Everybody gets some time off now, but the Coaches and Front Office will keep busy being all insideously Machiavellian and stuff (well Haley and Williams anyway).
So far so good on the Dez Bryant front. Hopefully, what John Dorsey really meant when he said they'd discussed signing him really meant
"What about Bryant?"
"HAAAAHAHA stop it you're killing me -gasp-..."
Especially when we're seeing guys like Rashard Higgins and Corey Coleman starting to round into shape in their third season.
At the start of this camp, some people were wondering if Corey Coleman would be waived (let alone traded), and Higgins was an afterthought.
Naturally, it's too early to leap to any conclusions, but right now, these two are looking pretty good.
I always liked Higgins myself, but figured he was mainly a possession guy. But last season, and here in camp, he's showing that he can be more than that (clock times be damned).
Coleman is with Tyrod and the ones, while Higgins has done most of his stuff with Mayfield and the twos.
Really, the change in both these players has at least as much to do with the people throwing the ball to them as it does with maturity or growth.
Higgins came on late last season partly because his catch radius and muscle allowed him to win contested balls and bring in innaccurate passes.
If these two were again practicing with DeShone Kizer, they might still be looking mediocre.
Coleman initially had his own issues this preseason. He "lost" every contested throw.
Todd Haley aint havin that, and let him have it. I would have too, because I saw a couple of those, and pics of a couple more, and he looked like a sissy.
Understand, this isn't all two guys jostling and reaching all the time. Sometimes it's one of them NOT reaching, or kinda falling down underneath the defensive back who's on his back and stuff; FLINCHING and choking. It's mental.
But whatever Haley said to Corey seems to have elevated his testosterone, and he's looking a lot better now.
Hey, maybe he said "imagine it's New Year's Eve, and some neighbor disses your crew, so you and your boyz follow him to the parking garage and---"
But I digress (besides it's a bad example because it's cowardly).
The 2018 Browns have too many wide receivers.
Anyway, another guy who shined was fifth round linebacker Genard Avery, who got some reps with the first team defense due to some dinged up veterans.
Joel Bitonio really noticed this enemy, and semi-ranted about him. If you read this Blog, Joel didn't say anything new: He expects Avery to sometimes be a stand-up edge-rusher in situational defenses, even as a rookie.
It was rediculous that Avery was still there in the fifth round, and if Antonio Callaway doesn't prove to be the steal of this draft over time, Avery might.
The 2018 Browns have too many linebackers.
Going back to the linked Cleveland.com article, former Chiefs cornerback Terrence Mitchell has also shone in camp.
I kind of got "cornerback fatigue" as Dorsey scoured the NFL for these guys, and wound up kind of ignoring Mitchell, who had four interceptions in 2017, but he's sure got my attention now!
The 2018 Browns have too many cornerbacks.
Nick Chubb is predictably looking awesome (yawn), and the Browns have too many running backs too.
Ask TimTorch (Brownswire). As I posted several weeks ago, it's tough to draft any Browns running back high in fantasy because there are too many of them.
Tim wound up guessing that with the Browns' tough schedule in 2018, they could find themselves trying to come back a lot (rather than to "ice" victories), so he thinks Duke Johnson should remain a good bet.
I disagree. I feel that Tim is overlooking a bunch of stuff:
1: Gregg Williams' new defense. Every single position and group will have been substantially upgraded.
The biggest upgrade is cornerback, and that was a big weak spot last season. Gregg now has the people to run press/man (let alone much tighter off/man) coverages outside (he had to cover soft last season).
Randall at free safety is a default upgrade. We just don't know yet how much better he will be than the rookie Peppers.
Strong safety is upgraded by Peppers moving back there, and Derrick Kindred still improving.
Kendricks and Avery are big upgrades at linebacker, and Joe Schobert enters only his third season.
Garrett, Brantley, and Ogunjobi are going into their second seasons. Coley and Ogbah are only one year ahead of them. Of course, obviously this defensive line will be better than it was in 2017, even igoring Nassib, Smith, and Thomas.
(the Browns have too many defensive linemen).
In general, the much-improved Browns defense should give every team they face hell, as much or moreso than any of Gregg Williams' defenses in the his history.
2: When you have a weak passblocking left tackle (which the Browns will, more likely than not), one coping mechanism I haven't mentioned yet is to RUN more.
Oh, but it's deeper than that: You run right AT that scary edge-rusher.
3: No Joe Thomas is the only offensive downgrade from 2017 to 2018, and it was Spencer Drango for most of 2017 (context, remember?)
EVERYTHING else is upgraded (especially quarterback). Todd Haley is here now! Gimme a break...
I can't pick on Tim much here, because he can't fixate on and obsess on the Browns as I do. He's a smart guy, but he's probably wrong about that game-script stuff.
The Browns have the talent and coaching to not be coming from behind for most of 2018, so Duke Johnson is NOT a good RB1.
If you read this Blog, you're not surprised that Baker Mayfield looks ready for a Gold jacket now.
He has always learned and adapted quickly, and his arm, accuracy, and mechanics are built in. He was the best quarterback in this draft, period.
Tim Couch points out that the height stuff doesn't really matter. Tim says that he couldn't see over those offensive linemen either.
If you read this Blog, you aren't hearing anything new here, but Tim Couch says that accuracy, reading the defense, and being decisive matter most.
Tim is surprised at Mayfield's arm strength (says he hadn't seen it on film), and by how advanced he is mentally at this early stage.
Tim Couch (an expert) says that keeping Mayfield on the bench for as long as possible is the exact right thing to do (if you have a Tyrod Taylor).
Speaking of which, dammit I'm already reading peanut gallery opinions that if Mayfield looks slightly better than Taylor, he should start.
Most of YOU PEOPLE love cliches like "let the best man win", but don't get that it's not that simple.
Recent hyperbolic press coverage has distorted this stuff: In reality, Tyrod Taylor has looked great too.
Now in the preseason games, I fully expect Baker Mayfield to outshine Tyrod Taylor (at least a little) vs second and third team defenses, throwing to guys like Higgins, DeValve, Callaway...
Don't get me started: If you start that "Bay-ker! Bay-ker!" shit based on preseason, you need a brain transplant.
Baker Mayfield (if you axe PFF) is the best quarterback they've seen drafted in several years (including Wentz and Watson by the way), but Tim Couch (and Kosar agrees) says that for now, Tyrod Beentheredonethat can win more NFL games in 2018.
Preseason is vanilla. Mayfield has already mastered vanilla. He will probably beat out Tyrod in Vanillaland (probably by a narrow margin).
Tyrod Taylor is highly underrated, as is Jarvis Landry:
Tyrod has never had a crew like this to work with. Landry wanted out of Miami because he was stuffed into a route-tree with four stubby branches.
Suddenly, Landry is averaging at least 15 yards per catch in camp, and Tyrod is a mad bomber.
Landry is more than a "dink" receiver, and Taylor is more than a dink passer. Todd Haley is smarter than Gayce (sp?), and the Bills guy too.
Redundancy alert: Tyrod Taylor has a strong arm and can/will go deep. He's pretty accurate at every level too.
