George Atkinson will challenge Rahim Mostert. He's big and super-fast, and has proven his ability as a receiver, but the knocks on him are many.
He relies on his straight line speed, and isn't elusive. He doesn't fight through contact, and despite weighing 218 lbs goes down easy. He's piled up awesome numbers as a Raider in preseason, but except for his receptions, game planning and first team defenses could well shut him down.
Odds are Mostert will hold him off, unless his testicles double in size quickly (I'm sorry: the fighting through tackles part is mental, and I can't stand it. If you don't fight for more, you are a sissy, period.)
One knock I'm tempted to declare doa is the "upright running style" one he got for being 6'1" tall. That was inevitable. It's a reflex knock on all tall backs, and is usually meaningless. You freaking can't run fast without freaking standing up!
It is possible he can be turned into something as a running back, but right now has great potential as a returner, and maybe on coverage units too. Conceivably, he could be converted to cornerback, safety, or wide receiver.
Odds are Mostert is safe. Mostert is a shrimp, but he's tough, and a real running back. They nabbed Atkinston for his physical attributes and talent.
George could make the active roster as a special teamer.
Tyrone Holmes (click this link later: this is an excellent piece on him) The abbreviated version is that he is like Ogbah. He's a defensive end with linebacker potential, and he's not fancy: He rips or swims, and doesn't run in big circles to avoid blockers.
Like the guys at Dawgs by Nature said, Holmes and the other OLB are probably up against Cam Johnson. Corey Lemonier is a third year player who hasn't done much so far, but they grabbed him for a reason. I don't know why.
Based on the linked article, Holmes could be a big sleeper, but Cam Johnson has earned his stripes under fire, and is a veteran. I believe it's just barely conceivable that he may have leapt ahead of Nate Orchard, and Orchard could be the guy on the bubble now.
More likely, however, is the Browns hope to put Holmes on the practice squad.
Calhoun and Burley are 5'11" cornerbacks. I haven't researched these guys much yet, but at first glance, they both have some stuff wrong with them. I believe they are 5'11" tall, however, so...
The Browns were positioned at number two on the waiver wire. This means they pretty much had their pick of all the NFL discards, ok?
Many fans do not comprehend this. The permabasher who declared that seven of the 14 Browns draft picks wouldn't make anybody else's practice squad is today most likely pronouncing all the waiver claims dead on arrival.
In reality, there are more talented teams in the NFL who are forced to expose players at stacked positions to waivers as they try to sneak them onto their practice squads. These players are always young (usually rookies).
Contending teams' priorities are immediate. They have a "window", so they need to retain older veterans, and can't afford raw developmental players taking up space on their depth charts.
They tend to HAVE more veteran talent than non-contenders. This rolls downhill. Sashi Brown just raided 30 other teams' practice squads, and when this laundry comes in, you will see that he upgraded this 3-13 team's overall talent.
Sashi and Paul are systematicly covering every base here: cornerback Marcus Burley is a veteran who spent his last two seasons with the Seahawks, and played significant snaps for them.
Do the Permabashers comprehend that the Seahawks secondary just might be the best in the NFL, so Burley might not suck? I think not. Because I think.
I think. Therefore I am...smarter than all the Permabashers.
So is Sashi Brown. The game continues: I (and only I) suspect that the venerable Tramon Williams could be a late cut, courtesy of Burley.
Oh no! Heaven forfend, yet another vedderrunn waived? Wudd duh fugg!? How can we mage da blayoffs dis seazon withoudd eggzbeereeunzzed vedderunnz?
Two, or possibly three, of the players signed today could make an impact in 2016. Cam Johnson, Nate Orchard, and Gramps Williams are on bubbles. Possibly, so is Mostert.
I will refrain from second guessing for a season or so. So should you.
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