Well last year we thought he would be a Raven and he changed his mind and went back to the Vikings. Now he lands, via trade, in the AFCN again.

He partners up with Myles Garrett

The full trade, per league source:#Browns get:
Za'Darius Smith
2025 6th-round pick
2025 7th-roundpick#Vikings get:
2024 5th-round pick
2025 5th-round pick https://t.co/outlkV71ME

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 12, 2023

It seems every year the Browns make a trade for a veteran that makes you say "Wow! I bet that is what takes them over the top!" and then they choke 4 games away in the run up to the end of the season and miss the playoffs.

2018, Jarvis Landry
2019, Odell Beckham Jr
2020, Ronnie Harrison
2022, Amari Cooper
2022, Serial Sexual Assaulter
2023, Za'darius Smith

last 15 seasons, 1 winning season, 1 playoff appearance, 1 playoff win, lots of misery for their fans.
I'm not saying this will happen to them again, but it's definitely a pattern.

So now Browns have Garrett and Smith , not a bad combo they have. Im really hoping our new Myles delivers bigtime opposite Trey.
Game 1 will be a good test for our new OL unit.

I don't get why the Bengals wouldn't explore a move like this. IMO they need to do more to go into "all in mode".

Browns have a ton of talent on that team. They are not ***** around. They kind of need to go for it the next couple of years with that Watson contract and lack of draft picks.

No gimmes in the AFC North this year, that's for sure.

(05-13-2023, 12:10 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I don't get why the Bengals wouldn't explore a move like this. IMO they need to do more to go into "all in mode".

Browns have a ton of talent on that team. They are not ***** around. They kind of need to go for it the next couple of years with that Watson contract and lack of draft picks.

No gimmes in the AFC North this year, that's for sure.

Because the Bengals want to be competitive for years not just a window.  

Let's not forget that they spent a lot of money to fix NT with Tomlinson and added Ika in the 3rd.

ZT says he didn't see Murphy being there in the 1st. Makes you wonder what their board looked like since there were/are quite a few FA DE you can take a flyer on to be a solid role player (Ngakoue, Clowney, Quinn, ect..) but they took a guy they want to reload with and we know Murphy will be in the rotation.

The "win now" that we are seeing was signing a Pro Bowl LT PLUS keeping Williams, Carmen and Collins to provide the line with the most depth in the league. It's a long year and we know what happened last year. That's how they handle the Browns now and later.

The offseason isn't done yet, and we will know more once Burrow signs and they have more clarity with Higgins and Wilson. Maybe we sign a cut TE even. The biggest "win now" move we may make won't happen till the trade deadline. This team knows it is positioned to win now and later, and we may only have NT as the only true need going into an offseason even with so many free agents pending. So, that should allow you to trade a 4th or 5th to replace a starter that is lost to injury early. There has to have a team wanting to trade, but let's not forget the trade deadline.

(05-13-2023, 12:10 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I don't get why the Bengals wouldn't explore a move like this. IMO they need to do more to go into "all in mode".

Browns have a ton of talent on that team. They are not ***** around. They kind of need to go for it the next couple of years with that Watson contract and lack of draft picks.

No gimmes in the AFC North this year, that's for sure.

You don't know that they haven't.  One thing for sure though, is the Bengals don't want to sell their future for someone unless they are 100% they are THE missing piece.  

(05-13-2023, 12:10 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I don't get why the Bengals wouldn't explore a move like this. IMO they need to do more to go into "all in mode".

Browns have a ton of talent on that team. They are not ***** around. They kind of need to go for it the next couple of years with that Watson contract and lack of draft picks.

No gimmes in the AFC North this year, that's for sure.

What he said below. Best to follow the Steelers and Ravens model and not the Rams. The Bengals are doing that. Yeah going for broke may work but ultimately you're going to have a massive bill to pay whether you win a Super Bowl or not. 

If going 'all-in' guaranteed a SB then it would be worth it. But all it takes is one injury, one unlucky bounce, or one bad call to derail a season. If one of those happens during your one or two 'all-in' years, then you're Shit Outta Luck and facing a prolonged rebuild and years of misery for nothing.

I'd rather always be right there with a chance, than swinging for the fences for a season or two because when those 'all-in' teams whiff, it's the steady and consistently good teams that swoop in and take advantage.  

(05-13-2023, 12:32 PM)spazz70 Wrote: Because the Bengals want to be competitive for years not just a window.  

(05-14-2023, 02:37 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: What he said below. Best to follow the Steelers and Ravens model and not the Rams. The Bengals are doing that. Yeah going for broke may work but ultimately you're going to have a massive bill to pay whether you win a Super Bowl or not. 

If going 'all-in' guaranteed a SB then it would be worth it. But all it takes is one injury, one unlucky bounce, or one bad call to derail a season. If one of those happens during your one or two 'all-in' years, then you're Shit Outta Luck and facing a prolonged rebuild and years of misery for nothing.

I'd rather always be right there with a chance, than swinging for the fences for a season or two because when those 'all-in' teams whiff, it's the steady and consistently good teams that swoop in and take advantage.  

I think the Bills had that issue when they lost Von Miller in particular along with some other defensive guys.

(05-13-2023, 12:10 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I don't get why the Bengals wouldn't explore a move like this. IMO they need to do more to go into "all in mode".

Browns have a ton of talent on that team. They are not ***** around. They kind of need to go for it the next couple of years with that Watson contract and lack of draft picks.

No gimmes in the AFC North this year, that's for sure.

Duke has mentioned that he doesn't like "all in" method for one season.

Like Strictly Biz said, if all in guaranteed a Super Bowl then sure. Especially if you’ve never won one. Since it isn’t even 50/50 then no way.

(05-16-2023, 01:40 AM)Bengal Dude Wrote: Duke has mentioned that he doesn't like "all in" method for one season.

Not saying go full Rams (it worked for them as they got a ring out of it, but we have a young QB and core unlike them), but I do wonder if they were willing to go more in even if it cost a draft pick or whatever, would we be sitting here as fans of the back-to-back champs this offseason? They'd have one at the very least.