As often as not, a quarterback won't attempt over seventeen passes in a game. Now we have a quarterback with seventeen drops...
OK let's review: IF IT HITS YOU IN THE HANDS, CHEST, OR FACEMASK IT IS C A T C H A B L E DO YOU UNDERSTAND????
Tom Brady threw for over five hundred yards the a couple weeks ago. Go check out the highlights, dammit. How many marshmellows did he throw?
You can throw a marshmellow when your reciever is wide open, or when you need to loop it over a defender. When a defender is on your reciever, you have to put the ball where the reciever and only the reciever can catch it. Sometimes that's low or high or he has to lunge or dive for it DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
If you would watch the damn game with your Braydee-loving heart disengaged and your criticly thinking cortex engaged you would see mostly VERY accurate DA passes which are D R O P P E D.
Please please please don't hop up and down pointing at ONE idiotic interception and say "same old DA" or act like that ONE DAMN PASS negates all the accurate throws, including the SEVENTEEN WHICH WERE D R O P P E D.
Drop: To release, allow to fall, fail to hold onto.
When it's Quinn, you're bashing the flutterballs and marshmellows. When it's DA, you're blaming him for a bunch of stone-handed boobs who can't hold onto a damn football.
So when you watch this game, please turn off the emotions and see what is there, period. Don't start rationalizing, and take it one play at a time. It hit him in the hands. It was hard...but not THAT hard. It was NOT the quarterback's fault. Not even partly. It was all on the reciever.
After the third or fourth time, you will WANT to start rationalizing. This is when you need to replay the previous drops in your head, and your judgements each time. Also at this time, review what a drop is: It hit them in the chest, hands, or facemask. After ten or twelve more, when you hear Quinnbots declaring DA a failure, think about it.
Eman, when the reciever turns around he is supposed to be ready for the ball. Just AS he turns is exactly when the ball is supposed to get there. That's the whole IDEA!!! The defender has ZERO chance to interfere, and is an extra step away so that the reciever can have a chance to evade his tackle.
Look at old 49ers films, or even Kardiac Kids tapes. Rice turns with his hands already reaching and there it is.
OK now for some other stuff: Massequoi looks real good except for the drops. He's dropping only about one out of three, I think. Cribbs only dropped one.
Rodgers (whose name is spelled with the "d"...unlike Shawn Rogers, whose name does not have a "d" in it)...gets sacked a lot. Wimbley should be back and they'll have to play Adams more so let's go git him.
I took the Browns and ten. Yeah I'm a dumbass. Okbye.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
NINE DROPS and Reality
Cut it out with the "touch" crap in swirling wind with 40 mph gusts, you idjuts! These clowns get paid a whole lot of money to do ONE THING, which is to catch passes. HARD passes, soft passes, high and low passes. Two hands+one ball= catch PERIOD DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
What the hell hallucinations were you seeing with this "behind" and "low" crap? The ONE he threw deep got taken by the wind--most of the rest were PERFECT, and a couple more were NOT QUITE perfect...oh...for YOU, with DA this means "uncatchable"...
Yeah. I mean, he would have had to crouch down a little, or lean or something...can't have that!
WIND. 40 mph gusts. You don't freaking LOB anything in that weather. Remember he's NOT supposed to throw picks, right? So now you bash him for no touch because he zips it INTO A HIGH WIND?!? He's supposed to throw marshmellows up in the air and hope they float down somewhere near the target?
It was NINE drops! Not seven. A drop is defined as any ball that a PROFESSIONAL NFL reciever gets BOTH HANDS on, ok? That's NINE. NINE drops out of seventeen passes, with three (I think) batted at the line. NINE CATCHABLE BALLS were dropped!!!
Man, you just had your mind made up and saw what you wanted to see! Some of the writers even bashed DA for the bat-downs...again he's supposed to throw it up in the wind...but simultaneously NOT throw interceptions JEEZ!!!
Give me 66% or six of those DROPS and you've got eight completions. Not fifty percent, of course...but probably another TD and certainly a bunch more points!
Hard to believe that different recievers all dropped everything at once. Much easier to simply blame the common denominator. I mean, you see a pass bounce off numbers or zing through two hands, and you first think: "Damn that reciever reminds me of Edwards!"
Ten seconds later it was the QB's fault. After all, this was the sixth one. Therefore, it MUST be the quarterback's fault. Why, he must be throwing too hard! I seem to remember he used to do that, therefore the problem must be that I was just seeing those passes wrong, and they were way too hard for any human to catch!!!
Yeah, that must be it!
So how do I write about this? Well, we use good old "but" a lot. "DA was victimized by nine...no make that numer....no....several drops, BUT--" and then talk about how he lacks touch and was all 0ver the place. (This way, you get to bash everybody equally).
Wake up. Here's the deal: There's no nuance or abstraction here. When you see a reciever NOT have to turn around or dive or leap, and the ball goes off or through his hands, it's HIS fault and HIS fault alone. That's even IF it were true that DA threw everything 90 mph, which he did NOT.
He was ACCURATE. VERY ACCURATE. MORE ACCURATE THAN QUINN.
And NINE of those incompletions were not his fault. Of COURSE he'll still start. You won't hear a word out of Quinn, either, because HE knows what he saw, too.
Look at the highlights. Mangini will get those clowns on the juggs machine, and if they can CATCH on-the-freaking-money passes vs. the Stoolers they'll have a chance.
And why are you wallowing over one segment of the game? What about the running game vs. a stacked front? What about protection, overall defense, and special teams? You guys all act like the whole damn team is DA and Edwards' legacies!
What about Corey Williams? Damn he was all over the place just like Rogers! Wimbley got his third sack. We HAVE a DEFENSE now!
Yeah-yeah the Stoolers don't give 'em much of a chance, and they probably lose. But not as bad as you think--this defense is coming together now, and will soon be really damn good.
Eman? You had your mind made up. I saw a much-improved DA. We'll see who is right.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
What the hell hallucinations were you seeing with this "behind" and "low" crap? The ONE he threw deep got taken by the wind--most of the rest were PERFECT, and a couple more were NOT QUITE perfect...oh...for YOU, with DA this means "uncatchable"...
Yeah. I mean, he would have had to crouch down a little, or lean or something...can't have that!
WIND. 40 mph gusts. You don't freaking LOB anything in that weather. Remember he's NOT supposed to throw picks, right? So now you bash him for no touch because he zips it INTO A HIGH WIND?!? He's supposed to throw marshmellows up in the air and hope they float down somewhere near the target?
It was NINE drops! Not seven. A drop is defined as any ball that a PROFESSIONAL NFL reciever gets BOTH HANDS on, ok? That's NINE. NINE drops out of seventeen passes, with three (I think) batted at the line. NINE CATCHABLE BALLS were dropped!!!
Man, you just had your mind made up and saw what you wanted to see! Some of the writers even bashed DA for the bat-downs...again he's supposed to throw it up in the wind...but simultaneously NOT throw interceptions JEEZ!!!
Give me 66% or six of those DROPS and you've got eight completions. Not fifty percent, of course...but probably another TD and certainly a bunch more points!
Hard to believe that different recievers all dropped everything at once. Much easier to simply blame the common denominator. I mean, you see a pass bounce off numbers or zing through two hands, and you first think: "Damn that reciever reminds me of Edwards!"
Ten seconds later it was the QB's fault. After all, this was the sixth one. Therefore, it MUST be the quarterback's fault. Why, he must be throwing too hard! I seem to remember he used to do that, therefore the problem must be that I was just seeing those passes wrong, and they were way too hard for any human to catch!!!
Yeah, that must be it!
So how do I write about this? Well, we use good old "but" a lot. "DA was victimized by nine...no make that numer....no....several drops, BUT--" and then talk about how he lacks touch and was all 0ver the place. (This way, you get to bash everybody equally).
Wake up. Here's the deal: There's no nuance or abstraction here. When you see a reciever NOT have to turn around or dive or leap, and the ball goes off or through his hands, it's HIS fault and HIS fault alone. That's even IF it were true that DA threw everything 90 mph, which he did NOT.
He was ACCURATE. VERY ACCURATE. MORE ACCURATE THAN QUINN.
And NINE of those incompletions were not his fault. Of COURSE he'll still start. You won't hear a word out of Quinn, either, because HE knows what he saw, too.
Look at the highlights. Mangini will get those clowns on the juggs machine, and if they can CATCH on-the-freaking-money passes vs. the Stoolers they'll have a chance.
And why are you wallowing over one segment of the game? What about the running game vs. a stacked front? What about protection, overall defense, and special teams? You guys all act like the whole damn team is DA and Edwards' legacies!
What about Corey Williams? Damn he was all over the place just like Rogers! Wimbley got his third sack. We HAVE a DEFENSE now!
Yeah-yeah the Stoolers don't give 'em much of a chance, and they probably lose. But not as bad as you think--this defense is coming together now, and will soon be really damn good.
Eman? You had your mind made up. I saw a much-improved DA. We'll see who is right.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
Monday, September 21, 2009
OK Now We Really ARE All Gonna Die
but it doesn't bother us earthlings...err...people who live on this planet and not in some unreal utopian paradise...much.
We never expected more than 6-8 wins out of this team, and firthermore expected the first 3-4 games to be pretty rough. Rookie center making all the line-calls, semi-rookie quarterback, all new people (and butterfingers) at reciever, Lewis aging, new systems, etc.
I admit I did expect the Browns to whup Denver, and for Quinn to look a lot better than he did. But then, I never expected them to go toe-to-toe with Minnesota for their inaugural first half.
Sure, the bad misses by Quinn are alarming. Especially since he never was all that accurate. However, I cna say the same of him as I've said of Edwards: He HAS looked a lot better, and this proves his capacity.
Good for Mangini for having a long leash. Quinn knows that DA is waiting in the wings, but he's being given a good long test-drive.
And then, the offense is probably extra-conservative in an effort to protect the inexperienced quarterback. It sould open up a little now, since it has to, or else enemy defenses will throw out picnic blankets in his backfield.
Still, accuracy aside, some criticisms of Quinn are presumptuous and ignorant. When he has no time, NATURALLY he will get rid of it early, and usually to a short reciever. When a guy is IN FRONT OF your only viable reciever, running step-for-step with him, you put the ball where your guy can get it if he dives, but the bad guy can't pick it off DUHDUHDUH...
And a certain writer needs to be reminded that words are his business, and that pass was actually catchable. "No where near" does not mean six inches off the fingertips, ok?
Don't get me wrong. I was very disappointed in Quinn and am very nervous about him. But it's just way way way too early to bring gavels down. You've got to remember that Roethsenberger, Flacco, et al had very strong defenses and solid running offenses. This offense is new, and evidently has a distinct weakness at right tackle, among other things.
I don't think that DA would be much better, since he too would be sacked right and left and have no time. He too would spend much of his time in third-and-longs. If you think he'd go deep more--maybe. If he's willing to throw it high, and a split second before getting decked.
But yeah...HE might be the QB of the future.
MAYBE.
I'll keep watching them stumble around, waiting patiently for them to take their first steps and make it across the room to me. That's what you do with infants...here on this planet, anyway.
We never expected more than 6-8 wins out of this team, and firthermore expected the first 3-4 games to be pretty rough. Rookie center making all the line-calls, semi-rookie quarterback, all new people (and butterfingers) at reciever, Lewis aging, new systems, etc.
I admit I did expect the Browns to whup Denver, and for Quinn to look a lot better than he did. But then, I never expected them to go toe-to-toe with Minnesota for their inaugural first half.
Sure, the bad misses by Quinn are alarming. Especially since he never was all that accurate. However, I cna say the same of him as I've said of Edwards: He HAS looked a lot better, and this proves his capacity.
Good for Mangini for having a long leash. Quinn knows that DA is waiting in the wings, but he's being given a good long test-drive.
And then, the offense is probably extra-conservative in an effort to protect the inexperienced quarterback. It sould open up a little now, since it has to, or else enemy defenses will throw out picnic blankets in his backfield.
Still, accuracy aside, some criticisms of Quinn are presumptuous and ignorant. When he has no time, NATURALLY he will get rid of it early, and usually to a short reciever. When a guy is IN FRONT OF your only viable reciever, running step-for-step with him, you put the ball where your guy can get it if he dives, but the bad guy can't pick it off DUHDUHDUH...
And a certain writer needs to be reminded that words are his business, and that pass was actually catchable. "No where near" does not mean six inches off the fingertips, ok?
Don't get me wrong. I was very disappointed in Quinn and am very nervous about him. But it's just way way way too early to bring gavels down. You've got to remember that Roethsenberger, Flacco, et al had very strong defenses and solid running offenses. This offense is new, and evidently has a distinct weakness at right tackle, among other things.
I don't think that DA would be much better, since he too would be sacked right and left and have no time. He too would spend much of his time in third-and-longs. If you think he'd go deep more--maybe. If he's willing to throw it high, and a split second before getting decked.
But yeah...HE might be the QB of the future.
MAYBE.
I'll keep watching them stumble around, waiting patiently for them to take their first steps and make it across the room to me. That's what you do with infants...here on this planet, anyway.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
QB Can't Throw Deep
Throughout the last game, this quarterback never attempted a pass deeper than about thirty yards. Obviously, he either lacks the arm strength or confidence to throw deep.
