Looking Ahead to 2022

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

Now that we’ve got the bulk of the 2021 acquisitions completed, where do you think the team focuses next year?

Offensively I think we’ll look at the following:

QB: I would expect a day 2-3 pick that will be someone they view as a long term, cost effective backup.

TE: Hooper is overpaid and Njoku is a FA.  I would expect a reasonable investment here to continue with developing the positional talent. R2-4 pick.

IOL: You can’t pay everyone, and I’d imagine by 2023 we will see some changes at G/C even if they do extend Teller.  If not, this becomes a much bigger need. Round 2-4 pick imo.

WR: As has been discussed plenty, I would be surprised if both OBJ and Landry are on the roster next season.  Unless someone makes some big strides, this is going to be a priority.  Day 1-2 pick imo.

Defense:

DE: Unless either Takk or Clowney light it up and look like long term starters, we’re probably going to continue looking for a complimentary edge player for Myles.  Day 1-2 pick.

LB: probably not going to be a ton of need here with the guys we brought in and how we view the position, but I’d imagine another day 3 guy to perhaps take the role of Walker or Smith.

CB: I think we’re going to continue to value this more than some people think. I think we draft one every year tbh. Day 2-3.

Safety: Harrison likely hits FA, so a replacement will be needed.  Day 3 pick.

 

As far as FA, I wouldn’t expect any more big signings for a while.  I think we’ll try to keep our guys and probably let some walk and look for the comp picks.

[Kiwibrown]

Off contract starters 

1. Chubb- this will be a huge analytics challenge. Crowd favorite, all pro, older rb, with an injury history. 

2. Higgins. May get another cheap year.

3. Njoku- he is gone. Hooper's contract is bullet proof.

4. Teller- reportedly wants top dollar. Would you rather obj or teller?

5. Clowney- I assume he wants a lot of money

6. Takk- I can see him possibly put of the league to 10 million per year contract.

7. Smith- probably his last year in the league.

8. Harrison- I see him leaving on an 8-10 million dollar deal. 

9. Billings, may stay on for a cheap deal.

 

We could pick up 2 3s and multipr 4ths and 5ths from this crop of outgoing free agents.

[Kiwibrown]

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Now that we’ve got the bulk of the 2021 acquisitions completed, where do you think the team focuses next year?

Offensively I think we’ll look at the following:

QB: I would expect a day 2-3 pick that will be someone they view as a long term, cost effective backup.

Agree. 

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

TE: Hooper is overpaid and Njoku is a FA.  I would expect a reasonable investment here to continue with developing the positional talent. R2-4 pick.

It will be interesting to see the shape of the stephanski offense in 21. Do you think think tight will be as much an emphasis?

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

IOL: You can’t pay everyone, and I’d imagine by 2023 we will see some changes at G/C even if they do extend Teller.  If not, this becomes a much bigger need. Round 2-4 pick imo.

The easiest to move is bitonio, the worst is tretter and the one I want to keep is teller.

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

WR: As has been discussed plenty, I would be surprised if both OBJ and Landry are on the roster next season.  Unless someone makes some big strides, this is going to be a priority.  Day 1-2 pick imo.

I'm happy to move on from obj even if he puts up 100 rec 1400 yards and 10 tds

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Defense:

DE: Unless either Takk or Clowney light it up and look like long term starters, we’re probably going to continue looking for a complimentary edge player for Myles.  Day 1-2 pick.

Totally drafting this position next year.

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

LB: probably not going to be a ton of need here with the guys we brought in and how we view the position, but I’d imagine another day 3 guy to perhaps take the role of Walker or Smith.

Wouldnt surprise me if they want a vet.

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

CB: I think we’re going to continue to value this more than some people think. I think we draft one every year tbh. Day 2-3.

That's what I see happening.

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Safety: Harrison likely hits FA, so a replacement will be needed.  Day 3 pick.

We have 3 safeties without harrison possibly with jj3, delpit and then lecounte.  And then jok will be able to fill some of the safety roll too.

31 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

 

As far as FA, I wouldn’t expect any more big signings for a while.  I think we’ll try to keep our guys and probably let some walk and look for the comp picks.

