Footwedge;1214807 wrote:Thaddeus Lewis? LOL. League must be watered down. One of the worst college quarterbacks of all time.

I never saw him in college, was he that horrible?

Commander of Awesome;1214890 wrote:I never saw him in college, was he that horrible?

Doesn't matter. He'll be the 3rd string QB, behind Wallace, on the roster this year. How many 3rd stringers are very good?

Commander of Awesome;1214890 wrote:I never saw him in college, was he that horrible?

Is he the duke guy? I'm pretty sure he was solid. Just on an awful team.

Not that it matters for a 3rd stringer. Probably a good classroom guy if he went to duke though.

Lewis did go to Duke.

like_that;1214352 wrote:I will be getting drunk myself, but most likely no dawg pound seats. I think I will have to stop by the tailgate to meet you and wes. I also plan to take a huge shit in his trailer. I will be sure to eat quite a few fiber one bars the night before. It's going to be a shit football spike.

I'm going with the all corn diet myself. Plant a nice baby ruth corn turd on his floor and call it a night.

like_that;1213734 wrote:I know this is a bit early, but who plans to be going to opening game?

I will be there more than likely.

wes_mantooth;1215045 wrote:I will be there more than likely.

Shit I was planning on going, now that you're going forget it. Let me know if you decide not to go though, so I can go.

DeyDurkie5;1215027 wrote:I'm going with the all corn diet myself. Plant a nice baby ruth corn turd on his floor and call it a night.

That, my friend, is what is referred to as "Pittsburgh Air Freshener."

If you have diarrhea its called Pittsburgh Potpourri.

This is from the Bleacher Report so take it FWIW. Their speculation of Browns on the roster "bubble." Have to say, I pretty much agree with the names mentioned....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1238640-who-is-on-the-cleveland-browns-roster-bubble-heading-into-camp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=cleveland-browns#/articles/1238640-who-is-on-the-cleveland-browns-roster-bubble-heading-into-camp

I aslo agree, wont be sad to see any of them go. SMH, fucking maeric. What a waste of a pick.

Commander of Awesome;1215073 wrote:I aslo agree, wont be sad to see any of them go. SMH, fucking maeric. What a waste of a pick.

Yeah, I think Smelley will take his job.

The 11 best bargains, and the 11 worst contracts in the NFL - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19436...acts-in-the-nfl
Best bargains


Aaron Rodgers, Packers, QB, $8.5M: Um, I don't really need to tout this guy's worth, do I? All he has done is quickly make everyone in Green Bay forget about Brett Favre, set historical records, show no fear of the big stage and he already has one Lombardi. I'm on record way back in 2009 as saying, based on age, production, and team-friendly contract, Rodgers was the one person I would pick to start any NFL franchise with, and three years later nothing has changed.

In an era where guys like Sam Bradford make $13.5 million a season and Drew Brees is shooting for $20 million per, Rodgers will earn $8.5 million in 2012 (that's Kevin Kolb money, people). And he's set to earn less than $20 million total in the two remaining years on his deal beyond that, though, I have to believe the Packers will get serious about contract talks with Rodgers after this season.

This is screaming for a renegotiation, with Rodgers' average salary placing him 10th in the NFL among all quarterbacks (behind the likes of Mark Sanchez, whom you will read more about below).

Justin Smith, DE, 49ers, $6.375M: Smith is heading into his third season after redoing his deal, but man if he isn't outperforming it again. He might have been the best defensive player in the NFL last season, and certainly was the central figure in San Francisco's resurgence. Without his wrecking-ball presence, I can't help but wonder if those linebackers would be as effective. Among all defensive ends, Smith stands 12th in average per year, and when Julius Peppers sets the market at this position at $14 million a year, Smith is certainly worth more than half that. He'll cost the 49ers a very manageable $8 million in 2013. Guys like Calais Campbell will pull in $17 million in 2012 alone, including bonuses, and Glenn Dorsey will make more on a cash basis than Smith this season.

