Cleveland Browns (2011 season)

[y0yoyoin]

That will depend on how much money he wants and his agent is not very owner friendly. I don't think the Browns will put the franchise tag on him because it will cost them a bundle plus they have to deal with Jackson and Dawson. I know that Dawson isn't that valuable but he knows the stadium wind and his leg seemed to get stronger this year. Don't know if Jackson will sign or not. If he doesn't, they will have to tag him.

Shumur and Holmgren were asked about Hillis today

As for Hillis, Holmgren and Heckert stayed consistent with Shurmur and flatly declined to say they wanted him back. When pressed later on Hillis, Holmgren asked that reporters "please respect our decision not to talk about that today."

Shumur and Holmgren had a press confrence today and here are some of the interesting things said, here is the article

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/mike_holmgren_says_cleveland_b.html

Holmgren praised McCoy for possessing "a lot of the intangibles," but backed up coach Pat Shurmur's previous statements that McCoy would have to compete next season with Seneca Wallace and someone else for the starting quarterback job. Holmgren said he's "not ready to anoint" McCoy as the franchise quarterback.

As for a new quarterback, Holmgren steered conversation away from Green Bay backup and potential free agent Matt Flynn. He said he wouldn't comment on players with existing teams. Flynn's name, though, opened a discussion on whether the Browns would pursue a young quarterback in free agency rather than in the draft.
Heckert said, "That's probably not the way we're going to do it. You never know. It's still early. There are a few guys in the league who have started and will be free agents. We're going to look at them and see how that goes. It's really early. We'll evaluate everybody. We do it every year. We'll study them all."

Holmgren defended the club's stance against building the team in free agency, although both he and Heckert said they would be "selective" in adding experienced players.
"We have a philosophy of how to build the team," Holmgren said. "Our record was poor, so the natural reaction is to just go crazy and spend millions of dollars. Now, if that was the right thing to do in our opinion, to build the foundation for the long term, we will do that. But that's not our philosophy on how to build this for the long term.

They sounded more inclined to selecting players with their two No. 1s rather than combining them in a trade for a quarterback.
"That's the reason we made the trade [last year] -- to get players," Heckert said. "I like [having so many early picks]. We obviously have to hit on them. But we always have to. We're sitting at [No. 4] right now. It's going to be tough to screw that one up."
To which Holmgren interjected, "Write that down."

With Montario Hardesty's injury history, running back has become an unforeseen area of need. Both men acknowledged the receiver situation needs significant upgrading, too.
"I think it's obvious we have to help our offense. I can't sit here and lie," Heckert said.

 

[colobuck79]

In related news, Art Modell is still alive.

 

[NFBuck]

Topical:

Why Browns may chase Packers QB​

Views3159Comments14

• Email Print Facebook Digg RSS Share

11:11 AM ET 01.08 | It is worth mentioning that two quarterbacks who made Browns GM Mike Holmgren's head coaching career -- Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck. Both were backups obtained by trades and given a chance to start. So it is worth paying attention to Green Bay's Matt Flynn (a West Coast offense guy) who may be available.
Cleveland Plain Dealer​

Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/nfl#ixzz1itb8ozFa​

I'd love to see it happen as I think Flynn has the tools to be a very good NFL QB, but I'd be shocked if they open up the checkbook. They would obviously have to get him some weapons too, as he isn't throwing 3 Tds in a game, let alone 6 in Cleveland without Jennings, Finley, Jones, Nelson et al...​

 

[y0yoyoin]

Topical:

I'd love to see it happen as I think Flynn has the tools to be a very good NFL QB, but I'd be shocked if they open up the checkbook. They would obviously have to get him some weapons too, as he isn't throwing 3 Tds in a game, let alone 6 in Cleveland without Jennings, Finley, Jones, Nelson et al...​

Flynn would be great...we obtain a QB thru FA instead of wasting a pick on one at some point in the draft next year...hes looked good but you just have to wonder if its his talent or if its because of the system he is in

 

[NFBuck]

Flynn would be great...we obtain a QB thru FA instead of wasting a pick on one at some point in the draft next year...hes looked good but you just have to wonder if its his talent or if its because of the system he is in

That's the rub, but he has looked good...and the clowns are trying to run a similar system.They just have nowhere near the receiving talent the Pack does. If they were to get Flynn, receivers have to become priority #1 in a hurry...because Joe Montana would suck throwing to the guys they're trotting out there now. A lot of people forget he won a NC in college as well. The guy knows how to win if nothing else.

 

[BuckNut65]

That's the rub, but he has looked good...and the clowns are trying to run a similar system.They just have nowhere near the receiving talent the Pack does. If they were to get Flynn, receivers have to become priority #1 in a hurry...because Joe Montana would suck throwing to the guys they're trotting out there now. A lot of people forget he won a NC in college as well. The guy knows how to win if nothing else.

Colt is a winner too...it is too difficult to evaluate what we have when you have no skill players and a screen door at RT. if this team could get Flynn through FA it would be great but I don't see him faring any better with the skill players we currently have.

