Not gonna lie, I don't spend much time on here, but I did not know that many people were so opposed to drafting Manziel. I am a big fan of Hoyer, but there's no way in hell I go into next season banking on him being a franchise guy that could lead the team to the playoffs. With Manziel, he would bring a new kind of attitude that the Browns haven't seen at QB in a real long time. He would not settle for losing and would bring a whole new kind of leadership to this team. I would love to see his fire in a offense that should suit him well. So those that opposed my selection in this mock, I'm guessing you either believe Bridgewater, Bortles, or Hoyer is the answer??

And as for the trade, was the problem that it was with the Ravens or just a bad trade in general?? If it's the fact we're trading with our archival, I understand that. It just seemed like too perfect of a scenario to pass up considering Mosley is the top player at arguably our biggest hole and the Ravens will likely look to trade down.

Last time I did one of these was when we were in the very early stages of our coaching search. Assuming no more drastic changes, though you never know anymore, this is just what I would realistically try to do this off-season if I were head of the front office based on what has already happened.

Cut/Don’t Re-sign

Brandon Weeden ~ How hasn’t this happened yet is the real question.

Jason Campbell ~ Given what he was thrown into, he could have done worse, however, do to all the snaps he took last year, his contract is too high to be 2nd or 3rd on the depth chart.

Alex Tanney ~ Emergency signing but doesn’t actually deserve a roster spot.

Davone Bess ~ What used to be a sure handed slot receiver has turned to a useless player and the subject of a bad trade.

Willis McGahee ~ Proved to be nothing substantial and should just retire.

Billy Cundiff ~ Did a decent job replacing Phil Dawson this year but it’s time to find a young, long-term kicking solution.

Oniel Cousins ~ Not sure how he found his way on the roster this year.

Shaun Lauvao ~ Solid back-up guard, but if he wants anything close to starter money, no thank you.

Craig Robertson ~ Had a solid rookie season, but was simply a victim of the scheme change this past year and it’s not gonna change next year.

Re-Sign

TJ Ward ~ As one of the best run safeties and a naturally hard hitter, I would have applied the franchise tag to him. That didn’t happen but I would still aggressively pursue him to stay. If the Browns want a truly elite defense, there’s no reason to let him walk with the cap space we have.

Alex Mack ~ Good use of the transition tag. One of the best centers in the league, it makes no sense to open yet another hole on the offensive line and let him walk. Re-sign him to a long-term deal.

Free-Agency

Rex Grossman, WAS QB ~ It’s no secret Grossman is washed-up and should not be counted on to win a team games. That said, with two young guys already competing for the starting job, having a veteran like him to help teach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook would be ideal as long as he realizes his role.

James Jones, GB WR ~ The Browns already have a fairly young receiving core. It’s no secret they could use one more reliable weapon. Instead of drafting a young receiver, adding someone with veteran leadership that can produce at a high level makes more sense to me.

Ryan Harris, HOU RT ~ Schwartz was shaky last year after an impressive rookie campaign. No matter what, we need to add a capable back-up tackle, but Harris may even be able to challenge for the starting RT spot.

Brandon Spikes, NE ILB ~ Spikes clashed heads with Belicheck towards the end of last season, and likely won’t be back. Combine that with the fact that cutting D’Qwell Jackson left a gaping hole at ILB, this should be a high priority signing.

Arthur Moats, BUF ILB ~ The coaching change would not be official until we brought in someone that Pettine worked with last year, and lucky for us, ILB is so thin we could really use him too.

Sam Shields, GB CB ~ The best way to solidify the Browns’ secondary would pair a reliable CB opposite Joe Haden. Combine that with an improved pass rush led by Keke Mingo, and the Browns could be looking at having one of the top defenses.

Malcolm Jenkins, NO FS ~ Jenkins was essentially replaced last year when New Orleans spent a 1st Round Pick on Kenny Vaccaro. Jenkins would be a fan favorite being a former Buckeye star and at only 26 years old he still has a lot of time to grow. Should be able to be signed at a reasonable price.

