2024 Free Agent Frenzy

[gumby73]

10 hours ago, tiamat63 said:

 

 Now THIS is an underrated signing I also like, tossed in with bringing in a better body suited to playing more upback.  Liked Foreman at Texas, dude doesn't have much mileage, he's a bigger RB and he had almost 1k behind a very questionable Carolina Oline a couple years ago.   I could see him as the #2 before training camp is over.

Kinda stung posting the Foreman to sign. Toledo grad, w/Hunt signed Toledo jersey. Proud of what Hunt proved w/his time here as a Brown. Played for 4M last season. Interest to what Foreman signs for here.

The wife is the household Panthers fan. Hated the McCaffery trade. But Yes, D.Foreman almost got 1k after that trade as a Panther.  That Carolina OL, couldn't pass block my wife , but better in run blocking inside tackles. 

Small world of NFL drafting..

In the 2017 NFL draft. K.Hunt went 3.86. The next RB off the board, came 3 picks later. Texas RB D'Onte Foreman 3.89. Hunt's truck load played just under 220lbs. (say's 216) .. Foreman does seem to be the more durable healthy RB playing at 235lbs. 

Getting a durable D. Foreman this late in the FA pool?  Feels like a solid pickup for Andrew Berry/Browns       

[tiamat63]

15 minutes ago, Dutch Oven said:

Seems like a good replacement for Chubb in short yardage/goalline situations. 

 

 I think you're setting your sights a bit low. Just watching snaps from Carolina and Chicago last year, DFs screen game work looks so similar to how Chubb catches the ball from the backfield. 

 Dude would be great for 10-12 carries a game beyond just obviously down to move chains.

[tiamat63]

1 minute ago, gumby73 said:

Kinda stung posting the Foreman to sign. Toledo grad, w/Hunt signed Toledo jersey. Proud of what Hunt proved w/his time here as a Brown. Played for 4M last season. Interest to what Foreman signs for here.

The wife is the household Panthers fan. Hated the McCaffery trade. But Yes, D.Foreman almost got 1k after that trade as a Panther.  That Carolina OL, couldn't pass block my wife , but better in run blocking inside tackles. 

Small world of NFL drafting..

In the 2017 NFL draft. K.Hunt went 3.86. The next RB off the board, came 3 picks later. Texas RB D'Onte Foreman 3.89. Hunt's truck load played just under 220lbs. (say's 216) .. Foreman does seem to be the a more durable healthy RB playing at 235lbs. 

Getting a durable D. Foreman this late in the FA pool?  Feels like a solid pickup for Andrew Berry/Browns       

Foreman has made any mid to late round RB addition likely a complete after thought. All the more reason I believe this draft will be heavy in the trenches. 

[Dutch Oven]

6 minutes ago, Flugel said:

Was that George Foreman II, George Foreman III, George Foreman IV, George Foreman V or D'Onta Foreman that played with the Bears last year?

All kidding aside, he doesn't have the wear and tear that took a couple steps away from Kareem Hunt IMO.

I think Kareem's career is on the verge of being over. It took a Chubb injury to get him on a team last year, and it looks like the safety net that is the Browns have moved on this offseason for sure. 

[Dutch Oven]

2 minutes ago, tiamat63 said:

 

 I think you're setting your sights a bit low. Just watching snaps from Carolina and Chicago last year, DFs screen game work looks so similar to how Chubb catches the ball from the backfield. 

 Dude would be great for 10-12 carries a game beyond just obviously down to move chains.

I didn't mean that was all the Browns brought him in, but even with Chubb on the team Hunt generally was that guy, and Kareem's time in Cleveland is probably done for good. I could definitely see him splitting time with Ford.

[AP1]

On 3/18/2024 at 6:33 AM, ballpeen said:

Just speaking from a football standpoint, the league has expanded to the point where there aren't enough quality players to fill all the job openings.

On 3/18/2024 at 9:22 AM, tiamat63 said:

 At any given era, there are only a small handful of QBs able to consistently lead their teams to post season wins as the offensive focal point.  

 

Good back and forth in the 4-5 exchanges here. This is what analytics brings us. It's all about timing the pendulum and, now, with the fuzzy math GMs can create with contracts, it's going to pad the blow of failure even more.

Missing on a transaction used to seem like such a nail in the coffin now. Now, teams shrug it off, willingly eat the money and jump in line to throw the dice again.

Those analytics have moved to the league offices as well. The NFL knows it has pretty well tapped out it's true, traditional customer base.

It needed new horizons and willingly hitches itself to the wagons of Taylor Swift and sports gambling. GMs want/need each because the money will just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Maybe that makes the math less fuzzy, my guess is that it will only make the math more fuzzy.

