@canton-dawg said:

... and then Cinci back to mediocrity before leaving to lead a mediocre Packers team to the cellar.

@texasag1969 said:

Well the problem I see with signing FAs in the offseason is that we could not even convince our own to stay. So how do we attract anyone else to an 0-16 team?

Money. Money wins the type of FA we want every day of the week.

We don't want a ring chasing veteran near the end of his career. We want rookies that we drafted, or guys coming off their rookie contracts that can't be retained by their team.

We want the TJ Wards to come to us, not the other way around.

Sure, we'll overspend initially. But getting quality young talent in Cleveland will change our culture and spur wins, which will then lower the barrier of entry for future FA's. Then we lop off the initial overpriced FA's and start bringing in guys with friendlier contracts over time.

@flyingfooldoug said:

Right now, if a guy came in here and won 18 out of 41 games? People would be throwing rose petals at his feet as he walked.

Yep.

It wasn't long ago they were 6-3 after kicking Cincy's ass.

The city was buzzing, and then.......phuuuuuuu

@bob806 said:

If I recall correctly, some of the players bitched that he was too strict. It was dumb to fire him, he brought a 3-11 team to 9-5 in '76, but the wheels fell off in '77.

Right now, if a guy came in here and won 18 out of 41 games? People would be throwing rose petals at his feet as he walked.

@canton-dawg said:

Then after he left here, he took the Bungholes to a Super Bowl.

If I recall correctly, some of the players bitched that he was too strict. It was dumb to fire him, he brought a 3-11 team to 9-5 in '76, but the wheels fell off in '77.

@flyingfooldoug said:

Gregg was 18-23. Not great then but by today's standards...lol. I saw him as a good type to build with then get the players coach.

Then after he left here, he took the Bungholes to a Super Bowl.

@gftchris said:

Ah... that's what "tier" means... that's different then isn't it?

@flyingfooldoug said:

Not seeing a hard-ass who couldn't make it with us in the 70's doing well today...

@gftchris said:

Not convinced on Richardson based on supposed character issues.

Came out of Mizzou with "character concerns and 'maturity, leadership and consistency issues'". That said, people grow up...

What has he done off-field during his NYJ time? One arrest for racing (reportedly hit 143 mph) in 2015. Also charged with resisting arrest, but who knows the circumstances there. Apologized to his team for the distraction Otherwise seems like he overslept and was late for a team meeting this year and may have missed a walkthru (can't verify). Both could be a reaction to NYJ openly shopping him Curbed his Enthusiam...

Not a poster child, but hardly a hardened criminal. Many reports of teammates supporting him. Certainly deserves an interview.

Even if the edges are a bit rough, there comes a point when if you surround a "problem child" with good teammates, they change him rather than him changing your team. Moss with the Pats may be the best example I can think of.

Maybe his edges are still too rough... maybe our team is not ready to be enough of a positive influence... but you don't know unless you interview the man. And I'd include "team leaders" in the interview process. Kirksey or Davis and Haden on the D-side... Greco and Joe T for the O-side.

@gftchris said:

First.. a "big splash" can come in the form of a single UFA signing. Richardson would qualify. So would resigning Collins. That's 2. Just as you can't toss enough pebbles into a pond to match the splash made by a couple bricks or a single cinder block, it's the size/quality of the talent signed that counts in FA.

Second, "2/3 guys" is certainly a reasonable estimate as would be 4. But certainly the bulk of the roster will still be comprised of draftees and UDFAs. I see nothing inconsistent with your take and "the plan".

@jiggins7919 said:

I think we'll go after safety/corner back HARD in free agency.

Certainly are some names in the 2017 UFA class...

At Safety I think you can forget top tier players going for a second big deal, like Eric Berry and Barry Church, but there are some interesting choices coming off of rookie contracts. My eyes fell to AZ's situation of having both Tony Jefferson and D.J. Swearinger hitting UFA at the same time. Hard to see one of them not getting squeezed out of the desert by cap considerations.

http://overthecap.com/free-agency/

At corner? The pickens look a lot slimmer to me. Mostly a bunch of pebbles... The Pats' Butler jumps out, but he's an RFA so depends on the Pats' tender. I'm sure I missed a couple in my quick scan, but otherwise HOU's AJ Bouye is about the only one that jumps out and he's having a good, not great year.

@tour2ma said:

I was certainly surprised we were not in the reported trade conversations with the Jets for Richardson, so, yes, I'd expect us to be one of his FA suitors.

Bryant-Shelton-Richardson would be a helluva base 3 fronting a 3-4. And on passing downs trot off Danny and bookend Des and Sheldon with Collins and a Player to be named/emerge/drafted? Wow...

#Front2Back&InsideOut4ever

Omg why the 3-4 with those guys plus og,orch and nas? I want any combination of those 6 guys on the field at all times

Now we are stuck with a guy who has made some very questionable decisions and seems overwhelmed.

Injuries, mediocre play from the OL and secondary has hurt our cause this season. Teams exploit those weaknesses and we get decimated each week!

Next year needs to be a year in which the FO drafts a shit ton of lineman and defensive help.

They also need some impact veterans in FA. Because a team full of rookies will not do shit without solid vets showing them the way!

@jiggins7919 said:

I sure was hoping to hear, "We're going to do everything we can to keep him here for a long time, and we don't care how much money it takes."

That would just give all of the leverage to Collins, as if he doesn't already have most of it.

@canton-dawg said:

Forrest Gregg & Marty Schottenheimer come to mind.

Good ole Forrest. I've often thought that we could use a hard nosed sob like him to get the culture changed.

I think we'll go after safety/corner back HARD in free agency.

@jiggins7919 said:

What makes you think that? Because I am fully expecting us to go after tier 2/3 guys to supplement our home-grown talent. Maybe I'm wrong, and the Jamie Collins acquisition is a sign of things to come, but I saw it more as a shot in the arm of veteran leadership and quality that the D was sorely missing.

@tour2ma said:

Yeah, I agree. I think we're going to TRY to make SOME kind of big splash, I really do.

@tiamat63 said:

I was certainly surprised we were not in the reported trade conversations with the Jets for Richardson, so, yes, I'd expect us to be one of his FA suitors.

Bryant-Shelton-Richardson would be a helluva base 3 fronting a 3-4. And on passing downs trot off Danny and bookend Des and Sheldon with Collins and a Player to be named/emerge/drafted? Wow...

#Front2Back&InsideOut4ever

@wargograw said:

2017... you're welcome...