I like the Jason McCourty signing. He's still under 30, he's 6' tall, and he came pretty cheap.
Like Joe Haden, this guy hasn't been able to get or stay healthy for a couple seasons. And I mean exactly like Joe, as he too has had serious groin issues.
He's played for Gregg Williams, so he can definitely help his new teammates understand what he's trying to do with them.
Speculation is rampant, but mostly educated. He could indeed bump Jamar Taylor back inside. One guy wrote that he's lost a step, and is now better suited to play a zone, but I'm not so sure. After all, he's been injured. At 29, and healthy, he may well still be solid in man.
That groin stuff is terrible for a man corner. When a receiver makes his move, the corner has to get as low as he can to turn and catch up. It makes his legs spead out, see? If he can't do that, he can't catch back up. It's a critical part of their turn: "sinking his hips".
This signing was, of course, related to Howard Wilson's injury, and it clearly tells the insightful observer that the Browns are trying to win right now.
Another guy said that McCourty could be tried at free safety, and this does make sense. He's got tons of experience, including under Gregg Williams. He certainly (if healthy) has the range and coverage skills, and would not have survived with this Coach if he couldn't tackle too.
He's a little light, but then so are a lot of free safeties, including the underrated human missile, Felix Wright (earlier post).
Free safety is, by definition, a zone coverage position, and his groin is less important. A single high safety charges the line vs runs, or picks receivers up who are already committed, and running full speed.
Joe Haden really is too small for free safety. McCourty might just be a good one.
Other writers have been declaring cornerback a glaring position of need, which is, of course, stupid. Sigh...ok well Jamar Taylor, Joe Haden, and Brien Boddy-Calhoun are all pretty good WHEN H E A L T H Y DO YOU U N D E R S T A N D?
NO man cornerback can, or is expected to, cover anybody for longer than five seconds. Cornerback was not, and is not, a big weakness on this team.
Free safety is, at least if Gregg wants to do his Buddy Ryan stuff. I really think that McCourty is a new contestant in the free safety sweepstakes. Competition is good. Competition works.
Anyway, while you do need two outside cornerbacks with certain skills, defensive backs are defensive backs. McCourty will be on the field a lot, regardless of what they call him. A solid value for the price. The first year is probably all guaranteed, and year two should make him an affordable cut (don't trust anybody over 30, man!)
Joe Thomas obviously reads my Blog. I mean, he's talking about teaching Garrett "how to think like an offensive tackle" and stuff! And Garrett is eating it up!
Ah I can hear Black Cloud now: "Garrett is just saying that stuff".
No, Joe Thomas didn't just fall off the turnip truck, G. Nor has he got a snowball's chance at a political carreer, because he never learned how to lie.
And this is perfect. Joe Thomas, teaching Myles Garrett how he thinks, and how he is trying to stop him. That is just huge. Myles can kind of ignore everybody else.
And Thomas will push him, too. There will be zero bullshit when he and Garrett duke it out. Joe Thomas will force Myles Garrett to be the best he can be, period. It's perfect.
I pity every other offensive tackle Myles Garrett will face in 2017.
Here is a really good article on the Browns 2016 running game. The Cliff Notes version is that the Browns averaged 4.4 YPC in the first half, and 5.5 YPC in the second half of games. That's because opposing teams had the lead, and were focused on stopping the pass, so those not rushing the passer were in coverage.
The writer also cites PFF metrics a lot to reveal some other things that I've been telling you all along: When a running back is stuffed, it's almost always on the offensive line. Browns running backs were stuffed too often (particularly outside the ends and between the tackles), but also had a lot of big runs.
PFF and this writer like the Browns running backs. The blockers are mostly responsible for the first few yards, but after that, it is the running back who does the damage himself.
The Browns had an obvious issue at center, and of course lost both guards to injury. And now, they have added Tretter and Zietler, so look tf out: It's time to feed the Crow.
Peter Smith updates the Free Safety Derby nicely, describing the top four contenders in detail. Peter kind of agrees with me about UDFA Kai Nacua having a bit of an edge.
Peter says two things hurt him: He's sometimes caught out of position, and he has a temper.
Ok but this is Peter doing his best Bill O'Reilly impression and making sure he gets all the bad stuff in, because the incident he mentioned took place in 2014, and he continued starting through 2016 without further problems.
I also have to wonder how often he was out of position in 2016, relative to '15 and '14. Usually, Pete accounts for such progress, except when he's in O'Reilly mode.
Tyvis Powell and Nacua have the most physical talent. Nacua is more agile; Powell a little faster and taller. But Powell didn't get a lot of turnovers with the Buckeyes, wheras Nacua was an interception machine, which is why Pete and I like him a little more.
Pete educates me about Ed Reynolds: He did great vs the run, but not so well vs the pass, and apparently Ray Horton played more cover two last season, so he was rarely a true center-fielder.
This article may have been written before the McCourty signing. As I mentioned, Gregg probably wants him at cornerback, but if it isn't looking like any diamonds are being formed at free safety, McCourty's hat will get tossed in that ring.
Peter thinks that if it's not looking good at free safety, the Browns may look for a veteran. Well, he's talking about somebody over 30 who has been or will be cut from his own team, and I doubt that.
As I've posted earlier, Gregg can run a cover 2 if he needs to, and any geezer he might sign probably lacks the range to get it done himself.
Ok: Caleb Brantley has been cleared. In other words, he was innocent. As in falsely accused. The guys on NFL Radio are talking about "watching him" for "anything else like this", which is just infuriating. He didn't do anything wrong!
Anyway, time to re-evaluate the draft: Brantley was considered by most a top 45 prospect before this extortion attempt, and Sashi Brown picked him up at the flea market.
Everybody who was calling him a dumbass IS a dumbass.
YOU STAND CORRECTED.
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