Tyrod Taylor in 2017 got the Bills to the playoffs. While close to his "peak", he still has upside (quarterbacks are different).
The 2017 Bills were inferior to the 2018 Browns.
Check your Mayfieldmania here (at least temporarily). Tyrod Taylor is ready for the real deal when the gloves come off.
How many times do you need to see preseason superstars flame out before any of this sinks in?
Don't get me wrong here: Baker Mayfield isn't Kizer, or Weedon, or Manswell. He probably could start game one and not suck, but listen to Tim Couch.
Couch likes Tyrod a lot too. Baker Mayfield is the future. Tyrod Taylor is the better NFL quarterback right now, period.
Everybody is now guessing when Tyrod gets benched and Baker takes over in 2018, but the premise is pessimistic.
The 2018 Browns will not suck. They CAN'T suck. It's not even possible (unless Hue Jackson really IS in charge). Too much talent. Great coaching. And QUARTERBACKSSSS.
"Tough schedule"? If you read this Blog, you get this too. Elite teams from one season tend to fade in the next, as their stars demand too much money and are lost to the market, and as they draft low in every round.
"Weak" teams routinely engineer huge turnarounds as they scoop up these guys and draft much higher in every round.
Each and every season, the pundits are surprised by EIGHT OR TEN teams that either fade fast or "come out of nowhere", and I've aleady described a "come out of nowhere" team in this post.
You people!
You expect Mayfield to take charge so a rookie can fail to make the playoffs. You expect Tyrod Taylor to flame out with a better team than the one he took to the playoffs in 2017; you expect him to get worse!
Jeez you even expect him to get worse at HANDING OFF (oh sorry I bled over into the Todd Haley becoming mentally impaired part of this) JEEZ!
Stick that 1-31 crap where the sun don't shine it's irrelevant, and only cretins hammer it...nevermind you aint listening.
Laugh at me now but witness the obvious later okbye
Oh I forgot: The Browns have too many quarterbacks too...oh wait! Tim Couch is right here...let's get him out of retirement!
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Desmond Harrison, Gregg Williams, Football 102, and the Browns
It would be dumb to make any predictions about the Browns' depth chart based on the first week of training camp, but we simply have to watch, and think.
In my last post, for about the 30th time, I explained to Terry Pluto et al that wide receiver isn't rocket science, and the Browns need a new geezer veteran like they need a hole in the head.
Well, here we go with Antonio Callaway blowing everybody's veteran doors off already. And those cornerbacks are no jokes, okay?
Gee, I thought it took years to learn how to...nevermind.
In fairness, the few snippets I saw showed some pretty soft coverage. We still need to see if the kid can beat press/man coverage at this level.
His (second team) quarterback is Baker Mayfield, and that's helping Callaway out a lot too. Mayfield is as accurate as any quarterback I've ever seen.
Corey Coleman, however, stumbled out of the gate. He is making terrific plays, but also dropping balls. As far as I know, Callaway only dropped one.
Coleman at Baylor was pretty reliable, so it's too soon to take this and run with it. However, at this point, Antonio Callaway is the better player.
...but Coleman is a veteran, and Callaway hardly even played in college. How is this possible?
Well, Terry, wide receivers need to be quick and fast and to catch footballs. Once you have that down, you're mostly "there", you see? So the Browns don't need more veteran wide receivers, okay? Is any of this sinking in yet?
Clyde Simmons and Bob Wylie were typically "careful" in their press conferences. These guys will never say anything bad about any of their players, so you really have to re-read every sentence in that transcript to draw any conclusions.
I'm suprised to see our homie Jamie Meder as the number one left defensive tackle (over Ogunjobi) so far.
Clyde mentioned mistakes in re Ogunjobi (hastily adding "but not a lot"---too late Clyde!)
Jamie Meder is now the most experienced defensive lineman on this roster, and he's always had terrific instincts. He needed to, because he's not a quick-twitch athlete.
Jamie is 6'2", 305 lbs. His athletic "numbers" are frankly substandard, which is why he wasn't drafted in the first place.
But he has those instincts (and that's probably part film-study), and he uses leverage exceptionally well to stand up or shed bigger guards. He even collapses pockets and chases quarterbacks out sometimes. He reminds me of another home boy named Bob Golic.
Trevon Coley is the other defensive tackle (so far). Coley is a year ahead of Brantley and Ogunjobi (interesting fact: Meder and Coley were both initially signed by the Ravens).
Coley is 6'1", 307 lbs. He's more athletic than Meder, but in 2017 (per PFF) he didn't play well (Ogunjobi made everybody else look sick).
It looks like this year, Gregg Williams' defensive tackles need to stop the run first.
Gregg Williams is adaptable, and really has no "core" scheme. He sees what players he has to work with first, and then sets up the best scheme to make the most of them.
Jamie Meder can play nose tackle, by the way. Coley might be able to as well. Short is good there...just sayin.
As those of you who read this Blog understand, the real NFL "base" defense in 2018 is a nickel, with only six official defensive linemen/linebackers.
I've been trying to figure out Gregg's 2018 nickel. I came up with Meder at nose tackle, Ogbah and Garrett down between the guards and tackles, Kendricks and Collins just somewhere or other (Collins is different: He can put his hand in the dirt on the edge), and Schobert calling the shots/plugging the leaks).
If that sounds insane to you, Gregg and I are glad. Stand by. I bet he runs it, and that it will work.
They'll call it a 3-4 or a 4-3 depending on what Collins does, but that's just a meaningless label.
Don't write Carl Nassib or Nate Orchard off yet. Clyde Simmons confirmed my assertion that Nassib is bigger now; I'd guesstimate 305-310 lean pounds, and I bet you quicker and faster too.
Clyde also backed me up on Nate Orchard: Nate would actually fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but here, he can play just about anywhere in the front seven.
Nate Orchard is a passrusher who can stop the run and cover too. Good instincts, good athlete, smart.
Bob Wylie was helpful as well. In Bob's case, you just listen for what he doesn't say.
When Gregg Robinson got dinged at left tackle, they just put Austin Corbett there. ...and?
But Bob is also refreshingly honest about some things. Like moving Joel Bitonio to left tackle is "option Z". He was trying hard not to insult the person who asked him that question, but I heard "that would be idiotic".
Wylie burned up a bunch of extra words on (injured undrafted rookie left tackle) Desmond Harrison. He likes this guy (and so should you...has anybody had the brains to ask Joe Thomas about him?)
Of course not! I mean, he was undrafted, played against the Little Sisters of the Poor, got in trouble, and has very little experience. He was also less than 300 lbs., and he's already 25 years old.
Okay but he's a freak. He's got two inches on Big Joe and looks/moves like a tight end. If anybody had the brains to ask Joe about Harrison, he would have told them that this guy is a prototype left tackle physically, once Hans and Franz pump him up a little more.
I've ranted about this guy before, but only as a "project" guy. But Terry Pluto and his "veteran" fixation on wide receivers got me to re-thinking this:
A left tackle's job isn't rocket science, either. As a pass-protector, he simply has to stifle one passrusher.
