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Thought I would start a thread where people could post feedback etc. on free agency (so the board doesn't start getting cluttered up with individual posts on the same subject). Feel free to move this refs but I thought it would be productive to give it it's own thread....... Here's a starter..... --------------------------- Browns, Jaguars, Eagles among winners in free agencyBy John Clayton ESPN.com Winners Cleveland Browns: With four of his five draft choices gone in trades, Browns general manager Phil Savage can schedule his vacation for draft day, and he has earned a rest. He beefed up the defensive line with trades for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. He added Donte' Stallworth to an already potent offense. He signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a three-year contract and, with Brady Quinn on the roster, he now has security at that vital position. Savage learned to build through the draft when he was in Baltimore, but his unconventional aggressiveness at the start of free agency might turn the Browns from a 10-win surprise in 2007 into the team to beat in the AFC North. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft08/co...mp;lid=tab2pos2
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Wow...the Crypt Keeper giving us some "love". I think hell just froze over. 
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Legend
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The best thing about that article isn't even posted here. Read the other "winners." They are all teams that grossly overpaid for the players they received and may very well come to regret it in the coming years.
Outside of Stallworth, our signings/trades seemed much more reasonable. Or maybe I'm seeing things through orange-tinted glasses.
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Corey Willaims was ranked, as one of the best FAs of all positions, in most of the available FA Iist I have looked at. Savage signed him for less than most of the other FA lineman being signed. Kelley form Oakland and Justin Smith both signed for more per year.
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Stallworth's contract is not as bad as people make it out to be. Cowherd had a hissy fit today on his show (he's an idiot). The money is not that bad, the thing that jumps out at you is the number of years, but the money is pretty average, 5 mil a year, 10 mil up front...that doesn't seem to be breaking the bank to me!
"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good" Thomas Paine
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Well, technically Corey Williams was not a free agent. He got slapped with the franchise tag last week which would have meant we'd have to give 2 first round picks to get him. But since GB wanted to get rid of him so bad, we got him at the bargain basement price of a 2nd round pick.
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As long as the contract is heavily back-loaded, I agree. I still think $10 million guaranteed is too high for a guy who's a speedster and not much else, but if he proves to be an upgrade opposite Braylon, it will be money well-spent. Hopefully, Chud will be able to get the most out of the guy.
[color:"white"]"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."
-- Mark Twain [/color]
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I worry most about the Rogers trade.
We got rid of a guy we know what we have for a guy who has largely under-achieved in his years in Detroit. He has the potential to be amazing, but hasnt played to his capability yet.
That being said, he's still an unbelieveable upgrade over what we've had. Now Shaun Smith can become rotational until he's ready to take over full time at either DE or NT, and then either Robaire, or Shaun Rogers become expendable. Thats what I'm hoping for.
But our DL got very solid, i just worry about Rogers' heart.
"It has to start somewhere
It has to start somehow
What better place than here?
What better time than now?"
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Quote:
I worry most about the Rogers trade.
We got rid of a guy we know what we have
Exactly what did we have with Bodden????
U guys take a chump in Johnson's comments about being a top corner and run with it...
This is eerily reminding me of the love fest for Corey Fuller...
Go Browns!!!
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All Pro
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I agree.
With his injuries last year he was our 4th best CB. Wright, Holly, and McDonald were all better IMO. I've tried to key in on the secondary in the games I've rewatched, two conclusions I made were: Pool sucks, and Bodden was overrated/hurt.
We get one more pass rushing threat opposite Wimbley, and a FS with even a miniscule amount of instinct, the CBs on the roster right now look ALOT better.
"I don't remember any of my catches. I remember the drops." - Kellen Winslow II
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Does anyone else see Green Bay's move as very savvy?
GB was going to let Corey Williams walk, but then heard all the interest in him around the league and decided to get something for him.
Slap the franchise tender on him then trade him out from under the tender. Second rounder in the pocket for a guy who was leaving via free agency anyway.
Nice move.
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1st String
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Agreed. It seems like a reasonable contract for a guy who has performed well in his career. Stallworth is not stellar, but he is not run of the mill. Guaranteed $10 Million over 7 years - I'm not sure what is out of whack with this.