I imagine they will try and resign some guys soon, 1 of teller or chubb. I'm not sure who

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

Off contract starters 

1. Chubb- this will be a huge analytics challenge. Crowd favorite, all pro, older rb, with an injury history. 
 

not really a challenge for ‘22 as we can franchise him, but year long term it will be.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

2. Higgins. May get another cheap year.

I could see a cheap year or potentially a small 2-3 year deal if he continues to work well with Baker and we move on from OBJ.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

3. Njoku- he is gone. Hooper's contract is bullet proof.

yep.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

4. Teller- reportedly wants top dollar. Would you rather obj or teller?

I mean, maybe neither?  OBJ needs an “obj” season to stick around and Teller is going to have to show he can be both dominant and healthy. I’d rather pay Chubb than either of them.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

5. Clowney- I assume he wants a lot of money

6. Takk- I can see him possibly put of the league to 10 million per year contract.

Both of these two will want to cash in if able, it’s entirely dependent on production.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

7. Smith- probably his last year in the league.

possibly, yes 

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

8. Harrison- I see him leaving on an 8-10 million dollar deal. 
 

He’d need a helluva season for that, but that would be great for comp picks.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

9. Billings, may stay on for a cheap deal.
 

Tbh I don’t think he’s a lock to make the team this season.

2 minutes ago, Kiwibrown said:

We could pick up 2 3s and multipr 4ths and 5ths from this crop of outgoing free agents.

I doubt it, we’d essentially have to let everyone go for that and not sign their replacements.  We don’t have enough homegrown talent for all that just yet.

[Kiwibrown]

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

not really a challenge for ‘22 as we can franchise him, but year long term it will be.

It will be a great move.and probably under market for chubb. I love and want to keep him forever, but after his franchise tag he will be 27. Franchising him twice is a possibility.

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

I could see a cheap year or potentially a small 2-3 year deal if he continues to work well with Baker and we move on from OBJ.

Yep. He is a bit of a puzzle- he has a very limited skill set, but he is excellent at it. I think steph wants more versatility, but baker loves him. No wants him for a lot either, he probably has a weak market.

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

yep.

I mean, maybe neither?  OBJ needs an “obj” season to stick around and Teller is going to have to show he can be both dominant and healthy. I’d rather pay Chubb than either of them.

I really want to keep teller.

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Both of these two will want to cash in if able, it’s entirely dependent on production.

possibly, yes 

 

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

He’d need a helluva season for that, but that would be great for comp picks.

Harrison is a baller. He might make a pro bowl thos season if healthy. He is going to be dominant this year with great players around him.

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Tbh I don’t think he’s a lock to make the team this season.

Possibly didnt think of that.

2 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

I doubt it, we’d essentially have to let everyone go for that and not sign their replacements.  We don’t have enough homegrown talent for all that just yet.

If we boost Clowney value and dont resign teller that could be two 3a right there. Dont get in the way of my comp pick fantasy.

[JDD]

QB: I can see drafting a late round guy to develop. 
OL: I think we might get cocky with Callahan as the OL coach, he seems to have a way of getting the most out of his players. I'd say Teller is signed but we move on from Tretter after '22
RB: I think Chubb signs a decent deal both team friendly and good guaranteed money with a 2 or 3 year out
WR: Big need going into '22, high draft pick or trade or even high tier FA signing will be needed. Maybe 2 of 3. Jarvis stays or both Javis and OBJ redo their deals to below 10 mil each. Only way they are here after '21 season.
TE: Bryant will be a big reason on what happens here. If he has a good year Njoku is gone and Hopper might be on his last year or a restructure
DE: This will always be a need and be a top draft pick or a FA contract for a 1-2 year player. Don't leave Myles without a running mate on the other side
DT: Find some big eaters in the draft and mid range FA
CB: This will always be a position to draft, trade or sign. In the new NFL you need 3 good CBs
LB: Roll with the group maybe extend Walkers deal? Mid to low round picks unless someone special is available. Don't see a ton of FA money spent here
S: I think they roll with the group they have but look to add mid rounds or low tier FA. 

[MWil23]

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Now that we’ve got the bulk of the 2021 acquisitions completed, where do you think the team focuses next year?

