Great Minds

Wow! Heckert and Shurmer sound just like me! They might actually be almost as smart as my humble self!!

Re-signing Jackson (to the surprise of many) was, to me, a no-brainer if he was healthy. Some local "experts" had said he was NOT a fit for the 4-3, but I told my crickets weeks ago that he was BETTER suited to that defense!

I had forgotten his ability to play outside. He has range, excels in space, and can cover big guys. Many weak 3-4 ILB's also have the skills to play on the weak side of a 4-3. You'd ideally like more speed there, but Jackson would be pretty solid.

Re-signing Wright was also a no-brainer to those of us who actually have a brain. The guy is in his prime, and in 2009 a lot of people were lobbying for him to go to the Pro Bowl. He DID have a sub-par (sub-PAR) 2010, but his weak performance was massively exhaggerated.

As I said before, because of his speed, he's often in the camera frame when a guy other than the one he's covering makes a catch. Ignoramusses automaticly blame him for every reception he's close to.

The Ravens ate his lunch, and he did have two other pretty bad games, but overall for the season, his sub-par play was pretty good. It was sub-par for him, the pro-bowl contender. It would have been indiotic for Heckert and co. to let Wright go simply because the lynch-mob was out with the ropes and torches again.

Wright is still young and improving. He may be the third corner this season. Haden and Brown (if he remains at corner), probably are better overall.

Heckert said "you need three", but really you need more due to injuries--and then to have the option in matching up to 4-wide sets.

But now we have three. Grossi is fulla beans calling cornerback an "urgent" need. Adams matches up well with big guys, even in man coverage.

Grossi also throws out that word in relation to wide reciever. Yes, they need more speed there to keep safeties back and give everybody else some space to operate in the short and intermediate bread-and-butter West Coast zones, but urgent?

Name the burner on the 49ers perennial Superbowl teams. Rice? 4.6 40 Rice? Rice who caught over 90% of his snares within 15 yards of scrimmage? Taylor? Who was their urgently-needed speedster?

And what about Carlton Mitchell? Consensus was that he came out of college prematurely and was raw. Had he remained in college for another season, most real experts said he had the ability to do great things and be a top pick. Now he's had a season to learn and practice with pro peers, coaches, and against elite pro corners and safeties...so why does everybody assume he's a bust based on no playing time as a rookie?

Are you kidding me? This is why I coined the phrase "Memorex Morons". They only know what they've seen. They're incapable of factoring in maturity, growth, improvement, etc. even when it's very likely.

You never know, of course. A player has to truly love the game, and be truly dedicated to improving, and determined as hell. David Veikune had the physical tools, but not that part of it. So sure, a lot of guys simply never make the grade. But more often than not young players improve with practice and experience.

Can't count on it, but Mitchell could be who they need.

Why do some of you keep embarrassing me on NFL Radio? One guy calls in and asks if the Browns can get a big, physical reciever in the second round. Yeah, with just Robiskie, MoMass, Moore etc. they really need to muscle up their recievers! Brilliant! Better to be quiet and let people assume you're a dumbass than to open your mouth and confirm it.

Kevin Kolonich said that the West Coast uses "smaller, quicker recievers". Give me a break! Small quick guys can do well in a west coast, granted--but the preferred types are BIG recievers who can use their bodies to wall-off zone coverage, break tackles, and have a reach advantage.

Precise patterns are also important, which hinders taller guys with longer limbs and a higher center of gravity (and may be Mitchell's biggest challenge), but still, personnel guys and coaches want BIG recievers for the West Coast.

Look: there's a premium on accuracy for a West Coast Quarterback, but bigger recievers help that a lot. The quarterback can miss a point by several feet with a big guy, and he can still reach the ball. A smaller guy can usually get more separation, but the quarterback's margin of error is still much smaller-plus zone guys can jar it loose, reach around to deflect, and physicly knock them off their routes.

Finally, west coast wide recievers BLOCK--or are kicked off the team. The huge overlooked part of why the west coast works is the fact that whoever is covering the other guys when the reciever makes his catch gets blocked immediately, and has a hard time closing on him. Big guys block.

Peterson, the cornerback, appears to be the best talent on the board.

I won't criticize who the Browns pick, no matter who it is. There will be so much talent there that they can't miss. If it's Green ok. If it's Peterson ok. If it's a defensive lineman double-ok.

Peterson doesn't address a need, unless you're dumb enough to think that Wright is washed up at 25. (My Bro E-man thought he was worse than he was last season too, but I know for sure that he's not among those who think he sucks. He saw him in '09, after all.)

But damn! What a secondary that would make! One of the best in the NFL! Man, check! Zone, check! They'd begin Brown's shift to free safety (I presume Jauron uses strong and free safeties). Half way through the season Peterson and Haden would be the tandem, Wright is strictly a corner, and they'd almost have to do it simply to get Brown in the field.

To be sure, that would leave the defensive line unaddressed until later, but this would take the secondary off the table for at least two seasons, during which those in the unit would learn to read eachother's minds.

Heckert isn't building for 2011, but for the foreseeable future, and I couldn't knock taking Peterson. Best available is best available. Check.

But I have no doubt that Heckert's Plan A is to trade down. The current LABOR talks are looking better lately, and one part of that will be a rookie pay structure which would eliminate hold-outs and reduce rookie salaries. This makes a trade-up much safer (and more likely).

No one would trade up to 6 in this draft for a defensive lineman, offensive lineman, running back, or linebacker, but they might for a quarterback (as usual), Peterson, Green, or perhaps someone else that I'm missing.

In this draft, the Browns could get a very good defensive lineman, top-notch right tackle (with left tackle feet, maybe), or maybe a fast WR who could actually help in the second round. They could get a stud player at several positions in the first, perhaps as low as 15.

The Browns currently have Rubin and guys names Joe for a 4-man line. I've heard that they feel good about one of the young tackles, and Schaefer can be a decent (but not exceptional) defensive end. They need ideally three guys, including two defensive ends.

They'd like more speed at linebacker, but it's not critical.

They could use more depth in the secondary, and that's a bit more important. Brown could play free, but this would leave a need for a third cornerback.

They need a right tackle for the future, but might need him sooner if Womack doesn't re-sign.

They could use a faster wide reciever, but that's far from urgent, and Mitchell could emerge.

Based on their statements and moves to date, I'm more convinced now that Shurmer will see that Cribbs belongs at running back in this offense, so that the "need" for a scatback to offset Hillis (and Hardesty, who is similar) comes off the table.

Speaking of which, I'm loving Shurmer talking about using two backs! I wish more than just crickets ever read this, because if you had, you'd know that I've been talking Shurmer's language for a long time.

Two backs and one or even two tight ends go to the huddle, forcing a base defense. Maybe they break the huddle and line up in an I or a T or whatever, or maybe one or both of the backs go to the slot.

They can't be bumped at the line as recievers because they can legally line up off the line--coverage, whether zone or man, has to be soft, or somebody gets his doors blown off.

But then of course they can lead-block and play smashmouth when they want to.

Finally, a Head Coach who obviously reads my blog!