How the Browns could win a Joe Flacco negotiation
February 11, 2013MLB News: Indians sign OF Michael Bourn
February 11, 2013Buried in a recent piece by CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora is a few lines which Cleveland Browns fans would likely find intriguing.
With a boat load of cap space (roughly $30 million), Joe Banner’s Browns are already rumored to be in the mix for Baltimore Ravens quarterback — and reigning Super Bowl MVP — Joe Flacco. If this was not enough for those in search of play-making skill players, La Canfora has you covered.
“The Browns have about $30 million in space and will be big spenders under new owner Jimmy Haslam and team president Joe Banner” writes LaCanfora. “Many in the Steelers organization believe [wide receiver Mike] Wallace will end up with their division rivals in Cleveland (Haslam was a former minority owner of the Steelers).”
The Steelers are not expected to retain their high-impact receiver on the heels of last year’s holdout. Two weeks prior to the regular season, the 26-year old opted to play under the one-year, $2.7 million tender. He caught a career-high 72 passes for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011 and followed that up with 64 receptions for 836 yards and eight touchdowns through 15 games in 2012.
The Browns are not expected to re-sign wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi or tight end Ben Watson, so an addition to the receiving corps is not out of the question. Wallace was a third-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.
[Related: How the Browns could win a Joe Flacco negotiation]
59 Comments
Joe Flacco AND Mike Wallace?
AND Greg Oden AND LeBron James?!!?!?
CLEVELAND IS THE BEST TOWN EVER!
Super Bowl & NBA Championship 2014!!!!!
Two quickies IF this actually comes about:
– Gordon on one side, Wallace on the other, and Little as your 3rd? Yikes, another position goes from black hole to team strength in one year. And Trent Richardson will not be making the acquaintance of nearly as many safeties this year. And even though we’ve been a laughing stock, the rest of the division has to start worrying about the soundness of their defensive secondaries.
– I thought Colt was a viable back-up. Uh, not if this happens. There’s a lot of 5 step drops and long heaves in our future.
I would take Mike Wallace. He seems like a similar player to Josh Gordon, though… does that sound about right?
I would take Mike Wallace but I wouldn’t over pay tonight, Banner is a wiz with contracts so he will make sure the Browns don’t overspend on a contract for Wallace
“the browns have cap space! the browns need a [WR]! the [Steelers] are not resigning [WR] [Mike Wallace]! the browns are after [Mike Wallace]!”
But he is so accurate and wins. he has poise and moxie and wins. Also, stuff about last year that wasn’t fair to him!
No way this happens. It makes zero sense. No one in the Browns organization (or connected to the Browns) has indicated interest in Wallace, Wallace will be very expensive, he plays a position of relative strength, and the team has repeatedly stated they hope to build through the draft and not make big splashes in free agency.
So, while Jason Canfora tells us that the Steelers sources tell him its true, it just doesn’t pass the sniff test.
Don’t forget Jason Giambi and Dice-K!!!!
Add Norwood on a 4 receiver set and you’ve got some options…
Can Beckham pitch?
Why doesn’t this make sense? You’ve already got two great young options on the offense in Gordon and Richardson and they don’t have a second rounder to sign this season. He’s a heck of a player and has shown to be a good producer in the AFC North.
Thanks for killing everyones Browns induced buzz.
i agree with this skepticism, despite my earlier comment. What some unnamed dude with the Steelers told a reporter contains nothing reliable to indicate it is likely to happen. But put a headline in the passive voice and I get all excited. Until I read it. At least it’s based on a quote obtained from someone somewhere, which puts it at a level above a grossi.
Make him happy. Make him smile. Make him whistle “Cleveland Rocks.” Get it done.
yeah, same type of WR though an argument could be made that Gordon out-performed Wallace last year
(while also noting that Wallace was slowed due to his holdout and requisite Steeler burying him a bit in the WR-rotation coming out of that holdout)
Absolutely. When I think about Mike Wallace, I think 3-4 receptions per game, but he usually busts out on one of those receptions for a big gain and that’s how he gets his TDs. There’s certainly good value in getting over the top once per game, but there’s also value in have a chain-moving possession receiver and I don’t think that guy is Greg Little, Travis Benjamin, or Josh Cribbs.
I don’t recall the new front office ever saying that they will not make big splashes in free agency and will build through the draft. That doesn’t mean that they didn’t say it, just that I don’t remember reading it.
no, but he plays on one.
zing?
translation: mallett, pitta, and mckelvin are on their way.
That’s a joke….right?
My first reaction was meh.. and now I’m all ‘whatevs’
@Pat – Haslam said the following: “[The front office] is going to look at free agency and we’re going to look at the draft, and I think we’ll be selective in what we do in free agency,” said Haslam. “I don’t think you’ll see us making any big splashy, high-priced moves because I think we’ve said all along we’re going to build through the draft.” WKNY cited this quote this in this story: (https://waitingfornextyear.com/2013/02/nfl-news-rumors-cleveland-browns-brandon-weeden/)
@Evan – We have much bigger holes at other positions. Paying a large price for a #1 receiver doesn’t make sense. I agree it would be great to have a player like Wallace, but given the price tag and other needs (LB, CB, veteran QB), it really would be an odd choice. A bargain veteran would make sense, but not a guy as expensive as Wallace.
Well at least the Vic rumors can stop Oh wait it must be a sign and trade kinda thing.Yeah that’s it Vick for Colt straight up.
was hoping for that type of response. up-ticked accordingly.
