Friday, December 15, 2017

Fake Headlines, Mean Girl Cliques, and the Browns

I read about 5 versions and ten iterations of this "sensational" headline:

"Patriots didn't trade Garopollo to Browns so they could 'do right' by him".  Obviously, everybody gleefully leapt on that, as there's nothing more popular than stomping people (or teams) when they're down.

Think back as far as you can, and you'll learn something about yourself.  Remember in school, how the most popular kids tended to be the most vicious? That's because nobody wanted to be their victims, so others quickly sucked up to them, and a "clique" was born.

Remember how the king or queen bitch would single somebody out to abuse, and the others would join in?

That's because if they didn't, the search-lights would find them, wondering if they were sympathetic...and were next.

Well most of you (no I was never like that, and in fact started out as the prime target) outgrew this.  Even some of the super-rectums eventually realized how much pain they'd caused, and reformed.

But a lot of you are doing the same stuff now with the Browns, and (far worse) people.

That's how this stuff starts:  Adam Shefter pretty much confirmed that the Cleveland Browns were not allowed to compete for Jimmy Garopollo.  When asked why, he said something like "they knew Kyle Shanahan and felt that this was a way they could do right by him".

The source: Adam Shefter--guessing.  But these headlines make it sound like Bill Belichick stepped up to a podium and announced that he cut the Browns out to protect Jimmy G from them.

A whole bunch of you ONLY read the headlines, and are now accepting this as fact.  Adam Shefter himself would be the first to tell you: "I was speculating good grief!"

Certainly, however, the Browns were blocked from trade consideration.  But this was more likely Garopollo and his agent wanting to avoid the Browns than Bill Belichick.

Keep in mind that at this time, Coleman was injured again, and Josh Gordon was a question mark.  For the agent, this, plus the history of Cleveland quarterbacks, was enough.

But I assume that Jimmy G studied this more in-depth, and compared the respective offensive systems and coaches.  Unthinkable, right?

Well, Kyle Shanahan uses zone-blocking, like his Dad did.

1: To a defender, a zone run looks the same as pass-blocking for like one full second after the snap.

2: One-cut running backs are almost a dime-a-dozen.  Every instinctive running back can instantly function on this system.  You can minimize the running back position, saving money and high draft picks.  (Isaiah Crowell is an exception--he's the prototype one-cut back).

3: Zone blocking offensive linemen need to be more athletic than big and powerful, so they come cheaper too.

4: Shanahan is more West Coast passing than Hue Lewis, and this suits Jimmy G's skillset better.

5: Jimmy and Bill knew that Hue Fisher would not adapt to Jimmy G.

A lot of you permabashers are blaming the wrong people for these manufactured headlines.  But please, don't just shift your target reticule onto Hue Lewis instead.  Just back off and think with your brain.

2017 is a dumpster fire ok.  But Hue Fisher can win with square pegs in his uncompromisingly square holes, and he will HAVE them in 2018.

Gordon is Green (on steroids), Coleman is Brown, Njoku/DeValve are Eifert (on steroids), and then there's Duke.  The offensive line can execute his stone-age run-blocking scheme too...although not as well as they could...well we must accept what Hue will never change so...

Kizer isn't "terminal".  You can't count on him coming back like Jared Goff did by any means,  but I've already seen enough of him to set his floor at lower-tier starter/top notch backup, and (I insist) his cieling has yet to be determined.

Without a doubt, Dorsey will use the top draft pick on a quarterback in 2018.  I still have a hunch that Rosen will float to the top here, but don't care--except that Rosen is more "pro-ready" than the other guys.

I doubt that Cousins or Smith will come here, mainly for the same reasons that Garopollo didn't (imo): The Coach and offensive system.

Still, obviously, unless you expect Ken Dorsey to "miss", the Browns should land a franchise quarterback (assuming they don't already have one) in 2018.

Now he's got another top ten first round pick, a top second round pick, two more second rounders, and a top third rounder to play with.  

Dorsey's bullshit politicing aside, he really doesn't have any more real "holes" to fill other than quarterback (well I forgot: because of Hue, he won't be able to pay Crowell enough to stay here, so he'll need a big strong running back too...Kyle Shanahan will be on Crow like white on rice btw).

I like that Dorsey is already aiming at the AFC North Division title in 2018, but this confirms that he is personally a scumbag who should be a politician, because his foundation for that is the team Sashi Brown built for him.

This is PT Barnum stuff.  Most of you are born every minute, see?

I strongly suspect that two of those other five top 100 picks not used on a quarterback will be an offensive lineman and a stud running back...

Well the offensive lineman is debatable, since this starting unit is etched in stone, and so is most of it's depth for 2018.  I know that Sashi Brown might burn another high pick on a left tackle in case Brantley doesn't work out when Joe Thomas hangs up the spikes.  Does Dorsey think long-term like that?

I'll have to check out Dorsey's history with the draft and free agency.  General Managers do tend to think long-term in general, but Dorsey's bombasticy (yes I made that word up) is alarming.  He sounds more like a Head Coach than a GM.

Well in summary, don't believe everything you read, pick the right targets, quit kicking people when they're down, grow up, and think with your brain okbye...

This just in: Mary Kay Cabbot did some of my homework for me.  Good article.  That's all I have to say about that.

But wait! There's more! Bud Shaw weighs in on Dorsey dublicity (wow it's that obvious?) Okbye.  No I mean it this time.

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