Ryan Clady, T, Broncos, $3.5M: An offseason injury imperiled his 2012 season, but the stud left tackle got his game back and overcame it and is in line for a big payday. Of anyone on this list, his new deal could come first, given the import of his position and how underpaid he is as his rookie deal expires. No way you let him get a chance to hit the market being this good and this young, and Mike Shanahan has called him the best left tackle he has seen. Charlie Johnson and Adam Snyder are among those tackles set to make more than Clady in 2012, but, again, I doubt that ends up being the case. A deal could be done by the end of camp, if not sooner.

Joe Flacco, Ravens, QB, $6.76M: He is the subject of much debate, but through four years in the NFL, all he has managed to do is win at least one playoff game every year, he has won four road playoff games already, and he came a Lee Evans drop away from making his first Super Bowl appearance. And when you look at what he's making relative to guys like Sanchez and Bradford, and when you factor in that Flacco's earnings in 2012 put him in line with what stop-gap, end-of-their-career guys like Matt Hasselbeck make, then this is an absolute steal for a young quality starting quarterback. He makes less than Kolb and Matt Flynn in 2012.

Flacco hasn't been surrounded by great talent in the passing game and the offensive line has been iffy at times, but he has won a lot of games and been particularly strong at home. The Ravens would have to franchise him -- if nothing else -- in the future, as talks on a new deal haven't taken off and he's likely to play out this final year of his rookie deal; for a team with Baltimore's cap issues, having the QB count so little against the cap is huge.

Jason Babin, Eagles, DE, $5.75M: Criticize the Eagles and their Dream Team all you like, but everyone except for Nnamdi was signed to very cap-friendly and team-friendly deals. Defensive line coach Jim Washburn knew Babin well from his days at the Titans, and all this guy did was go out and challenge the NFL's single-season sack mark in his first year in Philly. The deal remains very cap-friendly and even in the event of injury, the cap prorations are set up so that the Eagles are protected and the team's cap is in great shape moving forward. Some of those moves from a year ago didn't work so well on the field, but this one certainly did (and Cullen Jenkins' deal is set up similarly as well, and Vince Young was only there for a year, and clearly trading Kevin Kolb made sense, too).

Alex Mack, Browns, C, $2 million: Another stalwart going deeper into his rookie deal, Mack has been an anchor for the offensive line and someone at the heart of what the Browns try to do in the run game and with pass protection. He gets overlooked some because of the team's overall offensive deficiencies, but just as the Browns took care of left tackle Joe Thomas a year ago, so too will Mack be in line for a new deal soon enough.

Mack ranks only 21st in the NFL in average salary for centers (Maurkice Pouncey is right in this area as well, and he's about a year behind Mack in the about-to-get-paid line), and with salaries for interior linemen shooting up big time since Mack entered the league, there is money to be made here. With another new quarterback-of-the-future under center in rookie Brandon Weeden, all the better to secure that QB/C combo for years to come.

Justin Tuck, Giants, DE, $3.85M: For all of the talk about Osi Umenyiora the past few years, and the Giants finally won over that pass rusher by reworking his deal, Tuck is in the same boat. An edge player who makes a huge difference in their pass rushing schemes, Tuck will count only $5.35M against the cap in 2012; another example of the Giants being proactive and getting young talent locked up. However, he's also due only $4.5M in 2013, and with guys like Charles Johnson making $12.7M per year, there will have to be a recalibration here as Tuck nears his turn on the free-agent market (worth noting that John Abraham and Ray Edwards will outearn Tuck in 2012).

Vince Wilfork, Patriots, DT, $5M: I know he is getting older, but is he really slowing down? And is anyone more vital on an erratic Pats defense? He is at the core of everything Bill Belichick does toggling from a 3-4 to a 4-3, and he can still be downright dominating in crucial situations. He allows that defense to survive despite having dynamic young pass rushers off the edge, and yes, you have to factor in the $18 million signing bonus he got in 2010, but still he's a bargain to me. The Pats structured the contract well in case the years do catch up to Wilfork, as he has $15 million in cash due to him between 2013-2014 -- manageable for sure.