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http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=An...o&type=lgnsWINNERS 1. Cleveland Browns Again, it only takes one blown patellar tendon to spoil an offseason, as the Browns found out two years ago with center LeCharles Bentley, but the Browns have done a great job both maintaining continuity while also filling key needs. They re-signed running back Jamal Lewis before free agency and inked quarterback Derek Anderson. They also beefed up the middle by adding defensive tackles Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. Rogers and Williams aren’t spectacular, so Cleveland fans should be careful with expecting too much, but they are both experienced and Rogers can be a terrific space eater. His presence will allow some of the other Browns defenders to be more effective. The most intriguing acquisition is Donte Stallworth, who gives the Browns one of the deepest and most dynamic receiving corps in the league. With Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius and tight end Kellen Winslow, the Browns will be able to score quickly. They’ll also be able to keep opposing defenses from loading up on Lewis.
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Practice Squad
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Yeah, I think critics are reading too much into the Stallworth deal. Clearly, he is not going to be here for all seven years of the deal. He's not an elite WR, and wouldn't be worth the money without the other pieces in place on the offense.
But putting him opposite Braylon and moving JJ to the slot makes a LOT of sense for THIS team. You have to look at the BIG picture.
Brown's fan since 2004...the tradition continues. ![[Linked Image from i21.photobucket.com]](http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b272/presto247365/IMG_2561-1-1.jpg)
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Legend
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Quote:
We got rid of a guy we know what we have for a guy who has largely under-achieved in his years in Detroit. He has the potential to be amazing, but hasnt played to his capability yet.
If you were in Detroit would you want to bust your butt to lose 9 games a year?
I think a new scenery will be good for him... but he is a bit of a concern I'll admit... I'm hoping that he starts to live up to his capability.
<><
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Quote:
Does anyone else see Green Bay's move as very savvy?
GB was going to let Corey Williams walk, but then heard all the interest in him around the league and decided to get something for him.
Slap the franchise tender on him then trade him out from under the tender. Second rounder in the pocket for a guy who was leaving via free agency anyway.
Nice move.
SAVY...Lost in all this...SAVY move...And a smart one...Kudos to GB...
Go Browns!!!
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jay id love it if you were right...
but DiD...I only say, because Leigh has been pretty steady for us. His injury concerns worry me because theyve slowed him down quite a bit in recency, but Leigh really picked it up at the end of the season.
It seems like the competition from the rooks sparked him it seemed.
I just worry that we eliminated some CB depth for a guy who's inconsistent. He just sounds a lot like Big Money in regards to effort and production, however...I know this...Shaun Rogers on top of his game is amazing. And I just hope he does that all year for us
I'm not by any means saying I dont like the move, i love it. I just worry some about it
"It has to start somewhere
It has to start somehow
What better place than here?
What better time than now?"
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Legend
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I agree with you 100% King... I will miss Leigh because he was a solid corner! But his injuries worried me as well and I LOVED our rookies back there... I'm hoping they continue to improve and we can add some more depth to our secondary with the draft or FA.
<><
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and OL depth too...
isnt Friedman an FA? I want him back
"It has to start somewhere
It has to start somehow
What better place than here?
What better time than now?"
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Quote:
isnt Friedman an FA? I want him back
I'd like him back also.. Not only for the OL depth but isn't he in the wedge on the kickoff return team....
nordawg
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
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Quote:
With his injuries last year he was our 4th best CB. Wright, Holly, and McDonald were all better IMO. I
Man, that isn't true. He was probably our best corner. You have no proof to make that claim. He was our # 1 corner all year and McDonald and Holly did not overtake him and become starters.
With that said, I think we have done a good job. I'm excited about this upcoming season. The riskiest deal was the Rogers trade. Hope it works out.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Legend
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I would guess that we'll know just about how good this Rogers deal is around the 2nd Week of Camp.
If he's getting regular accolades from those able to attend and he is looking rejuvenated, we know it's gonna be good.
If by that point we've already started hearing whispers of him looking soft/lazy/whatever, we know it is likely to end with us having a bit of egg on our faces.