 

[TexasAg1969]

1 hour ago, AP1 said:

It needed new horizons and willingly hitches itself to the wagons of Taylor Swift and sports gambling. GMs want/need each because the money will just keep getting bigger and bigger.

Maybe that makes the math less fuzzy, my guess is that it will only make the math more fuzzy.

Well we couda signed Swift but Chicago gave him a 3 year deal on March 13 for $24mil.

[Orion]

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.  

[Flugel]

1 hour ago, Orion said:

Absolutely.  FA continues to define our draft.  

It sure does.  It's a pretty cool way of doing it because proven veterans are easier to coach, teach and fit into the roles we need them at.  They're ready to go without growing pains as we saw last year.  I'm learning how good Berry is at this.

[Vagitron]

1 hour ago, Flugel said:

It sure does.  It's a pretty cool way of doing it because proven veterans are easier to coach, teach and fit into the roles we need them at.  They're ready to go without growing pains as we saw last year.  I'm learning how good Berry is at this.

Outside of that absolutely terrible jeudy extension. I'm not trying to rain on any parades either. Unless he becomes a different wr that was a heinous overpay. 

[Orion]

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.  

[Flugel]

22 minutes ago, Orion said:

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.  

Exactly!  This seems like a good place to share what AB's wife had to say about him - just click where it says View 26 comments.

 

[Orion]

17 minutes ago, Flugel said:

 

 

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

[Flugel]

6 hours ago, Vagitron said:

Outside of that absolutely terrible jeudy extension. I'm not trying to rain on any parades either. Unless he becomes a different wr that was a heinous overpay. 

Yeah, I'm not sure how this one will turn out Vag.  Having said that, here's an example of a HOF RB you're pretty familiar with.  After an impressive rookie year for the Rams averaging 4.9 yards per carry he dropped down to 3.2 ypc with only 3 TDs a year later. The 3rd year resembled the 2nd. Basically, Jerome Bettis needed a fresh start and a better fit.  Jeudy hasn't played up to the expectation of a 1st round WR in Denver; and I'm thinking the Browns are betting on this horse the way Pittsburgh bet on Bettis.  Having said that, I wish the Browns used more contract incentives than guaranteed money. Unfortunately, the stats I cut and pasted below reformatted but it's not too hard to see what matches what.

Rushing

SEASON	TEAM
1993	LOS
1994	LOS
1995	STL
1996	PIT
1997	PIT
1998	PIT
1999	PIT
2000	PIT
2001	PIT
2002	PIT
2003	PIT
2004	PIT
2005	PIT
Career

 

GP	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG	FD	FUM	LST
16	294	1,429	4.9	7	71	79	3	1
16	319	1,025	3.2	3	19	53	5	3
15	183	637	3.5	3	41	24	4	2
16	320	1,431	4.5	11	50	76	6	4
15	375	1,665	4.4	7	34	94	6	6
15	316	1,185	3.8	3	42	58	2	1
16	299	1,091	3.6	7	35	64	2	1
16	355	1,341	3.8	8	30	71	1	0
11	225	1,072	4.8	4	48	46	3	0
13	187	666	3.6	9	41	42	1	1
16	246	811	3.3	7	21	43	4	4
15	250	941	3.8	13	29	50	1	0
12	110	368	3.3	9	39	30	0	0
192	3479	13,662	3.9	91	71	730	38	23

[Dutch Oven]

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

[Orion]

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.  

[syd]

Cleveland Browns

Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit visits Browns

[ballpeen]

On 3/21/2024 at 7:10 AM, tiamat63 said:

Foreman has made any mid to late round RB addition likely a complete after thought. All the more reason I believe this draft will be heavy in the trenches. 

I hope it is.  Everything I read is that this is a strong draft in those areas.  Get while the getting is good.  Couple that with we have a lot of trench players on 1 year deals or are starting to get "old" so it makes perfect sense to get a few in here this year to season up so they can play next year.

 

The Browns are finally in a position where we can use the draft to just pluck the best players we can and or if needs is a consideration we are now drafting for next years needs.

[Vambo]

Justin Hardee

[Flugel]

11 hours ago, Vambo said:

Justin Hardee

Thanks Vambo!   This is a very good pick-up for the Browns.  Here's an interesting article that tells us the type of player he is.  I think we always have room for this...

NY Jets lose key Pro Bowler and team captain to Browns

 

This is a pretty big loss for the Jets

By Justin Fried | Apr 2, 2024

 

 

Justin Hardee / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

 

 

 

 

Keep Watching

 

The NY Jets were able to retain their standout specialist duo of Thomas Morstead and Greg Zuerlein this offseason, but the team's special-teams unit will still look quite different in 2024.

