Browns Make a Positive Move?

[Craic]

So, the Browns traded for Brock Osweiler, but not to keep him. Nope, they got Brock, a second round pick, and a sixth round pick next year, and the ability to trade him this year for even more picks (which is what they are going to do).

What did the Browns give up? A 2017 fourth round draft pick and 10 Mill in cap space this year (if he stays). All in all, not a bad deal for the Browns. Either they get extra picks this year, or they get a QB that might help them out a little, or at the very least, provide good competition in camp for RGIII.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18865517/houston-texans-trade-brock-osweiler-2018-second-round-pick-cleveland-browns

[AtlantaDan]

So, the Browns traded for Brock Osweiler, but not to keep him. Nope, they got Brock, a second round pick, and a sixth round pick next year, and the ability to trade him this year for even more picks (which is what they are going to do).

What did the Browns give up? A 2017 fourth round draft pick and 10 Mill in cap space this year (if he stays). All in all, not a bad deal for the Browns. Either they get extra picks this year, or they get a QB that might help them out a little, or at the very least, provide good competition in camp for RGIII.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18865517/houston-texans-trade-brock-osweiler-2018-second-round-pick-cleveland-browns

The Browns are expected to trade or release Osweiler before the 2017 season.


The Browns made the trade because they value draft picks, and to get the second-round pick the team also accepted Osweiler's guaranteed salary of $16 million for this season.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18865517/houston-texans-trade-brock-osweiler-2018-second-round-pick-cleveland-browns

Bill Polian slammed the trade by the Browns on ESPN

"This is baseball - load up on picks"

[DesertSteel]

Browns and 'positive move' don't belong in the same sentence. Ever.

[Craic]

The Browns are expected to trade or release Osweiler before the 2017 season.


The Browns made the trade because they value draft picks, and to get the second-round pick the team also accepted Osweiler's guaranteed salary of $16 million for this season.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18865517/houston-texans-trade-brock-osweiler-2018-second-round-pick-cleveland-browns

Bill Polian slammed the trade by the Browns on ESPN

"This is baseball - load up on picks"

A few others have talked about it positively - calling it a contract trade. In other words, they traded not for the player, but for the contract they can then offload somewhere else. In essence, they bought a couple of extra picks. Not a bad deal, IMO.

[AtlantaDan]

A few others have talked about it positively - calling it a contract trade. In other words, they traded not for the player, but for the contract they can then offload somewhere else. In essence, they bought a couple of extra picks. Not a bad deal, IMO.

I guess it depends if there is someone out there with the cap space to eat Osweiler's contract - if it is really like baseball then maybe the Browns unload Osweiler and agree to pay part of the contract as part of the trade

I think part of what prompted Polian to make the "this is baseball" crack is that he is old school while the current Browns management team (at least until the owner gets impatient and cleans house again) is heavily into analytics to mine for new talent, with their "Chief Strategy Officer" Paul DePodesta literally having been hired from a baseball team (the Mets).

Browns hire 'Moneyball' executive Paul DePodesta to run their football team

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2016/1/5/10717024/cleveland-browns-Paul-DePodesta-mets-moneyball

Polian went through some numbers in this video link on the failure rate for second round picks in criticizing what the Browns paid for the pick - Polian and Herm Edwards looked like their heads were about to explode :chuckle:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=18865694

I suppose DePodesta's response is that the failure rate will decrease once his superior intellect along with big data make better picks

Interesting analysis of the trade by Bill Barnwell om ESPN.com

What to make of the unprecedented Osweiler trade

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18865828/making-sense-unprecedented-brock-osweiler-trade-nfl

[st33lersguy]

Draft picks are valuable currency and the fact that Cleveland orchestrated a trade where they got a 2nd round pick at the price of less than 1/6th the cap space they started with, they made a smart move

[AtlantaDan]

Draft picks are valuable currency and the fact that Cleveland orchestrated a trade where they got a 2nd round pick at the price of less than 1/6th the cap space they started with, they made a smart move

I suppose that gets into how a 2nd round pick is objectively valued and whether it is a better use of cap space to buy draft pricks rather than sign free agents

If you pay $14 million for a property that is appraised at $6 million because you can afford to you still have overpaid

[ALLD]

Browns may have been better off in the FA market or changing sports. They don't draft well and are cursed, but besides that they suck.

[86WARD]

The Browns have RIDICULOUS amount of first and second round picks in the next two years. Something like 8 picks in the first two rounds??

[AtlantaDan]

The Browns have RIDICULOUS amount of first and second round picks in the next two years. Something like 8 picks in the first two rounds??

If this was pre-salary cap they could be setting themselves up for a 70s Steelers dynasty run after the 1974 draft.

Of course even if they hit on most of those picks they will not be able to keep everyone after their rookie contracts. But that is a lot of top picks to get a half dozen starters and maybe two Pro Bowl level players

[Mach1]

SOURCES: Browns Will Cut RGIII, Trade Osweiler, Make Run At Jimmy Garrapolo

Following Thursday's unprecedented swap for Brock Osweiler, his salary and a 2018 second-round pick, the Browns are loaded heading into this year's draft.

Armed with three first-rounders and five second-rounders over the next two years, Cleveland owns the requisite ammunition to make a play for New England backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Browns plan to do just that.

