Monday, November 20, 2017

Cleveland Browns Rumor Central

"The Browns are serious about recruiting Peyton Manning":  This could be true, although there is zero evidence that he would be as good as a GM as he was as a quarterback.

But the author of this latest wave of rewritten and embellished articles was Rhona LaCanfora, who just makes stuff up.

"Hue Jackson wants more say in personnel decisions":

This is doubtful, since in reality Hue probably already has significant input.  If you read these articles, you see Carson Wentz and DeShaun Watson mentioned.  The implication is that Hue Jackson could not possibly have been in favor of those trades, and didn't like Kizer as much as he says he does.

That's assuming a lot, and is massively subjective.  The preponderance of the evidence says that Hue Jackson agreed with each of these moves.

It is even possible that GM Peyton Manning would have agreed as well.  A whole bunch of armchair 20-20 hindsight GMs with convenient memories are projecting their own revised opinions into the past here.

That's not to mention attributing Nosterdamus-like powers to Jackson and Manning.  You want to believe in these guys, and to blame somebody else, so you blame Sashi Brown for everything that goes wrong.

When a muckraker like LaCanfora serves up the steaming pile of drama that says what you want to hear, you jump all over it.

I like Peyton Manning, and want to think he'd be a good GM.  John Elway, despite his current difficulties, has done a nice job, and you have to think the quarterback who won him a Superbowl learned a thing or two from him (and has him and Polian on speed-dial).

If he gets hired here, that's ok.  But the vitriol being directed at the current Front Office isn't justified.

Yesterday, the Browns defense allowed the Jagwires 12 points.  Last year, this was the worst defense in the NFL.

Corey Coleman caught six passes for eighty yards vs possibly the toughest defense against wide receivers in the NFL.

Hue Jackson sent Crowell right up the middle all day behind man-blocking, and he was predictably stuffed.  Sashi Brown doesn't tell him to do this stuff.  Sashi didn't tell him to start DeShone Kizer in game one.

Indeed, one move a newly-minted GM Manning has to consider is firing Hue and hiring somebody he knows will tweak his offense to his players.

Kubiak used zone-blocking to run the ball with a running back committee.  As an old, stationary, injured quarterback, Peyton certainly appreciated this.  He knows all of Kubiak's assistants.

Maybe he calls Hue into his office and sees if he can take some constructive criticism.  Why are you trying to turn a one-cut back into a blunt instrument?  Why is either DeValve or Njoku on the sideline on 9 out of 10 plays?  Why don't you like Kevin Hogan?  What was wrong with Jordon Leslie?

Hyperbolic bullcrap aside, Peyton must be tempted to come here, as the talent everywhere except perhaps quarterback is only now beginning to mature into a critical mass, and he would inherit a boatload of high draft picks thanks to the guy everybody is blaming for all the losses.

If he kept people in place, his job would be a piece of cake.  He could zero in on getting Hue to be more adaptable (or replacing him) and picking the right quarterback.

The Browns really have to draft a quarterback first this time, even if DeShone Kizer looks good by the end of the season.  They have to make sure.

For that matter, he could get hands-on with the quarterbacks, and help develop them.  The Head or assistant coach who would resent a Hall of Fame quarterback "stepping on his toes" shouldn't be a coach.  To his credit, I know Hue would welcome the help.

I like Hue.  I don't want him fired.  I just don't want him to be Marvin Lewis or Jeff Fisher.

Anyway, the cavalry is coming.  Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman.  Hue can't possibly keep one of two wide receivers on the bench, so he'll actually play both.

Oh crap!  Hue sticking with Kizer is nuts?  Come on stop it!  This was the Jaguars!  They make everybody look terrible!  Why tf would Hue bench him for this? 

You people...


No comments: