Sunday, March 11, 2018

Dorsey Primed the Pump. Next: Free Agency

"Jarvis Landry is not a game-changer". This is true, but he is a difference-maker.  Guys who convert third downs and score in the red zone make a difference.  Clutch-performers matter.

Landry's presence on this roster, along with his former position coach in college, should make Allen Robinson take a second (or first) look at the Browns in free agency, as the two were teammates in college.

I have no doubt that Robinson is a Browns target, and the Landry trade was made partly with this in mind.

I wonder if Adam Henry has been staying in touch with his former players (not talking business or recruiting or anything, since that would be tampering!!!)

Man, Robinson would ice this cake.  His injury has undermined his leverage.  He will be expensive, but nothing like what he would have cost after 2016.

Landry and Robinson were thunder and lightening in college, each piling up over 1,000 yards in their final season.  

Signing Robinson would probably put Corey Coleman on the block.  As-is, my man Chris Pokorney suspects he's going to be on the bubble, just since Landry's signing.

Landry has to play the slot, so that puts Coleman outside.  His injuries are hard on a GM's nerves, and while it's idiotic to write him off heading into his third season, I was personally upset by his mere presence in a vicious assault on a guy, and wonder about the breaking curfew and late for meetings and stuff like that.

Ok but some ignorant things are being said.  Coleman dropped a huge pass right to him to secure 0-16, but has NOT dropped many passes.  The word "drops" does not apply, so shut up with that BS.

Anyway Dorsey has no link to Coleman.  He has two years left on his first salary, and Dorsey has already been thinking about what he could get for him in a trade (along with whether or not he'll live up to his astronomical physical potential and should be retained).

Signing Allen Robinson would grease the skids.  Robinson is a proven stud game-changing starter, and Josh Gordon is here for at least two more seasons.

And if you think nobody would trade at least a third round pick (or situational edge-rusher or something) for Corey Coleman, you need to take your shit-colored glasses off.  Coleman is a freak, and among the fastest guys in the NFL.  You really hate Sashi Brown that much?

I did forget a fourth Browns defensive tackle who made Danny Shelton expendable: Jamie Meder our home-boy!!!

He fills the same niche as Shelton.  He's not very big, nor fast, nor quick, but he's good with his hands and uses leverage exceptionally well (much like Bob Golic), and does a fine job vs the run.

A few corrections here: If Mayfield or Rosen were drafted, DeShone Kizer might have been third string, but more likely the top backup, ahead of even them.

There is no way you write any quarterback off based on a crappy rookie season.  There is no way Hue Jackson or anybody else had already given up on Kizer, and his NFL experience with this team mattered.

Thomas Moore didn't like the Shelton trade, but I did.  He didn't fit, and (I'm telling you) Meder was better than he was, and I'll take the low 3rd round 2019 pick.  Shelton is no doubt overjoyed, since he can be a nose tackle for a Superbowl team now (and excel at it).  I'm happy for him!

Pokorney was on the money identifying Browns players who could be on their ways out.  Kessler check.  Jamar Taylor check.  Orchard or Nassib (or even both)...well check on one or the other.

In Gregg Williams' defense, both defensive ends have to pressure the quarterback, and last season, both these guys failed to do that.  They're both good all-around players (especially Orchard), but Williams can't just have two edge-rushers: he needs injury-insurance, and at least a 3-man rotation to keep his guys fresh and healthy.

Randy Gurzi is a genius (or else reads my Blog and steals my stuff without attribution dammit but I don't think so):

His mock draft is great, as he starts out with Saquon Barkley (the best available/instant impact player available).

Randy picks Josh Allen fourth overall.  I want to argue with that, but frankly his guess is as good as mine, and I've been nudged towards Allen recently by Jim Miller et al, and can't deny that Allen has great upside.

Atop the second round, Randy likes CB Jaire Alexander, who Randy thinks will slide out of the first round due to injury concerns.  Per Randy, Alexander has elite talent, and certainly addresses a (real) need.

Great minds think alike, as at 35 overall Randy has the Browns draft OT Bryan O'Neill (regardless of Joe Thomas's retirement decision).

To redundate (yes I invented that word get over it), O'Neill (in my opinion--with real expert backup) has THE best physical tools to become at least an above average NFL left tackle, and is the one who most resembles Joe Thomas physically.

Next, at 64 overall, Randy takes linebacker Darius Leonard.  Randy sees more need here than I do, but Leonard excels in every linebacker role, and could be used in multiple ways by Gregg Williams, so I can't knock it.

This is a post-trade-frenzy mock draft, so atop the fourth round, Randy has the Browns drafting another of my personal favorites, WR Anthony Lazard.

Lazard is 6'5", 227 lbs.  He dominated Senior Bowl practices.

Some of Lazard's scouting reports are negative, but all I know is that every quarterback who threw to him, and most of the defensive backs who tried to cover him in Senior Bowl practices singled him out as a great target/pain in the ass respectively.

He reminds me of a (stronger) Plaxico Burress.  His 4.55 40 actually surprised me.  That's faster than I expected...I mentioned 6'5", 227 lbs right?

The scouting reports are right: Lazard is a posession receiver.  He's not an explosive athlete, and will not get separation from NFL cornerbacks.  He's like a bomber, and they're like fighters.

But he uses his length and bulk exceptionally well, and his catch radius is that of a tight end (speaking of which, he could evolve into a tight end over time).

Note: Little guys need separation a LOT more than huge guys do.

Lazard is a posession receiver.  Contrary to popular belief, these guys matter.

Next for Randy is safety Terrelle Edmunds, who played linebacker too, but was outshined by his teammate brother.  He still got interceptions and over 100 tackles.  Randy thinks he'll be a great special teamer, and is a nice Gregg Williams knuckleball, with potential.

Next (lower in the fifth round) it's G/C Will Clapp.  Randy rightfully notes the "c" part of that, and seeks to back up JC Tretter.

In the sixth, it's DT Taylor Stallworth.  Randy smells a sleeper here based on an expert opinion.  He's 6'2", 312 lbs and mainly a passrusher, although he played nose tackle.

Randy takes CB/S Siran Neal in the 7th round.

This was a really smart mock draft.  Randy floods the secondary (and special teams) with front-line talent and competition.  He drafts best available on top, identifies the guy with the best chance to be kinda like Joe Thomas eventually sorta, and takes a huge reliable possession receiver.

Yep.  Great minds...






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