The best move Browns coach Eric Mangini may have made in his first season was stockpiling 11 picks for the April 22-24 NFL draft.
The uncertainty of an upcapped year in 2010 may make NFL teams hesitant to do much in free agency, which begins March 5. Unless a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is reached before then, 212 players (according to the Associated Press) who thought they would be unrestricted free agents will now be restricted. That group includes the Browns' Abe Elam, Brodney Pool, Jerome Harrison, Lawrence Vickers, D'Qwell Jackson and Matt Roth.
New general manager Tom Heckert said Tuesday that teams may also shy away from big-name players because the salary cap may return in the future.
"Those are the things you have to weigh," Heckert said. "Are you going to pay a guy an exorbitant amount of signing bonus or salary and hope for the best and see what happens? We'll come up with a salary structure not only for this year, but for the next two or three years out. We'll see where we are cap-wise, see what we can handle and what we can't."
Asked his top priority, Heckert said, "Draft well, that’s how you sustain success."
According to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network, there are virtually no highly regarded quarterbacks who will be unrestricted. His list, as of Dec. 30, included Charlie Batch, Kyle Boller, Mark Brunell, David Carr, Daunte Culpepper, A.J. Feeley, Rex Grossman, Josh McCown, Chad Pennington, Chris Redman and Brian St. Pierre.
Only one QB that I would even consider in that list is Brunell. This guy still has a nice fast ball. He just needs some Talent around him 2 make things happen.
Brunell??? Seriously??? The guys was not a great QB in his prime, which he's far past now. The only possibility for a starter out of that group would be Pennington, but his best days are behind him as well. As a #2 Chris Redman played well in relief this year. Charlie Batch has been very good when he's gone in for Pittsburg the last few years. I'd like to see one full year out of Quinn when he has a chance to go through the offseason program and camp as the starter in the same offense. Get him som help on the right side of the line and a veteran reciever. We're in good shape at RB with Harrison retained. Quinn has only started 13 total games. And with all the QB competition and changing offenses, etc, he hasn't had an honest chance to succeed. Give him a fair shot and get a later round QB this year or plan to get one next year if he can't step up and be productive. In the meantime, extend Cribbs and get him more involved in the passing game from the wildcat so he's more than a one trick pony under center. I almost don't want to say it for the sake of a Jinx, but fellow Browns fans, if this draft goes well, we just might have a chance to compete for a wild card spot next year. Just maybe. Let's hope Mangini was truly on the right path with this team and not just a beneficiary of some good end of season luck.
@ Mike.. DUDE what type pipe ya smokin from ? If a cannon for an arm u want keep DA or go get Jeff George…and keep that smoke indoors ……ha ha really Brunell oh man what a joke ….back to the minors 4 u DUDE….Brunnel? ?playoffs? talent around him? Hey if ya need a date which im sure you do look up Liz Frank… Alan T says shes HOT enough 4 Tiger…..
Dump all our qbs except for Ratliff and trade Anderson and a draft pick for Kevin Kolb from the Eagles ( Heckert will like that one )
Jim…BQ is not a starting QB in the NFL. He is inaccurate and has no arm. 13 games are plenty to see he doesn't hit his receivers and can't go deep. There is no way a group with Holmgren and Heckert starts the season with Quinn at QB, nor do they start with DA. One or both of them will be gone and they'll bring someone else in.
Draft Dan Lefevour. Keep Ratliff and bring in a vet.
@ everyone: Keeping Cribbs in Cleveland is a horrible idea. We already have 11 picks, and if we trade him to a "contender" we stand to get a couple more and at least one defensive starter. He's the hottest thing in the NFL right now (except Revis) and near the lowest priority for the Browns' offensive needs. That much was evidenced by a lowely $1.4mil offer.
Don't let me mislead you, he's GOOD wide out, a GOOD quarterback, a GOOD running back. He won't, however, be GREAT at anything other than returning kicks and punts. The Browns' stand a chance this year to improve talent on both sides of the ball this year and should take full advantage of the stock value Cribbs have built in himself.
I agree w/ Jim, 13 starts isn't enough in this league. Troy Aikman was something like 0-11 his first season. And who the heck said DA would be worth anything to anyone in a trade?? We'd be lucky to get a late pick in 2011 for him, but I think he's just going to be released if we get a 3rd or 4th round QB this year.
There's not enough talent in free-agency this year at the QB spot to warrent anything drastic.
Holmgren said they are not done negotiating with Cribbs. The $1.4 mil was a starting point. BQ can suceed with the West Coast offense installed here. We just don't know yet if that offense will be installed. 13 starts is not enough. As DA had, BQ needs a consistent 10-14 games CONSECUTIVELY in order to define his worth in the NFL. Not to mention a consistent OC.
@Todd: Quinn is not accurate enough for ANY passing attack that thrpws the ball a bunch. The west coast system throws short to open up the long ball. Quinn cannot throw the long ball, and cannot hit a TE running a crossing pattern to save his life. So no, he will not be good in a west coast scheme, and no, we won't be running the west coast scheme. Holmgren has said, repeatedly in fact, that he will not be coaching and not micromanaging. That means the team and playbook are Mangini's to run on the field. Holmgren will take care of the personnell issues, and Heckert the players. Mangini is the one coaching. Besides that, the West coast scheme would be a joke in the AFCN.
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I think that the Browns should pick up David Carr. He is a great quarterback that is under-rated and he would do well with the Browns. He would do better than Quinn or Anderson. He still has a fast thrown football and he has good awareness and he can scramble out of the pocket and pick up yards. So I say that the Browns should PICK HIM UP!!!!
David Carr is a tough dude with a great arm and more guts than pretty much every other QB in the leaague,If the Browns can at least try to keep him potected,he is a great pick.Is anybody really going to argue that he's not abetter choice to lead the Browns than Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson?