From Walter:

77. Zak Zinter, G, Michigan.Previously: 
78. Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina.
79. Caelen Carson, CB, Wake Forest.
80. Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson.
81. Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State.
82. Christian Haynes, G, Connecticut.
83. Justin Eboigbe, DT, Alabama.
84. Christian Jones, OT, Texas.
85. Tommy Eichenberg, LB, Ohio State.
86. Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon.
87. Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State.
88. Brenden Rice, WR, USC.
89. Marshawn Kneeland, DE, Western Michigan.
90. Dominic Puni, OT, Kansas.
91. Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE, Minnesota.
92. Jaylen Warren, RB, Tennessee.
93. Trevor Keegan, G, Michigan.

--------  Some people like OT Puni for us in round 3.  But he just sounds too small for an OLineman.     

Yeah, Britt & Bowe.....another guy that could be shoe-horned into that category would be Andre Rison, from before Modell made off with our team.

27 minutes ago, Dutch Oven said:

The Browns have re-signed kicker Cade York, I'm guessing with the idea of putting him back on the Practice Squad?

Here's what we do...we keep him on the 53 but don't ever use him (maybe for kickoffs)...and when a rival loses a kicker to injury, we put him on the PS.  

Well then...we'll all sleep better tonight won't we...

11 hours ago, tiamat63 said:

 I see the potential, but I also see the downside. 

Well, one downside is the amount of money he got....while we have Cooper, who was one of the cornerstone pillars that our '23 playoff run team stood upon.  But, it's what FA is.  Mostly, the better FA players will cost you $ to entice to come to your team.  Especially if the team is Cleveland...a place with $hitty winter weather (for you and your family) and you're going to have to play outside in it.  

That said, it's good that Berry is showing his concern for the WR position.  It's just so very important to have a good passing attack in the NFL.  

6 hours ago, TexasAg1969 said:

Ever since I turned 77 yesterday

Happy Birthday!!

1 hour ago, Flugel said:

ell you what I got swarmed by pop up ads

Yeah, Walter Football is really bad for that.   Download Duck Duck Go (browser) and go there using that.  Duck Duck scrubs all of that crap out for ya.

8 hours ago, TexasAg1969 said:

Are you sure about that Tom?  🤣 

https://walterfootball.com/draft2024ILB.php

Seems like quite a few guys projected to be available in the rounds we'll be picking in.

On 3/15/2024 at 1:49 PM, syd said:

browns restructure WR Jerry Jeudy's contract to free up $10

Well thank the Lord for that.  That's enough gas to power one of the stadium golf carts for week!    

17 minutes ago, Flugel said:

 

 

I wonder what Ray Farmer was doing in 5th grade...

3 hours ago, gumby73 said:

The best teams in the NFL will draft a year in advance so they aren't relying on a rookie to be a role player, give them a year in the system to develop.

...an old NFL saying used to be:  You lose one game for every rookie that you have to start.  

8 hours ago, Flugel said:

I'm learning how good Berry is at this.

He's gotta be though.  He's never got a 1st round pick to work with.  He's gotta fill holes somehow.  And like you say, you know what you're getting...they're pretty much plug & play.  It's the finances of FA that makes it so delicate.  

5 hours ago, tiamat63 said:

Foreman has made any mid to late round RB addition likely a complete after thought.

Absolutely.  FA continues to define our draft.  

Chubb,  Ford,  Strong,  Hines,  Foreman.   ( 5 guys.  Someone is in a rather 'weak' position )

...to FA.  The Browns resigned Proche.  I assume that marks the end of Jakeem Grant.

And they extended Jeudy's contract to 3 years.  

1 hour ago, Flugel said:

In Athlon Sports Draft Guide Mock Draft  they have Beebe being drafted at #48 overall. ....  Walter Football is better than Athlon Sports though.

I don't know who's better than who at ranking the players.  I've just always gone to Walter at this time of year.  It's like being a migratory bird.     But odds might be pretty good that one of those 3 guys that you and gumby like will be available when we pick.  

3 hours ago, Flugel said:

Speaking of Joel Bitonio

Walter Football's Big Board:  (we pick 54 & 85)

10 minutes ago, Neo said:

Bringing in Huntley is certainly a red flag for me that something is going on with Watson.

I too find that signing to be a bit odd.

....odd.  We've got too many QB's.

17 hours ago, Flugel said:

you have to understand the price of Justin Fields was only a 6th round pick.  That's cheaper than the asking price of Crablegs.  If memory serves me right, both Steve Young and Doug Williams were disappointments on their 1st NFL Team

I hear ya.  And he went to our most hated rivals.  It's painful.  Even so, he's going to the Steelers to, at the very least, compete for the starting job.  He would not be competing for the starting position in Cleveland.....until the fans and the medial start to chime in.  It would then devolve into a QB controversy.  

