I see it as a key point in a team's evolution, do you try to ride out a wily vet, or cut bait and risk on a younger guy? It's been done before, but maybe not to the same degree. Calgary cut bait on Bo when he looked to be downgrading, and went with maier McCheese instead of losing him, the Packers cut bait on Favre and went with Rodgers. Happens lots. Hard decisions, but in retrospect probably the right ones- especially Rodgers. The Packers i recall were roasted early for that one. Then they made the decision to cut bait on Rodgers.
We were in a need for a reset/retool, and that cap space alone could have done wonders. Brown earned a starting shot with us or someone else.