Trades

Cleveland Browns send 1st Rounder (#26), 3rd Rounder (#83), 6th Rounder (#164) to Baltimore Ravens for their 1st Rounder (#17). The thing that would likely hold up a trade like this is of course the intradivision dilemma. Other than that, this makes plenty of sense for both teams. The Browns go into the draft with 10 draft picks while the Ravens have 4. The Ravens will likely look to move down to gain draft picks, and the Browns should look at adding elite talent in the draft.

Draft

Round 1, Pick #4: Johnny Manziel, QB Texas A&M

Round 1, Pick #17: CJ Mosley, ILB Alabama

Round 2, Pick #35: Carlos Hyde, HB Ohio State

Round 3, Pick #71: David Yankey, G Stanford

Round 4, Pick #102: Yamin Smallwood, ILB Connecticut

Round 4, Pick #123: CJ Fiedeorowicz, TE Iowa

Round 5, Pick #133: Jay Prosch, FB Auburn

Round 7, Pick #195: Anthony Fera, K Texas

Depth Chart

Quarterback

Johnny Manziel*

Brian Hoyer

Rex Grossman*

Halfback

Carlos Hyde*

Dion Lewis

Chris Ogbonnaya

Edwin Baker

Fullback

Jay Prosch*

Wide Receiver

Josh Gordon

James Jones*

Greg Little

Travis Benjamin

Josh Cooper

Tight End

Jordan Cameron

Gary Barnidge

CJ Fiedeorowicz*

Offensive Line

LT- Joe Thomas

LG- Jason Pinkston, John Greco

C- Alex Mack

RG- David Yankey*, Garrett Gilkey
RT- Mitchell Schwartz, Ryan Harris*

Defensive Line

LE- Ahtyba Rubin, John Hughes, Armonty Bryant

NT- Phil Taylor, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen

RE- Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn

Linebackers

LOLB- Barkevious Mingo, Jabaal Sheard

ILB- Brandon Spikes*, Yamin Smallwood

ILB- CJ Mosley*, Arthur Moats*, Tank Carder

ROLB- Paul Kruger, Quentin Groves

Cornerbacks

Joe Haden

Sam Shields*

Buster Skrine

Leon McFadden

Julian Posey

Safeties

SS- TJ Ward, Jonathan Bademosi

FS- Malcolm Jenkins, Tashaun Gipson

Special Teams

K- Anthony Fera*

P- Spencer Lanning

LS- Christian Yount

KR/PR- Travis Benjamin

I understand people saying they think Tate will eat too much cap, which is somewhat reasonable. But what kind of contract do you think he will get??? My guess would be Reggie Bush type money. He signed a 4-year / $16M deal this past off-season, which I think is reasonable. But I would still be down to look at Ka'Deem Carey out of Arizona, Bishop Sankey from Washington, or Tre Mason from Auburn at some point in the 2nd round. I also like Carlos Hyde, but I don't think he has the speed to be a feature back in the NFL.

As for cutting D'Qwell Jackson, I could definitely seeing that happen as well. However, if we stick with the 3-4 we are going to be royally fucked at ILB. I would love to see D'Qwell re-work his contract to stick with the team.

@walterwhite said:

Not only do I applaud you for the time and effort you put into this....

But you seem to know what the fuck you're talking about.

Beers on me dude. This a fan-fucking-tastic plan.

Thanks man, appreciate it. This is something I do every year, but this is the first time I've come across this board so I thought it'd be a good first post. It's time consuming but it's also really fun to see everything that's out there.

This is just what I would realistically try to do this off-season if I were head of the front office.

Head Coaching Candidates

Adam Gase ~ Gase is “in charge” of one of the, if not the best, offense in the league. However, looking at that offense, it is loaded with talent headed by this year’s undisputed MVP Peyton Manning. Manning audibles out of many plays and simply is an offensive genius himself. This leaves some doubt for Gase. Sounds like a boom or bust candidate. I’ll pass on the risk.

