Cleveland Browns: I Have to Write Something

The mad feeding frenzy of competitors for Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartze which Tony Grossi and others predicted hasn't materialized so far.

As yours truly pointed out, the Jaguars are not oblivious to the fact that Mack is now thirty years old, and, as I learned from Chris Porkorny, they have Stefan Wisniewski now, who is pretty good.

In fact, Chris thinks that Stefan would be a nice consolation prize for the Browns, should Mack hit the dusty trail.  

Kyle Shanahan is with the Falcons now, and per Mack's former team mates, Mack wouldn't want to play for that guy again.

Mitchell Schwartze is finding out that right tackles still don't get paid like right tackles.

Based on the projected salaries for both players, their retention remains quite possible based on the new salary cap, and the team's overage.

This would make this a pretty expensive offensive line as a percentage of the cap.  The knee-jerk reaction of many analysts to this is that the computers in Brown and DePodesta's heads would delete the notion.

That's not true, because the offensive line impacts every single offensive play.  Aside from quarterback, it's the most important unit on offense.

Offensive linemen (league wide, anyway) are the most durable players, as well.  If the budget for five starters and two depth players is, let's say, eighteen percent of the total, and signing these two push it to nineteen point five percent, that is acceptable.  These guys aren't computers.  They have common sense.

Chris wrote a fine article on the five players he feels the Browns should target in free agency.

He skips over Marvin Jones as a number two receiver who will be paid number one money.  I don't think I agree.  He has the size, speed, and Big play ability to become a number one.

People talk about how much Jones may have benefited from Green, but then Green was the primary target on most routes, and Brown shared targets with Sanu, Eiffert, and often a running back.

Chris likes Sanu, mostly because he won't cost a lot.

Germaine Gresham and Scott Chandler are interesting tight end suggestions, because they can block.  Both are also good receivers, but Chandler just isn't Gronk, and Gresham is another victim of the Bruce Ariens offensive scheme.  (No knock on Ariens here: But he doesn't use tight ends as receivers much).

Phil Dawson? He's 41.

Wisniewski is the most interesting guy here, since Hue Jackson drafted him as Head Coach of the Raiders.  Mack is better, but Stefon is only 27.

PFF rates him a little below average as a run blocker, but above average in pass protection.  I'm not familiar with the Jaguars blocking scheme, but this could make a difference here (and this is where real analysis matters: "Would he be more effective here?")

The nature of this draft will effect free agency.  Defensive linemen and some 3-4 outside linebackers won't get the offers their agents promised them, because this draft is extremely deep with these players.

Somebody will probably overpay the top players here, but those just behind them will hit a wall.  "Why should I pay you when I can get a guy like you for a fraction of the price in the middle of the fourth round?"

To a lesser extent, offensive linemen will be hurt (notably tackles).  There are a bunch of these guys in this draft too.  Real analysis factors the market in here, too.

It's not just what your own team needs, but what other teams need, and what alternatives they will have.

The Browns need to spend above the cap floor to avoid penalties.  They must be players in free agency.  Their most analytical approach is to target these players:

Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartze, Tashawn Gipson, and Travis Benjamin.