Browns' PFT Rumors

I love Pro Football Talk. It's easily my favorite football website going around (well, other than Football Outsiders) and the treasure chest of inside information is always a lovely view of the inner workings of the NFL.

There are two rumors running around on there that have me a little more than EXTREMELY FUCKING EXCITED...

-Dolphins are interested in DA...and willing to give up their first rounder.

-Dolphins are interested in Romeo.

OK, the prospect of getting Darren McFadden is enough to give any Browns, or any other NFL fanbase, a offseason long boner that can break walnuts and solve crimes but let's be realistic here...it isn't going to happen, and perhaps that's a good thing. Do we really want $35 million invested in a RB? Eh...

But at the same time, it's D-Mac added to the ridiculous offense we already have. The problem is, he's a luxury, a bonus. We don't need D-Mac, we need a defensive line. Sure, I'd welcome a first round pick that high, but is Miami really willing to abandon that pick just to secure a QB who has been erratic?

I'm a big DA fan, but his regression over the last few games has me a little concerned about his ceiling. I don't know what to make of Quinn, seeing as he has no NFL experience, but with the recievers we have, I'd be willing to take a flier on him if a DA trade gets some good draft picks in return. If we had Darrell Jackson, Arnez Battle and Ashley Lelie as our starting WR's (ahem...SF) there's no way I'd consider getting rid of DA, but the fact remains, we have a top flight corps of pass catchers with an elite pass protecting line. Oh, and a pretty solid running game regardless of who is in there...it seems to me that the Browns' situation is tailor made for any QB to succeed. If you can get a piece that'll add some serious meat to the offense, you might as well do it seeing as there is room for error at the QB position right now.

Romeo is an interesting case. Is he that good a coach? The players sure seem to like him a whole lot, but has he really improved his 'production' over the course of this year? The answer is murky at best. His first two years were rough, due to the shitty rosters and injuries, but at the same time, his decisions were suspect. His infamous challenge record is a dubious honor as is his timeout usage. He's a players coach for sure, but it wasn't long ago that Kellen and Braylon were openly criticizing him.

I'm of the school of thought that says NFL coaches are the most valuable in professional sports. In baseball and basketball, the coach is really not that big of a deal (esp MLB, at least in the NBA a good coach can impact the game at some sort of level, in the MLB you have fucks like Tony LaRussa doing shit they don't need to do just so they can be called a genius) but in the NFL, you need a leader who is infallible in his decisions and Romeo just isn't that.

Now, I'm not advocating a coaching change, if anything, I'd like to avoid one. But the fact remains, if the Tuna in Miami throws some good draft picks our way, we'd be foolish not to jump at the chance to grab them. Who would coach in Romeo's place? I'd say give Chud a chance, but we're not even close to that situation happening.

Basically, the PFT rumors are nice. They're a diversion to the shit our season has turned into after one shitty game, but be realistic. These things aren't happening and, ultimately, it's probably for the better.