May 21, 2012

NFL Draft: Bullet point thoughts on RG3 and the Browns

February 27, 2012 By 85 Comments

On a day where I’m having trouble thinking about anything but the crazy news out of the next town over from me, I am trying to distract myself with RG3 stuff.  And I find it all confusing.

  • I’ve said it before, and I know the logic isn’t sound, but I have a lot of trouble figuring out how it makes sense to trade up with massive compensation for the Rams for the consensus second best quarterback in the draft.
  • The logic stinks because some years Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers come out together and everyone wins. [Read more...]

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2012 NFL Draft: Browns’ two first-rounders is a fair price for the #2 pick

February 17, 2012 By 50 Comments

I’ve always been in favor of trading down in the NFL draft.  It speaks to how many pieces the Browns have needed since being back in 1999.  It speaks to my value proposition consciousness in a league with a hard salary cap.  Now, it might be somewhat outdated.

I will forever thank Eric Mangini for trading out of the Mark Sanchez pick.  I’ve written about it here on WFNY too many times already, so I’ll be brief in mentioning it this time around.  Regardless of on-field production, Mark Sanchez was always going to be a very risky proposition.  His contract was $60 million for five years with $28 million fully guaranteed.  In 2012 Sanchez is scheduled to make $8.5 million and is also due a $2.75 million roster bonus on 3/28.  Alex Mack signed a 5-year $12.2 million deal with $8.3 million in guarantees.  The tough-as-nails center is due $1.303 million in 2012 and almost $2 million in 2013 before becoming a free agent.***

But the world of drafting changed dramatically with the labor strife of a year ago.  The rookies are now capped and with that, the dynamics of value in the first round have changed dramatically.  This is especially important with the Browns’ need for a QB and all the touted experts claiming that the Browns could and should trade up in order to get St. Louis’ second pick to get Robert Griffin III. [Read more...]

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NFL Free Agency News: Santonio Holmes staying with Jets

February 8, 2012 By 3 Comments

The Browns are one of the most receiver-starved franchises in the NFL, but don’t look to former Ohio State Buckeye and Steeler Santonio Holmes for help.

Even after a very strange ending to the season between Holmes and QB Mark Sanchez including bickering, the talented receiver will be back in NY.  He’ll be making plenty of money too.

The Jets will pay Holmes $15 million over the next two years to stay and potentially not get along with his team and cause distractions in the huddle.

The Browns will just have to keep looking for someone to catch passes amongst the list of draft picks and available free agents.

[Related: On Character and the future of Cleveland teams]

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Report: Jets Teammates Rip Mark Sanchez, Covet Peyton Manning

January 11, 2012 By 12 Comments

Mark Sanchez will always be news in Cleveland because the Browns traded out of that pick in the 2009 NFL draft. The Browns received the 17th and 57th picks in exchange for the 5th pick in the draft.  In addition to the picks, the Browns also received quarterback Bret Ratliff, defensive lineman Kenyon Coleman and safety Abe Elam.  Now, the player that the Browns traded away from, Sanchez, is having his work ethic questioned.

“We have to bring in another quarterback that will make [Sanchez] work at practice,” said one player, according to the newspaper. “He’s lazy and content because he knows he’s not going to be benched.”

In addition to that there was additional commentary coveting Peyton Manning should he become available in free agency.

The Browns may not have any of the three players that came over in that deal, but there is little doubt that they ended up getting a good player in center Alex Mack.  Mack has been to a Pro Bowl and even battled through a bout of appendicitis in the 2011 season, not missing a game.

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NFL and Players Reportedly Agree to Rookie Scale

July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Of all the things that the NFL was arguing about with the players during the lockout, I figured the rookie pay scale was one of the least controversial.  You wouldn’t know that to be the case the way it was reported so breathlessly yesterday throughout the sports media universe.  Maybe that speaks more to the NFL media being extra desperate for anything meaningful to write about more than it does to the issue of the rookie pay scale.  Regardless, though, I am ready to celebrate this one even if it comes far too late for the Cleveland Browns.