Oh, there are stunts and games he has to learn to handle, and at this level he'll get outmanuevered and bull-rushed sometimes, but check this out:
Harrison is the only guy on this roster (including Greg Robinson) with Joe Thomas-like physical tools.
Joe himself thinks that Shon Coleman can be a good left tackle, but as we know, he wasn't all that good at right tackle last season.
I now think that Desmond Harrison isn't that far behind Coleman and Robinson, based on Wylie's comments.
He is injured right now, but he's pumping iron, and he's 6'7" tall. I bet he's over 300 lbs by now. He's studying his playbook and films, and I presume has been coached by Joe Thomas as well as Wylie. He's 25 years old, and presumably sees clearly the opportunity he has here.
If he wasn't busting ass, Wylie would have dispensed with him in one or two sentences, but he talked more about Harrison than he did anybody else.
Back to the position:
First and foremost, an NFL left tackle has to protect his quarterback's blind side against a defense's best passrusher. This is not rocket science. It's mano e mano.
Harrison can already do this...
Well sorta. He can "guard" like a basketball foreward, and nobody can get "around" him outside, but he could be vulnerable to somebody getting under his pads and bullrushing him. Even if Wylie/Thomas/Hans/Franz fix that, he has to
Nevermind. The critical thing is, if you have a left tackle who needs no help outside, you're in better shape than two thirds of the teams in the NFL.
IF Harrison can handle a bullrush, he has a real chance to actually start in 2018. Over Coleman.
Well...maybe. The top two quarterbacks are Taylor and Mayfield, and Haley intends to run a lot, and throw a lot of short passes. These quarterbacks can read-option and run-pass option and roll out, so (note to Big Joe), this offense can mitigate a weak pass-blocking left tackle.
In previous posts, I've explained this at length, but not completely:
One of the biggest reasons why the NFL has been using more mobile (and sometimes shorter) quarterbacks, going more West Coast, using more scary pass-catching tight ends, making slot receivers a staple, and digging up swiss army knife running backs is the fact that Joe Thomas's are rare, while edge-rushers are common.
This left tackle fixation is kind of obsolete. You can look over the last 3-4 Superbowl rosters and see it.
That's why in my last post I said that whoever wins the Browns left tackle derby, it's not critical.
Still, a team with a stud left tackle can do more. I kinda think Shon Coleman in 2018, but Harrison is next up.
Shon is a good run-blocker and a veteran.
It's significant that Tyrod Taylor financed all those off-season training sessions with his receivers. Skip the "good guy" part of that: it was a great investment for him.
The more I hear about Tyrod Taylor, the more I like him. I never expected him to "adopt" Baker Mayfield, but he has.
It's etched in stone that this is Mayfield's team in 2019, and Tyrod will be a GMF. But Tyrod is both smart and classy. Just a great guy.
Rashard Higgins (one of the guys Pluto et al want to to replace with a geezer of some sort) has been Baker Mayfield's favorite target on the second team, and he's made some big plays.
JC Tretter (actually a better left tackle prospect than Bitonio) says he's gained ten lbs of muscle this offseason. He thinks he can push people around better.
Hue Fisher, pretending to make all the decisions, implied that Joe Schobert might get some time off this season.
He mentioned Kendricks and Collins...well he's doing as well as me guessing about what Gregg Williams will do.
I seriously find it hard to believe that these reporters and pundits keep asking him these questions as if he's in charge.
Hue Palmer is mostly a figurehead. His three coordinators are running the team. Screw what Jimmy Haslam said to pacify you:
As Captain Obvious, I can assure you that Hue Fisher is in charge of public relations, and not much more.
He's grateful for this, and accepts it. He just won one game in two years; can't believe he's still here his own self. And if Haslam fires him after a few losses in 2018, nobody can say Hair-Trigger Haslam (remember I invented that all rights preserved) was "impatient".
I know I'm repeating myself here, but that's okay since you didn't comprehend it the first 3-4 times.
Anyway, Hue has a chance to salvage his carreer here, and I hope he does.
Hue is a blockhead, but not a dumbass. He had a stellar record, including a Head Coach stint with the Raiders, til he got to Cleveland.
It was specified in his contract that he could pick his quarterback. I remember this, but the rest of you never registered it in the first place, since Sashi Brown was the softer target.
Long story short, here comes a raw DeShone Kizer, there goes McCown, and skip the alleged "competition" he starts Kizer anyway, like he intended to no matter what, all along.
*Stay tuned on Kevin Hogan, if he ever gets a real chance*
The reason why the Browns sucked in 2016 and 2017 was Hue Palmer, period.
Don't start with Carson Wentz and the trade-down. Hue was on board and and I'm already happy to tell you that Sashi WON that trade! Even if Corey Coleman craps out!
And I'm pretty sure it was Hue (NOT Sashi) who traded down from Watson in 2016.
Skip Sashi here: Paul DePodesta had Watson ranked very high, and DeShone Kizer in the basement. Hue Jackson overrode DePodesta.
Check out the analytics numbers. It's not even close, and Watson was a bargain there! If you blameDePodesta Brown for this, think again.
I believe this was on Hue. Kizer sucked, but had a big arm and was 6'5" and was athletic, while Watson was---screw it read his draft profiles...
If you've read this blog, you know I would have jumped all over Watson (and I'm pretty sure so would DePodesta), but nooo! Mister "football guy" Hue Jackson knew better!
Don't blame Paul DePodesta (or his front man Sashi Brown) for this shit-storm. They brought in a LOAD of talent in a hurry, and piled up money and draft picks.
John Dorsey is the luckiest SOB in history, to inherit this!
But NOW is what matters. Dorsey has done an awesome job. He's rebuilt the secondary and linebackers, and...
Well we can debate that but anyway he's guaranteed defensive line depth too...
But I digress:
All of a sudden, Browns permsbashers have devalued quarterbacks.
In reality, Tyrod Taylor is a top 13 or so passing quarterback, and a top ten quarterback overall.
Baker Mayfield has (predictably duh) looked like a real threat to him already.
Yeah okay: Josh Gordon is done (or ineffective even if he isn't). Coleman AND Callaway are busts. Ogunjobi---I can't do this anymore. I can't stupify myself enough to meet permabashers half way.
Hell with it. Like talking to a door knob. An especially dumb doorknob.
In my last post, for about the 30th time, I explained to Terry Pluto et al that wide receiver isn't rocket science, and the Browns need a new geezer veteran like they need a hole in the head.
Well, here we go with Antonio Callaway blowing everybody's veteran doors off already. And those cornerbacks are no jokes, okay?
Gee, I thought it took years to learn how to...nevermind.
In fairness, the few snippets I saw showed some pretty soft coverage. We still need to see if the kid can beat press/man coverage at this level.
His (second team) quarterback is Baker Mayfield, and that's helping Callaway out a lot too. Mayfield is as accurate as any quarterback I've ever seen.
Corey Coleman, however, stumbled out of the gate. He is making terrific plays, but also dropping balls. As far as I know, Callaway only dropped one.
