Cap room for him? Not really, but moves could be made.
Draft capital for him? Maybe, but we're awfully low in the draft.
Tunsil trade (For record-keeping purposes, the trade saw the Dolphins acquire first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a second-round pick in 2021 along with offensive tackle Julién Davenport and defensive back Johnson Bademosi in exchange for Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 sixth-round selection.)
It only took the Ravens a little over a year to learn their selection of Orlando Brown was a wise one, but they've met a new challenge with the tackle that could be their last.
Brown has expressed his desire to be traded, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday. After spending the majority of 2020 on the left side in place of the injured Ronnie Stanley, Brown has found his comfort zone and does not want to return to the right side. He'll only play for a team that will line him up at his preferred left tackle position, per Rapoport.
Rapoport added the Ravens value Brown significantly and would need major compensation in order to do a deal.
Brown's background is on the left side, but he ended up in Baltimore as a right tackle after a poor pre-draft showing saw him slide from a first-round projection to an eventual third-round pick of the Ravens. He blossomed in 2019 and especially in 2020 after switching to the left side to replace Stanley, earning his second straight trip to the Pro Bowl -- and first as an initial selection. Thanks to Brown's quick adjustment to the left side of the line, Baltimore didn't lose much in offensive production following Stanley's injury, finishing as the league's No. 1 rushing offense for a second straight season.
Brown's success on the left side and desire to remain there might very well also be tied to the financial ramifications of the tackle position. As it currently stands, there is a $5 million per year difference between the league's highest-paid right tackle (Philadelphia's Lane Johnson) and left tackle (Green Bay's David Bakhtiari). Of the top 10 highest-paid tackles in the NFL (in terms of average salary per year), only two -- Johnson and Las Vegas' Trent Brown -- are right tackles.
Orlando Brown missed out on significant money typically afforded to first-round picks right around the moment when he racked the bar after just 14 bench-press reps during a nightmarish 2018 NFL Scouting Combine. He's made a little over $1.8 million in base salary total in his first three seasons, and though he will see a significant boost in 2021 (base salary of $3.38 million) due to the structure of his rookie deal, that's still an incredibly far cry from where tackles of his level land in compensation ranking.
After demonstrating his ability to effectively handle the transition from right to left tackle -- a return to his roots, essentially -- Brown is in a prime position to capitalize financially and beyond. He'll maximize his earning potential by remaining a left tackle, and he'll probably enjoy playing the game a bit more in a stance and vantage point that's more familiar to him, anyway.
If that doesn't fit in Baltimore, the Ravens will have to move him. And though this isn't exactly the best way to ensure maximum leverage in a deal, they'll probably still get a haul for him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Won't be me that's disappointed, it'll be Reid and KC when Mahomes pulls a Russell Wilson and starts nudging his way out because Andy is obsessed with these weak, unskilled 7th round project type offensive lineman for some absurd reason.
I'm sick of hearing about Andy's 'type of guys.' This isn't Andy's team anymore, it's Mahomes' team. They need to build around him with the type of players who help him the most, not the ones who fit Andy's tricky little scheme.
I'm also tired of hearing how it takes WRs 2-3 years to learn Reid's system. Then simplify the damn system. You don't need to be so complex when you have Jordan at QB. Just put the best players around him and let him win games for you.
So you want to do the antithesis of what Reid has done successfully, by adding "road-grading OL" and "simplifying the offense"? Wouldn't it just be easier if you fired Reid and brought in a coach who does things your way? [Reply]
Originally Posted by siberian khatru:
So you want to do the antithesis of what Reid has done successfully, by adding "road-grading OL" and "simplifying the offense"? Wouldn't it just be easier if you fired Reid and brought in a coach who does things your way?
I obviously do not want to fire Reid, I'm just saying it's time to just start worrying more about building around Mahomes than worrying about if they fit Reid's system. If Andy is really such a genius he can make things work.
Look at a guy like Osemele before he got hurt. He obviously wasn't an ideal fit according to what Andy generally looks for in guards, but he was by far our best interior linemen before he went down. The guy was just mauling people.
We need more like him who will actually intimidate people so they will be afraid to kick the shit out of our QB. That's all. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Sofa King:
Fisher and Schwartz are cheap as **** too. Look at how much money tackles are making, they’re not expensive like the top tackles are.
Correct, and if they were healthy we wouldn't be having this conversation. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Won't be me that's disappointed, it'll be Reid and KC when Mahomes pulls a Russell Wilson and starts nudging his way out because Andy is obsessed with these weak, unskilled 7th round project type offensive lineman for some absurd reason.
I'm sick of hearing about Andy's 'type of guys.' This isn't Andy's team anymore, it's Mahomes' team. They need to build around him with the type of players who help him the most, not the ones who fit Andy's tricky little scheme.
I'm also tired of hearing how it takes WRs 2-3 years to learn Reid's system. Then simplify the damn system. You don't need to be so complex when you have Jordan at QB. Just put the best players around him and let him win games for you.
