Saturday, March 16, 2019

Duke Johnson, Hunt, Bad Analysis, Ogbah, and the Browns

Randy Gurzi documents Colon Cowherd's ongoing Browns-bashing campaign.

Honestly, I agree with about 12.5% of what he said, considering Baker Mayfield's taunting and insulting Hue Jackson, and the immaturity of OBJ, but the rest is delusional crap.

Freddie Kitchens is a "puppet" now?  Wow, that's Olympic-caliber conclusion-leaping there!

Colon just makes stuff up!  He needs to get back on his meds!  I remember the guy saying how all the Browns' interest in (the "undraftable") Mayfield ahead of the draft was faked, since obviously they wanted Sam Drnold instead.

I think the guy can't stand being proven wrong, either:

First, Dorsey goes ahead and drafts Mayfield.  In Colon's expert opinion, that was crazy.

Second, Mayfield sets a bunch of rookie quarterback records in only 13 1/2 games.  Colon has it all over his face, but instead of just admitting it, he changes his angle and attacks something else.

And this "puppet" stuff! Well, Kitchens went from running game coordinator to offensive coordinator to Head Coach in half a season, so in Colon's alleged mind, the only possible reason is because Dorsey wants somebody he can push around!

How does that work? Dorsey dictates the game plans, or just who starts?  Did Dorsey use three tight ends and the Wishbone?  Must have been Dorsey, right?

It couldn't possibly be that Freddie Kitchens is just that good!

This is how blockheads think:

You have to "pay your dues" and work your way up the ladder.  This is the only way.

A quarterback has to be 6'2" or taller, with a squeaky-clean record, and gentlemanly on the field decorum at all times.

You can't sign a Kareem Hunt, no matter how cheap he is.  Let somebody else sign him.  Like the Steelers or Ravens.

You can't trade for an OBJ for any price, no matter what.

If Colon Cowherd were a GM, John Dorsey would want him in the AFC North.

I do have some concerns about stupid twitter-wars and childish sideline displays, but to listen to Colon, the Browns will be an asylum.

Well I guess extremism gets audience, so Colon is just the guy who hits 50 homers and strikes out 125 times, ya no?

In case you haven't seen it yet, this fan's hype video is really well-done!  

Bucky Brooks says that the Cleveland Browns are following the same blueprint that the Eagles and Rams used: surrounding a rookie Quarterback with as much talent as possible as quickly as possible (while they can afford it).

It got the Eagles a Lombardi Trophy.  The Rams didn't make it (due to some horrific officiating), but were a dominating team.

I read an earlier "You can't buy a championship" article (yawn) warning John Dorsey and stuff.  The Redskins (with RG3) were one of the teams cited.

This article was stupid.  The Redskins coughed up THREE first round draft picks and a second-rounder to move up to #2 overall and draft Rg3.

The Skins had to hit free agency hard.  RG3 had a great rookie season, then got injured, then crapped out.

There is no similarity to the current Browns situation whatsoever.  Mayfield isn't a rookie, the core of the team was here even before Dorsey arrived, and the Browns still have most of their draft picks.

And anyway, the Redskins failed because of that idiotic trade.

Speaking of trades, Kyle Kelly lists four potential suitors for Duke Johnson, and they all make a ton of sense.  I strongly suspect that Kyle nailed it.  I'd be very surprised if all four of the teams he listed (Falcons/Jags/Eagles/Colts) haven't all been talking to Dorsey about Duke.

Kyle misses Duke's ability to line up at wide receiver and catch passes (he kept saying "out of the backfield"), and that's one of Duke's strongest selling-points.

There are no doubt several other teams that will be sniffing around because of it.  Duke is a bargain at his current salary, and teams lacking WR depth will see that he never drops a pass.

The Browns have Nick Chubb now, and are eyeball-deep in wide receivers, but on some weaker rosters, Duke Johnson might play on over 50 snaps a game (not as the "bell-cow", but as the swiss army knife).

Duke has real value.  John Dorsey is waiting for some other GM to admit it, and pay up (at least a third rounder.  Or a defensive player.)

I hate to redundationalize yet again here, but Rodney Hilliardfield proved a lot as a rookie in preseason, outperforming his scouting reports by catching passes and being more elusive than advertized.

