were filling the role that was gone after his parting.

I'm certainly not trying to tell you how to feel or how to post. We all have to make that choice for ourselves and act accordingly. I think we agree that if Stefanski had to go, Barry should have went with him.

But I will say that if you never get back to your old ways when optimism ruled supreme, it's a dimension that will be sorely missed on this board. Hopefully time will help change that.

Maybe we can trade for Jalen Milroe now that Darnold solidified himself as the guy in Seattle.....

......Whaddya say, Milk?!

Well played.