Brian Orakpo, Redskins, LB, $1.39M: Washington was desperate for a young edge presence when it took Orakpo in the first round 2009, after flirting with quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez leading up to the draft, and he has delivered. He had a monster rookie season and there is no doubt his presence opened things up for rookie Ryan Kerrigan to shine on the opposite side in 2011. Orakpo could make another $500,000 in escalators in 2012, and in 2013, if he hits all escalators, then he would max out around $4.5M. For a double-digit sack guy, that's about as good of a bargain as you'll find. This is yet another example of how the old rookie system, outside of the first seven or eight picks, still allowed for teams to hit absolute home runs financially if they drafted well. Can't imagine Orakpo actually plays out his rookie deal, however, and the Redskins are willing to spend. And clearly he is a good sport, putting up with whoever was the creative genius behind those Geico commercials.

Brian Waters, Patriots, G, $1.5M: You have to think the Chiefs are kicking themselves for letting him go a year ago. One of the best men in the game and still a strong starting guard for a Super Bowl contender at this stage of his career. The Pats swooped in and signed him late, and he ended up being something of a salvation. And this year, should Waters play at anything close to the level he did in 2011, it's another big victory for the elite franchise. They could bump Waters up a few million based on last year's performance, and he would still be a bargain.

Victor Cruz, Giants, WR, $540,000: I am hesitant to put this one on, because I don't know anyone who expects him to play out his deal and not get better compensated by the time we get through the 2012 season. Cruz came out of nowhere, to not only make the team -- he had flashed at times in the preseason -- but become a true star for the Super Bowl champs. He blossomed into a legit No. 1 receiver and go-to guy for Eli Manning, and after losing Mario Manningham and with Hakeem Nicks injured, his value is tremendous right now.

And now, for the other side of the coin, literally, here are 11 of the more player-friendly contracts in the league:

Worst contracts


Trent Williams, Redskins, T, $12M: While Orakpo shows how well teams could do in the past finding players in the first round outside the first quarter of the top round, his teammate shows the potential pitfalls and why the system was scrapped. Williams has been spotty on the field, with his motor questioned at times, with injuries an issue, and for repeatedly failing drug tests to the point where he has already faced a four-game suspension and where his next failed test would put him out of the league for a year.

And this is the guy who is supposed to have RG3's back on all of those bootlegs and rollouts? Look out. He needs to change a lot on and off the field in 2012, because carrying Williams with the fifth-highest average salary per year at this critical position, and getting the kind of scant production he has provided so far is a problem. He needs to be a big part of any offensive resurgence the Redskins can muster.

Mark Sanchez, Jets, QB, $11.75M: Similarly, a tip of the cap to agent David Dunn and the Athlete's First agency for managing to get a renegotiated deal for Sanchez coming off a woeful season with the team imploding and, now, with Tim Tebow nipping at his heels. Sanchez got $19.5M guaranteed as part of the deal and that pretty much locks him to the team through 2013 ... after all of the 2011 turmoil. Lot of people did double takes when this deal was done and the Jets have the propensity to be one of the primary sideshows in the NFL this season, with quarterback drama at the center of it all.

Kevin Kolb, Cardinals, QB, $8.5M: As mentioned, he's making as much as Aaron Rodgers this season, and at this point, it's a tossup whether he will beat out John Skelton as the starting quarterback. That tells the tale. Throw in a concussion and various injuries from a year ago, and the fact that Skelton became something of a cult hero as a former fifth-round pick -- out of Fordham, of all places -- and the team rallied for him, and this has the potential to be a short stint in the desert for Kolb. The Cards badly wanted Peyton Manning and obviously were willing to walk from Kolb to get him, but as it stands, they picked up the $7 million roster bonus on him. Thus far, the gamble hasn't worked, but expectations for the team are growing and without Kolb performing as a capable, steady quarterback, this trade and subsequent contract could end up blowing up. (Kudos to agent Jeff Nalley for securing the deal for Kolb, by the way).

