The Browns bigwigs are checking out Sam Darnold's Pro Day at least partly because he has tweaked his throwing motion.
The theory that Darnold skipped throwing at the combine because he was working on his mechanics has not been verified, but I consider it probable. Darnold is the most "imperfect" of the top passers, and the biggest projection, so they have to pay special attention to him now.
Rosen and Mayfield are quite sound mechanicly, and so is Josh Allen in a Pro Day setting.
This does mean they're taking Darnold very seriously, but absolutely not that their minds are made up. In fact, quite the opposite is true. You don't make up your mind about a guy and then put him under a microscope. You look hardest at a guy you're not certain about -snap-snap- is any of this sinking in?
If you make up your mind about a guy, you don't waste your time watching him make a bunch of scripted throws to his favorite receivers ok?
I think they've already got their profiles on the other guys, and are trying to figure out how likely Darnold (the rawest, least polished quarterback in this bunch) is to live up to his undeniable potential.
How Dorsey ranks them at this point, who knows? The extra scrutiny of Darnold means they're nervous about him, okay?
These mock drafts are funny. Is a GUARD under consideration at number four for the Browns? Of course not! Over Barkley or Fitzpatrick? Really? Jeez grow a brain!
If the Browns stand pat, they really can't lose at fourth overall (unless they draft even a transcendant, generational guard there, that is).
Barkley, Chubb, Fitzpatrick: At least two, and possibly all three of them should still be there.
My personal favorite is Barkley, but I can't fight the other guys, especially with the running back depth in this class and Carlos Hyde.
Thomas Moore strikes again with a perfect (ie 100% in agreement with my humble self) article on how the Browns are better/worse at various positions after free agency.
They're better overall, obviously.
A Bleacher Report article (it's for all 32 teams so I'm not providing a link here) identified Njoku as the Browns player ready to make a big leap foreward in 2018.
Better believe it! This is partly why people referring to any given Browns' quarterback asking "hooz he ginna thhrow doo?" drives me nuts (not to mention Gordon, Duke, and oh yeah that Jervis whozzit Miami guy).
As the Bleacher Report writer points out, it's rare for a rookie tight end to make a big splash as a rookie in the NFL, especially with a bad quarterback. Njoku still outperformed the rest of the rookie tight ends.
Don't get stuck on labels here: Njoku is a really big receiver. He is a huge wide receiver or a smallish tight end, but who cares?
Tyrod leaned on Charles Clay and Nick O'Leary in 2017 for 49 and (I think) 22 receptions respectively. LeShaun McCoy caught 59 passes too.
Tyrod never had the wide receivers he'll have with the Browns, but he knows exactly how to exploit running backs and tight ends.
While I can't say that Duke Johnson is better than McCoy, I can guarantee you that Njoku and DeValve will be better than Clay and O'Leary.
Tyrod is labelled a "game manager" because he's relied on his tight ends and running back, and hasn't thrown a lot of long bombs.
This is ignorant, but does tell us that he will at least make the most of his running backs and tight ends. This is his FLOOR, and that's excellent, considering how lethal Njoku should be in his second season.
Taylor must think he done died and went to heaven here, because Josh Gordon fell in his lap. "I got your 'game manager' right here watch this!"
That's correct: Tyrod has better receivers here than he has ever had in his whole career.
In Buffalo, every defense he played "crowded" Tyrod Taylor; trying to clog up the middle and stack the box. Tyrod became very good at overcoming this (he'd have been dead meat without McCoy).
This was not because he couldn't go deep. It was because none of his receivers could GET deep.
Here/now, once Taylor and Gordon (or Coleman for that matter) hook up on a few long bombs, and defenses can't "crowd" him anymore, just look tf out!
Njoku vs Clay is no contest. It should look like Edwards/Winslow all over again (and yes, I am saying Njoku can be as good as Winslow.)
Tyrod Taylor is better than Derrick Anderson, too. Gordon is better than Edwards. No Jarvis Landry on that team either wake up!
Get over the Stockholm Syndrome! Pessimism isn't pragmatism! Njoku's sophomore leap foreward just about reflects the offense's leap foreward.
-sigh- I give up nevermind.
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