Brett Favre needs to be replaced.
Brett Favre needs to be replaced.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Harrison Will Play
First of all, I wish people would think more. Like, I wish these NFL Radio guys wouls quit saying "New York football Giants". The baseball team left new York before you were born. There is no longer any possibility of confusion. It's mindless.
Anyway, no respect. I quite understand a lot of guys this week picking Denver to win based on Denver having it more together right now. I can't fathom how they could be predicting two wins for the season, etc....
Adam Scheinn perennially predicts horrible seasons for the Browns, regardless of talent or coaching.
Anyway, the Browns have a much better chance since the guys who are more objective than this guy are still ignoring them, and basing their decisions on raw stats and ass umptions.
Gil Brandt, for example, just last week pointed out that the Browns had no recievers (aside from Edwards). That was spectacularly wrong--and Brandt is a very, very smart guy!!! Scheinn--now he could look right AT Josh Cribbs, Mike Furrey, and even the two other guys and still say nobody can get open or catch. They'll still keep saying Royal is just a blocker no matter how many passes he catches. Adam always decides that the Browns suck and then spends five to seven minutes filtering out the good stuff in order to prove it scientificly. Gil just doesn't have time for a weak team.
Anyway, all they see from last week is the stats. The first half doesn't register. The newness of the offense and the players within it are ignored. The Browns stuff Peterson for most of three quarters and then cave in, and this means they can't stop the run...right? One TD is disqualified on replay, and it never happened.
Well, Denver beat a good team last week. The Bungles are getting all sorts of credit for being improved, and objective analysts admit it. I guess they just don't have any room left to acknowlege the fact that the 09 Browns are at least as talented as the 07 version.
Except for guys like Kaplan and Scheinn, I can't pick on any of the national guys who think the Browns are worse than they are. Jim Miller, for example, thinks the Broncos will win because Orton hit eight different recievers last week, they contained a very potent and underrated offense, and Quinn had a mediocre game. At least he did SOME home-work and is trying to think with his brain.
And he might be right. Dammit.
But Harrison is the X-factor. As I read it, he was ok last week, but given an extra week as a precaution. Finally, at long last, he will have a real opportunity under an intelligent coach. He might catch or run with the ball fifteen or more times in this game, since Davis will be protected. Quinn has the touch to hit him short, and the new Broncos sport a NEW 3-4 where mistakes could be made.
The Browns offensive line has practiced against a 3-4 and won't screw up blocking as much...especially Mack.
The Broncos, I think, still run a zone-blocking scheme. The Browns have the big/quick goons up front to blow that up through penetration and power, and can bull-rush from every area. The Browns OLB's and defensive line can win individual matchups.
Last week, Quinn looked better later in the game.
Now, I like the fact that Mangini, once the decision was made, stuck with Quinn, and seems determined to do so through predictable and inevittable rough spots. After a few games, we'll have a good idea of who Quinn is. After a full season we can be more certain.
I predict that the Browns will beat the Broncos unless the Broncos score more points than they do.
Anyway, no respect. I quite understand a lot of guys this week picking Denver to win based on Denver having it more together right now. I can't fathom how they could be predicting two wins for the season, etc....
Adam Scheinn perennially predicts horrible seasons for the Browns, regardless of talent or coaching.
Anyway, the Browns have a much better chance since the guys who are more objective than this guy are still ignoring them, and basing their decisions on raw stats and ass umptions.
Gil Brandt, for example, just last week pointed out that the Browns had no recievers (aside from Edwards). That was spectacularly wrong--and Brandt is a very, very smart guy!!! Scheinn--now he could look right AT Josh Cribbs, Mike Furrey, and even the two other guys and still say nobody can get open or catch. They'll still keep saying Royal is just a blocker no matter how many passes he catches. Adam always decides that the Browns suck and then spends five to seven minutes filtering out the good stuff in order to prove it scientificly. Gil just doesn't have time for a weak team.
Anyway, all they see from last week is the stats. The first half doesn't register. The newness of the offense and the players within it are ignored. The Browns stuff Peterson for most of three quarters and then cave in, and this means they can't stop the run...right? One TD is disqualified on replay, and it never happened.
Well, Denver beat a good team last week. The Bungles are getting all sorts of credit for being improved, and objective analysts admit it. I guess they just don't have any room left to acknowlege the fact that the 09 Browns are at least as talented as the 07 version.
Except for guys like Kaplan and Scheinn, I can't pick on any of the national guys who think the Browns are worse than they are. Jim Miller, for example, thinks the Broncos will win because Orton hit eight different recievers last week, they contained a very potent and underrated offense, and Quinn had a mediocre game. At least he did SOME home-work and is trying to think with his brain.
And he might be right. Dammit.
But Harrison is the X-factor. As I read it, he was ok last week, but given an extra week as a precaution. Finally, at long last, he will have a real opportunity under an intelligent coach. He might catch or run with the ball fifteen or more times in this game, since Davis will be protected. Quinn has the touch to hit him short, and the new Broncos sport a NEW 3-4 where mistakes could be made.
The Browns offensive line has practiced against a 3-4 and won't screw up blocking as much...especially Mack.
The Broncos, I think, still run a zone-blocking scheme. The Browns have the big/quick goons up front to blow that up through penetration and power, and can bull-rush from every area. The Browns OLB's and defensive line can win individual matchups.
Last week, Quinn looked better later in the game.
Now, I like the fact that Mangini, once the decision was made, stuck with Quinn, and seems determined to do so through predictable and inevittable rough spots. After a few games, we'll have a good idea of who Quinn is. After a full season we can be more certain.
I predict that the Browns will beat the Broncos unless the Broncos score more points than they do.
Monday, September 14, 2009
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!
Some Browns fans need to comprehend some...actually really simple and obvious facts about the Browns vs. the Vikings:
1: The Vikings are a veteran, largely intact team with well-established systems and personnel. With about the best run defense in the NFL, Peterson, Favre, and talent from top-to-bottom, many pundits have them going to the Superbowl this season.
The Browns have all new coaches, new systems, a starting quarterback with five games experience, a huge roster turnover;
rookie center, new right guard/tackle, all new recievers except for Cribbs, Edwards, and Heiden, etc...
So you really need to come back down here to this planet. No rational being could have expected the Browns to beat the Vikings taking their first steps out of the crib!
The bad stuff will get hammered to death by writers and mindlessly repeated by clones and zombies on message boards, so I'll skip much of that. However, since much of that crap won't be legitimate, I will say:
1: I don't know about right guard, but evidently Saint Clair sucks at right tackle. I do miss Tucker. I seriously don't know about Womack--I just do know that pissed off fans throw hand grenades and blow up whole neighborhoods, so until I can see it no comment.
2: Mack is a rookie and was making the line-calls. He's been practicing against a 3-4 and even worked against a 3-4 in college. No matter how brainy he is, there is no doubt in the rational, objective mind, that he screwed up. Rookies screw up. It happens on this planet.
3: Quinn zigged and Edwards zagged on the interception. When that stuff happens, it looks atrocious, since the reciever is more-or-less sprinting in the opposite direction to the one the QB thought he would, and isn't in the same zip-code when the ball gets there.
60% of the time, this is on the reciever; who read coverage wrong.
4: The defense wore down. It had contained Peterson well into the third quarter. NO DEFENSE can stop this guy for a whole game.
IF you are an adult and live on this planet, there was a lot more good than bad news in this game, starting with their containment of none other than Adrian Peterson for most of three quarters. that's 1.
2: Jamal Lewis ran all over maybe the best run defense in the NFL.
3: The offensive playcalling was creative. Much is made of the two Wildcat calls inside the three, as if these wiped out the rest of the playcalls.
And the horizontal passing--here a lot of people need to get real too. As it was, Quinn got sacked five times. Without even blitzing much, the Vikings were in the Browns backfield most of the day. You can't go deep under that kind of pressure. You have to get rid of the damn ball.
And why didn't they run more? Because the Vikings can shut it down, and would have. The biggest reason Lewis had the success he did was because the Vikings were on the recievers.
4: The defense got great pressure on Favre (and Peterson) from many sources. Each safety got a sack, then an OLB and (naturally) Rogers. Ryan's defense is as advertized.
At long last, somebody has the brains to put Rogers at DE sometimes! Especially with Rubin emerging as a solid nose tackle--match Rogers up against the weakest point! DUH!
Moving Wimbley around, too--that seems to be working. As is beginning to dawn on others finally, Wimbey is a good all-around total package linebacker. And wow--HALL is turning onto one of those too already!
5: Quinn did WELL when you factor in his inexperience, the fact that he hasn't had the first-team reps a normal starter gets, and the pressure on him. The fumble was idiotic, and he wasn't as accurate as he should be...I heard he held the ball too long...I only mention it here because Pluto said it, so it's probably right.
but ALL of this is fixable, or will disappear on it's own as he gets more reps with the recievers and more game experience.
6: Lewis is not washed-up yet.
7: JOSH CRIBBS.
8: They ran the no-huddle offense in an effort to wear the Vikings defense down. Crennel never allowed a no-huddle other than at the obvious times. Plus, he would have kneeled on the ball with 40 seconds left to the half.
That was smart against this defense, but the trade-off was that the Browns defense had to be on the field more, and fatigue opened things up for Peterson.
9: As Pluto said, the first half of this game shows you what this team is capable of.
It was kind of like a talented young boxer up against a much more experienced guy. He comes out scoring points, and maybe even hurts the old guy, but the vet covers and clinches and sticks around, figuring out how he can nail the punk.
After a few rounds, he knows. He sets the kid up and nails him.
It doesn't mean the kid sucks. The early rounds are what they are--the kid outboxing the other guy because he was better. But experience tells, and the kid gets outsmarted in the end.
Won't happen next time.
THE TALENT IS HERE.
The experience isn't.
Say it with me....YET.
1: The Vikings are a veteran, largely intact team with well-established systems and personnel. With about the best run defense in the NFL, Peterson, Favre, and talent from top-to-bottom, many pundits have them going to the Superbowl this season.
The Browns have all new coaches, new systems, a starting quarterback with five games experience, a huge roster turnover;
rookie center, new right guard/tackle, all new recievers except for Cribbs, Edwards, and Heiden, etc...
So you really need to come back down here to this planet. No rational being could have expected the Browns to beat the Vikings taking their first steps out of the crib!
The bad stuff will get hammered to death by writers and mindlessly repeated by clones and zombies on message boards, so I'll skip much of that. However, since much of that crap won't be legitimate, I will say:
1: I don't know about right guard, but evidently Saint Clair sucks at right tackle. I do miss Tucker. I seriously don't know about Womack--I just do know that pissed off fans throw hand grenades and blow up whole neighborhoods, so until I can see it no comment.
2: Mack is a rookie and was making the line-calls. He's been practicing against a 3-4 and even worked against a 3-4 in college. No matter how brainy he is, there is no doubt in the rational, objective mind, that he screwed up. Rookies screw up. It happens on this planet.
3: Quinn zigged and Edwards zagged on the interception. When that stuff happens, it looks atrocious, since the reciever is more-or-less sprinting in the opposite direction to the one the QB thought he would, and isn't in the same zip-code when the ball gets there.
60% of the time, this is on the reciever; who read coverage wrong.
4: The defense wore down. It had contained Peterson well into the third quarter. NO DEFENSE can stop this guy for a whole game.
IF you are an adult and live on this planet, there was a lot more good than bad news in this game, starting with their containment of none other than Adrian Peterson for most of three quarters. that's 1.
2: Jamal Lewis ran all over maybe the best run defense in the NFL.
3: The offensive playcalling was creative. Much is made of the two Wildcat calls inside the three, as if these wiped out the rest of the playcalls.
And the horizontal passing--here a lot of people need to get real too. As it was, Quinn got sacked five times. Without even blitzing much, the Vikings were in the Browns backfield most of the day. You can't go deep under that kind of pressure. You have to get rid of the damn ball.
And why didn't they run more? Because the Vikings can shut it down, and would have. The biggest reason Lewis had the success he did was because the Vikings were on the recievers.
4: The defense got great pressure on Favre (and Peterson) from many sources. Each safety got a sack, then an OLB and (naturally) Rogers. Ryan's defense is as advertized.
At long last, somebody has the brains to put Rogers at DE sometimes! Especially with Rubin emerging as a solid nose tackle--match Rogers up against the weakest point! DUH!
Moving Wimbley around, too--that seems to be working. As is beginning to dawn on others finally, Wimbey is a good all-around total package linebacker. And wow--HALL is turning onto one of those too already!
5: Quinn did WELL when you factor in his inexperience, the fact that he hasn't had the first-team reps a normal starter gets, and the pressure on him. The fumble was idiotic, and he wasn't as accurate as he should be...I heard he held the ball too long...I only mention it here because Pluto said it, so it's probably right.
but ALL of this is fixable, or will disappear on it's own as he gets more reps with the recievers and more game experience.
6: Lewis is not washed-up yet.
7: JOSH CRIBBS.
8: They ran the no-huddle offense in an effort to wear the Vikings defense down. Crennel never allowed a no-huddle other than at the obvious times. Plus, he would have kneeled on the ball with 40 seconds left to the half.
