I want to add my own praise of Joe Thomas to the chorus, but I know you're burned out by it. I'll miss watching Joe on sundays, but feel better about the fact that he's not actually going anywhere. I look forward to hearing, reading, and seeing him in the media.
Love ya Big Joe!
Free agency has not been sexy for the Browns, as the elite veterans seem to still be boycotting them.
Solder might not have, but his new contract with the Giants set a new record, and maybe John Dorsey simply had to push away from that table. It obviously got rediculous.
Darren Fells is here substantially to help out on the edge. He's one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. Joe Thomas never needed help. Over half the left tackles in the NFL do.
People write about Fells' run-blocking (he's 6'7", 275!), but he's also a match for fast edge-rushers, and PFF puts elite grades on him in pass-protection.
Fells is also an underrated receiver. Once the edge is under control, a tight end can go upfield, totally uncovered, so this is not a one-dimensional player. (Note: A "chip" block is a tight end punching an edge-rusher inside to stifle an edge-rusher's mojo while routing him to the big slow tackle. That's what "under control" means.)
Randall Telfer is in trouble. Telfer has been a mediocre blocker...Fells is a big under-the-radar upgrade.
Dorsey loaded up on second and third-tier cornerbacks and tackles.
Ex-Steeler Chris Hubbard is the most interesting one. Joe Thomas said that he thinks Shon Coleman could take over for him in time, and that might be the plan here.
Hubbard is NOT here to play left tackle! He is a servicable right tackle, and can play every position on the offensive line.
I was glad to hear that Austin Reiter is being tendered, because he looks like a pretty good center with lots of upside. I was worried about depth at center, but Dorsey just double-covered that.
Back to Shon Coleman: He's now started a full season at right tackle, and enters his third season. His game-experience will accellerate his growth.
As LeCharles Bentley stresses, switching sides is very tough for an offensive tackle, as everything is reversed. It's even harder going from right to left for right-handers, since it puts his dominant hand inside.
The footwork is "opposite", even as you back up and re-set. You instinctively want to plant your right leg behind your left, and that could be disasterous.
However, if switching Coleman to the left side is what the coaches have in mind, they now have a full offseason to retrain him and (oh yeah) he started at left tackle for two seasons at Auburn.
Note: For most of 2018 (since Big Joe went down) the tight ends were helping Drango at left tackle--not Coleman. Coleman has already played on an island, and proven he can do it.
The other tackle is here on a dirt cheap "prove it" one year contract. They took a flier on him, and he might or might not make it onto the squad. Here's hoping he's another Reiter.
Significantly, the inside trio of Bitonio, Tretter, and Zeitler will start their second training camp as an intact unit, which will make them more effective as a unit.
Ex-Raider cornerback Travis Carrie is another educated guess. He did start for the Raiders in 2017, and did a decent job. He's 6'0", 206 lbs, and could also play two-deep safety (Williams loves versatility). He is an ascending player, but past his third season, so his most significant growth is behind him. He's a solid starter at best, or a solid backup at worst.
Ex-Bengal defensive end Chris Smith is another interesting guy with a shot to make some waves. Last season, he only played on 35% of the offensive snaps, but got 3 sacks and a bunch of pressures. He'll compete with Nassib and Orchard (so far), and is "trending" up.
I can't even find the ex-Chief corner they signed anymore! Dorsey knows him, and took a flier on him. He has talent, and was a starter, but was alarmingly inconsistent (sometimes he just plain sucked!).
Dorsey is hoping that maturity, coaching, and experience will stabalize him and iron out those peaks and valleys.
Now for the big one: Carlos Hyde:
Unless Todd Haley plans on zone-blocking, like Kyle Shanahan does, this could be a mistake. PFF ranked him third in yards after contact, and everybody is calling him a tough inside runner, but zone-blocking helped him out a lot.
In a zone scheme, defenders have to dive, grab jerseys, and try to arm-tackle a lot because they're off-balance and out of position. A smarter Hue Jackson would have used it here with Isaiah Crowell, but nooooo (I digress):
The guys on NFL Radio all agreed that Laquon Barkley is off the table now. Not so fast.
Hyde gets hurt a lot, is a substandard pass-blocker and receiver, and the Niners didn't match what was a cheap offer.
It is possible that the Browns might be planning a "commitee" of running backs, but Carlos Hyde is not here to be a "bell cow" back, or even neccessarily ahead of Duke Johnson on the depth-chart.
He is emphatically a downgrade vs Isaiah Crowell, and their respective contracts should reflect this.
Dayes and Johnson were the only known quantities left on the roster, and Hyde, at least, is more physical than both of them, with proven creds.
Most NFL teams carry at least four, and usually five, active running backs (including fullbacks) on game day. As far as I know, the Browns now have three (with all due respect to the other unknowns who could surprise me).
Barkley is still in play for the Browns. Hyde is insurance.
It's still very possible that the running back the Browns do draft will be an OTB (other than Barkley) in the second round, because there are a bunch of really good running backs in this draft.
Also because if Dorsey wants to make sure to draft one favorite quarterback, he has to either take him first overall, or else trade up from four to two if he wants Barkley as well, because the Giants or Colts well...
I can leave it there: Regardless of Barkley, Carlos Hyde is not here to replace the Crow, or even out-snap Duke. He is depth, and will back up a draft pick.
Where the hell is Terrelle Pryor? Hey TP! Tell your agent to quit screwing around! You don't have that much leverage! Take the up-front guaranteed money and the longer-term incentives! Put down the gun. Take off the ski-mask.
Take 12 mil guaranteed in year one (with incentives) and 6 mil in year two (with incentives) on a 3-4 year deal! You're almost 29 years old man! PROVE IT! I know damn well the Browns offered the best deal call your agent and tell him to get this over with! You think Corey Coleman is a bust aleady? He's here and under contract dirt-cheap you think Dorsey will blink?
...I was gone for awhile, but am back now:
Terrelle's agent is telling him that the elite veteran wide receivers are off the table, and this year's wide receiver draft class is unimpressive, so he should hold out.
Yeah. Same thing he told him after 2016, when he signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Redskins for LESS money! Before he injured his ankle and fell off the depth chart.
These guys drive me nuts! Can't you balance GREED with common sense, for cryin out loud!?!
Nate Solder should have taken a mil or so less and come to the Browns, but noooo! You got gramps Manning, Beckham and gramps Marshall coming back...
What about the crappy defense? The running backs? Can you read (P e y t o n. E l i...see? They're different, Nate!)
Sorry. I don't know Solder and am assuming way too much and that's irrational. Especially when his wife has a voice and stuff too. Sorry Nate...I think.
But it sure seems to me that Taylor, Landry, Dorsey, Haley, Williams, Gordon, the draft picks (I mentioned Dorsey already right?) never made a dent in "oh an sigzteen dazz da same olld Brownzzz"...
Dammit Terrelle! TERELLE! YEAH YOU! Sign the deal!!!
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