TRICH traded to colts

[Waiting for next year]

the moment operations stopped for the Browns in Cleveland, was MOMENT they became Baltimore's team....

 

In Belichick's last season in Cleveland the Browns finished 5–11, despite starting 3-1. In November of that year in the middle of the ongoing football season, Browns owner Art Modell had announced he would move his franchise to Baltimore after the season. After first being given assurances that he would coach the transplanted Baltimore Ravens, Belichick instead was fired on February 15, 1996—one week after the shift was officially announced.[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick

 

yea good coach -going 3-1 til Modell dropped that bomb on us fans.... playoffs the year before beating Parcells / Pats at the muni...

 

I dont live in Cleveland either, but you dont have your facts straight pal

 

fans didnt chase Belichick out of town, rather we were pissed he released Kosar -

asshat

Guess you weren't at the games before "the Decision I" Because of Kosargate the fans TURNED on Belichick and he Knew he was done dickinhand seem everyone but you...the idiot who calls him Belichoke

[hx214]

 

Any RB can get 3 yards a carry. It was a great move by the new regime that saw how terrible the last regimes draft was. It didn't put us into any deeper a hole than we are now. In fact it actaully made things better for the future. The present stays the same, Richardson SUCKED!

I fail to see how its going to make us better for the future, everything now hangs on draft picks.

 

If the Browns would have gotten a few young players in the deal along with the trade, then I could see it. Hell, if they take the draft pick they just got from the Colts and trade it for a proven QB that they like, I'd feel better.

 

They had a full offseason to make the team better and mold them to what they wanted. They drafted a CB that can't get on the field even with Buster Skrine and Adams ahead of him and a Safety they wavied, a back up QB they signed and won't even let play, etc..

 

All I see now is giving up a starting running back for a late first round pick, that they will probably package together with the other 1st rounder this year to move up from three to one and pick a QB that might work out. Then he won't have anybody to throw to or a line to block for either, so whats the point?

 

I understand they pulled a high draft pick out of a guy they couldn't use at the moment and I'd love to see the brighter side of this, but I just don't have faith in their drafting...

[ballpeen]

I forget....do we have two 1st rounders next year or do we now have 3? For some reason I thought we picked up one in a earlier trade.

 

I found the answer....2 next year.

[alwardc4]

Quick, go through the last 10 Super Bowl Champions and name me their "star" RB?

[FairHooker11]

Guess you weren't at the games before "the Decision I" Because of Kosargate the fans TURNED on Belichick and he Knew he was done dickinhand seem everyone but you...the idiot who calls him Belichoke

so your point is? .....

 

Belichick is your hero , and you are butthurt from way back in 1993?

[Osiris]

I agree, this is a brilliant move. Would I trade a horrible season this year for sustained winning seasons starting two years from now? Absolutely, and that's what the FO is going for here. The most important thing for a successful football team is QB, OL, Pass Rush. They've nailed down pass rush with Mingo, Kreuger, and the rest of the front 7. They have all the OL components except for RG. Now they need QB. With 10 picks in a very talented upcoming draft class, they will be able to address QB, RG, WR, and CB all with third-round or earlier picks.

 

Most importantly, they are trying to keep the core talent pool of the team under 30. That means that by the time picks from last year and the 2014 draft start producing, we'll still have production from the components of the team that are productive today.

 

Let me tell you, if I could find a Joe Banner Browns Jersey, I'd buy it.

[Waiting for next year]

the moment operations stopped for the Browns in Cleveland, was MOMENT they became Baltimore's team....

 

In Belichick's last season in Cleveland the Browns finished 5–11, despite starting 3-1. In November of that year in the middle of the ongoing football season, Browns owner Art Modell had announced he would move his franchise to Baltimore after the season. After first being given assurances that he would coach the transplanted Baltimore Ravens, Belichick instead was fired on February 15, 1996—one week after the shift was officially announced.[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Belichick

 

yea good coach -going 3-1 til Modell dropped that bomb on us fans.... playoffs the year before beating Parcells / Pats at the muni...