That was smart against this defense, but the trade-off was that the Browns defense had to be on the field more, and fatigue opened things up for Peterson.
9: As Pluto said, the first half of this game shows you what this team is capable of.
It was kind of like a talented young boxer up against a much more experienced guy. He comes out scoring points, and maybe even hurts the old guy, but the vet covers and clinches and sticks around, figuring out how he can nail the punk.
After a few rounds, he knows. He sets the kid up and nails him.
It doesn't mean the kid sucks. The early rounds are what they are--the kid outboxing the other guy because he was better. But experience tells, and the kid gets outsmarted in the end.
Won't happen next time.
THE TALENT IS HERE.
The experience isn't.
Say it with me....YET.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Final Cuts
This Chris Jennings guy sounded impressive in the last preseason game. He was released, but I'm sure they'll try to get him onto the practice squad.
I now suspect that Jerome Harrison may not actually be hurt much! I think it very possible that Mangini might have seen enough of him, and decided to protect him, like he did Rogers, Lewis, et al!
Think I'm nuts? Well, can I point out that Mangini is NOT Romeo Crennel? All Harrison allegedly, we ass ume had to prove was his ability to pass-protect. The rushing was never an issue, and the pass-recieving has improved a lot.
I wish to point out that I was correct about Vickers being the only fullback retained. The fact is that last season, Crennel should have done this, since he, too, has no fewer than two tight ends who could line up at fullback. Mangini had the common sense to save a roster spot, which is refreshing.
Vickers helps running back depth somewhat, since he is one of the few NFL fullbacks who can run with the ball in a pinch.
I gotta be honest here and say that I was thinking that Jamal Lewis could be on his way out. Terry Pluto in today's column brilliantly broke the numbers down, indicating that his decline last season wasn't all about Edwards' drops or poor blocking.
However, I can't criticize their keeping him, especially since he's already been paid.
...but he aint the man anymore, or won't be. I'm weary of sportswriters talking about veteran experience at running back, as if it's the same as quarterback, or a DE switching to linebacker. Running backs come out of college often prepared for the NFL. It's the most instinctive position on the field. Once you know who to block, and you can run good patterns and catch---there you go.
Mangini would never have retained Jamal Lewis if he felt the guy was washed up. James Davis will probably be the number one running back, and Jerome Harrison will get into the mix. I believe that the two-back will show up a good thirty percent of the time, with various combinations of the three running backs and Vickers.
All of them can catch passes, and three can lead-block. If there is a residual concern about Harrison's pass-blocking, as one of two backs he can flare out as a reciever instead. With these four guys, you can mix speed and power well, and mitigate against what I percieve is a comparative weakness at tight end.
Lewis may have lost his explosiveness, but will not have lost his brute power or leverage. His value in short-yardage, both as a blocker and as a runner, are obvious. But also, as one of two running backs, defenses could no longer key on him, so long as the other running back was a serious threat. Also in some cases, you don't need to make the first guy miss if he's being blocked for you.
And then, he does have things to teach the other running backs.
I'm thrilled that Furrey and Cribbs have proven to be so effective as recievers. Furrey is like Brennan/Welker. Last season, after Jurevicious went down, defenses threw a blanket over Edwards (sometimes...I mean often none was needed--it was 50/50 he'd drop it dammit) and that was it.
This season, the corps looks even better than 2007's, as now there are TWO short-intermediate scalpels to use. Massequoi is way ahead of schedule, and (so far) has shown good concentration and hands. Robiskie is money in the bank. There is quality depth here, and the playbook can and will include some four-wide sets.
Then there's this...which I seem to be the only one to have noticed so far: Look at how many passes are going to the running backs, how well all the backs are catching them, and how effective that has been.
Daboll is doing a great job of making at least this passing offense as unpredictable as possible by making use of every possible weapon in every possible way.
Before knee-jerking into doom-and-gloom in re this offense, first put yourself in an opponent's place and figure out how you would stop it (assuming QUINN at QB). First, you determine what an offense does best, and focus on depriving them of it, right?
Ok we're done here. You can't. If you bring the house Furrey, Cribbs, and the running back can chew you up--(plus the Browns are now doing this new thing called a screen-pass, ya know? With Steinbach and Thomas--hey did you know they could run around pretty good for big guys? Who woulda thunk it?)
If you try the soft zone, they'll happily take the five or six yards underneath all day--at least until Cribbs takes one fifty yards or so.
OK so you give them that and just try to stuff the run, making them one-dimensional. Even a 65% passer misses 35% of the time. Deflections, blown patterns, big hits, etc. can all lead to turnovers, and third/longs make it much safer to send six guys.
In truth, that could work. But it's far from a perfect strategy. Basicly, many of the passes are long handoffs, like the Infante offense, and you have several guys who can turn little gains into big gains. You can never forget about Edwards--you must always keep one safety back off the line.
Lateral passes are about mismatches, as suddenly big guys are running into little guys. It beats the hell out of the cornerbacks.
Anyway more later okbye
I now suspect that Jerome Harrison may not actually be hurt much! I think it very possible that Mangini might have seen enough of him, and decided to protect him, like he did Rogers, Lewis, et al!
Think I'm nuts? Well, can I point out that Mangini is NOT Romeo Crennel? All Harrison allegedly, we ass ume had to prove was his ability to pass-protect. The rushing was never an issue, and the pass-recieving has improved a lot.
I wish to point out that I was correct about Vickers being the only fullback retained. The fact is that last season, Crennel should have done this, since he, too, has no fewer than two tight ends who could line up at fullback. Mangini had the common sense to save a roster spot, which is refreshing.
Vickers helps running back depth somewhat, since he is one of the few NFL fullbacks who can run with the ball in a pinch.
I gotta be honest here and say that I was thinking that Jamal Lewis could be on his way out. Terry Pluto in today's column brilliantly broke the numbers down, indicating that his decline last season wasn't all about Edwards' drops or poor blocking.
However, I can't criticize their keeping him, especially since he's already been paid.
...but he aint the man anymore, or won't be. I'm weary of sportswriters talking about veteran experience at running back, as if it's the same as quarterback, or a DE switching to linebacker. Running backs come out of college often prepared for the NFL. It's the most instinctive position on the field. Once you know who to block, and you can run good patterns and catch---there you go.
Mangini would never have retained Jamal Lewis if he felt the guy was washed up. James Davis will probably be the number one running back, and Jerome Harrison will get into the mix. I believe that the two-back will show up a good thirty percent of the time, with various combinations of the three running backs and Vickers.
All of them can catch passes, and three can lead-block. If there is a residual concern about Harrison's pass-blocking, as one of two backs he can flare out as a reciever instead. With these four guys, you can mix speed and power well, and mitigate against what I percieve is a comparative weakness at tight end.
Lewis may have lost his explosiveness, but will not have lost his brute power or leverage. His value in short-yardage, both as a blocker and as a runner, are obvious. But also, as one of two running backs, defenses could no longer key on him, so long as the other running back was a serious threat. Also in some cases, you don't need to make the first guy miss if he's being blocked for you.
And then, he does have things to teach the other running backs.
I'm thrilled that Furrey and Cribbs have proven to be so effective as recievers. Furrey is like Brennan/Welker. Last season, after Jurevicious went down, defenses threw a blanket over Edwards (sometimes...I mean often none was needed--it was 50/50 he'd drop it dammit) and that was it.
This season, the corps looks even better than 2007's, as now there are TWO short-intermediate scalpels to use. Massequoi is way ahead of schedule, and (so far) has shown good concentration and hands. Robiskie is money in the bank. There is quality depth here, and the playbook can and will include some four-wide sets.
Then there's this...which I seem to be the only one to have noticed so far: Look at how many passes are going to the running backs, how well all the backs are catching them, and how effective that has been.
Daboll is doing a great job of making at least this passing offense as unpredictable as possible by making use of every possible weapon in every possible way.
Before knee-jerking into doom-and-gloom in re this offense, first put yourself in an opponent's place and figure out how you would stop it (assuming QUINN at QB). First, you determine what an offense does best, and focus on depriving them of it, right?
Ok we're done here. You can't. If you bring the house Furrey, Cribbs, and the running back can chew you up--(plus the Browns are now doing this new thing called a screen-pass, ya know? With Steinbach and Thomas--hey did you know they could run around pretty good for big guys? Who woulda thunk it?)
If you try the soft zone, they'll happily take the five or six yards underneath all day--at least until Cribbs takes one fifty yards or so.
OK so you give them that and just try to stuff the run, making them one-dimensional. Even a 65% passer misses 35% of the time. Deflections, blown patterns, big hits, etc. can all lead to turnovers, and third/longs make it much safer to send six guys.
In truth, that could work. But it's far from a perfect strategy. Basicly, many of the passes are long handoffs, like the Infante offense, and you have several guys who can turn little gains into big gains. You can never forget about Edwards--you must always keep one safety back off the line.
Lateral passes are about mismatches, as suddenly big guys are running into little guys. It beats the hell out of the cornerbacks.
Anyway more later okbye
Saturday, August 29, 2009
More Stuff
OK more of why it has to be Quinn:
1: QB rating. Quinn's is consistantly higher.
2: Quinn is inexperienced and has more upside.
3: Quinn is more mobile, and can create stuff while scrambling. DA without protection is less effective.
4: Personnel. James Davis has showed up as an excellent reciever, and Harrison will be too. On top of those, the Browns now have a plethora of recievers, including Cribbs. Quinn is the guy who will spread the ball around more, making it impossible for defenses to shut down any one part of the passing offense.
Doubling Edwards is much more dangerous with Quinn than with DA. Quinn will throw under that all day. This was part of how enemy defenses turned the 2007 DA into the 2008 DA--taking away his deep options. Quinn dares you to try that on him.
DA spreads the field verticly, but Quinn can do it horizontally.
Quinn=Balance, unpredictability, and adaptability.
If the Browns had fewer recievers and a dominating running back, DA might work better (maybe)--but with these guys? Go with the stronger-armed Pennington type. (Pennington is really an excellent QB).
My man Terry Pluto points out that Quinn was whacked to may times, even sans blitzes. He's rightfully concerned about the blocking. On the bright side of that, Mack is still learning and no doubt blew some calls, if not some blocks personally. Saint Clair is getting flagged constantly and that means he's not so hot. But we got Tucker.
But also note: Quinn got rid of it, at least twice for completions (one to Cribbs for a nice YAC play). DA doesn't do that nearly as well.
James Davis is clearly outplaying Jamal Lewis, and I'm really glad RAC is gone, since Romeo would be impervious to this and keep Davis on the bench anyway. I sure wish Harrison had been able to play, but at least one young guy has risen up to grab some playing time.
I do not believe that Lewis is washed up yet, but I know that the coaches are going to run a committee (including Harrison), with Lewis the short-yardage guy, and I like it.
More later.
1: QB rating. Quinn's is consistantly higher.
2: Quinn is inexperienced and has more upside.
3: Quinn is more mobile, and can create stuff while scrambling. DA without protection is less effective.
4: Personnel. James Davis has showed up as an excellent reciever, and Harrison will be too. On top of those, the Browns now have a plethora of recievers, including Cribbs. Quinn is the guy who will spread the ball around more, making it impossible for defenses to shut down any one part of the passing offense.
Doubling Edwards is much more dangerous with Quinn than with DA. Quinn will throw under that all day. This was part of how enemy defenses turned the 2007 DA into the 2008 DA--taking away his deep options. Quinn dares you to try that on him.
DA spreads the field verticly, but Quinn can do it horizontally.
Quinn=Balance, unpredictability, and adaptability.
If the Browns had fewer recievers and a dominating running back, DA might work better (maybe)--but with these guys? Go with the stronger-armed Pennington type. (Pennington is really an excellent QB).
My man Terry Pluto points out that Quinn was whacked to may times, even sans blitzes. He's rightfully concerned about the blocking. On the bright side of that, Mack is still learning and no doubt blew some calls, if not some blocks personally. Saint Clair is getting flagged constantly and that means he's not so hot. But we got Tucker.
But also note: Quinn got rid of it, at least twice for completions (one to Cribbs for a nice YAC play). DA doesn't do that nearly as well.
James Davis is clearly outplaying Jamal Lewis, and I'm really glad RAC is gone, since Romeo would be impervious to this and keep Davis on the bench anyway. I sure wish Harrison had been able to play, but at least one young guy has risen up to grab some playing time.
I do not believe that Lewis is washed up yet, but I know that the coaches are going to run a committee (including Harrison), with Lewis the short-yardage guy, and I like it.
More later.
We Have a Winner
It's 6:57 third quarter Titans v. Browns preseason. I haven't been able to actually see any of it yet, and of course DA might not be done.
But 9/10 with a touchdown vs. THESE guys? You gotta settle it now.
DA did well, but it seems like Quinn just did better.
Wow Alex Hall interception for a TD! He's learning to play linebacker pretty well. Nice pressure on Young from the depth-defense (vs. their depth o-line) too.
