Phew....several rumors out there that the Browns were going to make a play for Ridley via trade.

Woah, huge trade with Broncos getting Russell Wilson. 

posted by iclfan2

Woah, huge trade with Broncos getting Russell Wilson. 

Bet that wasn't cheap.

posted by justincredible

Bet that wasn't cheap.

Multiple 1st's, possible other picks and players (including Drew Lock).

Per Glazer, the trade is for three players (one being Drew Lock) and two first rounders and two second rounders and a fifth for Russell Wilson and a fourth.

Only a Super Bowl win makes this trade a possible win for Denver. Otherwise it's a disaster.

Looks like Noah Fant and Shelby Harris are the two other players. Pretty steep. 

Cool. Denver instantly becomes better and more watchable. I hope Jevonte Williams wasn’t included in the trade. 

And the Mason Rudolph era begins in Pitts. 🤢

posted by queencitybuckeye

Per Glazer, the trade is for three players (one being Drew Lock) and two first rounders and two second rounders and a fifth for Russell Wilson and a fourth.

Only a Super Bowl win makes this trade a possible win for Denver. Otherwise it's a disaster.

Just getting out of that division will be Murderers Row with Mahomes, Herbert and Carr (to a lesser extent). As a Browns fan (not happy), with this trade, the AFC North playoff rep is probably going to be the division winner and that might be it.

posted by BR1986FB

the AFC North playoff rep is probably going to be the division winner and that might be it.

Maybe, but I think it depends on whether the 7th seed is permanent or not (I assume it will be).

The flipside of your argument is those AFCW teams are going to pin a few extra losses on each other.

I think PIT is going to be a doormat for at least a few years.  CLE, with Mayfield, is mediocre and a sub-500 team without him.  CIN is for real, and BAL will be in the hunt.

But, geez, the AFC....and just magine if JAX gets a team around Lawrence!

posted by gut

But, geez, the AFC....and just magine if JAX gets a team around Lawrence!

Don't sleep on the Jets and Zach Wils...

People really think that was too much for Denver? Have we learned nothing in Cleveland from not having a QB? Based on how these guys are going so late in their lives, you have to think he has at least 5-7 years if he wants. That dwarfs the alternative of drafting and praying -- which hasn't worked for them (or most teams) at all. Literally, I think it worked out for Colts and Packers the last 25 years where they were able to draft well enough to have 2 QBs back to back. Everyone else flails away and maybe, eventually gets lucky with one.

posted by Laley23

People really think that was too much for Denver? Have we learned nothing in Cleveland from not having a QB?

There's another school of thought that you don't have enough cap to assemble a championship roster around a guy that you're paying $40M per year (but they'll only pay Wilson $51M over the next 2 years).

In that scenario, you have to draft studs to make the cap work for you.  Except you just sent FIVE r1/r2 picks to SEA.

There is, maybe, a 2-3yr window for DEN before this deal has gutted their team.  And I don't think they were just a QB away from a championship quite yet, either.

posted by gut

There's another school of thought that you don't have enough cap to assemble a championship roster around a guy that you're paying $40M per year (but they'll only pay Wilson $51M over the next 2 years).

In that scenario, you have to draft studs to make the cap work for you.  Except you just sent FIVE r1/r2 picks to SEA.

There is, maybe, a 2-3yr window for DEN before this deal has gutted their team.  And I don't think they were just a QB away from a championship quite yet, either.

Meh. Give me the QB and I'll figure out the rest later. I think watching Ben for 15 years warps your view in one direction and me being a Cleveland fan warps it in the other direction.

All I know for sure...you cannot win without a QB. Jimmy G is the closest we have gotten in this "new era". If it takes a haul to get a QB who is still in prime, and a proven winner, I'm not even hesitating. It's a more surefire way to winning than hoping Brock Osweiller, Drew Lock, Paxton Lynch, Trevor Seimien or whoever else the Broncos have taken a cheap flier/draft pick on. 

I also will argue that they didn't give up 5 draft picks. They gave up 3 - and improved on the 2 others.

• This years 1st = Wilson (which would be considered a home run draft pick)
• Next years first = traded
• 2nd round = traded
• 2nd round = traded
• 5th round = Seattle 4th round

The players lost...whatever, they will just sign those positions. Probably cheaper to bolster elsewhere. I mean it was a backup QB, Noah Fant and Shelby Harris. Fine player. Starters. But easily replaceable, and probably easily replaceable in later rounds of this years draft for cheap.

posted by gut

There's another school of thought that you don't have enough cap to assemble a championship roster around a guy that you're paying $40M per year (but they'll only pay Wilson $51M over the next 2 years).