 

I dont live in Cleveland either, but you dont have your facts straight pal

 

fans didnt chase Belichick out of town, rather we were pissed he released Kosar -

asshat

Yes Butterfly Fans AND THE MEDIA (you keep forgetting the 2nd part) Drove Bill out of Cleveland to never coach a game in Baltimore..The fans reaction to Berniegate turned the worm against Bill the great....remember you 1st said about 8hrs ago he coach in Baltimore Just like a pitcher who is traded to a team and doesn't join the rooster and then is traded he never pitched for that team

[thenew23]

 

i keep pretending? did i miss something?

 

you know me, the guy that wanted a CB with the first pick the last 2 years? the guy that hated the TR and weeden pick and raged on it for weeks? yeah that was me.

 

i'll take a CB then the 2 best OL next year and jump up and down with joy.

 

i was the one who brought up jimmy johnson's famous quote "you need to find a RB back? just turn the corner."

 

i'm just pissed that we got less value for TR and all these little shits now are going to be jerking off to the thought of bridgewater or boyd in a brown's uniform next year and hope we go 0 and 16.

 

these guys are the same ones that want to change the uniforms and have salt water taffy and cotton candy machines on eveery corner.

 

you play the game to win.

No, the OL and 2nd CB are not the reasons we lost BOTH games. Against both teams, the biggest plays given up in the passing game were poor coverages by LBs and Ss, which happens occasionally against teams now. The OL looked better in week 2, but the WRs couldn't get open.

 

If we drafted an OLineman and a CB with our first 2 picks... we are sitting in the bottom AGAIN and AGAIN. Do I think we need to improve at G? yes, but we won't see such a weakness once Lauvao is back. Do I think we could get a better CB2? yes, but it is not costing us games.

 

We NEED WRs!!! Badly. AND, you can already tell this team is going in a new direction at QB. If we use our 2 1st rounders on a QB and WR, we can use our next 3 picks to grab a CB, another WR or TE, and maybe a OG or S. Then we have late draft to add a MLB and RB, and if we hit on at least the first 2 and get a starter out of the next 3, this team is ready to compete NEXT year.

 

As for this year, we did not get any worse b/c of this trade. Now we can use somebody else to run against 9-man fronts and get 3.3 YPC.

[Osiris]

I was in a good mood this morning. Then I thought I'd check in on the Browns, see if we had news on Rubin and Laovuvoaovo for the weekend. If you had asked me which player we'd traded away, I would have gone through about 50 guesses before getting to Richardson!

 

Three problems, neither of which are related to not having him on the team next year:

1) Why was this done now, not at the end of the season?

2) Why did we only get a first rounder?

3) Who's going to play RB this season?

 

I guess next year we're in for Lewis and someone else, RB by committee, presumably some power back. I think that'll work out fine, but it's basically giving up on this season. Still, next April/May is going to be some exciting times!

 

1) This was driven by the Colts FO. They needed an RB now with their starting RB injured. They are a team in contention and this may be the difference they need in post-season play.

2) Because RB is not the critical role it used to be anymore, and a 1st round pick for a player with potential but not awe-inspiring production is a good deal.

3) Willis McGahee apparently. It doesn't really matter.

 

If the Browns get Bridgewater, we'll all be saying "Who's Trent Richardson again?"

[FairHooker11]

so your point is? .....

 

Belichick is your hero , and you are butthurt from way back in 1993?

 

 

yes?

 

 

[djdawg2010]

After Adrian Peterson (7th, '07), the next 5 leading rushers in NFL last season were drafted 173rd, 12th, 73rd, 31st and Not At All.

 

You can get a RB from rounds 2-7 to perform just as good, if not better, than Trent has so far. Don't believe me? Ask LeSean McCoy. Ask Arian Foster. Ask Demarco Murray. Ask Bernard Pierce.

