Browns Personnel Director Mary Kay Andrew Berry has quietly pulled off some sweet moves. Andrew is primarily responsible for the acquisition of veteran free agents and helping to facilitate trades.
That's the official line, but in reality they won't gagging him and locking him in the basement during the draft. In the real world, people who know talent know talent, period. Let's not overthink this, Mary Kay: Andrew Berry, like Hue Jackson and his assistants, will have a lot to say about the draft.
I don't know what Andrew had to do with Jamie Collins, and think Terrelle Pryor was more a Hue Jackson/Sashi Brown move, but Berry has contributed quite a bit here:
1: Center Gabe Ikard has been activated off the practice squad following John Greco's injury. Ikard came to the NFL in 2014, making him a third year player.
As a college prospect, he was called possibly the most athletic offensive lineman in his draft, with high grades for football intelligence and character.
Unfortunately, he also had a somewhat weak lower body, and a host of mechanical issues. He was a project.
The jury is still out on Ikard, but did I mention he just entered his third season? That means his lower body IS much stronger, and he WILL BE much more refined than he was over two seasons ago. Ikard could be released or establish himself as a long-term backup. He's a longshot to be much more.
2: Austin Reiter was a poorly-scouted, rediculously underrated college center who was entering his second season when he was injured in his very first Browns start.
He kicked ass. Cam Erving has now had time to audition at center for the Browns, and unless he closes fast, he is dead at that position entering 2017. Reiter is the defacto favorite to start there, and it's quite possible that his one-game performance was no fluke.
Yes, Austin Reiter might actually be as good as he looked. Honest: Just because he is now a Cleveland Brown doesn't mean he's going to fall on his face.
Reiter could be a long-term starter, and maybe even a Pro Bowler eventually. He could also crap out, of course, but his floor is far more likely a quality backup.
3: QB Kevin Hogan. I don't know when Hogan went from being a consensus top ten quarterback prospect (top five in many opinions) to being a joke, but I have a hunch it happened just about when the Cleveland Browns signed him.
I'm irked when other writers smirk at the outlandish notion that this guy, who was regarded by EVERYBODY ELSE as a better prospect than Cody Kessler, has any future at all in the NFL. That's ignorance on steroids.
Well, it's doubtful that Hogan is a franchise guy any time soon, but he does have franchise talent. As the Browns are certain to draft, and/or trade for a quarterback, Kessler is already here, and even RG3 has a puncher's chance, Hogan's upside here is capped.
But he does have a legit shot at remaining on the 2017 practice squad, with a chance at the 53 man roster as a backup.
His atheticism was almost completely ignored or dismissed by scouts. His arm was massively underrated, and his accuracy too. I have rarely in my life read a more innacurate and negatively biased evaluation of any player. He is the Donald Trump of quarterbacks.
4: George Atkinson III. George is a kick returner for now, but also the third running back. He is capable of replacing either Crowell or Duke in their respective roles, including wide receiver. He is a rare athlete and a playmaker.
5: Jonathan Cooper. No need to belabor this, but in my previous posts, I omitted injury as perhaps the main factor which has thus far derailed his career.
That is, he may have been released by the Patriots because they didn't trust his durability. It may have had nothing to do with his performance.
This is a potential Pro Bowl guard (or conceivably center). On the low side, his injuries could persist, and get him released. If he remains healthy, his floor may be as a top backup.
6: FB Danny Vitale is a blue collar jack of all trades. He doesn't have a lot of upside, but is versatile, tough, and a core special teamer.
7: Stephen Paea is a defensive tackle who has been exceptional in the past, and is still in his prime. Right now, he's low on the depth chart, but is an integral part of the line rotation.
8: OLB Tyrone Holmes was one of my sleepers in the 2016 draft. He was a big fish in a little pond with gaudy sack and tfl stats. His workout and combine results showed a good but not special athlete, and his stock suffered due to that and his low level of competition.
But we have already seen promising flashes from him in NFL games. We can't know how good he can become, but he has a good chance to hang around, be integral to special teams, and an active part of the OLB rotation.
9: One guy in Holmes' way is OLB/DE Cam Johnson. Johnson is a legit quarterback basher with speed and athleticism. This guy needed to become more disciplined and stop getting suckered so much, but the sky is the limit for him.
Cam Johnson, like anybody else here, could be off the roster in 2017, but unlike some, he could also be starting and get double-digit sacks. He is currently listed as a starter.
10: Cory Lemonier is another free agent OLB. He doesn't look great on paper, but has shown flashes, and is a pretty solid linebacker in any scheme.
11: ILB Demario Davis has not played well. It doesn't look like he will start next season. He might stick around as a backup.
12: CB Jamar Taylor HAS played well; sometimes exceptionally well! He's a starter, period. He's loaded with talent and upside, and could be another Pro Bowler. What did he cost, a fifth rounder? C'mon, give it up.
13: CB Briean Boddy Calhoun is another microbe, but has also played well. He's like Buster Skrine; great in the slot. Makes big plays. Another winner.
14: Ed Reynolds II (FS). When you look at this guy's scouting report, you see a guy with good size, but aren't too impressed. He just entered his second season, and has clearly made a big jump from where he was coming out of college.
Reynolds may never be an elite player, but his biggest contribution here has been in setting up the coverage (his brain). Apparently, the other guys were making too many mistakes.
When you see a "wide open" receiver, it's often because the free safety has made a bad call, and left somebody uncovered. Reynolds has improved coverage overall, and has also exceeded his scouting report both in coverage and against the run.
This guy might well be the long-term starter at safety, and does have significant upside left.
Look, my apologies to the 3-4 players I'm leaving out, but there are just too many of these guys.
Off this list of free agents which Andrew Berry nominally helped acquire, Reiter, Cooper, Cam Johnson, Taylor, and Reynolds are all potential or probable starters with star potential. Calhoun may be the nickel cornerback forever.
Atkinson should remain a key depth player and special teamer. The other guys are depth/special teams, though their cielings are lower.
Ignoring potential (Cooper, Reiter, Johnson, Holmes), what we have in the bag here is a starting free safety, cornerback, and nickel back with star potential (yes that includes Reynolds).
That's three key guys. We can safely predict that at least one of the other guys will start or contribute heavily next season, making that four key players.
Oh yeah. Collins. Make that five. He might have to play inside next season. All of these guys are young, with upside. No old geezers here, see?
Soon we will all fixate on the draft, but think about this: What if Berry does the same thing next season? Do you understand that there are only 22 positions?
Still think this will take five years? Time for some remedial math.
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