A Slow News Day and Browns Offensive Tackles and what Todd Did to Them

I've run out of Browns stuff to talk about, but Dan Justik brought up Chris Hubbard's likely future, and gave me some ammo.

Dan addresses the cap issues, and how Hubbard (and Harrison) have underperformed on the edges in 2018.  I of course agree with everything Dan says.

I have to bring a few things up in defense of both these guys, however:

1: Harrison's excuse is built-in.  He was signed and then promoted based exclusively on his rare athleticism.  He played comparatively little in college, and that at a low level of competition.  He's very much a work in progress.

2: Todd Haley's offense jammed up the tackles as much as it jammed up Baker Mayfield.

First, most pass-plays were from seven-step territory.  It's actually easier for offensive tackles to protect a quarterback three or five steps deep, because edge-rushers can't get "set them up" for countermoves as easily, and the tackle has much less ground to cover.

Second, the seven-step area is for deeper passes, and the receivers take more time to "uncover".

Third (redundancy alert), I'm not sure if Todd Haley called any bootlegs at all, and I know he was light on run-pass and read-options, too.

Offensive linemen all love this stuff, because it screws up passrushers who are coming out of the blocks aiming at a pocket that's not going to be there for bootlegs, and because they get to attack the defensive line instead of backing up with RPOs and Read-options.

Going a tad deeper, once defensive coordinators figured Haley's predictable tendancies out, they were able to "streamline" and narrow their preparations for it.

As you saw, the Browns gave the first three teams they played hell, and then middling opposing defenses started looking like the fkng Steel Curtain (until after Haley was fired).

Todd Haley's offense pretty much guaranteed that any offensive tackle not named Joe Thomas wasn't going to prosper.

Having said that, Dan is still right:  Hubbard is being paid more than he is worth, and Dorsey made a mistake paying him that much.

If Hubbard made less money, maybe they keep him.  But as it is, almost certainly not.

Dan says that the 2019 Browns might need to find a new right tackle, but tyat guy might already be on the roster:

Greg Robinson played well at left tackle vs the Chiefs in relief of Des Harrison, and might start vs the Falcons based on that.

Greg Robinson was drafted high in the first round to play left tackle in the NFL.  Sure, he was a bust there, so far, but he might have turned a corner now (or not).

Anyway, Robinson has a LOT more starting experience than Hubbard (at various positions), and is now being paid peanuts by the Browns.

The plan here is for Des Harrison to develop into an upper-echelon left tackle.  Greg Robinson is, for the moment, an obvious possible starting right tackle in 2019.

Another possibility is Rodney Corbettfield.  Austin Corbett didn't pan out at left tackle in his rookie preseason, but that doesn't mean he can't play right tackle in season two.

That's complicated, of course.  JC Tretter's injuries are making Dorsey nervous, and Corbett is a strong candidate to take over at center (where he would probably be better than he would be outside).

Josh Edwards as you know is not my favorite analyst, but was the only member of the OBR staff who predicted a Browns' win over the Falcons tomorrow.

The rest of them predicted narrow losses in a shootout.

I myself expect a loss, and don't hold Josh in high esteem as an analyst, but he is 5-2-1 in his predictions.

Joe Schobert and Damarius Randall will be back. The "Williams/Kitchens" era enters it's second week.  Rashard Higgins too.  Callaway caught two passes in a row last week, Perriman showed up, and Rodney Ratleyfield is probably better than Callaway.

The Falcons' offense is all that.  But the Ravens' defense is just okay.  And Mayfield and company are "unchained" now that their oppressors are gone.

The keys to the game:

1: RUN RUN RUN (and keep Ryan and co off the field).

2: Blow Ryan (and his running game) up.  

3: Let Baker be Baker DUUUHHH.

I herebye predict that the Browns will win if they score more points than the Falcons, and you can take that to the bank.