Ok well on day one Phil landed a potential franchise QB, a stud LT, and a stud CB, both of whome will make immediate impacts. The GMs, ex-coaches, and players on NFL network are rating this job as maybe the best one done by any personnel guy in the NFL. I'm sure that many of you know better.
The second day yielded more depth at corner with upside, and three players they hope will eventually become real contributors DO YOU UNDERSTAND THEY ARE SIXTH AND SEVENTH ROUND DRAFT CHOICES DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
The kick returner/wide reciever dude is actually very talented, if not exactly a burner. He slid because he is a shortie: 5'8"--although he weighs 195. Steptoe! Yeah that's the guy! He's a longshot, but I think there's more to his selection than meets the eye.
The info I can get on him is sparse right now, but he caught a lot of passes and averaged over 10 yards per catch. As it stands, all the Browns front-line recievers are skyscrapers, and he is a smurf. Some of the Coaches I hear from like to mix in a smurf-type to keep a defense on it's heels.
Today, defenses commonly prioritize height in cornerbacks, and sometimes don't have a guy who can juke and jive with a smurf, who can get separation. Everybody else is already shovelling dirt on the dude, but I think it's possible I SAID POSSIBLE that he could show up here and there on third downs this season.
And for all I know, they might be looking at him as a third down BACK.
But yeah...longshot.
Now the two DE's are more interesting. Both are 274-278 lbs., but could get bigger. Both are tough against the run, and piled up nice total tackles and tackles for losses, showing good range and instincts for the position. Both only started a couple years.
Now Pittman--he will stand up to double-teams and is good at disengaging from blockers. The knocks against them are all based on his playing a 4-3 RDE--not a 3-4 DE. At the combine, he showed a surprising first step in the pass-rush, only exclusively went outside. But he was effective taking on blocks and tracking down the run.
He is solidly built but ill-defined, meaning he doesn't pump much iron. His strength is natural, and in it's football application, he takes on much bigger guys. He does absolutely have the tools to at least become a rotational DE here in a year or two DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
I have almost notheing on Purcell right now, but what I got suggests that he is similar. These are both guys who might get cut in training camp, or otherwise end up on the practice squad to emerge (or not) after at least one, and possibly a couple, seasons.
They were taken as projects. This is Phil taking calculated risks building emergent depth for the future. The future is, like, not yet. It hasn't occurred yet, and isn't happening now, either. Ok, well later on the sun will go down, and then...ah, nevermind. It's like describing colors to blind people.
Now I can't wait for the unsigned free agents. There are always some gems there. In fact here, they often bump the sixth and seventh rounders off the roster. Then, there will be another round of free agents. Might be some decent depth or rent-a-starters there, too.
Also, I always notice stuff others don't--especially when pinching pennies:
Phil surrendered the first round draft pick next season to move up for Quinn. Well, this means he won't have to PAY that guy. He can spend that money on another stud veteran free agent, see?
This needn't actually hurt the team at all.
Check out what New England is doing. They're really good drafting, yes, but here they just grabbed Randy Moss. Lavernius Coles before, Daute Stallworth, a stud pass-catching TE--
By the way, they're going for all the marbles again. Amazing, aint it? This is what Savage is trying to do, and to do it the same way. If you EVER ONCE suggested that he was any part of the problem, you should be taken out and shot. (Nothing personal. It's about the gene pool.) He started right here, hired by Belichick.
And please quit saying "they haven't" done this or done that for like fifteen years. Savage and Crennel have only been here for a couple years. There isn't equipment installed in their offices brainwashing them to do exactly what Butch Davis, Palmer, or whoever the hell else did before they got here.
It's getting old, hearing Savage and Crennel bashed for stuff they had nothing to do with. Clear thinking. Logic. Please!
You stand corrected.
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