Ben McAdoo ~ In my opinion, there is one reason he’s even a candidate, and that reason is Andy Reid. Andy Reid became a successful head coach in Philadelphia after being hired away from Green Bay as a QB coach. Banner just thinks he can duplicate that scenario, when odds of that happening are actually very slim. Again, pass.

Mike Munchak ~ I will never understand what makes a coach that was just fired by a team not that much better than you so attractive to teams. What did Munchak do in Tennessee to make the Browns think he will be better with them?

Josh McDaniels ~ Yes, reports are that he has withdrawn his name from consideration, but I’m not buyin it yet. He is an Ohio native, and while this not the ideal situation to revitalize your head coaching career, who wouldn’t love to coach their favorite team growing up? Reportedly, he withdrew because he wasn’t the Browns’ #1 guy. If the Browns can change that and really sell him on coming here, I think it’s still a possibility. He is a smart young mind and I think he has it in him to become successful given a better QB than Kyle Orton or Tim Tebow. This is the guy I’d hire if McDaniels would re-enter negotiations.

Cut/Don’t Re-sign

Brandon Weeden ~ First and foremost, he is not an NFL QB.

Alex Tanney ~ Emergency signing but doesn’t actually deserve a roster spot.

Davone Bess ~ What used to be a sure handed slot receiver has turned to a useless player and the subject of a bad trade.

Greg Little ~ Many fans have turned on him and he clearly has lost confidence as the drops pile up. Time to move on.

Willis McGahee ~ Proved to be nothing substantial and should just retire.

Billy Cundiff ~ Did a decent job replacing Phil Dawson this year but it’s time to find a young, long-term kicking solution.

Oniel Cousins ~ Just an awful guard, even for a back-up.

Edwin Baker ~ Was solid down the stretch, but the RB position needs to be addressed drastically

Re-Sign

TJ Ward ~ Ward is an essential part of our defense, and was rewarded by being named to the All-Pro Team. He is an aggressive safety who won’t shy away from contact. If we give him what he deserves, he’s stated he’ll stay. Him and Joe Haden can form one of the most feared duos in the secondary.

Alex Mack ~ Another All-Pro Team member, and helps anchor a line that could become dominant with one or two fixes. Simply cannot afford to let him walk and create another hole to fill when we already have so many, especially if he’s willing to stay.

Julian Posey ~ No one holds nearly as much importance as the first two, but he was solid down the stretch as a special teamer.

Craig Robertson ~ Not very good in coverage and was one of the weakest parts of this year’s defense. However, already a thin position on the team, he is re-signed as a back-up trying to bounce back.

Free-Agency

Eric Decker, WR ~ Denver is so far up against the cap there seems to be little chance Decker returns. Rather than draft another young #2 WR to go with our new young signal-caller, it makes sense to sign an experienced vet. A guy that was once drafted by McDaniels, and the best WR on the market, the Browns should make him a top target if they don’t want yet another “franchise quarterback” to flop.

Brandon Spikes, ILB ~ After going on the IR as a mixed result of being hurt and being late for practice, the Pats are not expected to re-sign him. This is an opportunity the Browns should jump at as ILB is a weak spot on the roster and a weak position in this year’s draft.

Malcolm Jenkins, FS ~ Jenkins was essentially demoted the second New Orleans made Kenny Vaccaro the 15th overall pick last year. Jenkins has never truly lived up to expectations, but at only 26 years old, he’s got a lot left. He could compete with Tashaun Gipson for the starting free safety spot while helping out in coverage with experience as a CB.

Khalif Barnes, OT ~ The Browns need some insurance behind Schwartz, and maybe even someone to challenge him for the starting job. Barnes is a seasoned vet and could do just that.

Garrett Graham, TE ~ Coming from the Texans, O’Brien likely will clean house, and with Graham a Free-Agent, he likely has no desire to re-sign him. The Browns could use another tight end for depth.

