Scott Patsco listed his Browns' camp Winners and Losers, and it was pretty good.
Jermaine Whitehead is, of course, the first guy Scott lists. I've already talked about Whitehead myself.
Scott calls the concept of voluntary practice a loser, because this is when Coaches install their plays, and buttheads like OBJ and Ebineezer Bell who skip them fall behind their new teams.
The backup wide receivers and Dontrell Hilliard are indeed big winners (see last post). Landry is injured (allegedly), OBJ is too much a flake to show up, and Duke is boycotting.
Baker is making all of the backups look good, and giving them chances to show the Coaches why they belong on this team. It's a beautiful thing, really.
Scott says that Higgins has been the best of the rest, which isn't a big surprise.
Hilliard is a different story. He has been proving what I have been telling you for a year or so: Dontrell Hilliard can do everything Duke Johnson does. That's just a fact.
It doesn't matter that Freddie Kitchens wants to keep Duke. He wants to keep EVERYBODY, including Hilliard, but there is only so much cap money and only so many roster spots.
Scott names Austin Corbett a loser, and he's right.
Oline Coach Campen has said that Corbett has worked at RG with the starting unit in several practices closed ro the public (and no--he isn't lying), but the fact that an undrafted guy is challenging him is a bad look.
Adam Henry, who coached Beckham and Landry at LSU, then OBJ with the Giants, then Landry here, and now both of them again (!) defends OBJ.
According to Henry, Beckham is actually very smart, and understands how plays work readily (I'm filling in some blanks here ok?) so that he knows where he should go in every situation; ie how to adjust to the coverage.
Beckham can be moved all over the place, and knows all his routes from wherever he is.
Hard to believe, in view of his twitter jargon, goofy smile, and clownish behavior, but no--Adam Henry isn't lying, either.
Henry tells us that his teammates all love him; he's a great teammate, and is a tireless worker in practice (can't sit still; can't slow down).
Henry seems confident that the combination of his (extremely well-camouflaged) football IQ and work ethic, and his (seemingly determined) absence from OTAs won't matter in the long run.
Indeed, Henry describes a receiver that any Quarterback could rely on---in the clutch, or for 11 catches.
Henry "leaked" a little as he talked about moving OBJ around to make it hard for defenses to gang up on him.
If your number one is 6'4" you can force high-trajectory passes to him or have him come back to beat double-coverage. If he's not that dominant or your quarterback isn't accurate enough, you use him as a decoy and hit other guys til they get up off him.
OBJ will never be a decoy, because he'll line up everywhere, including in the backfield. If a defense doesn't know where he'll end up when the huddle breaks, they can't set their coverage until the quarterback is actually making his calls.
As they line up, Mayfield is watching the Defense move people around, and he sees who moves towards OBJ as OBJ moves to his position.
It's beautiful, really. He can gather so much information, even before he sets up behind center, based on how they react to this one lethal weapon.
...and they have no choice HAAAHAHA-gasp-wheeze...wait...
Now, to redundate, you can press/man an outside receiver because you have a sideline to help you, and can wall off his potential in-cuts while accidentally bumping and jostling him towards the sidelines.
You can't do that to a slot guy who can go inside or outside, or anybody behind the line of scrimmage, who also gets a running start in a direction of his choosing and crosses the line at full speed.
Mayfield knows all this, so he wants to see how they intend to cope with OBJ from the left or right slot or in the right or left backfield. Is there a single high safety still deep, or has he moved closer? Which cornerback went with him, and how far off the line is he?
Very long story, but you get the idea. Jarvis Landry is terrific, but the Browns had nobody like OBJ in 2018...or really since Josh Gordon 1.0.
In 2018, defenses keyed on different Browns' players situationally, because no one specific player was a game-wrecker (and, of course, because this exceptional Quarterback spread the ball around evenly).
NOW, the Browns have one of those six or seven "coverage dictators" that give Defenses no choice but to zero in on them, wherever they are.