The MAN himself said it:
Jimmy-H “I don’t think you’ll see us making any big, splashy, high-priced moves because I think we’ve said all along, we’re going to build through the draft.”
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Haslam-talks-free-agency-draft/d8a482c6-e9c8-4585-bc5e-401cbf51eb31
Greg Little “could” be in that he makes some of those Boldinesque receptions (last drive of 1st Ravens game still sticks out to me).
But, I get where you are coming at there. The question is what Chud/Norv want to do with the offense. If they prefer our 3-WR sets to have 2 deep guys, then someone like Wallace makes sense. If they’d rather have 2 middle guys, then somebody like Welker makes sense. Okay, in all scenarios, Welker makes sense.
Anyways, with the TE occupying the middle in most Chud/Norv offenses, I would think another speed WR wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Whoops! Boy is my face red.
He also pitches lots of consumer goods?!
/hangs head in shame and hopes for courtesy up-tick
With all this cap space I don’t want to hear some BS excuse for not signing Dawson.
I’m pretty certain I would like to add Mike Wallace to the mix. I just don’t see Little as either a precise route runner or a guy with velcro-hands, and I kind of want both for the third receiver. Indeed, like a Wesley Welker. If Josh Cooper or Jordan Norwood develop into that guy, then I’d be all for starting him over Little.
Three players I would consider…..hopefully Lombardi is reading this blog as part of his offseason research work. Hopefully he’s awake by now.
Before we get to that, keep Weeden. For fun, check out Flacco’s predraft scouting report, size, numbers in college (delaware) and his first year in the league. It is so similar to Weeden, it is scary. Chud and Norv are going to run this vertical passing game (just like we ran with DA, K2, Braylon and Jamal). Weeden is perfect for this type of offense. Wasting resources chasing unicorns like Alex Smith or, even more so, Flacco, just robs us of an opportunity to the grow the talent around the qb through all 53 spots on the roster. Yes, I know Weeden will be 30, but playing quarterback in the NFL requires EXPERIENCE. He has all the requisite measureables and can make all of the throws. Let’s invest 1 more year to see what we have.
Now three players I’d like to see us get in FA – we’ve got the money and I would look for veterans in the prime of their careers that can immediately help.
1.) Mike Wallace – I think he is perfect complement to Josh Gordon and Greg Little. Wallace can get vertical, makes plays, and has credibiltiy. He’d create a buzz and who doesnt like kicking the Steelers in the nuts whenever possible. With wallace and gordon working downfield and Little working between the hashes, this has the makings of an elite receiving corps.
2.) Aquib Talib – Somewhat risky, he’s a knucklehead and he’s had some injury problems, but he is talented. I love his size 6’1″+ and he’d help us compete in the secondary with the en vogue “big” receiver like Anquan Bolden. We’re going to blitz a bunch with Horton (2nd most frequent blitzer while DC at AZ last year) and we’d better have someone that can cover the big receiver in the secondary lest you want to see Buster Skrine posting up Bolden.
3.) Dustin Keller – I think there’s value here. He’s only 28 and prior to this season caught 110 balls from Mark Sanchez in the previous two years. Sanchez throws floating bricks, so catching even 11 balls from him would be impressive. He’s not a great blocker, but he’s better than Jordan Cameron and I think he complements him pretty well. He had some injury problems this year and maybe we can some value here. TE is generally not a position that you have to pay for (by the way WR and CB are).
Draft – find LBs — at least two of which can get to the passer.
Bonus – since norv and chud use a FB, we need to find one that is skilled in lead-blocking in the running game. Vickers 2.0
eh, it’s February.
I think you mean “Febru-Any”… I’m fairly certain that Subway purchased February and changed the name.
Courtesy up-tick provided.
In return I ask for a 1st round up-tick in 2013, lottery protected until 2014.
Deal. And I’ll throw in Owen Marecic
Love this! DA needs someone to heave it to!
[For those keeping score, that’s the 4th sentence that I’ve ended with a preposition today.]
They already said they’re building through the draft, no need to get excited.
probably the most interesting sport-related thing in the month is the athletes mispronouncing things in their commercials anyway.
Beckham and Posh!
Would love Pitta and McKelvin, Mallett’s OK as long as we don’t trade more than a late round pick for him.
agree.
You’re treading on thin eggs, Mr. Owen.
-TNC
I do not think Cooper nor Norwood would develop into that guy, but agree that Little isn’t yet either.
forget, for a moment, that Wallace would seem redundant to our WR corps. The Ravens have 2 big strong receivers – Boldin being one of the best in the game. Those guys make plays. they make big strong plays. I would love to have big strong receivers on my team any day. It’s why I actually picked the Ravens to win it all this year.
Speaking of which, I think I saw Mo Mass putting in an application at the Verizon store by my house.
ah yes. i will never forget when he courageously lead the Browns to a 6-3 win against Seattle. Not to mention pounding the NFL elite: the Jaguars, the Dolphins, and the Post-Manning/Pre-Luck Colts.
I think a solid safety or corner would do wonders for this defense. I like the pair from Buffalo, Leodis McKelvin and Jairus Byrd. McKelvin also provides value in the return game, should we get rid of Cribbs and/or Benjamin gets hurt.
And getting Flacco and/or Wallace would be a huge statement by Banner.
AND Michael Bourn.
Tribe FO outta their minds right now!
Having Little line up as either e 3rd WR or the 2nd TE from snap to snap will allow the Browns offense to be something hat hey haven’t been for years – unpredictable.