There is no secret that the fans and city of Cleveland, Ohio have been starved for a contender in the NFL for a long time now. In 2007 the Cleveland Browns gave their fans a glimpse at what may be by going 10-6 and shocking the entire football world. As the team heads into the 2008 season they are clearly on the rise and with their recent free agent signings and trades the team seems poised to make a run at the playoffs and dare we say the Super Bowl in 2008. What we want to know is the price they are paying too high?

The team acquired to solid veteran defensive linemen in Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers earlier this week via trades with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions respectively. In doing so the Cleveland Browns traded a way their 2nd and 3rd round draft picks in the 2008 NFL Draft. many pundits will say that is o.k. because draft picks are a crap shoot and you don't know what you'll get anyway. At least with Williams and Rogers you have proven players in the NFL. Though that statement has some validity it does not come without doubt as well. Neither Williams or Rogers has ever played in a 3-4 at the NFL level so the Browns really don't know what they have in either of them. The deal they worked for Rogers makes him the highest paid DT in the NFL surpassing a deal struck by the Raiders and Tommy Kelly earlier in the week. Certainly a lot of money for a player who has been tagged as "lazy" at times and has trouble with his conditioning.

The draft picks were not the only thing the Browns gave up though. Collectively Williams and Rogers have signed deals this week with the Browns for million dollars, million or so in guaranteed money. The deals are both for 6 years so the cap hit for their signing bonuses can be spread out and more then likely the deals will get re-worked and never see the end, but what kind of cap situation does that leave the club in looking ahead? It won't be an issue if Williams and Rogers play up to the contracts, but that may be asking a lot considering the deals are quite hefty and neither has a history playing in the 3-4.

The Browns also went out and signed free agent WR Donte Stallworth to a 7 year deal with million in guarantees. Without a doubt a move the team needed to make as they search for a legitimate #2 WR so they can move and aging and rumored to be retiring soon, Joe Jurevicius, into the slot as the teams #3 WR. The concern is Stallworth is now on his 4th team in 27 months and he has never eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark in any single season of his career. Stallworth's deal is scheduled to pay him million over 7 years, but like Williams and Rogers he won't ever see the end of that deal.

Add in the teams re-signing of their own free agents RB Jamal Lewis and QB Derek Anderson and the Browns have spent a small fortune this off-season.

Kudos must be given to Browns G.M. Phil Savage and team owner Randy Lerner. They have clearly realized that they are close and a few more pieces could get them somewhere the franchise has never been, a Super Bowl. The question will be this, did they spend too much and how will it impact them down the road? The team not only will be limited in cap space down the road, but they will also be without the services of a 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick they would have had in 2008.

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