Post Cut Browns Ruminationalizing

Well, as usual, my predictions of who the Browns would cut and how the most recent signees would be treated were more wrong than right.  Fortunately, so were just about everybody else's.

Mostert and Watson?  Wow!  Clearly,  they like George Atkins a lot more than my scouts did.  

Well, the scouting reports I read were obsolete, as the Raiders first signed George as an undrafted free agent in 2014.  He's had two years of NFL practice, coaching, and strength and conditioning.  He certainly has improved during that span.  The only question is, how much?

His sterling preseason performance this year must be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but the Browns coaching staff saw those tapes, and favored him over both Watson and Mostert.  No practice squad for this guy.

But no, the Browns were not "desperate" for speed.  I've got to confiscate that word again.  It will be returned to you when you prove you can use it responsibly.

Terrell Pryor, Corey Coleman, Seth DeValve, Josh Gordon, Duke Johnson...and they're desperate for speed.  Really.

Atkinson can do Crowell stuff and Duke stuff.  Niether Watson nor Mostert were that versatile.  In retrospect, this makes sense.  I would look for him as a returner, too.

I'm sorry to see Cam Johnson go, but Holmes was one of the guys I noticed before the draft, and listed as one of my sleepers.  Apparently, the organization noticed him too, because he replaced a pretty good player on the active roster.

Playing for a small school, he was a man among boys in college, and most scouts had a hard time projecting him against NFL competition.  He did play well in the East-West Shrine game against second tier NFL calibre players, however.

He's not as strong as Ogbah.  Scouting reports contradict eachother.  One guy says he needs a counter move, and another says he's refined the rip and the swim.  One guy says he's not flexible, and another says he can hug the ground turning a corner.

His college production is undeniable, not just in sacks, but in tackles for losses.  Regardless of competition, he diagnoses and reacts (aggressively) quickly; he has a nose for the ball.

His traits and stature make him a really good prospect as a strong side linebacker, not unlike Nate Orchard.  He'll need to work on taking on blockers in space, and may never be good in coverage, but that's not what he's here for.

Marcus Burley is a good veteran cornerback!  Seattle used him in the slot, but he's more than that.  He is blazing fast, and had eye-popping agility numbers.  He was 185 lbs then, but I saw Seahawks pics of him, and he's muscled up.  At 185, he benched 17 reps.

The Seahawks have those tall studs outside, and that's why they played Burley over the slot.  The Browns aren't loaded up like that, so Burley should be given a shot outside here.  This was an outstanding catch by Sashi Brown at a position of dire need.

I'm surprised nobody else seems to notice that the Browns just snagged a big part of possibly the best secondary in football.  If the Browns weren't second on the claims list, about twenty other teams wanted him.

I still can't get too excited about the other two claims.  They don't look too hot on paper, but Sashi and company know more than I do.  The outside linebacker is a real linebacker, though, suitable for a 4-3.

The Browns kept the athletic young safety and released Rahim Moore instead (see?) and retained Tracy Rodney Howardfield, who has played well in preseason, and earned his spot.

Trey Caldwell was a draft pick, so people assumed he was safe.  Not in a meritocracy.  Tracy was just plain better.

Practice Squad signee Anthony Fabiano was the most athletic offensive lineman in his draft class.  Injuries (wrist/toe) marred his college career and hurt his stock.

At 6'3", 303 lbs he is an interior prospect here.  One scout said he tended to get upright as plays progressed, and another said he lacked "core strength".  His upper body strength is fine (25 bench reps).

He's a great prospect for a zone-blocking team, but needs to get stronger for a power scheme.  He is quick, fast, and explosive.  He probably won't get much bigger, but should get stronger, and may turn into a great player over time.

Browns fans have an affinity for anybody named Matthews, but Fabiano is a better prospect.  Probably, he'll work at center, and could be activated if Erving goes down.

Ok ok, olb Corey Lemonier was considered a late first to late second round talent by Mike Mayock.  The link is to his pre-draft scouting report, which is now outdated since he is an NFL veteran now.  

Briean Boddy Brown, who Doug Dieken hopes doesn't play much, is a pretty good cornerback who is too skinny right now.  He is fast and makes plays, but he needs to see Hans and Franz in the weight room for awhile.

Unfortunately, he is another shorty (5'9").  Despite recent cuts and losses, the Browns have plenty of nickel cornerbacks, but Burley is the tallest outside guy at 5'11".  

Prior to the recent moves, PFF ranked the Browns front seven dead last, and the secondary twenty fifth in the NFL.  They're not wrong, based on their formula, but it still doesn't mean anything, and won't until after about the fourth game.

There are a lot of rookies and kids on the team, and PFF has little data to work with.  Last year's defense sucked.  What are they supposed to do with that?  Even Joe Haden played badly before he was injured.

The reality is, a front seven which includes Paea, Ogbah, Shobert and Hassan won't stay in the basement for long.  As for the secondary, 25th?  I'll take it!