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What this other team is reportedly doing makes little sense . . .
Talking about the mindboggling ESPN report that the Cleveland Browns have started contract extension talks with DE Myles Garrett.
When I first saw this report, I thought it was April Fool’s Day, or a story from a parody news website like “The Onion.”
What a flat-out bizarre decision! You are going to extend a guy coming off a six-game suspension for hitting Mason Rudolph in the head with his helmet, who has two years left on his deal?
It’s unreal that they would think about extending this player now. This is a make-good year for Garrett. He need to show he can get his act together. What kind of organization would look to extend a player who just got reinstated by the commissioner for an act that could have killed an opponent? He’s lucky to have such a short suspension. Remember, this is also the player who ended the season of Jets QB Trevor Siemian last year with a late tackle. He must show he’s in a better place before you think about extending him, don’t you think?
He is entering the fourth-year of his rookie contract and they picked up his fifth-year option.
The idea that you would start extension talks now is a poor reflection on Browns management. What on earth are they thinking?
One individual who applauds this move is Jets safety Jamal Adams.
“Well deserved,” tweeted Adams.
Clearly Adams likes the move because he is from the same 2017 first-round draft class as Garrett, and the disgruntled safety wants a new deal right now. Most teams don’t extend first-round picks after three years. Carolina did it with RB Christian McCaffrey this off-season, but that is an outlier.
“I can’t even get my first proposal that they said they would send over in January,” Adams tweeted. “I was called ‘selfish,’ though! A lot of talk, no action.”
Not sure who called him “selfish.” I did not see that. Maybe a fan on Twitter, but what does that mean in the big picture? That has nothing to do with the team’s feelings about the player.
According to Fowler, Cleveland is talking to Garrett about an extension so they, “can get ahead of a pricey pass-rush market now by extending Garrett.”
Who cares about getting ahead of “a pricey market” before you see if the player has his act together? That is “2 + 2 = 5” logic.
Also, the salary cap is expected to go way down next year due to the NFL’s cash flow being impacted by Coronavirus, and if anthem-kneeling returns. Even if they allow fans into game this year, attendance is expected to be way down. The NFL owners and players split revenue, and that decides the cap. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the cap could go down from $30-$80 million. So putting his bad behavior on the side for a second, why extend Garrett now, and have a huge cap figure in 2021, a year where the cap is expected to take a precipitous dive?
Clearly whatever the Jets decide, following the Browns lead here would be foolish. They haven’t exactly provided a strong blueprint for how to run a football operation.
We will have more on the Adams’Â contract mess on Tuesday.
June 15, 2020
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