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Anyone else miss Hartline at OC ????

Jack Duffin posts two good reads.


Click on the links to see the table illustrations.

First Article:
March 11th 2027 - The New League Year & The Day The Cleveland Browns Cut Deshaun Watson by Jack Duffin September 14

We know when Deshaun Watson will depart Cleveland. It is just a waiting game until the new league year in 2027.

It is a matter of weeks and months until Deshaun Watson departs the Cleveland Browns, March 11th, 2027, to be exact. Despite many people believing he is a free agent after the 2026 season, that is not the case. In March 2024, I hypothesized in an article that it would help the Cleveland Browns significantly if they managed to get Watson and his agent to agree to add a dummy year to his contract for 2027. Then in December 2024 they did exactly that. So what is a dummy year, why did they do it, and what does it mean?
Deshaun Watson's Contract

When looking at Watson's contract, we have five years of equal pay. The team and the agent agreed on this. The two most important numbers in a contract are cash and guarantees; the cap number is third and significantly less important, as it can be manipulated.

2022 - $46m (fully guaranteed)

2023 - $46m (fully guaranteed)

2024 - $46m (fully guaranteed)

2025 - $46m (fully guaranteed)

2026 - $46m (fully guaranteed)

Here is what happens if you look at it on the salary cap if you are just restructuring the deal to the max, I have color-coded each of the $46m payments so you can follow them through the contract.

A 'Dummy Year'

How a 'dummy year' works is that it is an entirely new contract year for 2027. It would have the minimum base salary, so $1,345,000 and then a $200m base salary in 2029 if he is on the team the third day of the 2027 league year. This allows the team to give him a post-June 1st cut once the new league year starts (11th March 2027) and spread this final dead cap over two years. In theory, it could be a $1bn roster bonus; they just want something large enough in there that the team will cut that player. The team just needs to get to the first day of the new league year to do a post-June 1st cut, making the move before the money is guaranteed.

Adding this dummy year (which they have used in the contracts of Clowney & Smith before and is common for salary cap manipulation) is especially useful with departing quarterbacks. This means in 2027 they are only dealing with the prorated money from this one season, and then in 2028 they have all the money from future years to deal with. The downside is you don't get a compensation pick, but I hardly doubt Watson is going to get the Cleveland Browns one.

What Does This Mean For Watson?

This change to the contract means nothing really for Watson; he was still due the $46m each of the five years and this has not changed. Even with normal restructures, it will rarely change the payment date when the player receives the money; this is a common myth about the salary cap that they get it all up front.

Without this change, the Cleveland Browns would have gotten no benefit from keeping him on the roster for the 2026 season. With this change, they can save significant salary cap space in exchange for a roster spot in 2026.
What Does This Mean For The Salary Cap?

Whatever way you structured the Watson contract, it was going to cost you $230m of cash and $230m of cap space; your choice is how it sits on the salary cap by pushing it into future years. Let us look at backloading versus cash equals cap. I have done an 8% increase of the cap for the future, which is what you would expect - if not more. By restructuring the deal each year, the same $230m costs you 12.71% less of salary cap by spreading out these cap hits. The key thing to remember with the restructure is that you don't have to spend that money now; everything created rolls into next year. That creates natural flexibility and is the key framework of their spending philosophy.

Conclusion

Once they get to the 2027 season and Watson is no longer being paid by the Cleveland Browns, the salary cap will be around $325m and with their sustainable model, they can be looking at a cash spend of around $390m with nothing going to Watson. These dead cap charges are no issue at all because these new contracts will be backloaded on the salary cap like the others, and they can be in Super Bowl contention as long as they can find an answer at quarterback.

No one is arguing they are better suited to not pay this money to Deshaun Watson. They need to find an answer at quarterback, and that comes through the draft in 2027. With the young core of players, a collection of draft assets remaining and money to spend on free agents, trades and extensions, they are in a good roster-building position.