Coleman at Baylor was pretty reliable, so it's too soon to take this and run with it. However, at this point, Antonio Callaway is the better player.
...but Coleman is a veteran, and Callaway hardly even played in college. How is this possible?
Well, Terry, wide receivers need to be quick and fast and to catch footballs. Once you have that down, you're mostly "there", you see? So the Browns don't need more veteran wide receivers, okay? Is any of this sinking in yet?
Clyde Simmons and Bob Wylie were typically "careful" in their press conferences. These guys will never say anything bad about any of their players, so you really have to re-read every sentence in that transcript to draw any conclusions.
I'm suprised to see our homie Jamie Meder as the number one left defensive tackle (over Ogunjobi) so far.
Clyde mentioned mistakes in re Ogunjobi (hastily adding "but not a lot"---too late Clyde!)
Jamie Meder is now the most experienced defensive lineman on this roster, and he's always had terrific instincts. He needed to, because he's not a quick-twitch athlete.
Jamie is 6'2", 305 lbs. His athletic "numbers" are frankly substandard, which is why he wasn't drafted in the first place.
But he has those instincts (and that's probably part film-study), and he uses leverage exceptionally well to stand up or shed bigger guards. He even collapses pockets and chases quarterbacks out sometimes. He reminds me of another home boy named Bob Golic.
Trevon Coley is the other defensive tackle (so far). Coley is a year ahead of Brantley and Ogunjobi (interesting fact: Meder and Coley were both initially signed by the Ravens).
Coley is 6'1", 307 lbs. He's more athletic than Meder, but in 2017 (per PFF) he didn't play well (Ogunjobi made everybody else look sick).
It looks like this year, Gregg Williams' defensive tackles need to stop the run first.
Gregg Williams is adaptable, and really has no "core" scheme. He sees what players he has to work with first, and then sets up the best scheme to make the most of them.
Jamie Meder can play nose tackle, by the way. Coley might be able to as well. Short is good there...just sayin.
As those of you who read this Blog understand, the real NFL "base" defense in 2018 is a nickel, with only six official defensive linemen/linebackers.
I've been trying to figure out Gregg's 2018 nickel. I came up with Meder at nose tackle, Ogbah and Garrett down between the guards and tackles, Kendricks and Collins just somewhere or other (Collins is different: He can put his hand in the dirt on the edge), and Schobert calling the shots/plugging the leaks).
If that sounds insane to you, Gregg and I are glad. Stand by. I bet he runs it, and that it will work.
They'll call it a 3-4 or a 4-3 depending on what Collins does, but that's just a meaningless label.
Don't write Carl Nassib or Nate Orchard off yet. Clyde Simmons confirmed my assertion that Nassib is bigger now; I'd guesstimate 305-310 lean pounds, and I bet you quicker and faster too.
Clyde also backed me up on Nate Orchard: Nate would actually fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but here, he can play just about anywhere in the front seven.
Nate Orchard is a passrusher who can stop the run and cover too. Good instincts, good athlete, smart.
Bob Wylie was helpful as well. In Bob's case, you just listen for what he doesn't say.
When Gregg Robinson got dinged at left tackle, they just put Austin Corbett there. ...and?
But Bob is also refreshingly honest about some things. Like moving Joel Bitonio to left tackle is "option Z". He was trying hard not to insult the person who asked him that question, but I heard "that would be idiotic".
Wylie burned up a bunch of extra words on (injured undrafted rookie left tackle) Desmond Harrison. He likes this guy (and so should you...has anybody had the brains to ask Joe Thomas about him?)
Of course not! I mean, he was undrafted, played against the Little Sisters of the Poor, got in trouble, and has very little experience. He was also less than 300 lbs., and he's already 25 years old.
Okay but he's a freak. He's got two inches on Big Joe and looks/moves like a tight end. If anybody had the brains to ask Joe about Harrison, he would have told them that this guy is a prototype left tackle physically, once Hans and Franz pump him up a little more.
I've ranted about this guy before, but only as a "project" guy. But Terry Pluto and his "veteran" fixation on wide receivers got me to re-thinking this:
A left tackle's job isn't rocket science, either. As a pass-protector, he simply has to stifle one passrusher.
Oh, there are stunts and games he has to learn to handle, and at this level he'll get outmanuevered and bull-rushed sometimes, but check this out:
Harrison is the only guy on this roster (including Greg Robinson) with Joe Thomas-like physical tools.
Joe himself thinks that Shon Coleman can be a good left tackle, but as we know, he wasn't all that good at right tackle last season.
I now think that Desmond Harrison isn't that far behind Coleman and Robinson, based on Wylie's comments.
He is injured right now, but he's pumping iron, and he's 6'7" tall. I bet he's over 300 lbs by now. He's studying his playbook and films, and I presume has been coached by Joe Thomas as well as Wylie. He's 25 years old, and presumably sees clearly the opportunity he has here.
If he wasn't busting ass, Wylie would have dispensed with him in one or two sentences, but he talked more about Harrison than he did anybody else.
Back to the position:
First and foremost, an NFL left tackle has to protect his quarterback's blind side against a defense's best passrusher. This is not rocket science. It's mano e mano.
Harrison can already do this...
Well sorta. He can "guard" like a basketball foreward, and nobody can get "around" him outside, but he could be vulnerable to somebody getting under his pads and bullrushing him. Even if Wylie/Thomas/Hans/Franz fix that, he has to
Nevermind. The critical thing is, if you have a left tackle who needs no help outside, you're in better shape than two thirds of the teams in the NFL.
IF Harrison can handle a bullrush, he has a real chance to actually start in 2018. Over Coleman.
Well...maybe. The top two quarterbacks are Taylor and Mayfield, and Haley intends to run a lot, and throw a lot of short passes. These quarterbacks can read-option and run-pass option and roll out, so (note to Big Joe), this offense can mitigate a weak pass-blocking left tackle.
In previous posts, I've explained this at length, but not completely:
One of the biggest reasons why the NFL has been using more mobile (and sometimes shorter) quarterbacks, going more West Coast, using more scary pass-catching tight ends, making slot receivers a staple, and digging up swiss army knife running backs is the fact that Joe Thomas's are rare, while edge-rushers are common.
This left tackle fixation is kind of obsolete. You can look over the last 3-4 Superbowl rosters and see it.
That's why in my last post I said that whoever wins the Browns left tackle derby, it's not critical.
Still, a team with a stud left tackle can do more. I kinda think Shon Coleman in 2018, but Harrison is next up.
Shon is a good run-blocker and a veteran.
It's significant that Tyrod Taylor financed all those off-season training sessions with his receivers. Skip the "good guy" part of that: it was a great investment for him.
The more I hear about Tyrod Taylor, the more I like him. I never expected him to "adopt" Baker Mayfield, but he has.
It's etched in stone that this is Mayfield's team in 2019, and Tyrod will be a GMF. But Tyrod is both smart and classy. Just a great guy.
Rashard Higgins (one of the guys Pluto et al want to to replace with a geezer of some sort) has been Baker Mayfield's favorite target on the second team, and he's made some big plays.