It could be pivotal this season. Mayfield will continue to distribute the ball, but now will get these pre-snap clues to what Defenses are up to, and, if Adam Henry is right, OBJ can beat most of it anyway.
OBJ, if he stays healthy for once, should lead the Browns in receiving yardage, simply because he's THE deep threat, and will go deep more than anybody else.
Landry might lead in receptions, as he does more of what he did in Miami.
We can debate that. Landry caught 400 passes in 4 seasons (and a bunch of TDs) but averaged less than 9 YPC. That's why a lot of people (including ME) were unhappy with paying him all that money.
But he was THE MAN for the Fins, who used him kinda like a glorified running back. He made catches in a phone-booth, and was instantly swarned.
But now? Now, Landry is "one of the other guys". (Other Than OBJ or @OTOBJG).
Let's include Njoku here, and on every neutral down you have to figure one Safety hangs back. Even teams with a Linebacker or Safety who can run with Njoku up the seam, he's still too tall, and Mayfield too accurate, to prevent a 3rd Degree burn.
One thing opposing Defenses will do to counter Mayfield based on his rookie games is to contain him; try to trap him in the pocket---while also penetrating inside.
The inside pressure thing is the best way to screw up Tom Brady, and it usually fails. The containment thing is how you beat any athletic Quarterback, but it hasn't worked too well on Aaron Rodgers, either.
Aaron Rodgers is the best Mayfield comparison, too. You must have 3 passrushers for that, but also two more to seal off inside gaps (or blitze). The edge guys are restricted and can't get behind Rodgers, so his Tackles have an edge on them but I digress:
Anyway with one guy deep, 4 guys passrushing, one guy on Njoku, you have 5 guys left for Callaway, Landry, and OBJ.
Most Defenses will man up on the 2 outside guys, so you have 3 on 1 for the last receiver, right?
Wrong. Remember Nick Chubb?
On anything under 5 yards, he can take the handoff OR go out for a pass. At over 5 yards (on third down), it's more likely Hilliard or Johnson anyway, and they can...
Nevermind, but Jarvis Landry can save the day, often and repeatedly, even if he's surrounded again (which he won't be).
Laugh at me now but believe me later:
The 2019 Browns Offense should stick to running the ball at least 42% of the time, and run 3-wides more than other sets, but beyond that, probably won't have an "identity" (beyond Baker Mayfield).
You will see 3 Tight Ends, 3 Running Backs, RPOs, West Coast, and you name it.
Monken and Kitchens are both "Air Coryall" guys at heart, but they're also up-to-date and adapt to their players first and their opponents second.
Mayfield prospered in an "Air Raid" system in college, but proved in 2018 that he could function in a Todd Haley cave-man offense too.
But wake up! The Air Raid has come to the NFL, and the RPOs and (sorta) zone-reads were part of that. Zone-blocking is becoming the new normal as well, and Kitchens and Monken are ahead of that curve with...B-B-baker Mayfield!?!
Yeah I hear you, Steelers and Ravens: "Ooo! I'm shakin' in my boots!"
I do so look foreward to that smirk slapped off your face and hearing "we beat ourselves" etc outta those same pie-holes.
Friday, May 31, 2019
OBJ is a PIA, Mayfield vs Cowturd, Browns Camp Stuff, and Stuff
I do wish OBJ was here for more than one token OTA, but the majority of legit experts on NFL point out that he's always avoided voluntary practices, and has always showed up and had record-breaking performances.
Tony Grossi isn't alone, however, in pointing out that this time Beckham is coming to a new team with a new offensive system and new quarterbacks, and you'd think he'd want to get some reps in with his new teammates.
There is, as the coaches and I have pointed out, a genuine bright side to this, as Baker Mayfield is getting to work with the backups, and each individual receiver is a little different.
There really is plenty of time for Mayfield to "mesh" with his top receivers during Training Camp, while the backups get far fewer reps with him.