Can you imagine for just a second what the Browns could have gotten from the New York Jets when they traded the pick that turned out to be Mark Sanchez if the Jets didn’t have to fork over $28 million guaranteed and as much as about $50 million overall in contract dollars before he ever took his first NFL snap?  Sure, all indications are that the Jets are more than satisfied, but you just never know when the next Jamarcus Russell ($32 million guaranteed for 31 career games) for will reveal himself. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Dirty Sanchez, Skyenga and Tribe of Yester-year

January 24, 2011 By 6 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Because it’s gross and the twitter world exploded when it happened last night- Sanchez wipes booger on Mark Brunell. [Hugging Harold Reynolds]

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Christian Skyenga steadily climbing the ladder of Cavalier all-time points leaders. Up to #231 already- “Despite all that the Cavaliers lost again and Skyenga will have to wait a few more days for his first career W. On the glass is half full side, he passed four more ex-Cavaliers and it now sitting pretty at 231st all-time.” [Wooley/Stepien Rules] [Read more...]

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Pre-Game Intel – Jets vs. Browns

November 13, 2010 By 11 Comments

When and Where: Sunday November 14th, 2010 – 1:00 PM – Cleveland Browns Stadium – Cleveland, OH

Overview: I have no interest in the themes of this game.  Yes, I will always root against Braylon Edwards for the rest of time, but it doesn’t matter that he is in Cleveland this week.  I root against Braylon every week.  There is really no extra emphasis this week.  The fact is that Braylon is a talent.  The fact is that Braylon could and should be a greater talent.  The fact is that the cost / benefit of having Braylon on this roster no longer made sense to Mangini or the rest of us.  So now that I have spent too many words telling you about something I really don’t care about… [Read more...]

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Cleveland Browns Time Machine – June 2009

June 17, 2010 By 12 Comments

As we now sit and wait for training camp with real football pads it is a time to take very very early stock of your NFL team.  The roster has come into focus and we have initial reports to mull over regarding rookies and free agents and any off-field incidents.  This year, the word seems to be leadership.  Veterans like Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Sheldon Brown, and Scott Fujita have all been brought in and are almost immediately associated with team leadership.  That is a good thing, but it makes me wonder, exactly where were we a year ago?  I’ll tell you.

I decided to take an early stab at comparing Mangini and Josh McDaniels. [Read more...]

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Holmgren Changes Tune on McCoy, Sort Of…

May 7, 2010 By 18 Comments

Browns Team President Mike Holmgren took to the airwaves this morning as ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning was broadcasting live from Progressive Field.  Naturally, the discussion quickly focused on the recently drafted quarterback Colt McCoy. 

When asked if the former Longhorn would be under center this season, Holmgren responded candidly.

“I said, ‘perfectly he shouldn’t play his first year,”’ Holmgren said. “But heck, if he’s the guy, he plays.”

[Read more...]

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NFL Rookie Wage Scale Being Discussed

November 10, 2009 By 14 Comments

Pro Football Talk is reporting that the meetings between the NFL and player’s association are now starting to get into financial details.  Specifically, they report by way of SportsBusiness Journal that the concept of a rookie wage scale could very well be on the table now.  The NFL is the best-run league in the United States right now and I think a rookie wage scale would only help the league further.  There are a couple things going on with the current “slotting” system that bug me.

First, the top ten picks in the NFL draft are artificially lowered in market value.  The talent level is obviously high at the top of the draft, but so is the risk because of the amount of money that the picking team will have to pay the player.  This is not to even mention the possibility that the player will hold out and not show up.  This is a disadvantage to everyone involved.  The player ends up behind in his development.  The team that presumably needs that player most is behind in integrating the player into the game plan.  The fans of the bad team that needed the player end up suffering longer as they wait for a hopeful turnaround. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Outside Thoughts on the Braylon Edwards/Jets Trade

October 8, 2009 By 28 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

Brian Robiske Browns“When wide receiver Braylon Edwards was playing for the Browns, he always used the intense rivalry between the two schools – and the fact that hunting Wolverines is always in season in Ohio — as a crutch when things went bad for him, saying that Cleveland fans were hard on him because he was a Michigan man.

