He asks if the 2018 Browns are becoming overrated. Good question, since the offensive system, quarterback, and the majority of the other offensive players are new, and there are bound to be some hiccups early-on.
This guy brings up who the Head
But if you check my last few posts, you see him tossing monkey wrenches into everything he sees; he will find ways to mess Todd Haley and the other coaches up.
But then this writer goes overboard: Here we go with this depth crap again!
Because the second and third team defenses got toasted sometimes in preseason?
With the exception of game three (and even there sometimes only the first half), many (if not most) coaches use these games like scrimmages to test their players.
They'll put zone guys in man and man guys in zone. They'll experiment with rookies at safety, see if defensive ends can cover, etc etc etc.
If you base your estimation of a team's depth solely on preseason, you'll be wrong more often than right, because you're looking at a lot of first and second year players, and other guys who won't make the team at all.
I can't find a lack of depth at any position-group on this roster. In fact, this team is exceptionally deep.
I won't bother going from position-to-position, but just ask you to look at the depth chart for yourself:
EJ Gaines, Denzel Rice, and Travis Carrie were all former starters at cornerback...good ones. They're backups here!
ALL the defensive tackles are former starters, as are all but one defensive end...where on this team can you find a lack of depth? Long-snapper? Punter?
This writer points out that "injuries happen", and I wonder who he thinks his readers are.
I feel bad for the guy. He's asking us to temper our enthusiam because if Mitchell or Ward go down, the Browns will be stuck with Gaines, Rice, Carey or Calhoun oh heaven forfend!
I can't keep doing this. It would be sadistic. But this is a bad analyst.
Dan Justik (also a Dawg Pound Daily contributor) is a good analyst, as he takes a close look at the 2018 Browns defense, and how good it might be.
To a permabasher, he sounds like a "cheerleader", but to homo sapiens, he just goes player-by-player and group-by-group and makes pretty much irrefutable statements about them, and (gee sorry) it is mostly positive.
I like that he points out that Ogbah got four sacks in ten games in 2017. This extrapolates to 6.4 over 16, and he didn't have Garrett's help most of that time.
Ogbah himself is only in his third season; is still an ascending player. As Dan suggests, Ogbah is fully capable of double-digit sacks in 2018 opposite a healthy Garrett and underneath obviously upgraded coverage.
Dan covered the starters, but didn't even mention Genard Avery or Odenigbo.
One or both of these guys will show up in every third and long group. One could even replace Ogbah.
...ok we're talking dime defenses here, with one of the "back end" guys really being a semi-linebacker--but anyway the front seven is now a front five.
Kirksey is gone here. Possibly Schobert.
Anyway, the way Gregg Williams does things, there WILL be at least a four-man passrush (this is why his safetybacker is so important). Four of his front five will rush the passer. More often than not, the fifth passrusher is a secondary player, rather than a real linebacker.
Odenigbo and Avery are first and foremost passrushers. Avery is a stand-up edge-rusher, while Odenigbo can line up inside or on the edge (anywhere) with his hand in the dirt.
I can't see pulling Garrett out of this package. He'll probably get his breaks on obvious runs. Ogbah is a stud vs the run, so he might make room for Avery and Odenigbo in these situations (you do need to let these guys suck some oxygen here and there).
This is a Gregg Williams thing: Avery will stand up, but can do it inside or outside. Odenigbo will put his hand in the dirt, but that could be anywhere too. You know they're both coming, but not until the ball is snapped do you know from where.
Ditto Myles Garrett, by the way.
Jamie Collins is a variable in this: if there's a passcatching tight end, he's in coverage. If there isn't a tight end, he might get a breather too (but then HE can rush the passer too from down or up, so you never know).
Dan didn't cover these guys, or Carl Davis, or Lawrence Devaroe, who are kind of counterparts to the aforementioned two passrushers; these are run-stuffers.
Well actually Devaroe is like Ogunjobi/Coley; it's probobly why they let Meder go.
But Carl Davis is just a big monster. Davis can line up at defensive tackle, nose tackle, or 3-4 DE. He will do ALL that for Gregg Williams in 2018.
I hate to go back and kick this puppy again, but I can't avoid it: Odenigbo and Davis were respectable starters, and even the clueless are starting to acknowlege Avery's existance now lack of depth? Really?
I know that I could have fun talking to Dan Justik, but would have to resume my blogging to avoid the previous nameless writer I mentioned after a few words.
I run into that a lot. I run into other Browns fans, and quickly find out I know more about the team and players than the other person does.
I get stuff like "but what about Njoku's hands?", "Taylor is a game-manager", "Desmond who?", etc. That used to put me in "lecture"-mode, but after the first ten or so times they changed the subject on me (repeatedly) or found somebody else to talk to, I realized I had Browns OCD.
That's why I started this Blog. I get it all out of my system without alienating or boring everybody around me.
Since I now play Fantasy on Draft Kings, I can talk to fans of every NFL team. Unfortunately, it only takes a few minutes longer til I'm lecturing them on their team, too.
Nowadays, I can argue with other fantasy guys, and never go to lecture-mode, or alienate or bore them.
...anyway I know I could actually argue with Dan Justik or Randy Gurzi (or Terry Pluto or Grossi or Mary Kay or Peter Smith or Bob Evans) about the Browns, but other than those and a few others, I'm all by myself out here on the road.
Even Pluto would go to the Cavs or Indians right away (and not drink nearly as much beer either).
It's lonely at the top.
But I digress:
1: Desmond Harrison should start at left tackle, and Bitonio at left guard, NOW.
2: Hue sucks.
3: If the Browns don't beat the Steelers in their home opener, it will be because of the referees, or Hue Jackson, or some combination of both.
4: See "1".
No comments:
Post a Comment