One of the guys that John Dorsey wants to make sure can't make the final roster is WR Derrick Willies (a guy I'd never heard of before he caught two Baker Mayfield touchdown passes vs Buffalo).
Both passes were cancelled by the referees (I guess one might have been ruled out of bounds), but obviously that put this guy on my radar.
Willies remains a longshot to make the team as an undrafted free agent, but certainly has the physical talent to succeed in the NFL. He's over 6'3", and his real weight should be at least 215 lbs (he's been listed everywhere from 207 to 222 lbs).
A 5.52 40 actually isn't bad for a guy that size, and his agility drills were all terrific.
So what's wrong with this guy? He never did much in college; he "under-achieved". Also (possibly related), he dropped passes. Willies wasn't even invited to the Combine, which is why we never heard of him.
In some respects, Willies looks like Damion Ratley on-paper, but Ratley at least had more reliable hands, and blistering front-end speed.
Now, Gil Brandt insists that "bad hands" can be improved with dedicated practice and training, and Willies hands seemed fine vs the Bills.
One preseason game doesn't mean much. Too often, we've seen a guy look great and then drop everything thrown to him the following week, but for the moment I have added him to the guys I would prefer over Dez Bryant list.
I won't bother digging into Texas Tech's offense or quarterback to figure out why Willies underachieved, but with wide receivers, it often isn't all their fault.
Certainly, Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback he's ever had, and that could describe one of Willies' problems.
I always root for underdawgs, so I hope Willies doesn't start dropping passes again. If he doesn't, he should survive somewhere in the NFL, partly because he has great upside.
But that's the (nice) problem: the Browns have too many wide receivers. There's Ratley, of course, then CJ Board, Willies, Jeff Janis, and...jeez who are D'Mari Scott wait (I blinked) and Blake Jackson, and of course converted safety Evan Berry...
Berry is another interesting guy who John Dorsey wants to get rid of.
Quick review: Gordon Landry Higgins Callaway should all be "in" for sure, and I figure Ratley will make it, so even without screwing this up by signing Dez Bryant (or any other wide receiver), a maximum of three of these guys can make it (more likely two; with one or both on the practice squad).
Like Jeff Janis, Evan Berry has an edge on special teams, as both a returner, and on every coverage unit. He can't be expected to do much at wide receiver in 2018 (per Terry Pluto that will take several years chuh).
I always root for the younger guy (who will get better) over the seasoned veteran, but talking like Jeff Janis sucks (like his whole history with Green Bay is out the window) based on one bad play in a preseason game is ignorant and unfair.
Jarvis Landry figures Josh Gordon will be ready to rock vs the Steelers in game one. Yes, it's true, Terry! Jarvis implies that Josh remembers how to run around and catch balls, even after all these weeks off!
Duh (Landry must be rolling his eyes at having to answer these dumb questions--I mean, why tf wouldn't he be ready almost three weeks from now?)
Terry Pluto wrote another solid article, but almost immediately required a correction:
Tyrod Taylor has been throwing more deep balls than at any time in his carreer thoughout training camp. He almost has to with Gordon, Ratley, Callaway, Njoku, and DeValve on this roster.
He's more than the game manager he was compelled to be up to this point.
He can trust these guys, so he will make those throws now.
Terry is right that Tyrod throws it away or runs rather than risk "stick"-throws into tight windows, but that's fine with Todd Haley.
That type of throw, however, isn't the same as a vertical over-the-shoulder pass downfield. Tyrod can trust Gordon or Njoku to win 50/50's or prevent interceptions, and Callaway to get and keep separation. Haley will call these throws to balance out this run-first offense, and Tyrod will make them because he now has the weapons who won't blow it.
I didn't see the actual Bills game, but did watch a replay of Jarvis Landry's "dirty" block which helped spring Carlos Hyde for a touchdown.
The kneejerk reaction of a Browns fan is to automatically defend "our" player. After watching that tape, and trying (unsuccessfully) to go frame-by-frame, I lean towards calling that a just plain great block.
Both his feet are on the ground, he used his left shoulder (kept his helmet out of it), and just lowered da boom.
I can see where Bills fans could say that Landry was aiming at the guy's head, but the Bills player was lowering his own head because he saw Landry coming, and we reflexively "turtle down" in those situations.
Taron Johnson (the "victim" himself) doesn't have an issue with Landry or the block.
Taron's a rookie, but the players who bashed Landry remember Landry blasting the hell out of Bills players as a Miami Dolphin, and really just hate the guy.
And yes, they sound like crybabies. Yes, we want to cut down on concussions and stuff, but these guys are trying to sissify the game.
Landry is supposed to slow down and just sort of "screen" Johnson out? Really?
Hitting is part of football! It's not just about technique and stuff, but about intimidation and battering too! That's why we love the game!
I know the referees were listening, and will now probably start flagging Jarvis and other offensive players for "hitting the other playerth too hard". Gee thanth you guyth!
I'm gladder than ever that Landry is here. All the other wide receivers are really working hard on their blocking to keep up with him, and it will make a much bigger overall difference than most fans realize.
Johnson has the speed to catch Hyde before he reaches the goal line, and was blitzing, with nobody else in his way.
Other wide receiver blocks turn four yard gains into 20-yard gains, and 20 yard gains into touchdowns.
More than that, opposing defenses need to know that all TEN non-quarterbacks on the Browns offense are junk-yard dawgs.
That's football. If you like tennis, or the ballet, that's up to you. But quit confusing those with football.
A guy like Landry inspires everybody to work harder, and sell out to help their team. I criticized Dorsey for signing Landry when we already had Duke Johnson, but I was wrong.
This guy will elevate the whole offense. Everybody wants to be as "bad" and tough as he is.
Don't call him "sir". He works for a living.
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