Thanks for the Backup, Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson knows how to build teams, and he's one of the people Paul DePodesta interrogated as he was figuring out how to rebuild the franchise.

But what does he know?  I mean come on, three years?

Well, for better or worse, the Browns are following the Johnson model.  I just wish there were more Troy Aikmans around.

I need to repeat this here: Jimmy Haslam was stuck with third or sixth choices for Head Coach until he landed Hue Jackson.  Hue Jackson is the guy he wanted.  He's not going to fire him any time soon.  This is different, and Jimmy is not a spoiled brat.

He is doing something new here with this front office and it's structure.  He was the first one to say, repeatedly, that this project would take several years.  He is the guy who set this up.

Some of the radio guys cite Ray Horton's termination as some sort of sign of "things to come".  But Gregg Williams was not available in 2015, and I believe Horton was a Jackson favorite, and another emergency hiring.

I'm not bashing the guy, as he lost a bunch of key players to injury, and had a bunch of rookies.  But I respectfully submit that Gregg Williams' record speaks for itself.  Their resumes make this a clear choice.

Johnson is talking about 2018.  The Browns should contend in 2018.  Not 2017.  2018.  And by "contend", he means get close to the playoffs, and not win a Superbowl.  It sucks that I have to translate english into english all the time.

The Browns do have to make the majority of those extra draft picks work, however, like Jimmy did.  Jimmy caught a break, as he was able to land Aikman right away.

I like Wentz, but don't believe he will become like Aikman.  We can revisit this in a couple years, and I bet the Browns win those trades.

Waiting til next season isn't rational.  Ariens summed these quarterbacks up: The talent is here in this draft--and a lot of it.  Only just one guy can be ready to start in the NFL.

So you draft one of these guys and put him in the bank til next year, or even 2019.

If you expect the Browns to draft in the top five again, or to find a willing trade partner to move up, or for all these great awesome prospects to be great in 2017, you are talking about the mystical franchise quarterback tree.  Let me channel DePodesta here: That does not compute.

Next year is next year.  If the Browns have a shot at a top quarterback, they'll probably go for it anyway, but they can't count on it.  They can't count on it.  They can't count on it, so they need to draft a project quarterback this year.  Isn't this obvious?

As for drafting high again, that's simpletonian.  Gregg Williams is here now, all those rookies have a year under their belts, Myles Garrett is probably here, the offensive line will be one of the best in the NFL, and Kessler or yes, even Osweiller, will have one of the easiest starting gigs in football.

A franchise quarterback will not be required to win games with the post-draft supporting cast that will surround that position.  This offense and defense could both rank in the top half in 2017.

No, that's not optimistic.  Ask Numberfire, or PFF.  The talent is already here.  That's a fact.  This team should win at least six games with a journeyman quarterback.  

...and have a hard time trying to land a top quarterback in the 2018 draft.

My guess is Trubisky at 12 or after a trade-up from there, but beyond that, I don't know.  Trubisky could well be gone much too soon.  I can guess that Mahomes is Plan B, because this is Hue Jackson, and I doubt he's ever met a quarterback he can't turn into a monster.  Mahomes has astronomical upside (to go with his astronomical bust potential -shiver-).

So what if OJ Howard, Malik Hooker, or Jonathan Allen make it to twelve?  Think the Browns might win an extra game or two because of one of these guys?  

Jimmy Johnson would take a shot at one of these quarterbacks, because he would expect to win too many games to guarantee a franchise guy in the 2018 draft.  He's probably already said that, because it's so obvious.

Just a note here, by the way: Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith had the best offensive line in the NFL.  Just sayin.