We won our first Super Bowl in 50 years just 1 year ago. We made our 2nd Super Bowl in 50 years last week.
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
I obviously do not want to fire Reid, I'm just saying it's time to just start worrying more about building around Mahomes than worrying about if they fit Reid's system. If Andy is really such a genius he can make things work.
Look at a guy like Osemele before he got hurt. He obviously wasn't an ideal fit according to what Andy generally looks for in guards, but he was by far our best interior linemen before he went down. The guy was just mauling people.
We need more like him who will actually intimidate people so they will be afraid to kick the shit out of our QB. That's all.
Keleche Osemele was a college left tackle. He's not a mauler and never was. Does he play with power? Yes, but he's a finesse player that happens to have size and strength. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
I obviously do not want to fire Reid, I'm just saying it's time to just start worrying more about building around Mahomes than worrying about if they fit Reid's system. If Andy is really such a genius he can make things work.
Look at a guy like Osemele before he got hurt. He obviously wasn't an ideal fit according to what Andy generally looks for in guards, but he was by far our best interior linemen before he went down. The guy was just mauling people.
We need more like him who will actually intimidate people so they will be afraid to kick the shit out of our QB. That's all.
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
You don't extend Hill until next year maybe. You don't restructure Mahomes when we are just entering the first year of his new deal. We just signed Jones you don't restructure him this soon either.
We could definitely Clark but they may want to move on from him after next year.
We will not be on the hook, cap wise, for all of Fishers contract. The cap hit will only be on the games he plays and the prorated signing bonus.
With the way Mahomes and Jones deals were created - with no signing bonuses - they are ripe for immediate restructures.
If they had just signed with huge signing bonuses, yeah, it would be too painful to restructure a year later.
But those deals were made mid-pandemic, when it was clear the 21 cap might be affected. The Chiefs planned ahead.
They can easily restructure those guys and clear $25M in cap room.
Hill’s deal was very team-friendly and didn’t feature a large signing bonus. He could have a few years racked on, too.
Extend Mathieu a few years.
And there’s the cap room.
The most beneficial situation for Fisher is probably working out a small extension with KC that gives him time to rehab and doesn’t drop him into FA the year after he blew his Achilles. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
We won our first Super Bowl in 50 years just 1 year ago. We made our 2nd Super Bowl in 50 years last week.
And this?
Wow dude. Maybe switch to decaf?
Yes, I'm a little riled up after watching our once in a generation QB get pulverized to an extent that I never want to see again. I don't want to 'wait' on Fisher and Schwartz and just plug in some rookie or mid tier free agent hoping those guys will be back up to form when odds are they will never get back to where they were.
Yes, I'm a little upset with Andy for watching our tackles get beaten in an embarrassing fashion while doing nothing to help them. It was utterly ridiculous.
All I'm basically getting at is we need to prioritize o-line over anything this offseason and I'd like to see Andy show a little flexibility in his system so we don't have to be so particular with OL and WR and can just plug and play talented guys. That's all. [Reply]
I'm sure they'll put some work into the offensive line.
But the priority has to be the team, not one unit.
They're not going to sell the farm to overhaul the offensive line. I'm sure they'll make moves but if you're expecting them to move mountains, I wouldn't. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief:
Yeah, I don't really care what kind of witchcraft Veach and Andy need to work on the cap. Injury settlements with both guys seems possible. They have been very loyal Chiefs and the team has been very loyal to them.
Whatever it takes, something needs to happen. I'm not watching Mahomes go into next year with two gimpy, 30+ year old tackles taking up $20 million in cap room to not even play a snap while Mike ****ing Remmers is trying to block the best edge rushers in football.
Priority 1A, 1B and 1C should be acquiring massive, road grating, ass kicking offensive linemen in any way possible. I don't care what you think our other needs are, every single one of them can be made basically irrelevant by protecting Mahomes. It literally almost brought a god damn tear to my eye watching that kid get his ass beaten down in the Super Bowl. Andy should be ashamed of himself for watching that happen.
It simply cannot be allowed ever again. End of discussion. Whatever needs to happen, I want 2 world class tackles defending Mahomes. If the Chiefs don't make that happen, they deserve whatever they get.
Yes, the top priority absolutely has to be to rebuild the Oline.
When you have a $500 million dollar investment, protecting that investment take precedent over any other areas of need.
The thinking that having an average or below Oline is sufficient because Mahomes can bail the offence out has to stop.
Of the first 5 rounds of the draft, at least 2 of those picks must be Olinemen [Reply]
Originally Posted by DT#58:
Yes, the top priority absolutely has to be to rebuild the Oline.
When you have a $500 million dollar investment, protecting that investment take precedent over any other areas of need.
The thinking that having an average or below Oline is sufficient because Mahomes can bail the offence out has to stop.
Of the first 5 rounds of the draft, at least 2 of those picks must be Olinemen
Nope.
They need to stay with their board. Picking OL just to pick OL is how you end up with an expensive line that doesn't improve. [Reply]