Ask Frank Gore. Ask Ahmad Bradshaw. Ask Stevan Ridley. Ask Isaac Redman.

 

All had higher YPC than Richardson last season, all were taken outside the first two rounds or not even drafted at all.

 

And if you don't believe them, ask nearly all of the 40 qualified players (100 carries+) that finished with a higher YPC average than Richardson did. Only a select few were first rounders. The rest- middle to late rounders.

 

If we get a franchise QB and an impact WR/CB/OG in the first round and a RB in rounds 2-4 that gets 900ish yards and a sackful of TD's (pedestrian numbers similar to Richardson's), this trade will be a great success.

 

 

But you keep pretending that Richardson was some great talent and that we really screwed ourselves.

 

Hopefully a Banner and Lombardi know a lot more about building a team than you do.

 

 

I'm inclined to agree. The NFL is a passing league, and running backs are a dime a dozen. Jim Brown said Richardson was nothing more than an ordinary back. Everyone gave him shit for that statement! Seems to be that Jim Brown could be right.

 

Look folks, this is a brand new regime from the owner down to the coaching staff. This regime did not draft Weeden and Richardson! We already knew they weren't high on Weeden coming in, so with new management we're going to have to expect some turnover, and new management bringing in their own people! Happens every day, and the NFL is indeed a business. This new management team just better get it right down the road, or it will be another case of "meet the new boss.... same as the old boss!" Regardless of what you feel about this trade, you have to admit it was ballsy!

[hx214]

Osiris, on 19 Sept 2013 - 09:19 AM, said:

I agree, this is a brilliant move. Would I trade a horrible season this year for sustained winning seasons starting two years from now? Absolutely, and that's what the FO is going for here. The most important thing for a successful football team is QB, OL, Pass Rush. They've nailed down pass rush with Mingo, Kreuger, and the rest of the front 7. They have all the OL components except for RG. Now they need QB. With 10 picks in a very talented upcoming draft class, they will be able to address QB, RG, WR, and CB all with third-round or earlier picks.

 

Most importantly, they are trying to keep the core talent pool of the team under 30. That means that by the time picks from last year and the 2014 draft start producing, we'll still have production from the components of the team that are productive today.

 

Let me tell you, if I could find a Joe Banner Browns Jersey, I'd buy it.

 

 

 

Not totally disagreeing with you, but wondering what the front office has done so far that has you putting so much faith in them that they won't botch the draft picks they have picked up?

 

The Dez Bryant signing looks good

 

The Devon Bess deal looks good

 

But then I see....

 

They couldn't sign a cornerback in the offseason to help on the other side.

 

They drafted McFadden who can't get on the field.

 

They drafted the Saftey out of ND that wasn't even in playable shape and then they wavied him.

 

They brought in Jason Campbell to "compete" against Weeden and after two games of Weeden choking they skip over him and go with Hoyer.

 

They couldn't bring in a FB and have let Obie try to shoe horn himself into the mix which isn't working.

 

They couldn't bring in a guard and have let Cousins look like a moron out there.

 

 

Somebody give me a reason to be optomistic that they won't wiff on 3/4's of the picks they picked up...

[FairHooker11]

How is getting a 1st round pick for a bust rb that can be replaced by any RB for 3 yards a carry tanking the season?

 

agreed, I for one think the defensive side of the ball can and will represent on sunday.....

 

screw the tanking for teddy talk.

 

let the newly fitted offense work its way - we might be surprised?

[calfoxwc]

Belichump was a piece of crap. He "matured" a lot, when he failed in Cleveland.

Biggest reason he failed, is because of his own arrogance - especially in dumping

Kosar because of Kosar's changing a play for a TD. The players didn't respect him.

 

TRich is a very special back. his power, and great agility is a combination any playoff

caliber team would love.

 

However, with the Browns oline struggles (OG's - main cause), TRich is wasted. He also isn't

a speedy, slashing rb that can go out and catch passes, and take off for TD's. Dion Lewis showed

us the difference. They were using Lewis up the middle, out in the flat, running patterns downfield...