"They do intend to make a run at Jimmy Garoppolo as we get closer to the draft. Will they actually be able to do it is the question," Rapoport told NFL Network. "I've talked to several teams that were in the quarterback mix. All, obviously, were considering or are considering going after Jimmy Garoppolo. To a T, every team has said, 'We believe the Browns are going to make a huge run and we don't think we can compete with that.' So it certainly seems like the Browns are up front in a potential Garoppolo derby."

Rapoport, though, reiterated what he reported earlier this week, saying that New England's front office isn't pushing to part ways with Tom Brady's reliable understudy.

"The Patriots are not exactly comfortable, at this point, with Jacoby Brissett as Tom Brady's backup," Rapoport said. "... At this point, from what I understand, it does not seem like the Patriots want to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Everyone has a price, but they don't want to do it."

That might be the case today, but the Browns, to an unprecedented degree, are flooded with draft selections

http://lockerdome.com/thefakeespn/6753098379179585/9605475281121040

[AtlantaDan]

SOURCES: Browns Will Cut RGIII, Trade Osweiler, Make Run At Jimmy Garrapolo

Following Thursday's unprecedented swap for Brock Osweiler, his salary and a 2018 second-round pick, the Browns are loaded heading into this year's draft.

Armed with three first-rounders and five second-rounders over the next two years, Cleveland owns the requisite ammunition to make a play for New England backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, the Browns plan to do just that.

"They do intend to make a run at Jimmy Garoppolo as we get closer to the draft. Will they actually be able to do it is the question," Rapoport told NFL Network. "I've talked to several teams that were in the quarterback mix. All, obviously, were considering or are considering going after Jimmy Garoppolo. To a T, every team has said, 'We believe the Browns are going to make a huge run and we don't think we can compete with that.' So it certainly seems like the Browns are up front in a potential Garoppolo derby."

Rapoport, though, reiterated what he reported earlier this week, saying that New England's front office isn't pushing to part ways with Tom Brady's reliable understudy.

"The Patriots are not exactly comfortable, at this point, with Jacoby Brissett as Tom Brady's backup," Rapoport said. "... At this point, from what I understand, it does not seem like the Patriots want to trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Everyone has a price, but they don't want to do it."

That might be the case today, but the Browns, to an unprecedented degree, are flooded with draft selections

http://lockerdome.com/thefakeespn/6753098379179585/9605475281121040

Great - Pats trade Garoppolo for the #1 pick and Pats get Myles Garrett:doh2:

[86WARD]

There was a report out there that said that the Browns wouldn't be able to get Garropolo no matter what they offered NE.

[j-d-s]

I wouldn't give a first or second round pick for Garoppolo (as starting QB) anyway. He is far from proven and still can become a major bust. Remember Matt Cassel?

[BigNastyDefense]

It's not a bad move at all.

I don't think we will see the trade or release of Osweiler until after the draft (and there is still the chance they keep him).

The Browns, even with the contracts they handed out in FA (Zeitler, Britt, and their own O-lineman), they're not even at the Salary FLOOR yet! Keeping Osweiler gets them about there and cutting him would put them just over it. Th cap hit would be in incured in one season where they would have the cap space to eat it AND puts them above the salary floor this season without overpaying on a long term deal for a bad player.

The 2018 second round pick can be used as ammo to go after either Garrapolo or Cousins. And all of these reports that the Pats aren't trading him, I don't believe. Everyone on that roster, except Brady, has a price. Also, he's a FA after this year so this is your chance to get something for him unless you're going to franchise tag him next offseason. And he's not going to want to stay in NE to sit behind Brady for another five years (Brady has said he wants to play until he's 45). If they franchise him after he plays no games next season - his value won't be as high as it is right now.

I don't think the Browns should give up a first round pick for him (for Cousins, it would be worth it, you have a body of work to go on). But a package of second rounders (maybe their second one this year, a third rounder this year, and a second rounder next year) could get him. If Bellichick thinks he's getting a first (unless the Browns trade the 12th pick for one way back in the second half of the round), he's nuts.

[86WARD]

It's been reported that the Patriots aren't going to trade Garropolo to the Browns no matter what.

[Born2Steel]

I find myself actually hoping the Browns can become more legit. If our division could become the slugfest it was once, IMO, would improve football every Sunday. You would have to pay attention to those other games.

[BigNastyDefense]

It's been reported that the Patriots aren't going to trade Garropolo to the Browns no matter what.

But that can change. If the Browns were to offer up a certain set of draft picks, they'll trade him. Everyone on that roster other than Brady has a price, you just have to be willing to match it.

And who's to say Garrapolo signs a long term deal with NE after this season? Are they going to be willing to franchise him and pay him that kind of money to ride the bench? And then even more to franchise him a second year? It's likely that his trade value won't be higher than it is right now if they actually want to get something for him instead of losing him for nothing.

Maybe the refusal is to try to get the most for him come draft day.

[Dwinsgames]

perhaps this is partly why the Pats traded away their top 3 selection in this draft for proven or semi proven players knowing full well they will in fact deal Jimmy G for a kings ransom and essentially have their picks back (even if the Browns trade a 2nd and 3rd this years its like a late 1 and 2 being just 1 pick behind the Pats original 1 and 2 ) if they could get a 2-3 and 4 from the Browns they will have gained 2 quality players and only dropped 3 total spots in the draft ...

if they can pull that off it will be the free agency coup of all time