McShea

The Gipper

@tour2ma said:

Then don't ask...

True, because it don't matter.

JimboJones

Darnold/Rosen+Barkley>>>>Richardson+Weeden......Right?

jiggins7919

Here's the thing that nobody really wants to talk about. If/when we draft a QB early, there will be TREMENDOUS pressure to play the young man right away. What usually happens to rookies when they play right away? And what happens to rookie qb's when they play right away for the WORST team in the world? I think you get the point. What HAPPENS is a lot of losing. What happens when there's lots of losing? Everybody gets fired.

I guess what I'm saying is that if we're starting a new rookie QB, how much longer is Hue's leash? Dorsey already said he expects the AFC North crown next year and nothing else will do. That's ridiculous. So how is this going to work? Is John Dorsey really going to give Hue Jackson the time he needs to develop ANOTHER rookie QB? While it's true we have 5 VERY high draft picks, only a fool would expect rookies to instantly transform the worst team in the league. Look at the 4 high picks from 2017. Did THEY transform anything? We're 0-13, so you be the judge.

Obviously Kizer was a big reason for our immense sucking, but when you look at our receivers, you realize that only so much blame can be placed on him. Kizer looks much better with Corey Coleman and Josh Gordon on the field...weird! Also, the running game is emerging and Njoku is playing better. Having better receivers is transforming our offense, and there's still room for growth. With a year under his 21 year-old belt, it's not out of the impossible to think Kizer can drastically improve next year. Do ANY of you really think a rookie is going to play better than Kizer who will have seen and experienced a TON of NFL football? It's certainly possible, but I'd say the odds are against it. For about 9 games this year, Kizer was throwing to Ricardo Louis, Higgins, Kenny Britt, and other bozos. How FAIR is it to judge him on those games?

This team CAN transform immediately, but the only way it can happen is if we get a veteran QB. While it's true we can throw the checkbook at Cousins, he'd have to be a fool to come here. The one who makes the most sense is Alex Smith, and he's also the one John Dorsey has a professional relationship with. The Chiefs are in the middle of a historic meltdown, but little of that can be traced back to Alex. While Cleveland doesn't have Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill, or a probowl tight end, the cupboard isn't bare. Alex completes 70% of his passes compared to Kizer's 53%. That's an INSANE difference.

If the magnificent happens and we somehow get Alex Smith, much of our success will be tethered to Josh Gordon. In only 2 games, in noticeable rusty football shape, Josh has changed our passing attack. Without him, we aren't NEARLY as dangerous. Heck, Josh has gotten behind the defense more times in 2 weeks than anybody else all year it seems. Alex Smith is EXTREMELY accurate, and not just on the short stuff either. For us to make the kind of leap many of us yearn for, we need Josh. We're not going to be able to sign an allstar WR like him, as nobody of that caliber would EVER play for us. Alex can not only hit those deep shots, he can hit them IN STRIDE. Josh Gordon in stride is a site to behold. Heck, we've seen Kizer get Josh the rock once in stride and Josh turned into his own lead blocker and almost broke through 3 would-be tacklers.

I give Josh's return to us about 5% for next year. We've been there and done that. I give Alex Smith about 10% chance of coming to Cleveland. Many fans won't want to hear this, but the only way we get good immediately is by signing Alex. The only chance we have at STAYING good is to develop another QB behind him that can take over when he hangs it up (Alex just turned 34 I believe). Do we draft a QB at 1 or with Texans pick and let them learn behind Alex? Can you really draft a QB that high and expect him to wait 3 years? Has that EVER happened? I can think of the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay as the only comparison, but Aaron was picked around 22, which carries a MUCH different weight than being picked 1st or 5th.

Obviously nobody knows what's going to happen, but it's fun to speculate. Alex Smith is my first choice, but there are others such as Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Teddy Twatwater, Sam Bradford, and maybe another I'm forgetting about. I just can't see us making the leap starting ANOTHER rookie, especially considering none of them are touted as "immediate saviors". If we draft one high, start him immediately, and let him learn on the fly as is customary, we're set to have yet another LONG year. I don't see Hue surviving that, Gregg making the cut, or anybody else on staff. We'd be starting over AGAIN. Not only that, we'd have a prized rookie learn one system (Hue's) and then learn ANOTHER one when the new coach comes to town. That's two systems in two years and we ALL KNOW that's how you RUIN young quarterbacks.

