@flyin-j said:

I believe we went in knowing we were drafting a QB #1.  We weren't going to roll the dice on Cousins or Keenum.  We wanted a reliable guy to come in and give us a chance to win games for 1 or 2 years while the rook developed.  Maybe the missing piece of this so called Foles story is we wouldn't talk extension with him, and promise not to draft a QB.

I agree & also believe that we took the right path, but only time will tell. Bottom line is that we have who we have & that's who I support. GO BROWNS!

Mike

@flyin-j said:

I believe we went in knowing we were drafting a QB #1.  We weren't going to roll the dice on Cousins or Keenum.  We wanted a reliable guy to come in and give us a chance to win games for 1 or 2 years while the rook developed.  Maybe the missing piece of this so called Foles story is we wouldn't talk extension with him, and promise not to draft a QB.

Yeah my personal PLAN A got shot down with the "sign an established good quarterback FA and pick a power #1 & 4"......Geeezzzus that was a long few months!

And now we're looking at Hard Knocks, things are getting interesting in Cleveland, OH!

@flyin-j said:

free agency didn't begin until March 14th.....

I believe we went in knowing we were drafting a QB #1.  We weren't going to roll the dice on Cousins or Keenum.  We wanted a reliable guy to come in and give us a chance to win games for 1 or 2 years while the rook developed.  Maybe the missing piece of this so called Foles story is we wouldn't talk extension with him, and promise not to draft a QB.

Foles spurns Browns

More than Foles have spurned the Browns in the past, hopefully things are looking up now.

@flyin-j said:

free agency didn't begin until March 14th.....

Yes I was looking at the NFL.com schedule of events for 2018, d'oh.

As far as who the BROWNS didn't get for whatever reason (I hate replowing old manure fields) but FA QBs just don't seem to want to come to Cleveland.......and I think the BROWNS did ok in the draft and other manuvers all in all.

March 7, 2018, top QBs available (Rankings from NFL.com's Top 101 free agents)........not an outstanding class that's for sure.

1. Kirk Cousins, Redskins.....thank goodness passed up.

With Washington's reported trade for Alex Smith set to be official at the start of the league year, Cousins is set to be somewhere else in 2018, and he's expected to be handsomely rewarded in the process. Cousins threw for thank more than 4,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, including a 2016 Pro Bowl campaign.

2. Drew Brees, Saints.....no chance.

The future Hall of Famer has maintained he plans to stay in New Orleans, and there's no reason to believe he won't make good on that pledge.

8. Case Keenum, Vikings......?

The veteran journeyman is set to hit the market after his best season by a long shot. Playing in relief of an injured Sam Bradford, Keenum threw for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the Vikings to an NFC North crown and a trip to the NFC Championship.

11. Teddy Twatwater, Vikings......eh.

Once believed to be Minnesota's franchise quarterback, Bridgewater could be headed elsewhere after missing most of the past two seasons with a severe knee injury. Bridgewater made the Pro Bowl in 2015 when he threw for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns.

12. Sam Bradford, Vikings

Yes, there are three Minnesota quarterbacks set to be free agents. Bradford, the former No. 1 pick, missed most of 2017 because of lingering knee issues. In 2016, he set the NFL record for accuracy (71.6 completion percentage) while throwing for 3,877 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

31. AJ McCarron - Bengals

After winning a grievance hearing against the Bengals, McCarron is set to be an unrestricted free agent and is poised to land somewhere he has a chance to start. He made the most of an opportunity in 2015 when Andy Dalton went down with a season-ending injury, as he led the Bengals to two wins near the end of the regular season and had Cincinnati in position to beat the Steelers in the playoffs.

45. Josh McCown, Jets

The former Browns signal-caller is coming off one of the best seasons of a career that began way back in 2002. Before a season-ending injury, McCown threw for 2,926 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading the Jets to an unexpected five wins.

78. Colin Kaepernick

He was out of football all last season but continues to look for a landing spot. Kaepernick led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 and put up solid numbers the following two seasons.

101. Jay Cutler, Dolphins

Once retired, Cutler was a late addition to the Dolphins after Ryan Tannehill's season-ending injury and went on to throw for 2,666 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. It's unclear if Cutler plans to pursue another season.

Honorable mention: Blaine Gabbert, Mike Glennon

@mjp28 said:

Maybe from the last game of last season until the draft beginning on April 26th I just got burned out on all of the quarterback blah-blah-blah talk and no FA really ended up saying "I'm going to Cleveland" the way kids say "We're going to Disney World".......no takers. No good experienced quarterback wants to join the meat grinder of starting quarterbacks from 1999 to the present.

Actually things worked out probably as good as they could have with the BROWNS getting Taylor/Stanton as the 2018 team while the boy wonder Baker Mayfield gets ready for his eventual debut.

........and Kirk Cousins didn't become a ridiculously overpriced, overpaid quarterback on Cleveland's dime and then went out and bought Cedar Point. 

Just WHO were all these fabulous FA QBs out there that were eligible for FA that the Browns did not get....that were far and away better than Tyrod Taylor.  Answer:  not on fuycking person.     Cousins?  Big numbers, few wins.  Case Keenum? One year wonder...not that much of a career. 

I mean...who the hell did the Browns miss out on as a FA QB that was so great?  Not a Goddamned soul.

@the-gipper said:

So, I am right.  They traded for TT before the FA season began.    Remember...Smith was traded to the Redskins...he was not a FA.  Cousins was going to ask...and get stupid money that the Browns had NO interest in giving....so they were NEVER going to be in the market for him.

