Jimmy or Kirk, you can come to Cleveland and play behind a possible top five offensive line, we have Britt and two WRs taken in the top couple of rounds the last two years, Barnidge and Howard or Engram at TE, and a solid run game with Crowell or Duke to catch out of the backfield. Oh, and Hue Jackson one of the best offensive minded coaches in the NFL is now your head coach.
That sounds like a better option than being a backup in New England who is set to have all their running backs become free agents after next season. New England might also not have as good of offensive weapons except for Gronk if he can stay healthy.
The Patriots also has Nate Solder their starting LT and Julian Edelman their best WR becoming free agents in 2018 and they would need to get paid too or found replacements. There was a reason New England traded Jamie Collins this year.
It was because they knew they couldn’t keep everybody and they wanted something in return now for him compared to next year. Garoppolo has a shot of leaving because the QB market gets a higher payday than what the Patriots couldn’t afford to give Collins and his salary will increase by nearly 20 million possibly.
Maybe Cousins would be looking at reuniting with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. What sounds better, what the Browns have or what the 49ers have? The 49ers won’t have as good an offensive line and they have Carlos Hyde who has missed time every season with injuries at RB. Vance McDonald is their starting TE and a 32-year-old Pierre Garcon, Bruce Ellington, and Marquise Goodwin as the starting WRs.
Or he can stick in the dysfunction of Washington with no run game, an often-injured Jordan Reed, and Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder as your top WRs with Terrelle Pryor signing just a one year prove it deal. I just don’t see how those current setups for the other frontrunners would be more enticing than Cleveland.
This still does not include the nearly 60+ million in cap space the Browns would still have after signing either QB to a 20+ million dollar deal to go out and get better pieces in free agency. It also does not include their first round pick and three second round picks that could also be used to upgrade the rest of the roster in the 2018 Draft.
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Percy E.
April 6, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this. I am praying that this is the front office thinking. There’s no QB that I’m certain in this year draft and I understand that there’s no QB pick that you are ever certain. Looking at the people that get paid to do this for a living, they aren’t sold and are all over the place. It seems to me that this year’s crop has more questions than most. My argument is moot if they really like one of these guys, then by all means draft him, but don’t draft a QB just to draft one because every one is saying you should. I have 2 points to add to the article and they both would be considered “break glass” options for most fans. 1) AJ McCarron would be restricted next year and I’m sure Cincinnati will place a 1st round tender on him. If you can’t trade up to be in position for one of the top QBs in next year’s draft, then sign McCarron and use your 1st on McCarron IF coach truly likes him. 2) This is where people will think I’m crazy. Develop Brock! There are several reasons to develop him as well as humanly possible. I’m not saying he is the answer. What I saw in Houston would say no, but can we trust Bill O’Brien ability to develop QBs. He has started 9 QBs in 3 years! Are we sure it’s Brock and not him? If we had signed Brock last year to this contract, I feel most fans (and some Browns coaches) would have been celebrating in the streets. At least he had more starts and film tape than Jimmy (don’t get me started on him) Garoppolo at that point. Here’s the positives for Brock 1) Insurance. We were told to “trust” on Kessler. I didn’t like the pick but the kid played solid. Give him a chance but keep a vet for insurance. If you cut Brock, you have to sign one. Keep the one we have to pay for anyway 2) Trade. Either the closer we get to the season, or maybe next year, you might get something from him if you can develop him by having him show some positive tape in the preseason or season. If he’s awful, cut him at the end of preseason or after the season. You are in no worse shape than you were before. 3) He could be the guy. *whisper voice*. Probably only a 5% chance, but just maybe…
Bob Stalnaker
April 6, 2017 at 3:37 pm
Very well thought out.
Two things: a) give Kessler a bit more credit. What he did last year, being #5 in adj. completion % with a terrrible defense, a bad O-line and Cam Erving at center is phenomenal. Kessler’s NFL Passer Rating exceeded a LONG list of top notch QBs last year, again, how he did that with such roadblocks in front of him like the poor defense and O-line is incredible.
b) as to “numerous rebuilds from this franchise” … this reboot by the Sashi, Paul and Andrew regime is the first true reboot. Those other so-called “rebuilds” were lame, shoddy attempts or worse, such as Inane Ray Farmer’s disaster he laid upon the Browns.
Although Higgins, Louis and Payton were not give any reasonable chance or co chance at all in 2016 as Hue Jackson blew it big by giving Andrew Hawkins snaps I like your idea of adding a WR for reasons you stated. O.J. Howard at 12 would be huge for the offense also, but CLE needs to focus the rest of the draft on S, CB, and perhaps a LB. End of the Tank Carder era.
Dan Y
April 13, 2017 at 3:37 pm
I think the Browns have a real sleeper in Kevin Hogan, the former Stanford QB. No one talks about him…give him a chance. Why not? And he didn’t play all that bad when pressed into action on short notice with very little preparation last year.