That was a stretch, but it seems interesting – and fitting – that with the trade of Edwards to the New York Jets on Thursday, it has opened a door wide open for – you guessed it – an ex-Buckeye in Brian Robiskie. It is almost a certainty that the Chagrin Falls High School product will now get a full opportunity to play a lot after being pretty much a non-entity for the first four games of the season.” [Steve King/The OBR]

[Read more...]

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Jets Sign Mark Sanchez to Rich Rookie Deal

June 12, 2009 By 4 Comments

Just like when we all sat back in satisfaction when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Kellen Winslow to his giant contract, we should all take a moment and sigh in relief as the Jets sign Mark Sanchez.  The Jets seem to have come to terms with the draft pick that they got from Cleveland on draft day.  Mark Sanchez’ deal is for five years and potentially as much as $60 million.  The real number to look at is the guaranteed $28 million.  That is $5.6 million per year in guaranteed dollars.  That is about a 27% raise over the #5 pick in last year’s draft, Glenn Dorsey who received $4.4 million per year in guaranteed dollars.

This is not to say that Mark Sanchez won’t earn every one of those dollars and then some.  He very well might.  He could be the next Carson Palmer out of USC and be really successful.  The point is that he better be for the Jets’ sake.  The risk of taking a guy to lead your team that high is that whether he turns out to be that guy or not, he is going to get paid regardless.  Not to mention the fact that the tendency is to build around the quarterback.  You would hate to be building a team for a captain who might never be capable of taking it over. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… The End of an Era in Motown

April 27, 2009 By 6 Comments

While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.

detroit-pistons-fail 

Not exactly going out on top: “It was great for a while, a good long while, and then it got old. The Pistons got old. Their attitude got old.  And perhaps most telling, Rasheed Wallace got old, in every way. His legs. His act. The angry edge he brought to the Pistons five years ago was indeed the missing piece in their 2004 championship. So now that it’s over, it’s fitting that Wallace’s edge is gone, and he should be too.” [Bob Wojnowski/The Detroit News]

[Read more...]

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NFL Draft Open Thread

April 25, 2009 By 473 Comments

cleveland_browns-1Sorry for running this a bit late folks, it’s really hot out in DC and my run went quite slowly.

As the Browns’ picks for the draft come out (and any trades happen), we’ll be posting the pick and player.  Detailed analysis will follow come Monday.  Feel free to discuss the draft in general here, and discuss the Browns’ individual picks in the comments section for the article about each player.  

At this point, the Detroit Ghosts of Barry Sanders’s have agreed to terms with Matthew Stafford.  Now Mark Sanchez is the next up QB, and it’ll be interesting to see if anybody tries to move up to the top 5 picks to get him.

It’ll be also interesting to see if anybody makes a move for Brady Quinn or Braylon Edwards, as this will have a significant impact on the Browns’ draft .

Also, Mel Kiper’s hair is immaculate.

UPDATE: To follow the Browns’ overall picks, etc. visit the NFL Draft Page.

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WFNY on the NFL Draft

April 24, 2009 By 4 Comments

tysonjacksonWith the start of the NFL Draft 24 hours away, we thought it would be beneficial to point you all to a few different places that have featured WFNY’s thoughts on that No. 5 selection.

Dan Labbe was kind enough to have me partake in the Browns-based roundtable over at Cleveland.com, where we discussed players like BJ Raji, Aaron Curry and Mark Sanchez (among others).  The entire piece can be read here.  The Eugene Monroe addition is my own.

Also, DP and I took part in representing Cleveland over at TheScore.com, answering a few questions on the entire Browns off-season.  Unfortunately, we were limited to only “three or four” positions of need.  Check it out here.  DP went a little “Rock” with his first answer. 

[Read more...]

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