1: Barkevious Mingo has already proven himself not to be a bust. His R O O K I E season was unimpressive, but even then, a different coaching staff recognized his unique ability to cover tight ends and H-backs and used him a lot in that role.
There's an undeniable correlation between sacks and victories, but some of the sacks, throwaways, and interceptions that did happen last season happened because Mingo deprived quarterbacks of their security blankets.
Last season, he may or may not have been "sent" after the quarterback more often, but played almost the whole season with one arm.
Possibly, Mingo will never emerge as a truly elite passrusher, and I suppose in that case you could say that he was drafted too high. But a bust? Take a pill.
2: Mary Kay could probably have worked for the Romney campaign, as she implies that nothing Manziel has done has made a dent in the coach's commitments to start Josh McCown.
So far, that's certainly true. McCown himself has done nothing to cede his position to the kid. All the articles were about how great Johnny is doing, but in reality, Josh McCown is really good himself.
Joe Thomas having his back says a lot to me, as well.
However, this is the third of three practices in which Manziel has excelled. It's like the day before the first practice, he went to bed as Clark Kent, and woke up as Superman.
It has little to do with practicing with and against second-team players. Defensive depth overall is better on this team than offensive depth, and the same defensive coordinator is throwing the same monkey-wrenches at him.
There are four preseason games and plenty of practices to go between now and game one. McCown's vast experience and more advanced starting place with DeFellipo's offense for now give him a big advantage.
But it's hard to even say "if Johnny keeps progressing" here, because he really can't get much better, ok? If Johnny keeps playing as well as he has been playing, then there's an excellent chance that he will start in game one.
I do need to correct Mary Kay on one point: McCown is NOT just as athletic as Manziel. I can't believe she said that.
This article in Vavel also pushes for Manziel to start for many of the same reasons as mine and the coach's: The more experience he gets, the better. McCown is what McCown is, and we can certainly hope for the Chicago Bears version.
But Johnny is the guy with all the upside, who has the chance to "fix" the longstanding lack of quarterbacking this team has suffered for what seems like decades. Can Josh McCown even still play after taking another beating this season?
If the two quarterbacks are deadlocked, and niether offers the team a better chance to win, then absolutely the pick will be Manziel!
This Browns roster is loaded with talent, and the coaches are widely regarded as excellent. With McCown, most of us are hoping for .500 or better, and a little respect for a change. With Manziel, we can hope to knock the crap out of the rest of the North and take the Division this year.
McCown is a big boy with a subdued ego, and is happy to carry a clip-board and help coach his latest adopted son. Most likely, he will become a coach when he retires anyway.
He's had the snot beat out of him for half his life, and might add a year or two to his active career if he goes to backup status now, and if Johnny gets hurt? Well allrighty, then!
3: Josh Lenz, Wynn, and Pryor are going to make it hard on the Turk this season. Pryor has showed them the only thing he needed to show them: Hands. In fact, he has great hands. He's a keeper. Mark my words.
Because he can also run H-back and tight end routes (after awhile), it's possible that they can keep five wide receivers in addition to him.
Now it gets tough. I still feel that Travis Benjamin is low man, and will not list him. But now you have Bowe, Hartline, Lenz, Gabriel, Hawk, Wynn, and Mayle. That's seven.
Well, let me make an outlandish suggestion here: Is Dwayne Bowe's contact guaranteed?
Look, almost every Kansas City fan I've heard from say he's Gregg Little. He drops easy passes. This situation has changed:
Lenz could fall off the board in real games, I suppose, but so far he looks like a bigger, taller Brian Brennan who is super-reliable and can even make some big plays.
All this "experience" talk about wide receivers galls me. Hartline and Hawk have plenty of experience, and a receiver's main job is to get open and catch footballs. Sure, you need to make the right read and go to the right spot, but it's not rocket science.
Is Bowe a number one? Not quite. Pryor is a future number one. And the number one thing gets overblown, as well. Who is Seattle's number one? New England's?
I'd rather have a super-reliable guy than a Braylon Edwards or a Gregg Little, and so far that's Josh Lenz.
4: Tony Grossi has misread some statements by Mike Pettine, and suggested that Manziel wouldn't start because he doesn't fit Pettine's offensive philosphy.
Pettine has said that you can win with an average quarterback with a strong running game and short passes.
But Mike would never have said that of this team if he had a Brady or a Rodgers. He's merely turning lemons into lemonade here, and was rightfully assuming that Johnny--if he was even capable of becoming a franchise quarterback--wouldn't be ready this year. He was rightfully planning for Josh McCown to start.
Tony: He wants a franchise quarterback, just like every other coach. If it's Manziel, he'll just have to live with it.
Jeez. Anyway, Manziel has been doing what he's been doing running the same offense! They'd tweak it some to make better use of Johnny's unique assets, but no major changes are required!
By game 8, Pryor and Manziel could turn this thing into a juggernaut. For sure I think maybe. Take that to the bank.
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