NFL 2017

[jimmy olsen]

I just laughed when I saw this headline, but it turns out that even the Browns aren't that dumb. This was  really just a trade for a 2nd round pick.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000791937/article/browns-acquire-brock-osweiler-2018-pick-from-texans

Browns acquire Brock Osweiler, 2018 pick from Texans

The Houston Texans found a creative way to get Brock Osweiler and his $16 million guaranteed salary off the books. They decided to give him away to the Cleveland Browns, with a second-round pick as a sweetener.

Osweiler is headed to Cleveland -- at least for now -- in a deal that will send a 2018 second-round pick to the Browns, the team announced. Cleveland is also sending its 2017 compensatory fourth-round pick to the Texans for their 2017 sixth-round pick, but the Browns are essentially paying cash and cap space in exchange for the second-rounder.

The most amazing part of this amazing deal: Osweiler may not remain with the Browns for long. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the Browns will try to trade Osweiler and see what comes of it, but could eventually release him. Rapoport also reports that the Browns will release Robert Griffin III, which would leave the team with only Osweiler, Cody Kessler and Kevin Hogan at quarterback. Rapoport reports that the Browns are expected to "make a run" at acquiring Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as the NFL Draft approaches.

The Texans, meanwhile, save $16 million in cash and $10 million in cap space that they can potentially use on signing a new quarterback like, say, Tony Romo. Rapoport reports that the Texans will not trade for Romo, who has yet to be released by the Cowboys. NFL Network's James Palmer reported earlier Thursday the Broncos "do not see" a trade happening for Romo, so that particular quarterback conundrum remains in limbo.

The same is true for Osweiler's career, the result of a trade which could augur a new era of trades in the NFL. The Browns had so much cap space that they essentially used it to buy a draft pick. The Texans were allowed to move on from one of the biggest free agent mistakes in NFL history and start over at the quarterback position. It's reminiscent of trades that often happen in the NBA, where teams deal disastrous contracts. This deal looks like a win-win for both sides, with the only real losers being Osweiler's ego and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam's bank account. The Browns now have eight picks combined in the first two rounds of the 2017 and 2018 drafts.

"We're really excited to acquire a second round draft choice in this trade," said Browns VP Sashi Brown. "Draft picks are extremely important to our approach in building a championship caliber football team. We are intent on adding competition to every position on our roster and look forward to having Brock come in and compete."

Texans coach Bill O'Brien clearly had no further use for Osweiler and general manager Rick Smith was at least willing to admit his costly mistake quickly. Osweiler wound up costing $16 million and a second-round pick just to play significantly worse in 2016 than Brian Hoyer did for the Texans the season before. The Texans have only Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden on the quarterback depth chart, although this extra cap space and roster spot puts them squarely back in the market for one.

The Browns should still have plenty of cap space, even after spending big money to shore up their impressive offensive line. There's no telling where the Browns will go at quarterback and even a trade this clever could be tough to swallow if they suffer another 1-15 season. Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta came to Cleveland promising a different way of doing things in the NFL. This trade was definitely different.

[Barrister]

You actually see trades like that in the NHL fairly frequently.  It's a league with a hard cap and guaranteed salaries, so a guy with a bad contract have a kind of negative trade value.  But if you load up some other assets, maybe you can convince another team to take them all in exchange for nothing.

Heck, you sometimes see trades involving players who are injured and likely never to return - just so one team can get them off their books.

[Sophie Scholl]

I'm a big fan of the moves the Browns have made so far.  They're following a very similar rebuilding plan to what the Raiders did in terms of free agent signings.  I do wish they would have kept Pryor though.

[MadBurgerMaker]

lol

Anyway, it's a pretty good deal for both sides.  The Browns get a pick next year that they can try to trade for someone  (Jimmy G heh), the Texans offload the last year of Osweiler's guaranteed cap hit so they can get Romo or Cutler or someone.  Plus the Browns actually need to spend money with the minimum spending rule that is apparently coming up.

E: Apparently Cutler is not a popular option here, but, uh, he can fall down and not miss 8 games.  I'm just saying.

[Alcibiades]

Think hes spent the last 2 or 3 seasons injured or at least in and out so....

[MadBurgerMaker]

Think hes spent the last 2 or 3 seasons injured or at least in and out so....

