The Browns got five new starters out of this draft. Earlier, they upgraded center and right guard: That's seven. I remind you, there are 22 starters.
Stay with me: Almost as certain as the veteran free agent offensive linemen is the improvement of those players entering their second seasons. As rookies, they were thinking more than playing. They were hesitant and mistake-prone.
They had not had a season of NFL strength training, nor a full offseason to digest their experience.
These players include Carl Nassib, Ogbah, Corey and Shon Coleman, Rango, DeValve, two more wide receivers...well just a whole bunch of guys.
Ogbah should start opposite Myles Garrett. Shon Coleman is the favorite to take over right tackle. Boddy-Calhoun should remain as the primary nickel. Kessler will probably be the day one starter. Corey Coleman should make the biggest leap of all.
Coleman played for Baylor, and didn't know an NFL route tree from the poplar in his back yard.
That's twelve upgrades, out of twenty two starters.
It won't matter. Everybody will still talk about their "lack of talent" and "glaring needs" on both sides of the ball. It's idiotic.
This article again discusses the nine players (so far--2018 first and second round picks on deck) the Browns got for Carson Wentz. These now include two quarterbacks.
One of these quarterbacks was statistically superior to Wentz on a worse team. The other is widely considered more talented than Wentz (and everybody else in this class except Mahomes).
Read the comments at the end of the article. They're really, really ignorant. The Browns would be better with Wentz, and without those nine players plus two high picks on deck?
What is being called "analytics" is the removal of subjectivity and bias from a process. If you think Carson Wentz is Andrew Luck, you are not being objective. If you think Wentz is significantly superior to Kessler, you are wrong there, too.
Most of all, if you think any one quarterback trumps eleven players, you are just plain off your rocker. "Analytics" prevents emotions from causing stupid moves. "Analytics" is uncommon sense.
2+2=4.
While Pat Kirwan will keep bashing the Browns for not trading away their draft to move up ten slots for Trubisky, Brad Hopkins says the Browns "stole the draft". Most of Kirwan's contemporaries were similarly impressed.
Hopkins says Peppers was a huge bargain where they drafted him, and that Kizer should eventually be the best quarterback out of this draft class.
Instead of Trubisky and a few day 3 leftovers, they got Kizer, Peppers, Ogunjobi, Wilson, and other good players (including the best kicker to come out in several years).
I don't know what Pat is smoking. How can he leap to so many conclusions about what the Browns thought or intended? He himself said Deshone Kizer had the most upside in this class. I don't get people who "think" like this.
Gregg Williams didn't get everything on his wish list. He got a Polumalu type safety, but not an Ed Reed type. This just in:
UFDA FS Kai Nacua just came aboard. He's pretty good!
Strong safety will now be very deep, as Rodney Kindredfield showed real promise until he was injured.
I suspect that Ibraheim Campbell will be checked out at free safety. He has more range than most people think. Reynolds is a solid, and ascending, player who won't screw up much, and Williams can tweak some things to take some heat off him.
Williams got everything else. Leaving Brantley aside for now, Ogunjobi will push Cooper hard for the 3-tech spot. There aren't any Warren Sapps here, but there are some disruptive monkey-wrenches who can make messes.
Gregg has to be grinning from ear-to-ear about this: In Garrett, Collins, and Peppers, he has three players he can move around to screw up blocking schemes and exploit specific matchups. Call it the UFO defense!
He also should have a pass rush built right into the front four, so he doesn't have to blitze. He still will, of course, but between Collins, Kirksey, Peppers, and the other guys, he can drive offenses insane trying to figure out who is coming and from where.
The Njoku pick was brilliant, although it was stupid to trade up for him with two other teams in line ahead of them. It's possible that Green Bay said "now or never" to force the issue--I don't know, but they got the consensus second-best tight end in this draft.
Njoku is, in fact, an embryonic OJ Howard. He has similar talent, but is a year behind him in his development. That's why Jim Miller was so dumb when he wondered why the Browns didn't just draft Howard instead of trading down for Peppers and a 2018 first round pick.
Jim was getting caught up in Pat Kirwan's fire and brimstone Browns-bashing frenzy. Normally he's pretty smart.
Last season, Hue Jackson would have treated Kizer as he tried to treat Kessler: Keep him on the bench. What will be news to Oblivions, Myopians, and Memorex Morons is the fact that the Browns quarterback will have great protection and lots of help.
Njoku and DeValve are primed to attack the seams, right in front of the quarterback. Coleman will probably be running lots of slants and crosses as well. Britt is probably the designated deep threat.
That's four receivers, by the way. Why do you keep saying the Browns need wide receivers? They now have two tight ends who run like wide receivers. Everybody except Coleman is a big tall guy with a big catch radius. Hard to cover. Hard to miss.
Then, of course, both running backs are good receivers who sometimes go to the slot.
The souped up offensive line will give the quarterback enough time to throw if he pulls the trigger when he's supposed to, and will open up holes for the backs.
By the way, Isaiah Crowell never "faded". He was taken out of games by time and points when he wasn't stonewalled. The people saying Crow faded are fundamentally clueless.
Njoku is a real "Y" tight end who can block in-line as well as set up in the slot or outside or out of motion. They were never going to draft another Seth DeValve. Barnidge's release probably means Tefler--the best blocker--is sticking around.
Solomon Willcotts is talking common sense about what happened. He doesn't see a huge difference between Kizer and Trubisky. He thinks the Browns were ready to nab Trubisky at 5 or below (if it didn't cost too much).
They might then have shifted to Mahomes, but Andy Reed swiped him.
Next target was probably Kizer. They didn't panic, or overpay like Pat Kirwan would have. And they just might have wound up with the best quarterback in this draft (hey I'm not the one saying this! The experts are saying it! Go pick on them!).
Everybody except Mel Kiper (B-) gave the Browns an A, even with Brantley. Some of them say they had the best draft of all.
Kirwan must be apoplectic. He's been making fun of the "Moneyball" guys constantly. No it's sick listen:
They screwed up by not trading up to two for the one quarterback he was certain they wanted. Then they screwed up again by letting Andy Reed trade up to snatch Mahomes away.
Then they screwed up by not taking Watson themselves.
They could have had this guy or that guy and screwed up by trading down and drafting the lowly Jabrill Peppers (one interception) at 25 (and raking in a 2018 first round pick).
"What position is he going to play?" He KNOWS Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator and still asks this question!
Then Njoku. He's massively exhaggerating Njoku's rawness, calling him a "major project". That's rediculous! Then he's shaking his head and rolling his eyes over Barnidge's release.
Fortunately, he wasn't around for the Kizer pick. I'm telling you, this guy has something wrong with him when it comes to the Browns. He's like a freaking crusader against them.
Willcotts is probably closer to the mark. A few posts ago, I said that for all we know, Hue Jackson rates five quarterbacks roughly the same, and believes he can turn any of them into a monster. The Trubisky frenzy might have been pure fiction. At the very least, a slight preference was blown all out of proportion by rumor-mongers and Browns permabashers.
Hey guys, the national guys (aside from Kirwan) aren't laughing at our geek squad any more.
They're still dumb sometimes "Let's be honest. Kizer is the day one starter". Because, you know, Cody Kessler sucks right?
Anyway, Hue Jackson is leaving the door ajar for Kizer because he can afford to. He has his supporting cast in place, and can take the heat off him.
Now, Kizer does have 25 college starts. As Terry Pluto reported, Notre Dame was a mess. He played lousy last season, but he's not as raw as all that.
He impressed me by doing a self-scout, using game tapes. He told interested parties exactly what he did wrong. He frankly made an ass of himself, in a good way. By demonstrating that he already knows what he did wrong, and that he knows what he should have done instead, he's telling coaches that he will listen, and intends to fix himself.
I give him an outside shot at starting game one. More likely, he'll take over later in the season.