The 2027 season should be about confirming the rookie quarterback is good and battling to make the playoffs. In 2028 ,they should continue their progression and be back to winning playoff games (unlike the Steelers). Anything less should result in a new General Manager.

Second Article:

Can The Cleveland Browns Extend Deshaun Watson With His $200m Poison Pill Contract by Jack Duffin September 30

Back in December 2024 the Cleveland Browns added a $200m poison pill into Deshaun Watson's contract. This created a dummy year, giving them the ability to cut him as a Post June 1st cut on the 11th of March 2027. But if they want to extend him down the line, how does that work?

This is a question I have regularly been getting since Watson's great performance in week two. I don't believe anyone is considering rushing into a Deshaun Watson extension, as that feels like a decision for after the 2026 season. But what people have been wanting to know is how it would look and how it would work. So let's dive into this.

I'm going to use the numbers with no suspension or insurance changes so that it makes it much easier to read and follow what is happening.
Deshaun Watson's Initial Contract

Here is the initial deal, $46m every year. Restructured to spread the salary cap hits out and give the team maximum flexibility.

Dummy Year/Poison Pill Changes

In December 2024, the Cleveland Browns asked Deshaun Watson's camp to amend his contract. This was to allow them to 'extend' his contract by a few days so that he could be a Post June 1st cut in March 2027 rather than becoming a free agent two days earlier. This means they can split the 2027 dead cap across the 2027 and 2028 season.

The mechanism to do this is either called adding a dummy year or adding a poison pill clause into the contract. It says if he is on the team on the 13th March 2027 they will guarantee him $200m in the 2029 season. He is never going to see this money but it just gives him certainty they will be cutting him.

Here are the changes/impact for all sides:

Watson - he is a free agent two/three days later

Browns - they can split his dead cap over two years but they lose the ability for Watson to qualify as part of the comp pick formula (they aren't likely to get any anyway as they will add more free agents than lose them, I will write more on comp picks later in the season)

What An Extension Would Look Like

If they want to extend Watson, they actually get longer than they initially would. Other players can negotiate with the rest of the league during the 'legal tampering period' on the 9th of March 2027. Watson can't do this until he is cut, so the Browns can hold exclusive negotiating rights up until the 12th of March, as they can cut him on the 11th or 12th.

Let's say they agree to extend him to a one year, $7m deal. The dummy year/poison pill is automatically removed because a new contract automatically supersedes any future spending agreement. Past money that was paid in base salary, restructures, options bonus etc doesn't change. The salary cap cost in 2027 and 2028 go up by $7m in total.

They would likely put a dummy year back into the contract for 2028 when doing the extension, giving them even more flexibility. The salary cap impact of adding a $7m extension to his current deal is laid out below.

2027: Up $2,476,000
2028: Down $25,698,000
2029: Up $30,222,000

You are taking the current 2028 number and spreading it over two years instead. Despite what people have tried to claim, you don't extend Watson to a $7m deal to help manage the salary cap. You only do it because you believe he is worth the $7m and better than the other options you can find as a bridge quarterback on the open market. Just because players are free agents, they might not want to come to Cleveland who will be drafting a quarterback, Daniel Jones chose the Colts over other teams because they promised him no quarterback would be drafted high.

Ex-US congressman sentenced to 10 years in prison for $50m lobbying scheme

A former US congressman has been sentenced to 10 years in a federal prison for money laundering and working as an undeclared foreign agent.

David Rivera, 61, who was elected as a Florida Republican, was found guilty in May after a seven-week trial heard Venezuela's state-run oil company hired his consulting firm to lobby members of Congress to help improve US relations with Venezuela.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a former housemate of Rivera, and Texas congressman Pete Sessions both testified to the court that they had no idea about his activities.

Defence lawyers had said the lobbying was for a US subsidiary of the oil company, not the Venezuelan government.

Rivera's associate, political consultant Esther Nuhfer, who was tried alongside him, was also found guilty in the case.

As a part of his sentence, Rivera, who served in Congress from 2011-13, must also forfeit his Florida properties.

