Browns Precut Thoughts

A few comments ahead of the final roster cuts: 

1: Undrafted rookie safety Don Jones (Arkansas) may be getting sold short, and has a shot to make the final roster (or at least the practice squad).

Jones is an impressive athlete who was also a terrific running back before focussing on safety.  He's not like Joe Schobert or Scoobie Wright, ie an insinctive player, and doesn't have much college experience.  He needs work on his coverage skills.

At 5'11 1/2", 193 lbs., he has the hips, quickness, and speed to play cornerback as well as safety, and could become a cornerback project.  He had a fine special teams (as well as defensive) performance in the fourth preseason game, and could be a core special teams player.  For that matter, he is a potential returner.

The depth chart projections I've read universally kick this kid to the curb in favor of more experienced safeties.  Well, a rebuilding team at least one season away from contention could well lean toward youth and potential when the safety position is stacked four deep already.

2: Andrew Hawkins is NOT safe.  I cannot fathom why everybody favors him over Darius Jennings, despite Hawk's age and injuries, and what the the two of them have done.

Once again, talent is more important here than experience, and the future more important than the past.  Jennings is, in fact, probably the better player, even now, period.  He gets open and he catches.  Stop with the "experience" stuff!  Ask Paul Kruger!

3: I liked the Dawgs By Nature roster projection, although it's already been screwed up by the release of Desir and trade of Gilbert.  They had both these guys making the cut (Desir at safety)

I would have been wrong there too.  But this gives my man Don Jones a better chance, and I would guess Tracy Howard, too.

These guys hypotheticly retained four running backs, including Rahim Mostert.  Most of the other projections tried to sneak him onto the practice squad, where he'd probably get swiped by another team.

Hue wants to run the ball a lot (more than he did in preseason).  Watson can back up Crowell, but an injured Duke Johnson would eliminate the lightening part of thunder and lightening.  Mostert came from nowhere, but is not nobody.  I agree with Dawgs By Nature, and think he makes it.

Now, the Browns just signed Colquit, released by Denver.  You people need to back off on Sashi Brown.  He just got a fourth round pick for nothing.

Getting a sixth round pick from the Steelers for Justin Gilbert beats the hell out of cutting him, too.  I'm surprised the Steelers wanted him bad enough to take on his inflated salary.

The Steelers are extremely competent with personnel, and this took guts for Sashi to execute.  If Gilbert performs a sudden head extraction, he'll look bad for this.

But check this out: If he was released, there's a good chance he'd be a Steeler anyway.  This way, the Browns not only get the draft pick, but the Steelers have to pay Gilbert's salary.  That's analytics, see?