NFL Rumors: Browns Front Office Split on Hillis, Considering Richardson

On average, RBs just do not last long enough to justify being taken this high.  Unfortunately for them, most are considered past their prime by age  28 or 29.
Also, look at some of the best backs in the league that play for poor teams (Jones-Drew, S. Jackson, A. Peterson, etc.)  
I look for a RB in the 3-4th round range.  Get those young legs lower and do it twice as often.

I’m not kicking myself over Peterson. I’m glad we took Joe Thomas. An annual all pro LT is harder to find than an all pro RB. This point can’t even be argued. That’s why people here are leery of taking Richardson at 4. Not because he won’t be better than Hillis as I’m sure he will. It’s that it is much more likely to get an excellent RB elsewhere in the draft.

and ittttttt’s Silly Season! A post and 60 comments for every GM’s or agent’s planted rumor.

Cannot wait for next year’s version of the endless draft-talk loop, whatever it is. A time when Browns fans are again complaining that if we had only lost just one more game we surely could have landed a sure-fire impact player. A time when people think RG3 is a new men’s deoderant. Wake me up after the combine.

I’m just thinking in terms of how many quality seasons you get out of a guy.  A top 5 pick for a player that gives you less than 6-7 good years seems questionable.  

which is too bad, b/c that day was really funny

Not only do they not last long, they are widely considered the easiest position to fill in the NFL (especially with the way offense is run in the league these days).  Running backs are about half their own ability and half the skill of your offensive line/Quarterback.

You can have studs that truly stand out like AP, Gore and Johnson, who may be worth a high draft pick (I still argue not a top 5).  But, you also have those guys from the Texas team that do just fine from the undrafted pool.  Let’s build up that offense line and receiver core, then act surprised when a nobody rushes for 1200 yards

That’s a big assumption. Of course all of this is so whatever.

That or a writer who needed something to say when there isn’t anything going on besides Manning drama.

It’s not just about the person you take, it’s also about the person you don’t take.

If we try hard enough we can be just like the Vikings!!!!!!!!!  Go Front Office GOOOOOO

go first Cav!

Forget the camp contract crap. I think things just blew out of proportion last year due to an inexperienced Agent and a young player who has been ready to accept a big money deal, at least he believes in himself and his value.

On a team with few play makers, a failed draft pick with Hardesty {so far} who may also need to be replaced, you just have to sign Hillis. Our situation dictates that as being sensible. Take away lead blocker and do not fix the O Line and you see how well that worked out, right? We got rid of a talent we probably could have kept, and our running game last year worked out to be poor.

So if it can be helped, try to resign your talent. If you can not resign your talent most of the time that is indicative of problems with the management. Sign Hillis, give him a raise commensurable to his market value. The guy sweats football.

We do not need to take Richardson. Not at the fourth pick. Just like RG111, if we go after him and bust right now after blowing up our picks, not worth it to try just yet. I like McCoy but am unsure on if he will be the guy or not. I hope so, but if not go and get someone that can be the guy. But give the Kid his shot with some talent. I know it is a business and we all want W’s. Yet what would be the affect on the Locker Room, if the team is with McCoy, if after the beating he took all season long finding out it meant nothing to the H&H and Coaches. Think back to K Winslow. It was starting to come out by players the organization could care less about the players. Build not only with talent but also look for chemistry on the team as well. The good teams are unified all on the same page. 

We do have a ton of holes. We are in a pretty good position in this draft also. But not good enough to waste a ton of picks for one guy. Not when you still will not be competitive.

going with hillis all the way

my personal opinion. i’m a die hard browns fan. and i really hope that they really draft rg3, hes a franchise qb  colts not the answer. rg3 brings a whole new dimension plus he will help the run game. and i feel that the wrs will respond better. give m m another shoot with rg3 dfart another top rank wr and a de and and weakside lb. hell we’re in the afc north colt wont withstand the pounding. i’m lossing faith please  take rg3 move up to get him if not you’ll regret it when we play against him.

