Browns won’t be in on Mario Williams sweepstakes

Posted by Evan Silva on March 8, 2012, 4:14 PM EST
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Wishful-thinking Clevelanders may have hoped the Browns would enter the post-March 13 bidding for free agent Mario Williams. The Browns certainly could use pass rusher to alleviate some offensive attention from impressive 2011 second-round pick Jabaal Sheard.

But G.M. Tom Heckert strongly indicated Thursday that the Browns won’t be going after Williams.

“We’re not gonna go crazy in free agency,” said Heckert, via Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository. “We’re not gonna do it. Personally, I don’t think there is a Reggie White in free agency.”

The Browns do have two top-25 picks in this year’s draft. Perhaps they’ll use one on a pass rusher, because it sure doesn’t sound like they’ll be paying big money to an unsigned veteran.

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31 responses to “Browns won’t be in on Mario Williams sweepstakes”

  2. This just in the browns report if they can’t have manning they don’t want anyone.

  4. My guess is the Browns won’t be in any “sweepstakes” for the entirety of their existence…

  5. Hard to be in on anyone if the thought of playing for the Browns makes free agents laugh out loud

  6. All this makes it more likely that Mario Williams will be heading to the Falcons (They have the Cap Room, They will not resign John Abraham, and the Texans are tight with the cap and are focused on a potential Manning deal.) Besides the Falcons usually make at least 1 big FA signing each year.

  8. Of course. Why go after a stud DE who would anchor your defensive line for the next 5 years?

    And people wonder how the Browns are never relevant.

  9. I like Mario but I highly doubt he lives up to the huge contract he will be signing this summer.

  10. The Browns are turning me from a diehard fan into a die easy fan. Anymore of this apathy and I am starting to think Art runs this team behind the scenes.

  11. Wouldn’t be surprised if he joined team NASCAR in NY for a NON-monster deal.

  12. So the real, all-encompassing statement out of Cleveland today was, “We’re not interested in spending money and we’re not interested in winning.”

  14. The Browns need too much to throw all of their cap space at one guy. A veteran reciever,OL,and maybe a cornerback will be on their agenda.

  15. In all fairness to the Browns … Williams has only played in 18 of the last possible 32 games … I’d be a little nervous too about making him one of the highest paid (likely) players in the NFL.

  16. The Browns need to move again. The poor Brown’s fans have to deal with this group that is going nowhere. I think they may be better off without a team. I hope K.Irving is the real deal for you guys. Maybe the Indians can do something for you.

  18. The Browns seem to be rejecting every potential free agent before they can reject the Browns. Way to think ahead!

  20. Mario Williams is making himself a hard to get type of guy for most clubs. There is a limit most teams are willing to spend on one guy, Its just not worth it.
    Put it this way, most teams would rather have three good players opposed to one great one. Besides, no NFL player is bulletproof, Injuries do happen and if it happens when you have 56 million dollars sunk into one player, your screwed. Williams has put himself into that risk category because of his price, most teams you’ll see will stay away from him this year. Even though he is an elite player, only one or two teams will go after him.

  21. Idiots, they never do anything in free agency! Oh yeah, a few years back they got Chancey Stuckey, daaaaa

  22. This is no surprise, H&H have not over spent on FA since they took over. Stick to the plan, build through the draft.

  24. Sooooo….the plan is to stay mediocre? Ok. good to know. At least Cleveland fan can still pop in “Major League” if they need cheering up.

  25. Bring Super Mario to Philly, THEN trade Babin for a 1st or 2nd rounder. Birds run defense instantly gets better.

  27. They won’t go after quality FAs. Clowntown is where old fat vets go to pad their 401Ks. At least they are good for 2 wins per year for the rest of the AFCN!

  28. I love how, no matter who the braintrust in Cleveland is, it’s always the same mindset: “We’re not going to go after or spend money on any FAs that could actually have an impact here, and we’re going to pass on playmakers in the draft, too. We’re gonna fool everyone. We know something all the other teams don’t, etc., etc.” as the Browns turn another .300 season.

    Then you hear Heckert talk about how the Packers have won a Super Bowl through the draft and haven’t had to sign FAs, etc. Well, that’s great. That seems to work for them- but it HASN’T worked in Cleveland, has it? Not for years and years.

    God forbid that, after years of this same do-nothing approach every offseason, they might try something different. That doesn’t mean go crazy like the Eagles or Redskins- it means AGGRESSIVELY go after one or two high impact, in demand FAs —and GET that playmaker in the draft at any possible cost! Jeez louise, at least try it for a year or two. If it makes no difference in the W/L column, I won’t bring it up again, mmm’k?

  30. The general thrust of these comments is that:
    (1) The Browns totally suck, have lots of holes and won’t be competitive for years;
    (2) The Browns should therefore blow all of their cap space on one guy.
    Does this make sense to anyone? I see similar comments in the various RG3 threads … people keep saying that the Browns should trade their whole draft for one unproven kid QB. Look, folks, the Browns have got LOTS of holes to fill. Throwing away all of their draft picks or cap space on one guy makes absolutely no sense at this point in the process.

  31. 3 of 9 is not the whole draft. No big free agents are interested in the Browns because we have a horrible QB. There are several that have stated that to their agents. Come to Cleveland where we play Benny Hill music after we snap the ball. Watch Colt misread a defense, throw a pick, and watch us kick some field goals.
    Last year we had 1 more point than when we re-started in 1999
    STOP GOING TO THE GAMES. THEY NEED TO EARN US BACK

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