Well, he did it again. Tried to outsmart the test.
Stick a fork in him, he's done.
This changes things, but not in any obvious way. There is nobody like Gordon in this draft. There are some big tall guys, but none of them are home run hitters like Gordon.
This means that Terrell Pryor will actually get every opportunity that Hue and company can give him. As Martha Stewart says, it's a good thing.
Happily, the analytics geeks won't make any dumb signings or trades. They'll probably look harder at Braxton Miller in the second round. He, and not Thomas, has real NFL number one tools.
It fits: Let's try two former Ohio State quarterbacks at wide receiver. As long as we're starting from scratch here, why the hell not?
We already know that the Browns will be determined as hell to run the ball and have the quarterback manage the game (until he's way behind and has to pass anyway).
These two could refine their blocking skills and run lots of short crossing patterns. Give them a year with Rodney Hartlinefield and Hawkinsfield helping coach them up.
It's going to be a losing season anyway. I think even Hue Jackson would be on board to take advantage of it and blood the cherries.
Hue talks Coacheze because he has to. "I'm here to win" blah blah it's ok Hue we get it wink-wink-nudge-nudge.
Give the projects a season to make all their screwups and an off-season to see how dumb they were on tape, and then in 2017, maybe you've got some real scary wide receivers.
Pryor's rate of growth is hard to predict. While he and Miller switched to wide receiver at the same time, Pryor barely got any chances to play. Older guys also don't learn as fast as younger guys.
Fortunately when you're 6'5", 240, have huge hands, and run a sub 4.4 40, you can screw up and still make plays. This should be obvious, even to the experts.
Braxton Miller has already had significant chances, albeit primarily from the slot. He capped this off at the Senior Bowl, where he was tested at X and Y and humiliated some really good cornerbacks all week.
Box thinkers want to keep them on the bench in favor of receivers who are consistent and won't screw up. I get this.
This is heresy, so if I disappear after this entry you'll know I was burned at the stake: 2016 should be kindergarten for a bunch of young guys.
Quarterback is one thing: He's the eye of the hurricane; the field commander. It's at least as much mental as physical. You need to protect a kid until he is ready.
That's not the case for position players. Neither ex-quarterback would run the wrong route often, but they might make their cuts shallow or deep, and be in the wrong spot.
There could be interceptions which, fortunately, most fans will blame on the quarterback. But nobody will get knocked out because of it.
You learn faster when you have to go back to the huddle and look McCown or RG3 in the eye. And everybody else. "Nice one, Pryor!" You learn more, faster, than you would sitting on the bench.
It could cost some games. But it could also win some games, because both these guys are lethal weapons with the ball in their hands. Any and every pass would be a cliff hanger.
I'll bet you: If Miller is there in the second round, and he and Pryor are thrown right in there, by the last four games of the 2016 season, everybody would be talking about them (in a good way).
Geronimo Allison in the seventh round too: There's a sleeper for you. There's two new wide receivers now shut up.
Geronimo is kind of like Hartline, but an inch taller. He's very skinny at 195 lbs., but he'll get bigger.
Let the children play (with adult quarterback supervision) in 2016, and together with Cameron, Shelton, Orchard, Cooper, etc. You from a new for core and foundation to build on.
I just hope Hue Jackson will let it happen. I think he will. It's the logical way to rebuild.
No comments:
Post a Comment