I feel people are going to be super disappointed on how this FA is about to play out. I don't expect a lot of action from us with the top guys.
That is the one positive of being a bad team with a pathetic roster the last few seasons: It is all up from here. Whatever moves Joe Douglas makes will improve the team and roster from previous seasons.
Overpaying free agents has been part of our problem. It was necessitated because our GMs had a very difficult time spotting talent outside the 1st round. Douglas is heavily influenced by Ozzie Newsome, as he should be. Ozzie rarely made a splash in FA by signing a big name, big contract player. He mostly signed underrated, undervalued players who could outperform their contract. Teams need to be built primarily through the draft, not FA. This is why several of us have been saying that the rebuild is not over by any stretch of the imagination, and why we need more draft picks, not less. I don't think that we need to overpay FAs any more just to get them to sign with us. That attitude is a bit of a loser attitude and while it was true in the past, I don't believe that it is true any longer. Douglas is respected. We have Sam, Adams, Mosley, Bell and some other good players. We're on the upswing and NE is on the downswing. I think the big name FAs usually have to be overpaid grossly regardless of where they sign. That's the problem with signing big name FAs. It can destroy a team's salary schedule and cap. I don't care if we do lose out on the big names. Yes, it is exciting to fantasize what it would have been like to add Conklin, Thuney, Scherff, Cooper, Clowney, or other big names, but it was never prudent or reality imo.
I really wanted today to be a helpful day where we can finally enjoy something and it's not all doom and gloom news... it has not been that.
I'd rather re-sign Poole too, but it may not be an either/or situation. On a short, reasonable deal, Harris could help mentor Bless Austin and a young CB we draft. Wouldn't you feel much better with a top 3 CBs of Harris, Austin, and Poole?
I hope this report is wrong. It would be totally stupid to let him walk. He has improved every year as a pass rusher and is excellent at setting the edge and vs the run. He's not elite, but he's productive. So is the plan to let him walk and then sign Fowler? Great! Fowler is just the type to sign a big deal and then turn into Mo Wilk and dog it. Even if doesn't and continues his play from last season being an effective edge rusher, it will weaken our run defense.
Sorry I'm not good at posting tweets and what not and just getting ESPN alerts. Looks like the Browns are doing Browns-like things. About to sign Austin Hooper to the highest paid tightend deal in the league.
They're desperate for draft picks - none in the top 50 for the next two years - and as BroadwaySam said, he doesn't have 10 years of high level play left in him.