But I digress. Another thing that makes me like Quinn a lot was that Solomon Willcotts compared him to Chad Pennington with a stronger arm DO YOU UNDERSTAND? (In other words, Solly said he was smart and accurate like Pennington but HAS A STRONGER ARM AND CAN THROW FIFTY YARDS IN THE AIR LIKE HE HAS DONE SEVERAL TIMES)....
Sorry it's just that I know that somebody will be pointing out that quinn didn't throw any deep passes in this game and conclude, once again, that he can't and won't, ever. The ignorance is astonishing.
There, he hit Cribbs again for twelve yards. Not only has Cribbs turned into a damn reliable reciever, but Quinn really likes him. DA has a tendancy to lean on Edwards more, but Quinn spreads it around. A throw to Cribbs will tend to be short or intermediate, meaning a quicker release and a safer throw, but it's just as dangerous, since Cribbs can score from anywhere.
This has to be part of the formula. I gotta download this software so I can watch game replays and see some stats and will offer more humbly brilliant expert opinions later okbye.
But 9/10 with a touchdown vs. THESE guys? You gotta settle it now.
DA did well, but it seems like Quinn just did better.
Wow Alex Hall interception for a TD! He's learning to play linebacker pretty well. Nice pressure on Young from the depth-defense (vs. their depth o-line) too.
But I digress. Another thing that makes me like Quinn a lot was that Solomon Willcotts compared him to Chad Pennington with a stronger arm DO YOU UNDERSTAND? (In other words, Solly said he was smart and accurate like Pennington but HAS A STRONGER ARM AND CAN THROW FIFTY YARDS IN THE AIR LIKE HE HAS DONE SEVERAL TIMES)....
Sorry it's just that I know that somebody will be pointing out that quinn didn't throw any deep passes in this game and conclude, once again, that he can't and won't, ever. The ignorance is astonishing.
There, he hit Cribbs again for twelve yards. Not only has Cribbs turned into a damn reliable reciever, but Quinn really likes him. DA has a tendancy to lean on Edwards more, but Quinn spreads it around. A throw to Cribbs will tend to be short or intermediate, meaning a quicker release and a safer throw, but it's just as dangerous, since Cribbs can score from anywhere.
This has to be part of the formula. I gotta download this software so I can watch game replays and see some stats and will offer more humbly brilliant expert opinions later okbye.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Under the Radar. Except Here.
The Browns recent releases and signings provide clues to their plans.
No big surprises among the releases, unless you count Philip Hunt. Hunt has actually grown into a decent linebacker in addition to an exceptional special teams player. However, he's primarily an inside linebacker, and Mangini didn't seem to want to cut Rodney BeauBellefield.
...and along came this Benard guy, who sounds a whole lot like Alex Hall, except might be able to play inside.
The re-signing of Brian Schaefering is a nice surprise to yours truly, since as you will recall not reading before last season, this guy can play some football. He's strictly a DE here, but in college played nose tackle, which skewed his stats. It hid his speed, and an ability to rush the quarterback.
Last season he started on the practice squad, then Mangini claimed him to the Jets active roster. He was later released. Last season, Schaefering was a raw small-school longshot who needed more sand in his pants for 3-4 DE, but obviously showed enough for two teams to want to keep him around.
He is now listed at 295 lbs., which may or may not be accurate. Schaefering's experience as a nose tackle will help him deal with double-teams, and playing outside or as a rush-DT will allow him to sometimes use his quickness and speed.
He's still going to have a hard time making the final cut. In his way are Corey Williams, Robaire Smith, Kenyon Coleman, Louis Leonard (who can also play nose tackle), and CJ Mosely, who is physicly similar to Schaefering, and bigger. Unless it's Leonard, I can't see any of these guys giving way--but Shaefering could end up on the practice squad, one injury away from the rotation.
I'm wondering about Martin Rucker, but only a little. None of the tight ends have thus far got much attention from either quarterback. Royal has been playing the most, and has hardly caught any. Partly, I'm sure that Mangini is checking out how well they block, and then partly we're proabably seeing more of the ultimate offense.
With Furrey, and maybe Cribbs too--and shortly Robiskie--there are several get-open-quick, sure-handed, chain-moving recievers. More and more it's looking like the base offense will have three wide recievers and be more speed-oriented.
With the three running backs they have, and the need to preserve Lewis, there will probably be some two-back formations too.
IF Heiden is healthy, it would be very hard to release him, despite the fact that this is almost certainly his last season. Me? I would...I'm sorry. Business is business, and in reality the Browns are not going to do much this season. Royal has some gas left in his tank and is very similar, Rucker...I dunno...and there's AAron Walker (a big monster red-zone target).
My guy Madsen got cut. It looks like in-line blocking is indeed important.
Against Detroit, I saw man-blocking, but also slant-blocking and some zone-like stuff here and there too, which is cool.
I'm susprised to read that they really like Hadnot, and he's in the mix at backup left and starting right guard. He must have improved as a pass defender; was always a good road-grader.
Well...okbye
No big surprises among the releases, unless you count Philip Hunt. Hunt has actually grown into a decent linebacker in addition to an exceptional special teams player. However, he's primarily an inside linebacker, and Mangini didn't seem to want to cut Rodney BeauBellefield.
...and along came this Benard guy, who sounds a whole lot like Alex Hall, except might be able to play inside.
The re-signing of Brian Schaefering is a nice surprise to yours truly, since as you will recall not reading before last season, this guy can play some football. He's strictly a DE here, but in college played nose tackle, which skewed his stats. It hid his speed, and an ability to rush the quarterback.
Last season he started on the practice squad, then Mangini claimed him to the Jets active roster. He was later released. Last season, Schaefering was a raw small-school longshot who needed more sand in his pants for 3-4 DE, but obviously showed enough for two teams to want to keep him around.
He is now listed at 295 lbs., which may or may not be accurate. Schaefering's experience as a nose tackle will help him deal with double-teams, and playing outside or as a rush-DT will allow him to sometimes use his quickness and speed.
He's still going to have a hard time making the final cut. In his way are Corey Williams, Robaire Smith, Kenyon Coleman, Louis Leonard (who can also play nose tackle), and CJ Mosely, who is physicly similar to Schaefering, and bigger. Unless it's Leonard, I can't see any of these guys giving way--but Shaefering could end up on the practice squad, one injury away from the rotation.
I'm wondering about Martin Rucker, but only a little. None of the tight ends have thus far got much attention from either quarterback. Royal has been playing the most, and has hardly caught any. Partly, I'm sure that Mangini is checking out how well they block, and then partly we're proabably seeing more of the ultimate offense.
With Furrey, and maybe Cribbs too--and shortly Robiskie--there are several get-open-quick, sure-handed, chain-moving recievers. More and more it's looking like the base offense will have three wide recievers and be more speed-oriented.
With the three running backs they have, and the need to preserve Lewis, there will probably be some two-back formations too.
IF Heiden is healthy, it would be very hard to release him, despite the fact that this is almost certainly his last season. Me? I would...I'm sorry. Business is business, and in reality the Browns are not going to do much this season. Royal has some gas left in his tank and is very similar, Rucker...I dunno...and there's AAron Walker (a big monster red-zone target).
My guy Madsen got cut. It looks like in-line blocking is indeed important.
Against Detroit, I saw man-blocking, but also slant-blocking and some zone-like stuff here and there too, which is cool.
I'm susprised to read that they really like Hadnot, and he's in the mix at backup left and starting right guard. He must have improved as a pass defender; was always a good road-grader.
Well...okbye
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Wow, Man. A Touchdown.
1: Stop the rationalizing. DA's passes were NOT "off a little all night". He was pretty much on the money, and you're trying to raise the bar again. The interception was a little high and harder than it should have been, but was a smart decision. It was a hair away from being a nice, big gain, and a pick off a deflection off the intended reciever's hands is NEVER EVER a "bad decision".
2: Quinn is still in it. He hardly got any chances, and did allright with what he had.
I'm now convinced that Mangini really and truly has no dog in this race, and will actually indeed pick the better quarterback. Not the best-looking, neccessarily, or the one with the strongest arm.
O B V I O U S L Y these were the Lions, and that sort of mitigates some of this. For DA-ites it will make no difference, but fortunately Mangini doesn't think like them.
If you can't figure out which QB I like better, I can help. Quinn has a lot less real game experience, can and has thrown deep but is more conservative on purpose, has better mobility, and, I believe, reads the field better. He'd also sell more tickets.
...but dammit, if DA outperforms him and gets benched anyway just to make a bunch of irrational/gay people happy, that's just plain stupid, plus just plain unfair and wrong.
I just think that when it's said and done, it'll be close to a tie, and Quinn will get the nod, owing to his lesser experience, hence greater upside, more than for any other reason.
DA does NOT suck. Only just about now does he have enough experience to really be called a vet and to be expected to stop throwing picks...since his name isn't Brett Favre. Eli Manning took longer before he truly blossomed. People who think he'll always and forever make bad decisions ass ume he can't improve with experience. That's irrational.
I think Quinn wins, we got great depth a QB this season, and get real good stuff for DA in a trade.
3: Did you notice that in his limitted time Wimbley was all over the field and got six tackles? This is the main reason why it never occured to Mangini to get rid of him and his salary, or to demote him. While everybody else has declared him a bust due to his sacklessness, he has quietly turned into a very good all-around linebacker who can cover and track down runs.
While in the 3-4 you really do need pressure from the OLB spots, and Wimbley has disappointed, he did do what he did do as a rookie. Clearly, these coaches believe that with a couple more moves, a more intelligent and creative deployment of him, etc. he can be a very good all-around linebacker who can generate some pressure.
They will not have showed how they'll be shifting him around when it counts, and probably haven't even sent him much. I remain optimistic.
4: How bout that Poteat? In fact the secondary in general? Even when Detroit's QB's had time, the DB's were mostly on it.
Well...the open recievers who were just overthrown or missed weren't lost on me. Nor did Detroit have Calvin Johnson. The coverage was far from perfect and the Lions QB's screwed up several times, but there was definitely good stuff to see. I had thought Poteat was a depth guy only, but maybe he's more. And Hoppel...who knows?
But did you see how the zone coverage was tighter than Romeo's ever was? The DB's were actually close enough to the recievers to close on the ball.
I guess that Ryan guy is just a big gambler. To have a defender less than a good ten yards behind a reciever is just unthinkable for the bend-into-the-end-zone defense.
5: Mike Furrey. There's our Brian Brennan. You can't cover that guy in a phone booth.
I had originally expected a two-TE based offense, but unlike all the sportswriters except Pluto you read, I adapt to changing circumstances. So will Mangini and co. Wide reciever depth was a problem, but now it's just the opposite. I don't count Leggett out just off of one catchless game. Cribbs has already mostly proven that he's not only ready to fill in, but to start at WR.
In order to get the best (and most dangerous) recievers on the field, this offense will need to run more three-wides.
Rucker is not emerging as the next K2. My dark-horse former WR hasn't done much either. Heiden is awesome but old and at this age could be injury-prone. Royal is a lot like Heiden, so there's a nice reliable blocker and reciever, but that appears to be it.
Really, three-wides force nickles. They lighten and spreads the defense. It makes blitzes riskier, gives the linemen fewer guys to block, and opens holes even before the snap.
When you got a guy like Furrey, plus a running back who can catch, you can go tight-end or fullback light because even if a blitzer leaks through right away, the QB has a ready target right in front of him.
And I say Furrey, but that could be Cribbs, too. In camp he's been getting open just about as much, and catching everything near him. It's just that Furrey has been doing exactly this for a long time, and it now appears quite possible that Cribbs will at least rotate in at the Z spot. Doesn't make much sense to take Furrey off the field to make room for anybody.
What about four-wide? Yeah I can see that, too. I mean, you got Edwards, Furrey, Cribbs, Robiskie--and then several others with a lot of talent who haven't had a chance to emerge yet.
Any kind of spread base will effect the QB race. More fast recievers with more blitzes favor Quinn--not DA as some would think. I believe that Quinn can see the hot read quicker against blitzes, and can go underneath to move the chains under umbrella coverage when he has to.
Remember Lindy Infante? "Well it looks like a pass but it's really more like a long hand-off". Remember how the Cardiac Kids did most of their damage turning dink-passes into long gains?
Yeah...Robiskie is pretty good at that, but Massequoi is better. Don't need to even mention Cribbs. This crew is for Quinn...not DA. (DA's favorites would be Edwards and Leggett.)
6: Who didn't know that James Davis in the sixth was a major steal?
Thing is, the main reason he slid so far--aside from the massive talent at running back--was that he didn't have many big plays. He uses shiftiness and power. He's a slasher and a grinder.
Don't compare him to Jamal Lewis. Lewis is shorter and as much as twenty pounds heavier--all muscle. Such comparisons were another reason why he slid.
But maybe--just maybe--this guy is one of those rare dudes who can do better in the pros than he did in college, like LaDanian Thomlinson. I mean, he bounced outside when he looked like he was doomed, right?
Well, in college the defenders are slower and general, and often slow to diagnose and react; to peel out of coverage in run support. In college, the inside hole might have been bigger and Davis might have taken it for his normal short gain instead. Here, he was FORCED outside by defenders who were quick to diagnose and converge on him, and ran around a couple who were closing on where he had been.