I intentionally avoided discussing the defense, as this post was long enough. It can be argued that the defense was equally (if not MORE so) responsible for our dismal season, and that will HAVE to be seriously addressed if we're to make ANY improvements, drastic or otherwise. One thing is for sure, our team is going to look MUCH different next year, and don't be surprised if we have almost all new skill position players AND new secondary studs.

Tour2ma

If we land an Alex Smith caliber QB, the pressure to start a freshly drafted QB will be nil.

The only way the 2018 team can approach the level of Dorsey's bravado is to land a Smith caliber QB... plus 3 or so other significant FAs. And landing a vet QB who can make us competitive is key to attracting significant FAs at any price.

I get the feeling we are headed towards a "sugar high". Questions is are: how high and how long of a one?

Tacosman

@tour2ma said:

If we land an Alex Smith caliber QB, the pressure to start a freshly drafted QB will be nil.

The only way the 2018 team can approach the level of Dorsey's bravado is to land a Smith caliber QB... plus 3 or so other significant FAs. And landing a vet QB who can make us competitive is key to attracting significant FAs at any price.

I get the feeling we are headed towards a "sugar high". Questions is are: how high and how long of a one?

in the absence of a manning/brady(whose presence alone guarantees eliteness) or a collection of very special talent like the seahawks defense when healthy, those are really the only type of highs in the nfl you can really count on. Its the nature of the nfl and the way it is set up today.

Clark W Griswold

Before you commit to Barkley early, you need to figure out whether he's a Gurley/Fournette quality back or whether he's an oasis like Trent Richardson. His tendency to just give up and not fight for yards when he gets pinned down concerns me. We saw an awful lot of that in the OSU game.

I wouldn't mind seeing a reversal this year with them using some of their picks to actually move up to snatch another first round pick to jump on a guy that slides unexpectedly (i.e. Malik Hooker last year). This team needs horses now.

Louisville Slugger

I keep seeing people talk about bringing in alex Smith and I feel like you guys forget how awful he was his first 5 years were. He' gotten lucky to land on 2 teams that fit his play style. He has always been a dink and dunk west coast style guy. He had some success this year throwing deep but that's a new thing so I wouldn't be so certain that he continues to be able to do that. Plus that stinks of a browns move. Chalk him up with the Garcia and delhomme of the world

Tour2ma

@tacosman said:

in the absence of a manning/brady(whose presence alone guarantees eliteness) or a collection of very special talent like the seahawks defense when healthy, those are really the only type of highs in the nfl you can really count on. Its the nature of the nfl and the way it is set up today.

I literally have no clue what you are saying here...

Best guess I can muster is you think winning a SB is the only high, which is clearly not the case.

Tacosman

@tour2ma said:

I literally have no clue what you are saying here...

Best guess I can muster is you think winning a SB is the only high, which is clearly not the case.

you guess wrong. it means that barring a truly generational qb or being able to amass5 of the leagues top 20-25 defensive players all at once for several years, highs in the nfl are transient and fleeting(what I took your use of the phrasesugar high to mean) and not all that predictive of the next year.

BaconHound

@mld-woody said:

Lamar Jackson it is

Love it.

Go for JT Barrett

Westside Steve

@tour2ma said:

I literally have no clue what you are saying here...

Best guess I can muster is you think winning a SB is the only high, which is clearly not the case.

I don't remember what the golf course was Nor who the golfer was but I remember the guy hitting the ball out of a bad spot from a noticeable distance, probably a 9-iron shot, landed on the green rolled a few yards and dropped in the cup. After the game I remember the interview. Somebody asked him how he felt when that ball Dropped In. He gave kind of an aww Shucks gesture and said 'well that's what I was aiming for.'

WSS