Cutler?  Last year he only played in 5 games, then 15 each the previous two.  Not perfectly ideal, since some of those might not be full games and all that, but Romo played in 1 game total last year, 4 the previous year, then 15 in 2014.  That's not good. 

Even crippled (possibly dead and just laying on the field), either of them are better than Osweiler, but Cutler appears to be able to actually get into more games.  Shit happens though so maybe Romo's last couple years were fluke-ish.  Outside of the injury issues, Romo would probably be the better choice. 

E:  I don't know why I'm even talking about these guys though.  Rick Smith will go and get The Rosencopter or someone instead.  E2:  Who, to be fair, is probably still better than Osweiler, even when attempting to fly.

[dps]

Think hes spent the last 2 or 3 seasons injured or at least in and out so....

Cutler?  Last year he only played in 5 games, then 15 each the previous two.  Not perfectly ideal, since some of those might not be full games and all that, but Romo played in 1 game total last year, 4 the previous year, then 15 in 2014.  That's not good. 

Even crippled (possibly dead and just laying on the field), either of them are better than Osweiler, but Cutler appears to be able to actually get into more games.  Shit happens though so maybe Romo's last couple years were fluke-ish.  Outside of the injury issues, Romo would probably be the better choice. 

E:  I don't know why I'm even talking about these guys though.  Rick Smith will go and get The Rosencopter or someone instead.  E2:  Who, to be fair, is probably still better than Osweiler, even when attempting to fly.

The thing is, no QB who has any say in the matter and any other options isn't going to want to go to Cleveland, so Osweiler  might be their best option--at the very least, he's a better option than keeping RG3 would've been.  Cousins has all the leverage with the Redskins;  he's not going anywhere unless it's to a good team, so he's out.  Romo is going to want to go to a contender as well, and I think Jerry Jones wants to accommodate him on that or release him it the Cowboys can't work out a trade.  Either way, I think Romo might well retire instead of going to a bad team like Cleveland.  (Frankly, if I was in charge of a team, I'd be very reluctant to take Romo because of his age and injury history.)  Cutler is also going to want to sign with a contender, but he might sign with a bad team if no good teams have any interest in him, so I guess he's a possibility.  Garroppolo is a possibility as well--I agree that the Pats will trade him for the right price, despite what they say--but I think the price for him is going to be more than anyone should pay;  if he goes anywhere, it'll be in a Herchel Walker-type ripoff deal.  Of course, the Browns are probably stupid enough to be on the short end of a deal like that. 

Osweiler is better than anybody else who is available or likely to be available (Kaepernick, etc.).

[MadBurgerMaker]

I'm talking about Houston for those two QBs (Rick Smith is the Houston GM).  Romo and Cutler aren't going to Cleveland.

E:  The intertrons are talking about Cutler possibly going to the Jets, but Romo can apparently pick between Houston and Denver (and retirement), so the loser of that little deal could potentially look to throw some bucks in Cutler's direction.

[Sophie Scholl]

With the offensive line the Browns are putting together and their plethora of young talent, they're a far better option than they were last year or for years and years prior to that for quarterbacks.  I think the idea that the Browns are the worst, saddest, most pathetic franchise is going to change soon.  Feel free to make a marker to taunt me about this in a few years or acknowledge I was right.  Hahaha

[MadBurgerMaker]

With the offensive line the Browns are putting together and their plethora of young talent, they're a far better option than they were last year or for years and years prior to that for quarterbacks.  I think the idea that the Browns are the worst, saddest, most pathetic franchise is going to change soon.  Feel free to make a marker to taunt me about this in a few years or acknowledge I was right.  Hahaha

I'm okay with that as long as they star routinely beating Pittsburgh.  That would be juuuuust fine.

[Tonitrus]

Vegas Raiders. 

[MadImmortalMan]

Vegas Raiders. 

"Oh, that'll never happen..."




I hope they at least change the name. You know, Modell rather than Irsay.

[CountDeMoney]

Dumbass league.  Leave a founding AFL city, but put TWO teams in Los NobodyGivesAShit Angeles.

Same thing'll happen in Vegas.  Too transient with too much other stuff to do, and the locals are nothing but service industry.  Dumb move.

[CountDeMoney]

And props to the Miami Dolphins for voting No.

[Tonitrus]

I am disappointed in my Seahawks not voting against either.  Especially our history with a flaky Californian owner who tried to move the team out of town.