Offensively I think we’ll look at the following:

QB: I would expect a day 2-3 pick that will be someone they view as a long term, cost effective backup.

Agree with this. We get our backup QB off the books and should look to bring in some sort of veteran with experience or a mid round QB who has potential to be capable if needed.

As of today, I'm going to add RB to this. While we have 1 more year of Hunt, we don't know the exact status of Chubb going forward. If we re-sign Nick, I'll say this is a mid round flier, but if we don't and only tag him, I could see us potentially bringing in someone.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

TE: Hooper is overpaid and Njoku is a FA.  I would expect a reasonable investment here to continue with developing the positional talent. R2-4 pick.

Spotrac tells me that we have an out in 2023 with him

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/austin-hooper-19035/

It appears to be fairly frontloaded, and barring a restructure, that's a bad contract for us IMO. We'll see how Harrison Bryant develops, but I'm not sure he's ever going to be more than a TE#2 or guy who can play a little out of the backfield unless he adds some bulk. I'm not ever grading a rookie TE either, as that position is nearly impossible to project as an early starter.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

IOL: You can’t pay everyone, and I’d imagine by 2023 we will see some changes at G/C even if they do extend Teller.  If not, this becomes a much bigger need. Round 2-4 pick imo.

Teller and Bitonio are going to need replaced sooner rather than later with their age. Both are UFA regardless in 2023. If the kid from UC pans out, there's your likely Conklin replacement.

Fun fact: Bitonio has ZERO dead cap starting this year

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

WR: As has been discussed plenty, I would be surprised if both OBJ and Landry are on the roster next season.  Unless someone makes some big strides, this is going to be a priority.  Day 1-2 pick imo.

IMO I think this is a R1 type pick unless DPJ and someone else really step up or a phenomenal EDGE prospect falls to us.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Defense:

DE: Unless either Takk or Clowney light it up and look like long term starters, we’re probably going to continue looking for a complimentary edge player for Myles.  Day 1-2 pick.

EDGE and WR are, IMO, our likely biggest plays in the draft/maybe free agency.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

LB: probably not going to be a ton of need here with the guys we brought in and how we view the position, but I’d imagine another day 3 guy to perhaps take the role of Walker or Smith.

Let's hope we've done enough to address this for a while.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

CB: I think we’re going to continue to value this more than some people think. I think we draft one every year tbh. Day 2-3.

IMO it depends upon Greedy's health. If Greedy looks legit, I'm not sure if we address this spot, and it will depend upon how our FO approaches Ward's contract as well. We'll see the Batsignal on the skyline if we don't extend Ward and Greedy isn't healthy though.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Safety: Harrison likely hits FA, so a replacement will be needed.  Day 3 pick.

Unless the kid from UGA impresses, you're likely correct, and even if he does, we clearly like Big Nickel. How JOK is utilized may play a part as well as the kid from WVU on the production standpoint. If somehow JOK becomes more of that "Harrison role" and the kid from WVU provides quality depth, I could see us trying to get away with doing nothing here, albeit a Day 2-3 pick wouldn't be unreasonable.

1 hour ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

As far as FA, I wouldn’t expect any more big signings for a while.  I think we’ll try to keep our guys and probably let some walk and look for the comp picks.

I could MAYBE see us making a splash or 2 next year, as 2023 is when a lot of dudes come off the books, but I would prefer us prioritizing re-signing our own dudes, namely Chubb and Teller (in that order), while working out a long term contract for Baker and hopefully Ward as well.

The reality is, our ability to get all 4 of these guys to long term contracts is going to be VERY DIFFICULT, if not impossible without some movement elsewhere (Landry, OBJ, Bitonio, Teller).

The reality is, OBJ and Landry will have almost ZERO dead cap in 2022. So, they'll need to restructure or else they're gone, and potentially some of those other OL guys as well.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/cap/2022/

 

[sdrawkcab321]

The cap is going to be a lot more than expected now with Amazon getting their rights a year early. We might not have to let hooper go. He’s pricy but he’s reliable. Baker just didn’t go his way that often last year. He was very underused. 
 