JC Tretter (actually a better left tackle prospect than Bitonio) says he's gained ten lbs of muscle this offseason. He thinks he can push people around better.
Hue Fisher, pretending to make all the decisions, implied that Joe Schobert might get some time off this season.
He mentioned Kendricks and Collins...well he's doing as well as me guessing about what Gregg Williams will do.
I seriously find it hard to believe that these reporters and pundits keep asking him these questions as if he's in charge.
Hue Palmer is mostly a figurehead. His three coordinators are running the team. Screw what Jimmy Haslam said to pacify you:
As Captain Obvious, I can assure you that Hue Fisher is in charge of public relations, and not much more.
He's grateful for this, and accepts it. He just won one game in two years; can't believe he's still here his own self. And if Haslam fires him after a few losses in 2018, nobody can say Hair-Trigger Haslam (remember I invented that all rights preserved) was "impatient".
I know I'm repeating myself here, but that's okay since you didn't comprehend it the first 3-4 times.
Anyway, Hue has a chance to salvage his carreer here, and I hope he does.
Hue is a blockhead, but not a dumbass. He had a stellar record, including a Head Coach stint with the Raiders, til he got to Cleveland.
It was specified in his contract that he could pick his quarterback. I remember this, but the rest of you never registered it in the first place, since Sashi Brown was the softer target.
Long story short, here comes a raw DeShone Kizer, there goes McCown, and skip the alleged "competition" he starts Kizer anyway, like he intended to no matter what, all along.
*Stay tuned on Kevin Hogan, if he ever gets a real chance*
The reason why the Browns sucked in 2016 and 2017 was Hue Palmer, period.
Don't start with Carson Wentz and the trade-down. Hue was on board and and I'm already happy to tell you that Sashi WON that trade! Even if Corey Coleman craps out!
And I'm pretty sure it was Hue (NOT Sashi) who traded down from Watson in 2016.
Skip Sashi here: Paul DePodesta had Watson ranked very high, and DeShone Kizer in the basement. Hue Jackson overrode DePodesta.
Check out the analytics numbers. It's not even close, and Watson was a bargain there! If you blame
I believe this was on Hue. Kizer sucked, but had a big arm and was 6'5" and was athletic, while Watson was---screw it read his draft profiles...
If you've read this blog, you know I would have jumped all over Watson (and I'm pretty sure so would DePodesta), but nooo! Mister "football guy" Hue Jackson knew better!
Don't blame Paul DePodesta (or his front man Sashi Brown) for this shit-storm. They brought in a LOAD of talent in a hurry, and piled up money and draft picks.
John Dorsey is the luckiest SOB in history, to inherit this!
But NOW is what matters. Dorsey has done an awesome job. He's rebuilt the secondary and linebackers, and...
Well we can debate that but anyway he's guaranteed defensive line depth too...
But I digress:
All of a sudden, Browns permsbashers have devalued quarterbacks.
In reality, Tyrod Taylor is a top 13 or so passing quarterback, and a top ten quarterback overall.
Baker Mayfield has (predictably duh) looked like a real threat to him already.
Yeah okay: Josh Gordon is done (or ineffective even if he isn't). Coleman AND Callaway are busts. Ogunjobi---I can't do this anymore. I can't stupify myself enough to meet permabashers half way.
Hell with it. Like talking to a door knob. An especially dumb doorknob.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
More Dumb Browns Punditry Corrections; Context 101
Joe Thomas recently said that he doesn't think Austin Corbett is suited to play left tackle in the NFL.
Well, if somebody would ask him about Joel Bitonio, he'd probably say the same thing about him.
A lot of pundits just seem to think that any elite guard can play left tackle. How many times have you seen a guard move to left tackle? There is a reason for that.
Ross Tucker tipped me off about this: Right guard is tougher to play than left guard. Per Ross, the right guard is often isolated (no help) against a passrusher, while the left guard gets more help from the center.
The right guard also tends to pull more.
Therefore, the Browns should put Kevin Zeitler at left tackle instead!
If you think I'm an idiot for saying that, good for you.
Guards and tackles are different from eachother. Big Joe said it himself, as he talked about "heavy feet", and "basketball players" in re his estimation of Corbett.
Austin Corbett is kind of a Bitonio clone. Why are people still trying to put him at left tackle?
Dan Labbe covered the left tackle landscape pretty well, and it certainly is a question mark, with Greg Robinson (almost predictably) already in the concussion protocol.
Corbett took over his left tackle reps with the second team (nobody bothered to tell us how he did).
Dan said that if Coleman or Robinson don't prove to be at least decent, it could "get ugly".
Not really. In 2017, Spencer Drango started at left tackle for most of the season.
Teams can help weak left tackles with tight ends, and also schematicly. The fact is, at least two thirds of the teams in the NFL have to do this a lot, because real left tackles are much harder to find than edge-rushers.
I won't go through the whole schedule now, but I'll bet you that at least 11-12 opponents will be helping their left tackles out vs Myles Garrett; that 11-13 left tackles can't be counted on to slow Garrett down.
In 2018, the "ugliest" this left tackle situation will get is still a big step up from Spencer Drango *not bashing the guy! Love him! Tough blue collar guy, but not an athlete; Corbett is much better*...and something like what 22 or so other NFL teams have.
We've been spoiled here in Cleveland because we've had a Hall of Fame left tackle. Joe Thomas raised the bar. It's time to be pragmatic, and bring that bar back down to around the NFL median.
Left tackle is this team's biggest question mark, but the sky isn't falling. Whoever wins the competition (I gotta bet on Coleman based on Joe Thomas's opinions) will be an upgrade over Drango.
Context.
Terry Pluto agrees with me that Dez Bryant is a bad idea, but there he goes again talking about veteran wide receivers they should sign instead.
Like a lot of pundits, Terry thinks it's a lot harder to run good routes and catch footballs than it is. They think wide receiver is like quarterback.
Terry never even mentions Antonio Callaway. He seems to assume that Josh Gordon is more likely than not to even play in 2018 which...well I just don't get that at all.
Terry says Rashard Higgins is "trying to figure out" stuff. No offense to Terry, but what tf is he talking about?
Forget this rocket science "veteran" crap at wide receiver. The Browns have Landry, most likely Gordon, Duke Johnson (yes he counts). And burn your boxes and magic markers, because Njoku and DeValve are pass-catchers too.
The veteran wide receivers that Terry suggested as alternatives to Dez Bryant used to be really good, but the 2018 Browns don't need them.
John Dorsey should want to retain Dameion Ratley. Corey Coleman is dropping passes, but Callaway is pantsing Denzel Ward (and everybody else), and Dorsey should be thinking long-term...
Jeez these people drive me nuts. I never thought I'd be picking on Terry Pluto, but...
Sigh-wide receiver isn't rocket science. TALENT matters more than experience at this position. I get that they have to be where they're supposed to be when they're supposed to be there in timing offenses; that they need to "read" defenses like the quarterback in some offenses, so rookies screw up, but JEEZ, Terry! Some wide receivers are great as rookies, and most get competent in year two!
