The Saints may have not be able to afford Cleveland native and former OSU cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Should the Browns pursue him? (Canal Street Chronicles)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Hey Tony: Would you prefer [Marshon] Lattimore over [J.J.] Watt, if you had to choose?
-- Mike, Parma, OH
Hey Mike: There’s an ongoing debate over which area of defense has more impact on a passing game – defensive line or cornerback. I’m in the defensive line group, so I’d choose Watt. Also, for these other reasons: 1. His versatility to play outside and inside would give coordinator Joe Woods some interesting matchup advantages from play to play. 2. Lattimore would be a big-ticket item, perhaps $50 million+ on a 4-year deal. I’d be wary of investing in long-term veteran deals because the Browns need to take care of their own stars with second contracts. I’d prefer short-term deals for high-priced vets. Thus, Stephon Gilmore, 31, appeals to me more than Lattimore. Trade for Gilmore, who has a year left on his contract for $7 million+, which would remove the pressure of relying on Greedy Williams to play 16 games after a season-long injury. I wouldn’t be opposed to ‘renting’ Gilmore for a year and letting him leave in free agency in 2022. Or maybe he’d earn a short, new deal at age 32.
Hey Tony: I haven't seen many reports linking pending free agent Yannick Ngakoue with the Browns. Is this a player the Browns might pursue if he's not franchised by Baltimore?
-- Leonard, Troy, OH
Hey Leonard: Supposedly, the Browns were interested in Ngakoue last year, but like ‘losing out’ on Jadeveon Clowney, it proved a fortuitous miss. Ngakoue was so ineffective for the Ravens, he barely played in their two post-season games, yet was healthy. Spotrac.com estimates Ngakoue’s market value at $62.3 million on a 4-year deal. No, thanks. P.S. He won’t be franchised by the Ravens.
Hey Tony: Assuming GB & Pitt (and maybe LAR) are actively clearing space to make a bona fide run at Watt, if the Browns didn’t sign Watt, do you see any opportunity to acquire valuable players from GB or Pitt or LAR?
-- Jason, Weeki Wachee, FL
Hey Jason: The Steelers have two cornerbacks eligible for free agency – Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton. Either could play for the Browns.
Hey Tony: Could the Browns go CB with the first-round pick? Greedy has been hurt a lot the last two years. [Kevin] Johnson was fair. Is that a huge hole on defense?
-- John, Findlay OH
Hey John: It is a major hole on defense. Yes, they could take a cornerback with their first-round pick.
Hey Tony: Do you think JJ [Watt] is waiting to see if GB or Pitt is clearing out cap money so he can go to one of those two teams as they’re his first choices?
-- Jamie, Newcomerstown, OH
Hey Jamie: Watt can’t pick his team until he receives offers. Those two teams don’t have the cap space at this point to make a bona fide offer. As for the Steelers, Watt may want them but there is no indication they want him. They have many other more pressing needs than to worry about a family reunion.
Hey Tony: How would any of the previous post-expansion Browns QBs have fared with the teammate and coaching complement Baker has now? No knock on Baker [Mayfield], just assessing how previous QBs were detrimentally affected.
-- Matt, Columbus, OH
Hey Matt: It’s a fair point to say that no other coaching/management regime dedicated more resources and personal coaching to developing its quarterback as this current Browns team has done for Mayfield. The closest was the 2007 team that provided Derek Anderson plenty of ammo and a good coordinator. I would say most previous Browns quarterbacks were failed by the organization more than they failed the organization. A notable exception was Johnny Manziel, of course, who failed himself and teammates. Still, Mayfield deserves a lot of the credit for his stunning turnaround over the second half of last season. I don’t think any previous Browns QB would have played as well in the same situation.
Hey Tony: With draft day only a few months away, when will the details be finalized about how many people can attend and will season ticket holders get priority?
-- Tim, Bowling Green, KY
Hey Tim: My understanding is the NFL is working on a scaled-down draft event in Cleveland, details of which have not yet been announced. I’m told it will include some form of outdoor event with fans in attendance, but ticket availability has not been announced. Since the NFL is in charge of the event, I’m not sure Browns season ticket-holders will receive priority.
Hey Tony: Will David Njoku still be with the Browns in September?
-- Mike, Barberton, OH
Hey Mike: I don't see it.
Hey Tony: If Jaycee Horn is available at 26, would you draft him over an edge/DL.
-- Jay, North Olmsted, OH
Hey Jay: Horn is ranked the No. 3 cornerback by draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic. He would have to be a consideration, given their needs.
Hey Tony: Do you think there is a chance that the Browns let Nick Chubb walk after this year?
-- Michael, Alliance, OH
Hey Michael: Let’s say the Browns contend for the AFC North title in 2021 and make a run at the AFC championship. If so, Chubb very likely would be a large part of that. After such a season, do you really believe the Browns would let Chubb leave via free agency? Do you realize what a punch in a gut that would be to every member of the team?
Hey Tony: One aspect of Urban Meyer taking the Jags job was practice facility upgrades. My question is since Browns HQ is nearly 30 years old, when/if will the Browns consider new facilities and would that include a full 120 yard indoor field?
-- Samuel, Asheville, NC
Hey Samuel: The calendar age of the Browns’ HQ may be 30, but its biological age is much, much younger. They have consistently poured money into modernizing everything in that building from player amenities to Covid-proofing to state-of-the-art IT technology. Saying that, the only thing their complex lacks is a full, 120-yard indoor field. I’m not sure the footprint of the property allows it, but I don’t get the sense a new complex is close to being on the drawing board.
Hey Tony: Why does it seem like every Espn/National media wants us to trade either Baker or Odell or even both? I don’t get it.
-- Tony, Cleveland, OH
Hey Tony: This time of year, there are no games and the national networks/Websites have to fill their programming with content. Baker and Odell are marquee names and they attract attention. That’s all there is to it.
Hey Tony: Can football teams go over the cap like basketball teams can?
-- Mark, Brook Park, OH
Hey Mark: I don’t know about the NBA, but the way NFL teams can exceed the cap is by carrying over cap room from one year to the next. For example, if the Browns carry over $30 million in unused cap room into 2021, their salary cap would exceed the league-mandated cap by that much. E.g., instead of having a cap of $180 million, their cap would be $210 million.
Hey Tony: Will the Browns seek Offensive Line depth in Free Agency? Really had me worried about depth at the end of last year.
-- Blair, Uhrichsville, OH
Hey Blair: Chris Hubbard’s knee surgery may demand a veteran offensive tackle to be added. But you’d expect Michael Dunn to compete, too. Plus, Blake Hance and Drew Forbes would compete as backup guards.