He can watch Brock Osweiller, who is 6'7", and copy his footwork.
I look forward to Joe Thomas vs Myles Garrett in camp. Steel sharpens steel. Come game one, that kid's going to be ready.
Hey Big Ben! Say hello to my leetle freind!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Cleveland Browns Digging for Gold
Check out this Excellent Article on the current status of the Carson Wentz trade. Scott Patsko (Cleveland.com) expressed zero opinions, so this was pure reporting--leaving us to judge it.
So far, subsequent trades have turned this Carson Wentz into 16 picks (costing the Browns 8). But stand by: this won't end until 2018 (if then), as the Browns now have the Texans first round pick in that draft.
Note on that: Deshaun Watson won't be a big factor for the Texans in 2017. They are contenders, and will win a bunch of games off an awesome defense and real skill talent on offense, but it's not unrealistic to expect 11 or fewer wins from them in that Division. This pick should be between 20 and 25 overall.
What did the Browns get, aside from that pick, so far?
Corey and Shon Coleman, Kessler, Kizer, Rodney Kindredfield, Drango, Ricardo Lewis, Payton, and Jabrill Peppers.
Now Steve, trying to be fair, makes an analytical error: You don't need to list any of the picks directly descended from the initial megatrade root which were traded away for a clean analysis.
How other teams used those picks is irrelevant. Talent evaluation is a whole separate issue, and absent the root-trade, none of those picks would have been owned by the Browns in the first place.
...I know, I've confused myself, too. But here's what I mean:
The initial trade-down generated a bunch of picks. The Browns then traded down again, and got several more picks for it.
All that counts on the other side of these two transactions is Carson Wentz. That's it: Just him, period. The Browns side of this trade is the 16 picks they've turned that first trade into, period.
Ok now: There was another minor exchange of low picks in the original trade, in which the Eagles moved up and the Browns moved down in the 5th round or something. If you want to be picky, you can list both sides of this.
Of more consquence are the Browns picks which were unrelated to the Wentz trade which were included in subsequent deals. These count too. I don't bother with these myself, but I do know that almost all of them involve 4th rounders and lower, and some are chickenshit low-round flips like the one I mentioned.
This article is about the Browns strategy, not talent evaluation.
As I've suggested before, Hue Jackson had to like Carson Wentz a lot...although-ahem- not quite as much as he would have liked Andrew Luck.
But most likely, Sashi and Paul asked him "What if I were to tell you I could turn this into 16 day one and two draft picks?"
"NO! I want my average-or-better quarterback with sub-optimal accuracy and anticipation NOW NOW NOW!"? Would you have said that? Would anybody with two gliel cells to rub together? Even Marty?
It's way too early to judge this trade, as even the first installment of players have only one year under their belts (including Wentz).
But it's not too soon for me to ask you why you are shoveling dirt on Derrick Kindred, Kessler, the Colemans, and Lewis already. Kindred looked like Chris Rockins prior to his injury--as a rookie. Kessler was a nice surprise, and became a PFF favorite as a rookie, but that cuts no ice in Cleveland wow you guys. Just wow.
As I create this literal masterpiece, I am priming myself for the fifth round, which the Browns own. Unlike some of you, I'm not bored, or pessimistic. While you've been napping, the Seahawks built a Superbowl team out of low picks and undrafted free agents.
This draft is packed with defensive back end players, and guys drafted in this 5th round would go in the third, or even the low second round in some other drafts ah!
Cb Howard Wilson: A TALL cornerback with great physical talent. Injured/lost time; inexperienced. Needs work. The injury and inexperience pushed him down, but he has "first round talent" and there you go! Is any of this sinking in yet?
"Skinny legs" blahblah gimme a break! He's 6'1" 184 lbs.: Not ready for prime-time YET. Look up "yet" in your Funk and Wagnal.
See? Wait til 2018 for this guy, and he's probably a favorite to start outside, and a possible free safety! This is how the Seahawks did it!
NICE PICK dammit! Way to burn those 5th rounders up to nab a really talented slider!!!
Since I'm feeling magnanimous, I will tell you about arm length and reach: Every boxer comprehends this, but to this day, some NFL draft gurus do not.
A lineman with long arms has a clear advantage over short guys, and as a rule of thumb, you need to favor guys with more reach on both sides of the trenches.
But let's go back down Memory Lane to Micheal Dean Perry. Perry was 6'1" tall. On top of that, his nickname was "gator", because he had disproportionately short arms.
MDP had amazing reflexes (plus anticipated snap-counts too much, which is why he was offsides a lot). He had an amazing "first step", and exploded across the line before the guards (let alone center) could get their hands on him.
He didn't try to avoid them. He got "inside" on them, where his gator arms and quick hands allowed him to control them. His shorter stature gave him built-in leverage (low man wins), and just as short-armed guys consistently out-bench longer-armed guys at the combine, MDP's functional strength, along with his hand-speed, was magnified.
Once he was inside those longer arms, it was over. He punched them onto their heels, and flicked them off like dandruff.
This was the origin of the "if it's a Cleveland Brown you can tackle him" rule which plagued Carl Nassib last season, by the way. In some games, MDP was tackled more than the running back.
It also caused a new official rule, which permitted offensive linemen other than the center to set up around a half yard deeper. I call this the anti-Browns "MDP rule".
MDP was traded after that, and I defended it against all Oblivia. MDP was a rare talent, and remained a productive player in the NFL, but never approached his production once this rule was instituted.
This leads me to another opportunity to educate my readers:
MDP's pending salary demands were on the exhorbitant side. All the fans loved him, and wanted the Browns to pay him whatever he asked. Absent the new rule, which was designed specificly to neutralize him, the Browns might have paid him.
As it was, they got some value out of him in a trade. This was a smart, if unpopular, move. MDP never lived up to his new, massively inflated contract. This was "analytics", before anybody came up with a fancy word for common sense.
And the Head Coach was Bill Belichick.
Oh another one: OT Roderick Johnson; an unmistakable stab at a Joe Thomas heir apparent. He's nothing like Thomas athleticly, but he's 6'7" with massive reach. He's a project in need of LOTS of work. He could make the practice squad, or could get cut.
This IS the FIFTH ROUND, right? Ok?
Oh crap maybe I need to go over this again: First, the Browns general lack of talent, and Kessler's non-existance, are hyperbole. Second, the notion that the Browns need to contend in 2017 or everybody gets fired is bullcrap, along with the notion that they CAN contend in 2017. Third, if you think guys drafted in the fifth round and below can be "busts", you need a brain transplant.
Roderick Johnson will never replace Joe Thomas, period. But he just might eventually become a top 15 left tackle, or a top 10 right tackle, in time. OR, he might get cut in training camp.
The lower rounds are where smart people gamble on inexperienced and injured players, who generally played at lower levels of competition. This season, special teamers are not as important, so the priority is sleepers and projects.
Johnson is pretty much useless in 2017, and will never matter on special teams. He's a horrible mess mechanically. His feet are slow...oknevermind but just trust me here: The Browns drafted him because they felt that eventually he could be a decent left tackle.
Calculated risk. I seem to be a rare bird in my comprehension of it. I risk a 5th round pick on a 50/50 chance that in 3 years, this guy can at least be an above average right tackle, and at most an above average left tackle.
My downside here is that he doesn't even make the team.
Big deal he was a fifth round pick!
Hyperbole aside, the "one and fifteen" Cleveland Browns have a lot of talent, with the majority of it being emerging talent...
Caleb Brantley, another 3-tech DT candidate, might have gone much higher in the draft absent criminal charges against him which I will ignore here. Not because I am an asshole, but because it is irrelevant, except as a reason for his slidage.
Innocent or guilty, Brantley is a good football player who will here compete as a 3-technique but could also be a 3-4 DE.
