Browns Free Agency 2015

[spydy13]

I don't really get either side of the argument to be honest. There's two camps, it seems; those who are unhappy that the Browns aren't signing the high-end, high-priced free agents and those who want to exclusively build the team through the draft. Neither of which, in my opinion, are smart ideas for where the team is right now. We've seen hundreds of instances where big free agency spending spells disaster for an organization. On the other hand, just because a team spends some cash in free agency, does that preclude them from building thru the draft or preclude them from making solid draft choices? That's kinda silly too.

I really liked what they did last year, bringing in Whitner and Dansby right at the start of free agency and Hawkins, Dray and Tate a little bit later on. None of those guys broke the bank and they all (except Tate) contributed greatly to the team last year, both on and off the field. Those players really supplemented the roster, not asked or paid to carry it, which is exactly what this team needs. With their documented interest in certain players and taking visits, it kinda seems like they tried to do something similar this year but struck out, for one reason or another.

I totally agree with your main point, but I think there is still a chance to sign some second/third tier guys.

 

[MoFlo]

I don't really get either side of the argument to be honest. There's two camps, it seems; those who are unhappy that the Browns aren't signing the high-end, high-priced free agents and those who want to exclusively build the team through the draft. Neither of which, in my opinion, are smart ideas for where the team is right now. We've seen hundreds of instances where big free agency spending spells disaster for an organization. On the other hand, just because a team spends some cash in free agency, does that preclude them from building thru the draft or preclude them from making solid draft choices? That's kinda silly too.

I really liked what they did last year, bringing in Whitner and Dansby right at the start of free agency and Hawkins, Dray and Tate a little bit later on. None of those guys broke the bank and they all (except Tate) contributed greatly to the team last year, both on and off the field. Those players really supplemented the roster, not asked or paid to carry it, which is exactly what this team needs. With their documented interest in certain players and taking visits, it kinda seems like they tried to do something similar this year but struck out, for one reason or another.

I've not once said we should build exclusively through the draft.

We have people complaining after almost every Browns (and other teams' moves)..

The signings we made last season & so far this season are exactly the types of FA signings I want us to make. Depth/fill in the gap signings while not overspending for the few starters (non star, leader types) we sign. However, that's still not good enough for some (they're getting accused of being cheap & sitting on their hands), and people continue to bash them this season, while there's still plenty of those types of signings available.

 

[Birdy89]

Vikings just picked up Mike Wallace and a 7th round pick in exchange for a 5th to the Dolphins who just picked up Kenny Still earlier in the day.

 

[AZ_]

Good, they can pay him an awful amount of money to be wholly below average.

 

[BimboColesHair]

Good, they can pay him an awful amount of money to be wholly below average.

Word is he's coming with a restructure. Not to mention this is his last year with guaranteed money, unless of course that restructure adds in more guaranteed money.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Wallace is a big time malcontent, but I'm surprised how many people leave Bill Lazor's offense just horribly bitter.

Free agency is a tool among many tools. It isn't the most efficient or important tool, but ignoring it is also short-sighted. It's like you hate having a nice screwdriver set because you prefer spending money on a nice drill. Well, okay... but you are going to eventually need them all.

 

[MoFlo]

Wallace is a big time malcontent, but I'm surprised how many people leave Bill Lazor's offense just horribly bitter.

Free agency is a tool among many tools. It isn't the most efficient or important tool, but ignoring it is also short-sighted. It's like you hate having a nice screwdriver set because you prefer spending money on a nice drill. Well, okay... but you are going to eventually need them all.

But who's ignoring it? They've added a WR, a QB who knows the system, and re-upped a couple solid guys from last season.

It's literally a few days into free agency & we have people (on here & on twitter) saying they're cheap and that they're incompetent because they didn't use free agency & aren't signing guys.

 

[Birdy89]

They've added a WR, a QB who knows the system, and re-upped a couple solid guys from last season.

All of those are lateral moves though (at best). We need to be improving the talent level, not just replacing guys we lose with guys at the same level.

If you're OK with 3-5 wins this year then this is an effective strategy.

