Why the Browns Should Not Trade Joe Thomas or Alex Mack

Also if you do so bad this year that you start to rebuild, they most likely will take a quarterback because that’s where most teams will start on a rebuild. However, you can’t take a quarterback without having a running back, wide receiver, or an offensive line. That is known as the Tim Couch syndrome and how you ruin a quarterbacks career.

In watching some of the Penn St games this year, I have seen the same with Hackenberg who has gotten killed by his offensive line and has not put up the same success as his freshman year. The talent is there but as we have seen, if you don’t have it all clicking you can struggle like the Colts and Seahawks have so far.

When we look back on this team, the rumors are now flying that Kruger and Mingo are up on the block as well now too. The Browns are a team that is known for not being able to draft, choosing not to resign some of those successful draft picks, and then not hitting in free agency.

Now we are looking at selling at the deadline. We most likely are going to enter a new regime in the offseason as we have seen the regression throughout these last two years. The best way to set up a new regime is through more draft picks, however is it worth giving up a proven Pro Bowl quality player to take a chance on a young draft pick that won’t hit the same quality as what you should receive for him. My vote again is no.

The main reason I’m sure that most people leave is the constant turnover and the continual losing seasons. Once the Browns learn to find the right guy and trust in him, maybe the Browns won’t have to continually rebuild. Maybe we can get a guy who can scheme to the teams strengths instead of rebuilding every time.

If you have guys in spots where you can build around then they should stay here. We saw the effect losing Alex Mack had on our run game last year. We also see how many LTs get taken high in the draft to protect your QB. We’ve seen difference makers at 3-4 OLBs like JJ Watt and Lamarr Houston.

I’m not saying that Mingo or Kruger is that quality, but Kruger is capable of double digit sack years. The Browns would be moving backwards trading one of them away. Kruger has been misused and if they can scheme him to the weak side then you have a pass rusher. Once again from my other article I hit on the weakness of our LB core.

If we trade away one of our already weak areas how are we going to progress? Now you are also sending a message to your team that you are giving up and rebuilding. When you do that year in and year out I don’t blame a lot of these veterans for wanting to get out and leave to try and win. You need to fix that culture and it starts now. You don’t let your star guys walk and say that you are progressing and trying to win because you’re not.

It’s time to make a stand and fix the problems that need to be fixed. Why trade all these guys? Let’s draft a tackling linebacker and a pass rusher early. Let’s sign a WR to compliment a returning Josh Gordon and sign a competent RT to replace Schwartz constantly getting beat and move on from him or move him to guard.

It’s the right side of the line causing problems not the left. Let’s find one of those quality running backs in the middle of the draft that every other team has found recently. The Browns will also be faced with what to do with Travis Benjamin, Gary Barnidge, and Tashaun Gipson being free agents. Let’s see if the Browns are trying to rebuild or are serious about keeping what we have and start building a winning pedigree.

McCown has not been the problem, and trading away your franchise LT, C, or your best pass rusher is a disservice. Why move these guys to redraft them this year hoping they match the same level of play and not address the real problems that I have mentioned. This is my challenge to the Browns because the fans deserve better.

Maybe they can learn from the other teams in Cleveland. The Indians have locked up guys like Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Cory Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Francisco Lindor for the next few years.

The Cavs now have Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and Anderson Varejao locked up as well. Those teams have been doing much better than the Browns. The reason for that is they were able to get their guys and sign them.

Now they can afford to add the few role players, the likes of Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson in free agency to try and get them over the hump.

Let’s hope the Browns can get on that board. Let’s keep what we have. Let’s defend the lake. Let’s not be “Cleveland” for once and make the logical choice going forward and let the Dawg Pound bark.

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