While We’re Waiting… Changing the way the game is played
February 11, 2013WFNY Podcast – 2013-02-10 – Art Modell, House of Cards, Quentin Tarantino and the 2013 Tribe
February 11, 2013The Cleveland Browns could conceivably roll into Year One of the Joe Banner experiment with Brandon Weeden at the helm. They could bring in a cagey veteran to give Weeden a bit of a challenge for the starting spot. They could also try to acquire a questionable cast-aside starter in San Francisco’s Alex Smith. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, however, things the Browns could realistically go with door number four: Baltimore Ravens’ impending free agent, Joe Flacco.
Was it only me listening to Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti and trusted GM Ozzie Newsome the other day, thinking they’re going to throw the first big changeup into this offseason? Was it only me taking their words and reading resolve in them, and thinking it’s actually possible that Joe Flacco could be stolen by a quarterback-needy and starved-for-relevance team like Cleveland?
Listening to Bisciotti and Newsome, you’d be a fool to think it’s not possible. Probable? No. But look at the tea leaves […]
Cleveland was $48 million under the cap as of Friday. Signing Flacco would rob the Browns of the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, plus their first-rounder next year. Because the Browns used their second-round pick on receiver Josh Gordon in the Supplemental Draft last year, they wouldn’t choose until 68th overall in April.
But think of the shot of adrenalin for the Browns, if they could rip away Flacco from a team they despise. What sweet irony for Cleveland, to steal the Super Bowl-winning quarterback from the team that stole their franchise. With new owner Jimmy Haslam and uber-aggressive president Joe Banner dying to make a splash to show their fans this won’t be the same old Browns, imagine Cleveland signing Flacco for five years and $110 million, making him the highest-paid player in history. And say Cleveland makes the 2013 salary $35 million. That way it’d be almost impossible for Baltimore to match; if the Ravens balked at $20 million per, you think they’d accede to $35 million in Year 1?
The salary numbers being used by King are the fuel for his speculation. If the Ravens were to lock Flacco up with the “exclusive rights” franchise tag, it would ensure that no team could swoop and in and pluck the Super Bowl MVP; the down side is that this would cost Baltimore $44 million over the next two years which represents a figure larger than the paychecks being earned by Drew Brees and Tom Brady. If the Ravens opted for the standard franchise tag, it would lower the financial burden, but “franchise” players can still talk to the other 31 NFL teams to work on a contract that would then compensate the tradee with multiple draft picks.
The Browns are owners of substantial salary cap flexibility while the Ravens, not inclduing Flacco’s impending deal, are already $5 million over the threshold.
[Related: Joe Banner and the assumed departure of Phil Dawson]
71 Comments
Imagine the Browns make Joe Flacco the highest paid player in history? That’s a move that, to quote MGK, is so Cleveland it’s a g****mn shame.
There is no way that I would be happy about this. Give Bal 2 extra first round picks? Are you crazy. Chances are next years will be a top 15 pick too. This does not instantly make us a favorite even in the division.
I have faith that our front office is not insane and will not give up all it would take to get this guy.
NOBODY is that good.
I disagree that NOBODY is that good. But I agree that Flacco isn’t that good.
NOBODY is that good.
Yeah i was thinking in my head of QBs that would be worth this price…
the downside of Joe Flacco:
*Never hit 4000yds in a season
*Never had more than 25TDs in a season
*Completion% regressed the last 2 seasons
*YPA for career between 6.7 and 7.4
the good of Flacco:
*2010 he was really, really good. 25TDs, 10INTs, career-best 7.4YPA, 93.6QBrating
*2:1 TD:INT ratio is consistent and good.
*Quick trigger leads to few sacks between 30-40 throughout career
*Obviously, comes from a winning background – playoffs every year + 9 playoff wins already (same as Peyton Manning in 10 less seasons)
I would gladly give that for Aaron Rodgers to be a Brown starting next season.
That’s okay, mg, I respect your right to be wrong.
Too many needs right now to sell the farm on one streaky player
Are you people crazy! Taking the ridiculous amount of money out of the equation, the draft pick compensation is totally worth it.
