"Moneyball", Objectivity, Mayfield, and the Browns

"Todd" is a designated "Browns"-caller to NFL Radio.  Todd is thoughtful and intelligent, but not assertive.

Well, today "Toddy-O" called in to Pat Kirwan.  After admitting that the Steelers backups will probably beat the Browns, and expressing hope for Ken Dorsey, Todd was asked this question by Kirwan:

"So how far do you think moneyball has set the Browns back?  Two years?  Three?"

Todd is Todd, and not me, so his response is irrelevant.  My own response is this:

What tf are you talking about?  You just implied that most or all of the players Sashi Brown drafted or otherwise acquired suck!  You just implied that Ken Dorsey will have to get rid of most of them; gut the team, and start over!  You just said this about the youngest team in the NFL!

What's up with you, Pat?  Are you that threatened by DePodesta that you can't even think straight any more?

Zietler.  Tretter.  Kindred.  Coley.  Schobert. The Colemans. McCourty.  Collins. Jenkins.  My God already Njoku, Peppers, Ogunjobi, Brantley et al are done and need to be kicked to the curb!?!

Set back?  Are you seriously trying to tell us that that YOU wouldn't be happy to have all these players?  Man, you just can't talk to some people!

Thanks to "moneyball", the Browns are down to two major needs: Quarterback and Head Coach.  Pat is smart enough to see this, but has his "moneyball" blinders on, and decided two seasons ago it was doomed...no matter what.

"Moneyball" as if that's all Paul DePodesta ever did!  He's a renowned business consultant to Fortune 500 companies!  He's one of the smartest people on the planet!

He was never picking players!  He was participating in that as a super-PFF guy, but was more concerned with the bigger picture.  He's probably the guy who said the Browns needed to tear down to the studs and start over through the draft.  To trade short-term mediocrity for long-term success.

Nobody expected 0-16 in season two, of course, but it doesn't alter the fact that the talent is here now, and almost universally ascending!!!

Now they've got SIX top 100 picks to go with that thanks to "moneyball" as well, and Pat wonders how far it set the Browns back!?!

This is so obvious!

I give up.  Anyway, I saw Sam Darnold vs the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.  For one thing, he needs more work than I'd thought.  He responded poorly to pressure, and made bad decisions.

Of course, that Ohio State defense was a freaking garbage disposal wow!  The Browns need to pay attention to what defensive talent shakes out of that tree!

In fairness to Darnold, I don't see how any quarterback could have done a whole lot better vs that passrush and coverage.  I felt sorry for the kid.

Still, he inexplicably waved the ball around in one hand while surrounded by Buckeyes about to sack him, and threw those picks (the two I saw were on him).  Darnold does look and move remarkably like Carson Wentz, but he's no Carson Wentz...at least not yet (and probably never).

Well, next up is Baker Mayfield in the Rose Bowl.  Georgia is no joke.  That defense is much better than last year's.  (Don't get me wrong: I'm personally clueless about this college stuff, but read it somewhere and am pretending it's my opinion now).

I'm liking Mayfield more and more.  I try not to be influenced by his Kurt Warner movie star good looks, but am reminded that Warner was short too (note to self: Add Warner to the "short quarterbacks" list).  Warner was also first and foremost accurate as well, like Mayfield.

I instantly gave Baker big bonus points for instantly accepting his invitation to the Senior Bowl, even as he's contending for a National Championship.

This guy is extremely confident.  Last season, DeShaun Watson opted out of the Senior Bowl, no doubt on the advice of his agent.

Mayfield just said "why not?", because he expects to kick everybody else's butts.

Since we've all agreed that Josh Rosen isn't an option (the concussions alone are enough), Mayfield is now my favorite, and I'll try hard to actually watch him vs Georgia under the lights.

Unfortunately, the way this is playing out, trading down from first overall probably isn't an option, unless it's just one slot, and Dorsey is certain the other team won't draft his guy out from under him.

All my current opinions are tentative here, but if I were compelled to make a prediction, I would predict that Mayfield will beat Georgia and at least play well in the National Championship, then kick ass in the Senior Bowl and be the consensus-best quarterback on draft day.

I hope Ken Dorsey ignores this "AFC North" quarterback garbage.  Yokels will be saying that Mayfield is too small and doesn't have a strong enough arm and stuff.

DeShone Kizer is a prototype "AFC North quarterback", and the Browns (stupidly) tried to trade for Andy Dalton's backup ok?

More important than size or arm strength are accuracy, processing speed, and leadership, anywhere you play.  A quarterback needs enough of an arm to threaten the whole field; there IS a certain threshhold below which you can't go in the higher rounds, but lately even a lot of legit pro personnel people have gone overboard on the "arm" stuff.

Mayfield doesn't have Kizer's arm, but can "make all the throws".  

Look at the best quarterbacks ever: Among them are Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Joe Montana, and based on stats I have to put Brian Sipe in their company.  Rodgers plays in Green Bay, Montana in San Fran, Sipe in Cleveland.

And what do all those guys have in common?  Leadership, accuracy, and processing speed.

But wait!  There's more!  Shorter quarterbacks tend to be "shiftier" and more elusive; harder for big giant guys with other big giant guys getting in their way to nail in the backfield.  They can also re-set their feet more quickly.  Their throwing motions are tighter, quicker, and more consistent.  They have better short area quickness, get to top speed faster, and can DUCK.

Accurate (notably hitting guys moving from right to left or vice-versa) quarterbacks who can "throw receivers open" could care less about wind, because their receivers catch it in stride and can DO something with it!

...of course, if Hue Fisher is still here, well, he won't do that, no matter what, so it's Duke Johnson or bust.

Fortunately, provided they fire Hue Lewis, Alex Smith in 2018 is a real possibility!  KC can't pay him 20-plus million, and will have to release him.

Unfortunately, if they don't fire Hue Fisher, we can cross our fingers and hope DeShone Kizer makes a big jump entering his second season...

Fire Hue, Jimmy.  Just do it.  You'll be even more unpopular if you don't.