CLEVELAND — Blow it up. Blow it all away. Set the wreckage on fire, drop it in Lake Erie, and let it float to Pelee Island, Buffalo, or somewhere in between. The most expensive roster in the NFL belongs next to other famous wrecks at the bottom, accessible only via flippers and oxygen tanks.
Trade Za’Darius Smith, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Jed Wills. Make a cold call to a contender looking for a backup quarterback and send Jameis Winston for market value (which probably isn’t much). Elijah Moore can go with him.
I’m not sure if anyone here is ready to talk to Nick Chubb, but I don’t believe he’ll return much value anyway.
The bigger point is that players not under contract after this season are free to leave. Because by January this will be so corroded that no one will survive.
deeper
The Browns came back to reality after being overwhelmed by the Chargers from start to finish.
The NFL’s trade deadline is Tuesday. This roster will look a lot different by Wednesday, when general manager Andrew Berry will have an awkward conversation with reporters during his bye week.
This will be the Cleveland Browns’ version of a President’s Day mattress sale. Buy now, pay later. 0% financing with approved credit.
Several players left the locker room with zombie-like looks in their eyes after Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. They weren’t sure how they got here or what would happen next.
One veteran said this as he left the locker room. “I have never been in a situation like this.” “I’ve never been to the end of the season before the bye week.”
Get daily NFL updates delivered straight to your inbox for free.
Get daily NFL updates delivered straight to your inbox for free.
accession
There’s never a bad time to take a week off in the NFL, but the Browns begin the break needing some catharsis to get away from each other. Remove dead skin cells. Maybe even get a good foot scrub.
The Browns have invested $337 million in cash spending on this roster, $15 million more than any other team in the league. Not only is this the most expensive roster, it’s also the most expensive roster in NFL history.
They won twice.
Last year, they overcame tremendous injuries and adversity to make it to the playoffs, blowing away their offense and offensive line.
They won twice.
Firing Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator was clearly a big mistake. Bill Callahan may have paid for it too. Whatever this was, the design and installation was a disaster.
The Deshaun Watson trade ruined the franchise. There is no other way to frame it. At the time of the trade, off-field baggage aside, Watson seemed like the better quarterback. But it didn’t work out that way. The money they paid for him, the future cap hit still looming, the trade capital they sent to Houston and Watson’s inability to perform and stay healthy closed a competitive window that was barely open.
deeper
NFL Week 9 Takeaways: Is the Eagles’ game management a big problem? Who is the second best team in the AFC?
The Browns played two full seasons in 2016 and 2017 and won one playoff game in the next seven years. Now you’re done.
Joel Bitonio has one year left on his contract but just turned 33. Why would he want to go back to this place? Myles Garrett has two years left. At what point does he walk upstairs and ask her out?
Chubb is entering the final year of his contract. Honestly, how much does he have left? How much patience does he have left with an organization that squandered the career of one of the best running backs in team history?
The entire offensive line may need to be rebuilt. Products scheduled to be delivered by Tuesday will require replacement.
And all of this still has to be done despite Watson’s massive cap hit of over $170 million. You won’t find a worse combination of roster projections and future cap sheets anywhere in sports.
Winston threw interceptions all over the field Sunday, the secondary can’t do simple things like pass coverage well, and special teams are a particular disaster. Blocked kicks are allowed. Big profits surrendered.
Today is James Winston
16-31
0 passing TDs
3 intelligence
24.5 passing grade pic.twitter.com/ytYWdg8XgX— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 3, 2024
The Browns were leaning toward Dorian Thompson-Robinson a few weeks ago. His promotion from scout team quarterback to backup was going to take more than a week, even though no one told him. Then Thompson-Robinson injured his finger, and the Browns probably felt they owed it to the veterans playing Winston.
There’s nothing left to play now. Garrett said the Browns could still win and move to 10-7. These are the kinds of things leaders should say from the podium. The season is over and the players all know it.
This almost became the most Jameis Winston play in history. pic.twitter.com/YopGOhepmh
— Football Digest (@FoootballDigest) November 3, 2024
Thompson-Robinson is probably not the answer. He is too small to stay healthy. But whether Winston is still here or not, coming off a bye week is the perfect time for Winston to begin his path against an equally poor New Orleans Saints roster.
Either DTR will surprise everyone, or perhaps it will be bad enough for the Browns to draft another quarterback in March and start this disastrous process all over again.
As for the fate of the front office and coaching staff, anything is possible at this point. No one is safe. I thought last year tested Kevin Stefanski’s mettle and his ability to hold the team together through a storm of injuries. He succeeded in that moment. This is a completely different challenge. People have nothing to do but tape and their next contract.
deeper
NFL Trade Deadline Predictions: Who Will Stay and Who Will Move On?
As the defense was individually introduced before the game, Smith donned his No. 99 jersey and jogged out of the tunnel, blowing kisses to the crowd. If this was his last day in a Browns uniform, it was his farewell.
Who else will join him?
(Jamays Winston Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
