@bjh2130 said:

Njoku peppers Mayfield ward Garrett. In that order.

The joke is definitely showing signs of Coleman disease. If he doesn't start hanging on to everything in sight, he's a goner.

@the-gipper said:

Ahh!   There's the rub.  Hopefully that has changed the last couple of years.

But, lets face it:    Last year we took  3 players in the first round:   Peppers, McGarrett, and Njoku.    This year we took 2:  Mayfield and Ward.

Odds are that at least one or more of these will end up being a bust.   (I will resist the Browns history that says that 4 out of 5 will be that).

So, which one is most likely to bust?

Njoku peppers Mayfield ward Garrett. In that order.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

And we have had high picks for years and it hasn't done us any f u c k i n g  good since we always pick lousy.

Ahh!   There's the rub.  Hopefully that has changed the last couple of years.

But, lets face it:    Last year we took  3 players in the first round:   Peppers, McGarrett, and Njoku.    This year we took 2:  Mayfield and Ward.

Odds are that at least one or more of these will end up being a bust.   (I will resist the Browns history that says that 4 out of 5 will be that).

So, which one is most likely to bust?

@dutch-oven said:

So there's no confusion, I believe the Browns plan was to strip the team to the foundation, acquire tons of picks, which would be high picks due to the lack of any veteran talent and the overwhelming youth of the roster, and rebuild from there.

The Houston Astros or Philadelphia 76ers Plan for the NFL. 

I do not think players or coaches were throwing games. 

Precisely.

@canton-mike said:

I agree. I also feel it was a "tank job" explained as Dutch has so well above.

Mike

sashi was the hatchet man for the payroll Dorsey came in and did the same with a bunch of worthless players

@dutch-oven said:

So there's no confusion, I believe the Browns plan was to strip the team to the foundation, acquire tons of picks, which would be high picks due to the lack of any veteran talent and the overwhelming youth of the roster, and rebuild from there.

The Houston Astros or Philadelphia 76ers Plan for the NFL. 

I do not think players or coaches were throwing games. 

I agree. I also feel it was a "tank job" explained as Dutch has so well above.

Mike

The Houston Astros or Philadelphia 76ers Plan for the NFL. 

I do not think players or coaches were throwing games. 

@lodilobo said:

I heard on a local radio show yesterday, that Joe T., when asked about Hue, stated that you can't judge him by the first 2 seasons because the organization was tanking....they were losing purposely. Does anyone buy this? If so...it makes me dislike Hue more for taking the HC job, and agreeing to lose by design.

I don't believe Hue tried to lose any games, no coach does that.

@the-gipper said:

If it was a fact, and I think it was,  why should he lie about it? 

Like I said here, the Browns losing was a combination of a plan to be bad in order to get good,   and just incredible ineptitude by the HC...and these players  to lose game.

When you bring in bad players, they are going to find a way to lose.   When you combine that with an inept HC, there you have 0-16.    When you get better players, they still have to learn to win....which they have not done yet;  and, you still have to deal with the inept coach factor.    He may overcome his ineptitude here and there with better players.   We shall see.

It wasn't like he would have had to lie. He offered this information, I suppose, to defend Hue. Hey....by the way...I lost quite a few lunches betting with my accountant over the last 2 years. Do we have a case against Sashi?

@lodilobo said:

I guess it's not a new concept or a revelation. It just doesn't seem right when a player who was there, states it as fact.

If it was a fact, and I think it was,  why should he lie about it? 

Like I said here, the Browns losing was a combination of a plan to be bad in order to get good,   and just incredible ineptitude by the HC...and these players  to lose game.

When you bring in bad players, they are going to find a way to lose.   When you combine that with an inept HC, there you have 0-16.    When you get better players, they still have to learn to win....which they have not done yet;  and, you still have to deal with the inept coach factor.    He may overcome his ineptitude here and there with better players.   We shall see.

Players and coaching staff were not trying to lose.

@lodilobo said:

I heard on a local radio show yesterday, that Joe T., when asked about Hue, stated that you can't judge him by the first 2 seasons because the organization was tanking....they were losing purposely. Does anyone buy this? If so...it makes me dislike Hue more for taking the HC job, and agreeing to lose by design.

I do believe it to a certain extent.   By that, I mean, I don't think they were purposely losing games (though sometimes it seemed like it),   just that Sachi basically had this plan to "suck in order to become good eventually".  The old Suck for Luck deal.  

I mean, such a strategy HAS worked in the past.   The World Series champion Houston Astros is one...as have been others   (Philly 76ers etc.)

@lodilobo said:

I don't believe the players would be a part of it either, but they would know what's going on. The HC could control winning and losing by playing certain players. This would make fans, media members, and announcers scratch their heads and wonder....sound familiar?

If the front office is trying to recreate 'Major League', purposely fielding a team so devoid of talent that there's no way in hell they'll win, then what the coach does or doesn't do, over the long-haul, won't much matter.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Agreed.  I can't believe that players would intentionally play to lose.  If thats the fact, then Shmuck the BROWNS.

I don't think the players were intentionally trying to lose. But if you watched a Browns game over the last 2 years and then watched a playoff-caliber team, the obvious difference in the level of talent was beyond discouraging. As Mike Polk would say, "It's like they're playing a different sport than we are."