Just a thought...could be he was a bigger steal than any of us thought.
At any rate, we have no issues at running back. Whereas with Harrison even I couldn't say for sure that he can stop big blitzers or take an NFL-style pounding through a lot of carries, Davis can definitely do that.
Last season Romeo's ignorance wore Lewis down as he ran on a bumb ankle. Harrison could have helped, but wasn't allowed to. This season, the coaches have made no secret of their intentions to take carries off Lewis to keep him fresh and healthy, and we got the horses.
7: I liked Bernie's analysis. I hope everybody else listened to him too.
He does say that Mangini needs to name a starter NOW, and I do grok this. However, the guy who wins this is likely to be the Browns QB for the duration of Mangini's reign, and I also understand why Mangini feels he needs to make damn sure he picks the right guy.
Next week, they get to play another really really good team and will probably get kicked around pretty good. If I read Mangini right, he'll once again ignore convention and split first-team reps between the two quarterbacks.
I believe that this will be the final exam--each QB under intense pressure vs. one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Then in the final preseason game, the starter will have been named, and will get his tune-up for the first half or so.
Bernie is talking about repetitions with the recievers he'll be throwing to, plus repetitions reading defenses in-flux, and he's right. But Mangini and Daboll are talking about the backup being ready to go and both QB's accustomed to intense psychological pressure--and being able to adapt quickly--and they're right too.
In reality, they can't come out and tell you that with the Superbowl champs, another dominant team, and even the Bengals (who embarrassed the Pats last week) in this division, and with so many new inexperienced players on this roster...well they can't admit that this is a growth year.
But it is. Whichever QB wins should be as good as he needs to be by NEXT season.
Mangini: So far so good.
8: They shoulda paid Cribbs. He just got a lot more expensive.
2: Quinn is still in it. He hardly got any chances, and did allright with what he had.
I'm now convinced that Mangini really and truly has no dog in this race, and will actually indeed pick the better quarterback. Not the best-looking, neccessarily, or the one with the strongest arm.
O B V I O U S L Y these were the Lions, and that sort of mitigates some of this. For DA-ites it will make no difference, but fortunately Mangini doesn't think like them.
If you can't figure out which QB I like better, I can help. Quinn has a lot less real game experience, can and has thrown deep but is more conservative on purpose, has better mobility, and, I believe, reads the field better. He'd also sell more tickets.
...but dammit, if DA outperforms him and gets benched anyway just to make a bunch of irrational/gay people happy, that's just plain stupid, plus just plain unfair and wrong.
I just think that when it's said and done, it'll be close to a tie, and Quinn will get the nod, owing to his lesser experience, hence greater upside, more than for any other reason.
DA does NOT suck. Only just about now does he have enough experience to really be called a vet and to be expected to stop throwing picks...since his name isn't Brett Favre. Eli Manning took longer before he truly blossomed. People who think he'll always and forever make bad decisions ass ume he can't improve with experience. That's irrational.
I think Quinn wins, we got great depth a QB this season, and get real good stuff for DA in a trade.
3: Did you notice that in his limitted time Wimbley was all over the field and got six tackles? This is the main reason why it never occured to Mangini to get rid of him and his salary, or to demote him. While everybody else has declared him a bust due to his sacklessness, he has quietly turned into a very good all-around linebacker who can cover and track down runs.
While in the 3-4 you really do need pressure from the OLB spots, and Wimbley has disappointed, he did do what he did do as a rookie. Clearly, these coaches believe that with a couple more moves, a more intelligent and creative deployment of him, etc. he can be a very good all-around linebacker who can generate some pressure.
They will not have showed how they'll be shifting him around when it counts, and probably haven't even sent him much. I remain optimistic.
4: How bout that Poteat? In fact the secondary in general? Even when Detroit's QB's had time, the DB's were mostly on it.
Well...the open recievers who were just overthrown or missed weren't lost on me. Nor did Detroit have Calvin Johnson. The coverage was far from perfect and the Lions QB's screwed up several times, but there was definitely good stuff to see. I had thought Poteat was a depth guy only, but maybe he's more. And Hoppel...who knows?
But did you see how the zone coverage was tighter than Romeo's ever was? The DB's were actually close enough to the recievers to close on the ball.
I guess that Ryan guy is just a big gambler. To have a defender less than a good ten yards behind a reciever is just unthinkable for the bend-into-the-end-zone defense.
5: Mike Furrey. There's our Brian Brennan. You can't cover that guy in a phone booth.
I had originally expected a two-TE based offense, but unlike all the sportswriters except Pluto you read, I adapt to changing circumstances. So will Mangini and co. Wide reciever depth was a problem, but now it's just the opposite. I don't count Leggett out just off of one catchless game. Cribbs has already mostly proven that he's not only ready to fill in, but to start at WR.
In order to get the best (and most dangerous) recievers on the field, this offense will need to run more three-wides.
Rucker is not emerging as the next K2. My dark-horse former WR hasn't done much either. Heiden is awesome but old and at this age could be injury-prone. Royal is a lot like Heiden, so there's a nice reliable blocker and reciever, but that appears to be it.
Really, three-wides force nickles. They lighten and spreads the defense. It makes blitzes riskier, gives the linemen fewer guys to block, and opens holes even before the snap.
When you got a guy like Furrey, plus a running back who can catch, you can go tight-end or fullback light because even if a blitzer leaks through right away, the QB has a ready target right in front of him.
And I say Furrey, but that could be Cribbs, too. In camp he's been getting open just about as much, and catching everything near him. It's just that Furrey has been doing exactly this for a long time, and it now appears quite possible that Cribbs will at least rotate in at the Z spot. Doesn't make much sense to take Furrey off the field to make room for anybody.
What about four-wide? Yeah I can see that, too. I mean, you got Edwards, Furrey, Cribbs, Robiskie--and then several others with a lot of talent who haven't had a chance to emerge yet.
Any kind of spread base will effect the QB race. More fast recievers with more blitzes favor Quinn--not DA as some would think. I believe that Quinn can see the hot read quicker against blitzes, and can go underneath to move the chains under umbrella coverage when he has to.
Remember Lindy Infante? "Well it looks like a pass but it's really more like a long hand-off". Remember how the Cardiac Kids did most of their damage turning dink-passes into long gains?
Yeah...Robiskie is pretty good at that, but Massequoi is better. Don't need to even mention Cribbs. This crew is for Quinn...not DA. (DA's favorites would be Edwards and Leggett.)
6: Who didn't know that James Davis in the sixth was a major steal?
Thing is, the main reason he slid so far--aside from the massive talent at running back--was that he didn't have many big plays. He uses shiftiness and power. He's a slasher and a grinder.
Don't compare him to Jamal Lewis. Lewis is shorter and as much as twenty pounds heavier--all muscle. Such comparisons were another reason why he slid.
But maybe--just maybe--this guy is one of those rare dudes who can do better in the pros than he did in college, like LaDanian Thomlinson. I mean, he bounced outside when he looked like he was doomed, right?
Well, in college the defenders are slower and general, and often slow to diagnose and react; to peel out of coverage in run support. In college, the inside hole might have been bigger and Davis might have taken it for his normal short gain instead. Here, he was FORCED outside by defenders who were quick to diagnose and converge on him, and ran around a couple who were closing on where he had been.
Just a thought...could be he was a bigger steal than any of us thought.
At any rate, we have no issues at running back. Whereas with Harrison even I couldn't say for sure that he can stop big blitzers or take an NFL-style pounding through a lot of carries, Davis can definitely do that.
Last season Romeo's ignorance wore Lewis down as he ran on a bumb ankle. Harrison could have helped, but wasn't allowed to. This season, the coaches have made no secret of their intentions to take carries off Lewis to keep him fresh and healthy, and we got the horses.
7: I liked Bernie's analysis. I hope everybody else listened to him too.
He does say that Mangini needs to name a starter NOW, and I do grok this. However, the guy who wins this is likely to be the Browns QB for the duration of Mangini's reign, and I also understand why Mangini feels he needs to make damn sure he picks the right guy.
Next week, they get to play another really really good team and will probably get kicked around pretty good. If I read Mangini right, he'll once again ignore convention and split first-team reps between the two quarterbacks.
I believe that this will be the final exam--each QB under intense pressure vs. one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Then in the final preseason game, the starter will have been named, and will get his tune-up for the first half or so.
Bernie is talking about repetitions with the recievers he'll be throwing to, plus repetitions reading defenses in-flux, and he's right. But Mangini and Daboll are talking about the backup being ready to go and both QB's accustomed to intense psychological pressure--and being able to adapt quickly--and they're right too.
In reality, they can't come out and tell you that with the Superbowl champs, another dominant team, and even the Bengals (who embarrassed the Pats last week) in this division, and with so many new inexperienced players on this roster...well they can't admit that this is a growth year.
But it is. Whichever QB wins should be as good as he needs to be by NEXT season.
Mangini: So far so good.
8: They shoulda paid Cribbs. He just got a lot more expensive.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
EEEWwww!
1: Marcus Benard...who is this guy? Maybe we got another Hall here....
2: DA was bad. Quinn was merely mediocre. He SHOULD have had a TD pass, and I think a guy had him by the plant-leg on the interception. Edwards is a big strong guy and is supposed to win tugs-of-war. That's why everybody wants big recievers.
3: I told you about Coye Francies. Major steal there. With Benard, who knows? But Francies WILL BE at least a solid NFL cornerback, and I mean quickly.
4: The run defense was non-existant, check. But Ryan was vanilla (doing his RAC imitation) and they weren't attacking the way they will be. Although the more agressive, less predictable package will sometimes surrender big gains, it will also blow more plays up in the backfield.
5: Rodgers had all day on his first TD pass. I don't think he will when it counts.
6: I love the fact that Mangini held Rogers out.
A: Big Baby is like half the defense. Regardless of what they say, when you have a guy like that wreaking havoc, the other guys instinctively play "safe" and just "got his back", sorta. Mangini forced the whole rest of the defense to fight for themselves. Although it didn't show much in this game...especially against the run...it will later.
B: Rogers is known and a vet. Keep him healthy, and let the young guys get some reps. Like RAC never, ever did. Mangini knows how to develop young players, and keep the big fat guys healthy and fresh.
7: I'm not too worried about the running game. Mangini was mixing and matching the o-line throughout, and I have a hunch he wouldn't have played Ryan Tucker too much...like RAC would have. He was testing Sowells, for one thing, and needs to see what Foster can do. This includes Mack, who was in and out with the first team so that Mangini could see him against Green Bays' best.
We'll know more about that part of it when the offensive line is settled.
8: Cribbs did what he did as the Z-reciever? Wow! After last season, I wondered if he ever would become a good true wide reciever, but it looks like he has finally blossomed...or perhaps been allowed to.
Quinn has endorsed him without reserve, and a smart coach listens to quarterbacks talking about wide recievers. And what he said is true: Cribbs gets the ball in the open field and it's like a kick return, and he's already past most of the defenders.
Clearly, even as an outside reciever, he is getting open and has good hands. This is great news.
He'd be even MORE effective in the slot, where the defender can't use the sideline to help him.
This could be the case, when the dust settles. If he's still returning kicks and covering kick/punt returns as he's said he really wants to, making him an every-down player might be too much.
9: Besides, Robiskie showed some good stuff himself, including run-after-catch. He's physicly better-suited to the Z than Cribbs is.
10: I know the older guys kick butt out of the slot, too, but Mangini must have an eye to the future, and will be the opposite of RAC. YOUTH will be his tie-breaker. (If this were RAC's team, Mack wouldn't have played til late in the second, Tucker and Rogers would have played most of the half, and the young recievers wouldn't have got any shots at all vs. first-string defenses.)
11: It sounded like Harrison only ran inside. I like it. Mangini already knows he can get outside, and this is testing him. So he got stuffed--so did everybody else.
12: I also bet that Veikune played way more than Jackson or Barton, who are two more "knowns".
Overall, there's no excuse for the penalties and screw-ups--and it should be noted that Green Bay's defense was undermanned and not what they will be.
However, I do believe that Mangini was not following the traditional starters-first, then the young guys when the opponent takes out it's first string script. I think he carried his training-camp methodology right into this game, and gave everybody roughly equal reps against each level of competition.
For most teams, the first preseason game is to get the base offense and defense down, and establish chemistry. I believe that for Mangini, is was his first opportunity to evaluate many new and young players against some pretty damn good talent for real.
I hope that this and the vanilla schemes (I think they only ran inside, too) account for much of this atrocity.
So please withhold the "We're all gonna die!" self-soiling panic crap, k?
2: DA was bad. Quinn was merely mediocre. He SHOULD have had a TD pass, and I think a guy had him by the plant-leg on the interception. Edwards is a big strong guy and is supposed to win tugs-of-war. That's why everybody wants big recievers.
3: I told you about Coye Francies. Major steal there. With Benard, who knows? But Francies WILL BE at least a solid NFL cornerback, and I mean quickly.
4: The run defense was non-existant, check. But Ryan was vanilla (doing his RAC imitation) and they weren't attacking the way they will be. Although the more agressive, less predictable package will sometimes surrender big gains, it will also blow more plays up in the backfield.