He was unmistakably tested in Duke Johnson's role, and unmistakably passed that test.  But of course, he was a rookie, and Duke is Duke, so he was rarely used (except on special teams) during the regular season.

For the Memorex Morons, he fell off the edge of the Earth (right behind Austin Corbett).

But actually, Hilliard should return in 2019 at around 210 lbs, and should progress as a blocker and receiver in his inevitable sophomore leap.

While Hilliard can't do what Nick Chubb does, big one-cut running backs are far from rare, and Dorsey won't sweat Duke's absence.

As for Kareem Hunt, John Dorsey will probably try to extend his contract through 2020 before he takes the field in game 9 2019.

At first glance, this looks unlikely (unless Dorsey overpays), but the fact that Nick Chubb is the top dog here means that Hunt might not play much.

Hunt could enter free agency with a lot less leverage than he expects to have.  That video made him "untouchable" for some teams, and will haunt him in every negotiation for the balance of his carreer.

And of course, there would be more to this new contract:

1: Dorsey makes it clear to the player and his agent that he plans to trade Hunt.  He is offering more money than Hunt is likeley to get on the open market, and can guarantee that whoever trades for him will make him their bellcow.

2: If Hunt signs the extention, he will get paid moe munnah right NOW.

3: If Hunt signs the extention, Dorsey will ask Freddie Kitchens to use him more, so he can "show-case" himself for other teams (SHHH! Don't tell Colon!!!)

Hunt's agent will know that the trade-price for any team trading for Hunt would be high enough that that team would want to lock the player up for awhile, so he can bring his gun, ski-mask, and Brinks truck.

Dorsey will try this, anyway, but might get turned down.  Anyway I still can't get through to him for some reason so one of you guys tell him to do this ok?

But for 2019?  Ohhh man are you kidding me?!?  

Nick Chubb gets a boo-boo? Who cares? 

And it's Freddie Kitchens!  My God he'll have OBJ, Landry, Njoku, Chubb and Hunt (not to mention Callaway) all at the same time!  With Baker Mayfield under center, it could get all historical up in here!!!

I'm a geezer, so I remember Mack and Byner.

Marty ran a 2-back, and Earnest Byner was often Kevin Mack's lead-blocker.  That says a lot about Byner, because he was under 210 lbs and Mack was over 230 (and faster too).

Byner was also a prolific receiver out of the backfield in Lindy Infante's "long hand-off" (read 3-yard dump-pass) offense.

If Haley were still here...nevermind.  But with Freddie Kitchens?  Freddie WILL use both these guys, and it can be even deadlier in today's NFL.

BOTH running backs are up near 230 lbs, and are accomplished receivers (Kevin Mack rarely caught pass).  Beyond that, both can (at least) line up in the slot as well (Byner never did).

After game 8 in 2019, Freddie Kitchens can open up a can of whupass such as the NFL has never seen (mainly because Freddie Kitchens is in charge now.  MOST Head Coaches would have either Chubb or Hunt on the bench on every down).

Hunt/Chubb is unsustainable, but they have an 8-game window with two top-five running backs.

With Baker Mayfield at Quarterback, how do you stop this?  The Cliff Notes answer is, you can't.

The 2019 Browns should easily be at least 5-3 through the first 8 games.  At that point, Kareem Hunt comes back on-line, and (again due to Kitchens and Mayfield) they can plow every defense in the NFL under.

Do you get this? Chubb/Hunt/Njoku DEMAND a base 3-4 or 4-3.  That's four defensive backs to cover Landry, OBJ, and Njoku (nobody will try a linebacker anymore).

Here goes Hunt to the slot...good luck with that!  And now your "big" people are...nevermind but you can't stack the box, and if you blitze, you'd better damn well...

Nevermind.  I'm into the weeds here.

I await further moves by John Dorsey, but for now, both the run defense and passrush have been upgraded significantly.

This getting rid of Ogbah mania is irrational.  I guess pundits ass ume that since John Dorsey didn't personally draft him, he is compelled to get rid of him.

(Never ASSUME, because you might make an ass of Y O U R S E L F.)

Ogbah is quality depth at a dirt-cheap price...so let's get a 5th round pick for him?

Wow...

Say...Dorsey didn't draft Njoku, Bitonio, Tretter, Schobert, etc either, so let's trade them too, right?

You peo











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