Loading up on 3-technique defensive tackles seems to be this draft's theme, like receivers was last year's.
I hereby guarantee you that Des Bryant will go the way of Gary, and that X Cooper will be a significant contributor this season.
Larry Ogunjobi will be his main competitor. All these guys will fight tooth and nail, with Gregg Williams on their asses at all times. This is GOOD.
I don't care who drafted Xavier Cooper, by the way. He can screw this up or not, but he remains the most ideally-suited/talented player for this role in a Gregg Williams defense. He has MDP assets, sans the liabilities.
At least one of the defensive tackles drafted just now will be released. Only in Cleveland would anybody call this a "bust". I hope you are properly embarrassed, and ready to start thinking with your brain.
The Browns offense needed little in the first place, in the real world, despite stupidly losing Terrelle Pryor (which was stupid, by the way).
It's awesome that instead of just waiting for Bitonio and Greco to heal, Sashi hammered free agency the way he did to upgrade an already pretty good offensive line. Now he has a top 5 offensive line, and probably the deepest in the NFL.
In case you don't know, your offensive line matters. Most great offenses have a good offensive line. Just sayin.
Now, you call Deshone Kizer a wasted pick. You are probably wrong. Too many (almost all) of the real experts rated him right with Mahomes upside/talent-wise. Most of them now call this a great "value" pick.
Come on, man: You think you know better?
And LaCanfora aside, can you believe that Hue Jackson hates Kizer; that Sashi forced this pick against his will because Haslam told him to? Over Webb? Over Dobbs?
Do you also believe that 911 was George Bush's idea? That Putin engineered Trump's election? Jesus: Breathe in, breathe out...Deshone Kizer has real potential, and Hue Jackson is Hue Jackson.
BULLSHIT aside, I 90% guarantee you that Hue Jackson was who picked Kizer over Webb and Dobbs.
Bub, you are spitting into the wind here. Between you and Hue Jackson on quarterbacks, I have to side with him over you.
Kizer was not forced on Hue Jackson, and Hue disagrees with you. We'll see who was right.
Not that I'd kick Garopollo out of bed for eating crackers...
Last note: Expecting a 6'1" cornerback to "break in" as a nickel back is idiotic. Somebody needs to pay me for this!
Oh here we go: Sashi Trump is "backpedalling" on the Brantley pick. OMFG Pat Kirwan will get ahold of this...I won't be able to listen to NFL Radio for weeks!
Disclaimer: If you punch a woman in the face, you are a scumbag. "She hit me first" just makes it worse for you (girley-mon).
It sounds like Sashi blew this one. This guy is radioactive. Flush that pick. Dammit.
Correction: Brantley was originally projected as a late first, early second round pick, but tested poorly at the Combine.
He may be innocent, as witnesses have said he pushed her away from him, but never struck her.
This was Sashi Brown's attempt to grab a great value in the sixth round; a smart move.
Understand this: If Brantley punched her, flush a sixth round pick. If he did not punch her, then he did not punch her, and is innocent, and is a Cleveland Brown. And deserves to be here.
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Should that lie be held against you? Low risk, high reward. Smart bet.
So far, subsequent trades have turned this Carson Wentz into 16 picks (costing the Browns 8). But stand by: this won't end until 2018 (if then), as the Browns now have the Texans first round pick in that draft.
Note on that: Deshaun Watson won't be a big factor for the Texans in 2017. They are contenders, and will win a bunch of games off an awesome defense and real skill talent on offense, but it's not unrealistic to expect 11 or fewer wins from them in that Division. This pick should be between 20 and 25 overall.
What did the Browns get, aside from that pick, so far?
Corey and Shon Coleman, Kessler, Kizer, Rodney Kindredfield, Drango, Ricardo Lewis, Payton, and Jabrill Peppers.
Now Steve, trying to be fair, makes an analytical error: You don't need to list any of the picks directly descended from the initial megatrade root which were traded away for a clean analysis.
How other teams used those picks is irrelevant. Talent evaluation is a whole separate issue, and absent the root-trade, none of those picks would have been owned by the Browns in the first place.
...I know, I've confused myself, too. But here's what I mean:
The initial trade-down generated a bunch of picks. The Browns then traded down again, and got several more picks for it.
All that counts on the other side of these two transactions is Carson Wentz. That's it: Just him, period. The Browns side of this trade is the 16 picks they've turned that first trade into, period.
Ok now: There was another minor exchange of low picks in the original trade, in which the Eagles moved up and the Browns moved down in the 5th round or something. If you want to be picky, you can list both sides of this.
Of more consquence are the Browns picks which were unrelated to the Wentz trade which were included in subsequent deals. These count too. I don't bother with these myself, but I do know that almost all of them involve 4th rounders and lower, and some are chickenshit low-round flips like the one I mentioned.
This article is about the Browns strategy, not talent evaluation.
As I've suggested before, Hue Jackson had to like Carson Wentz a lot...although-ahem- not quite as much as he would have liked Andrew Luck.
But most likely, Sashi and Paul asked him "What if I were to tell you I could turn this into 16 day one and two draft picks?"
"NO! I want my average-or-better quarterback with sub-optimal accuracy and anticipation NOW NOW NOW!"? Would you have said that? Would anybody with two gliel cells to rub together? Even Marty?
It's way too early to judge this trade, as even the first installment of players have only one year under their belts (including Wentz).
But it's not too soon for me to ask you why you are shoveling dirt on Derrick Kindred, Kessler, the Colemans, and Lewis already. Kindred looked like Chris Rockins prior to his injury--as a rookie. Kessler was a nice surprise, and became a PFF favorite as a rookie, but that cuts no ice in Cleveland wow you guys. Just wow.
As I create this literal masterpiece, I am priming myself for the fifth round, which the Browns own. Unlike some of you, I'm not bored, or pessimistic. While you've been napping, the Seahawks built a Superbowl team out of low picks and undrafted free agents.
This draft is packed with defensive back end players, and guys drafted in this 5th round would go in the third, or even the low second round in some other drafts ah!
Cb Howard Wilson: A TALL cornerback with great physical talent. Injured/lost time; inexperienced. Needs work. The injury and inexperience pushed him down, but he has "first round talent" and there you go! Is any of this sinking in yet?
"Skinny legs" blahblah gimme a break! He's 6'1" 184 lbs.: Not ready for prime-time YET. Look up "yet" in your Funk and Wagnal.
See? Wait til 2018 for this guy, and he's probably a favorite to start outside, and a possible free safety! This is how the Seahawks did it!
NICE PICK dammit! Way to burn those 5th rounders up to nab a really talented slider!!!
Since I'm feeling magnanimous, I will tell you about arm length and reach: Every boxer comprehends this, but to this day, some NFL draft gurus do not.
A lineman with long arms has a clear advantage over short guys, and as a rule of thumb, you need to favor guys with more reach on both sides of the trenches.
But let's go back down Memory Lane to Micheal Dean Perry. Perry was 6'1" tall. On top of that, his nickname was "gator", because he had disproportionately short arms.
MDP had amazing reflexes (plus anticipated snap-counts too much, which is why he was offsides a lot). He had an amazing "first step", and exploded across the line before the guards (let alone center) could get their hands on him.
He didn't try to avoid them. He got "inside" on them, where his gator arms and quick hands allowed him to control them. His shorter stature gave him built-in leverage (low man wins), and just as short-armed guys consistently out-bench longer-armed guys at the combine, MDP's functional strength, along with his hand-speed, was magnified.
Once he was inside those longer arms, it was over. He punched them onto their heels, and flicked them off like dandruff.
This was the origin of the "if it's a Cleveland Brown you can tackle him" rule which plagued Carl Nassib last season, by the way. In some games, MDP was tackled more than the running back.
It also caused a new official rule, which permitted offensive linemen other than the center to set up around a half yard deeper. I call this the anti-Browns "MDP rule".