5: Rodgers had all day on his first TD pass. I don't think he will when it counts.
6: I love the fact that Mangini held Rogers out.
A: Big Baby is like half the defense. Regardless of what they say, when you have a guy like that wreaking havoc, the other guys instinctively play "safe" and just "got his back", sorta. Mangini forced the whole rest of the defense to fight for themselves. Although it didn't show much in this game...especially against the run...it will later.
B: Rogers is known and a vet. Keep him healthy, and let the young guys get some reps. Like RAC never, ever did. Mangini knows how to develop young players, and keep the big fat guys healthy and fresh.
7: I'm not too worried about the running game. Mangini was mixing and matching the o-line throughout, and I have a hunch he wouldn't have played Ryan Tucker too much...like RAC would have. He was testing Sowells, for one thing, and needs to see what Foster can do. This includes Mack, who was in and out with the first team so that Mangini could see him against Green Bays' best.
We'll know more about that part of it when the offensive line is settled.
8: Cribbs did what he did as the Z-reciever? Wow! After last season, I wondered if he ever would become a good true wide reciever, but it looks like he has finally blossomed...or perhaps been allowed to.
Quinn has endorsed him without reserve, and a smart coach listens to quarterbacks talking about wide recievers. And what he said is true: Cribbs gets the ball in the open field and it's like a kick return, and he's already past most of the defenders.
Clearly, even as an outside reciever, he is getting open and has good hands. This is great news.
He'd be even MORE effective in the slot, where the defender can't use the sideline to help him.
This could be the case, when the dust settles. If he's still returning kicks and covering kick/punt returns as he's said he really wants to, making him an every-down player might be too much.
9: Besides, Robiskie showed some good stuff himself, including run-after-catch. He's physicly better-suited to the Z than Cribbs is.
10: I know the older guys kick butt out of the slot, too, but Mangini must have an eye to the future, and will be the opposite of RAC. YOUTH will be his tie-breaker. (If this were RAC's team, Mack wouldn't have played til late in the second, Tucker and Rogers would have played most of the half, and the young recievers wouldn't have got any shots at all vs. first-string defenses.)
11: It sounded like Harrison only ran inside. I like it. Mangini already knows he can get outside, and this is testing him. So he got stuffed--so did everybody else.
12: I also bet that Veikune played way more than Jackson or Barton, who are two more "knowns".
Overall, there's no excuse for the penalties and screw-ups--and it should be noted that Green Bay's defense was undermanned and not what they will be.
However, I do believe that Mangini was not following the traditional starters-first, then the young guys when the opponent takes out it's first string script. I think he carried his training-camp methodology right into this game, and gave everybody roughly equal reps against each level of competition.
For most teams, the first preseason game is to get the base offense and defense down, and establish chemistry. I believe that for Mangini, is was his first opportunity to evaluate many new and young players against some pretty damn good talent for real.
I hope that this and the vanilla schemes (I think they only ran inside, too) account for much of this atrocity.
So please withhold the "We're all gonna die!" self-soiling panic crap, k?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Dumb Stuff I Have Heard
"The secondary is worthless against the run".
1: McDonald is exceptional against the run. With a little more size, he'd be a great safety. He is 25% of the base secondary.
2: Mike Adams is also very good against the run, and he played nickel back a good deal last season. Adams is an unsing hero, really. A safety/cornerback hybrid who provides great situational depth and versatility.
3: Sean Jones...who is gone...was usually very good vs. the run.
4: Pool played back much of the time, and is pretty good vs. the run.
The fact is, the coaches last season had the secondary setting up ten-plus yards off the line much of the time, and it takes about a second for most players to read run and get rolling toward the line.
Despite this enforced passivity, blown tackles were also a problem. The whole defense was guilty of this. They were often in position and got their hands on the ballcarrier...and wound up on the ground watching him run away..
The hard part is getting to the right spot to make the play. A good coach won't tolerate sloppy tackling, and it's easy to correct.
"Quinn is another Chad Pennington".
Look at Quinn's college highlights. You will see deep passes. This means he can throw deep passes. Once a guy throws a deep pass, he has proven that he can go deep. You will also see all the "out" patterns and stuff like that, demonstrating arm strength.
A young intelligent quarterback will tend to check down quickly, and even to bypass guys who aren't WIDE open deeper, because he is playing it safe. With experience and real-game repetitions, Quinn will learn what he can and can't get away with, and push the envelope.
"Harrison is obviously not an every-down back".
According to who? RAC? Why? Because he's short?
He was workhorse with a ton of healthy carries in college, he has already proven that he can go between the tackles, he's now over 200 lbs., and there are something like THIRTY backs who are no bigger than him who racked up big numbers as starters...several of whome are or will be in the Hall of Fame.
I'm not saying that Harrison IS the next starter...just that it's really stupid to assume he can't be.
"Corey Williams can't play 3-4 DE".
Williams had a bumb shoulder last season and shouldn't have even played. Every blocker he opposed knew of the weakness and exploited this huge advantage. Williams has the height, size, quickness, and range to play 3-4 DE, and with two good arms...well let's just see.
1: McDonald is exceptional against the run. With a little more size, he'd be a great safety. He is 25% of the base secondary.
2: Mike Adams is also very good against the run, and he played nickel back a good deal last season. Adams is an unsing hero, really. A safety/cornerback hybrid who provides great situational depth and versatility.
3: Sean Jones...who is gone...was usually very good vs. the run.
4: Pool played back much of the time, and is pretty good vs. the run.
The fact is, the coaches last season had the secondary setting up ten-plus yards off the line much of the time, and it takes about a second for most players to read run and get rolling toward the line.
Despite this enforced passivity, blown tackles were also a problem. The whole defense was guilty of this. They were often in position and got their hands on the ballcarrier...and wound up on the ground watching him run away..
The hard part is getting to the right spot to make the play. A good coach won't tolerate sloppy tackling, and it's easy to correct.
"Quinn is another Chad Pennington".
Look at Quinn's college highlights. You will see deep passes. This means he can throw deep passes. Once a guy throws a deep pass, he has proven that he can go deep. You will also see all the "out" patterns and stuff like that, demonstrating arm strength.
A young intelligent quarterback will tend to check down quickly, and even to bypass guys who aren't WIDE open deeper, because he is playing it safe. With experience and real-game repetitions, Quinn will learn what he can and can't get away with, and push the envelope.
"Harrison is obviously not an every-down back".
According to who? RAC? Why? Because he's short?
He was workhorse with a ton of healthy carries in college, he has already proven that he can go between the tackles, he's now over 200 lbs., and there are something like THIRTY backs who are no bigger than him who racked up big numbers as starters...several of whome are or will be in the Hall of Fame.
I'm not saying that Harrison IS the next starter...just that it's really stupid to assume he can't be.
"Corey Williams can't play 3-4 DE".
Williams had a bumb shoulder last season and shouldn't have even played. Every blocker he opposed knew of the weakness and exploited this huge advantage. Williams has the height, size, quickness, and range to play 3-4 DE, and with two good arms...well let's just see.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Dear Wait til Next Year:
I don't have much to write at this point, but was overjoyed to hear that I have an audience of one.
I will continue to spam the other philistines in an effort to force them to click the links, but you are off the hook.
Here is insight, from Jim Miller: Miller was an on/off starting quarterback (inc. for the Stoolers) and is now an NFL Radio analyst and host.
He likes both Quinn and Anderson, but finds one issue with Quinn: When he throws deep balls, his right foot comes off the ground, like a pitcher throwing a fastball. That motion is fine for the fixed distance and the straight line, but for a QB the back foot needs to stay planted at least until the release.
Miller himself had this mechanical flaw coming out of college, and had to "unlearn" it before he became much more accurate. The QB throws the ball all over the place, and when you throw off one foot, your body is rotating and there are many, many variables which can throw accuracy off. With both feet planted, the base is solid and so is the throw. Pretty simple, really.
...Plus that foot off the ground stuff looks kind of...I dunno--sissified?
Anyway we HOPE here that the new coaching staff is more competant, and will correct this one-and-only Quinn flaw (which Miller says is not like correcting a motion and is easy--keeping a foot down is not a major adjustment that will throw him off).
Also Miller thinks it's funny that people question his arm-strength, and says he has a good arm. He did sometimes lack accuracy deep, and Miller asserts that that back foot off the ground is the reason.
Well that's it. Can't wait for training camp. Okbye.
I will continue to spam the other philistines in an effort to force them to click the links, but you are off the hook.
Here is insight, from Jim Miller: Miller was an on/off starting quarterback (inc. for the Stoolers) and is now an NFL Radio analyst and host.
He likes both Quinn and Anderson, but finds one issue with Quinn: When he throws deep balls, his right foot comes off the ground, like a pitcher throwing a fastball. That motion is fine for the fixed distance and the straight line, but for a QB the back foot needs to stay planted at least until the release.
Miller himself had this mechanical flaw coming out of college, and had to "unlearn" it before he became much more accurate. The QB throws the ball all over the place, and when you throw off one foot, your body is rotating and there are many, many variables which can throw accuracy off. With both feet planted, the base is solid and so is the throw. Pretty simple, really.
...Plus that foot off the ground stuff looks kind of...I dunno--sissified?
Anyway we HOPE here that the new coaching staff is more competant, and will correct this one-and-only Quinn flaw (which Miller says is not like correcting a motion and is easy--keeping a foot down is not a major adjustment that will throw him off).
Also Miller thinks it's funny that people question his arm-strength, and says he has a good arm. He did sometimes lack accuracy deep, and Miller asserts that that back foot off the ground is the reason.
Well that's it. Can't wait for training camp. Okbye.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sundquist and Steuber
Why the hess doesn't Randy Lerner even want to talk to Sundquist? Although the Broncos have faded of late, for the bulk of his service in denver, that team was a perennieal contender; one he built.
Because of this, they of course drafted low for quite awhile as well.
This is the guy who used the Browns cast-off defensive linemen. And before you say "Duh, well, that sure worked out for 'em, dind id?" check their record that season, then shut up.
And he doesn't MIND Mangini already here! For cryin out loud, Randy!
And THIS guy is famous for trigger-pulling on draft day. One year, I vaguely remember...He made like trades and wound up with 6 first-day picks or something. Randy? RANDY!!!!
I like Chris Steuber. Whenever I wonder who the hell a player is and what he can do, I cross my fingers and hope Steuber has profiled him, because I just don't trust anybody else...except Gil Brandt. And Mike Moyak (sp?--ex-cornerback--said Cutler was better than the other guys, and Edwards too).
He's just updated his draft-board with juniors. NOW, there are two quarterbacks in his (fairly reliable) top seven players. This makes the Browns 5th overall pick a lot more valuable, and renders a trade-down more likely.
This draft is tricky. One guy on NFL Radio predicted a "run" on tackles in the first round. Because? Because there are a bunch of them. Which doesn't make sense.
Steuber's top two players are offensive tackles. Then #13 and #15 also play that position. Other boards I've seen list three more in the top 30 players. All of these guys could be day one starters. Although the top two are a cut above, the next two aren't far behind, and the rest of the crop is nothing to sneeze at.
So if you're a GM and want a tackle, why would you use your top pick on one if you think you can get one later--if you have other needs, and the guts to take a risk?
On the other hand, left tackles are hard to get. If a team has one, they don't let them go--you don't get them as free agents. You have to draft them. And very few projects work out.
With few exceptions, a left tackle is a safe pick. You can see a lot more of their potential in college, and more reliably predict their performance. There are some exceptions, but these are few.
So I suppose that this could make the top two guys go early. Maybe one in the top five, and possibly both.
But the QB's? Both probably gone. (Famous last words: Brady Quinn. We'll see--for now let me be optimistic).
Now, I bet Sundquist would come here and see if he could get Detroit to deal for DA. If you think this means the first overall pick, you are delusional. If you think he has no value, you are worse.
DA is a two-year starter still early in his carreer, and still developing. He has won a lot of games, and set records. He has one of the three or four strongest arms in the NFL, and you can't teach that.
As a veteran, he's ready to start immediately. Every head coach thinks he can slap some polish on a guy ,like this and turn him into Dan Marino.
If you are Detroit's GM, you can use that top pick on a QB, go broke paying him, and then either watch him get killed or bench him for at least half a season...and cross your fingers he's not another Alex Smith, and doesn't get you fired.
OR, you can trade your second and fourth-round picks for DA, and trade that top pick to get that and more back. At worst, maybe you use it on a decade's worth of pass-protection.
For the Browns, doing this would take Detroit out of the quarterback derby. Somebody else might trade up with them and grab one, but the fact that there are two of them, and the third-ranked QB has a first-round grade on him as well, makes it a little less likely.
There are two QB's, and one could slide to the fifth overall pick.
If both are gone, forget it. No trade-down. But if one is still there, somebody might make a move.
Yeah, and I'd be there for them! Move down say three or four slots, and get maybe a second this season and a third next season out of it.
Then the Browns could still snag one of the top two cornerbacks, or maybe one of the undersized DE's if they project well to 3-4 OLB, or even either of the top 2 running backs.
I still love Harrison and bet the new coach will let him play. I also think Jamal Lewis can be okay for another season...maybe...but you can't have enough, really.