Hillis is asking for a multi year contract in the region of $8million a year – the browns offered him a deal of around $4 which he refused. So saying Richardson will cost more is simply wrong. Hillis is unlikely to budge as he is also likely to be the best available FA RB

The reason the Browns front office are looking at Richardson hard, is because they assume that RG3 will be off the board at #4 and they don’t want to use picks trading up – as a rebuilding team, using multiple picks on 1 player doesn’t make sense.

In 2010 Hillis “statistically” was as good as MJD and Chris Johnson and better than Ray Rice. No doubt he had a below average year for a starting RB in 2011, but it wasn’t as awful as it seems. Consider:

1. We had no consistent passing attack to keep the opposing Ds from stacking the box.

2. The top run blocking guard Eric Steinbach was on IR.

3. We have to play 3 of the stingiest run Ds in the league twice each, being a member of the AFC North.

4. Hillis dealt with injuries, an adjustment period to new coaches and questionable play calling. He played less instinctively as if he was over protecting the ball, but IMO he has the ability to be a top 10 starting tailback again in this league, but probably with a shorter shelf life than a typical tailback- due to a rugged running style and injury history. He has had fumbling issues, but if he can get the fumbles down to 1 every 60 carries we can live with it due to his talent and effect on the game. Other backs like Benson, Bradshaw, Peterson and Barber have worked on fumbling issues and improved and Hillis fumbled at a lower rate last year.

Problem is we supposedly offered Hillis an Ahmad Bradshaw (also had an injury history and fumbling issues) worth contract last off-season. Bradshaw got 4 years for 18 million. Hillis was supposedly offered 5.5 million a year (instead of 4.5 million), but only over 3 years at 16.5 million total- after his Madden cover year. At this point he isn’t worth that much due to injury history and a down year. He may be bitter and regretful for not signing that deal last off-season due to bad advice thinking he could get a deal to stay in Cleveland for 4 or 5 years. “IF” we can sign Hillis for 2 years 9 million with about 4 million guaranteed it is worth it.

Reason: This is b/c we have the possibility of being able to sign Matt Flynn AND get BOTH Justin Blackmon at the 4th pick AND trade the pick we got from the Falcons, the 2nd rounder and 3rd rounder to move up 7 spots or so and take RG David DeCastro. If Flynn doesn’t sign with us, QBs win more games than RBs with top 5 picks, so we should draft RG III. No doubt Richardson has the upside of being  a top 3 NFL RB where Hillis upside is somewhere between 7th-10th, but we have way too many other offensive needs. Our D has improved and we need to keep Hillis as a building block at least for the short term and improve the porous offense around him. Rant finished.

James:

I can not find anyone that says Flynn has an NFL arm. I know what he did to Detroit and New England. At least Hasselbeck had a good running game and defense when they went to the Superbowl. Flynn is not Hasselbeck, regardless.  Yeah, I was hoping just like you.

RG3 is not considered a once in a lifetime QB so the hype needs to stop. All we hear is how electric he is. Well, when is the last time an “electric” QB won a Super Bowl….Never. Yes, he is 10 times better than Colt not the real McCoy but the long hair RG3 has tells me that he is a mirror guy that cares more about perception and not interception.

Quinn had long hair = Sucked
Gabbart has long hair  = Sucked

who else…..?

Blackmon is not as good as Green or Jones last year so why waste him on the 4th pick. Blackmon will be just like Crabtree. Average size with average talent. Another blow hard diva. Not worth it.

We have got to see what our two receivers can do this year because they cost us a 2nd round pick each. They are not busts….

The only reason I have Richardson as our 4th pick is because he has Adrian Petterson written all over him. Our new QB next year will need a good running back to help along. A seasoned QB would not need a top running back to win in the NFL but a rookie QB does need one.

I like Hillis but he only has 2 solid years left.

I think Weeden could step in and be good in 2 years.

I really wish that we could have lost 2 more games so we could get Luck. That was our best chance of getting a top QB and we blew it. I was praying for a franchise QB and now we have to wait another 10 years unless we really want to go after Barkley next year.

I remember his first game when he beat my Buckeyes. Pryor had more to do with that than Barkley.

if rg3 makes it to the fourth pick trade with washington take the best o line man left take receiver with 22.sign free agent wr…get usc qb next year