2018 NFL off-season thread: Mr. Alex Smith goes to Washington

I don't know if the Browns pick a QB at No. 1. If they like all three and think Barkley is a game-changing talent at running back, they could pick him first and know that one of the three will be there for them at No. 4

A QB will go at the No. 2 position, whether the Giants make that pick or not.

 

I'll be stunned if the Browns don't go with a QB at one.

And honestly, I would never ever take an RB with the first overall pick.

 

An 0-16 club should pick the player it thinks is best regardless of position at 1. The Giants have holes everywhere. They benched Eli, and he's like the 17th worst problem they have.

 

Except that you need to consider the impact they'll have on the team. Running backs are damn near interchangeable. Quarterbacks are not.

 

The Browns are going to get the player they want at one and in all likelihood get both the players they want based on the needs of the teams picking at 2 and 3.

If they think the three QBs are pretty much interchangeable, it won't matter which one they get because they are guaranteed to get one of them.

 

There are about 20 interchangeable starting QBs in the NFL right now. Are running backs as valuable as QBs as a whole? No. But some runners are more valuable than most quarterbacks. If you think a guy is at the Barry Sanders level, take him, because the odds are the QB you pick will be fortunate to reach the Kirk Cousins level -- and that's no knock on Cousins. He's a solid starter.

 

Yes. They have the luxury of taking a chance on Barkley at 1.

 

I was trying to figure out where the top 4 QBs would land in the current land of mediocrity. Blake Bortles and Tannehill come to mind a lot. Maybe Jamis Winston, perhaps a Garopollo. I don't see any of these four ending up in Canton with a yellow jacket.

 

The Cowboys disagree.

 

Ravens Williams Fends Off Potentially Dangerous Eye Disease

This story about Baltimore defensive tackle Brandon Williams having surgery to treat keratoconus in his right eye seems quite dramatic, especially the headline in which "Williams Fends Off Potentially Dangerous Eye Disease."

The more accurate term for it is condition, not disease. Keratoconus is a degenerative condition that can lead to blindness if left untreated, but this isn't new for Williams. He had the surgery on the left eye last year.

I am interested to find out more about the corrective procedure. I have the same condition and had to have a corneal transplant about 14 years ago. As with most patients, I have it in both eyes, but one was worse. A friend of mine from college who is an opthamologist called me when she learned about it in grad school. She told me that all she knew so far was that it was tricky enough that she never wanted me for a patient.

That said, even though my eye required a transplant and the condition can lead to blindness, I never thought that I had fended off a dangerous disease. Who knew!?

Back to the actual topic, the article suggests that it won't affect Williams at all on the field. I do wonder how much it will limit his conditioning. Often after a surgical procedure on the eye, patients have to go a significant period of time before they can lift heavy objects.

 

Steelers, safety Morgan Burnett agree on three-year deal

The Steelers signed former Packers safety Morgan Burnett to a three-year, $14.5 million deal. Seems like a solid move. Burnett will play strong safety, allowing Sean Davis to move to free. Anything that replaces Mike Mitchell, who was cut after a horrible season, is an upgrade.

 

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tommy Pham has the same condition and wears specialized contacts.