RGIII Trade: Redskins draft Griffin at #2 overall, but still give up a 2012 2nd round pick, a 2013 1st round pick and a 2014 first round pick.
Proposed Flacco Trade: Browns give up a 2013 and 2014 first round pick.
BUT, in MY eyes, I would view this as selecting Flacco with the 2013 first round pick and owing the 2014 pick as compensation for the right to do so. When you look at it that way, the price paid is relatively cheap compared to what Washington payed to get to draft an unknown entity in Griffin III. Flacco just won a Super Bowl…Count me in for this, is any of this is possible.
I’ve come to respect Flacco a lot. But this might be a classic example of someone choking on their own poison pill. Everyone who trusts Lombardi to parlay low draft picks into our other crucial missing pieces, stand on your head. Cuz there won’t be cap room for FA signings if Flacco is stolen.
Maybe better to let these stories marinate until maybe Ozzie sweats a little and strains his own cap while his defense ages out.
RGIII does what all running QBs do: He has surgery.
Exactly…so you’re giving up less in draft picks for a guy who has proven he has what it takes…to not have surgeries.
Peter King is just pulling this out of his (substantial) ass. There’s no excuse for the Browns to give up that much for one player. We have enough needs to fill that we need to keep the draft picks we have.
BUT YOU DON’T DRAFT A ROOKIE QB THAT AGE!!
Actually, love your analysis, almost changed my mind.
It is not cheap because of the massive salary we would have to pay him, and we would not be able to sign other players. RGIII is on a rookie salary scale for several years.
Do anyone else ever get the feeling they say this crap just watch how we(Cleveland fans) react. Its like lets say (take rumor of your choice) and see what they say in Cleveland. I for one think this is total horse crap.
The Browns have a ton of space this year (I believe $48 currently). King suggests front loading the contract at $35 million for the first year, with less money each other year…so the cap ramifications would not be AS BAD in future years. They’d be able to utilize the huge amount available this season.
But I agree a contract of $110 million or more is too much…but it’s not our money and I think they could make it work.
If we were just a QB away from being really good, I may entertain it, but there are way to many changing variables this year. New HC, DC, OC, Ownership, etc. A lot of guys I know who are ravens fans still think he is a bum. He plays well in the playoffs, but plays more average in the reg season. I guess if you had to pick one or the other, you would pick the PO.
To be honest, I think the Browns are in a good position. They force the Ravens hands. If the Ravens were to figure out a way to keep him, it would provide the opportunity for the Browns to poach some of the defensive talent from them like Ellerbe or Krueger that the Ravens would (hopefully) be unable to afford. I am interested to see how this turns out…but I wouldn’t be mad at all if the Browns ended up with Flacco.
There are a select few elite QB’s in the NFL that I would be willing to do this for.
Joe Flacco isn’t one of them.
No need for this. We can probably draft someone next year. Why waste so much?
This would backfire in our faces. Baltimore would find their next QB somehow and re-load their defense with our picks. We would have a similar season to this year and Flacco would look pedestrian on our team.
Will NEVER happen. Next rumor please.
Besides. Although I would take Flacco, I am still don’t think he is worth $20-35M/year. The Ravens got hot and were a team inspired by Ray Ray. Don’t see it happening again sans Ray Lewis. Wishful thinking I know.
Although, didn’t i hear that Flacco has never missed one game in college or pros? That in and of itself is amazing for a QB in the NFL.
it’s never going to happen, so you cannot prove I am wrong 🙂
Seriously, can you please define for me what you mean by a “a rumor”?
All this is is King ruminating on teams that could possibly afford Flacco in the very unlikely event Baltimore does not lock him up. That is not a rumor. That is a thought. There is NO SOURCE cited in King’s article.
This is literally the same as listening to Cleveland talk radio, hearing a caller call in and say something stupid like “Hey, we should trade Maurice Speights, Gee, and Gibson to the Thunder for Kevin Durant,” and then writing a post entitled “Rumor: Durant to Cavs.”