That's because former Pro Bowler and special-teams captain Justin Hardee officially signed with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday, ending his three-year tenure with the organization.

Hardee had previously hinted at an impending Jets departure on social media earlier in the offseason, which is why it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he wasn't brought back.

The 30-year-old missed time due to injury in 2023, appearing in 11 games, but his value shouldn't be understated. Hardee is one of the best special-teamers in football and a beloved team captain — he will be missed.

How the NY Jets plan to replace Justin Hardee

The decision to let Hardee walk likely came down to a couple of factors. The first, and most obvious, reason has to do with money. The specific details of Hardee's contract are yet to be released, but even if he signed for the veteran minimum, that's still probably more than the Jets were willing to pay.

Hardee's primary replacement is expected to be Irv Charles, a former undrafted free agent who earned a spot on the team due to his special-teams prowess and helped fill in admirably while Hardee was sidelined last season.

Charles is under contract for just $915,000 in 2024. The veteran minimum for a player with 7+ years of experience (which Hardee has) is $1.65 million next season. There's no scenario in which Hardee could've been signed for less than Charles.

The Jets remain high on Charles' potential and were impressed by his performance last season. Charles led all Jets players with a 90.3 Pro Football Focus special-teams grade in 2023 and finished second on the team with eight special-teams tackles despite playing only 12 games.

The Jets will also return fellow gunner Brandin Echols and Isaiah Oliver, who the team signed last month. Both Echols and Oliver have extensive experience as gunners, which should help mitigate the loss of Hardee.

It'll be up to special teams coordinator Brant Boyer to make up for Hardee's absence in 2024, and Charles is the player they're most likely counting on.

Perhaps this motivates the Jets to more aggressively attempt to re-sign Ashtyn Davis, another Boyer favorite who led the Jets in special-teams tackles last season.

Either way, losing Hardee is a significant blow to the Jets' locker room and special-teams unit. Unfortunately, the NFL is a business at the end of the day, and the Jets made a business decision.

[ballpeen]

A really nice addition to the unit and team.

[Flugel]

1 hour ago, ballpeen said:

A really nice addition to the unit and team.

When you factor in the new rule changes to the kickoffs that will significantly increase the number of kickoff returns in all likelihood - perfect timing to add a Pro Bowl STs guy that's good at covering punts/kickoffs.

 

[ballpeen]

18 hours ago, Flugel said:

When you factor in the new rule changes to the kickoffs that will significantly increase the number of kickoff returns in all likelihood - perfect timing to add a Pro Bowl STs guy that's good at covering punts/kickoffs.

 

Yep.  Kickoffs could change a great deal.  In the past speed on coverage units was important.  Now, maybe not as much.  With less ground to cover, it may look more like a defensive team playing against a run play.  We might see more bulk on the field.  These units could see some guards and centers on the return team to set up blocking.

 

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.

[Orion]

I see a whole bunch of Off-Sides penalties (or whatever they'll call it when a guy removes his foot from his assigned yard line before the ball is 'In Play').

...and probably a lot of Holding calls...which will be nothing new.

[syd]

Browns and Titans Make Trade

[Orion]

Here's our 1st round pick 

 

The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent OL Germain Ifedi. The club also placed T Justin Murray on reserve/retired.

Ifedi (6-5. 325) is entering his ninth NFL season out of Texas A&M. Originally a first-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Ifedi has appeared in 102 career games with 83 starts with the Seahawks (2016-19), Bears (2020-21) and Falcons (2023). He has made 59 career starts at right tackle and 24 right guard. Last season, he spent most of the season on the Bills' active roster but did not appear in a game.

[TexasAg1969]

12 hours ago, Orion said:

Here's our 1st round pick 

 

The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent OL Germain Ifedi. The club also placed T Justin Murray on reserve/retired.

Ifedi (6-5. 325) is entering his ninth NFL season out of Texas A&M. Originally a first-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Ifedi has appeared in 102 career games with 83 starts with the Seahawks (2016-19), Bears (2020-21) and Falcons (2023). He has made 59 career starts at right tackle and 24 right guard. Last season, he spent most of the season on the Bills' active roster but did not appear in a game.

He's better at guard IMO.

[Orion]

1 hour ago, TexasAg1969 said:

He's better at guard IMO.

That's cool.  But he could swing over to RT if needed.  And he's wiley ol' vet who's seen it all before.  It'd be great if he turned out to be an upgrade to our depth.