TLDNR on Bryant - He has not been set up for success in his previous spots, so lets find out. Sometimes you find that Chris Hogan type who was just in bad situations and can be a good player. Sometimes they don't survive preseason.

I am indifferent on him but was curious so I did some digging.

 

Bryant was never a 1 or even close.

2020 - he was a rookie behind Njoku and Hooper - Good Baker was the QB

2021 - 3rd string again, same guys -  Bad Baker, Old Keenum and Mullens were the QBs

2022 - He was 2 or 2A behind Njoku as they messed around with Pharoh Brown. Brown is from the Texans. He looks like a specimen so sometimes people fall in love with his potential. They sure did in Houston for a while. Brissette and Watson at QB

2023 -  Njoku was 1 and Bryant split targets as 2 or 2A with Jordan Akins (they love Texans TEs!)  - 5 different Browns starting QBs had a combined 24 TDs and 23 picks. 

2024 - Backup to 153 target TE god Bowers for about 6 games and 3rd to Mayer when he found himself. He had 12 targets all year from a dogs breakfast at QB of Minshew, O'Connell, and Ridder. 

 

He's not big at 230, I'm not expecting much as a blocker but he's going to have the best offense, QB, and stability around him of his entire career. Its reasonable to assume he could be better than he was in Cleveland and Vegas. He has 10 TDs and 877 yards on 140 targets. Those are decent numbers. His efficiency numbers for yards per catch and yards per target are not good, but dragged down a bunch in the 2 Watson fiasco years. His success rate and first downs per catch are good.  

6 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

The bigger hits for Bradberry, BG and Slay will be on the books next year

And if Goedert plays out his contract, he's another almost $24mm. Keeping him for 2025 only adds around $3mm to his dead money at least.

2 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Howie is exploiting a massive inefficiency in the salary cap system -- the ability to basically take interest free loans. The money hitting for Kelce and Cox -- has we taken those hits in 2022 and 2023, they would have been a greater percentage of the cap than they are now. Since he is constantly structuring contracts with min salaries, large option bonuses and void years, the cap numbers for our current players is well below the cash payouts. For example, Hurts has been paid $64.3mm in cash the last 2 years while the cap charges have only been less than $20mm. It's the same with all the big money contracts, on the theory the cap always increases.

The nuclear bomb comes in 2029 if Hurts is not extended. Jalen would be $97.5mm of dead money but not under contract (no way this happens). $35.8 for Smitty, $31.1 for SB, $35 for Landon and even a hit for Jake. Now, some of those guys will be extended, some will be traded/cut before finishing the contracts. But the only real monster issue is Jalen.

We have to hope Jalen takes a page from Josh Allen’s financial playbook and says to himself, when is enough enough … and then answers that in number of Super Bowl wins there are never enough.

All of the players added aren’t locks to make the team. That doesn’t mean they won’t or produce but it does show the caliber we’re looking at.

Our blocking TE will come from the Draft … Jackson Hawes from Georgia Tech

2 minutes ago, mattwill said:

Our blocking TE will come from the Draft … Jackson Hawes from Georgia Tech

John Clark seems to think this is our blocking TE

@vikas83 This works for the teams/GMs willing to spend and it also works for the players since they get a bigger slice of the pot with the upfront money. Howie doubles down by locking up his best players early at lower numbers.

Jerrah has no shot to be competitive when he pays Dak 5 million more than any other QB (and he is Dak) I think its 50/50 on them trading Parsons since he went from about 32 million to 42 million while Jerrah talked about glory and holes.

1 minute ago, garingovt2000 said:

John Clark seems to think this is our blocking TE

Oh yea? Well

 

The ultimate weapon, A Great Bad Blocker 

People throw GREAT BLOCKING TE around like it means nothing.

Gronk was a great blocking TE. He was 265, half crazy, and he loved blocking. (He is so far better overall than Kelce its not even funny) Dwayne Allen was a great blocking TE. He was also 265.

