Every player whose contract will expire in 2020 could be traded by John Dorsey in 2019.
As I've mentioned, one of these is Joe Schobert. Another is Damarius Randall--as unthinkable as that sounds.
I know I know, Randall is still in his prime, and was sensational last season. I know that for most of you people, it would be insane to trade one of the best Safeties in the NFL just as the Browns are set to contend.
But as I've mentioned, that "beep! Beep!" you hear is Randall's Brinks truck backing up.
I hate to keep harping on this, but Paul DePodesta has to plan ahead.
Myles Garrett David Njoku, and Larry Ogunjobi enter their third seasons, and they've got even bigger Brinks trucks. Baker Mayfield, Antonio Callaway, and Denzel Ward are coming up behind them.
Do you think Dorsey can lock down Damarius Randall now, and still retain even more than half these players a short drive down this road?
Others are starting to come around on a Joe Schobert trade, as it begins to start to dawn on them that Steve Wilks will use only 2 linebackers over 80% of the time, and lean more heavily in back end players to cover big people anyway...and of course the sudden new depth at linebacker.
Better late than never, but now we can get DePodestian about Randall, as well.
Clearly, Randall is currently the best Free Safety on this roster, and losing him would be a setback...but not the disaster most of you people think it would be:
Rodney Redwinefield has very similar traits and skills to Randall, and played at the highest level of competition in college.
Jermaine Whitehead has made a great impression as a SS/LB, but also has the tools to play the deep middle.
So, losing Randall would be a downgrade, but most likely not a critical one.
Meanwhile, Randall may be even more valuable than Schobert.
Having only one year left on their contracts will drag down their prices, but getting that much plug-and-play Pro Bowl talent that cheap for 2019 would offset that for some teams.
My inner-homer wants nothing less than a first round pick for either player, but that won't happen. But a third, or even second round pick for either/both is not unrealistic.
I hear ya. They're worth more than that. What if these guys had been in the 2018 draft, with what they've already proven? First rounders! And yeah even Schobert!
But markets are markets, and business is business.
DePodesta has monumental salary cap problems already looming on the horizon, so he has to consider all offers for all players now in their "contract" years.
Imagine if the Browns got 2 thirds and a 4th round pick for Duke/Schobert/Randall.
Well, now you got Redwine or Whitehead at FS, and don't even feel the losses of Duke or Schobert.
Entering 2020, they get 3 mil or so back from Duke's contract, over twice that by letting Landry go, avoid 2 Brinks trucks, and now have a bunch more draft picks (probably not all in 2020. Instead of a third rounder in 2020, it might be a second rounder in 2021, see?)
Would this cost the Browns any games in 2019? I'm not sure. Randall is great!
But expecting a Lombardi Trophy in 2019 is a bit of a stretch, and Damarius Randall is unlikey to make that difference.
2019 is about winning the AFC North and being in the playoffs for the first time in eons.
Sorry to keep harping on this, but Paul DePodesta is not here to go "all-in" with a very young team with new Coaches and systems. He is here to engineer sustainable success.
2020 would be the "all-in" year, anyway, if DePodesta thought that way.
Then there's the Kareem Hunt situation (this is redundant too sorry):
Paul DePodesta/John Dorsey probably don't intend to rent him cheap for one season, then wave good bye.
Nick Chubb enters only his second season, and his contract will expire in 2022. The Browns have plenty of time to exploit Hunt's off-the-field BS and bad reputation to extend him to a reasonable long-term contract.
Imagine Chubb and Hunt throughout 2020, then trading Hunt for a first round pick, or just trading the newly-signed superstar (and his salary) before the 2020 season.
This is my advice to Paul DePodesta, anyway, if the communications glitch which makes my emails and texts to him "undeliverable" ever gets fixed...
You get it, right? Hunt's salary is a temporary hit ahead of the aforementioned balloon payments, and they turn him into a CHEAP high draft pick, right?
If DePodesta could only see my advice, he'd be KEEPING Garrett, Ogunjobi, etc and have the draft "assembly line" humming too.
Like the Patriots.
Cory Kinnon lists his 5 Browns players who deserve to be re-signed. I agree with his sentiments on all these players, but think it's unrealistic.
Randall and Schobert were 2 of these guys, and I just addressed those. His other guys were Robinson, Tretter, and Higgins.
Higgins check: He remains underrated and undervalued; a big reliable target cheap at twice the price.
Tretter is realistic, as he probably won't break the bank. His injury history and the position he plays undermines his leverage, and he may be inclined to accept less to stay on this "train".
JC played most of the season with a high ankle sprain, so my opinion here isn't all "analytical". I want that baddass on my team.
...analytically, there are guys behind Tretter who can play center on this roster, including Corbett.
Greg Robinson might well be a swing and a miss. If John Dorsey saw Greg as the Browns Left Tackle of the future, he wouldn't have signed him for only one year.
As my readers know, both Hubbard and Robinson were helped out a lot by chipping Tight Ends and Mayfield's quick releases and scrambles, in addition to more zone-blocking when Kitchens took over the offense.
Maybe this former first round pick has finally lived up to that, for all I know, but Dorsey doesn't seem to think so, and in Dorsey I trust.
Then there's Randall and Schobert. Cory is right that they deserve new contracts, but business is business.
I'm over my skis on Randall here, but color Joe Schobert a GMF.
I'm not bashing Cory Kinnon here, by any means. All the players he listed have earned extentions. But Cory isn't thinking like a GM yet.
Counting pennies. Developing young talent. Being ruthless. I expect Cory Kinnon to eventually become almost as smart as my humble self. 'Nuff said.
PS: I'm certain that Cory is NOT raiding this Blog for original thinking and stealing my intellectual property. Cory Kinnon is like ME.
I wish I could say the same about EVERYBODY ELSE, who consistently regurgitate what I write here 12-36 hours later gdammit...🖕
But I digress okbye.
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