MDP was traded after that, and I defended it against all Oblivia. MDP was a rare talent, and remained a productive player in the NFL, but never approached his production once this rule was instituted.
This leads me to another opportunity to educate my readers:
MDP's pending salary demands were on the exhorbitant side. All the fans loved him, and wanted the Browns to pay him whatever he asked. Absent the new rule, which was designed specificly to neutralize him, the Browns might have paid him.
As it was, they got some value out of him in a trade. This was a smart, if unpopular, move. MDP never lived up to his new, massively inflated contract. This was "analytics", before anybody came up with a fancy word for common sense.
And the Head Coach was Bill Belichick.
Oh another one: OT Roderick Johnson; an unmistakable stab at a Joe Thomas heir apparent. He's nothing like Thomas athleticly, but he's 6'7" with massive reach. He's a project in need of LOTS of work. He could make the practice squad, or could get cut.
This IS the FIFTH ROUND, right? Ok?
Oh crap maybe I need to go over this again: First, the Browns general lack of talent, and Kessler's non-existance, are hyperbole. Second, the notion that the Browns need to contend in 2017 or everybody gets fired is bullcrap, along with the notion that they CAN contend in 2017. Third, if you think guys drafted in the fifth round and below can be "busts", you need a brain transplant.
Roderick Johnson will never replace Joe Thomas, period. But he just might eventually become a top 15 left tackle, or a top 10 right tackle, in time. OR, he might get cut in training camp.
The lower rounds are where smart people gamble on inexperienced and injured players, who generally played at lower levels of competition. This season, special teamers are not as important, so the priority is sleepers and projects.
Johnson is pretty much useless in 2017, and will never matter on special teams. He's a horrible mess mechanically. His feet are slow...oknevermind but just trust me here: The Browns drafted him because they felt that eventually he could be a decent left tackle.
Calculated risk. I seem to be a rare bird in my comprehension of it. I risk a 5th round pick on a 50/50 chance that in 3 years, this guy can at least be an above average right tackle, and at most an above average left tackle.
My downside here is that he doesn't even make the team.
Big deal he was a fifth round pick!
Hyperbole aside, the "one and fifteen" Cleveland Browns have a lot of talent, with the majority of it being emerging talent...
Caleb Brantley, another 3-tech DT candidate, might have gone much higher in the draft absent criminal charges against him which I will ignore here. Not because I am an asshole, but because it is irrelevant, except as a reason for his slidage.
Innocent or guilty, Brantley is a good football player who will here compete as a 3-technique but could also be a 3-4 DE.
Loading up on 3-technique defensive tackles seems to be this draft's theme, like receivers was last year's.
I hereby guarantee you that Des Bryant will go the way of Gary, and that X Cooper will be a significant contributor this season.
Larry Ogunjobi will be his main competitor. All these guys will fight tooth and nail, with Gregg Williams on their asses at all times. This is GOOD.
I don't care who drafted Xavier Cooper, by the way. He can screw this up or not, but he remains the most ideally-suited/talented player for this role in a Gregg Williams defense. He has MDP assets, sans the liabilities.
At least one of the defensive tackles drafted just now will be released. Only in Cleveland would anybody call this a "bust". I hope you are properly embarrassed, and ready to start thinking with your brain.
The Browns offense needed little in the first place, in the real world, despite stupidly losing Terrelle Pryor (which was stupid, by the way).
It's awesome that instead of just waiting for Bitonio and Greco to heal, Sashi hammered free agency the way he did to upgrade an already pretty good offensive line. Now he has a top 5 offensive line, and probably the deepest in the NFL.
In case you don't know, your offensive line matters. Most great offenses have a good offensive line. Just sayin.
Now, you call Deshone Kizer a wasted pick. You are probably wrong. Too many (almost all) of the real experts rated him right with Mahomes upside/talent-wise. Most of them now call this a great "value" pick.
Come on, man: You think you know better?
And LaCanfora aside, can you believe that Hue Jackson hates Kizer; that Sashi forced this pick against his will because Haslam told him to? Over Webb? Over Dobbs?
Do you also believe that 911 was George Bush's idea? That Putin engineered Trump's election? Jesus: Breathe in, breathe out...Deshone Kizer has real potential, and Hue Jackson is Hue Jackson.
BULLSHIT aside, I 90% guarantee you that Hue Jackson was who picked Kizer over Webb and Dobbs.
Bub, you are spitting into the wind here. Between you and Hue Jackson on quarterbacks, I have to side with him over you.
Kizer was not forced on Hue Jackson, and Hue disagrees with you. We'll see who was right.
Not that I'd kick Garopollo out of bed for eating crackers...
Last note: Expecting a 6'1" cornerback to "break in" as a nickel back is idiotic. Somebody needs to pay me for this!
Oh here we go: Sashi Trump is "backpedalling" on the Brantley pick. OMFG Pat Kirwan will get ahold of this...I won't be able to listen to NFL Radio for weeks!
Disclaimer: If you punch a woman in the face, you are a scumbag. "She hit me first" just makes it worse for you (girley-mon).
It sounds like Sashi blew this one. This guy is radioactive. Flush that pick. Dammit.
Correction: Brantley was originally projected as a late first, early second round pick, but tested poorly at the Combine.
He may be innocent, as witnesses have said he pushed her away from him, but never struck her.
This was Sashi Brown's attempt to grab a great value in the sixth round; a smart move.
Understand this: If Brantley punched her, flush a sixth round pick. If he did not punch her, then he did not punch her, and is innocent, and is a Cleveland Brown. And deserves to be here.
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Should that lie be held against you? Low risk, high reward. Smart bet.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Doctor Jacksonstein's Monster
Count on Pat Kirwan to twist each and every thing the Browns "Moneyball" front office does as hapless and stupid. He always had something against the Browns, probably since Kosar knocked his Jets out of the playoffs in double overtime. But ever since Haslam hired DePodesta and "analytics" came up, he's just been over the top.
1: The Browns may or may not have actually targeted Trubisky. They probably did check with teams ahead of 12 overall about trading up, up to and including the Titans at 5, but that could actually have been about Supersafety Jamal Adams. After they traded down, they drafted Jabrill Peppers, who is the same type of player.
2: No way in hell they tried to trade their whole draft to get to 2nd overall. This would have been idiotic. This was Kirwan's fantasy, from start to finish.
3: No doubt they took another shot at Garopollo. No way in hell they tried to trade for AJ McCarron. AJ isn't as good as Kessler.
4: They might well have wanted Mahomes, and got aced out of him by Andy Reed and the Chiefs.
5: They obviously didn't want Deshaun Watson. Why are you calling them idiots? Because they don't agree with you?
Ron Jaworsky told a story of his standing next to Hue Jackson at Carson Wentz's Pro Day. Jackson said he'd never seen a better performance. Two weeks later, the Browns traded the pick.
The unanimous conclusion was that this was not Hue's decision.
First, it was a Pro Day. Film study means more. Second, why do you assume that a Head Coach has to prefer a Quarterback to a whole bunch of high draft picks on a rebuilding team? How can you assume that Jackson didn't sign off on this trade? Why not?
6: How do you know that the Browns didn't want DeShone Kizer all along?
7: Why do you pretend they didn't get a 2018 first round draft pick to move down? Why do you say they "didn't like" Malik Hooker? Couldn't they have liked Jabrill Peppers and a first round pick a little more?
Jim Miller got sucked into it: Why didn't they just draft Howard at twelve instead of Njoku later? Because Njoku has similar talent, and you can't trade a draft pick once you USE it, Sherlock! Why can't they figure this out?
This doesn't require a lot of thought. Whether we agree with it or not, there are rational explanations for everything Sashi Brown has done so far. There's really not much to make fun of.