 

[BimboColesHair]

All of those are lateral moves though (at best). We need to be improving the talent level, not just replacing guys we lose with guys at the same level.

If you're OK with 3-5 wins this year then this is an effective strategy.

But you just made a post to make it seem like the Vikings are doing work compared to the Browns and "improving the talent level" with the Wallace trade, when we have literally done the same thing as the Browns so far. Signed a couple in house free agents, brought in a backup QB who knows the system, and acquired a WR.

 

[Marcus]

But who's ignoring it? They've added a WR, a QB who knows the system, and re-upped a couple solid guys from last season.

It's literally a few days into free agency & we have people (on here & on twitter) saying they're cheap and that they're incompetent because they didn't use free agency & aren't signing guys.

It's really, really frustrating as a Browns fan to see them making lateral moves at absolute best when they haven't fielded a winning team in a very long time. This team has a very good defense and is the type of team that could finally get over the hump if they got an actual, immediate infusion of talent. Instead, they expect fans to get excited about Brian Hartline, Josh McCown, and Thad Lewis.

Forgive them for not getting overly excited that they brought back their punter.

It's the same old thing each and every year, and it doesn't look like it's going to be changing anytime soon. Welcome to Cleveland, where the football team has been rebuilding since 1999.

And this isn't to say that I'm against them building through the draft. They've proven to have a pretty decent track record in recent years in the later rounds of the draft at picking guys up. Just a perceived lack of any type of urgency out of this organization, but then again, who really knows what goes on behind closed doors.

 

[Birdy89]

But you just made a post to make it seem like the Vikings are doing work compared to the Browns and "improving the talent level" with the Wallace trade, when we have literally done the same thing as the Browns so far. Signed a couple in house free agents, brought in a backup QB who knows the system, and acquired a WR.

To me going from Austin to Hartline at this point is a lateral move. He's not a game breaker and is just another "solid" guy like Austin was.

Mike Wallace to me brings a dimension the Browns could really desperately use. His contract is largely irrelevant since we aren't using the cap space anyway and have more than we can even spend available.

We also had the 32nd ranked run defense in the league last year and a weak pass rush, so to see we are essentially only doing the lateral move, resign our own guy stuff on that side of the ball (the line specifically) is disappointing.

There were alot of good D-lineman not named Suh available this off-season and getting one of the better ones combined with a hit on a first rounder totally improves this defense. Now we are left with the Big Lots leftovers to parse through on a unit that desperately needed help.

 

[AZ_]

Got to wonder how long this trolling is going to continue.

 

[Real Deal]

They better have a draft of all drafts coming up to justify this offseason, that 2013 Draft was brutal considering Gordon is an addict and Mingo hasnt matched the value with his cost. Then both #1s last year. Please football gods give us a few steals and at least a star.

Screw StateFarm we have to trust in PettFarm.

 

[BimboColesHair]

To me going from Austin to Hartline at this point is a lateral move. He's not a game breaker and is just another "solid" guy like Austin was.

Mike Wallace to me brings a dimension the Browns could really desperately use. His contract is largely irrelevant since we aren't using the cap space anyway and have more than we can even spend available.

We also had the 32nd ranked run defense in the league last year and a weak pass rush, so to see we are essentially only doing the lateral move, resign our own guy stuff on that side of the ball (the line specifically) is disappointing.

There were alot of good D-lineman not named Suh available this off-season and getting one of the better ones combined with a hit on a first rounder totally improves this defense. Now we are left with the Big Lots leftovers to parse through on a unit that desperately needed help.

Keep on thinking splurging in free agency solves all problems. I watched the Vikings in Favre's last year and the year after that try to build teams spending money in free agency...led to a bad aging team with no depth, no long term solutions, and no young talent, forcing you to rebuild longer. You win big in the NFL with young, cheap talent.

Want to complain about the Browns, or any other team in the NFL for that matter, being constantly mediocre, go into the draft thread and blame it on their college scouting department, not their spending power in free agency.

 

[AZ_]

Haslam is going to have to spend if he wants to make up that extra 1% to reach the spending floor for NFL teams.

Cheapskate that he is.