Here are the players that I would like us to sign and draft.
QB
Johnny Manziel [Potential Trade] - There are two ways I could see us getting him. Either in a trade in which I would want to incorporate Josh Gordon somehow. I'd give the Browns maybe a 3rd or a 4th round pick for both Gordon and Manziel. If he were released, I would pick him up off of waivers and let him sit the next two years. He has flashed ability, and it would be worth bringing him in to see if he can mature and grow under Tony Romo. I think sometimes people forget this guy is still pretty young. I wouldn't write him off entirely yet. I think the key here is that he would be your 3rd guy. You would still want to get one of these other guys. 2 million dollars per year.
Robert Griffin III - As much as people dislike the guy, he also has ability. I don't think he ever got a fair shot in Washington, and in that I don't mean that Washington was unfair to him, he might have been just as responsible for that as anyone else. What I mean was he never got a real opportunity to grow as a QB in one system. Would be a great backup option. 4-5 million dollars per year.
Matt Moore - I think we've all liked this guy for a long time. He is the quintessential backup QB. Should have picked him up when we had the chance. 2.5 million dollars per year.
Kaepernick - If Kaepernick was available, I would certainly want him to be the #2. I'm guessing another team would want to start him though. I would cap out at about 6-7 million dollars per year. Wouldn't get him and Manziel though.
Any of these guys would help prevent us from reaching for a QB in the draft.
Low end total - 4.5 million
High end total - 7 million
RB
Lamar Miller - Miller excels in a ZBS and would do even better with improved blocking in Dallas compared to Miami. With assured carries, Miller could even be a star here. I would definitely get him, and probably even make him the starter over McFadden, who did a good job here this year, but never excelled in the ZBS. If we got Miller, I'd hope we wouldn't need to address RB high in the draft. I don't think Miller will break the bank either, as I think I've seen suggested here already. Probably 4-6 million per year.
Lance Dunbar - I think the front office isn't quite sure what to do with Dunbar. He will probably make a bit of bank on the open market given what he did in the first few games here, but there will be that question mark due to his injury. I'd at least like to see us resign him for one or two years. Miller, McFadden, Dunbar, would make for a good running back corp. Dunbar needs to know that running backs are a dime a dozen, especially with a deep market in the draft. 1.5 million dollars.
Low End Total - 10 million dollars
High End Total - 14.5 million dollars
WR
Alshon Jeffery - Doesn't have the speed I would like to enhance our offense, but does have the playmaking ability and would still require teams to account for him which would help open things up for our offense tremendously, especially if Miller is what we think he could be for us. Would help us with not having to draft a WR high in the draft. Signing him would basically mean forgoing replacing Hardy in free agency. That would be putting a lot of pressure and responsibility on Gregory, who really hasn't shown us that he can deliver. Probably give him 9-11 million per year.
Josh Gordon [Trade] - If we can't get Jeffery, Josh Gordon would be an interesting choice, it would mean we wouldn't have to draft a guy who might take two or three years to develop. We would have a top flight offense with him and Dez on opposite corners and if they could both stay out of trouble and stay healthy. I still think it is possible that the Browns cut ties with both he and Manziel altogether. In which I would offer him a one year prove it deal. His cost would depend mostly on how you get him, but lets say it was equivalent to the 2nd round tender of 2.5 million. We won't be going forward with this scenario anyways.
Scenario A
Low End Total - 19 million
High End Total - 25.5 million
Scenario B
Low End Total - 12.5 million
High End Total - 16.5 million
Safety
Tashaun Gipson - Weddle and Berry are the names most mentioned, but I would actually get Gipson if possible. I'm still not sure I would go after a free safety in free agency when I want Jones to play Free Safety, but if we could get Gipson for a better price than Weddle or Berry, perhaps we could afford to have two Free Safeties out there. He got a 2nd round tender last year that he played on this year. Very young and very talented player. Probably looking at 7-9 million per year.
Low End Total - 26 million
High End Total - 34.5 million
Defensive Tackle
Tony McDaniel - McDaniel would be an instant upgrade over Hayden, period point blank. After the defensive upheaval in Tampa, I doubt he would re-sign there. 1.5 million dollars
Low End Total - 27.5 million
High End Total - 36 million
Middle linebacker
Rolando McClain - I would resign him one more time, and try to see if he can give us a full year. 3 million dollars.
Low End Total - 30.5 million
High End Total - 39 million
You can probably get there by restructuring Dez Bryant and Tyron Smith. I'd like to see Romo and Witten do team friendly pay cuts as well as the high end figure here might be difficult to pull off without their help and honestly, I'd love to see us add in Mario Williams as well, and that might be doable given that those numbers are based on average salaries, not what their 2016 salaries would be.
