Ray Farmer: Are You Nuts?

I tend to ignore most rumors, as a lot of guys like/unlike me often add 2 and 2 together and come up with 5.  Then a bunch of other guys including Rhona LaCanfora repeat is as gospel.

But I do pay attention to the OBR's Lane Adkins, who has proven comparatively reliable, and does seem to have actual sources.

This is why right now I'm kind of upset.

He says interest in Jerry Hughes continues, which is good.  Hughes is still young, and since he played (and had his best seasons) with Mike Pettine, there's a decent chance he could come to Cleveland if the Bills don't re-sign him.

But then he says they're in the bidding for and feeling optimistic about Trent Gramps Cole of the Eagles, who is 32.

Ray didn't read my last blog.  See Willie McGinnest.  No knock on Willie, who was solid (when he wasn't hurt) for the Browns, was a strong leader, and taught the youngsters a lot.  But he wasn't the same Willie who kicked butt with the Patriots, because he got old.

Nor am I bashing Trent Cole.  I'm just saying that he is already declining, and the decline will inevitably accelerate, as it did with McGinnest.  He won't be as good as he was last season.

This is how Ray builds a perennial contender?  Really?

Per Lane, he's checking out Brandon Graham and Pernel McPhee.  Graham is a young guy threatening to take snaps away from Gramps Cole in Philadelphia.  

Pernell McPhee is listed as a linebacker with the Ravens despite his 280 lbs., and had 7.5 sacks last season.  He's fast and strong, but not explosive.  Really, he's more of a 4-3 defensive end who you don't want in coverage.  

Both these guys are 26, and Pettine knows McPhea.  

Lane says Brian Hartline appears to be off the board, and this is just infuriating.  Unlike other wide recievers, Hartline seems genuinely open to playing for the Browns, and his salary demands can't be unrealistic.  Ray, what are you doing?

Oh yeah Cecil Shorts is in the running!  I forgot whew!  Thought Ray was passing up a tall, glue-fingered, super-reliable, durable...say, waitaminnit Ray, what the hell?

Gramps Marshall?  Just traded to the Jets.

Andre Holmes of the Raiders is kind of interesting.  He's a 6'4" skyscraper I mentioned in a previous blog, but I doubt that his drops were Derrick Carr's fault, as many pundits claim.

What's missing from Lane's list is every really good free agent there is (except Hartline--maybe the best number two in the NFL).

This is terribly frustrating--they've got 50 million on cap space and are mandated to spend the bulk of it.  Ray seems to be bottom-fishing for depth players and high-risk bargains.

Ray does say the Browns are being secretive, implying that there may be talks he doesn't know about.  I hope that's the case.

I know Browns' fans, and expect the pundits to shortly start suggesting that Haslam has told Ray not to pay anybody any money.  I'll just say in advance that this makes zero sense.  There is no logical reason for it.  He has to spend the money, and...

I guess it's possible that a lot of players refuse to talk to the Browns.  If that's the case, I can sort of understand it.  Everybody wants to go to a contender with an elite quarterback.  Secondarily, some want to stay warm in the winter and are flaky about night life and stuff.

If their greed costs them gigs and the cushy slots start getting taken, they'll come around.  

But the REAL football players ought to like the idea of playing on Mike Pettine's defense, or Thomas/Mack/Bitonio's offensive line, and are adults about snow and night life.

This just in!  If the Ravens release Gramps Ngata, a bunch of writers are spasticly assuming that the Browns will want to pay him ten million a year to not be as good as he was last season!

Hope not.  He's still a stud, but not a ten million dollar stud.

Now for another possible strategy I got from Tony Grossi:  

Compensatory draft picks.  These picks are awarded to a team one season after they have lost players to free agency, so the Browns would get theirs ahead of the 2016 draft.

The formula is based on the performance of the players lost with their new teams.  There are up to four picks awarded, and the better ones come near the end of the third round, which aint bad.

In order to collect these picks, a team needs to show a net loss.  The Browns could lose Buster Skrine, seem willing to let Sheard and Rubin go, and it's doubtful that Glassjaw Cameron will be back. And then of course there's Brian Hoyer.

These are all players who could perform quite well with new teams.  Sheard and Rubin especially, if Sheard can return to 4-3 DE and Rubin to DT.

I get that, but don't get why Ray would deliberately sign washed-up or inferior players this season to accomplish it.

Cecil Shorts?  I guess Greg Little wasn't available.  What's Braylon Edwards doing now?  What about all the guys that retired a couple seasons ago?  Maybe we can coax some of them back!

Ray?  Anybody home?