Trades

Browns trade 3rd Rounder (83rd overall) and 4th Rounder (102nd overall) to the New York Jets for their 2nd Rounder (49th overall). Both teams have a lot of holes to fill, but the Browns have a surplus of picks and can afford to make this kind of trade to get a higher quality player.

Draft

Round 1, Pick #4: QB Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) ~ Yes, he is a cocky, arrogant douchebag, but at the same time, his winning attitude is exactly what this team needs. He does not settle for losing and with the right head coach they could change the culture of a team that is just so used to winning. He makes plays happen, and has such a quick release. The only thing stopping him from possibly being the #1 overall pick is his size, but Russell Wilson proved size can be overcome with the right tools and surrounding weapons.

Round 1, Pick #26: CB Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State) ~ Buster Skrine was not as dreadful this year as he has been in years past, but he’s still not a #2 corner if we want better secondary success. Joe Haden is a lockdown corner, but we need someone else to be able to cover when teams look the other way from Haden.

Round 2, Pick #35: OG Xavier Su'a-Filo (UCLA) ~ If the Browns want their new QB to succeed, whoever it may be, he needs better receivers and better protection. In this scenario, Manziel already added a top receiver, so on to the next hole. Offensive guard has been an issue, and Su’a-Filo can step right in a plug that hole.

Round 2, Pick #49*: WR Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt) ~ This pick will solidify the receiving corps as Matthews is a big body guy that has solid hands and can move the chains. He runs routes well and would make an excellent slot receiver to almost complete our offense.

Round 3, Pick #71: ILB Shayne Skov (Stanford) ~ This fifth year senior was a huge leader and play-maker for Stanford this year and could have the opportunity to be a starter next to D’Qwell from day one.

Round 4, Pick #123: FB Trey Millard (Oklahoma) ~ The running game isn’t complete without a competent fullback. The Browns had the most success running when Lawrence Vickers was on the team. Millard is a do-it-all type fullback, lead blocking, catching, and running out of the backfield.

Round 5, Pick #133: HB James Wilder (Florida State) ~ As a power back, he could part of a back-up tandem with the speedy Dion Lewis to give our feature back Ben Tate a rest when needed.

Round 6, Pick #164: K Chris Boswell (Rice) ~ Boswell was one of the nation’s top kickers last year but struggled a bit this year. Still, he is the best kicking prospect in this year’s draft, so he will be given the first chance to win the kicking job in training camp.

Depth Chart

Quarterback

Johnny Manziel*

Brian Hoyer

Jason Campbell

Halfback

Ben Tate*

Dion Lewis

James Wilder*

Chris Ogbonnaya

Fullback

Trey Millard*

Wide Receiver

Josh Gordon

Eric Decker*

Jordan Matthews*

Travis Benjamin

Josh Cooper

Tight End

Jordan Cameron

Garrett Graham*

Gary Barnidge

Offensive Line

LT- Joe Thomas

LG- Xavier Su'a-Filo*, Jason Pinkston

C- Alex Mack

RG- Shaun Lauvao, John Greco, Garrett Gilkey
RT- Mitchell Schwartz, Khalif Barnes*

Defensive Line

LE- Ahtyba Rubin, Billy Winn, Armonty Bryant

NT- Phil Taylor, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen

RE- Desmond Bryant, John Hughes

Linebackers

LOLB- Barkevious Mingo, Jabaal Sheard

ILB- D’Qwell Jackson, Craig Robertson

ILB- Brandon Spikes*, Shayne Skov*, Tank Carder

ROLB- Paul Kruger, Quentin Groves

Cornerbacks

Joe Haden

Justin Gilbert*

Buster Skrine

Leon McFadden

Julian Posey

Safeties

SS- TJ Ward, Jonathan Bademosi

FS- Malcolm Jenkins*, Tashaun Gipson

Special Teams

K- Chris Boswell*

P- Spencer Lanning

LS- Christian Yount

KR- Justin Gilbert

PR- Travis Benjamin