@unsympathetic said:

Connor Barwin is not worth paying.

Paul Kruger/Philip Wheeler/Anthony Spencer/Keenan Lewis/Jairus Byrd are the top tier.

We also need a FB - Greg Jones/Jerome Felton.

We could use a G - Levitre/Vasquez

I think Smelley may be our starting FB this season. He is quicker and has better hands than Marecic, which makes him a player defenses have to account for. Add to that his chemistry with Richardson and his history of blocking in the mean SEC and he could be a pretty good starter.

@unsympathetic said:

Connor Barwin is not worth paying.

Paul Kruger/Philip Wheeler/Anthony Spencer/Keenan Lewis/Jairus Byrd are the top tier.

We also need a FB - Greg Jones/Jerome Felton.

We could use a G - Levitre/Vasquez

and peter pan and bilbo baggins and.......................................................................

Paul Kruger/Philip Wheeler/Anthony Spencer/Keenan Lewis/Jairus Byrd are the top tier.

We also need a FB - Greg Jones/Jerome Felton.

We could use a G - Levitre/Vasquez

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

Allotting that much cap space to the corner position is ridiculous. As is drafting Milliner.

Add an impact player at every positional grouping first, then worry about adding talented depth. A playmaking LB and a playmaking CB will take us a lot further than 2 playmaking CBs and no LB.

That is logical thinking....but...if the CB that is there when the Browns pick is a far superior talent to any LB available, you have to go with the superior talent....or trade down. Sometimes in the past mistakes in drafting with this team have been made because they drafted for need instead of just taking the best damn player there was out there.

Defense is still reactionary by definition. We could have 2 All-Pro corners, an All-Pro FS and an All-Pro SS and still lose because any OC worth his salt would realize our weakness was in the run game.

There are three phases of defense: defending the run, defending the pass and pressuring the QB. Your goal is to be balanced in all three aspects, thereby creating no glaring weakness for OC's to exploit. Right now, the talent level of our pass defense is head and shoulders above the other two phases solely because of Joe Haden. Let's work adding any sort of talent in the pass rush and shoring up the run defense before we go creating an All-Star lineup at corner.

You also forget that the Browns will have a free agency period to pick up talent...and depending on who they get in FA, it may greatly affect their attitude about what to take when the draft rolls along.

Add an impact player at every positional grouping first, then worry about adding talented depth. A playmaking LB and a playmaking CB will take us a lot further than 2 playmaking CBs and no LB.

Defense is still reactionary by definition. We could have 2 All-Pro corners, an All-Pro FS and an All-Pro SS and still lose because any OC worth his salt would realize our weakness was in the run game.

There are three phases of defense: defending the run, defending the pass and pressuring the QB. Your goal is to be balanced in all three aspects, thereby creating no glaring weakness for OC's to exploit. Right now, the talent level of our pass defense is head and shoulders above the other two phases solely because of Joe Haden. Let's work adding any sort of talent in the pass rush and shoring up the run defense before we go creating an All-Star lineup at corner.

The previous Browns coaches would have thought to trade for a Revis,

not realizing he may be a cap casualty, depending on an extended rehab.

Now, if Revis is cut, and becomes a FA, that's different.

But the jets are well over in salary cap, and done with sanchez at qb.

But i have a gut feeling that revis is not the rehaber that AP or jamal charles was and he wont be 100% next year.

@harry-buffalo said:

He would actually come cheap because he yet has to be cleared from a serious knee injury. There would have to be a clause, with any team that wanted to trade for him, where the trade would become void if he didn't pass his physical by a certain point. This would also be why he would come for a cheaper price. Will want too much money, hasn't performed at his notoriously high level, and possible future health concerns.

Well, that is perfectly logical....but you discount the fact that in his mind he will be every bit the player he was before...and will want that big payday....and will be a POS about getting paid.

his infamous holdout was daily fodder for NY media and a huge distraction (like they don't have enough) for the jets that year.

fuck him. build through the draft.

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

Value doesn't equal the price.

Even the best shutdown corner gives up passes. The difference in skill between an elite corner and a good corner isn't as much as as the difference in price.

We'd be better off signing a second tier guy and saving a couple million a year to allocate somewhere else.

Well I tend to disagree with that. What seems to be the trend in the NFL is two things in terms of passing: elite WR's get to push off like crazy, and elite CB's get to be physical as shit with no flags thrown against them. Say what you will, but guys like Richard Sherman and Revis get away with stuff that a "good" CB would get flagged for. I do agree with you though that Revis' asking price is going to be 15-16 mil a year and he won't play if he doesn't get close as he's clearly shown. It's hard to say if it's worth throwing that much money around, but Revis and Haden would be a dangerously good tandem.

Even the best shutdown corner gives up passes. The difference in skill between an elite corner and a good corner isn't as much as as the difference in price.

We'd be better off signing a second tier guy and saving a couple million a year to allocate somewhere else.

I might actually prefer if the Browns take a Milliner with their first pick than pick up Revis.

Also, he is coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Is he really going to be the same shut down corner he was before...which requires the ultimate in speed burst and cutting ability?

Who knows? Not even he or his doctors.