Hue Fisher doesn't appreciate Gregg Williams' candor, as Gregg said that Denzel Ward made a stupid mistake in taking down a 255 lb tight end (hurting his back in the process).
This doesn't surprise me. But Gregg is working hard but has a long way to go zzzzzzzz...
See last post: I think it's refreshing to have Gregg Williams come out and knock his players in public. And I'm pretty sure that when it occurs to somebody to ask Ward about it, he'll say "well he was right! I was stupid!"
You think Denzel's tender ego is bruised or something? He cried himself to sleep? Come on Hue, put on your big boy pants!
Myles Garrett overran plays a couple times vs the Bills, and opened up escape routes for McCoy and McCarron. If somebody had asked Gregg the right question, he would have told you what I just did. And Garrett would say "well he's right. I screwed up!"
If a guy can't take constructive criticism, or is easily "shamed" or whatever, he doesn't belong anywhere near the NFL.
It would be different if Gregg Williams had called Ward a dumbass or something, but he never goes ad-hominum like that. If you hear "that was stupid" as "he is stupid", go take a remedial english class.
You watch Hard Knocks and see both Williams and Haley yelling at these guys, and we all get that they're trying to make them better.
Indeed, the more they yell at a guy, the better they generally like him. They see potential, so they spend more effort in correcting mistakes, and teaching them. And the players (like you and I) get this.
Why doesn't Hue issue a gag order on them there? Haven't they said "Get your head out", "that was stupid" etc.?
It's just silly. I'm trying not to pick on Hue, but it gets hard sometimes.
Hue is creating tension and a potential conflict out of thin air here. Gregg Williams won't censor himself--you have to know that. He can get a job anywhere. So now Hue will appear weak to the microbrained masses, as Gregg just kinda ignores him and keeps telling the truth.
Hue just can't get out of his own way! He's 1-31 and ought to censor his own self. If he can just keep his foot out of his mouth this season, he can survive even with a mediocre record (despite the fact that he had little or nothing to do with it).
But he can't even do that right! If gossip writers start yammering about "conflict" and "tension" among the coaches, Haslam will have an excuse to fire Hue after all!
Hey HUE! SHUT UP for your own good!
On a slow news day, I've tried to dig into the left tackle situation. PFF either ignores preseason or lacks sufficient data on Joel Bitonio at his new position, so most of what I have on Joel and Greg Robinson is anecdotal (at least until I can catch a "Film Room" on WFNY on them).
I have a general impression that Bitonio didn't suck vs the Eagles...well any more than everybody else sucked, anyway. So I guess that's going okay.
He practices against Myles Garrett. If Joel didn't have the chops to play that position, Garrett would have exposed him immediately. And remember: Garrett himself said Joel "belonged" there.
So the Browns seem to be okay at left tackle.
Desmond Harrison's rise from undrafted, raw, inexperienced longshot to second-string left tackle has been stunning (even to me), especially when he had to pass up Greg Robinson to get there.
Indeed, they're working Robinson at right tackle now behind Chris Hubbard!
This pre-draft profile on Harrison was perhaps the most optimistic, but describes his physical attributes well. As it turns out, this pundit's optimism was justified.
Desmond is the Josh Gordon (or Antonio Callaway) of left tackles. I guess he was a major pot-head, and blew most of his college carreer "in suspension", as it were.
That's how he started out as a big-time prospect, and wound up at West Georgia pushing the Little Sisters of the Poor around.
John Dorsey isn't like a lot of GMs, though. John is a Flea Market shopper, and (as he did with Callaway) scoops up these "problem children" dirt-cheap based first and foremost on their talent.
As a current poker player and former options trader, I naturally like his style (except the :!@?# Dez Bryant '$@×?? thing dammit).
What's most important about Desmond Harrison is his talent. If he's dumb enough to mess up again, it doesn't matter, because he was kinda "free".
You know, I remember Marty Schottenheimer not drafting Warren Sapp due a pot bust...but I digress:
So far, however, so good. Harrison is passing all his tests, both in cups and on the field.
He's 6'7" and ran a 4.9 40. He weighed in at the Senior Bowl at 279 lbs., and at 290-something at the Combine, but my better sources have him at right around 300 lbs right now.
Harrison is a unique talent. He's two inches taller than Joe Thomas (with commensurate reach), and is just as quick and athletic. The word "freak" is overused, but it verily applies to Desmond Harrison.
Harrison's upside is astronomical.
With a guy that tall and light, you expect him to be vulnerable to bull-rushes, and not to be a good run-blocker early on, which is one of the reasons why I projected him as a project-type (maybe practice squad guy) as a rookie.
But there it is: He's Bitonio's backup already!
He can't have practiced against Myles Garrett much, but he has vs the likes of Nassib, Smith, Orchard, Thomas, Avery, and Kendricks, and obviously held his own.
Avery and Kendricks are 7 inches shorter, and top-notch "speed-to-power" leverage bull-rushers off the edge. Desmond Harrison would not be where he is now if he couldn't handle short guys bull-rushing him.
I have to speculate a little here: Harrison must have a really good "punch" vs those human fire hydrants. He must be knocking them off-balance a little before they can get close to him.
Short guys use all sorts of hand-fighting gimmicks to keep taller guys' hands off them (this is why a lot of teams hire martial arts guys as semi-coaches), but apparently Harrison gets his punches home more often than not.
I once knew a boxer who could kick anybody's ass who wasn't over one inch taller than he was, but never managed to "get to" taller guys who knew what they were doing.
If you can't close with those skyscrapers, you get "death from above". Maybe Desmond Harrison's hands are just as good as his feet!
It's too late to monkey around with the left tackle and guard in 2018 (probably), so here (barring injury) I'm really looking at 2019 and beyond with Harrison.