You've made a whole lot of assumptions, the majority of which are based on rumors and speculation, and are now laughing at the Browns when the plans you assumed they had didn't play out the way you imagined they intended for them to.
So they released Gary Barnidge. Kirwan is rolling his eyes "What are they doing?".
Give me a break with this crap, Pat! Barnidge is 31, and in decline! Mentor? He's a tight end and what do you think coaches do for a living? Say it with me: R E B U I L D I N G.
DeValve has a year under his belt and Njoku is already a proficient receiver ("project" my foot). They need REPS. They need to PLAY.
I'll miss Gary. Really like that guy. But like Lord Insideous says, it's a business. Good luck, dude. On to 2017.
Now, a couple things I need to point out here: Jabrill Peppers isn't a free safety. He could develop into one over time, but right now is not good in deep coverage. He doesn't judge the ball, or anticipate well. He's at his best moving forward. He's a strong safety.
The Browns still need a free safety. Tyvis Powell (released by Seattle) might be that guy, or not. Reynolds isn't bad, but doesn't have enough range for Williams' coverages.
Larry Ogunjobi is a 3-technique disruptive defensive tackle who gets some sacks and tackles for losses. He'll push Xavier Cooper hard for playing time, and could win that battle.
Cooper has a quicker first step and better reach, but Ogunjobi has better leverage and balance, and is a good bull rusher. He's athletic enough to stunt, and has sub-5.0 speed for pursuit. He's more well-rounded, as he's better against the run.
Some guards will beat him sometimes, as they'll have a reach advantage if their hands are quick enough to to use it. He'll overmatch others.
I was shocked by the Kizer pick. All along, I couldn't figure out why Mayock and the majority of other real experts kept insisting he had the most, or second-most (behind Mahomes) upside in this class.
My freinds hated this pick, and that's my kneejerk reaction too. But I can't ignore what the experts say. A number of those were, in fact, mocking Kizer to the Browns...at 12th overall...until recently.
What happened recently were his mediocre combine and Pro Day performances. His footwork was atrocious, and he has a "hitch" in his throwing motion.
In an effort to sell himself, he's been telling people how hard he works, and how smart he is. That's going over like a lead balloon.
He hasn't played well this season, except in spurts. He was benched. He does not appear to be a natural leader. His Coach was honest enough to say that he is not ready for the NFL, and needed another year in college.
However, those statements make his promise that "in time", whoever drafts Kizer will have a great quarterback, more credible.
I'm consistent here: My instinct is to think that Kizer is Plan C or D, but that's my ego talking. The real expert consensus is that Kizer and Mahomes have the highest cielings, and that between the two, Kizer is the safer pick.
And I repeat: For all we know, this was Hue's guy all along,
Obviously, he'll need at least a year on the bench. His mechanics really are a mess. But he is highly intelligent, with the highest Wonderlick score.
And no, Pat Kirwan (former New York Jets GM), the Cleveland fans won't be chanting his name by game four if the starter is having a hard time. We're not all a bunch of morons here.
Let me anticipate the next Real Housewives rumor here: Jimmy Haslam didn't force this pick. You think he's a moron too. He learned nothing from Manziel right? What a bunch of nasty old ladies you are!
He was "not happy" about the first round? This is news? He wanted a quarterback. So did the rest of us. He's not allowed to bitch (if he even did)?
Anyway, I'll listen to the experts, and keep believing in Doctor Jacksonstein. He does have a good grade of clay to work with here.
Oh, and Brock Osweiler isn't the starter. Cody Kessler is. Kessler is a less athletic Alex Smith. He could become more. Quit dumping on him. He was downright impressive as a rookie, considering the situation he was stuck in.
Hell, the old veterans didn't do nearly as well. Are you all fking blind, or what? If the kid doesn't get kayoed again, we got this covered til the monster is ready to leave Hue's Laboratory.
I'm disgusted. Talk amongst yourselves.
1: The Browns may or may not have actually targeted Trubisky. They probably did check with teams ahead of 12 overall about trading up, up to and including the Titans at 5, but that could actually have been about Supersafety Jamal Adams. After they traded down, they drafted Jabrill Peppers, who is the same type of player.
2: No way in hell they tried to trade their whole draft to get to 2nd overall. This would have been idiotic. This was Kirwan's fantasy, from start to finish.
3: No doubt they took another shot at Garopollo. No way in hell they tried to trade for AJ McCarron. AJ isn't as good as Kessler.
4: They might well have wanted Mahomes, and got aced out of him by Andy Reed and the Chiefs.
5: They obviously didn't want Deshaun Watson. Why are you calling them idiots? Because they don't agree with you?
Ron Jaworsky told a story of his standing next to Hue Jackson at Carson Wentz's Pro Day. Jackson said he'd never seen a better performance. Two weeks later, the Browns traded the pick.
The unanimous conclusion was that this was not Hue's decision.
First, it was a Pro Day. Film study means more. Second, why do you assume that a Head Coach has to prefer a Quarterback to a whole bunch of high draft picks on a rebuilding team? How can you assume that Jackson didn't sign off on this trade? Why not?
6: How do you know that the Browns didn't want DeShone Kizer all along?
7: Why do you pretend they didn't get a 2018 first round draft pick to move down? Why do you say they "didn't like" Malik Hooker? Couldn't they have liked Jabrill Peppers and a first round pick a little more?
Jim Miller got sucked into it: Why didn't they just draft Howard at twelve instead of Njoku later? Because Njoku has similar talent, and you can't trade a draft pick once you USE it, Sherlock! Why can't they figure this out?
This doesn't require a lot of thought. Whether we agree with it or not, there are rational explanations for everything Sashi Brown has done so far. There's really not much to make fun of.
You've made a whole lot of assumptions, the majority of which are based on rumors and speculation, and are now laughing at the Browns when the plans you assumed they had didn't play out the way you imagined they intended for them to.
So they released Gary Barnidge. Kirwan is rolling his eyes "What are they doing?".
Give me a break with this crap, Pat! Barnidge is 31, and in decline! Mentor? He's a tight end and what do you think coaches do for a living? Say it with me: R E B U I L D I N G.
DeValve has a year under his belt and Njoku is already a proficient receiver ("project" my foot). They need REPS. They need to PLAY.
I'll miss Gary. Really like that guy. But like Lord Insideous says, it's a business. Good luck, dude. On to 2017.
Now, a couple things I need to point out here: Jabrill Peppers isn't a free safety. He could develop into one over time, but right now is not good in deep coverage. He doesn't judge the ball, or anticipate well. He's at his best moving forward. He's a strong safety.
The Browns still need a free safety. Tyvis Powell (released by Seattle) might be that guy, or not. Reynolds isn't bad, but doesn't have enough range for Williams' coverages.
Larry Ogunjobi is a 3-technique disruptive defensive tackle who gets some sacks and tackles for losses. He'll push Xavier Cooper hard for playing time, and could win that battle.
Cooper has a quicker first step and better reach, but Ogunjobi has better leverage and balance, and is a good bull rusher. He's athletic enough to stunt, and has sub-5.0 speed for pursuit. He's more well-rounded, as he's better against the run.
Some guards will beat him sometimes, as they'll have a reach advantage if their hands are quick enough to to use it. He'll overmatch others.
I was shocked by the Kizer pick. All along, I couldn't figure out why Mayock and the majority of other real experts kept insisting he had the most, or second-most (behind Mahomes) upside in this class.
My freinds hated this pick, and that's my kneejerk reaction too. But I can't ignore what the experts say. A number of those were, in fact, mocking Kizer to the Browns...at 12th overall...until recently.
What happened recently were his mediocre combine and Pro Day performances. His footwork was atrocious, and he has a "hitch" in his throwing motion.
In an effort to sell himself, he's been telling people how hard he works, and how smart he is. That's going over like a lead balloon.
