Monday, March 8, 2010

Pachos Corrections

1: There is NO URGENCY to replace Womack at either guard or tackle. Womack is a solid guard and did surprisingly well at right tackle--although he wasn't called upon to do much passblocking, so we can't be sure about that.
Womack is aging, and of course a pro-bowler would be better, but at the present time there is no scramble to bench him.

2: Pachos is a dominating run-blocker who may have improved his pass-blocking recently, but was injured before anybody could really confirm it. While earlier in his carreer he forced a trade rather than move inside, at this point he WILL BE competing at both guard and right tackle with Womack and Rodney Capizzifield.

Despite his unusual height for a guard, he is a powerlifting champion and could actually find it his best position. Historicly he had slow feet and weak lateral movement skills, which made the right tackle vulnerable to speed-rushers--and with Ravens and Steelers in this division, we're talking linebackers.

So it could even end up that Womack remains at right tackle, unless unseated by the Cappizifield, who is due to either prove to be a starter, or else a terminal backup.

Capizzi HAS the feet, strength, and reach to be a good-to-great right tackle do you hear me?

4: Fujita was an OUTSIDE linebacker who can play any of the four linebacker positions here. It may indeed be that he lands inside here. However, as a strongside 4-3 backer, he hasn't been USED on blitzes, so we don't know how well he'll do at it. He has all the other requisite skills to be a top-flight 3-4 OLB.
I don't know where he'll end up, but since so many other guys did well inside...since we have so MANY inside linebackers...it could be outside.

5: Jackson is not slow. His combine 40 time was mediocre, and you are an idiot if you cling to that rather than his performance in games. The Browns inside linebackers in general have about average speed for 3-4 inside linebackers, who are not expected to be as fast as safeties. The weak inside linebackers tend to be faster, and the strong inside guys need to deal with offensive line blocks in space, and you have to think with your brain about that.

6: Fujita can't pile up stats like he did at SAM and concievably be slow. To call him slow is profoundly ignorant. And he is thirty, not 33. He has something left.

Wherever Pachos ends up, the running game just got even more dominating. Wherever Fujita winds up, the defense just got smarter and deeper.

7: I repeat: The Browns were never going to waste #7 overall on a guard or right tackle. The only reason any offensive lineman goes atop the first round is his ability to play left tackle.
Left tackles make gobs of money for that reason. The rest of the offensive line positions are drafted lower for that reason.

8: While the safety Berry is awesome and would be a huge upgrade at a position of need, if you prefer him to Bradford, you are out of your mind. You think that shoulder will be an issue? Stay tuned. You think a quiet, intelligent guy can't lead? You know nothing about leadership. You think Polumalu is more important than Big Ben?
Quarterback is the ONLY critical need this team has.

YOU STAND CORRECTED.

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