The 2019 NFL Free Agency/Trade Thread

[DJ Fieri]

David Carr would disagree with you that any opportunity is a good one. Houston almost got that kid killed. Sometimes it is best to wait for the right situation rather than panicking and taking first opportunity that comes your way.

To me he is taking a risk either way. I wouldn’t fault him for picking either decision. If he was in his 30’s then yes this would be a blown opportunity. With modern medicine today he still has possibly 15 years left of NFL ability. Passing one opportunity won’t destroy his career.

Exactly, and Bridgewater has had injuries. Maybe he didn't like Miami's OL that allowed 52 sacks?

 

[DJ Fieri]

It's amazing what a competent GM can do for an organization. In 13 months, he's done what others before him couldn't do in 19 years.

You guys seem to have found a good one.....I loved the Dorsey hire when it happened. Stunned the Chiefs let him go.

 

[dtgold88]

He had an opportunity to go back to Miami and would have been given a great chance to prove himself. Now he has to hope brees goes down or retires...

Or maybe he does not want to be exposed as the game manager he is? Best role might be solid #2.

 

[dtgold88]

It's a challenge for sure but most men are man enough to handle it. Only 32 starting jobs in the world I think I'd take my chances unless he's scared. Pretty pathetic in my books who the hell would want to be a bench warmer...

Can't say I've followed this but have the Dolphins even made him an offer?

 

[dtgold88]

Big if. I wouldn't tempt my career with fate. When I see an opportunity to prove myself I do and its given me a lot of success in life. Let's wait for a hall of famer to retire and maybe I'll get my chance....no thanks earn it now create your own path. Losers let others decide I'm glad he didn't take on the challenge...

Calling a guy who might be one of the top 50 QBs in the world a loser in a sports forum seems harsh.

 

[Clayton]

It's amazing what a competent GM can do for an organization. In 13 months, he's done what others before him couldn't do in 19 years.

2 competent GMs. Your previous GM is who set up Dorsey to succeed.

If you guys aren't awful for multiple years then you don't have Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett or Denzel Ward regardless of what Dorsey does.

 

[dtgold88]

Same. I don't think he's that good at all since coming back from his injury. He looked bad in that week 17 start.

I didn't care a bit when the rumors with him & Miami started yesterday

Honestly, I didn't really love him BEFORE he was hurt. Young, I get it, but struck me as a game manager at best.

 

[dtgold88]

He looks like a coward to me. Sorry my opinion when someone hides behind another when he has a great opportunity to prove himself. Losers hide...

what do you call the guy hiding behind a computer calling the NFL QB a coward?

 

[dtgold88]

2 competent GMs. Your previous GM is who set up Dorsey to succeed.

If you guys aren't awful for multiple years then you don't have Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett or Denzel Ward regardless of what Dorsey does.

You'll have a tough sell on that with most but I agree 100%.

More important than what Dorsey has done was Sashi and Paul D selling Haslem (and him agreeing) on a complete teardown.

Most "football guys" (and we are seeing it now) are afraid to be awful and would rather sign overpaid, middling FAs to win a meaningless extra 2-4 games. No way Dorsey would have had the stones to take over this team in 2016 (and I do like him).

They told Haslem he might want to stay away from games for a couple years for a reason. Doubt they saw 1-31 coming, but probably expected 4-6 wins at most. Also doubt anyone was that upset with 1-31 as it got them Garrett AND Baker (and ward as you mention).

did he screw the pooch on Wentz? TBD, but certainly understandable a team with so many holes wanted a ton of picks over an injured QB from ND state

I also think fans don't really know Sashi's role. He was not the GM. He was not scouting players, attending Pro Days, etc. My guess is Andrew Berry was the front man there and the one who was picking the players (with Sashi breaking ties if there were any).

All that said, since they kept Hue, someone had to go for the 1-31......and if not set up how it was there is no Dorsey here.

 

[dtgold88]

I'd go to the end of the earth to have a shot at being a starting QB. Sorry but life doesn't always put things on a platter for you. Take your opportunities when they arise couldn't stress it anymore...

could that be because you have zero chance to ever be a starting QB you feel this way?

 

[Across The Field]

2 competent GMs. Your previous GM is who set up Dorsey to succeed.

If you guys aren't awful for multiple years then you don't have Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett or Denzel Ward regardless of what Dorsey does.

1 competent GM. Sashi did what any idiot could do - just don't spend money and trade down. People giving him credit for what's happening right now is just foolish.

If you gave me building supplies and someone else's checkbook, I'd have no idea how to build a house. I'm as good of a contractor as Sashi was a GM

 

[Across The Field]

You'll have a tough sell on that with most but I agree 100%.