 

[BUCK3YE5]

if RG3 and Blackmon are gone before the Browns can pick I'll cry

 

[exhawg]

if RG3 and Blackmon are gone before the Browns can pick I'll cry

Do not want RG3. Next year is going to be stacked with QB's so if the Browns still suck they will have another chance at a QB, but with better weapons for him to work with. I hope someone moves up to get RG3 and Blackmon is still on the board or if Blackmon is gone Miami or Washington really want to trade up for RG3. I don't want the Browns to drop out of the top 10, but a small trade down for Richardson wouldn't be bad. I'll take Richardson at 4 if no one wants to trade up for RG3 and Blackmon is gone.

 

[LitlBuck]

I have not followed Kolb's career very closely and I was wondering what other Browns fans would think about picking him up if the Cardinals let him go.

Also, after watching Richardson last night I would take him with the fourth pick. He showed me some speed that I did not realize he had.

By Grossi :)

After trading for him, the Cardinals signed Kolb to a five-year contract extension for a reported $63 million, including a guarantee of $20 million.
Kolb proceeded to suffer two debilitating injuries and post a 2-6 record as the starter. Backup John Skelton created a controversy by going 6-2 in place of Kolb.

Kolb is owed a $7 million roster bonus from the Cards in March. There is some debate in Phoenix about if it would be wiser for the Cards to cut their losses, release Kolb and suffer the cap hit rather than invest further in him.

If that happened, Kolb would rise to the top of the list of quarterback options for the Browns. Why?

Kolb was a much better quarterback in the West Coast offense in which he was schooled in Philadelphia. Arizona doesn't run it. Also, Kolb was drafted by Philadelphia partly based on evaluations made by Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur -- the Browns' top two football men. Heckert was the Eagles' general manager, though he didn't have final football authority, and Shurmur was the team's quarterbacks coach.

.http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/cleveland_browns_draft_project_1.html

 

[NFBuck]

I have not followed Kolb's career very closely and I was wondering what other Browns fans would think about picking him up if the Cardinals let him go.

Also, after watching Richardson last night I would take him with the fourth pick. He showed me some speed that I did not realize he had.

By Grossi :)


.http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/01/cleveland_browns_draft_project_1.html

Given the source, must be taken with a large grain of salt...but, not sure that's something I'd be too thrilled with. Kolb is said to be a WCO QB, and he was probably mismatched with the Arizona offense. But, given his injury history and large salary...doesn't seem very prudent to me.

 

[jlb1705]

I think if he were cut he'd come cheaper than Flynn would. If the feel the need to bring someone in I'd rather they get one of those guys then spend a draft pick this year.

 

[jlb1705]

Andrew Perloff of SI.com must be tuned in to the Browns wavelength. In his mock draft today he has the Browns TRADING UP TO NO. 2 TO TAKE ROBERT GRIFFIN III WHILE THE RAMS DROP BACK TO NO. 4 TO GET JUSTIN BLACKMON AND ALSO GET THE BROWNS' OTHER FIRST ROUNDER. He just predicted something so colossally retarded that he probably pinpointed the Browns' thinking precisely.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...mock.draft/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a2

2. Cleveland Browns -- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (Trade with St. Louis)
The Rams don't need a quarterback, but with a manageable price tag for rookies because of the salary slotting system, they'll get calls from Cleveland, Miami and Washington about moving up to land Griffin. After last season's draft-day trade with the Falcons, the Browns have an extra first-rounder and can put together the best package. Griffin may have more tools than Luck, but Luck is more valuable because he ran a pro system at Stanford. Griffin completed 72.4 percent of his passes, a dazzling number even in the defensively challenged Big 12.

4. St. Louis Rams -- Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (Trade with Cleveland)
Blackmon may not run a blazing 40, but neither did Larry Fitzgerald or Jerry Rice. Blackmon's dominant performance in the Fiesta Bowl put to rest any notion he benefits from Oklahoma State's wide-open offense.

22. St. Louis Rams -- Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama (Trade with Cleveland Browns, from Atlanta Falcons)
If the Rams go offense early, they will try to improve their 22nd-ranked defense. Jenkins has some character questions, but teams have to be willing to take risks to find quality cover guys in today's NFL.
​

 

[JCOSU86]

On a related note, nice:

 

[JCOSU86]

Andrew Perloff of SI.com must be tuned in to the Browns wavelength. In his mock draft today he has the Browns TRADING UP TO NO. 2 TO TAKE ROBERT GRIFFIN III WHILE THE RAMS DROP BACK TO NO. 4 TO GET JUSTIN BLACKMON AND ALSO GET THE BROWNS OTHER FIRST ROUNDER. He just predicted something so colossally retarded that he probably pinpointed the Browns' thinking precisely.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...mock.draft/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t11_a2

That might just be the stupidest God-damned thing any football team anywhere could do. The Colts are drafting Luck, the Rams and Vikings are drafting Kalil, Clairborne or Blackmon. No reason to trade up if they want RGIII. If Miami or Washington wants him - good. Then Clairborne or Blackmon will be available. If St. Louis is thinking that they can trade with Miami/Washington and still get Blackmon past the Browns they are mistaken.

Floyd/Richardson/Wright/Olineman with the Falcon's pick.

 

[Mac]

I'd be more than happy to take a chance of picking up Flynn. I've said it before, I don't want to go through a growing period with another drafted QB. It has NOT worked since we came back as a team. Pick up someone who can play the game, and has shown that he can play.

If you pick up Flynn, you bet your ass we better do everything possible to draft Blackmon. Drop Hillis. That tub a lard is a waste of space. And with the 2nd 1st rounder possibly take a RB.