Santonio Holmes, Jets, WR, $8M: Sorry to pile on here, but Holmes was one of the primary causes for the locker room and sideline meltdowns in New York last season, one of the biggest challenges to Sanchez, and after all of that, the Jets couldn't consider dealing or dumping him due to the heavy guarantees still in the deal (smart of agent Joel Segal for securing those). The Steelers look super smart now for dumping the malcontent a few years back for only a fifth-round pick, and they worried if the worst of Holmes would manifest itself more once Holmes really got paid. The Jets were the team that went ahead and put that money in his pocket after a great honeymoon first season for Holmes in green and white. Only 11 receivers make more on an average-per-year basis, and, aside from Brandon Marshall, all have been pretty much model citizens.

Brandon Marshall, Bears, WR, $9.5M: He obviously was a bust in Miami and has had domestic troubles and fought with teammates. This would seem to be his last, best shot to continue to earn big money in the NFL. The way the deal is structured, Chicago could get out of it in the future without much cap concern, and Marshall needs to make the most of his reunion with Jay Cutler.

Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars, TE. $7.35M: It was a noble gesture for the Jags to get him off the franchise tag a year ago and do a long-term deal that made him among the highest-paid at his position. But after a 2011 in which he virtually disappeared from a moribund offense and provided little help to embattled rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, and with the main crux of the Jags offense -- running back Maurice Jones-Drew and kicker Josh Scobee -- locked in contract disputes, Lewis needs to get in the end zone like he did in 2010. Only five tight ends make more in terms of average salary per year.

Bart Scott, Jets, LB, $7M: He was brought in on a big contract from Baltimore to lead Rex Ryan's defense and help teach it and be an on- and off-field leader. But the deal was fairly massive for an inside linebacker at the time, Scott was getting a little older, and now, with him no longer as effective and the Jets in discord, they are stuck with him since $4 million of his deal was effectively guaranteed. No one would trade for the deal, and cutting him at that price doesn't make much sense.

Gerald McCoy, Bucs, DT, $6.85M: McCoy has yet to find his way in the NFL, with injuries derailing the 2009 first-round pick. The quick emergence of Ndamukong Suh didn't help much, either, and this given that McCoy is set to make roughly $20M in salary between 2013-2014, and his $11M average per year makes him the fourth-highest paid DT in the NFL, it's fair to say the Bucs need much more out of him.

If he can produce anything remotely close to Suh's rookie season and display more of an ability to explode into the backfield and collapse the pocket, then that changes everything. But he's being paid as one of the very best at what he does -- again, the fatal flaw of the compensation of the top eight picks or so under the old CBA -- and another lost season and people will start throwing around that B-word.

DeAngelo Hall, Redskins, CB, $6.5M: This one looms large on several fronts. Hall is prone to outbursts, gambles far too often on routes and gets burned a ton, and also isn't known for his tackling. He gets some interceptions, but his plus-minus rating wouldn't be good. He can be disruptive and is making a boatload of money in a secondary that got shredded at times last season. Oh, and the Redskins dumped about $19 million in cash in his contract into the 2010 uncapped year, which led to the eventual sanctions by the NFL that included a $36 million cap hit over two seasons. (I thought the NFL coming out years later and agreeing to a side-deal on these cap ramifications was unfair, but whatever your opinion of that, the reality is that cap space is gone.) So, yeah, um, that's a prohibitive contract under any standard.

