@ballpeen said:

Too many trades to try to figure all of that out.

In the end, sure, we might have gotten some good players.  We ended up getting some good players.

I don't look at the list of players the Texans drafted and have the lingering feeling that the Browns missed out.

@ap1 said:

Very fair question. 

Doesn't necessarily answer who was missed, but this is exactly what the Texans did with each pick.

Texans' Draft Picks from the Browns

Too many trades to try to figure all of that out.

In the end, sure, we might have gotten some good players.  We ended up getting some good players.

@flugel said:

Like your point in bold above; but the Browns lost Nick Chubb, Dewand Jones, Jack Conklin, Jed Wills and Deshaun Watson to IR last year.  I think we're okay if we can keep the volume of injuries a little more reasonable in 2024.

No disagreement.  The question is how?  Unfortunately you can't play football in a bubble. Shit happens.

@ballpeen said:

I suppose there is no way of knowing, and it might still be a year or two away from showing, but have we really missed the picks?  No doubt at least one of them would have been on a QB.  I think we have gotten enough value out of JOK, Dewand, and possibly Hall that we mitigated the loss of the 1st rounders.  That isn't even counting that Watson may finally be ready to be a very good QB at minimum.

Like your point in bold above; but the Browns lost Nick Chubb, Dewand Jones, Jack Conklin, Jed Wills and Deshaun Watson to IR last year.  I think we're okay if we can keep the volume of injuries a little more reasonable in 2024.

@ballpeen said:

Have we really missed the picks? 

Very fair question. 

Doesn't necessarily answer who was missed, but this is exactly what the Texans did with each pick.

Texans' Draft Picks from the Browns

@orion said:

Well, yeah...if you do it the way we did it.  Or the Rams did it.  But if he was your draft pick you're going to have to sign him with big guaranteed money before or when his rookie contract is up....if you want to keep him.  We, of course, had to throw in three 1st round picks, which we're just now crawling out from under.

I suppose there is no way of knowing, and it might still be a year or two away from showing, but have we really missed the picks?  No doubt at least one of them would have been on a QB.  I think we have gotten enough value out of JOK, Dewand, and possibly Hall that we mitigated the loss of the 1st rounders.  That isn't even counting that Watson may finally be ready to be a very good QB at minimum.

@orion said:

Well, yeah...if you do it the way we did it.  Or the Rams did it.  But if he was your draft pick you're going to have to sign him with big guaranteed money before or when his rookie contract is up....if you want to keep him.  We, of course, had to throw in three 1st round picks, which we're just now crawling out from under.

Choose your poison...

Money or Money and Draft Picks!!

@ap1 said:

...and how it can set a franchise back.

Well, yeah...if you do it the way we did it.  Or the Rams did it.  But if he was your draft pick you're going to have to sign him with big guaranteed money before or when his rookie contract is up....if you want to keep him.  We, of course, had to throw in three 1st round picks, which we're just now crawling out from under.

@ballpeen said:

The deal is guaranteed money for QB's is bogus.  None of those guys are going to get cut from their contracts. They will earn the whole contract.

...and how it can set a franchise back.

Just gross numbers, no idea of guarantees, or what's left.

25% of QB1s over $50M.

50% of QB1s over $40M.

63% of QB1s over $25M.

Zero between $12.5M and $25M.

$25M a year now feels like am absolute steal.

@syd said:

so including his bonus that is 230 million guaranteed just 10 less than Watson

The deal is guaranteed money for QB's is bogus.  None of those guys are going to get cut from their contracts. They will earn the whole contract.

@syd said:

so including his bonus that is 230 million guaranteed just 10 less than Watson

Watson's contract was a five year deal... Love's is only four.

@syd said:

so including his bonus that is 230 million guaranteed just 10 less than Watson

@ap1 said:

Two days ago.

4 years, $220M, $155M Guaranteed, $75M Signing Bonus 

All on an 18 game sample size.

It's good to be QB1.

so including his bonus that is 230 million guaranteed just 10 less than Watson

@syd said:

when did love get paid ?

@dutch-oven said:

Within the week I believe. 

Two days ago.

4 years, $220M, $155M Guaranteed, $75M Signing Bonus 

All on an 18 game sample size.

It's good to be QB1.

@syd said:

when did love get paid ?

Within the week I believe. 

@ballpeen said:

I don't think it would pass legal challenge to have a positional salary cap on just one position.

If you want qb salaries to take up less of the cap, raise the cap.  If not, teams are free to spend the cap as they see fit.

Either way you won't be able to do anything about people already under contract.

JMO...and I am correct.

I believe the reason the contracts have escalated so quickly is purely because it's expected the cap will go up.

If you want qb salaries to take up less of the cap, raise the cap.  If not, teams are free to spend the cap as they see fit.

Either way you won't be able to do anything about people already under contract.

JMO...and I am correct.

Now having said that, if such a cap existed when we were trying to acquire Watson, and all three teams offered the max (Atlanta, Cleveland & New Orleans), would we have gotten Watson?  No.  He hates cold winter environments.