For all the caterwalling (about 70% of it repeated as a chant, sans original thought or insight) about how terrible the recieving corps is (not was--IS), Little's very real prospects for emerging as an elite reciever are being ignored.
How many wide recievers in a base offense? TWO.
Do the Browns have slot recievers? YES. In fact, they have too many. Norwood did a fine job last season, as he learned along with Little. Benjamin is a strong candidate to unseat him, and this Josh kid from Weeden's team is tearing up practices. Jordan and Norwood have big-play speed, too.
Do the Browns have tight ends who can line up outside? YES. THREE of them.
If Little is the default X, the Z is covered, and you have those fast wing tight ends, what is the big issue here?
It hardly even matters if I am wrong about Massequoi not being anywhere near as bad as the rest of the universe thinks he is, when Childress and Shurmer can just sort of use Moore or Cameron or Watson opposite Little, and even have them run the same routes?
Quit with the labels. Labels simplify things for lazy or simple minds. Drop the "wide" out of wide reciever and see what you get. ...okay, reciever jeez. The slot opposite Little is tailor-made for these three big recievers who are labelled as tight ends.
Here I'm making a leap of faith on Cameron's emergence this season, of course.
What was really missing last season, according the the ex-quarterbacks I listen to, was the one guy who could "take the top off" a defense, and prevent them from stacking the front and flooding the backfield.
Well, maybe it's not missing at all. Little may well be that scary big dude, and now Benjamin and Jordon will compete for the scary little dude.
"Slot" is another convenient label. If Jordan, Benjamin, or even Cooper line up five yards off the tackle, and one of the wing-T's are outside of them, you could call that the slot.
In reality, it aint so, because the defense will put their second-best cornerback on the "slot" guy, and a hybrid linebacker or big safety on the huge "Y". But it could work extremely well.
That good cornerback on the little inside guy can't use inside leverage and body him toward the sidelines. There's too much space, and if the waterbug just takes what he's given, he can beat the cornerback and go vertical. The corner almost has to play "off-man" or zone--backed up a few steps.
So now you have one of your run-stoppers lined up way outside, and a little guy that Richardson can steamroll closer in and backed off.
If Little emerges, as his 60-plus receptions last season indicate he will, then even if you write off MoMass, there are no fewer than FIVE other pass-catchers to exploit any attempt at double-covering him.
But I digress. Let's see what the peanut gallery had to say about Greetham's article about Greg Little:
You are joking right???? He did not have Pro bowl type numbers. Not even close.
Neither did Green or Jones.
I think you are going to be way more disappointed this year than ever before. I will go on record now saying they will be lucky to win more than 6 games. The defense led by one of the weakest LB corps in football. Will totally collapse if and when the offense actually scores an average of 14 points per game. We were 30th against the run and 6th against the pass because no one had to score many points against us to win. If and when the offense actually looks like a professonal team. Then you will see the smoke and mirrors defense we truely have. Any thing less than 9 - 7 is what's called losing football. Then the excuses will fly again which is Cleveland Browns football since the reestablishment of this franchise.
Ah! There's an excellent example of emotional thinking! He ignores D'Qwell Jackson and the two linebackers who were just drafted. In asserting that the defense would collapse, he ignores the four new defensive linemen and the much deeper rotation.
Hagg, too: If he can stave off Usama Young for the free safety slot, this guy is an excellent run-stopper. He's got unusual football intelligence and diagnoses very quickly. Ignores the fact that Ward missed much of the season.
He completely ignores the fact that last year was the first year in a whole new scheme, and that even without changes, it would automaticly improve in year two.
Ignores Jauron's record and reputation.
But he does go on record, which is very bold of him.
Pretty ignorant, huh?
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