1: Sashi Brown draft pick Jabrill Peppers has emerged in his SECOND NFL season, and this is beginning to dawn on non-me pundits of late.
Gee I thought Peppers was a BUST (not).
The late-comers to the Peppers party comprehend that he is a better strong safety than free safety (for now, anyway), but not the fact that he's not just a strong safety in this Gregg Williams defense.
Gregg Williams no doubt lobbied for Peppers in the 2017 draft because John Harbaugh used him as a linebacker/safety hybrid---exactly fitting the profile of a Gregg Williams-specific niche-player.
Screw 2017. Gregg had Derrick Kindred, and no real free safety. Peppers had the athletic tools to play free safety, so Gregg--sans alternatives--tried him there.
That didn't work, but get over it.
NOW, Jabrill Peppers is playing roughly the same role he played in college; NOT "strong safety" DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Peppers is a run-and-hit guy. He can man up on tight ends, but not on shifty running backs.
Peppers has an exceptional size-speed ratio, good instincts, and...well he's really just kind of...maybe the fastest linebacker you've ever seen.
In today's NFL, the base defenses are nickels and dimes (see previous posts...if you need to...you really shouldn't...nevermind)
Jabrill Peppers replaces a linebacker in nickel and dime defenses (as well as playing strong safety in the occasionally-used 4-3 base defense).
This gets contemplated, but you need to trust me on this one: Jabrill Peppers racing around all over the field 85+% of the time is a GOOD thing, and it doesn't matter what label you put on him.
Jabrill Peppers "slid" in the 2017 draft (after being initially projected as a top 10 pick) because:
1: He didn't get interceptions, or otherwise make big plays. He was a great athlete (and a great special teamer), but (aside from that) not a "playmaker".
2: He didn't have a clear role. Was he a linebacker? A strong safety?
Rodney Sashifield drafted him low in the first round after trading down from Saint Wentz (Peppers was one of a BUNCH of proceeds off that trade).
We can argue about not drafting Wentz or Jackson or Mahomes (err...not drafting Mahomes looks idiotic, even now)...
But all that was Sashi Brown, and John Dorsey drafted both Mahomes and Mayfield.
You people need to give Rodney Brownfield his props. Sashi Brown built the core of this team.
The Browns might just have the best interior offensive line in the NFL.
Njoku is evolving as a receiver, but is also becoming a good in-line BLOCKER. I mean, a REAL tight end!
Garrett is obvious, but how 'bout Ogunjobi?
Then there's Field Marshall Joe Schobert.
Don't dismiss Higgins or Jamie Collins, either. Trevon Coley hasn't been "all that" in 2018, but Gregg Williams still starts him.
Brien Boddy Calhoun has had a crappy season thus far, but if you write his 2016-2017 seasons off, you're mentally impaired. The least Calhoun is now is quality depth at cornerback and free safety.
John Dorsey has obviously upgraded everything massively, but Denzel Ward (for one) was a draft pick he got from Sashi Brown.
Baker Mayfield first overall was (to me) a no-brainer for Dorsey. Those who say that Dorsey could have drafted Mayfield 4th overall are idiots.
First, idiocy and artificial hype aside, Baker Mayfield was obviously the best quarterback in this draft class, because intelligence and accuracy (not to mention leadership) outweighs height, and...
Jeez wtf is WRONG with you people!??
Sashi Brown (probably due to Hue Jackson's contractually dictated veto power) traded down and let John Dorsey draft this chump named Mahomes.
First off, I saw Mahomes as the obvious pick (as I posted).
But nooo...
Fortunately, it worked out. The same guy who traded up for Mahomes came to Cleveland and drafted Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield vs Mahomes will be a debate for the next decade or so.
Mahomes is bigger and stronger (but screw the combine results: He's not faster in real games).
Mahomes has a stronger arm, and can do more damage throwing off-balance "all-arm", but Baker is more accurate.
I'm not saying that Baker Mayfield is better than Patrick Mahomes. I'm only saying that Sashi Brown should have drafted Mahomes (like I advised him to---damn that commications glitch)...
But it worked out. Baker Mayfield can toe the line with Patrick Mahomes (as he did in college), and the reason he left Texas Tech.
Baker Mayfield walked on at Oklahoma because Patrick Mahomes was about to take his job at Texas Tech.
Nothing against Mahomes here: He just did his best, and was deemed better than Mayfield (no research here; did Texas Tech want a dual threat? Seems likely.)
Anyway, Baker didn't take it personally, as he considers Mahomes a "freind".
But Baker couldn't accept being a backup, and he stepped UP to the highest level of competition when he left Texas Tech for Oklahoma.
He never looked back. He duked it out with Mahomes later on, and Mayfield threw for 545 yards and 7 touchdowns.
... but Mahomes set an NCAA record with 888 yards!
Joe Mixon (now with the Bengals) racked up 263 rushing and 114 receiving yards for the Sooners in that game.
Baker Mayfield's Sooners won, despite Mayfeld's paltry 545 passing yards. I don't think Baker will throw for 545 yards this sunday, but Nick Chubb might run for 263😁
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