He hasn't played well this season, except in spurts. He was benched. He does not appear to be a natural leader. His Coach was honest enough to say that he is not ready for the NFL, and needed another year in college.
However, those statements make his promise that "in time", whoever drafts Kizer will have a great quarterback, more credible.
I'm consistent here: My instinct is to think that Kizer is Plan C or D, but that's my ego talking. The real expert consensus is that Kizer and Mahomes have the highest cielings, and that between the two, Kizer is the safer pick.
And I repeat: For all we know, this was Hue's guy all along,
Obviously, he'll need at least a year on the bench. His mechanics really are a mess. But he is highly intelligent, with the highest Wonderlick score.
And no, Pat Kirwan (former New York Jets GM), the Cleveland fans won't be chanting his name by game four if the starter is having a hard time. We're not all a bunch of morons here.
Let me anticipate the next Real Housewives rumor here: Jimmy Haslam didn't force this pick. You think he's a moron too. He learned nothing from Manziel right? What a bunch of nasty old ladies you are!
He was "not happy" about the first round? This is news? He wanted a quarterback. So did the rest of us. He's not allowed to bitch (if he even did)?
Anyway, I'll listen to the experts, and keep believing in Doctor Jacksonstein. He does have a good grade of clay to work with here.
Oh, and Brock Osweiler isn't the starter. Cody Kessler is. Kessler is a less athletic Alex Smith. He could become more. Quit dumping on him. He was downright impressive as a rookie, considering the situation he was stuck in.
Hell, the old veterans didn't do nearly as well. Are you all fking blind, or what? If the kid doesn't get kayoed again, we got this covered til the monster is ready to leave Hue's Laboratory.
I'm disgusted. Talk amongst yourselves.
Defending Jabrill Peppers and the Cleveland Browns
Nobody is picking on the Garrett or Njoku picks, so I'll skip those for now.
I had to listen to a very snarky Pat Kirwan, who had concluded that the Browns desperately wanted Trubisky, and that they were "scrambling" after he was drafted second overall. He kept saying "moneyball" over and over again.
Pat is certain that the Browns now regret not trading away their entire draft to get Trubisky at second overall.
It was sad.
The Jabrill Peppers pick at 25th is being attacked from every angle. Even though I personally didn't "get" this pick with guys like Chidobe Awuzie still there, this bashing is so over the top that I have to defend this pick.
First and foremost, Gregg Williams needs a player like this in his unique defense. He couldn't afford Jamaal Adams, and Peppers was the next best option. This wasn't the Geek Squad. This was Williams.
Aim your bashing at Gregg Williams. He can take it.
Second, Peppers is an outstanding kick and punt returner. These guys are nice to have. They come in handy. Peppers has been compared to Josh Cribbs.
Third, this draft is exceptionally deep in safeties and cornerbacks. It is logical to exploit that depth by drafting second-tier players lower, and addressing more needs.
The experts are bashing the pick because Peppers has not been exceptional at any one position. They say that Peppers is a "luxury" pick more suitable for a team with a solid roster, whereas the Browns need to find their set starters.
Skip back several paragraphs. Peppers will nominally start at "strong safety", but will actually be Gregg Williams' starting safety/linebacker hybrid. A starter. At a position.
Peppers has also been compared to Troy Polumalu. He may never become that good, but he has Troy's skill set, and will fulfill a similar role under Gregg Williams.
I remember, when the Steelers drafted Polumalu, making fun of that draft pick myself. He was short and slow. But the Steelers were right, and I was wrong. Peppers blows things up in the backfield and gets sacks. If you don't like Polumalu, try Tyron Mathiews.
There is more to this, as well: Jabrill Peppers averaged over 6.1 yards per carry as a running back. On a different team, he might have wound up being drafted as a running back, and might well have been one of the first 3-5 off the board.
He has rare vision and suddenness with the ball in his hands, and breaks tackles. He could be a better running back than he is a safety/nickel corner/linebacker.
The Browns don't need running backs right now, but Hue Jackson has already been talking about checking him out on offense.
This guy is a swiss army knife. As the Browns acquire and lose players, he might show up anywhere, depending on where he's most needed.
The Browns are still rebuilding. They now have another first round pick in 2018, and five picks in the first two rounds. A Garopollo trade, or moves in 2018 for a quarterback, are not off the table.
Bidding for Kirk Cousins or Garoppolo ahead of the 2018 season are also possibilities.
This first round added a premier passrusher and a Polumalu type safety on defense, an immensely talented and lethal real tight end, and an elite returner on special teams. These, plus another 2018 first round pick, is pretty damn good.
Webb and Dobbs are still out there.
I don't know what the Browns will do today, but suspect they'll try to nab one of these two, a tall cornerback, and a center fielder.
On Trubisky: He may or may not have been an actual target. Clearly, Mahomes and Watson were not targets. Bash Hue Jackson for this.
Hue likes Rodney Kesslerfield. Who wooda thunk it?
Dobbs. Definitely Dobbs.
Or somebody we never heard of again. Or Webb. No Dobbs. Definitely Dobbs. Or...
I had to listen to a very snarky Pat Kirwan, who had concluded that the Browns desperately wanted Trubisky, and that they were "scrambling" after he was drafted second overall. He kept saying "moneyball" over and over again.
Pat is certain that the Browns now regret not trading away their entire draft to get Trubisky at second overall.
It was sad.
The Jabrill Peppers pick at 25th is being attacked from every angle. Even though I personally didn't "get" this pick with guys like Chidobe Awuzie still there, this bashing is so over the top that I have to defend this pick.
First and foremost, Gregg Williams needs a player like this in his unique defense. He couldn't afford Jamaal Adams, and Peppers was the next best option. This wasn't the Geek Squad. This was Williams.
Aim your bashing at Gregg Williams. He can take it.
Second, Peppers is an outstanding kick and punt returner. These guys are nice to have. They come in handy. Peppers has been compared to Josh Cribbs.
Third, this draft is exceptionally deep in safeties and cornerbacks. It is logical to exploit that depth by drafting second-tier players lower, and addressing more needs.
The experts are bashing the pick because Peppers has not been exceptional at any one position. They say that Peppers is a "luxury" pick more suitable for a team with a solid roster, whereas the Browns need to find their set starters.
Skip back several paragraphs. Peppers will nominally start at "strong safety", but will actually be Gregg Williams' starting safety/linebacker hybrid. A starter. At a position.
Peppers has also been compared to Troy Polumalu. He may never become that good, but he has Troy's skill set, and will fulfill a similar role under Gregg Williams.
I remember, when the Steelers drafted Polumalu, making fun of that draft pick myself. He was short and slow. But the Steelers were right, and I was wrong. Peppers blows things up in the backfield and gets sacks. If you don't like Polumalu, try Tyron Mathiews.
There is more to this, as well: Jabrill Peppers averaged over 6.1 yards per carry as a running back. On a different team, he might have wound up being drafted as a running back, and might well have been one of the first 3-5 off the board.
He has rare vision and suddenness with the ball in his hands, and breaks tackles. He could be a better running back than he is a safety/nickel corner/linebacker.
The Browns don't need running backs right now, but Hue Jackson has already been talking about checking him out on offense.
This guy is a swiss army knife. As the Browns acquire and lose players, he might show up anywhere, depending on where he's most needed.
The Browns are still rebuilding. They now have another first round pick in 2018, and five picks in the first two rounds. A Garopollo trade, or moves in 2018 for a quarterback, are not off the table.
Bidding for Kirk Cousins or Garoppolo ahead of the 2018 season are also possibilities.
This first round added a premier passrusher and a Polumalu type safety on defense, an immensely talented and lethal real tight end, and an elite returner on special teams. These, plus another 2018 first round pick, is pretty damn good.
Webb and Dobbs are still out there.
I don't know what the Browns will do today, but suspect they'll try to nab one of these two, a tall cornerback, and a center fielder.