*Edit: Caveat - take the above but adjust for 'not until there is actual contact' drills..... practices in shorts/shells isn't gonna tell us much.
Last edited by PrplPplEater; 03/03/08 07:51 PM.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
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And again.......I am not complaining. We desperately needed to upgrade the D-line. Savage went out and tried to do that.
And you know what Purp? We may know about Rogers before the contact starts. I'm praying the guy shows up in decent shape. That was a huge knock on him in Detroit. He just didn't condition and it affected his play.
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Maybe JLewis will have him come down and train with him and a few of the guys that went down last yr. Didn't AD and Harrison train with him last yr. Ya know once JL puts the word out maybe more guys train with him this yr.
nordawg
The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
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Quote:
With Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius and tight end Kellen Winslow, the Browns will be able to score quickly. They’ll also be able to keep opposing defenses from loading up on Lewis.
I like the Stallworth acquisition but we had a potent receiving corp without him on the team. We had pro-bowlers with Edwards and Winslow plus one of the surest hands with Jurevicius as a possession target.
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Legend
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Legend
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Quote:
This is eerily reminding me of the love fest for Corey Fuller...
Please never speak that name again on here. I think Fuller was, is, and shall forever be the absolute worst football player in the history of the universe. Nothing like a guy to trash talk the guy he just tackled after blown coverage and a 25 yard gain. "Yeah, it was cuz of me you didn't get 30!" God, the thought of that guy makes my blood boil.
I am unfamiliar with this feeling of optimism
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Legend
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Hey Vers,
I'm just wondering why you thought that Bodden was our best corner last year. I definitely think that he's been solid in the past, but he took a big step back last year.
I mean, he was often behind receivers, and they put him in the nickel on passing downs as far as I saw.
I honestly wonder if Bodden sort of fell out of favor with the coaching staff and Phil on a three strike approach. Sub-par play for him, the airport incident, and even though it was a one-time thing, the ball-kicking at Arizona. He definitely seemed like a different player this year.
Maybe we just traded one guy who needs a change of scenery for another.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
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Legend
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Quote:
Quote:
We got rid of a guy we know what we have for a guy who has largely under-achieved in his years in Detroit. He has the potential to be amazing, but hasnt played to his capability yet.
If you were in Detroit would you want to bust your butt to lose 9 games a year?
I think a new scenery will be good for him... but he is a bit of a concern I'll admit... I'm hoping that he starts to live up to his capability.
i think he'll be fine... it seems like the atmosphere with the browns in the locker room has really blossomed over the past 2 years...
and i think romeo can get him going, romeo can motivate, he's been doing that for a few decades...
and it seems like this whole team is united under romeo, the whole team plays for him, everyone doubted he'd make it through last season without being fired, and i think the players too offense to that, and you couple that with what happened with grantham, and you can tell these guys are loyal to their coach...
i don't think heart or motivation will be a problem, i think he'll be just fine...
randy moss was the same way in oakland, it's amazing what winning can to do a really good player...
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1st String
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Quote:
Quote:
This is eerily reminding me of the love fest for Corey Fuller...
Please never speak that name again on here. I think Fuller was, is, and shall forever be the absolute worst football player in the history of the universe. Nothing like a guy to trash talk the guy he just tackled after blown coverage and a 25 yard gain. "Yeah, it was cuz of me you didn't get 30!" God, the thought of that guy makes my blood boil.
You obviously forgot about Ralph freakin Brown...lol
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If im not mistaken, he caught a few kicks that they wouldnt send to Cribbs. Him and Dinkins caught a bunch combined
and hey...Ralph Brown is a FA again! maybe we can sign him and Lewis Sanders back! thatll repair our CB lack of depth!
"It has to start somewhere
It has to start somehow
What better place than here?
What better time than now?"
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and hey...Ralph Brown is a FA again! maybe we can sign him and Lewis Sanders back! thatll repair our CB lack of depth!
LOL....ya lets resign the same players who couldnt make the starting line up let alone the team a few years ago....these guys are washed up if they were any good we would have kept them the first time...why waste more money on them..
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Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Free Agency Review thread -
Winners, Losers and related banter
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