Zach Miller, Seahawks, TE, $6M: The Seahawks expected a game-breaker when they signed him as a free agent, pretty much the only one of the Raiders' 2011 top free agents Al Davis did not hand over ridiculous amounts of cash to retain. Instead, he never found his way in 2011 and, following the trade for tight end Kellen Winslow, when healthy a good pass catcher, the plot has only thickened in Seattle. The Seahawks are certainly hoping for bigger things from another 2011 free-agent splash, WR Sidney Rice, set to make $7 million this season.

Dunta Robinson, Falcons, CB, $5.0M: Atlanta envisioned a legit shutdown corner when it signed him to a huge deal at the start of 2010 free agency, despite his health issues with the Texans. A few years later, the deal was being restructured, corner remained an area of concern on the roster, and Brent Grimes was the top corner with Robinson trying to find his old form. His $5 million base is fully guaranteed, so he'll be with the Falcons at least through this season, but it jumps to $8 million next season, and that could be exit time if there's no resurgence this year.

I think they will either extend Mack this year or in the offseason. They have a boatload of money to play will.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/06/holdup_on_brandon_weedens_deal.html

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2012/06/cleveland_browns_fans_will_lov.html

http://blogs.clevelandbrowns.com/2012/06/29/cameron-has-dynamic-potential/

ABOUT THE BROWNS' UNHERALDED YOUNG PLAYERS . . .

Most fans know the Browns will count on their rookies to step forward, and you will read and hear a lot about Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Mitchell Schwartz and the rest. But if the Browns are right when saying they believe they will be greatly improved this season -- then some of General Manager Tom Heckert'sprevious draft picks and unheralded acquisitions (who didn't play much in the past) need to make an impact.

Here's are some names on the list:

1. Eric Hagg: Hagg was the seventh-round pick in 2011 and might start at free safety, replacing Michael Adams at that spot. The Browns believe Hagg can be the pass-coverage safety they need next to hard-hitting T.J. Ward. Hagg had five interceptions as a senior at Nebraska.

Yes, Usama Young might appear as the starting safety next to Ward on the first depth chart. But they really like Hagg, who has been impressive in minicamps -- and also impressed in limited duty at the end of last season.

2. Jordan Cameron: While many fans focus on Evan Moore as being the athletic tight end who can make some plays, some of the Browns believe Cameron has even more natural ability. A former Division I basketball player at Brigham Young, the 6-5 Cameron (a fourth-round pick in 2011) really excited the coaches this spring.

"I think he's flashed out here in a way that we didn't see him flash last year in training camp," said coach Pat Shurmur. "I feel like based on what he's done here in the off-season, he's positioning himself to make an impact for us."

Yes, Ben Watson is the starting tight end and a good one, but he did have three concussions. And yes, there is Moore, veteran Alex Smith and free agent Dan Gronkowski. But the door is wide open for Cameron to become a significant part of the offense.

3. Jordan Norwood or Josh Cooper: Norwood caught 23 passes is his final eight games, before suffering a season-ending concussion. He even started four games at slot receiver. Not much is said about him because starting receivers Greg Little and Mohamed Massaquoi receive most of the attention.

While Joshua Cribbs played a lot of slot receiver, the Browns want him to concentrate more on special teams -- and not only returning kicks and punts. He's considered their top coverage man on special teams.

Rookie Travis Benjamin also will be a factor at receiver, but the coaches think Norwood (signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009) can help.

If it's not Norwood who surprises, it could be Cooper. He is an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State who was a big-time receiver with Weeden, and he also has received praise from the coaches.

The point is between these two undrafted slot receivers, the Browns think they will find one who is a pleasant surprise.

4. Buster Skrine: The Browns really like the fifth-round pick from 2011 and believe at some point in the next few years, he could start.

The Browns have three veterans for the two starting cornerback spots: Joe Haden, Dimitri Patterson and Sheldon Brown. But this coaching staff absolutely loves cornerbacks and wants at least four who can be in the game at any time. Skrine is highly valued.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/07/terry_plutos_talkin_how_clevel.html

Three weeks from today we'll be back to the start of REAL football as the Philadelphia Eagles will open up their training camp. Browns will follow shortly after and we'll finally get to see a little of what these draft picks look like in pads (crossing fingers for no key injuries).

