Skip to content

ESPN Grades the Offseason

The Browns Board
20 15 1.3k
  • Does ESPN also do a "post FA" grade?...You know, like what RESULTED from Savage's high grade signings.

    I feel about that like I do all the "can't miss" grades from the Combine...What are those "can't miss" guys doing 3-4 years down the road. I'll stick with what the current regime is doing.

    Grades do NOT win games.

    Mike

  • @fooleeze said:

    ESPN talks about the offseason transactions, and gives a grade. Here is where we see a complete reversal from what Savage did here. A D- grade, and looking at the list of all of the starters that have left is a little disheartening. But perhaps this 'opposite' method will end with better results on the field. If so, I'll take it, whatever produces results. (Savage was always ranked B+ or A- on these grades for his offseason transactions. . . but in the end it didn't help produce consistent wins).

    http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-2-24...eport-card.html

    Cleveland Browns

    Grade: D+

    Key pickups: LB Eric Barton, LB David Bowens, TE Robert Royal, DL C.J. Mosley, OL John St. Clair

    Key losses: S Sean Jones, TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (trade), WR Joe Jurevicius (released), OT Kevin Shaffer (released), LB Andra Davis, LB Willie McGinest, RB Jason Wright

    Analysis: The Browns are cleaning house, and they probably are not done yet. New coach Eric Mangini and first-year general manager George Kokinis are turning over the roster quickly through every avenue possible. The Browns have not retained most of their in-house free agents such as safety Sean Jones and linebackers Andra Davis and Willie McGinest. They also cut offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer and receiver Joe Jurevicius and traded former Pro Bowl tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. for a pair of draft picks. The replacements have not been overwhelming. Former Jets linebackers Eric Barton and David Bowens are both stop-gap players who are 30-plus. Royal is not nearly as dynamic a tight end as Winslow, and Cleveland still has a lot of holes left to fill in the draft. The Browns are clearly starting from scratch, which is why they are attempting to stockpile draft picks. Coming off a 4-12 season, Cleveland appears to be headed for another transition year in 2009.

    Good so be it. I think Mankok is doing the right thing. We were 4-12, it can't get much worse.

    @kosar_for_president said:

    Good so be it. I think Mankok is doing the right thing. We were 4-12, it can't get much worse.

    well we could pull a detriot and not win

  • considering that we were bad with savage getting an A, it is probably a good thing that we got a bad grade. we will shock the world this year when we go 16-0. πŸ˜‰

  • Key losses: S Sean Jones, TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (trade), WR Joe Jurevicius (released), OT Kevin Shaffer (released), LB Andra Davis, LB Willie McGinest, RB Jason Wright

    Outside of Jones and KWII, the losses are insignificant. The draft will net us an extra 2nd rounder. And we are still lacking a Safety. The other players needed to go.

    It's to early to rate our off season.

  • @kosar_for_president said:

    Good so be it. I think Mankok is doing the right thing. We were 4-12, it can't get much worse.

    well we could pull a detriot and not win

    @why-cant-we-win said:

    well we could pull a detriot and not win

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

  • Key losses: S Sean Jones, TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (trade), WR Joe Jurevicius (released), OT Kevin Shaffer (released), LB Andra Davis, LB Willie McGinest, RB Jason Wright

    Outside of Jones and KWII, the losses are insignificant. The draft will net us an extra 2nd rounder. And we are still lacking a Safety. The other players needed to go.

    It's to early to rate our off season.

    @dieselpusher said:

    Outside of Jones and KWII, the losses are insignificant. The draft will net us an extra 2nd rounder. And we are still lacking a Safety. The other players needed to go.

    I disagree. We lost a starting TE, starting RT and starting Safety, with no replacement for them, on a team coming off a 4-12 season. We have a possible shuffle at C, RG and RT which makes our line suspect for sure, and a possible inexperienced Safety on a bad defense. Plus, we got rid of the best hands on the team, and the fiercest competetior on the team. We deserve the D-.