Federal prosecutors in Florida said Rivera and Nuhfer engaged in a "secret political influence campaign", receiving a $50m (£37m) contract for three months of work on behalf of a US-based subsidiary of Venezuelan state oil firm PDVSA, which is also known as Citgo.

Prosecutors alleged that, in 2017 and 2018, at the behest of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, Rivera and Nuhfer attempted to lobby Rubio - then still a senator and former housemate of Rivera - as well as Kellyanne Conway, a former senior White House adviser.

The lobbying came during a moment of tense relations between the US and Venezuela, during President Donald Trump's first term in the White House when his administration imposed sanctions on the South American country.

Defence lawyers for Rivera and Nuhfer argued that the pair did not need to register as foreign agents because their contract was with a US-based subsidiary of a Venezuelan state company.

But Judge Melissa Damian said during Friday's sentencing: "There's no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime."

Rubio, who was not implicated in the wrongdoing, testified during the trial that he was close friends with Rivera but was unaware he was working as a lobbyist.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/ex-us-congressman-sentenced-10-210508771.html

Your tax dollars at work by commercials boasting about trump and demonizing the other side. But one thing we can count on, the GOP will pretend The Hatch Act doesn't exist.

So trump's FCC goes after talk shows over equal time of political parties and then trump says this........

Trump says ‘MAGA and REAL Patriots’ will never like Fox News over hosting Democrats

President Trump on Wednesday went after Fox News over hosting Democrats on its network, with the president saying “MAGA, and REAL Patriots will never like Fox!”

“Why does FoxNews always put Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Jessica Tarlov, and every Democrat on, saying bad things about the Republican Party and, of course, me?” the president said in a Wednesday afternoon Truth Social post.

“I actually think they get more airtime than Pro Republicans. This is why MAGA, and REAL Patriots, will never like Fox! They repeat a completely negative narrative, on and on it goes, and then we get a quick retort. It’s truly amazing that I won all three Elections,” he added, repeating his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election.

Trump has a long history of attacking the media and press outlets, but Fox News has a history of being praised by the president, and he has also hired former Fox News personalities for his administration.

Last month, Trump went after “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream because of on-air guests, charts and polls he claimed did not show off successful actions by his administration.

“In any event, Shannon’s ‘show’ is beyond redemption. Fortunately, MAGA, which is close to 100% of the Republican Party, understands that, and watch her ‘Ratings’ start to fall,” Trump said on Truth Social at the time.

“Chris Wallace was bad, but Shannon is even worse,” he added, referring to her predecessor.

Fox News is also one of the major TV networks that rotate covering the president for wider media distribution and recently said it would not do so after Trump barred three media outlets from the White House earlier this month.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/...riFgIjtphGygU_aem_jEoi_Ck5tsGOMXqX8h7o9g

So Trump's own FCC launches punitive threats against what they claim to be the left wing news media for not giving equal time to Republicans on one hand. Then trump himself lambastes a conservative network tor giving Democrats equal time. Yet from people who support trump they act like this is no big deal and never mention it.

Hope this is accurate... bring him back slowly. Kid gloves.

I'm trying to watch Bama play football and instead I have a snake oil salesman spewing absolute and utter [censored] ....

And there are folks who still support this buffon.

Jared Kushner tied to new 'alarming' deal day after he blasted 'misleading' scandal story
Bennito Kelty
October 3, 2026 9:34AM ET
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Jared Kushner tied to new 'alarming' deal day after he blasted 'misleading' scandal story
Steve Witkoff, US. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, during a Board of Peace panel at the Whitby Hotel, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 23, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan

Jared Kushner's questionable ties to a deal he helped negotiate are again in the spotlight a day after he spoke out to defend himself.


On Saturday, The New York Times reported that Kushner's business partners stand to profit from a Russian oil deal he helped broker. A day earlier, Kushner took to X to blast a CNN report scrutinizing his business dealings in Israel.