On that subject, Mareno is actually another Harrison. In reality, Harrison is a little shorter, but as big or bigger weight-wise, and a similar type of home-run hitter.
Wells, on the other hand, is a tackle-breaking hammer who some compare to a young Jamal Lewis. (Remember: Early on, Lewis broke loose for a lot of big, long runs--that's what they mean).
But there are four running backs with five stars on them, and it might be tough to justify taking one in the top ten, especially with the Browns' other needs.
I mean, either of the top cornerbacks could step right in and push McDonald to the nickel slot, rendering the secondary solid (with the addition of a quality free agent). They both have the size to cover the bigger recievers which have punished the Browns, and tackle like safeties.
IF IF IF one of the top two DE's could trasition to linebacker and at least start out their rookie seasons as situational passrushers, this would really put heat on Hall and Wimbley, and from among the three of them, maybe the Browns could finally have a 2-way edge-rush so the 3-4 could work like it's designed to.
The forgotten draft pick from last year, Bell, might well start next to Jackson inside this coming season and do great, but the top two ILB's in this draft are tempting too.
Pat Ryan on NFL Radio is skeptical about Laurenitis. He lists at 6'3", 240, but to Ryan he still looks "too small". I have to take this former college DE and Bears DT/NT seriously--but then Steuber doesn't seem worried about that.
And at 6'3", he mght appear wiry at the moment, but he'll get bigger in the NFL weight room, and this is not a 4-3.
NOTE: In a 4-3, the inside linebackers do NOT have to be big huge monsters who throw 325-lb. guards around like rag dolls...please stop it stop it stop it!!! They need to be fast, aggressive, and able to cover DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
While another ILB might not (on this planet) be an urgent need, it sure would be nice to have three.
Earlier, I thought about another offensive tackle...but with the salary cap being what it is, you probably shouldn't draft a left tackle high, pay him all that money, and then play him at right tackle...even if he's the best right tackle in the NFL.
...but you could sure get a bargain on your new right tackle/backup left tackle in the second round in this draft!!!
I dunno...probably the cornerback, I think. I mean, these are rare players. Hall might well come out gangbusters, ryan might have the brains to at least try Williams outside sometimes, Wimbley might bloom late, Bell probably WILL kick butt--cornerback is one area that would make a big difference.
...and these guys are like extra safeties. You don't think that matters as much as it does, but you see it when they meet a 220+-lb. running back on the edge, or pull a tight end to the turf without help, or knock a ball loose.
But Wells...damn I like him! Top level competition, big plays, big games in big games, BIG. 6'1" means he can reach for passes. He can block.
Man, what would an intelligent coach do with this? You got this rookie monster, Jamal Lewis fading, and the Ghost to play with. You could take some carries off Lewis to preserve him, and spare the kid that rookie "wall". With Harrison, thunder-and-lightening in a 2-back, or just changing the pace as the single guy.
Got to think about that. A running game is a QB's second-best friend.
And Lewis...I do think that all those carries are catching up with him. I mean, was it all the offensive line's fault that they couldn't run? How many times when he broke into the open field did he do anything with it? Wells--as of next season, he might be better than Lewis out of the gate, and an upgrade is an upgrade.
Even if Lewis is still solid for the duration of next season, what about after that? Are we looking for a running back again?
Even if Harrison is, as I insist, capable of starting (if not stoning 250-lb. blitzing linebackers), you STILL need more than one running back, and ideally three.
And Wells stands out from the other guys. He's got 30 lbs. on most of them. You KNOW he can run inside in the NFL, and block linebackers.
I dunno...gotta think about it...
My DA trade would leave the Browns with two top second-round picks. That could be an offensive tackle or the best center or the best guard.
Ah, well...just spitballin go back to your "cheep"-in.
Because of this, they of course drafted low for quite awhile as well.
This is the guy who used the Browns cast-off defensive linemen. And before you say "Duh, well, that sure worked out for 'em, dind id?" check their record that season, then shut up.
And he doesn't MIND Mangini already here! For cryin out loud, Randy!
And THIS guy is famous for trigger-pulling on draft day. One year, I vaguely remember...He made like trades and wound up with 6 first-day picks or something. Randy? RANDY!!!!
I like Chris Steuber. Whenever I wonder who the hell a player is and what he can do, I cross my fingers and hope Steuber has profiled him, because I just don't trust anybody else...except Gil Brandt. And Mike Moyak (sp?--ex-cornerback--said Cutler was better than the other guys, and Edwards too).
He's just updated his draft-board with juniors. NOW, there are two quarterbacks in his (fairly reliable) top seven players. This makes the Browns 5th overall pick a lot more valuable, and renders a trade-down more likely.
This draft is tricky. One guy on NFL Radio predicted a "run" on tackles in the first round. Because? Because there are a bunch of them. Which doesn't make sense.
Steuber's top two players are offensive tackles. Then #13 and #15 also play that position. Other boards I've seen list three more in the top 30 players. All of these guys could be day one starters. Although the top two are a cut above, the next two aren't far behind, and the rest of the crop is nothing to sneeze at.
So if you're a GM and want a tackle, why would you use your top pick on one if you think you can get one later--if you have other needs, and the guts to take a risk?
On the other hand, left tackles are hard to get. If a team has one, they don't let them go--you don't get them as free agents. You have to draft them. And very few projects work out.
With few exceptions, a left tackle is a safe pick. You can see a lot more of their potential in college, and more reliably predict their performance. There are some exceptions, but these are few.
So I suppose that this could make the top two guys go early. Maybe one in the top five, and possibly both.
But the QB's? Both probably gone. (Famous last words: Brady Quinn. We'll see--for now let me be optimistic).
Now, I bet Sundquist would come here and see if he could get Detroit to deal for DA. If you think this means the first overall pick, you are delusional. If you think he has no value, you are worse.
DA is a two-year starter still early in his carreer, and still developing. He has won a lot of games, and set records. He has one of the three or four strongest arms in the NFL, and you can't teach that.
As a veteran, he's ready to start immediately. Every head coach thinks he can slap some polish on a guy ,like this and turn him into Dan Marino.
If you are Detroit's GM, you can use that top pick on a QB, go broke paying him, and then either watch him get killed or bench him for at least half a season...and cross your fingers he's not another Alex Smith, and doesn't get you fired.
OR, you can trade your second and fourth-round picks for DA, and trade that top pick to get that and more back. At worst, maybe you use it on a decade's worth of pass-protection.
For the Browns, doing this would take Detroit out of the quarterback derby. Somebody else might trade up with them and grab one, but the fact that there are two of them, and the third-ranked QB has a first-round grade on him as well, makes it a little less likely.
There are two QB's, and one could slide to the fifth overall pick.
If both are gone, forget it. No trade-down. But if one is still there, somebody might make a move.
Yeah, and I'd be there for them! Move down say three or four slots, and get maybe a second this season and a third next season out of it.
Then the Browns could still snag one of the top two cornerbacks, or maybe one of the undersized DE's if they project well to 3-4 OLB, or even either of the top 2 running backs.
I still love Harrison and bet the new coach will let him play. I also think Jamal Lewis can be okay for another season...maybe...but you can't have enough, really.
On that subject, Mareno is actually another Harrison. In reality, Harrison is a little shorter, but as big or bigger weight-wise, and a similar type of home-run hitter.
Wells, on the other hand, is a tackle-breaking hammer who some compare to a young Jamal Lewis. (Remember: Early on, Lewis broke loose for a lot of big, long runs--that's what they mean).
But there are four running backs with five stars on them, and it might be tough to justify taking one in the top ten, especially with the Browns' other needs.
I mean, either of the top cornerbacks could step right in and push McDonald to the nickel slot, rendering the secondary solid (with the addition of a quality free agent). They both have the size to cover the bigger recievers which have punished the Browns, and tackle like safeties.
IF IF IF one of the top two DE's could trasition to linebacker and at least start out their rookie seasons as situational passrushers, this would really put heat on Hall and Wimbley, and from among the three of them, maybe the Browns could finally have a 2-way edge-rush so the 3-4 could work like it's designed to.
The forgotten draft pick from last year, Bell, might well start next to Jackson inside this coming season and do great, but the top two ILB's in this draft are tempting too.
Pat Ryan on NFL Radio is skeptical about Laurenitis. He lists at 6'3", 240, but to Ryan he still looks "too small". I have to take this former college DE and Bears DT/NT seriously--but then Steuber doesn't seem worried about that.
And at 6'3", he mght appear wiry at the moment, but he'll get bigger in the NFL weight room, and this is not a 4-3.
NOTE: In a 4-3, the inside linebackers do NOT have to be big huge monsters who throw 325-lb. guards around like rag dolls...please stop it stop it stop it!!! They need to be fast, aggressive, and able to cover DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
While another ILB might not (on this planet) be an urgent need, it sure would be nice to have three.
Earlier, I thought about another offensive tackle...but with the salary cap being what it is, you probably shouldn't draft a left tackle high, pay him all that money, and then play him at right tackle...even if he's the best right tackle in the NFL.
...but you could sure get a bargain on your new right tackle/backup left tackle in the second round in this draft!!!
I dunno...probably the cornerback, I think. I mean, these are rare players. Hall might well come out gangbusters, ryan might have the brains to at least try Williams outside sometimes, Wimbley might bloom late, Bell probably WILL kick butt--cornerback is one area that would make a big difference.
...and these guys are like extra safeties. You don't think that matters as much as it does, but you see it when they meet a 220+-lb. running back on the edge, or pull a tight end to the turf without help, or knock a ball loose.
But Wells...damn I like him! Top level competition, big plays, big games in big games, BIG. 6'1" means he can reach for passes. He can block.
Man, what would an intelligent coach do with this? You got this rookie monster, Jamal Lewis fading, and the Ghost to play with. You could take some carries off Lewis to preserve him, and spare the kid that rookie "wall". With Harrison, thunder-and-lightening in a 2-back, or just changing the pace as the single guy.
Got to think about that. A running game is a QB's second-best friend.
And Lewis...I do think that all those carries are catching up with him. I mean, was it all the offensive line's fault that they couldn't run? How many times when he broke into the open field did he do anything with it? Wells--as of next season, he might be better than Lewis out of the gate, and an upgrade is an upgrade.
Even if Lewis is still solid for the duration of next season, what about after that? Are we looking for a running back again?
Even if Harrison is, as I insist, capable of starting (if not stoning 250-lb. blitzing linebackers), you STILL need more than one running back, and ideally three.
And Wells stands out from the other guys. He's got 30 lbs. on most of them. You KNOW he can run inside in the NFL, and block linebackers.
I dunno...gotta think about it...
My DA trade would leave the Browns with two top second-round picks. That could be an offensive tackle or the best center or the best guard.
Ah, well...just spitballin go back to your "cheep"-in.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Pre-emptive Draft Strike
I just looked at the top fifty rated players (per Scout.com), and roughly counted them by position. It was very intersting, in view of the Browns actual (and not hallucinated) needs/areas for improvement.
Leading the quantity-list are seven offensive tackles and six cornerbacks. verily, bumper crops of these guys. Next, with five each, are the OLB's and wide recievers.
On the other side, the Quarterbacks, safeties, DE's and guards have only two each.
Teams are always looking for QB's, so the second quarterback should go well ahead of his ranked spot. The defensive ends should also get snatched up quickly and perhaps prematurely, and ditto the safeties.
The guards are a little different. Regardless of how good they are, they tend to slide--it's pretty uncommon for one to be taken in the first round at all.
There are three centers, and these guys tend to slide as well. So do middle linebackers, of which there are also three. there are three defensive tackles in the top fifty, and these guys should go pretty early too. Where's Butch Davis when you need him?
Four running backs, with three in the elite class. None of these are Adrian Peterson, and the first might not be taken until after the top five.
Where's all this leading?
Well, if I were in charge of the Browns, I would clean house. I know I could get a middle second-rounder and perhaps a bag o chips for Anderson, and that and more for Winslow, and I'd do that. I'd also see if I could get anywhere in this first round, or perhaps a second and a third, for Braylon Edwards.
I'd try to get a fourth for Motormouth Smith, and a sixth for Darnell Dinkens, too.
Now I would have the 5th overall pick, #5 in the second, then maybe #13 and #15 in the second, #5 in the third...and we'll be conservative and leave it at that, plus the high fourth rounder.
(I know compensitory picks etc. so maybe the numbers aren't exact big deal).
Thirty five of these top fifty players are rated with five stars, meaning that they have a really good chance of starting or at least playing a lot as rookies. Even the fiteen with four stars are very good players.
My scenario gives the Browns four picks in the top 50, and 5 in the top 75.
As it stands, before the Browns pick, the QB probably gets grabbed. One of the top two offensive tackles might or might not go up there, but certainly not both, with as many as there are available.
The top two cornerbacks are pick 'ems--you could take either of them and be happy. I don't think either will be taken in the top five.
The middle linebackers should remain...well, I'm getting bogged-down here. The thing is, what could I get for the fifth overall pick?
Well, probably not much. There's only the one quarterback.
But I'd still try. I mean, I could find myself sitting there staring at a bunch of players worth #5, and I have several needs.