Debating heavily on whether to switch to DirecTV so I can get the Sunday Ticket. Anyone have experience with this? Worth the price?

BR1986FB;1216776 wrote:Three weeks from today we'll be back to the start of REAL football as the Philadelphia Eagles will open up their training camp. Browns will follow shortly after and we'll finally get to see a little of what these draft picks look like in pads (crossing fingers for no key injuries).

Debating heavily on whether to switch to DirecTV so I can get the Sunday Ticket. Anyone have experience with this? Worth the price?

If you live in the Browns coverage area, dish is better because you can pay $5 a month and get only the red zone channel.

bases_loaded;1216790 wrote:If you live in the Browns coverage area, dish is better because you can pay $5 a month and get only the red zone channel.

That's part of my beef. I used to have Dish but where I live is considered the "Pittsburgh viewing area" so I got stuck with that crap. Had to listen to games on the radio until I switched to TWC.

BR1986FB;1216792 wrote:That's part of my beef. I used to have Dish but where I live is considered the "Pittsburgh viewing area" so I got stuck with that crap. Had to listen to games on the radio until I switched to TWC.

Well then I'd check to see if DirecTV still offers first year free for Sunday Ticket. Hopper on DISH is GOAT, but if you're still in Stiller country then you're f'd

Former Baylor WR Josh Gordon will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, an NFL source confirmed.
Gordon (6-4, 225), who did not play last season after transferring to Utah, is known in scouting circles for his prototype size and athletic ability. Gordon had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. He was suspended by Baylor for the 2011 season due to violation of team rules.
In his last season at Baylor, Gordon posted 42 receptions for 714 yards (17.0 average) with 7 touchdowns. He’s also capable of returning kicks.
Gordon, who has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at Baylor as low as the 4.3’s, could go as high as the first half of the Supplemental Draft based on his upside and play making ability.
The Supplemental Draft is scheduled to take place on July 12, but the NFL has yet to confirm the date or whether there will actually be a Supplemental Draft. However, some player agents and NFL executives have been told the draft will take place on July 12, according to multiple sources.

http://thesidelineview.com/columns/caplans-nfl-corner/source-former-baylor-wr-enter-supplemental-draft

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/19392835/right-way-to-build-roster-depth-patriots-steelers-bears-cowboys-lions-do-it-best

File this under no shit sherlock. Also lol at him already counting rookies as superior player/added depth. That's a joke IMO.

Commander of Awesome;1216866 wrote:Former Baylor WR Josh Gordon will enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, an NFL source confirmed.
Gordon (6-4, 225), who did not play last season after transferring to Utah, is known in scouting circles for his prototype size and athletic ability. Gordon had to sit out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. He was suspended by Baylor for the 2011 season due to violation of team rules.
In his last season at Baylor, Gordon posted 42 receptions for 714 yards (17.0 average) with 7 touchdowns. He’s also capable of returning kicks.
Gordon, who has been clocked in the 40-yard dash at Baylor as low as the 4.3’s, could go as high as the first half of the Supplemental Draft based on his upside and play making ability.
The Supplemental Draft is scheduled to take place on July 12, but the NFL has yet to confirm the date or whether there will actually be a Supplemental Draft. However, some player agents and NFL executives have been told the draft will take place on July 12, according to multiple sources.

http://thesidelineview.com/columns/caplans-nfl-corner/source-former-baylor-wr-enter-supplemental-draft

I doubt Heckert puts in a bid but a big, tall, FAST WR would be nice.

BR1986FB;1216869 wrote:I doubt Heckert puts in a bid but a big, tall, FAST WR would be nice.

Carlton Mitchell? :laugh: