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Browns Offer Shaun Smith, Bengals Don't Match


HoosierCat

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Note from kffl...

Steelers | Team interested in Smith

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 11:06:55 -0800

John Murphy, of Yahoo! Sports, reports the Pittsburgh Steelers have expressed interest in restricted free agent DT Shaun Smith (Bengals).

Might be why the Browns chose to pull the trigger now: afraid they might get trumped by Pitt?

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Curnutte confirms...

Browns confirm offer sheet for DT Smith

The Cleveland Browns have confirmed that they have signed Bengals restricted free agent defensive tackle Shaun Smith to an offer sheet. Terms were not disclosed.

Smith was tendered a one-year, $850,000 contract by the Bengals, who will have one week to match of disregard the offer sheet. The Bengals would get not compensation if they declined to match the sheet because Smith was not drafted.

The Browns see Smith as their nose tackle of the future in their 3-4 defense. Starter Ted Washington will be 39 when the season starts. Backups Ethan Kelley and Baba Oshinowo are not regarded as potential starters.

Smith, who played college ball at South Carolina, is 325 pounds. He played in 13 games and had 14 tackles in 2006.

Bengals UFA wide receiver Kelley Washington is visiting the New England Patriots today.

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Hoosier is right, no compenation.

The guys is a good fit for our Nos tackle spot. He might never be a starter, but he was the tools to be a good servicable NT in our 3-4.

I hope we sign this guy.

Browns | Smith offer sheet update

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 08:15:41 -0800

Geoff Hobson, of Bengals.com, reports the Cleveland Browns have signed restricted free agent DT Shaun Smith (Bengals) to an offer sheet worth $8 million over four years, according to two AFC North sources.

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So long Shaun Smith. Best thing really since the Bengals didn't have the good sense to play him when they needed him most anyway.

Bengals ought to bring in the DT who was in the running with Smith in Cleveland -- Ron Edwards. The RFA - vet min ought to be about a wash and Edwards is more suited to a 4-3 than Smith, so long as he don't mind backing up Sam Adams again.

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Personally, I would match the offer for Smith and cut John Thornton.

Cutting Thornton would not only free up over 3 million in cap space this year but another 3 1/2 million next year.

Better yet ...

Don't match for Smith and still cut Thornton.

Great idea. Then we have a little free cap space, but no players. Sam Adams and his 20 snap/game and Domata Peko would be our only DT's. Then on passing downs you'd have to go with tweeners like B. Robinson and Fanene. That would be a disaster. You thought our defense was bad last year?

The money Thornton would free up would not give us another decent DT. He stays.

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Personally, I would match the offer for Smith and cut John Thornton.

Cutting Thornton would not only free up over 3 million in cap space this year but another 3 1/2 million next year.

Better yet ...

Don't match for Smith and still cut Thornton.

Dump Thornton and use the money to resign Shaun Smith and have a little more money to play with if we really want to keep KK. Draft DT and CB on day one.

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Dump Thornton and use the money to resign Shaun Smith and have a little more money to play with if we really want to keep KK. Draft DT and CB on day one.

I could get behind that if Marvin would commit to actually using Shaun, but as noted before he doesn't. As soon as Fear the Fanene got back from injury last season, Smith was on the bench, even when his run-stuffing skills were badly needed. Lewis has an apparently unshrinkable woodie for DE/DT swing types: first there was Powell, then the failed attempt to turn Geathers into Powell Jr., now Fanene is Powell III. Meanwhile, getting a big heavy on the line is like pulling teeth. Langston Moore is long gone, Smith is apparently going, and from all appearances Marvin had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Adams deal. Given that his 2000 SB-winning Ravens D featured twin man-mountains Adams and Tony "the Blob" Siragusa, I don't get it either...but there it is.

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Personally, I would match the offer for Smith and cut John Thornton.

Cutting Thornton would not only free up over 3 million in cap space this year but another 3 1/2 million next year.

Better yet ...

Don't match for Smith and still cut Thornton.

Great idea. Then we have a little free cap space, but no players. Sam Adams and his 20 snap/game and Domata Peko would be our only DT's. Then on passing downs you'd have to go with tweeners like B. Robinson and Fanene. That would be a disaster. You thought our defense was bad last year?

The money Thornton would free up would not give us another decent DT. He stays.

If Robinson and Fanene are tweeners then what is Thornton ?

All three of them are just about the same size (with Robinson actually being slightly bigger than the other two) and all three can play both tackle and end.

I just don't happen to think that Thornton has been all that good since he has been with the Bengals, and on top of that, IMO his play has been declining for the past two years or so.

I may well have been over the top in suggesting that they let both of them walk, but my main point was that I would just as soon see Smith in the 2007 defensive tackle rotation as Thornton.

Especially at like half the price ...

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Dump Thornton and use the money to resign Shaun Smith and have a little more money to play with if we really want to keep KK. Draft DT and CB on day one.

I could get behind that if Marvin would commit to actually using Shaun, but as noted before he doesn't. As soon as Fear the Fanene got back from injury last season, Smith was on the bench, even when his run-stuffing skills were badly needed. Lewis has an apparently unshrinkable woodie for DE/DT swing types: first there was Powell, then the failed attempt to turn Geathers into Powell Jr., now Fanene is Powell III. Meanwhile, getting a big heavy on the line is like pulling teeth. Langston Moore is long gone, Smith is apparently going, and from all appearances Marvin had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the Adams deal. Given that his 2000 SB-winning Ravens D featured twin man-mountains Adams and Tony "the Blob" Siragusa, I don't get it either...but there it is.

That's a very good point and from what I understand it is being limited to 45 active players on game day that makes Marvin want at least one DE/DT swing type active.

That leaves room for another LB/DB or whatever who will be more valuable on special teams.

But does that mean that we really only need three defensive tackles to rotate, with another one held on the 53 man roster just in case of injury ?

I am still one of those who feel that "it all starts up front" and I would like to see a little more commitment to controlling the line of scrimmage.

You certainly are right about the "Adams and Siragusa thing".

Sam Adams has always been at his best when he has had another big-fat-ass lining up next to him.

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