27 minutes ago, Dutch Oven said:

The Browns front office isn't bringing in a backup that is going to automatically be more popular than Watson.

Correct.  It wouldn't make sense to cause problems in that way. 

Basically, if you lose your starting QB you're screwed anyway.  The emergency Flacco ride was a good one.  But that season is now over.  We're committed to Watson for a couple of reasons.  1)  We've invested as king's ransom in him (see this year's 1st round Browns pick).  Secondly, he hasn't proven that he's not good enough to be our starting QB...yet.  He hasn't played enough.  He's been suspended or hurt.  To ME he's proven that he's not too smart because he takes on tacklers instead of sliding.  But apparently that doesn't affect the organization's opinion of him.  

As much as the organization has to allow their big gamble/deal on their star QB to play itself out.....they've gotta be expecting this to be the year that their star QB proves his value in a positive way.  Because if not, the draft picks part of the deal will be over...and we'll be going into the next draft WITH a 1st round pick.

8 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

I'm all-in on Junior Colson, TCUN

Walter Football has him at 110th on their Big Board.

I'm going to guess that we pick  Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas  at 54.  A pass catcher to team with Njoku.  Of course our new TE's coach will have to teach him the blocking thing.

 

Browns 2024 unrestricted free agents:
- LB Matthew Adams

- TE Harrison Bryant: Signed with Raiders, 1 year / $4M

- P Corey Bojorquez: Re-signed with Browns, 2 years

- OL Geron Christian  -  This guy was our starter at LT for a substantial part of last season

- QB Jeff Driskel

- OL Michael Dunn: Re-signed with Browns

- DT Jordan Elliott: Signed with 49ers, 2 years / $10M

- QB Joe Flacco: Signed with Colts, 1 year / Up to $8.7M

- CB Mike Ford: Signed with Texans, 2 years / $4.5M

- WR Marquise Goodwin

- WR Jakeem Grant

- S Duron Harmon

- OL Nick Harris: Signed with Raiders, 1 year / $2.51M

- DT Shelby Harris: Re-signed with Browns, 2 years / $9M

- RB Kareem Hunt

- DT Maurice Hurst: Re-signed with Browns, 1 year / $3.2 M

- DL Sam Kamara (Exclusive Rights Free Agent)

- LB Jordan Kunaszyk

- S Rodney McLeod

- OL Ty Nsekhe

- LB Jacob Phillips

- WR James Proche

- DE Za’Darius Smith: Re-signed with Browns, 2 years / $23.5M

- LB Sione Takitaki: Signed with Patriots, 2 years / $6.5M / Up to $10M

- QB P.J. Walker

- LB Anthony Walker Jr.: Signed with Dolphins, 1 year

 

 

Browns 2024 Trades and Signings:
- Acquired Jerry Jeudy from Broncos for fifth round pick (No. 135) and sixth round pick (No. 202) 

- Signed free agent  LB Jordan Hicks, 2 years / $8M

- Signed free agent QB Jameis Winston, 1 year / $8.7M

- Signed free agent RB Nyheim Hines, 1 year / $3.5M

- Signed free agent T Hakeem Adeniji, 1 year

- Signed free agent DT Quinton Jefferson, 1 year

- Signed free agent LB Devin Bush, 1 year

- Signed free agent TE Giovanni Ricci, 1 year

- Signed free agent CB Tony Brown, 1 year

---------------------

So, it looks like we covered, with acquisitions, the positions that we lost.   And we added a WR in Jeudy, like we did last year with Elijah Moore.

I think that we'll be able to go into the draft open to Best Player Available.  I don't think that the signing of Ricci to replace Harrison stops us from drafting a pass catching TE to help Njoku.  Nor do I think Jeudy stops us from drafting a WR.  In addition to TE & WR I'd be looking for Bitonio's eventual replacement at Guard, more speed in the secondary and OT.  I don't know if the signing of the RB Hines means that we don't draft a RB.  I'm unsure about that position.  We're hoping that Chubb will be ok.  But I'm not sure what they think of Ford and Pierre Strong.  

Anyway, I think that FA has set us up such that we don't have a major need at any position and don't have to 'force' something.  Which is a good way to go into a draft...especially when ya don't have a 1st round pick.

Browns hire Mike Vrabel as coaching and personnel consultant

Flacco wants to play.  We have Watson.  So Flacco won't play unless Watson gets hurt.  But Flacco wants to play.  So he's going to go elsewhere to play if at all possible.  Meanwhile, do we sit on our hands?  The answer is no.