The Browns Prove You Get What You Pay For

It's Moneyball, baby! 

Why are the Browns so terrible?  It's not rocket science.  The team is shifting its resources to 2018 and 2019, and underfunding 2017.  This is part of the "Moneyball" strategy to build for the future, for better or worse.  

First of all, owner Jimmy Haslam is not cheap.  The Browns total 2017 expenditures on players salaries is within a few million dollars of the NFL average.  However what we need to realize is that the Browns have a huge amount of "dead money."  That is, $39 million dollars of their payroll is going to players who are no longer on the team.  To some extent, dead money is unavoidable because some players always underperform and have to be cut.  In term of money actually being paid to players on the roster, the Browns total is $116 Million, or $33 million under the NFL average of $149 million.  For example, the Browns are spending $16 million for Brock Osweiler, which they agreed to do in exchange for a 2018 draft pick from Houston.  A complete list appears below, broken down in terms of current starters for other teams, reserves, plus those who are out of football. In that regard, I suspect that guys like Gary Barnidge or Paul Kruger can actually still play, but are retired because the Browns are paying them really good money.  

    $33 Million is a LOT of money.  It's enough for a dozen players with Jason McCourty's salary, or two franchise wide receivers, for instance.  Or you could pay for Kirk Cousins and an offensive lineman.  

      The Browns' intention appears to be to underspend now with the intent of overspending when the Browns get good (whenever that may be).  

      However, after the terrible performance for the past two years, you have to question whether free agents will really want to come to Cleveland.  I suspect we will have to offer two to three times the salaries offered by perpetual playoff teams like the Cowboys or Patriots, just to have a chance of getting someone.   I wonder if they plugged that into their computer model?

Starters, as of 11/4/2017	Browns Charges
Brock Osweiler, starting qb for Denver.	$16,000,000
Josh McCown, starting qb for NY Jets,	$666,000
Joe Haden, staring cb for Pittsburgh	$7,300,000
Demario Davis, starting LB for NY Jets	$1,000,000
Backups as of 11/4/2017	Browns Charges
Cameron Erving, backup G for Chiefs	$1,279,376
John Hughes, backup DE for Saints	$1,500,000
Pierre Desir, backup CB for Colts	$101,903
Tramon Williams, backup CB for Arizona	$500,000
Austin Davis, backup qb for Seahawks	$166,668
Xavier Cooper, back DE for NY Jets	$148,071
Currently out of football:	Browns Charges
Gary Barnidge	$2,325,000
Justin Gilbert	$1,913,364
Robert Griffin III	$1,750,000
Paul Kruger,	$1,200,000
Desmond Bryant	$1,000,000
Alvin Bailey	$666,667
Trey Caldwell	$138,288
Matt McCants	$260,882
TOTAL	$38,837,432

,

s

  

..