    You guys might want to curb your enthusiasm this season. We're not settled at a lot of postiions, and still we do not have a QB to hang out hat on after 10 fooking seasons.

  • I don't like how they are doing in FA for the simple fact that we already went through Butch Davis only signing Miami guys and now we have to go through Butch Jr. only signing Jets FAs? Really? I mean,they weren't that good last year, so signing all of the FAs that we can from them is going to make us better, at least Savage was able to escape his last organization, the new regime can't seem to do that.

  • considering that we were bad with savage getting an A, it is probably a good thing that we got a bad grade. we will shock the world this year when we go 16-0. πŸ˜‰

    @clevelandfanforlife said:

    considering that we were bad with savage getting an A, it is probably a good thing that we got a bad grade. we will shock the world this year when we go 16-0. πŸ˜‰

    You are an idiot if you actually believe that we will finish better than 9-7

  • @why-cant-we-win said:

    well we could pull a detriot and not win

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

    @hammertime said:

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

    tim tebow as a left guard.

  • @hammertime said:

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

    tim tebow as a left guard.

    @clevelandfanforlife said:

    tim tebow as a left guard.

    we still need a center and he is the ultimate athlete right?

  • D dtm

    @clevelandfanforlife said:

    tim tebow as a left guard.

    we still need a center and he is the ultimate athlete right?

    @dtm said:

    we still need a center and he is the ultimate athlete right?

    the way these college announcers talk about him they make it sound like he can play both at the same time.

  • @dtm said:

    we still need a center and he is the ultimate athlete right?

    the way these college announcers talk about him they make it sound like he can play both at the same time.

    @clevelandfanforlife said:

    the way these college announcers talk about him they make it sound like he can play both at the same time.

    listening to the announcers during the championship it was amazing to hear them speak actual words instead of mumbles because they were slurping Tebow something fierce. Tebow was balls deep in their mouths. Altho we could draft tebow's g'f and she could play fullback with those tig ol' bitties she's sporting... πŸ˜†

  • D dtm

    I don't like how they are doing in FA for the simple fact that we already went through Butch Davis only signing Miami guys and now we have to go through Butch Jr. only signing Jets FAs? Really? I mean,they weren't that good last year, so signing all of the FAs that we can from them is going to make us better, at least Savage was able to escape his last organization, the new regime can't seem to do that.

    @dtm said:

    I don't like how they are doing in FA for the simple fact that we already went through Butch Davis only signing Miami guys and now we have to go through Butch Jr. only signing Jets FAs? Really? I mean,they weren't that good last year, so signing all of the FAs that we can from them is going to make us better, at least Savage was able to escape his last organization, the new regime can't seem to do that.

    The jets guys are stop gap players mangini knows will come to play..notice how most of them have short contracts they will be replaced by youth next year..savage left mankok a mess we dont have the cap to overpay top names in FA that would be replaced by drafted players over the next couple of years..sure its not an exciting or glamorous offseason but i see it accomplishing a makeshift team and thats all mankok can really do in the short term..

    I discount grades as they only apply to big spenders savage always graded high but took our team nowhere but down and left this team in such a shape that mankoks hands are sort of tied..

  • @dtm said:

    we still need a center and he is the ultimate athlete right?

    the way these college announcers talk about him they make it sound like he can play both at the same time.

    @clevelandfanforlife said:

    the way these college announcers talk about him they make it sound like he can play both at the same time.

    And still have time to circumcise the opposing team's players' kids.

    Dennis

  • @why-cant-we-win said:

    well we could pull a detriot and not win

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

    @hammertime said:

    That would mean the #1 draft pick in 2010. Anybody want to start hashing over 2010 draft prospects yet?? πŸ™„πŸ™„πŸ™„

    Taylor Maysssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

  • If they want to give the Browns a D+ then that's their business but they need to explain the grade a little better than to say they're rebuilding. A D+ would suggest they've done some stupid stuff. I don't see it that way.