Here's Terry Pluto who gets why Dez Bryant is a bad idea, but has to dig up other geezers to get younger guys kicked to the curb instead of him!
I repeat: Gordon Landry Johnson Njoku DeValve Coleman/Callaway TAKE A PILL Terry we got this!
Hell with it okbye
Well, if somebody would ask him about Joel Bitonio, he'd probably say the same thing about him.
A lot of pundits just seem to think that any elite guard can play left tackle. How many times have you seen a guard move to left tackle? There is a reason for that.
Ross Tucker tipped me off about this: Right guard is tougher to play than left guard. Per Ross, the right guard is often isolated (no help) against a passrusher, while the left guard gets more help from the center.
The right guard also tends to pull more.
Therefore, the Browns should put Kevin Zeitler at left tackle instead!
If you think I'm an idiot for saying that, good for you.
Guards and tackles are different from eachother. Big Joe said it himself, as he talked about "heavy feet", and "basketball players" in re his estimation of Corbett.
Austin Corbett is kind of a Bitonio clone. Why are people still trying to put him at left tackle?
Dan Labbe covered the left tackle landscape pretty well, and it certainly is a question mark, with Greg Robinson (almost predictably) already in the concussion protocol.
Corbett took over his left tackle reps with the second team (nobody bothered to tell us how he did).
Dan said that if Coleman or Robinson don't prove to be at least decent, it could "get ugly".
Not really. In 2017, Spencer Drango started at left tackle for most of the season.
Teams can help weak left tackles with tight ends, and also schematicly. The fact is, at least two thirds of the teams in the NFL have to do this a lot, because real left tackles are much harder to find than edge-rushers.
I won't go through the whole schedule now, but I'll bet you that at least 11-12 opponents will be helping their left tackles out vs Myles Garrett; that 11-13 left tackles can't be counted on to slow Garrett down.
In 2018, the "ugliest" this left tackle situation will get is still a big step up from Spencer Drango *not bashing the guy! Love him! Tough blue collar guy, but not an athlete; Corbett is much better*...and something like what 22 or so other NFL teams have.
We've been spoiled here in Cleveland because we've had a Hall of Fame left tackle. Joe Thomas raised the bar. It's time to be pragmatic, and bring that bar back down to around the NFL median.
Left tackle is this team's biggest question mark, but the sky isn't falling. Whoever wins the competition (I gotta bet on Coleman based on Joe Thomas's opinions) will be an upgrade over Drango.
Context.
Terry Pluto agrees with me that Dez Bryant is a bad idea, but there he goes again talking about veteran wide receivers they should sign instead.
Like a lot of pundits, Terry thinks it's a lot harder to run good routes and catch footballs than it is. They think wide receiver is like quarterback.
Terry never even mentions Antonio Callaway. He seems to assume that Josh Gordon is more likely than not to even play in 2018 which...well I just don't get that at all.
Terry says Rashard Higgins is "trying to figure out" stuff. No offense to Terry, but what tf is he talking about?
Forget this rocket science "veteran" crap at wide receiver. The Browns have Landry, most likely Gordon, Duke Johnson (yes he counts). And burn your boxes and magic markers, because Njoku and DeValve are pass-catchers too.
The veteran wide receivers that Terry suggested as alternatives to Dez Bryant used to be really good, but the 2018 Browns don't need them.
John Dorsey should want to retain Dameion Ratley. Corey Coleman is dropping passes, but Callaway is pantsing Denzel Ward (and everybody else), and Dorsey should be thinking long-term...
Jeez these people drive me nuts. I never thought I'd be picking on Terry Pluto, but...
Sigh-wide receiver isn't rocket science. TALENT matters more than experience at this position. I get that they have to be where they're supposed to be when they're supposed to be there in timing offenses; that they need to "read" defenses like the quarterback in some offenses, so rookies screw up, but JEEZ, Terry! Some wide receivers are great as rookies, and most get competent in year two!
Here's Terry Pluto who gets why Dez Bryant is a bad idea, but has to dig up other geezers to get younger guys kicked to the curb instead of him!
I repeat: Gordon Landry Johnson Njoku DeValve Coleman/Callaway TAKE A PILL Terry we got this!
Hell with it okbye
Friday, July 27, 2018
John Dorsey's Hyperactivity, Austin Corbett, Dez Bryant, and the Browns
Uh-oh. Joe Thomas says Austin Corbett isn't a tackle. Sometimes Big Joe says stuff (like Hue Jackson is a great Head Coach) that I can't fathom, but when he talks about offensive linemen, I take that to the bank.
So the top two real contenders are Shon Coleman (who Thomas says can be a good left tackle) and Greg Robinson (with raw rookie Desmond Harrison as a 2018 dark horse).
Robinson, per the real experts, has the ability, but has thus far been a huge bust. He can't be counted out, but certainly can't be counted on, either.
Back to Corbett: When Dorsey drafted him high in the second round (ahead of two more highly rated left tackles), Waittilnextyear went off:
Who is this guy? A "versatile" guy high in the second? We needed a starter and we're eyeball deep in guards and centers!
I took the company line: Some scouts said he could play left tackle. He started for four years and is refined/pro ready. He's very similar to the guy he followed at left tackle in college: Joel Bitonio.
It looks like Waittilnextyear was right, but I still say there's more to this.
Kevin Zeitler wasn't signed by John Dorsey, nor was JC Tretter. Zeitler's cap hits through 2019 are 12.4 mil/year. He's a very good right guard, but not exceptional, and he's 28 years old.
Tretter stayed healthy through 2018, but has an injury history. His contract is more reasonable, but expires after 2019.
Tretter, like Zeitler, is very good, but not elite, at his position.
Austin Corbett is the almost automatic top backup at both guard slots in 2018. For the moment, Austin Reiter should remain the top backup center, but Corbett can play there as well (they're letting him focus somewhat for now).
Both Zeitler and Tretter are tradeable. Corbett is in the bag through 2022 for comparative peanuts, and projects to be better than both of them.
Like my peeps, a majority of real experts insist that non-quarterbacks drafted above the third round have to start immediately to justify that pick, but a lot of us analytical types don't get that:
Prior to the rookie salary cap, these guys got paid more, and often signed shorter-term deals. Back then, hell yes--that guy needs to make an immediate and significant impact.
That was then. This is now. Logically, the best long term player is the best pick now, unless you're close enough that this player can get you to a Superbowl as a rookie.
For the Browns in particular, none of the available left tackles at that point were anywhere near prepared to step in and start as rookies, and none of them were sure bets long-term either.
Corbett's left tackle cieling was lower, but his upside at guard or center was extremely high. His floor was higher than most, if not all, of the offensive linemen in the draft.
In case you don't recall it clearly, expert consensus pegged this as one of the weakest left tackle drafts in recent memory. Most agreed that while a couple of the prominant ones had nice upside, none of them were prepared to play in the NFL anytime soon.
Today, as we pick on Dorsey for picking Corbett, smart people are picking on other teams for "overdrafting" these project left tackles, and...they have no problem with where Austin Corbett was drafted.
Speaking of "upside", undrafted left tackle Desmond Harrison (the rawest of the raw) may have the highest long-term cieling of any tackle in this class.