Odell is gone if he doesn’t have a pro bowl level season. WR is just too replaceable of a position. 
 

DE and DT still need to be addressed for the long term. They did a good job of patching it for a year but there’s still no one special at DT. Clowney might come back but who knows with him. 
 

I really really hope we don’t cheap out on the oline.  Oline and Qb are the last positions you should ever cheap out on. You want baker to look like he did last year you keep him upright. Otherwise he’s gonna look how he looked under freddie. Running for his life and making bad decisions. 

[MWil23]

15 minutes ago, sdrawkcab321 said:

I really really hope we don’t cheap out on the oline.  Oline and Qb are the last positions you should ever cheap out on. You want baker to look like he did last year you keep him upright. Otherwise he’s gonna look how he looked under freddie. Running for his life and making bad decisions. 

Like I said, if we do nothing else, here's absolutely what I'd do:

1. Re-sign Baker long term

2. Re-sign Ward to a 3+ year deal

3. Re-sign Chubb to a 3+ year deal

4. Re-sign Wyatt Teller to a 3+ year deal

From there, we have enough time to see if the kid from UC pans out as a replacement for Conklin and whether or not Wills deserve a long term contract, and we should have 2 years to find answers for Bitonio and Tretter via the draft, assuming those guys aren't already on our roster (unlikely they are).

[mtmmike]

Simple Browns have enough cap space to sign everybody

Doubt Berry let's significantly assetts lose

By signing the Clowneys of the world.

Cap space will be up 40 percent over lasts

Years rate.

[mtmmike]

I do not know about you nude with the amazon money coming does it help to sign people long term now to come out on top

Of the salary cap space 

Proposal

Extend obj and landry 

Chubb and Teller with wide receiver hitting

22 million let's extend people at 50 percent below that plus get a 50 percent raise in cap space.

[LETSGOBROWNIES]

4 minutes ago, mtmmike said:

I do not know about you nude with the amazon money coming does it help to sign people long term now to come out on top

Mike, you need to stop putting this out there.

Next thing we know agents, whose entire job is based around getting the most lucrative deal possible for their clients, will also get wind of this little secret that only us insiders know and they won’t want to sign extensions now, but rather wait a year.

[DaWg_LB.]

3 minutes ago, LETSGOBROWNIES said:

Mike, you need to stop putting this out there.

Next thing we know agents, whose entire job is based around getting the most lucrative deal possible for their clients, will also get wind of this little secret that only us insiders know and they won’t want to sign extensions now, but rather wait a year.

I was thinking this too....but I have the confidence in our Front Office with Brother Barry....wow funny to type that.....that he have price ranges in mind for what they do. I think this price allows us to remain flexible for cases where we have to go outside the structure (like to sign a RB, please sign Chubb)...and if a Vet dosent want to sign for our price (Clowney last year) he goes to plan B. IF a vet doesn't want to restructure to fit into the financial plan like Sheldon Richardson for example....then our Front office will tell them where to go:

Typing that I trust this front office made me think.....for too many years this has been our GM:

[mtmmike]

31 minutes ago, DaWg_LB. said:

I was thinking this too....but I have the confidence in our Front Office with Brother Barry....wow funny to type that.....that he have price ranges in mind for what they do. I think this price allows us to remain flexible for cases where we have to go outside the structure (like to sign a RB, please sign Chubb)...and if a Vet dosent want to sign for our price (Clowney last year) he goes to plan B. IF a vet doesn't want to restructure to fit into the financial plan like Sheldon Richardson for example....then our Front office will tell them where to go:

Typing that I trust this front office made me think.....for too many years this has been our GM:

Ok sign nobody let baker ball out pay him

60,000,000

[NudeTayne]

2 hours ago, mtmmike said:

I do not know about you nude with the amazon money coming does it help to sign people long term now to come out on top

Of the salary cap space 

Proposal

Extend obj and landry 

Chubb and Teller with wide receiver hitting

22 million let's extend people at 50 percent below that plus get a 50 percent raise in cap space.

Yup. Sign them all now.

1 hour ago, mtmmike said:

Ok sign nobody let baker ball out pay him

60,000,000

Exactly. Sign Baker last week.