Talks between the Trump administration and Russia over ending the war in Ukraine have widened to include a multibillion-dollar sale of international assets owned by Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil companies, the Times reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the deal during a September 5 Kremlin meeting with Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the report.

ALSO READ: 'MAGA morons' and 'insanity': Retiring GOP senator unleashes ruthless Trump onslaught


The leading group bidding for Lukoil's assets includes Trump megadonor Todd Boehly, a federal agency and two Middle Eastern investment groups with business ties to Kushner or Witkoff's family. One is a Qatar-based conglomerate run by brothers Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, who have partnered with Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, on a luxury resort in Albania.

Another member of the group is a fund controlled by Emirati national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose separate fund Lunate ranks among the biggest backers of Kushner's private equity firm.

The Times found no sign that Kushner or Witkoff would personally profit. But a senior administration official confirmed both men had a direct hand in shaping the federal government's financial stake, pushing for a "substantial upfront payment and profits interest for the United States."


Hui Chen, a former Justice Department prosecutor and ethics adviser, raised red flags about the arrangement.

"This is an alarming and very concerning set of entanglements," Chen told the Times. "And it means you have to question how the Trump administration is evaluating the different bidders involved here. Are the personal interests involved going to wrongly influence the outcome?"

The revelations land one day after Kushner went on the offensive against CNN, which reported Thursday that his firm Affinity Partners is the top shareholder in an Israeli financial company invested in suppliers to Israel's military. CNN noted it found no evidence his diplomacy affected those holdings.


"For the last 10 years, I have ignored false and misleading stories about me and focused on the work," Kushner posted on X Friday. He called CNN's story "deeply misleading" and vowed to start publicly rebutting coverage he views as inaccurate.

https://www.rawstory.com/jared-kushner-russia-new-report/

Nobody likes seeing a player get injured. But considering the alternatives in this situation this is great news! Thanks mac.

You know, I actually share your views and concerns as it applies to watson, his play for the rest of the season and the long term picture of the QB position once this season ends. I don't worry so much how watson "feels" about how he has been treated. Given his back story when he got here and how he has played since he's been here, he earned what he got the past four years. You win and the fans love you. You stink up the joint and they won't. That's the nature of the beast as an NFL player and especially at the QB position. He needs to put his big boy panties on and deal with that.

But right now I'm not going to worry about or concern myself with all of that. I think when Bone said let the season play out that's where I'm at. Then I'll worry about all of that. And maybe as the season plays out things will devolve to the point I will worry about it sooner.

But for now? Damn this is fun! I haven't actually enjoyed watching the Browns this much at this point in the season for a very long time! Watching these young kids grow, develop and turn into major contributors is wonderful. Watching this group win as a team with all parts of the team contributing to this success is how I've always thought it was supposed to work and I'm seeing that happen with my own eyes.

I'm generally a person who tries to look down the road and plan ahead. To try and see problems that might arise and make contingency plans. But not this time. This time I'm going to enjoy the ride as long as it keeps going. It's been too long since I've been able to do that.

I agree with Home and Bone.. let it play out !

It is great to see Browns fans enjoying Browns football... BUT, as Browns fans know, the good feeling that goes with winning can change in a heartbeat.

I still believe this team will struggle and be challenged every week but I am encouraged by the improvement shown by players week to week. The coaching staff is putting in the necessary work to shape the team.

There are issues that need to be addressed such as penalties and turnovers ..don't beat yourself..!

Browns fans..enjoy this moment ...

I agree let it play out. I want to keep winning. I want us to win a Super Bowl. No matter what I still believe we will draft a QB in the 1st round in '27 if there is one worth taking. Even if we sign DW for a few more years, which I doubt, I don't think Shedeur is the future FQB. JMO

Apparently trump thinks the Constitution is a radical left rag.

I think you are correct - and I don't disagree. But it is odd to think someone got paid $230 million guaranteed and can feel they weren't treated well!! Especially given the performances we witnessed until this year.

I am not jumping on board the DW hype - yet.

Let the season play out. It would be great to keep winning. I hope we do.