In that scenario, you have to draft studs to make the cap work for you.  Except you just sent FIVE r1/r2 picks to SEA.

There is, maybe, a 2-3yr window for DEN before this deal has gutted their team.  And I don't think they were just a QB away from a championship quite yet, either.

I'll be surprised if Denver doesn't already have the parameters of a contract offer in place to make Wilson one of the top 5 highest paid QB's. I know they could ride out the 2 yrs/$51m left but I doubt they do.

I also don't think Wilson's the same QB we've seen in the past, Part of his calling card was his elusiveness/ability to escape the rush. Nowhere near as good at that as he used to be due to getting beat up behind their O-Line and, kind of like Roethlisberger, holding on to the ball until the very end, trying to make something happen.

If that offer were put in front of Cleveland I would've been pissed if they did it (traded away multiple picks).

posted by kuiling

Osmanthus fragrans tea is a kind of precious flower tea made from exquisite tea billet and fresh

Custom packaging

Did you get today’s wordle?

posted by Laley23

Meh. Give me the QB and I'll figure out the rest later. I think watching Ben for 15 years warps your view in one direction and me being a Cleveland fan warps it in the other direction.

Well, in the last 12 years of Ben's career PIT managed exactly 2 more playoff wins than CLE.

And while he was consistently a top-5ish paid QB, still not close to the recent explosion of QB contracts that have nearly doubled as a % of the cap.

posted by Laley23

People really think that was too much for Denver?

To me it's binary based on the results. You make a deal like this to win a Super Bowl. If you do, it was a success, otherwise a failure. This is an "all in" type of move.

posted by queencitybuckeye
To me it's binary based on the results. You make a deal like this to win a Super Bowl. If you do, it was a success, otherwise a failure. This is an "all in" type of move.

Which Denver has a very good roster but I don't see them repping the AFC in the SB so it will likely be a failure. 

I know that he's no longer the player personnel guy but it's so funny that Elway was such a good QB but couldn't recognize one, in the draft, if they came up and slapped him in the face.

If that trade puts you over the top, you do it, but I think that the Broncos only have the third best QB in their division and third best roster. They gave up their future for a very short window.

QB carousel continues as the Colts trade Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders. Compensation includes a couple of 3rd rounders.

The Colts will have new starting QB for the 5th straight year.

posted by Al Bundy

If that trade puts you over the top, you do it, but I think that the Broncos only have the third best QB in their division and third best roster. They gave up their future for a very short window.

Okay but the division has two of the top six QBs so that’s a tough battle to win especially after Rodgers remained in GB. 

Idk, I don’t like the “Super Bowl or failure” label. The alternative was they roll with Drew Lock or draft another QB which they’ve been miserable at for years. 

They may not be superbowl contenders but they’re further along in the discussion now. 

Incredible that the Colts traded Wentz before the Eagles even used the 1st-round pick they got from the Colts for Wentz.

— Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) March 9, 2022

posted by friendfromlowry

They may not be superbowl contenders but they’re further along in the discussion now.

I'm hoping that PIT lands Trubisky, and he's a guy flying under the radar.  He had a couple of decent years in that trainwreck of a Chicago offense, and apparently really benefited from a year to learn from Daboll in Buffalo.  One rumor has Daboll wanting to get Trubisky for NYG.  I mean, he'll suck even more in PIT because that offense is worse than CHI ever was, but you get the point.

Not suggesting Trubisky is in the same league as Wilson, but when you consider the relative cost...  I do think, in the right situation, that Trubisky could be kind of like Stafford.  Not great, but good enough.

And by cost, I mean Trubisky is a FA that was a backup for $2.5M in BUF last year.  Option value relative to cost I think is better than anyone else out there.

Watson to the Steelers? Both Pittsburgh and Watson hoping for a happy ending....

https://www.audacy.com/923thefan/sports/conflicting-reports-on-steelers-close-to-deal-with-watson?fbclid=IwAR1mRBQ1GkMQ1vc7hpg3gfC04Ow0K6TrL6eLlNaJ00tZ7_09dfbWkBIJUos