Tom Reed wrote this article asserting that Josh McCown should stay on the Browns roster in 2016. Honestly, it had never occurred to me that he wouldn't. The notion of the Browns cutting him was literally unthinkable.
But now that Tom mentions it, I'm scared. He's right: This is a whole new Head Coach and staff. A new VP of personnel. How can we be sure?
Tom is right. The vast majority of us fans are right. All those losses had nothing to do with Josh McCown. I'm not sure any other quarterback could have done more with the mess he was handed.
He's a built-in quarterback coach. Tony Grossi suggested that the Browns should have two quarterback coaches: one for the starter, and another whose sole job is to develop the other guys. McCown was that guy last season. Even when he was the starter, he was that guy.
Cutting Josh McCown would be sheer idiocy. Did you hear Alex Mack...who might leave...talk about how tough he was, and how they all admired him? Well, if you think cutting McCown would piss the fans off, why don't you survey your unrestricted free agents?
If I'm Alex Mack, Mitchell Schwartze, or even Joe Thomas, and I hear they released Josh McCown, I'm on the phone with the other guys, and we're saying "Did you hear what those idiots just did?"
Well, it's just unthinkable. No way.
I heard Grossi on with Rizzo. Tony thinks Goff is better than Wentz. I agree, but Tony made it sound like there's a big gap between them. There's not.
Still, Tony is right: Goff has the Kosarian brain. That's hard to find. It's much more important than an ability to run around, or twenty more pounds, or a slightly stronger arm.
But listen to Mayock and the coaches: Wentz has the mental hardware to function in the NFL. Tony seems to think Senior Bowl week never happened, and running a pro style offense is irrelevant.
Neither of these guys is a ten (right now), but if Goff is an 8.5, Wentz is an 8.
Pierre-Paul: I hope the Browns pay extra attention to this guy in free agency.
He wore his club because he has scar tissue on his hand. It's inflexible, and susceptible to tearing. He is now undergoing skin grafts which will restore mobility so that he can use his palm.
He has two intact fingers. These will become stronger than normal. He'll never be able to grip the way he used to, but after the grafts, he will have the thumb and two fingers.
A sort of immobile prosthesis can be taped to the back of his hand: Two flexible, permanently hooked fake fingers. As long as they're not sharp or otherwise dangerous, they can be allowed.
Now he's still not the same as he was, but he has the two real fingers and the two fakes which, with practice, he can use like part of his body.
Currently, Jason is seen as a situational passrusher who can't tackle. That's correct. But it's more because his remaining fingers were all but immobilized as part of that massive club, and he couldn't bend his wrist.
I kind of think Paul DePodesta, if nobody else, will take a closer look at this. Most likely, it's already planned, and his agent will be pointing it out to potential suitors. But they will pretend not to believe it so they can lowball him.
Bidding is bidding, of course. The people predicting six mil/year for this guy are pundits and not even real analysts.
Thankfully, Jerry Jones has handed over the reigns to his sane son, so it shouldn't get too ridiculous. Pierre-Paul could command over 7.5 mil/year (over 6 mil guaranteed) with a bunch of incentives which he can meet.
He can be an every-down player again. Not so much in his current 4-3, but in a 3-4 in which he's not engaged with an offensive lineman on every snap.
Coming out of college, Jason was widely projected as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He moves fluidly, and has the speed.
Most defensive ends hate the idea of playing linebacker, but you can expect Pierre-Paul's attitude to be a little different.
3-4 outside linebackers must sometimes drop into coverage, but it's zone coverage in which his handicap is irrelevant. With the skin grafts and prosthesis, he could even make interceptions on lobs or deflections.
He would of course still have to take on and shed blockers, but more often tight ends, and more often in space, where he has the advantage. He'd still be doing his main thing (passrushing) most of the time, but as an outside linebacker can dictate how he is blocked by where he lines up, and can generate momentum before contact.
If the Browns can get a Jason Pierre Paul who is 75% effective with one hand, they should. You want a passrusher? There he is.
I won't bother correcting yet another MM who lists wide receiver among the Browns offensive needs, but do need to say this:
Josh Gordon isn't the only likely receiver who is over 6' tall. I guess you forgot Hartline when he got hurt. And Pryor is a why-not signing. Sashi will bring him back from the corn field, even if you don't.
Wow.
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