If you're suddenly bored by that, you're not really a fan.
Anyway, in training camp 2019, Desmond Harrison (assuming he doesn't resume smoking the heathen devil weed/destroyer of youth) will be the favorite at left tackle.
Zeitler will be on the block (Corbett).
Sorry immediate gratification forgive me:
Shon Coleman is in trouble. More educated guessing here, but it seems to me that Greg Robinson is ahead of him on the depth chart now.
Robinson has played every offensive line position in the NFL, and has looked pretty good in preseason so far (including at left tackle).
Shon Coleman is a tackle only, and even at right tackle in 2017 was mediocre.
Some pundit has Spencer Drango on the bubble too. That is possible, but it mainly depends on how many offensive linemen the Browns keep.
A few teams carry only seven active offensive linemen. Others carry nine or ten.
I would carry eight, since the possibility of more than three offensive linemen in one game is infinitesimal.
We know the starters already. My other three would be Harrison, Reiter, and...erumm...yeah Robinson (good luck, Spencer!)
As I've posted several times, the new special teams rules will influence all NFL rosters. Teams will tend to retain more tight ends and defensive ends, and fewer wide receivers and secondary players.
Devon Cajuste has a good shot at the final roster with Seth DeValve (four tight ends).
Who exactly the surplus defensive end(s) will be I'm not sure, but Carl Nassib has a good shot at being one of them.
Carl is another unique player. He's 6'7", and probably over (a lean, muscular) 300 lbs by now, with sub-4.8 speed.
As I've posted before, the fact that Nassib is bigger and taller than everybody else will tempt Gregg Williams to keep him around.
Football is all about matchups. Gregg Williams is first and foremost unpredictable and innovative.
All his other defensive ends are under 6'5" and 285 lbs. He can do a lot with them, of course, since they can all be "attack" 3-4 defensive ends as well.
But Nassib should be able to play a conventional two-gap 4-3 defensive end role, as well as overmatch certain guards he sees on the schedule inside (athletic guys who can handle quick-twitch smaller guys but not big guys with a big reach-advantage, see?)
Nate Orchard is in trouble. In earlier posts, I said he had a good shot at the final roster due to his versatility and passrushing ability, but the numbers aren't adding up for him anymore.
In addition to Nassib (Smith/Thomas) at defensive end, there's now Kendricks and Avery at linebacker.
It sucks, because Nate Orchard is a pretty damn good football player.
John Dorsey will try to trade Orchard and other good players ahead of the cuts, but probably won't succeed.
He'll be cutting linebackers, wide receivers, running backs, defensive ends, and defensive backs who belong in the NFL; some of whome are future starters:
Matthew Dayes is one example. Remember this: Dayes will be on your fantasy football maps shortly, and for a long time (if he holds up).
This is a FACT: NFL General Managers can't wait for a bunch of the guys that John Dorsey will have to cut loose this saturday.
There is a surplus of talent on the 2018 Browns' roster, at nearly every position.
Most of you have gone through this preseason optimism and real game disappointment for most of two decades, and I get that.
But it's irrelevant. Talent plus coaching equals winning. No unicorns here--the 2018 Browns have the talent and the coaching. The rest is irrational superstition.
The Steelers are still an elite team. The perennially-overrated Ravens have brought in a bunch of talent. The Browns schedule is tough, and the offense isn't integrated or stabilized yet
Still, if you took the "under" win-loss prop bet on the 2018 Browns, you are a low-grade moron.
What's up with you? Todd Haley took a "stupid pill" when he signed his contract? Gregg Wiliams is "over the hill" after one mediocre season? Tyrod Taylor will manage to get worse here than he was in Buffalo? Gordon will crap out (and take Landry with him) are you out of your gdamn mind!?!
Most of the real pros and (credible) punditry are upbeat on the Browns in 2018, but I check out the unwashed mass comments on these articles, and find a minority of entrenched permabashers saying stuff like this:
"Gordon will be off the team by game three".
"Quit babying this guy! I'm sick of this shit!"
"Landry can't catch a pass over ten yards. Dorsey is an idiot".
"We could have had Allen and we picked this midget?"
"3-13".
"Njoku can't catch a cold".
"Same old Browns."
When I was a kid, I was stupid and ignorant, but I'm proud to tell you I was NEVER THAT bad!
I do feel good about my team's overall fan-base, as most of you seem to have three-digit IQ's, and have proven capable of using your brains for their intended functions.
I guess the majority opinion amongst you is that the Browns should win six or seven games in 2018.
Considering the facts that Marvin Lewis remains in Cinci, the Browns are a lot more talented than the perennially-overrated Ravens---along with the Saints and almost every other team they will face--including the Steelers--and the Browns three coordinators---I'm more optimistic than most of you guys are.
That's cool. I know after you've been disappointed for 18 years or so, it's hard to imagine more than 6-10.
But I was trained to think with my brain, so I expect at least 8-8. At least we can have a debate about it. At least you have homo sapiens brains.
Permabashers are mentally ill, not to mention irrationlal. You can't reason with them.
These people bash Mary Kay Cabbott, Tony Grossi, and everybody else who reports anything accidentally positive about the Browns.
Nevermind/sorry. I'm just glad to feel like most of you guys have a clue for the first time in a long time.
...ok well I guess I've always been optimistic, and have a hideous track history. I've been proven wrong in wins/losses every year since the Browns "re-birth" (with 3 exceptions).
Okay this is for my next post: I had REASONS for my perennial optimism. I screwed up overestimating coaches and quarterbacks, mostly...
If Dorsey ran those offenses and Williams ran those defenses...well I'll save this for the trial okbye
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