Some of you might also remember that I was a big fan of Kolton Miller and Ryan O'Neill, and was initially stunned by the Corbett pick myself.
On the bottom line, however, there were no left tackles in the second round who could start in 2018.
And do you draft the best available player, regardless of position? Agree or disagree, that's a valid theory, and Corbett is that high floor, very high ceiling guy.
Do you draft for need? That is, do you draft that left tackle even when you grade him lower than other players; even if you doubt he'll be very good?
Well, you can do that. You can also jump out of a helicopter. And it's about the same thing: If you overdraft average and risky players, you kill your team (slowly and painfully).
Most GMs say they draft "best available", but actually do consider needs.
You just don't draft a guy you don't think can beat out Shon Coleman, or ever be anything special, when you can draft a top notch offensive lineman with 12 years and 5 Pro Bowls written all over him.
Dez Bryant Update: Obviously, John Dorsey isn't getting my emails or reading this Blog, because Mary Kay Cabbott isn't making this stuff up:
They're kicking his tires.
Well, I'm good at arguing both sides of a debate (even in my own head *don't try this at home*):
First, we're talking one-year deal (I hope) here, and given the Browns' cap space, the money is irrelevant (in this case: no precedent for other players' agents to exploit--Dez is low on leverage right now).
Second, Dez turns 30 in November. He's a big receiver who never relied on speed, so he's probably got some tread left on his tires.
Third, he has been truly elite at times, and can still be. He can make an immediate and significant impact in 2018.
Fourth, the one-year deal doesn't threaten the salary cap for 2019.
Fifth, if all goes well, who's to say this big, physical receiver doesn't decide to stick around longer?
However:
Dez would be in a contract year, and (the hell with his "self-defense" tweets), has been disruptive and (at least apparently) selfish. He has not run disciplined patterns, or showed up when/where he was supposed to, and clearly refuses to fess up to what everybody sees on tape.
What happens when Josh comes back, and it's Gordon/Landry? Is this guy gonna have another temper-tantrum? "Everybody is picking on me!"
Dez and his agent need to respect Josh Gordon and Todd Haley here. If Dez thinks he's going to elbow Gordon or Landry aside, they're delusional.
And John Dorsey, please see the same thing: You sign this guy to a "prove it" deal, then make him the third wide receiver in an offense including Duke Johnson and Njoku; this guy, really?
He's gonna stomp into Haley's office caterwalling about how he's wrecking his carreer and stuff!
Hear that hissing sound? Look at your hand. See that fkng hot hand grenade? I'd get rid of that, I wuz you!
Nice contrast: Baker Mayfield (who, like somebody told you he would) looks really good right now:
Baker said he'll never accept being a backup, but now I guess some of you are beginning to start to comprehend what he means by that...or at least those of you who don't read this Blog.
Baker and Tyrod have become fast freinds here, despite the fact that Baker is trying to take Tyrod's job.
Taylor isn't phased by Mayfield saying "I'll never accept being a backup", because Taylor never accepted it himself.
Both have to accept Coach's decisions (ie "reality"), but niether will ever accept that he isn't as good as any quarterback in the NFL.
Mayfield accepts the "plan" (and really likes his pal and mentor Tyrod), but when he looks in the mirror, he still sees Aaron Rodgers (except one inch shorter and better-looking, and of course just plain better).
But they'll both accept the Judge's verdict.
Dez Bryant won't.
Not to bash Dez too much: He's looking to rebuild his credentials to get his last contract. He turned down a really sweet long-term contract offer from the Ravens (by the way thank you Dez!), which kinda proved to smart people that he is delusional.
If John Dorsey can't hear that "aoooga! Aoogah" siren, or see those flashing red lights, he's got something wrong with him here.
Bryant became radioctive when he turned the Ravens down. 30 other GMs in the NFL got that memo.
Dez has now decided that he wants a one-year "prove it" deal only because nobody else would touch him after that.
But listen to me, John Dorsey, Todd Haley, Dez Bryant, and his agent:
JOSH GORDON AND JARVIS LANDRY ARE BETTER THAN YOU. HALEY RUNS A TIMING OFFENSE. DUKE JOHNSON, ANDRE NJOKU, AND SETH DEVALVE ARE HERE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO PROVE FIGHTING WITH DUKE AND ANDRE FOR CRUMBS HERE!?!
But what do I know?
Well, just note and file this. Let's see what actually happens.
If they don't sign Dez Bryant, we know they're not idiots.
If they do, then I will confirm that they were idiots by about game ten in 2018, and nobody will argue with me.
*disclaimer: Josh Gordon has to play. Sans Gordon, signing Dez Bryant would make marginal sense, sorta...assuming that niether Coleman nor Callaway beats him out...since if they do, Dez won't agree*
John Dorsey: Relax. Take a break. Stand back, and look at what's here, and how these guys are coming together. Relax. Be calm. Take a nap.
Don't fuck this up now. That's why the Chiefs fired you. You couldn't leave well enough alone. You made moves just to make moves. You never left well enough alone.
John Dorsey is brilliant, but hyperactive. That's mostly positive, but here we go with Dez Bryant and Gramps Jones--he just can't stop, ya know?
Note to John Dorsey:
TAKE A PILL. OR A NAP. Meditate. Relax. Don't pull that pin just because you need to fidget ohhmmm...ohmmmm...
It's official: We can ignore most of what Hue Jackson says now. Just assume he says "--has/have a lot of work to do" (and "but") and that's about half of what he says about everybody and everything.
I'll get into "competitive" "working hard" and a half dozen cliches later, but for now let's just say I got an app named Hue.
I'm tempted to delete it, but want to figure out what it's supposed to do first, ya no?
So the top two real contenders are Shon Coleman (who Thomas says can be a good left tackle) and Greg Robinson (with raw rookie Desmond Harrison as a 2018 dark horse).
Robinson, per the real experts, has the ability, but has thus far been a huge bust. He can't be counted out, but certainly can't be counted on, either.
Back to Corbett: When Dorsey drafted him high in the second round (ahead of two more highly rated left tackles), Waittilnextyear went off:
Who is this guy? A "versatile" guy high in the second? We needed a starter and we're eyeball deep in guards and centers!
I took the company line: Some scouts said he could play left tackle. He started for four years and is refined/pro ready. He's very similar to the guy he followed at left tackle in college: Joel Bitonio.
It looks like Waittilnextyear was right, but I still say there's more to this.
Kevin Zeitler wasn't signed by John Dorsey, nor was JC Tretter. Zeitler's cap hits through 2019 are 12.4 mil/year. He's a very good right guard, but not exceptional, and he's 28 years old.
Tretter stayed healthy through 2018, but has an injury history. His contract is more reasonable, but expires after 2019.
Tretter, like Zeitler, is very good, but not elite, at his position.
Austin Corbett is the almost automatic top backup at both guard slots in 2018. For the moment, Austin Reiter should remain the top backup center, but Corbett can play there as well (they're letting him focus somewhat for now).