 

TR isn't that kind of back. And, the Colts need that power back for redzones. The op to get TRich

was worth their first rounder, because they are loaded with a lot of talent.

 

Bridgewater is terrific, but I don't see them trading up to #1 to get him... they still need a big cb, a blue chippie wr,

a qb, and a rb, and at least one, huge, quick footed OG with one of their later picks. And a backup T.

 

That trade up to get Bridgey would take too much...as usual - unless the season plays out where the jags

win some games and....ah well. It's early. I'll be rooting for TRich, and I hope the Colts draft somewhere around

mid round....

[TJMAC]

Brilliant move? THEY QUIT. They traded 11 TDs in his rookie season w/ broken ribs so we could maybe draft the franchise savior at QB. We trade a RB because our R Guard is a revolving door & our R tackle took the first 2 weeks off mentally for Rosh Hashana & Yom Kippur. It's amazing our shitty RB averaged 5.8 running to the left.

 

Mr 3.5 Jerome Bettis is laughing while he polishes his Super Bowl ring.

 

"Wait til next year!" Fuck waiting til next year. Now we might be decent in 4 years. Fucking great.

[ballpeen]

Let's hope the Colts don't wake up with buyers remorse and use the physical as a means out.

[Tour2ma]

I'd be much more comfortable if Dion Lewis wasn't injured though!

 

Agree... plus Hardesty, who ran harder than TR last year, but it is what it is...

 

I wonder... if Lewis and/or Hardesty were healthy, would the Colts have coughed up a #1?

 

Also wonder if we called the Giants? Who are also in great need of a RB...

 

They couldn't bring in a FB and have let Obie try to shoe horn himself into the mix which isn't working.

 

Still a possibility... John Connor is still around.

[Osiris]

Not totally disagreeing with you, but wondering what the front office has done so far that has you putting so much faith in them that they won't botch the draft picks they have picked up?

 

The Dez Bryant signing looks good

 

The Devon Bess deal looks good

 

But then I see....

 

They couldn't sign a cornerback in the offseason to help on the other side.

 

They drafted McFadden who can't get on the field.

 

They drafted the Saftey out of ND that wasn't even in playable shape and then they wavied him.

 

They brought in Jason Campbell to "compete" against Weeden and after two games of Weeden choking they skip over him and go with Hoyer.

 

They couldn't bring in a FB and have let Obie try to shoe horn himself into the mix which isn't working.

 

They couldn't bring in a guard and have let Cousins look like a moron out there.

 

 

Somebody give me a reason to be optomistic that they won't wiff on 3/4's of the picks they picked up...

 

What has me putting faith in them is a clear commitment to a vision and the guts to stick with it. They have indicated a plan to build sustainable success in Cleveland. A quote from Fox Sports on Joe Banner:

 

His three pillars for winning in a sustained way: Don’t go for short fixes that mean fixing the same problem twice. Pressure the opposing quarterback and keep pressure off the Browns quarterback. Keep the team young.

 

This commitment to a vision of success is not something I saw from the previous regime. Banner has brought in good coaches to handle the players the will draft in 2014. He has made good on bringing in players that pressure the QB by bringing in Mingo, Bryant, Groves, and Kreuger. I in fact believe they now have a surplus at OLB and ought to think about moving Sheard to ILB and starting Mingo full-time. He's making good on keeping the team young.

 

Also, they've made smaller moves that I agree 100% with: Demoting Little in favor of Bess, and releasing that horrendous meatsack Marecic.

 

I would not rate them too harshly on last years draft because 1) they had no second-round pick and 2) IMO, after the second-round, I lower my expectations, so McFadden not working out/being a project isn't a surprise.

 

Skipping Campbell over Hoyer, yes, that puzzles me, unless they've decided to give him a shot against another 0-2 team. It does make me think they are giving up on winning and just trying plan for next year already.