Also...I am not sure that TT  takes a back seat in ability to either Alex Smith or Kirk Cousins.

Maybe from the last game of last season until the draft beginning on April 26th I just got burned out on all of the quarterback blah-blah-blah talk and no FA really ended up saying "I'm going to Cleveland" the way kids say "We're going to Disney World".......no takers. No good experienced quarterback wants to join the meat grinder of starting quarterbacks from 1999 to the present.

Actually things worked out probably as good as they could have with the BROWNS getting Taylor/Stanton as the 2018 team while the boy wonder Baker Mayfield gets ready for his eventual debut.

........and Kirk Cousins didn't become a ridiculously overpriced, overpaid quarterback on Cleveland's dime and then went out and bought Cedar Point. 

@unsympathetic said:

No purpose in wasting long-term assets on the bridge QB who won't be here in 2 years anyway.  Much better to grab our LT/C of the next 10 years.. Either that or Dorsey is looking at Tyrod as a darn good long-term backup after Baker gets the promotion.

Note that RT is now the premium tackle position -- more of the sack names you know go up against RT in this league than LT now. That's why Lane Johnson of the Eagles plays RT rather than LT.. I said all that to say that top of the second [the pick offered for Foles] is actually likely the right place to grab starting LT these days.

Let me interpret:    It is better to give up a 3rd rounder for a QB that will serve as our "bridge"....than a high second rounder for someone to do so....who may actually have no interest in that role if he were to come here, seeing that he just won a Super Bowl and believes he could/should be a long term starter rather than a "bridge" guy.  ??

That makes sense, certainly.

@mjp28 said:

I think it went something like:

A. Smith and Cousins among other FA QBs  were gone and not to Cleveland. 

In early March the Bills traded away Taylor before having to pay him any due extra monies owed. Not a bad deal for the BROWNS. 

So, I am right.  They traded for TT before the FA season began.    Remember...Smith was traded to the Redskins...he was not a FA.  Cousins was going to ask...and get stupid money that the Browns had NO interest in giving....so they were NEVER going to be in the market for him.

Also...I am not sure that TT  takes a back seat in ability to either Alex Smith or Kirk Cousins.

@the-gipper said:

Explain. 

Really? Aside from a couple of his Flacco-like stretches he is at best a barely 60% completion QB, with a low YPA and lacking the ability or willingness to drive the ball downfield.    

He's Alex Smith lite at best. 

@unsympathetic said:

No purpose in wasting long-term assets on the bridge QB who won't be here in 2 years anyway.  Much better to grab our LT/C of the next 10 years..

Note that RT is now the premium tackle position -- more of the sack names you know go up against RT in this league than LT now. That's why Lane Johnson of the Eagles plays RT rather than LT.. I said all that to say that top of the second [the pick offered for Foles] is actually likely the right place to grab starting LT these days.

Actually it was #35 overall that may have been offered, which is Chubb.

https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-reportedly-turned-down-nick-230823525.html

@the-gipper said:

Explain. 

No purpose in wasting long-term assets on the bridge QB who won't be here in 2 years anyway.  Much better to grab our LT/C of the next 10 years.. Either that or Dorsey is looking at Tyrod as a darn good long-term backup after Baker gets the promotion.

Note that RT is now the premium tackle position -- more of the sack names you know go up against RT in this league than LT now. That's why Lane Johnson of the Eagles plays RT rather than LT.. I said all that to say that top of the second [the pick offered for Foles] is actually likely the right place to grab starting LT these days.

@the-gipper said:

I don't know if they "struck out" at all in Free Agency.    If I am correct, they made the trade for TT before the free agency period started....so they took themselves out of the market for QBs in FA.

It seems that you are getting a lot of facts wrong about this situation today.  Better check the dosage on your memory pills.

I think it went something like:

A. Smith and Cousins among other FA QBs  were gone and not to Cleveland. 

In early March the Bills traded away Taylor before having to pay him any due extra monies owed. Not a bad deal for the BROWNS. 

Tyrod is in Browns town, right?

That's all I need to know.....GO TYROD & GO BROWNS!!!!

Mike

Being a back up quaterback who has won a Superbowl ring is like retiring in the summit of your career and keep getting paid for it.

B. I don't care, and he will be sorry later...eventually. The Browns will have a better record. LOL

C. no big deal.

@tiamat63 said:

A fringe 1st rounder for Foles?  He saved Dorsey from his own stupidity.

Explain. 

@mjp28 said:

Right they basically struck out in the FA market and Taylor/Stanton was what they ended up with, hopefully Mayfield will be the future.

In any event they should have a much improved product on the field in 2018.

I don't know if they "struck out" at all in Free Agency.    If I am correct, they made the trade for TT before the free agency period started....so they took themselves out of the market for QBs in FA.

It seems that you are getting a lot of facts wrong about this situation today.  Better check the dosage on your memory pills.

@the-gipper said:

Browns didn't get TT  as a FA...they traded a 3rd round pick for him....remember?

Right they basically struck out in the FA market and Taylor/Stanton was what they ended up with, hopefully Mayfield will be the future.

In any event they should have a much improved product on the field in 2018.

@mjp28 said:

A combination of how undesirable a quarterback job in Cleveland had become -plus- when a person's basic monatary and other basic needs are met.....in his case for decades.... you can do whatever you want.

The best the BROWNS could do in the FA market was Tyrod Taylor, speaks volumes for the 1999-2017 era.

Browns didn't get TT  as a FA...they traded a 3rd round pick for him....remember?