Both Zeitler and Tretter are tradeable. Corbett is in the bag through 2022 for comparative peanuts, and projects to be better than both of them.
Like my peeps, a majority of real experts insist that non-quarterbacks drafted above the third round have to start immediately to justify that pick, but a lot of us analytical types don't get that:
Prior to the rookie salary cap, these guys got paid more, and often signed shorter-term deals. Back then, hell yes--that guy needs to make an immediate and significant impact.
That was then. This is now. Logically, the best long term player is the best pick now, unless you're close enough that this player can get you to a Superbowl as a rookie.
For the Browns in particular, none of the available left tackles at that point were anywhere near prepared to step in and start as rookies, and none of them were sure bets long-term either.
Corbett's left tackle cieling was lower, but his upside at guard or center was extremely high. His floor was higher than most, if not all, of the offensive linemen in the draft.
In case you don't recall it clearly, expert consensus pegged this as one of the weakest left tackle drafts in recent memory. Most agreed that while a couple of the prominant ones had nice upside, none of them were prepared to play in the NFL anytime soon.
Today, as we pick on Dorsey for picking Corbett, smart people are picking on other teams for "overdrafting" these project left tackles, and...they have no problem with where Austin Corbett was drafted.
Speaking of "upside", undrafted left tackle Desmond Harrison (the rawest of the raw) may have the highest long-term cieling of any tackle in this class.
Some of you might also remember that I was a big fan of Kolton Miller and Ryan O'Neill, and was initially stunned by the Corbett pick myself.
On the bottom line, however, there were no left tackles in the second round who could start in 2018.
And do you draft the best available player, regardless of position? Agree or disagree, that's a valid theory, and Corbett is that high floor, very high ceiling guy.
Do you draft for need? That is, do you draft that left tackle even when you grade him lower than other players; even if you doubt he'll be very good?
Well, you can do that. You can also jump out of a helicopter. And it's about the same thing: If you overdraft average and risky players, you kill your team (slowly and painfully).
Most GMs say they draft "best available", but actually do consider needs.
You just don't draft a guy you don't think can beat out Shon Coleman, or ever be anything special, when you can draft a top notch offensive lineman with 12 years and 5 Pro Bowls written all over him.
Dez Bryant Update: Obviously, John Dorsey isn't getting my emails or reading this Blog, because Mary Kay Cabbott isn't making this stuff up:
They're kicking his tires.
Well, I'm good at arguing both sides of a debate (even in my own head *don't try this at home*):
First, we're talking one-year deal (I hope) here, and given the Browns' cap space, the money is irrelevant (in this case: no precedent for other players' agents to exploit--Dez is low on leverage right now).
Second, Dez turns 30 in November. He's a big receiver who never relied on speed, so he's probably got some tread left on his tires.
Third, he has been truly elite at times, and can still be. He can make an immediate and significant impact in 2018.
Fourth, the one-year deal doesn't threaten the salary cap for 2019.
Fifth, if all goes well, who's to say this big, physical receiver doesn't decide to stick around longer?
However:
Dez would be in a contract year, and (the hell with his "self-defense" tweets), has been disruptive and (at least apparently) selfish. He has not run disciplined patterns, or showed up when/where he was supposed to, and clearly refuses to fess up to what everybody sees on tape.
What happens when Josh comes back, and it's Gordon/Landry? Is this guy gonna have another temper-tantrum? "Everybody is picking on me!"
Dez and his agent need to respect Josh Gordon and Todd Haley here. If Dez thinks he's going to elbow Gordon or Landry aside, they're delusional.
And John Dorsey, please see the same thing: You sign this guy to a "prove it" deal, then make him the third wide receiver in an offense including Duke Johnson and Njoku; this guy, really?
He's gonna stomp into Haley's office caterwalling about how he's wrecking his carreer and stuff!
Hear that hissing sound? Look at your hand. See that fkng hot hand grenade? I'd get rid of that, I wuz you!
Nice contrast: Baker Mayfield (who, like somebody told you he would) looks really good right now:
Baker said he'll never accept being a backup, but now I guess some of you are beginning to start to comprehend what he means by that...or at least those of you who don't read this Blog.
Baker and Tyrod have become fast freinds here, despite the fact that Baker is trying to take Tyrod's job.
Taylor isn't phased by Mayfield saying "I'll never accept being a backup", because Taylor never accepted it himself.
Both have to accept Coach's decisions (ie "reality"), but niether will ever accept that he isn't as good as any quarterback in the NFL.
Mayfield accepts the "plan" (and really likes his pal and mentor Tyrod), but when he looks in the mirror, he still sees Aaron Rodgers (except one inch shorter and better-looking, and of course just plain better).
Tyrod (screw race 👍 this is cooincidental) probably sees a better-looking Russell Wilson in his mirror.
But they'll both accept the Judge's verdict.
Dez Bryant won't.
Not to bash Dez too much: He's looking to rebuild his credentials to get his last contract. He turned down a really sweet long-term contract offer from the Ravens (by the way thank you Dez!), which kinda proved to smart people that he is delusional.
If John Dorsey can't hear that "aoooga! Aoogah" siren, or see those flashing red lights, he's got something wrong with him here.
Bryant became radioctive when he turned the Ravens down. 30 other GMs in the NFL got that memo.
Dez has now decided that he wants a one-year "prove it" deal only because nobody else would touch him after that.
But listen to me, John Dorsey, Todd Haley, Dez Bryant, and his agent:
JOSH GORDON AND JARVIS LANDRY ARE BETTER THAN YOU. HALEY RUNS A TIMING OFFENSE. DUKE JOHNSON, ANDRE NJOKU, AND SETH DEVALVE ARE HERE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO PROVE FIGHTING WITH DUKE AND ANDRE FOR CRUMBS HERE!?!
But what do I know?
Well, just note and file this. Let's see what actually happens.
If they don't sign Dez Bryant, we know they're not idiots.
If they do, then I will confirm that they were idiots by about game ten in 2018, and nobody will argue with me.
*disclaimer: Josh Gordon has to play. Sans Gordon, signing Dez Bryant would make marginal sense, sorta...assuming that niether Coleman nor Callaway beats him out...since if they do, Dez won't agree*
John Dorsey: Relax. Take a break. Stand back, and look at what's here, and how these guys are coming together. Relax. Be calm. Take a nap.
Don't fuck this up now. That's why the Chiefs fired you. You couldn't leave well enough alone. You made moves just to make moves. You never left well enough alone.
John Dorsey is brilliant, but hyperactive. That's mostly positive, but here we go with Dez Bryant and Gramps Jones--he just can't stop, ya know?
Note to John Dorsey:
TAKE A PILL. OR A NAP. Meditate. Relax. Don't pull that pin just because you need to fidget ohhmmm...ohmmmm...
It's official: We can ignore most of what Hue Jackson says now. Just assume he says "--has/have a lot of work to do" (and "but") and that's about half of what he says about everybody and everything.
I'll get into "competitive" "working hard" and a half dozen cliches later, but for now let's just say I got an app named Hue.
I'm tempted to delete it, but want to figure out what it's supposed to do first, ya no?
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