 

I'd like to see some kind of metrics on Bryant because he is no Gronk or Allen. You can block at 230 but the guys who stand out as blockers at 230 are pretty rare. Its also possible he is a good FB type blocker in space but not a great in-line blocker on edges and DEs.

 

Note on PFF: Its from Collinsworth and a lot of it is opinion but almost no one else publicly grades blocking so we have to take it but take it with a grain of salt. If they say a guy is terrible, he's probably not good. Their skill position and QB ratings are pathetic. Just leave them alone. I think Hurts was PFF's 23rd at QB this year 🤡

I don’t see Hurts as the type to want top dollar. He’s going to want a solid contract, but he also understands it takes others to win. 

6 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

The ultimate weapon, A Great Bad Blocker 

Reminds me of Hot Ice.. It's the best of both worlds.  Never forget the R's also

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, mattwill said:

We have to hope Jalen takes a page from Josh Allen’s financial playbook and says to himself, when is enough enough … and then answers that in number of Super Bowl wins there are never enough.

He doesn't really need to take less than he's worth in that scenario, he just needs to be extended and restructure (which we know will happen).  

Bryant is not a great blocking TE. Was not known for that in college.

They would've paid 30m for Milton Williams? Horribly run franchise.

re: Williams bidding war. The going rate for LBs looks like its 15m a year. (based on the UFA signings) The Eagles locked up Baun for a bit more at 17m. If they let him hit free agency, it would only take 1 team willing to go up to 22 to lose him. 17m is fine.

27 minutes ago, SkippyX said:

@vikas83 This works for the teams/GMs willing to spend and it also works for the players since they get a bigger slice of the pot with the upfront money. Howie doubles down by locking up his best players early at lower numbers.

Jerrah has no shot to be competitive when he pays Dak 5 million more than any other QB (and he is Dak) I think its 50/50 on them trading Parsons since he went from about 32 million to 42 million while Jerrah talked about glory and holes.

Lurie's willingness to write checks is the key to all of this. I wouldn't be shocked if some of the cheaper teams (Dallas, Cincy, Jax, etc.) try and ban or limit void years in the next labor deal.

Rank your top 3 in order if all available at 32

Derrick Harmon
Walter Nolan
Darius Alexander
Tyleik Williams
Jahdae Barron
Mykell Williams
Mike Green
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Jihaad Campbell 

6 minutes ago, vikas83 said:

Lurie's willingness to write checks is the key to all of this. I wouldn't be shocked if some of the cheaper teams (Dallas, Cincy, Jax, etc.) try and ban or limit void years in the next labor deal.

I cant see that ever passing on the NFLPA side

 

 

 

 

 

TMZ

 

@TMZ

 

Xavier Worthy's Fiancée Claims He Choke Slammed Her, 'Felt Like I Was Going to Die' | Click to read more 

https://www.tmz.com/2025/03/13/xavier-worthy-fiancee-claims-domestic-violence/

 

Accusations still at this point, but he probably paid her off.

4 minutes ago, LeanMeanGM said:

I cant see that ever passing on the NFLPA side

Yeah, the players will definitely be against it. Void years became popular in 2021 after the cap dropped due to COVID. They were first used back in 1993 for Bledsoe, IIRC, but never really became popular until COVID. The right answer would be to add some kind of interest cost to the deferrals, but players would shoot that down as well. 

Owners like Jerry and Mike Brown are too cheap to compete.

 

Thoughts?

16 minutes ago, garingovt2000 said:

Rank your top 3 in order if all available at 32

Derrick Harmon
Walter Nolan
Darius Alexander
Tyleik Williams
Jahdae Barron
Mykell Williams
Mike Green
Donovan Ezeiruaku
Jihaad Campbell 

Hmmm, a little tough as I like a lot on here. 
I'd say Campbell 1 but M. Williams is right there alongside him and could win out. Then Harmon. I have a feeling they may really like Green though and I'd put him right there with Harmon as well. I love Barron but doubt they'd put DB over d-line this year in round 1. But I would not be mad with Barron at 32
 

1 hour ago, Sack that QB said:

Posted without comment

He's supposed to be on the outside not her