More important than what Dorsey has done was Sashi and Paul D selling Haslem (and him agreeing) on a complete teardown.

Most "football guys" (and we are seeing it now) are afraid to be awful and would rather sign overpaid, middling FAs to win a meaningless extra 2-4 games. No way Dorsey would have had the stones to take over this team in 2016 (and I do like him).

They told Haslem he might want to stay away from games for a couple years for a reason. Doubt they saw 1-31 coming, but probably expected 4-6 wins at most. Also doubt anyone was that upset with 1-31 as it got them Garrett AND Baker (and ward as you mention).

did he screw the pooch on Wentz? TBD, but certainly understandable a team with so many holes wanted a ton of picks over an injured QB from ND state

I also think fans don't really know Sashi's role. He was not the GM. He was not scouting players, attending Pro Days, etc. My guess is Andrew Berry was the front man there and the one who was picking the players (with Sashi breaking ties if there were any).

All that said, since they kept Hue, someone had to go for the 1-31......and if not set up how it was there is no Dorsey here.

Dorsey came into a great spot, no questions asked. That said, it isn't like the Browns of the previous decade were in some salary cap hell and had no way to get out. They'd been bad for so long that they had plenty of high draft picks, and they never signed big money free agents, so there was always money. Everything is easy to say in hindsight, but Dorsey has had the stones to actually take risks.

You mention a "complete teardown". What did they tear down? They've been horrible for years.

 

[dtgold88]

1 competent GM. Sashi did what any idiot could do - just don't spend money and trade down. People giving him credit for what's happening right now is just foolish.

If you gave me building supplies and someone else's checkbook, I'd have no idea how to build a house. I'm as good of a contractor as Sashi was a GM

Yeah, so you say, but why don't "football guys" take this approach? Instead, they take the approach of past GMs (and GMs of other teams now if you've been paying attention to FA). Keep signing overpaid players in hopes of going from bad to mediocre. Browns finally went from bad to awful and here's a flash......

.....it worked.

 

[dtgold88]

Dorsey came into a great spot, no questions asked. That said, it isn't like the Browns of the previous decade were in some salary cap hell and had no way to get out. They'd been bad for so long that they had plenty of high draft picks, and they never signed big money free agents, so there was always money. Everything is easy to say in hindsight, but Dorsey has had the stones to actually take risks.

You mention a "complete teardown". What did they tear down? They've been horrible for years.

They were 3-13 and still dumped all the aging vets. past regimes would have kept them and added more Whitner's of the world to try and be 5-11 or 6-10.

I would not change anything from 2016 given the chance. I could not be happier about where they are and any change might put them in a worse place than where they are.

stones to take risks? The real risk was the complete teardown. It's a risk to trade for maybe the best WR in football? To use the 1 and 4 picks in a draft that we had because of the teardown and past trades?

I do like Dorsey a lot, but don't kid yourself thinking he was the only one who would have taken Baker.

you like Chubb? we got him because Sashi and Paul D came up with the idea to make a deal most had only seen in the NBA (and Haslem agreed to spend the $16 mil).

 

[Across The Field]

Yeah, so you say, but why don't "football guys" take this approach? Instead, they take the approach of past GMs (and GMs of other teams now if you've been paying attention to FA). Keep signing overpaid players in hopes of going from bad to mediocre. Browns finally went from bad to awful and here's a flash......

.....it worked.

You're using the phrase "football guys" to describe bad GMs, so I'm not sure I really agree with that. Not every GM has had that approach in the past, only the bad ones.

This "complete teardown" was nothing more than just ditching tons of bad rookies we drafted, letting all of our FAs walk, and not spending any money other than short, cheap contracts that helped us field 2 of the worst teams in NFL history. Again, it did work, but it isn't as if Brown was some genius. He and the rest of the FO just basically did the least they could possibly do and let the team go to decay. That doesn't take talent.

 

[Clayton]

1 competent GM. Sashi did what any idiot could do - just don't spend money and trade down. People giving him credit for what's happening right now is just foolish.

If you gave me building supplies and someone else's checkbook, I'd have no idea how to build a house. I'm as good of a contractor as Sashi was a GM

Its not foolish. Its called tanking. Other sports acknowledge how strong it is.

I will say that Dorsey was the right guy for the right time. He has a great eye for offensive weapons. Dorsey's weakness is maintaining defensive talent so....just a heads up.

 

[Across The Field]

They were 3-13 and still dumped all the aging vets. past regimes would have kept them and added more Whitner's of the world to try and be 5-11 or 6-10.

I would not change anything from 2016 given the chance. I could not be happier about where they are and any change might put them in a worse place than where they are.

stones to take risks? The real risk was the complete teardown. It's a risk to trade for maybe the best WR in football? To use the 1 and 4 picks in a draft that we had because of the teardown and past trades?