 

Fullback, well, a team with this many holes doesn't have the luxury to worry about getting a good full back. Here is what I'd like to see for the 2014 draft (and yes, it is very early to talk about this, I know). If this happens, I'll feel vindicated in my belief that our FO knows what it is doing.

 

Pick 1 (1st round, top 3 pick): Teddy Twatwater, QB

Pick 2: (1st round, teens/twenties): Sammy Watkins or Marqis Lee, WR.

Pick 3 (Early 2nd round): Xavier Su'a-Filo, G, if available (unlikely). If not, best Guard available

Pick 4 (third round): Best of CB,WR or RB available.

Pick 5 (Third round): Best of CB,WR or RB available.

 

So yes, it will suck to yet again have to wait for next year. The things to watch is 1) do they retain the coaching staff regardless of how the season goes, and 2) do they draft offense-heavy. If the answer is "yes" to both of these questions, then I think this franchise will really turn around.

[Shep]

You guys knew I'd have a strong opinion on this...

 

The Browns trading Richardson is NOT tanking the season. He hasn't made them winners during his 18-game career. He hasn't carried the team. He isn't a game-changer or elite player, partially because of the position he plays, partially because he isn't among the best at that position.

 

The Browns were 0-2 because they were awful on offense. An offense featuring an overdrafted running back, something everybody in the local media (including Pluto and Ridenour) were starting to nut up and point out. Although Pluto never liked the pick, didn't see the sense of drafting a back that high in a league where running backs aren't the X-factor on winning teams.

 

In the 8 games since his last 100-yard outing, Richardson has gained 3.3 yards per carry. The thought was that he'd look better healthy... but he hasn't. He doesn't look explosive or difficult to tackle. He looks ordinary.

 

It's because everybody is stacking the box? Nope. Richardson faces BELOW THE AVERAGE in stacked boxes according to PFF, tweeted by Higdon today. So it isn't health or stacked boxes. It's because Jim Brown was right: Trent Richardson isn't a special running back. He hasn't been since he came into the league.

 

The Colts came calling and offered a first round pick because they already have their elite quarterback. And I think the Browns fleeced the hell out of them. Where would I personally place Richardson's value? I'd say early round 3. I've watched Bernard Pierce, backup in Baltimore and third round pick, and I think he looks like a better NFL running back. He hits the hole faster and with more authority. He averages 5.0 per carry. He'd be the best running back on a lot of teams headed to the playoffs this year... just about all of them who aren't SF or his own, frankly.

 

Bottom line: The Browns would turn around like the Colts when they got their Andrew Luck. Not because of a running back. The brass in Berea has all but taken out an ad and said, "The 2012 draft made absolutely no sense, partially because it happened in 2012, not 1974."

 

They looked at their starting QB and this year's draft crop and since then have brought in two "dirty starters" in Campbell and Hoyer, traded 4th and 5th round picks for 3 and 4th in next year's draft, stated that Weeden might not start even when he's healthy, and finally traded their starting running back for a first round pick.

 

Does ANYBODY doubt that the Browns FINALLY know they need an elite quarterback to compete in this league? That they believe if they had Andrew Luck on this exact team they could win 10 games because last year's Colts team was NOT better than this year's Browns team? Do you know about the banner in the War Room, that states flat out that they need to find a "championship level quarterback?"

 

Oh, and along the way, the Browns cut veterans in favor of UDFAs and cut even more cap in the Richardson trade. They know they might have to trade picks to get to #1 but in addition to 10 draft picks (including 7 in the first 4 rounds) they'll have the most cap room in the NFL to surround Bridgewater (or whoever they love) with as many as five serious new starters.

 

Of course, one of those will be a running back, probably selected in round 2 or 3 and paired with a free agent. Like winning NFL teams usually do it.

 

The Browns didn't tank the 2013 season by trading a running back with a 3.5 YPC for a 1st round pick. They may have laid the foundation for about a decade of winning. Because the Richardson-Weeden combo draft was NOT the answer. It was a very, VERY bad draft.