I hope DW continues to improve and gain confidence. Let it play out.

DW could still crash and burn or get injured. You can get humbled quickly in football.

At the end of the season the evidence will dictate what to do.

I think you are correct - and I don't disagree. But it is odd to think someone got paid $230 million guaranteed and can feel they weren't treated well!! Especially given the performances we witnessed until this year.

I doubt he would sign back with Cleveland. Deserved or not, he hasn't been treated well here so I seriously doubt he would sign another contract with the Browns. That is mostly from the fans and possibly media. I don't know how he has been treated by teammates and FO.

I know this sounds sick but I'm almost counting on him getting injured at some point. I said in another thread (maybe the prediction thread?) a while back that the worst case scenario for this team was DW actually playing like it's a contract year and we end up thoroughly outside of top QB territory and then he just saunters away. The ultimate F U.

I simply cannot imagine us resigning him, from either side. But mostly his side. There's literally zero reason for him to NOT test free agency thoroughly. With all the ugliness of the last 4 years, I just can't imagine him wanting to come back here if he's got a bunch of other choices. Even if it's been great this year with this team, Miami floats a contract and he goes. If he looks like old DW for the balance of the season, he'll have a lot of choices. This is a Browns are damned if he sucks, damned if he plays well situation. This would have been great any other year but this year.

Of course I want to win. And I know how freaking hard it is to find a winner. I loathe the whole story of DW and the Browns. But would I support the team doing it... yea probably. I would be always expecting the other shoe to drop with him. He'd sign and blow his achilles for the third time on the first day of practice. And the league would laugh and laugh and laugh. I would to. Thru the tears.

All we can do is wait. I love winning, I love the energy on the team right now. I know it's important for the young guys to taste this. But I admit I feel mixed. I feel like a guy who's out at 2am tying one on with friends, just going with the flow, having a blast and drinking it up with no end in sight but knowing I got court for a DWI first thing in the morning. Should probably put it to bed, but I'm having fun, so Se la vie!

Do you even bother to read anything before you reply?

How about go back to their own country where they belong. If they want to come here, do it legally. Then they can get a job and work for their health care.

Even with how he is playing, I have a REALLY hard time imagining Berry signing himself up for round 2 of that.

President Trump is expected to name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as the White House’s artificial intelligence czar, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Professional Career

• Sullivan & Cromwell: Spent over two decades as a partner at the law firm, specializing in mergers, acquisitions, and capital-raising.

• SEC Chairman (2017–2020): Led the Securities and Exchange Commission during Donald Trump's first presidential term.

• Private Sector: Served as lead independent director for Apollo Global Management and board member for American Express.

• U.S. Attorney (2025–2026): Served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he oversaw high-profile cases like the narco-terrorism indictment of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

• Director of National Intelligence (2026–Present): Nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate to oversee the nation's intelligence community.

It sounds as if he has an extensive career to be an AI czar. Totally qualified and highly versed with a long background in and knowledge of AI.

Jesus never said anything about how it should be paid for at all. He simply said you will be judged by how you treat them. I don't think denying them healthcare is treating them well. Our actions and beliefs are always tied into Jesus.

Talk about illegals? What countries did Jesus say people are from that they should be treated differently than anyone else? What about "welcome the stranger"? We have laws to deport people who are here illegally. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for traditional Medicaid, Medicare, or federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. You can stop with your straw man BS any time now. I know you would love to separate your religious beliefs from your political ones because many of the "Murica!" and "Freedumb!" beliefs are so very unchristian like. That's not the way any of this works.

So if the taxpayers shouldn't pay for their healthcare what do you propose? Letting people die in the streets? A decent person wouldn't even promote denying a dog get medical help when needed. What would Jesus do?

The only way they would be able to bring him back is to sign him to a multiyear deal and structure it like they did in 2022 where most of the money is back owed, so the majority of that contract hits the cap after the past restructures are done. Then there will be huge cap hits then. It is not impossible but very unlikely.