Up til now, I've been sort of drawn back to the herd and started thinking inside a box again. I was gone for awhile, but I'm back now:
Who says that Kyle Shanahan has to run the same offense he did under his father? Who says he has to have a strong-armed quarterback? Who declared him incapable of adapting his system to his personnel?
I took Jimmy Garropollo off the Browns' board based on arm strength, but I'm putting him back now.
Josh who? Slow down: Sure, we saw some spectacular deep catches, but more often he caught shallow slants and crosses (outside in or inside out), and took them to the house just like Jerry Rice. Gordon can do it all, and fits any offense.
Cameron? I don't need to even explain how he'd fit, do I?
Shanahan adapted his offense to RG3--see? He can actually think! Honest!
And it's not rocket science, ya know? All the short slants and crosses are in his playbook already. Should he draft a Garopollo or another guy without a strong arm, it's no big deal.
Bill Walsh's West Coast featured Popgun Montana, and was actually physical and run-oriented. It just didn't seem to matter that the defense didn't have to worry about deep passes.
Make no mistake: I think that probably Farmer/Shanahan/Pettine would like to see Bridgewater or Bortles (and not Manziel) at number four, but once again: What if the last QB is indeed Manziel, like I'm betting it will be?
Farmer will take him, right? WRONG! (OK here again I don't know for sure but bear with me).
Bill Polian summed it up best: It is possible for Manziel to be a successful NFL quarterback, but the odds are against him. For every Brees or Wilson, there are more than ten short/small quarterbacks who failed. If he's there late in the first or high in the second, you nab him. But at number four overall, you're betting a longshot on a guy that small.
There's more to it, of course. Sometimes his primary reciever is open, and he holds the ball. How much was him and how much was Evans? Why were 48% of Evans' receptions come-backs (as in he's moving back towards the quarterback, who is scrambling, several seconds after the snap)?
You're betting that he can learn to stay in the pocket--and see the field from it. You're betting that he can read through his progressions. That he won't get hospitalized in his second game.
If Farmer pulls the trigger on Manziel, he's putting his name on it. He's almost literally betting his carreer on a longshot.
And how did Farmer describe his ideal quarterback? Well, he described Rodney Hoyerfield!
However, at number four, the whole world is convinced that Farmer can't get his card to the podium fast enough....what's taking so long? Who's he on the phone with? Could he actually be considering trading this golden opportunity to get this future hall of fame quarterback when he's stuck with that bum Moyer...Boyer--what's his name?
Oh. My. God. With the fourth pick, the Oakland Raiders select Johnny Manziel.
That's another high second rounder (maybe more), and now the bidding is for Sammy Watkins. Surely Farmer won't even consider letting that guy go, but look at this...who's he talking to this time?
"It might not be who you think it is." Well, who might Farmer's quarterback be? Maybe Ray called old friend Tony Dungee, and Dungee said Aaron Murray.
He's another short guy--listed at 6'1". He tore his anterior cruciate ligament earlier this season.
Naturally there are knocks on him over and above his size, but if you read anybody writing about arm strength being one of those issues, delete them and don't visit them anymore. I first heard of him from one of the safeties at the combine who had played against him.
Prior to his injury, Tony Dungee predicted he might be the top-rated passer in this draft.
Most pundits don't agree, and now with his injury, he's almost off the map.
CBS Sports guesses that if he can recover enough to perform at his pro day, and teams think he can play as a rookie, he could be taken within the first two rounds.
But get this straight: The Browns have a quarterback, and his name is BRIAN HOYER dammit. Taking Murray after parlaying their top pick into more in this deepest draft in several years might just be what Ray Farmer is plotting.
Don't worry, Ray. Nobody reads this, except...oh crap let's see who steals it from me and pretends they thought of it themselves. At least then I'll be able to confirm who rejected my submission but mines me for original thoughts. How low is that?
But still don't worry Ray. Nobody will believe it. Unless another GM reads this, I mean.
Shaun Heidrick of Yahoo Sports cites three reasons why the Browns MUST draft a quarterback at number four, but his premises are flawed.
First, like everybody else, he assumes that Brian Hoyer just sort of lucked out or something for nine quarters and will fall on his face. That's a mighty big and illogical assumption. The odds favor a continuation of the extant trend.
Second, he assumes that Manziel is all that, and he might not be. You don't take a guy fourth overall unless you're pretty damn sure he'll make you look good. Shaun might be sold on Johnny, but needs to admit that Ray Farmer probably knows better than he does.
Turning to free agency, this is an awesome year for wide recievers. The draft is chock full of them, and there will be a glut of veteran free agents. This will drive the "prices" down.
In the draft, Watkins is a truly exceptional guy who will be drafted very high, but after that there are so many available in both markets that they'll slide down the draft boards, and come cheap as veterans.
Andy McNamara of the Bleacher Report, who uses the words "desperate" and "desperately" way way too often, wrote a really good piece on veteran free agents the Browns should target.
I hope he's not one of the people ripping me off for original thoughts, but he does comprehend that Kyle Shanahan wants to use zone-blocking, and will want athletic guards.
That's why he suggests John Asamoah of the Chiefs. The Browns have a great shot at him too, as after an injury he was unable to reclaim his starting job from Mitchell Schwartze's brother.
I wonder (don't know) what kind of blocking Andy Reid likes to use, but I know that Schwartze is bigger, and better-suited to a man scheme. Asamoah is a proven commodity, only 25, and wouldn't break the bank.
Andy also likes Rex Grossman, who knows Shanahan's scheme. He's 33, but we're talking about a veteran backup and leader here. Between him and Jason Campbell I lean toward Grossman, who at times in his carreer has been pretty damn good. Sometimes.
Julian Edelman hell yes. Donald Butler oh yeah...
By the way, there's no guarantee that the Browns will want to pay D'Qwell Jackson nine million cap dollars ya know? Rubin is younger, but is he worth that much? I love these guys, but I'm as cold-blooded as Belichick.
And CB Sam Shields--that would be awesome, and make this secondary downright dominating.
Unfortunately, other than Grossman and Asamoah, these players' teams will try hard to re-sign them. If they don't, others could drive the price up too high. I'd love to land just one of these other guys to really help this team.
By the way, Andy considers Edelman strictly a slot guy, but he can play outside as well.
I'm not as concerned about the slot as others are, as Josh Cooper late in his second season flashed some good possession stuff, and Travis Benjamin could yet emerge is a scary slot guy.
I can't find the article so that I can provide a link and attribution, as any honorable writer would, but another smart person suggested LeGarrette Blount as a free agent target. I've had the same thought.
The guy is a monster! He could wreak havoc in a zone-blocking scheme!
Of course, if Ray trades down one or three times, Carlos Hyde is no problem...
No comments:
Post a Comment