DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Free Agency 2015 (II)

With interest in Housler, it appears that the Browns will look, for now anyway, at TE as a multi-player position.

Last year we had 2 TE who were limited use types in the past to fill the position when Cameron was unable to go. They were both useful. Now we add another guy to the group. Is he a star? Nope. However, he did catch 39 and 45 passes in 2012 and 2013. This is a guy who will, excuse the parlance, compete. Maybe he doesn't make the team. Who knows? Maybe he does, and starts for us, and does a good job. It remains to be seen.

Did you know that due to a few contract restructures...

The Lions have almost a 10 million dollar cap hit in 2015 for Ndamukong Suh...

A player they did not trade, or cut..

Crazy.

Suh's dead contract money is the third highest paid defensive tackle in the league.

I'm here, eo. Yes, I did mention him a short while ago. Housler seems very similar to Cameron, so if that is what we are looking for, then Housler shouldn't be considered a downgrade. He should present a mismatch and a red zone target in the passing game...

Why shouldn't Housler be considered a downgrade to Cameron?

Has he ever had a concussion?

If he's a solid receiving TE with no injury history, I consider that a plus..

I'm not trying to downplay Cameron's abilities, but he's had one good year, in one specific offense that favors TEs..

And Housler has had zero good years....

Housler's potential is a downgrade from Cameron's potential.

You guys act like he has 5 career catches or something.

Housler has 105 career catches for 1133 yards. He's not a top of the line guy, but he's also not a guy who has accomplished nothing in the NFL.

He also did not exactly play with the premiere QBs in the league during most of his time in Arizona. He didn't play much in 2014, but in 2013, he had a decent year, with 39 catches for 454 yards. In 2012 he has 45 catches for 417 yards.

In his 2011 and 2012 seasons, he played with luminaries at QB like John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley, Brian Hoyer (who was really bad in limited time in Zona)and Richard Bartel. Gee, why couldn't he put up better stats with such talent at QB?

I am questioning the reason behind saying signing Housler would not be a downgrade to still having Cameron, which I think is fair to question.

Regardless of external factors, Housler has done little in his NFL career compared to Cameron's production--who ironically has had equally if not worse QB situations. If we want to talk upgrade (or in this case, NOT a downgrade) maybe it's more relevant to talk about Housler relative to Barnidge or Dray. I'm more likely to understand that comparison.

The TE position is a hole that needs to be addressed. Housler, at this point in his career, does little to assure me that he'll fill that if signed.

He's a downgrade compared to the one great season Cameron had, but if he can play every game, then he might just be an upgrade. Who knows? I suspect that, unless we can find a great TE in the draft, that we will run a multiple player rotation at TE, and Housler could be one of the rotational players.

Over four years, with his last year being the worst one. That's an average of 283 yards a season. For reference, Josh Gordon had 261 receiving yards in one game in 2013. Even if you take out Housler's worst season, and I don't know why anyone would do that, he still only averages 334 yards per season. For reference, Josh Gordon had 498 yards in games 11 and 12 for us in 2013.

Housler's not accomplished nothing, but he has accomplished very little.



And here he will have Josh McCown, Thad Lewis, Johnny Manziel, and Connor Shaw. You know better than anyone, if Housler was any good, Arians would have found a role for him. Not only did he not find a role, but his role was diminished.

I agree with you Memphis, that his stats don't compare to Cameron's. However, he has sub 4.5/40 speed, is 6-5, thus should present a mimatch against LBer's and a tall red zone target. Perhaps 'Zona didn't feed him the ball often? I don't pretend to know at this point...

Once more, he's a rotational guy. Geesh .... you guys make it sound like if we sign this guy, then we aren't allowed to sign, or draft, anyone else.

2nd, I don;t know how much Arians relies upon the TE position as a huge offensive weapon. I look at Heath Miller, in Pittsburgh, and he was with Arians for 5 years, and his best year receiving was 789 yards. In most years, however, he was around 500-600 yards receiving. Arians loves to throw to the outside, down the field. He likes to spread the ball around, other than that. I don't think that many "Non-WR" players get much more than 50 catches in most years under Arians.Again, looking to his use of Heath Miller in Pittsburgh, he had a high water mark of 76 catches in 2009, but had less than 52 catches in the other 4 seasons under Arians. Arians spreads the ball around, and loves to throw to the outside, down the field.