I do like Dorsey a lot, but don't kid yourself thinking he was the only one who would have taken Baker.

you like Chubb? we got him because Sashi and Paul D came up with the idea to make a deal most had only seen in the NBA (and Haslem agreed to spend the $16 mil).

Past regimes would've kept them and tried making moves to make the team better. Again, hindsight is always 20/20. It's not as if the Browns were notoriously throwing around big money contracts or overpaying guys that no other teams were interested. They were trying to be competitive, but they were just bad at their jobs. If I were to take a job and came in and did basically nothing, I doubt my employer would be impressed if I said "well at least I didn't make the same mistakes as the last guy".

Taking Baker wasn't the popular choice. Darnold was higher rated by a lot of people, and even Josh Allen was being mentioned more than Baker up until about a day before the draft. Also, taking Ward when everyone else thought Chubb should have been the pick did take stones. His rationale for taking him, however, was very sound and it worked out beautifully.

Also, Dorsey is the guy that actually picked Chubb. It isn't as if you could say Sashi would've had the intelligence to do that. Dorsey isn't the first GM to come into a good situation in regards to draft capital and cap space, especially not with the Browns. It's been almost a constant thing in Cleveland since they came back in 99. However, Dorsey is the only one who is actually doing something smart with it.

 

[dtgold88]

You're using the phrase "football guys" to describe bad GMs, so I'm not sure I really agree with that. Not every GM has had that approach in the past, only the bad ones.

This "complete teardown" was nothing more than just ditching tons of bad rookies we drafted, letting all of our FAs walk, and not spending any money other than short, cheap contracts that helped us field 2 of the worst teams in NFL history. Again, it did work, but it isn't as if Brown was some genius. He and the rest of the FO just basically did the least they could possibly do and let the team go to decay. That doesn't take talent.

OK, but we are going in circles. Even if I stipulate it "doesn't take much talent" the fact is most GMs wouldn't have the stones to try it. Think Dorsey, if unemployed, would have come to work here in 2016?

You keep bringing up the bad teams as though it's a negative. You'd have preferred more 3-13 or 4-12 seasons and perhaps no Garrett nor Baker?

Also, do you really not get Sashi was not the GM? He was not the one most responsible for picking players? He listened to his scouts - led by Berry I would think. Only broke ties if needed. why else would someone hire Berry as their GM?

Curious....what would you have them done differently that you are sure would not hinder them being where they are now?

 

[Across The Field]

Its not foolish. Its called tanking. Other sports acknowledge how strong it is.

I will say that Dorsey was the right guy for the right time. He has a great eye for offensive weapons. Dorsey's weakness is maintaining defensive talent so....just a heads up.

I'm not saying what he did is foolish, I'm saying trying to give him credit for Dorsey's moves is. It isn't as if tanking requires talent. Building a team is much harder, and that's what Dorsey is doing.

Think about it - if Brown was actually good at his job, why wouldn't they let him stay on board after the tank job and build the team? Because he obviously isn't a good GM.

 

[dtgold88]

Past regimes would've kept them and tried making moves to make the team better. Again, hindsight is always 20/20. It's not as if the Browns were notoriously throwing around big money contracts or overpaying guys that no other teams were interested. They were trying to be competitive, but they were just bad at their jobs. If I were to take a job and came in and did basically nothing, I doubt my employer would be impressed if I said "well at least I didn't make the same mistakes as the last guy".

Taking Baker wasn't the popular choice. Darnold was higher rated by a lot of people, and even Josh Allen was being mentioned more than Baker up until about a day before the draft. Also, taking Ward when everyone else thought Chubb should have been the pick did take stones. His rationale for taking him, however, was very sound and it worked out beautifully.

Also, Dorsey is the guy that actually picked Chubb. It isn't as if you could say Sashi would've had the intelligence to do that. Dorsey isn't the first GM to come into a good situation in regards to draft capital and cap space, especially not with the Browns. It's been almost a constant thing in Cleveland since they came back in 99. However, Dorsey is the only one who is actually doing something smart with it.

You don't seem to get this.....I'm not one of those guys who thinks everyone must be great or suck. Black, white, 100% one way or the other.

I think Dorsey is an excellent GM. But without the teardown and extra picks there is probably no Baker, Ward or Chubb for Dorsey to pick. Seems you'd have preferred more 4-12 seasons and drafted the QB who fell to them.

I am 100% sure if they took Wentz and he had the same injuries you would rip Sashi for taking an injured QB from ND State after he probably led us to seasons of 3-6 wins.

The Coleman pick? A disaster but really the only bad pick based on where they picked I can think of. But, again, I think the draft was more on Berry (good and bad).