LJ;1289320 wrote:Honest question. Why have the Browns not shown interest in T.O. or Plaxico? Either (or hell both) would solidify the passing game a ton. Is it money? Doesn't fit with what Holmgren wants to do?

Does anyone think that when Haslam takes over officially he will immediately sign one of the 2?

They are going to live and die (most likely die) with the youth movement.

Don't see Haslam pushing the issue to sign one of them.

Damn, Harrison...hope everything works out for him. Always liked the Ghost...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000077636/article/jerome-harrison-battling-seizures-josh-cribbs-says

BR1986FB;1289323 wrote:They are going to live and die (most likely die) with the youth movement.

Don't see Haslam pushing the issue to sign one of them.

So basically they only want young players no matter how much an older free agent could help them? Is that their plan for building for a future?

As for Haslam, you are probably right, coming from the Steelers who build through the draft and young free agents.

Some of the guys I always talk to at the office are big Browns fans and every week they complain that they haven't signed one of those guys.

LJ;1289338 wrote:So basically they only want young players no matter how much an older free agent could help them? Is that their plan for building for a future?

As for Haslam, you are probably right, coming from the Steelers who build through the draft and young free agents.

Some of the guys I always talk to at the office are big Browns fans and every week they complain that they haven't signed one of those guys.

Pretty much Heckert's philosophy. The only FA's they signed this offseason were Frostee Rucker & Jaqua Parker, both DE's. Heckert's belief is that "if they are a free agent and their team isn't keeping them, there's a reason for it."

He wants to only build through the draft, which is great, but it's a long, tedious process where the cupboard was essentially bare when they started. I have to think that the addition of a few key free agents (OG, CB, WR, LB?) could have made this team win a few more games and accelerated the process.

BR1986FB;1289343 wrote:Pretty much Heckert's philosophy. The only FA's they signed this offseason were Frostee Rucker & Jaqua Parker, both DE's. Heckert's belief is that "if they are a free agent and their team isn't keeping them, there's a reason for it."

So I am guessing he has never owned a house he didn't build? I mean, that just seems a bit ridiculous to me. Even if you can't sign a FA to a long term deal, sparks here and there in the short term can help in the long term. Building confidence, helping talk guys into staying etc.

LJ;1289344 wrote:So I am guessing he has never owned a house he didn't build? I mean, that just seems a bit ridiculous to me. Even if you can't sign a FA to a long term deal, sparks here and there in the short term can help in the long term. Building confidence, helping talk guys into staying etc.

I'm all for the "build with youth" philosophy but a few key free agents, here & there, wouldn't hurt.

Different week....same result.

Get Haden back for the Bengals game which I actually wish were an away game. For some reason, seems like the Browns nuts shrivel up, even worse, when they play in front of the home crowd.

BR1986FB;1289855 wrote:Get Haden back for the Bengals game which I actually wish were an away game. For some reason, seems like the Browns nuts shrivel up, even worse, when they play in front of the home crowd.

Yea Im headed up on the "Fun Bus" Sunday coming form the Columbus area. I'm wondering how much "fun" I need to buy before I get on the bus. Probably at least 24 12 oz cans of fun......maybe more...

I am going to the game Sunday. It will be my last game of the year. Having another back surgery next Tuesday. But with that being said, we played the bengals hard last time around and I expect the same results and maybe a win. We get joe haden back, richardson is only getting better with the more touches he gets and hopefully weeden can keep the ints down.

I hope jackson will be ready to play Sunday.

This Sunday will be the maiden voyage of our browns bus....super pumped.

After last night's Saints win, the fighting Shurmur's are now the only winless team in the league.

I bet Jimmy Haslam is so proud.

“We have a very, very competent young head coach who will be here for a long time."
Mike Holmgren, Dec 14, 2011

8 more days until this franchise is in the hands of Haslam!

The OBR is unbearable right now. Between the meltdowns and the site being switched to FoxSports...idiots galore.

shook_17;1289133 wrote:the cleveland browns NEED john simon opposite of jabal sheard

your are joking , right?

Not a fan of the new layout, its a mess.

Shurmur turns up the heat on Weeden...

http://www.ohio.com/news/top-stories/marla-ridenour-coach-pat-shurmur-turns-up-heat-on-browns-rookie-qb-brandon-weeden-1.340129

BR1986FB;1290212 wrote:Shurmur turns up the heat on Weeden...

http://www.ohio.com/news/top-stories/marla-ridenour-coach-pat-shurmur-turns-up-heat-on-browns-rookie-qb-brandon-weeden-1.340129

The desperation is starting to set in for Pat.

He realizes that Holmgren can no longer act as his own personal human shield, and that he will soon be held accountable for the first time for his incompetency. It makes sense he is looking to blame others for his own personal failings since he is a few months from being unemployed.

Tom Heckert detests free agency, but someone should really put in a tape of yesterdays Colts game for him to show him first hand the value of a veteran receiver to a rookie QB.

The Colts were initially going to let Wayne leave through free agency since they were rebuilding and he didn't fit in with the youth movement, but someone in their front office had the good sense to realize that putting Luck out there with a sea of young receivers would not be helpful to anyone. Not to a rookie QB, and not to a group of young wide outs that would have no veteran mentor to learn from.

Statistically Wayne is off to the best start of his career, and it has given Luck in an invaluable safety valve on offense for when he gets in trouble or needs to complete a big pass as we saw yesterday.

The Rams and Colts are an example right now of building through the draft while also using free agency to add important pieces to help along a youth movement.

That could have been happening in Cleveland as well, but Heckert/Holmgren were just too ideologically rigid to doing anything that was outside of their comfort zone.

And who would you have recommended signing oh great swami?

They did supposedly want to get Pierre Garcon & Josh Morgan but they were too pricy.

If they were going to spend on a FA, I would've preferred they went on the defensive side of the ball and went after Finnegan (CB-Rams). That guy has given the Rams D a whole new identity.

wes_mantooth;1290154 wrote:This Sunday will be the maiden voyage of our browns bus....super pumped.

Did you take the bars off the windows (to prevent escape after roofies wear off) to make it look more family-friendly for pictures?

BR1986FB;1290339 wrote:They did supposedly want to get Pierre Garcon & Josh Morgan but they were too pricy.

If they were going to spend on a FA, I would've preferred they went on the defensive side of the ball and went after Finnegan (CB-Rams). That guy has given the Rams D a whole new identity.

Although I hate playing against this guy.....he brings an edge and attitude about him that makes WR's get so frustrated....would've been a great FA pickup.


I also don't get why we have so much cap room....wasn't one of the new agreements in the CBA was you had to use your cap money on players? Why are we still way under the salary cap?

OQB;1290360 wrote:Although I hate playing against this guy.....he brings an edge and attitude about him that makes WR's get so frustrated....would've been a great FA pickup.


I also don't get why we have so much cap room....wasn't one of the new agreements in the CBA was you had to use your cap money on players? Why are we still way under the salary cap?

Probably to offer extensions to guys like Haden and Mack.

like_that;1290362 wrote:Probably to offer extensions to guys like Haden and Mack.

That plus I don't think it (salary floor rule) kicks in until either 2013 or 2014.