On Trubisky: He may or may not have been an actual target. Clearly, Mahomes and Watson were not targets. Bash Hue Jackson for this.
Hue likes Rodney Kesslerfield. Who wooda thunk it?
Dobbs. Definitely Dobbs.
Or somebody we never heard of again. Or Webb. No Dobbs. Definitely Dobbs. Or...
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
My Browns Mock Draft
1: Trade down. (Or Garrett. Or Trubisky.)
1a: Depends on what they did with 1.
Ok but a few corrections here:
The Browns did fail to generate pressure on the quarterback last season, but this doesn't mean the Browns need edge rushers.
It's true that the top NFL sackers tend to be 3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends, and the most consistent way to generate pressure is from the edge. It is reasonable to look at defensive end first in what looks a lot like a 4-3 under Gregg Williams.
What is not reasonable is the spasticly premature interments of 2016 rookies Nassib and Holmes, injured second year player Orchard, and surprising veteran Cam Johnson.
Gregg Williams, like every other defensive coordinator, would love to have an all-pro quality edge-rusher, because it's the easiest and simplest way to the quarterback, and doesn't require him to make a ton of chess-moves to get heat on the passer, or take people out of coverage as often.
But historicly, Williams has not often had this stud edge-rusher, and yet his defenses have always ranked high in sacks and pressures.
Part of this is his primary scheme, which is a 4-3 including the 3-technique penetrating defensive tackle. This particular player is MORE important for Williams than the edge guys.
This is a fairly common front, only it doesn't always work as intended, because it does require a Warren Sapp type of havoc-wreaker at that position, and these don't grow on trees.
Last season, Ray Horton had his version of this front all set up and ready to go, when Des Bryant went down, and Xavier Cooper failed to adequately replace him in that role. Ray had to go back to the drawing board. This injury was possibly the most significant of many. It changed everything.
This 3-technique player is too quick and explosive for most left guards. It forces offenses to compensate in predictable ways. Sometimes, that means a double team, which prevents the center from helping outside, or keeps a potential receiver in to block. Sometimes, it's deeper drops, which gives the edge rushers better angles and more time. Or roll-outs, which limit a quarterback's options and undermine accuracy.
When combined with a bigger, stronger Danny Shelton-like left DT, it usually drives the guards and centers back, which eliminates the pocket. Quarterbacks can't "hide" there from the edge-rushers, or step into deep throws, or intermediate timing throws.
Aaron Rodgers can compensate for this, but most quarterbacks have more problems, because it's harder for them to set up or throw properly.
Returning to the edge-rushers on the current roster, Gregg Williams is not unhappy with what he has. What he wants most for Xmas is a Warren Sapp. If he can get that exceptional inside passrusher, the edge will take care of itself.
I must mention here that Haason Reddick is actually the guy in this draft who most resembles Von Miller, and depending on how everything else goes, he could be a best available Browns pick.
Reddick can play any linebacker position in any scheme, and be a situational passrushing defensive end (he played defensive end) in a 4-3. Gregg Williams would have him on the field on every down, and send him after the quarterback more than half the time...from wherever he sets up (which could be anywhere).
And in the long run, this guy could be better than Myles Garrett overall. Remember I said this. Garrett is like Clowney. Reddick is like Miller. He could conceivably make it to day two.
After hearing from smart people about Warren Sapp and his critique of Myles Garrett, I feel a little better about Garrett.
Garrett had already nailed down a great draft position, but he played with a high ankle sprain. His coaches and teammates admired his guts and loyalty. This injury most certainly did inhibit his 2016 performance.
Sapp's comments should not be dismissed, but then he's not held in high regard by anyone he's worked with, and I get the impression he's pretty negative in general. Nor did he play against spead and air-raid offenses in college in which the ball is often in the air less than two seconds after the snap.
Not that the Browns shouldn't trade down if they get a good enough offer.
Of note here: Brady Quinn says that Davis Webb can become a franchise quarterback. He goes against the grain somewhat on this, as he lists accuracy and placement as among his best assets.
I had all but dismissed this guy due to all the negatives listed in almost every other scouting report I'd read, but I take Quinn's analysis seriously.
He certainly did kick butt for Hue Jackson in the Senior Bowl. Webb and Josh Dobbs are two guys Hue Jackson knows all about, and this matters. Hue knows how he can work with these guys already, and if he agrees with Quinn about his physical tools, the Browns could get their project quarterback cheap. It could even be Josh Dobbs!
For all we know, Hue could have a list of four or five quarterbacks he thinks have the "right stuff", and thinks we're all making up fake stories about nothing.
Think about this: Nobody questions Andrew Luck's talent. But he keeps getting pounded to mush, and the Colts keep struggling.
Nobody (including Pete Carroll, if he could admit it) thought Russell Wilson could be nearly as good as he is, but he stepped in with a great supporting cast including Beast Mode and the Legion of Boom.
How many potential franchise quarterbacks were destroyed playing for crappy teams? Or inflexible, desperate Head Coaches? There could be a whole lot more of them than we realize.
For all we know, Hue was all set with Cody Kessler, but the injury and concussions are making him nervous. Cody's hesitation and reluctance to go deep are common rookie issues. Hue isn't worried about this. Aside from his durability, these were Kessler's only issues as a ROOKIE playing from behind under intense pressure with Terrelle Pryor and guys named Joe.
For all we know, Hue thinks he can find a quarterback cheap in every draft, as long as he's willing to be patient with the kid, and provides him with protection and weapons.
The things that can't be taught, or significantly enhanced, are throwing flaws, accuracy, and processing-speed. EVERYTHING else (except height) is correctable.
With that being said, Patrick Mahomes might be very much in this thing, since, well...wow.
Ok enough screwing around here's my real moc...no I can't. Too many variables. But trading up to two from twelve? Oh puh-leez! Drafting Trubisky first overall? Huge longshot. Trading down from first overall?
BINGO! There are tons of Branch Garrettians out there contaminating their undergarments over this guy.
NOW drafting Trubisky with their highest draft pick? Very possible! And if Von Mil--I mean Haason Reddick is there at twelve...well here we go with the variables again. I mean Reddick or Howard? Howard or Allen? Whatever I predict somebody, for sure!
How far do they move down? I don't know. What do they get? A LOT. Like at least two more immediate starting caliber players than they would have had!
The old guard would universally call this a dumb move, and shake their heads sadly over poor dumb Sashi Brown, the greedy kid.
But it wouldn't be half as bad as if he were to draft Trubisky instead of Garrett first overall. He wouldn't need to drive around in an armored car or wear body armor, or move his family out of town, anyway.
A growing number of people are beginning to comprehend what the Browns are doing here, and starting to buy into it. The turning point was when the article about Jimmy Johnson doing something very similar in building his own dynasty came out, and Johnson's own comments on the Browns.
The majority would weep, moan, and gnash their teeth. They will predict Garrett getting more sacks than the Browns defense, start proclaiming every subsequent draft pick a bust, and throw temper-tantrums.
Too bad.
And it's not all about just draft picks, either. It's about HIGH draft picks, whether they're current or in 2018 or even 2019.
High draft picks, with higher probabilities of success, and higher floors too. Bill Belichick dumped Jamie Collins and won a Superbowl. Who was his Myles Garrett? Oh yeah Tom Brady. What position does he play? Hmmm...
Who was Atlanta's Myles Garrett?
Trade down. Plug ALL the holes, right now, all at once, in one draft. People keep predicting it will take another draft after this one. What are they looking at? As it stands they should get 4-5 new starters out of this draft without a trade-down.
There are only 22 starters. These knuckleheads can't find enough current starters to kick to the curb! Why do they think the Browns need 22 new starters? What tf are they talking about?
Who needs to be replaced on the offensive line, at running back...want to get rid of Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman already? Collins, Shelton, Haden, Ogbah, Kirksey what--replace all six of the other guys already?
