Thursday, March 7, 2019

John Dorsey in Pursuit of Tyrann Mathieau! Honest! Per SOURCES

How most rumors start:

A guy like me (except not as smart or as humble) says that it would be a good idea if John Dorsey offered a couple players to the Giants for OBJ.

Somebody with a prettier resume and better connections reads this, and as usual pretends it's his idea.  He spices it up a little by naming Zeitler (since Dorsey drafted Corbett), and says "according to sources".

Browns players read this and go nuts on Twitter (especially Landry...something wrong with that guy...)

Gettleman didn't say anything.  Dorsey didn't say anything.  But here we go: John Dorsey offered Zeitler, Ogbah, and another player, and Gettleman "laughed" at the offer. (Oh yeah Giants Beat writer guessing reporting that.)

Probably not.  

It is something Dorsey might try, so I can't dismiss it, but man: Do you see how many people are accepting this whole story as fact?  This should scare the hell out of you!

Tyrell Williams is a likely free agent target for the Browns, who could use one extra-tall, fast outside receiver, but DO NOT NEED A FOURTH SLOT RECEIVER DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

And the Browns have a good chance of landing him, because he saw what Monken did in Tampa Bay last season, and what Baker Mayfield is all about.

The Raiders are also no doubt after him, but Gruden is a West Coast offense guy.  Williams could function in that scheme, but could prosper in Monkens' vertical scheme (especially with Landry to take heat off him).

9-12 mil/year over 3 seasons is the estimate of what Williams would cost...

That's probably what Perriman's agent (Drew Rosenhaus) is demanding.  Like he did with Terrelle Pryor...

At least Pryor had one complete, pretty good season.  Perriman needs to get real, or he'll blow this. In half a season, he hasn't quite proven that he is a superstar after three years of bust-dom just yet.

Ok let's see if this turns into a rumor:

Tyrann-Mathieu is a free agent who John Dorsey might go after.  The Honey Badger was a cornerback in college, but the Texans turned the little (5'9") shrimp into a safety, and it worked.

(Interestingly, the backup Browns free safety last season was microbe Briean Boddy-Calhoun, so there is a clear trend towards free safeties with odd names in the NFL).

Anyway, Mathieau wouldn't be here as a safety, but just as a utility defensive back.

He fits the Wilks coverage scheme perfectly, as he excels in off-man and zone coverage.  He's an opportunist who jumps routes and gets turnovers, and he tackles well.

The market for cornerbacks this season will be depressed due to a ton of draftable talent, and a heavy bias towards taller guys.  Dorsey could lock Mathieau up affordably, and enhance depth at every back end position except strong safety with a savvy, seasoned veteran.

He's not an ideal press/man starter outside, but Wilks, as I've repeatedly repeated, doesn't require those guys in his scheme.  Wilks would simply love to have Tyrann around to fill in and play in most nickels and every dime.

Now let's see if, by monday, there's a rumor that John Dorsey is about to sign Tyrann Mathieau...according to "league sources".

If so, now you people know I'm a league source -blush-blush-

This overly Packers-centric article asserts that the Pack should try to trade for Browns guard Kevin Zeitler, since Dorsey might have him on the block due to his pick Austin Corbett.

Everything this guy wrote made sense until the writer says that the Packers might consider offering as much as their third round pick for a top five overall and top three pass-protecting guard with three years left on his contract in his prime.

You will never catch me doing this.  When I consider a potential trade, I consider it from both sides.

This (otherwise smart) Packers writer assumes that Dorsey wants to get rid of Zeitler so bad that he'll take chump-change for him.

My fellow Browns fans instantly see how dumb this is.  It's like me saying that the Packers second-round pick would be a good starting point for Zeitler...which...actually is about right!

Never assume leverage not in evidence, whoever you root for.  

Gotta toss this in here: Reggie Bush is a smart guy.  He thinks the Browns should win the AFC North in 2019.  If you read this Blog, you know why, but I'm pretty sure that Reggie Bush is not one of my Intellectual-Property (scumbag) raiders.

Scott Petrak reports that Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson is coming for a visit, and this is not a rumor (how refreshing!!!)

Johnson was a stud first round pick, but (per Scott) has kept getting injured so far, and is getting dumped because he'd cost the Texans 9 mil against their cap.

This is a Depodesta Dorsey thing: Johnson has almost zero leverage, and (especially in this market) will have to sign for peanuts.

But he was a first round pick for reasons, and if his injuries haven't undermined him physically, and he can remain healthy for once, he has a very high cieling.

By the way, did you know that "Buy low, sell high" is moneyball analytics?  Anybody home?

Terry Pluto "scribbled" a near masterpiece this time, as he addressed the available free agent linebackers in depth.

Unfortunately, Terry tells us to "keep an eye on" KC's 30 year old OLB Justin Houston because he's a scary passrusher.

G E N A R D  A V E R Y.   FOUR-THREE.  STEVE WILKS WHY CAN'T YOU U N D E R S T A N D?

Justin Houston is actually a good all-around linebacker who should be cheap, so Dorsey might sign him...but why are these pundits prioritizing...

You guys don't need to hear this, but suffice it to say that much of what you read (elsewhere) is clueless bullcrap...

Okbye.

This just in: Blind squirrel Jeff Risdon says that under Steve Wilks, Jabrill Peppers and Derrick Kindred should play more, along with Rodney Averyfield, and Jamie Collins may not be "replaced" at all.

Of course, Jeff has a much, much higher opinion of Christian Kirksey than PFF has, and assumes that Dorsey won't try to upgrade linebacker at all, but...

Well Jeff was more than half-right this time.

That's progress!




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