 

 

[Shep]

And let me add: The Colts had access to Andrew Luck because they went 1-15. To get to number one, you can't win 4 or 5 games. And if you do, you better hope the team at #1 wants to trade and you have a literal shitload of picks to send them... and maybe Jabaal Sheard, too.

 

If the Jags get the first pick and then both Hundley and Mariota stay in school? That's where the trouble starts. The Browns better love Tajh a lot if that happens. I do.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Excellent post. I agree.

[MDDawg]

I agree, this is a brilliant move. Would I trade a horrible season this year for sustained winning seasons starting two years from now? Absolutely, and that's what the FO is going for here. The most important thing for a successful football team is QB, OL, Pass Rush. They've nailed down pass rush with Mingo, Kreuger, and the rest of the front 7. They have all the OL components except for RG. Now they need QB. With 10 picks in a very talented upcoming draft class, they will be able to address QB, RG, WR, and CB all with third-round or earlier picks.

 

Most importantly, they are trying to keep the core talent pool of the team under 30. That means that by the time picks from last year and the 2014 draft start producing, we'll still have production from the components of the team that are productive today.

 

Let me tell you, if I could find a Joe Banner Browns Jersey, I'd buy it.

 

 

No, the OL and 2nd CB are not the reasons we lost BOTH games. Against both teams, the biggest plays given up in the passing game were poor coverages by LBs and Ss, which happens occasionally against teams now. The OL looked better in week 2, but the WRs couldn't get open.

 

If we drafted an OLineman and a CB with our first 2 picks... we are sitting in the bottom AGAIN and AGAIN. Do I think we need to improve at G? yes, but we won't see such a weakness once Lauvao is back. Do I think we could get a better CB2? yes, but it is not costing us games.

 

We NEED WRs!!! Badly. AND, you can already tell this team is going in a new direction at QB. If we use our 2 1st rounders on a QB and WR, we can use our next 3 picks to grab a CB, another WR or TE, and maybe a OG or S. Then we have late draft to add a MLB and RB, and if we hit on at least the first 2 and get a starter out of the next 3, this team is ready to compete NEXT year.

 

As for this year, we did not get any worse b/c of this trade. Now we can use somebody else to run against 9-man fronts and get 3.3 YPC.

 

Like a lot of Browns fans I was initially shocked by the trade but after reflection it actually makes sense. Richardson didn't pass the eyeball test even when healthy and with our current QB play he ran the risk of getting injured by the end of the season. If the FO weren't impressed by him they did the right thing by trading him when his perceived value is highest. Given his ypc inserting McGinnis in there will not really hurt the Browns running game this year.

Another important point is that last year we saw Hardesty hitting the hole much harder than T-Rich and who does the FO keep despite his injury? He would have been cut if the FO didn't think he was good.

I'd projected a 6 win season which they can still make with this roster but now they get an additonal first and fourth round pick which they could use to trade up for the franchise QB if necessary.

I've got to give it to this front office they make bold and decisive moves which we haven't seen since the return.

[Shep]

And if Chud's announcement that Weeden may not start again even with healthy didn't make it clear enough... he's toast. He's finished. The coaches wanted to see if he had anything but a big arm, hoped he would show quicker eyes, more leadership, more maturity, more downfield accuracy... and they didn't see anything along those lines.

 

They saw a team without a top 20-25 quarterback and an overrated, overdrafted RB. A team that might scramble to 4 or 5 wins because of their front 7. They saw absolutely no reason to believe they were going to the playoffs... and then a team came calling with a first round pick for their overrated back.

 

I totally get it. And totally agree.

[Shep]

Thanks, man. And also remember that the Colts needed a back because their starter went down for the season.

 

His name was Vic Ballard. Who the hell is Vic Ballard? Exactly.

 

Excellent post. I agree.

