Tight End: Tony, it's not at all accurate to say that the Browns lack a playmaking tight end. Jordon Cameron was a very raw prospect when he was drafted only two seasons ago. He was drafted specificly for his big-play potential.
You'd normally give even a more experienced prospect his rookie season to develop and adapt to the NFL. With Ben Watson and Smith on that roster, Jordon was all but a "redshirt" during his rookie season.
In his second season, he saw limited action and made some plays. In his third, he'll obviously do more. Hell, this is why you don't judge a draft until after the third season following it. The third year is when even the more polished skill players hit their strides!
Cameron's emergence as more than just a good all-around tight end (who blocks well, incidentally), isn't certain, and Brad Smelley could be an H-back, but not a true tight end. No guarantees there either. So the Browns need more depth here, for sure. And of course they should do as they are doing, and go for the best available free agents.
The guy they signed is solid. Not done yet.
Fullback: Tony, how exactly do you know that Brad Smelley can't become a blocking fullback? He is fast, he is short, and and he can get stronger. Who knows?
Of course, you could accidentally be right in writing the guy off, and the Browns might indeed need a blocking fullback. Fortunately, those come cheap in the draft.
Running Back: Haha.
Quarterback: As I wrote in the previous blog, I believe that Weeden will do much better in his second season, with a friendlier system, and with two coaches who are not Martonian blockheads. But no guarantee here either. Nor are the other two quarterbacks good fits in this aggressive vertical system.
Tackle/Center: Yeah right.
Guard: Contrary to popular belief, this is at the bottom of the priority list. Certainly the staff knows that this position could use an upgrade, but Greco is solid and third year guy Pinkston will be improved. (And he should be back healthy).
One upgrade could already be on the roster. Ryan Miller is a beast. He's listed on last season's depth chart behind Schwartze at right tackle, and with his height and build is a better prospect at that position. But he has played guard at a high level, and in his second season will certainly get his shot to crack the starting lineup at guard.
Why do you write these guys off before they've even had a chance?
Wide reciever: At last the talk of a vedderrunn wide reciever to menndorr the young guys has died down somewhat. Little enters his third season, Rodney Norwoodfield his fourth, and the others their second.
They have deep threats in Norwood and Benjamin from the slot, and Gordon outside.
You rant about Mike Wallace for his 40 time, but you need to see some iso tapes on Gordon. His start out of the blocks is just okay, but after two steps nobody can run with him. Wallace would beat him in the 40, but not in the 100.
Little has fine speed for a man his size, and can even go deep himself.
This "veteran" stuff has been around forever. Certain positions like outside linebacker, cornerback, and free safety involve a lot of reading, deception, and dirty tricks. It's good to have a veteran around to show the whippersnappers those ropes.
But wide recievers can't benefit from that as much. Their job is A: to get open and B: to catch the ball. Learning to read a cornerback presnap can be coached or learned in film study, but other than that and working out extra hard, what can be learned from a vet?
Tony would say that the quarterback needs a proven, reliable security blanket sort of target. But once again, you ass ume that none of the guys on the current roster are or will become that guy.
I'm sure that if they think a wide reciever is special, they'll try to nab him, but this is NOT a position of need.
Nose tackle: Hahahahaha!
Defensive end: Stop it you're killing me!
OLB: It would be nice to have a superstud, which is why if Milliner were gone and Ansah isn't, they still might grab him at number six (or as I said to Bub even Warmack or Smith). But need? No way.
Some pro and amatuer pundits point out that you need four for injuries and the rotation. Others point out that none of these guys might be superstars. This is Cleveland. A player can't just be pretty good here. You have to be a Pro Bowler, or you're not good enough.
In the real world GM's inhabit, they know that there's only so many superstars to go around, and that most of their starters, if they're lucky, will be just pretty good.
To go with Groves, Kruger and (if he's not traded) Sheard, there are Gocong, Hall Davis, and Austin English. Davis hasn't been tried yet but has the tools (might be the next Groves), and English is a big linebacker with a college history full of sacks and TFL's, who was emerging as a 4-3 stud when injured.
You need four, you got six. If two don't pan out, that's convenient, but it's much more likely that you'll have to move or release a pretty good player.
ILB: There are two types in a 3-4. WIL is a run-and-hit guy protected from guards and centers by alignment. Next to him on the strong side usually is the thumper, who is bigger and stronger, and can take on guards in the hole or in space.
Jackson, Robertson, Fort, Tank Carder project to WIL. Gocong, English, and Davis project to be the thumper (if not something else). James Micheal Johnson might fit both positions, though WIL might be best for him.
There is a problem with inside linebacker, as there is with outside linebacker here. They have too many.
Cornerback: Bingo. But if course this has been distorted too. Trevin Wade was a rookie last season, and has the potential to become a damn good cover corner. His issue is inconsistancy, but if he can eliminate the bad spells, he can do it. Of course that's 50/50, and you can't count on it. The Browns need at least a pretty good corner to play opposite Haden.
They probably don't need a slot corner. While Skrine got toasted outside, his quickness and speed are effective inside. Bademosi is also a potential sleeper, outside, inside, and at either safety. But who knows?
Strong safety: TJ Ward is fine, and there is depth here.
Free Safety: This looks like a need, but in addition to Bademosi, Tashaun Gipson could already be the answer. He was used little last season, but was the star of preseason with picks and breakups. I was fooled into thinking that he had earned the starting role by making all the other contenders look bad by comparison. Silly me.
Now he's had a full season of splinter-collecting and a full offseason of simmering, and is no doubt reading and hearing about how he doesn't exist. Give me 5:2 and I'd bet on him. Ray Horton won't make any mistakes at this position, and if Gipson does again what he did last preseason, he will play.
Of course, they have to make sure, so they're trying to get a proven safety now. If somebody is better than Gipson, fine.
The kicker and punter stuff I can't really get interested in, but Benjamin will be a fine returner, Norwood can do it, Skrine can return, and really there are a load of them.
HOLES: A position occupied by an average or above player is not a hole, or a need. A hole is where the position is filled by a bad player DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Assuming Turner needs three tight ends, they need to get at least one more. They don't need any wide recievers. They don't need guards. They need a quarterback. They need a cornerback. They probably need a fullback. They probably need a free safety. They could use some other stuff, but don't need it, ok?
Like Warmack. They don't need him, but could sure use him. I mean, would TRich sans broken ribs running behind that offensive line be scary or what? Or Ansah. Him opposite Kruger? But Milliner trumps both, because they need him!
Hope Tony's right and he's still there, or...Geno Smith...ya never know...
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