In Indy, his team threw to the TE for 45 catches, which was 4th on the team. In Arizona, Houseler was tied for 4th on the team in 2013, with 39 catches, and last year, the TE position Last year, the TEposition leader had 33 catches.

You used the "average", well, this is a fallacy, and here is why. Housler did not start in his 1st season, nor last year, that I can tell. If you look at Cameron, he only "averaged" 400 yards/season in Cleveland. He had one great season, of which one saw him have 917 yards receiving.

Now I am not going to claim that Housler will be a great player for us, because I don't know how the new OC will use the TE. However, to disregard the guy because he hasn't put up huge numbers so far doesn't necessarily tell the whole story.

I remember David Patten. He was a nondescript receiver when he came to Cleveland in 2000. He had a high water mark of 13 catches for 226 yards in 3 years in NY. (Giants) He came to Cleveland, and had a year where he put up 38 catches for 548 yards. He then went to New England, and put up almost 1600 yards over the next 2 years. Sometimes a guy finds the right offense and team right away, and sometimes a guy has to move on to find that best situation.

We'll see what happens with Housler.

I went back and read some stuff about Housler, and he seems like a Cameron type TE. He cannot block, but he is athletic, has speed, and can catch. I have read that he releases off the line really well. He sure sounds like a guy who would fit an offense that had Jordan Cameron at TE. He is also 6'5", and at 250#, with plus speed and agility for the position, should be able to do well down the middle of the field.

We'll see what happens, if we sign him. The more I read about him, the more intrigued I am.

I am also intrigued by him. I just don't think he should be counted on for much, if anything.

1. Sign Housler.
2. Draft Maxx Williams.
3. Cut someone eventually.
4. ????
5. Profit.

My guess is that if we do steps 1 and 2, then "someone" in step 3 will be Housler.

I mean, Dray and Barnidge to me are somewhat similar..

You cut one of them, keep the other one as a more of a blocker, Housler as more of a receiver, and Maxx as your starter/badass.

Gives you Maxx always, and then depending on what kind of two TE sets you want you would bring in the other one..

(Note: As long as we get Williams, I don't really care who the other TEs are...)

I'm happy with Barnidge and Dray, if we draft Williams...:)

While we're at it can we trade the 49's for Phil Dawson so we can get him back?

Ditto!!

In a run scheme offense, why is Housler needed?

It's never a bad thing to have a big, fast guy who can catch passes. It also allows you to run some two tight end sets, which are better for running the ball, where one of the tight ends is a real threat to make a big play. Generally, (I would say) a bad blocking tight end is better than a good blocking wide receiver. At least the tight can attempt to block a linebacker or defensive end, while a wide receiver would just get bowled over.

Works for me. Dawson is light years better than anything we have and he is pushing 40...

Phil Dawson any day!

So are you suggesting that we draft The Giant Fullback From Alabama™?

Jaleston Fowler? He's awesome. I would love to snag him up in the 5th or 6th round of the draft if we can. He's a really good blocker, runner and pass catcher.

I want Phil D. back! Any day! Every day! Retire a Brown, big fellah. Then retire to the Left Coast if you want.

The Giant Fullback From Alabama™RULES!!

It is good to see that everyone knows what's best for them.

Isn't Michael Crabtree still on the market?

Thought we needed receivers. Too pricey for us?

We've signed Hartline and Bowe, so our need for receivers isn't as great as it once was.

It seems like Crabtree is too pricey for everyone. My guess is that he takes a one year contract with a team like Denver and tries to re-establish his value.

As the parole board officer sez in "Raising Arizona," "Well, OK then."

Thanks for the salary cap info, too.

IMO he's an upgrade if he can catch the ball AND stay on his feet. I like Cameron but he seemed to fall to the ground just as much as he'd run with it, and it's not like he was having to make the types of catches Braylon and KW2 did that one season.

Crabtree was frustrated in SF being the #3 target behind Vernon Davis and Bold in, I know he complained of that...That team became a mess somewhere within the locker room.

From what I gathered..Crabtree always practiced hard and was good amongst his teammates...his achillis tear took some of his burst away, I think teams are waiting to guage his health and value...From what I read he was looking for $5 mill a year (not alot really) and he was really getting no offers