[gftChris]

Chances of next year's "RB by committee" committee being the two guys on IR this year? Hardesty and Lewis?

[djdawg2010]

You guys knew I'd have a strong opinion on this...

 

The Browns trading Richardson is NOT tanking the season. He hasn't made them winners during his 18-game career. He hasn't carried the team. He isn't a game-changer or elite player, partially because of the position he plays, partially because he isn't among the best at that position.

 

The Browns were 0-2 because they were awful on offense. An offense featuring an overdrafted running back, something everybody in the local media (including Pluto and Ridenour) were starting to nut up and point out. Although Pluto never liked the pick, didn't see the sense of drafting a back that high in a league where running backs aren't the X-factor on winning teams.

 

In the 8 games since his last 100-yard outing, Richardson has gained 3.3 yards per carry. The thought was that he'd look better healthy... but he hasn't. He doesn't look explosive or difficult to tackle. He looks ordinary.

 

It's because everybody is stacking the box? Nope. Richardson faces BELOW THE AVERAGE in stacked boxes according to PFF, tweeted by Higdon today. So it isn't health or stacked boxes. It's because Jim Brown was right: Trent Richardson isn't a special running back. He hasn't been since he came into the league.

 

The Colts came calling and offered a first round pick because they already have their elite quarterback. And I think the Browns fleeced the hell out of them. Where would I personally place Richardson's value? I'd say early round 3. I've watched Bernard Pierce, backup in Baltimore and third round pick, and I think he looks like a better NFL running back. He hits the hole faster and with more authority. He averages 5.0 per carry. He'd be the best running back on a lot of teams headed to the playoffs this year... just about all of them who aren't SF or his own, frankly.

 

Bottom line: The Browns would turn around like the Colts when they got their Andrew Luck. Not because of a running back. The brass in Berea has all but taken out an ad and said, "The 2012 draft made absolutely no sense, partially because it happened in 2012, not 1974."

 

They looked at their starting QB and this year's draft crop and since then have brought in two "dirty starters" in Campbell and Hoyer, traded 4th and 5th round picks for 3 and 4th in next year's draft, stated that Weeden might not start even when he's healthy, and finally traded their starting running back for a first round pick.

 

Does ANYBODY doubt that the Browns FINALLY know they need an elite quarterback to compete in this league? That they believe if they had Andrew Luck on this exact team they could win 10 games because last year's Colts team was NOT better than this year's Browns team? Do you know about the banner in the War Room, that states flat out that they need to find a "championship level quarterback?"

 

Oh, and along the way, the Browns cut veterans in favor of UDFAs and cut even more cap in the Richardson trade. They know they might have to trade picks to get to #1 but in addition to 10 draft picks (including 7 in the first 4 rounds) they'll have the most cap room in the NFL to surround Bridgewater (or whoever they love) with as many as five serious new starters.

 

Of course, one of those will be a running back, probably selected in round 2 or 3 and paired with a free agent. Like winning NFL teams usually do it.

 

The Browns didn't tank the 2013 season by trading a running back with a 3.5 YPC for a 1st round pick. They may have laid the foundation for about a decade of winning. Because the Richardson-Weeden combo draft was NOT the answer. It was a very, VERY bad draft.

 

 

 

 

Excellent post sir!

[Flyin J]

Meanwhile all us fans are left with our dick in our hands looking forward to a "bright" future. They're going to do absolutely shit this year and next year at least. I never liked the pick and I know well replace Richardson easily. But its about us fans, all the people that bought Richardson jerseys, all the season ticket holders. It will never stop and it seems like a never ending process. We have a boat load of draft picks next year and an epically horendous drafter pulling the trigger.

[jrb12711]

Now that I've thought about it some, I'm pretty 'eh' on the whole trade. On principle I agree with the fact #3 was too high to take a running back. The only thing I felt was how frikin inhibited this guy was in Shurmer's offense. I mean I think everyone can agree that offensive scheme was flat out destined for bad things. I know Trent didn't look great in two games but I kind of wanted to see what he was gonna do over a season in this scheme. I mean even with the lousy offense TR is on pace to score around 100 TD's and rush for around 9-10k yards in his career. It's obvious to me that this pick will be packaged to get a QB next year unless Hoyer becomes the next Kurt Warner (I'm not holding my breath).

