Is it just me, or did free agency kind of sneak up on our football-less calendar?  I realized that March had begun – and with it an abundantly plentiful analysis of what some refer to as the Underwear Olympics – or, others simply call it for what it is – the annual deconstruction of the modern athlete/NFL actuary committee meeting. 

Anyway, this and perhaps the natural lull of positive reporting regarding the upcoming labor impasse has kind of placed the 2010 free agency season into a much less traditional context…one of ambivalence….far removed from the normal media frenzy that surrounds virtually all NFL offseason events.

Because of the limited nature of free agency heading into an uncapped year, and as a result of dozens of would-be free agents carrying a steep draft pick price tag for their services, this is a time of the year that even the NFL hype machine will have a hard time selling to the public. 

Unlike vertical leaping ability and various feats of strength.

But at least in Cleveland, we can always rely on constant change among the heads of management, and a roster that is eternally far from being settled.  Or, in other words – March and April have truly become the most compelling portion of our NFL calendar.

Having said all that, here’s some cheap entertainment…

Browns Trade Williams to Lions

The Browns confirmed the trade of defensive lineman Corey Williams to the Detroit Lions.

Here are the terms: 

The Browns dealt Williams and their seventh-round pick to the Lions for a fifth-round pick. That pick was originally owned by Denver and acquired by Detroit. 

So the deal keeps the Browns’ total picks in the 2010 draft at 11. They have their own in the first six rounds, plus the Jets’ third-rounder, Tampa Bay’s fifth-rounder, Detroit’s fifth-rounder (through Denver), and Carolina’s sixth-rounder. 

What can you really say here? 

Obviously, this is nothing more than a salary dump – in an uncapped year – featuring a player who carried a high price tag – and never really fit the team’s system in the first place.  On the positive side, at least we got “something” for Williams.

Unfortunately for the Browns, Williams just wasn’t the type of player who fit as a 3-4 end.  Although size-wise, he appeared to be a natural, blending some quickness and pop, Williams never progressed into anything more what he was - a traditional pass rushing lineman - which he never was able to capture in Cleveland.

During his Browns’ reign, Williams never held up well against the run and was barely able to disrupt as a pass rusher.  In some respects, his incredibly average play forced more attention on Shaun Rogers, which of course completely stunted the line’s growth over the past two seasons.

However, in Williams’ defense, he never asked to come to Cleveland, or to play in a defensive scheme that didn’t exactly fit his skill set.  Nor did Williams have much of a chance in 2008 playing with an arm injury for most of the season.  In fact, the only real signs of progress shown by Williams in 2009 came towards the end of the season, when Rob Ryan’s defense was forced to play a more flexible, roving type of style. 

In the end, Williams will prove to be a classic example of Phil Savage’s early 2008 shopping spree that followed the team’s surprise near run to the playoffs.  Focused on improving the team’s defense – after all, no one knew the dark side of DA, K2 and Braylon…at least not yet – Savage mortgaged a sizeable chunk of the Browns’ future to grab Williams and Rogers…and Phil Hubbard, of course.

The results have been mixed, naturally. 

While Rogers is easily one of the team’s hardest-working and physically dominant players, it’s worth mentioning that the defense did not suffer a catastrophic drop in production when Ahtyba Rubin filled in last December.  However, the price paid for Williams – a second rounder – could have netted the Browns one of the league’s better young defenders in a fairly deep 2008 draft.

Although a fifth-rounder is better than nothing, right?

Speaking of the draft, perhaps the biggest lesson learned here – by people no longer involved with the team, naturally – is that trades and free agent quick fixes come with some serious gambles attached.

Much like the NFL Draft…especially when a team is looking for 3-4 defenders.

As I’ve stated before and again, it’s nearly impossible to project a smooth transition for a college lineman as an NFL 3-4 outside linebacker, or tackle becoming a 3-4 end.  The odds are usually worse when the Browns are involved. 

For every DeMarcus Ware or Richard Seymour surfacing in the NFL, there are about a dozen “hybrids” who can’t rush the passer, stop the run, occupy more than one blocker or drop into coverage.  

Which is kind of a problem, when you stop and think about it.

Speaking of more arrested development, here’s this…

Browns Tender Offers

Brodney Pool’s fifth season with the Cleveland Browns was ended prematurely by a concussion. It doesn’t appear he’ll get a sixth one.

The safety, whose NFL career has been threatened by a series of head injuries, was not given a second-round tender by the club on Thursday, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Browns did give second-round tenders, a guaranteed $1.75 million salary for next season, to running back Jerome Harrison, linebackers D’Qwell Jackson, Matt Roth and Jason Trusnik, safety Abram Elam and fullback Lawrence Vickers. Those players can sign offer sheets with other teams, but the Browns would have seven days to match the offer or they’ll receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.

Much like Williams, Pool never quite fit into the Browns system, or even successfully made the transition from college to the NFL.  Before even considering Pool’s scary concussion history, it’s worth noting that the still-young safety never quite recovered from his first NFL action, way back in the 2005 preseason.  Pool was knocked silly while covering a kickoff in his first game, which seemed to greatly affect his rookie campaign.

After 2005, Pool seemed to enter each successive season reborn – except as a rookie time and again.  The past few seasons always contained little moments when you thought Pool was finally turning the corner as an NFL safety.  But, alas, either another concussion or general inconsistency always seemed to return him to his rookie origins.

There shouldn’t be much surprise regarding the Browns’ refusal to tender Pool.  I can’t imagine that Pool’s career will continue, at least not in a productive sense.  If you consider the league’s increased medical focus on concussion issues, it’s unlikely that any team would have given up a draft pick for Pool, especially not a second-round choice. 

As for the players who do appear to be sticking around – at least for 2010 – I also can’t envision another team giving up a Number Two for anyone recently tendered.  Perhaps a running back-starved team could make a play for Harrison, but based on his limited experience, a second rounder would be a huge gamble.  Also, the league has dramatically shifted towards an approach that severely undervalues running backs.  Think of all the two-back sets around the league and the difficulty of players like LaDainian Tomlinson to attract free-agent attention.

As for the rest, it’s possible that D’Qwell Jackson could be in play somewhere.  However, coming off a season-ending surgery tarnishes his luster, along with the strong linebacker draft class that will surface next month.

Finally, speaking of Jackson and money and free agents and everything capitalistic that makes this game fascinating, here’s a great post and video from Friend of Reboot, LeBrownstown.com

Go ahead – get that money.

LeBrownsTown – Dax/Cribbs Quandary