My view is that “a rumor” needs to rely on a source with some inside knowledge of the situation. Otherwise, it is just a thought. The title of a post like this should be: “Peter King Notes that Browns Have Cap Room to Chase Flacco.”
You don’t think Aaron Rodgers would be worth two first round picks and a huge contract? Wow, I’m glad you don’t run a sports team.
Actually, mg, I can. I’ve developed my own Euclidian logarithm utilizing chi-sqare for the comparison of knowable and unknowable variables that has proven to be infallible. And this formula proves conclusively that you’re wrong.
How do you like them apples?
The reason we always have enough needs to fill is because we never have a Quarterback. Not saying I would go after Flacco but some perspective would be good here.
This is far from the truth, any elite QB is worth it.
Josh, no I don’t. This perpetual expansion franchise is too far away for one stud QB to make much of a difference. I don’t know if Rodgers could even get us to .500.
We need to continue building a foundation with draft picks before we look for the “last missing piece.” We can’t afford to give up that much.
Love how people wouldn’t give up 2 measly first round picks for a SB winning QB. Have they looked at the Browns draft history of the last 14 years? What are you really giving up?
You’ve got to be kidding me? Every team is a QB away from being good. All the other positions are filler.
Sure, just like we can probably “draft someone” every year.
Anyone who wouldn’t give up two first round picks for a superbowl MVP QB is nuts. If we can somehow land Flacco, we’d have to be the favorites to win our division next year. The Ravens would be severely weakened, Pittsburg is already on the decline, and Cinci is due for a down year. I can think of no other move either this season or next that would put us in that kind of position.
It’s not such a big deal to commit a ton of capspace to the QB position because that is what most great teams have to do. Plus we’d still have some cap room to sign our draft picks and some other decent FA’s (maybe Boldin would follow Flacco). With Norv/Chud running the offense, it would be fun to watch. I realize Flacco is probably not a HOF QB, but the guy has proven that he can take a team to the promised land, and that’s the goal.
Plus those early picks don’t have as much value considering that Lombardi will be making them, and by his own statistics, one (or even both) would probably be a bust anyway.
While it would be sweet juicy justice to steal the Super Bowl MVP from city that stole our team, it will not, in one bazillion, trillion years ever happen.
If it does happen, I will eat one bazillion, trillion chalupas and explode.
On a team that needs players you don’t take just a good QB and give up several draft picks.
This happens, and Cleveland explodes. 0.00001% chance but its still fun to talk about.
Do this if, and only if, he can also kick like Alex Henery.
and I think you just hit the nail on the head of why the Browns FO might even leak news like this out there. if we can scare the Ravens into giving him the “exclusive” tag, then we cripple their cap further.
I’d love to sign Kruger and draft Kruger (his brother and potential late round target).
if this were 2008, then I would agree with you. with the state of our OL, RB, WR, I disagree.
the Saints, Packers, and Colts have shown in their SB run that inconsistent defenses may get hot at the right time, so I’m going to gamble on that side of the ball.
they are Pink Ladies and they are delicious. you followed the Mayan example and forgot to carry the ‘1’ and you have definitively just proven that I am correct. thanks.
Lou Groza would be proud.
Why are you glad he doesn’t run a sports team? I could see being glad that he doesn’t control the protection and deployment of all nuclear warheads in the country, or glad that he’s not your heart surgeon, or glad that he’s not in charge of the Federal Reserve, but why a sports team? Any old sports team? Seems like a strange subject to be particularly protective of . . .
That gives me the idea that we should save some salary space and just teach Joe Thomas to kick. How sweet would that be?
better teach Mitchell Schwartz. if we let Joe Thomas kick, then the ball will instantly deflate from the power of his leg.
Excellent point.
You know, if could make one rule change in football, it would be this: Mandate that PATs can only be kicked by the player that scores the TD. It would make the game so much more interesting. Not to mention (though I am doing so right now), it would also cut down on idiotic “look at me” TD celebrations, as these guys would immediately be sweating over looking like a fool.
Funny, I was thinking that people objecting to moving to first-rounders for Flacco, compared to the hindsight on RGIII is pretty Cleveland in itself.