One or both of the top two offensive tackles, either of which could immediately dominate on the right side, and down the road provide depth at left tackle. Both these guys could also play guard, as well.
Probably both of the elite cornerbacks (Listen: our starters ARE veterans, and coaches coach. We need more at cornerback, but it doesn't have to be a veteran, so shut up.)
Though not a (legitimate) NEED, both of the elite middle (inside) linebackers will remain, and be mighty tempting. Put these guys in a rotation with Jackson and Bell, and you've got a very strong and deep corps for years to come.
There are two passrushing defensive ends ranked up there. Could they play linebacker? I don't know, but I DO know that aUSC OLB not even ranked in the top fifty WAS a defensive end, and was overshadowed by Laurenitis.
Chris Wells is ranked second at his position and fifteenth overall. The Browns HAVE the 212-lb. Jerome Harrison behind Jamal Lewis, but I'd have to consider taking this guy. I mean. he's just a HAMMER, and at 6'1" looks like a good blacker and reciever, and should get even bigger/stronger than his current 238 lbs.
...but not at #5. The other MLB should go ahead of Laurenitis, and he maybe not in the top fifteen or twenty. the first wide reciever might not be taken in the top ten, and the third-best tackle in the top twenty. The first cornerback might slide below ten.
Both of the top defensive ends are undersized, and might be situational guys at first even in a 4-3. they might go after the top ten...etc.
My ideal DA trade would be the Lions. They would NOT cough up their first-round pick for him, but might surrender their second-rounder (and no bag o chips). This would take that QB off their radar, and make it more likely that he'd be there for somebody to trade up to #5 for (wish I could remember the order...ah! Ok the QB is gone anyway. Tough to trade down in this draft.
But that's ok! I got the top second-round pick for DA!
Ok but maybe I could trade the pick for a player...
...ok nevermind. But who would I take fifth overall?
Well first, the strategy: I now have #1, #5, and # 13 in the second round. In that area I could wait to grab three of these players:
ILB Laurenitis OSU
Eugene Monroe OT VA
Guard Duke Robinson OK (the best guard)
The best center
OLB Brian Cushing USC (started previous season as stand-up DE and did great)
et al.
And then, wide recievers are available late; notably Rodney Robiskiefield of OSU, who could even slide into the third round.
At #5 I'd have to look hard at Chris Wells, the top two cornerbacks, and the top tackle available.
But there's no (real) urgency at RB, I'd have a lot of cap-space to sign a really good vet cornerback (there are a bunch highly rated who will slide into the second round and be available--they're just small guys like we already have).
I guess I'd probably take the best offensive tackle. I mean, these guys don't grow on trees (ready to start), and the ripple effect on the offensive line would be immediate.
Micheal Ohr would fit into either a man or zone scheme well, especially at right tackle (OH I forgot! I got a high third or low second rounder for Kevin Shaffer ok?)
Now (let's leave Tucker at right guard, ok?) you'd have bookend tackles protecting both edges, each of which can block well upfield in space, and Ohr is a pretty decent drive-blocker as well.
On the Browns roster is a pretty good young right tackle to provide quality depth, who would have challenged to start there this season. He can also play left tackle, but needs work there. Ohr, on the other hand, is a left tackle who can also play right tackle. Now in addition to upgrading the blocking on the right side, you have provided quality long-term depth at left tackle too.
NOW, of you could also nab guard Duke Robinson in the second round, wow! (I love Ryan Tucker, but you need to think long-term. But ok I might be overboard with the offensive line).
But Laurenitis is a no-brainer, despite the fact that with Bell and Jackson and a more intelligent scheme, the defense is already strong at inside linebacker. The ideal situation is a rotation anyway so that they don't get worn down.
Williams could remain as the nickel linebacker, where he does a pretty good job, and be given the opportunity to compete at OLB by more intelligent coaches.
But even as low as the middle of the second round, Brian Cushing could still be around. 4-3 teams would be much less interested in him than 3-4 teams, so this would eliminate some potential suitors and help his slide.
Cushing could right away push Alex Hall and Wimbley.
Cushing was recruited and started out as an outside linebacker. He was then moved to stand-up defensive end in a type of 3-4 for one season, and he did a fine job against top competition. Last season, he returned to the more conventional outside linebacker spot.
Cushing does it all, including doing a good job in coverage, and his college experience makes him a natural fit for the new Browns defense.
We can still hope that Wimbley will finally learn some new moves, or that moving him around will help his pass-rush--or simply that Alex Hall continues his rapid growth and starts commanding more attention when he attacks the QB.
Ideally, you bring Cushing in and the other two kick too much butt for him to play a lot, but at the very least here is another well-schooled and capable guy competing...who won't let you down in coverage or against the run, either.
Then maybe even in the third is Robiskie, although his clock-times at the combine are likely to elevate his stock somewhat...(I hope he sprains and ankle or something).
This dude is an inch taller than Braylon Edwards and has good hands. He also runs crisp patterns and can burn (he's a track star). He's currently only 199 lbs., but this is partly because he did run track, and he'll grow to be bigger than almost all cornerbacks and a lot of free safeties.
He is currently (inexplicably) rated ninth in this bumper-crop of wide recievers, and is one of the reasons I'd strongly consider trading Edwards for the right price.
Robiskie, TWO big burners on the practice squad, and Jurevicious, who should return. (He doesn't need to be as fast as he was, or even to get open. Even if he's covered, he's open because he'll reach or muscle for it.)
And then Rucker--who isn't a wide reciever but is still here to do what K2 does.
Anyhow I know it's too early to take any of this seriously but I'm bored so there you go okbye.
Leading the quantity-list are seven offensive tackles and six cornerbacks. verily, bumper crops of these guys. Next, with five each, are the OLB's and wide recievers.
On the other side, the Quarterbacks, safeties, DE's and guards have only two each.
Teams are always looking for QB's, so the second quarterback should go well ahead of his ranked spot. The defensive ends should also get snatched up quickly and perhaps prematurely, and ditto the safeties.
The guards are a little different. Regardless of how good they are, they tend to slide--it's pretty uncommon for one to be taken in the first round at all.
There are three centers, and these guys tend to slide as well. So do middle linebackers, of which there are also three. there are three defensive tackles in the top fifty, and these guys should go pretty early too. Where's Butch Davis when you need him?
Four running backs, with three in the elite class. None of these are Adrian Peterson, and the first might not be taken until after the top five.
Where's all this leading?
Well, if I were in charge of the Browns, I would clean house. I know I could get a middle second-rounder and perhaps a bag o chips for Anderson, and that and more for Winslow, and I'd do that. I'd also see if I could get anywhere in this first round, or perhaps a second and a third, for Braylon Edwards.
I'd try to get a fourth for Motormouth Smith, and a sixth for Darnell Dinkens, too.
Now I would have the 5th overall pick, #5 in the second, then maybe #13 and #15 in the second, #5 in the third...and we'll be conservative and leave it at that, plus the high fourth rounder.
(I know compensitory picks etc. so maybe the numbers aren't exact big deal).
Thirty five of these top fifty players are rated with five stars, meaning that they have a really good chance of starting or at least playing a lot as rookies. Even the fiteen with four stars are very good players.
My scenario gives the Browns four picks in the top 50, and 5 in the top 75.
As it stands, before the Browns pick, the QB probably gets grabbed. One of the top two offensive tackles might or might not go up there, but certainly not both, with as many as there are available.
The top two cornerbacks are pick 'ems--you could take either of them and be happy. I don't think either will be taken in the top five.
The middle linebackers should remain...well, I'm getting bogged-down here. The thing is, what could I get for the fifth overall pick?
Well, probably not much. There's only the one quarterback.
But I'd still try. I mean, I could find myself sitting there staring at a bunch of players worth #5, and I have several needs.
One or both of the top two offensive tackles, either of which could immediately dominate on the right side, and down the road provide depth at left tackle. Both these guys could also play guard, as well.
Probably both of the elite cornerbacks (Listen: our starters ARE veterans, and coaches coach. We need more at cornerback, but it doesn't have to be a veteran, so shut up.)
Though not a (legitimate) NEED, both of the elite middle (inside) linebackers will remain, and be mighty tempting. Put these guys in a rotation with Jackson and Bell, and you've got a very strong and deep corps for years to come.
There are two passrushing defensive ends ranked up there. Could they play linebacker? I don't know, but I DO know that aUSC OLB not even ranked in the top fifty WAS a defensive end, and was overshadowed by Laurenitis.
Chris Wells is ranked second at his position and fifteenth overall. The Browns HAVE the 212-lb. Jerome Harrison behind Jamal Lewis, but I'd have to consider taking this guy. I mean. he's just a HAMMER, and at 6'1" looks like a good blacker and reciever, and should get even bigger/stronger than his current 238 lbs.
...but not at #5. The other MLB should go ahead of Laurenitis, and he maybe not in the top fifteen or twenty. the first wide reciever might not be taken in the top ten, and the third-best tackle in the top twenty. The first cornerback might slide below ten.
Both of the top defensive ends are undersized, and might be situational guys at first even in a 4-3. they might go after the top ten...etc.
My ideal DA trade would be the Lions. They would NOT cough up their first-round pick for him, but might surrender their second-rounder (and no bag o chips). This would take that QB off their radar, and make it more likely that he'd be there for somebody to trade up to #5 for (wish I could remember the order...ah! Ok the QB is gone anyway. Tough to trade down in this draft.
But that's ok! I got the top second-round pick for DA!
Ok but maybe I could trade the pick for a player...
...ok nevermind. But who would I take fifth overall?
Well first, the strategy: I now have #1, #5, and # 13 in the second round. In that area I could wait to grab three of these players:
ILB Laurenitis OSU
Eugene Monroe OT VA
Guard Duke Robinson OK (the best guard)
The best center
OLB Brian Cushing USC (started previous season as stand-up DE and did great)
et al.
And then, wide recievers are available late; notably Rodney Robiskiefield of OSU, who could even slide into the third round.
At #5 I'd have to look hard at Chris Wells, the top two cornerbacks, and the top tackle available.
But there's no (real) urgency at RB, I'd have a lot of cap-space to sign a really good vet cornerback (there are a bunch highly rated who will slide into the second round and be available--they're just small guys like we already have).
I guess I'd probably take the best offensive tackle. I mean, these guys don't grow on trees (ready to start), and the ripple effect on the offensive line would be immediate.
Micheal Ohr would fit into either a man or zone scheme well, especially at right tackle (OH I forgot! I got a high third or low second rounder for Kevin Shaffer ok?)
Now (let's leave Tucker at right guard, ok?) you'd have bookend tackles protecting both edges, each of which can block well upfield in space, and Ohr is a pretty decent drive-blocker as well.
On the Browns roster is a pretty good young right tackle to provide quality depth, who would have challenged to start there this season. He can also play left tackle, but needs work there. Ohr, on the other hand, is a left tackle who can also play right tackle. Now in addition to upgrading the blocking on the right side, you have provided quality long-term depth at left tackle too.
NOW, of you could also nab guard Duke Robinson in the second round, wow! (I love Ryan Tucker, but you need to think long-term. But ok I might be overboard with the offensive line).
But Laurenitis is a no-brainer, despite the fact that with Bell and Jackson and a more intelligent scheme, the defense is already strong at inside linebacker. The ideal situation is a rotation anyway so that they don't get worn down.
Williams could remain as the nickel linebacker, where he does a pretty good job, and be given the opportunity to compete at OLB by more intelligent coaches.
But even as low as the middle of the second round, Brian Cushing could still be around. 4-3 teams would be much less interested in him than 3-4 teams, so this would eliminate some potential suitors and help his slide.
Cushing could right away push Alex Hall and Wimbley.
Cushing was recruited and started out as an outside linebacker. He was then moved to stand-up defensive end in a type of 3-4 for one season, and he did a fine job against top competition. Last season, he returned to the more conventional outside linebacker spot.
Cushing does it all, including doing a good job in coverage, and his college experience makes him a natural fit for the new Browns defense.
We can still hope that Wimbley will finally learn some new moves, or that moving him around will help his pass-rush--or simply that Alex Hall continues his rapid growth and starts commanding more attention when he attacks the QB.
Ideally, you bring Cushing in and the other two kick too much butt for him to play a lot, but at the very least here is another well-schooled and capable guy competing...who won't let you down in coverage or against the run, either.
Then maybe even in the third is Robiskie, although his clock-times at the combine are likely to elevate his stock somewhat...(I hope he sprains and ankle or something).
This dude is an inch taller than Braylon Edwards and has good hands. He also runs crisp patterns and can burn (he's a track star). He's currently only 199 lbs., but this is partly because he did run track, and he'll grow to be bigger than almost all cornerbacks and a lot of free safeties.
He is currently (inexplicably) rated ninth in this bumper-crop of wide recievers, and is one of the reasons I'd strongly consider trading Edwards for the right price.
Robiskie, TWO big burners on the practice squad, and Jurevicious, who should return. (He doesn't need to be as fast as he was, or even to get open. Even if he's covered, he's open because he'll reach or muscle for it.)
And then Rucker--who isn't a wide reciever but is still here to do what K2 does.
Anyhow I know it's too early to take any of this seriously but I'm bored so there you go okbye.
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