 

It's also obvious the QB position makes the world go round, you're not really saying anything astute there. Weeden has the tools to be above average on a perfect team but the Browns have too many holes to play into his strengths. Oh well, here's to hoping Hoyer throws for 3 TD's and Rainey rushes for another one (he's already picked up on the fantasy team).

[Flyin J]

Need I remind ya'all?

[Osiris]

You guys knew I'd have a strong opinion on this...

 

The Browns trading Richardson is NOT tanking the season. He hasn't made them winners during his 18-game career. He hasn't carried the team. He isn't a game-changer or elite player, partially because of the position he plays, partially because he isn't among the best at that position.

 

The Browns were 0-2 because they were awful on offense. An offense featuring an overdrafted running back, something everybody in the local media (including Pluto and Ridenour) were starting to nut up and point out. Although Pluto never liked the pick, didn't see the sense of drafting a back that high in a league where running backs aren't the X-factor on winning teams.

 

In the 8 games since his last 100-yard outing, Richardson has gained 3.3 yards per carry. The thought was that he'd look better healthy... but he hasn't. He doesn't look explosive or difficult to tackle. He looks ordinary.

 

It's because everybody is stacking the box? Nope. Richardson faces BELOW THE AVERAGE in stacked boxes according to PFF, tweeted by Higdon today. So it isn't health or stacked boxes. It's because Jim Brown was right: Trent Richardson isn't a special running back. He hasn't been since he came into the league.

 

The Colts came calling and offered a first round pick because they already have their elite quarterback. And I think the Browns fleeced the hell out of them. Where would I personally place Richardson's value? I'd say early round 3. I've watched Bernard Pierce, backup in Baltimore and third round pick, and I think he looks like a better NFL running back. He hits the hole faster and with more authority. He averages 5.0 per carry. He'd be the best running back on a lot of teams headed to the playoffs this year... just about all of them who aren't SF or his own, frankly.

 

Bottom line: The Browns would turn around like the Colts when they got their Andrew Luck. Not because of a running back. The brass in Berea has all but taken out an ad and said, "The 2012 draft made absolutely no sense, partially because it happened in 2012, not 1974."

 

They looked at their starting QB and this year's draft crop and since then have brought in two "dirty starters" in Campbell and Hoyer, traded 4th and 5th round picks for 3 and 4th in next year's draft, stated that Weeden might not start even when he's healthy, and finally traded their starting running back for a first round pick.

 

Does ANYBODY doubt that the Browns FINALLY know they need an elite quarterback to compete in this league? That they believe if they had Andrew Luck on this exact team they could win 10 games because last year's Colts team was NOT better than this year's Browns team? Do you know about the banner in the War Room, that states flat out that they need to find a "championship level quarterback?"

 

Oh, and along the way, the Browns cut veterans in favor of UDFAs and cut even more cap in the Richardson trade. They know they might have to trade picks to get to #1 but in addition to 10 draft picks (including 7 in the first 4 rounds) they'll have the most cap room in the NFL to surround Bridgewater (or whoever they love) with as many as five serious new starters.

 

Of course, one of those will be a running back, probably selected in round 2 or 3 and paired with a free agent. Like winning NFL teams usually do it.

 

The Browns didn't tank the 2013 season by trading a running back with a 3.5 YPC for a 1st round pick. They may have laid the foundation for about a decade of winning. Because the Richardson-Weeden combo draft was NOT the answer. It was a very, VERY bad draft.

 

 

 

Yes, last night I was shocked by the Richardson trade, this morning, it all clicked in my head. The front office has laid out a plan to build a winner, and they are making good on it. The Browns got the better deal here.