Tactical Deployment

The other teams in the AFC North will influence the basic structures of the Browns offense and defense.  It will influence the positions that Ray Farmer will prioritize in the draft.

If the three other defenses have one thing in common, it's that their secondaries are comparatively weaker and shallower than their front sevens.  The Ravens and Steelers are strongest at OLB.

While Grossi pines for a blocking fullback, Shanahan will ask for at least two more wide recievers or a wide reciever and a Cameron-type tight end.

He'll want to force these defenses into nickle and dime packages to get their best players off the field, and replace them with weaker and less experienced guys.  This means one back, four recievers.

That doesn't mean he won't run.  These nickels and dimes are vulnerable to the run as well, and his zone blocking scheme is custom-made to attack an already spread-out defense full of liliputions.

But he can't bluff.  Each reciever has to be at least a little scary.  

Right now, the Browns have the slot, TE, and X reciever covered.  Burleson is a solid possession guy (who can make the occasional big play) when healthy.  But aside from Dray, who has potential but isn't proven, there's no one like Cameron.  Except for Little, who I now regard as a longshot, the depth at WR is questionable.

So Ray will look at wide recievers and wing-type tight ends in this draft for the offense.  Guard second.

I just started reading an article on Rant Sports assessing the Browns needs.  But it opened up saying how everybody on the planet knew that Hoyer sucks, so I stopped.  This level of stupidity is just...profound.

On WKNR, Rizzo keeps popping up with "three interceptions".  All three were early in his first game!  He overcame them, and was a veritable machine every snap thereafter!  How can you ignore the time-line and TREND?  Obviously he was rusty, inexperienced, and not yet synced with his recievers.  Also, one of the picks was a perfect throw and not his fault.

Brian Hoyer DOES mitigate the percieved need for a quarterback--or at least the pressure to overdraft one.

This is not to say that Ray won't take Manziel or Bortles.  I just don't think so, with Garopollo, Murray, and maybe even Savage available lower.

Besides, if he drafts Manziel, he's asking for trouble.  Guys like the clown who wrote the Rant article and Rizzo will be waiting for Hoyer's first pick to start the "JOHNN-NEE!" chant, and the crowd noise alone could force Pettine to play an unprepared and possibly inferior quarterback.

I know!  I was there at one game.  Sipe had thrown for 300 yards and several touchdowns and won three in a row.  Then he had a bad game.  He got away with one interception.  The second one had a lot of people booing him.  The third one got a full-throated attack on Sipe going, and calls for...PAUL MCDONALD.  God bless Sam Rutigliano.  Sipe pulled it out.

That's right, you fools.  Ray might not take Johnny F because of YOU.  Shanahan and Pettine might already have said "Please don't do that to us.  Brian can't go all season without a pick."

Bortles would be safer IF Ray takes a QB there.

But I digress:  Offensively, all three enemy offenses are going to try to run the ball.  The Steelers might go conventional and go two-back, or two tight ends with one a blocker, but the Ravens and Cinci will use the spread to get some of the Browns linebackers off the field, and more safeties and corners on.

As it is, the Browns are already weak at cornerback.  The solution isn't just one cornerback.  More like two--or a cornerback and another safety.

More ignorance: This is a cover two defense, and there is no free safety.  There are two safeties, period.

Josh Aubrey is quality depth.  He's listed as a "DB", but he can play safety or cornerback, is strong in coverage, and gets turnovers.  He was just a baby last season, but a secret weapon here who will be used situationally and who will do well.

Gipson is NOT "unproven"!  He's proven himself by starting for an entire season and kicking ass!  What the hell are you looking at you morons?

Both these guys are better cover two safeties than free safeties.  The Browns might draft some guy who can play safety, but are laughing at people who call safety a "need".

Cornerback is different.  Ray probably hopes to trade down, so that he can nab one of the three best cornerbacks in this draft, and will probably draft one of the taller guys lower as well.  Or two.

ILB is a secondary need, but easily addressed in any draft.  

This is the only answer to the spread groupings.  All the little guys have to beat blocks and make tackles.  All three offenses can throw the ball, and there are some big play guys there, so Pettine can't bluff on this side of the ball, either.

ILB Shazier out of Ohio State would be a great fit here.  Well, that's one theory--so would a big thumper, since Dansby is Mister Everything.  But Shazier can blitze (read: run blitze) and run anybody down from sideline to sideline.  With a little polishing, he has the ability to be a great cover guy.

And play in nickels and dimes...see how this works?

Cornerback, wide reciever, wing tight end, ILB, guard-in roughly that order--and heavy on the first two.

I don't think I'm smarter than Ray.  It's just obvious.