New & Improved FA/Cap Thread

[Enigmatic Evil]

I thought the coach decided who got cut? At least that was my assumption...

You know what they say about those.

[Jax Dawg]

No, the HC doesn't have final say on the roster - the GM does. It was in Heckert's contract he signed with the Browns but was not in his contract with the Eagles (HC Andy Reid had final say on roster) and is why Cleveland was able to lure him away from Philly.

BTW, Kokinis supposedly had final say on the roster too but that didn't work to well.

[Enigmatic Evil]

Ah thanks for clearing that up Jax.

[Brown Warrior]

We're not in congress. You can say it's Shep!

I don't know that we'll grab one of Shurmur's guys or even if we should. But as late adds go, it makes sense because they already know the offense.

It's a matter of whether it makes the entire corps a little better. Is it better to have Donnie Avery and his 4.3 speed or Jordan Norwood, who might become a good slot or might not? Would Shurmur drop either Robo or Mo for Brandon Gibson?

Heckert's final call guarantees two things for me: Mitchell and Little will be on the roster. He drafted them and they have the most upside of all the WRs. On defense, his find Jayme Mitchell is gonna start at LDE.

But Heckert has as little invested in Mo and Robo as he does in Gibson and Avery. In fact, their continued presence on the field last year (instead of Mitchell) seemed to piss him off.

Originally Posted by Jax Dawg

There has been a lot of speculation by one of the posters on here about the talent at WR that may be cut by the Rams and the possible interest by HC Shurmur due to his familiarity with them. Here is my problem with that - Shurmur seems to go out of his way to praise some of our WR's and while he will have some input to Heckert on who stays and who goes at the end of the day it is up to Heckert to make the call on the final 53 man roster.

Considering how Heckert kept his favorite WR and last year's 6th rd choice Mitchell on the roster last year and then traded for a 4-3 DE you know he will make some choices that may against the coach's wishes for what he thinks is best long term for the team.

I like this arrangement a lot. So far Heckert has proven time and again to have a great eye for talent and I trust his evaluations a whole lot more than a rookie HC. Heckert is by far the best GM we've had in Cleveland since at least the mid eighties and I look forward to his continued success as a Brown.

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

In fact, their continued presence on the field last year (instead of Mitchell) seemed to piss him off.

Playing Robo and MoMass pissed off Heckert? Really?

[YtownBacker]

Any GM worth his salt will side in favor of what the coach wants. Guaranteed Shurmur has a big say in who makes the final 53 man roster.

Beyond that, I'm not sure Salas and Pettis both stick after they resigned Amendola. You can only have so many slot receivers. I got to think a healthy Avery makes the team. Avery is being treated much like we are treating Hardesty. So, he really isn't healthy.

[Brown Warrior]

Originally Posted by Vegasdogg

Playing Robo and MoMass pissed off Heckert? Really?

He wanted Carlton Mitchell on the field, given how poorly our WRs played. And they did play very poorly and were covered very easily.

[Brown Warrior]

Originally Posted by YtownBacker

Any GM worth his salt will side in favor of what the coach wants. Guaranteed Shurmur has a big say in who makes the final 53 man roster.

Beyond that, I'm not sure Salas and Pettis both stick after they resigned Amendola. You can only have so many slot receivers. I got to think a healthy Avery makes the team. Avery is being treated much like we are treating Hardesty. So, he really isn't healthy.

Cutting either Salas or Pettis would be pretty unusual, based on their draft slots. Not saying it couldn't happen but it would be highly unusual.

EDIT: Found this...

Coach Steve Spagnuolo noted that rookie WRs Greg Salas and Austin Pettis have picked up Josh McDaniels' offense as quickly as the veterans have.
Salas missed a few practices with a sore knee, so it's good to hear he's not fallen behind. "They don't look like normal rookies to me," Spags said. The Rams are going eight-deep at receiver right now, and none of the roles are set in stone. The position has major fantasy repercussions, so Salas and Pettis are rookies to watch in preseason action. Aug. 7 - 3:10 pm et

__________________________________________________ _________

I guess Salas (4th round) and a mildly dinged knee COULD get cut, but it would be odd. Pettis is a third round pick and he's a roster lock.

They're going 8 deep now and 9 if/when they add Clayton. That's at least three guys out.

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

He wanted Carlton Mitchell on the field, given how poorly our WRs played. And they did play very poorly and were covered very easily.

Heckert wanted to see Mitchell because our WR's sucked? And yet we haven't spent any money on WR's, and this was the strategy in the offseason. I am sure when Mitchell did see the field Heckert would have liked to see more than just a handoff on a reverse. But surprise surprise - EM and BD did not get the WR's involved in games.

This is becoming a boring chicked or the egg thing. Did the QB and OC suck, or did the WR suck. Well we didn't make a splash in FA, so you figure it out.

[Brown Warrior]

Well, there's no scenario that actually acquits either. The WRs are on film not getting open and running shitty routes and not scaring anybody into keeping safeties back. There's just no version that makes it not at all their fault.

I do believe Heckert thinks, as do most, that the QB makes the WR much more than the other way around (although it is symbiotic, just not even). I think he believes we had a potential gem on the sideline (Mitchell) and could get another in round 2 (Little).

My sense from what I've read is that he and Shurmur also believed they could add a solid veteran, perhaps a slot, in free agency. I think that's still very much a possibility.

I also think he believes between Robiskie and Massoquoi he might have a keeper... or he might not. But it's too early to make that decision.

But his known frustration over Mitchell's inaction tells you he didn't see anybody worthy of keeping him on the bench. That's my logic. If Mo and Robo were playing their balls off, it's a non-controversy.

Originally Posted by Vegasdogg

Heckert wanted to see Mitchell because our WR's sucked? And yet we haven't spent any money on WR's, and this was the strategy in the offseason. I am sure when Mitchell did see the field Heckert would have liked to see more than just a handoff on a reverse. But surprise surprise - EM and BD did not get the WR's involved in games.

This is becoming a boring chicked or the egg thing. Did the QB and OC suck, or did the WR suck. Well we didn't make a splash in FA, so you figure it out.

[nmills]

Aaron Maybin was released from the Bills. Could be a good fit at DE for us

[Jax Dawg]

I heard Maybin lost a ton of weight - down to like 225...Off the juice?