No, the Browns can trade down one more time, maybe get Trubisky, and have the core of an eventual contender all nailed down in one draft, and they SHOULD.
But if not ok Garrett.
1a: Depends on what they did with 1.
Ok but a few corrections here:
The Browns did fail to generate pressure on the quarterback last season, but this doesn't mean the Browns need edge rushers.
It's true that the top NFL sackers tend to be 3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends, and the most consistent way to generate pressure is from the edge. It is reasonable to look at defensive end first in what looks a lot like a 4-3 under Gregg Williams.
What is not reasonable is the spasticly premature interments of 2016 rookies Nassib and Holmes, injured second year player Orchard, and surprising veteran Cam Johnson.
Gregg Williams, like every other defensive coordinator, would love to have an all-pro quality edge-rusher, because it's the easiest and simplest way to the quarterback, and doesn't require him to make a ton of chess-moves to get heat on the passer, or take people out of coverage as often.
But historicly, Williams has not often had this stud edge-rusher, and yet his defenses have always ranked high in sacks and pressures.
Part of this is his primary scheme, which is a 4-3 including the 3-technique penetrating defensive tackle. This particular player is MORE important for Williams than the edge guys.
This is a fairly common front, only it doesn't always work as intended, because it does require a Warren Sapp type of havoc-wreaker at that position, and these don't grow on trees.
Last season, Ray Horton had his version of this front all set up and ready to go, when Des Bryant went down, and Xavier Cooper failed to adequately replace him in that role. Ray had to go back to the drawing board. This injury was possibly the most significant of many. It changed everything.
This 3-technique player is too quick and explosive for most left guards. It forces offenses to compensate in predictable ways. Sometimes, that means a double team, which prevents the center from helping outside, or keeps a potential receiver in to block. Sometimes, it's deeper drops, which gives the edge rushers better angles and more time. Or roll-outs, which limit a quarterback's options and undermine accuracy.
When combined with a bigger, stronger Danny Shelton-like left DT, it usually drives the guards and centers back, which eliminates the pocket. Quarterbacks can't "hide" there from the edge-rushers, or step into deep throws, or intermediate timing throws.
Aaron Rodgers can compensate for this, but most quarterbacks have more problems, because it's harder for them to set up or throw properly.
Returning to the edge-rushers on the current roster, Gregg Williams is not unhappy with what he has. What he wants most for Xmas is a Warren Sapp. If he can get that exceptional inside passrusher, the edge will take care of itself.
I must mention here that Haason Reddick is actually the guy in this draft who most resembles Von Miller, and depending on how everything else goes, he could be a best available Browns pick.
Reddick can play any linebacker position in any scheme, and be a situational passrushing defensive end (he played defensive end) in a 4-3. Gregg Williams would have him on the field on every down, and send him after the quarterback more than half the time...from wherever he sets up (which could be anywhere).
And in the long run, this guy could be better than Myles Garrett overall. Remember I said this. Garrett is like Clowney. Reddick is like Miller. He could conceivably make it to day two.
After hearing from smart people about Warren Sapp and his critique of Myles Garrett, I feel a little better about Garrett.
Garrett had already nailed down a great draft position, but he played with a high ankle sprain. His coaches and teammates admired his guts and loyalty. This injury most certainly did inhibit his 2016 performance.
Sapp's comments should not be dismissed, but then he's not held in high regard by anyone he's worked with, and I get the impression he's pretty negative in general. Nor did he play against spead and air-raid offenses in college in which the ball is often in the air less than two seconds after the snap.
Not that the Browns shouldn't trade down if they get a good enough offer.
Of note here: Brady Quinn says that Davis Webb can become a franchise quarterback. He goes against the grain somewhat on this, as he lists accuracy and placement as among his best assets.
I had all but dismissed this guy due to all the negatives listed in almost every other scouting report I'd read, but I take Quinn's analysis seriously.
He certainly did kick butt for Hue Jackson in the Senior Bowl. Webb and Josh Dobbs are two guys Hue Jackson knows all about, and this matters. Hue knows how he can work with these guys already, and if he agrees with Quinn about his physical tools, the Browns could get their project quarterback cheap. It could even be Josh Dobbs!
For all we know, Hue could have a list of four or five quarterbacks he thinks have the "right stuff", and thinks we're all making up fake stories about nothing.
Think about this: Nobody questions Andrew Luck's talent. But he keeps getting pounded to mush, and the Colts keep struggling.
Nobody (including Pete Carroll, if he could admit it) thought Russell Wilson could be nearly as good as he is, but he stepped in with a great supporting cast including Beast Mode and the Legion of Boom.
How many potential franchise quarterbacks were destroyed playing for crappy teams? Or inflexible, desperate Head Coaches? There could be a whole lot more of them than we realize.
For all we know, Hue was all set with Cody Kessler, but the injury and concussions are making him nervous. Cody's hesitation and reluctance to go deep are common rookie issues. Hue isn't worried about this. Aside from his durability, these were Kessler's only issues as a ROOKIE playing from behind under intense pressure with Terrelle Pryor and guys named Joe.
For all we know, Hue thinks he can find a quarterback cheap in every draft, as long as he's willing to be patient with the kid, and provides him with protection and weapons.
The things that can't be taught, or significantly enhanced, are throwing flaws, accuracy, and processing-speed. EVERYTHING else (except height) is correctable.
With that being said, Patrick Mahomes might be very much in this thing, since, well...wow.
Ok enough screwing around here's my real moc...no I can't. Too many variables. But trading up to two from twelve? Oh puh-leez! Drafting Trubisky first overall? Huge longshot. Trading down from first overall?
BINGO! There are tons of Branch Garrettians out there contaminating their undergarments over this guy.
NOW drafting Trubisky with their highest draft pick? Very possible! And if Von Mil--I mean Haason Reddick is there at twelve...well here we go with the variables again. I mean Reddick or Howard? Howard or Allen? Whatever I predict somebody, for sure!
How far do they move down? I don't know. What do they get? A LOT. Like at least two more immediate starting caliber players than they would have had!
The old guard would universally call this a dumb move, and shake their heads sadly over poor dumb Sashi Brown, the greedy kid.
But it wouldn't be half as bad as if he were to draft Trubisky instead of Garrett first overall. He wouldn't need to drive around in an armored car or wear body armor, or move his family out of town, anyway.
A growing number of people are beginning to comprehend what the Browns are doing here, and starting to buy into it. The turning point was when the article about Jimmy Johnson doing something very similar in building his own dynasty came out, and Johnson's own comments on the Browns.
The majority would weep, moan, and gnash their teeth. They will predict Garrett getting more sacks than the Browns defense, start proclaiming every subsequent draft pick a bust, and throw temper-tantrums.
Too bad.
And it's not all about just draft picks, either. It's about HIGH draft picks, whether they're current or in 2018 or even 2019.
High draft picks, with higher probabilities of success, and higher floors too. Bill Belichick dumped Jamie Collins and won a Superbowl. Who was his Myles Garrett? Oh yeah Tom Brady. What position does he play? Hmmm...
Who was Atlanta's Myles Garrett?
Trade down. Plug ALL the holes, right now, all at once, in one draft. People keep predicting it will take another draft after this one. What are they looking at? As it stands they should get 4-5 new starters out of this draft without a trade-down.
There are only 22 starters. These knuckleheads can't find enough current starters to kick to the curb! Why do they think the Browns need 22 new starters? What tf are they talking about?
Who needs to be replaced on the offensive line, at running back...want to get rid of Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman already? Collins, Shelton, Haden, Ogbah, Kirksey what--replace all six of the other guys already?
No, the Browns can trade down one more time, maybe get Trubisky, and have the core of an eventual contender all nailed down in one draft, and they SHOULD.
But if not ok Garrett.
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