I must also point out here that Baker Mayfield isn't one of those quarterbacks who needs a ton of reps with each of his receivers. He gets used to each one quickly, and (more impressively) somehow keeps "separate files" on each of them in his head, so he rarely forgets this is receiver B instead of receiver A, and throw behind him or whatever.
In general, you need to forget that Mayfield is a second-year player. He doesn't need "mentoring" like Sam Darnold or whoever does, and he doesn't need to throw 300 passes to OBJ to develop chemistry with him.
The Coaches are also getting a much better look at the many Wide Receivers who are fighting for the last couple roster spots, so they're less likely to kick the wrong guy to the curb.
As Dan Labbe reports, Freddie Kitchens says they're experimenting a lot in this mini-camp.
I see Paul DePodesta's influence, or at least concurrence with this. Between this voluntary camp and Training Camp, the players get a 30-day vacation. Then the REAL work begins.
During this time off, the Coaches will digest what they've seen out of these players, and fine-tune their systems to make the most of them.
They don't need more data on Landry, OBJ, etc; these guys are known commodities. The Coaches already know their basic schemes, which are built around these veterans.
The fine-tuning here is about sustainability: They'll bring their Playbooks to Training Camp filled out with plays that the backups can run as well (and oh yeah: they'll have a better idea of who those backups will be, thanks to the veteran "no-shows".
Austin Corbett has been the second team center, while Kyle Kalis has dominated the First Team reps at Right Guard.
Withhold your "spin" comments for a few seconds please, but Freddie Kitchens says he's testing different players at different positions, and implies that this does not neccessarily represent the final pecking order anywhere.
JC Tretter has a history of injuries, and it makes sense that they want to see how their second round draft pick looks at that position now.
For that matter, Tretter is very expensive, so...
It looks and sounds to me that when the rubber meets the road, Corbett is still getting his shot at Right Guard.
If he wins the job, they'll probably back him up with Kalis, and have the option to move him over if Tretter goes down. If he loses, he may well be the inside utility depth guy.
Yeah, WTNY, that would be a "miss" for a top second round pick, but not quite a "bust" yet. We need to wait til after 2020 before we can judge that.
No I'm not rationalizing, B! Who was Corbett supposed to bench as a rookie-Bitonio, Tretter, or Zeitler?
Yeah he should win the RG job this offseason, but what if Kalis is just plain one of those sleepers?
Anyway, since the new contract and the rookie cap, things are different now. That draft pick was actually pretty cheap cap-wise, and he's locked into it for three more seasons.
Oh I hear you. You probably have a bunch of other players Dorsey could have drafted instead of Corbett.
...well I concur...no I don't...well ok Wil Hernandez was there, but not much else, and Hernandez was strictly a G-power guard...I admit that Hernandez would have come in real handy right now, but John Dorsey forgot to polish his crystal ball that day or something.
At the time, he thought Corbett had a chance to play left or right tackle in the NFL, but just in general was a nice mix of power and athleticism who could fit any scheme and play anywhere on the Oline.
And I'll wait a couple more years to see if Dorsey was wrong.
Shortly after Corbett, Dorsey took Nick Chubb. We can agree on that pick.
NFL Total Access just discussed whether or not Baker Mayfield should stay off Twitter, as he's escalated his war with Colon Cowturd.
I wish I could have heard it, but the sound was turned down.
Anyway yeah, I think Baker should just "go black", as Colon is trolling him, and it's a waste of Baker's time and mental energy.
But I do "grok" where Mayfield is coming from. His first instinct is always to fight, and he can't tolerate dumbassitude (sound familiar?)
It's really entertaining, and in my opinion Baker is kinda kicking Cowturd's ass, but it's already outta hand.
I hope Mayfield shuts this superficial crap down once Training Camp starts (and thereafter).
But I'll tell you people one thing: Baker Mayfield won't get distracted. He'll be fine on the field.
Actually, he might be drawing a bullseye on his own chest now deliberately to keep his teammates "out of it". I hadn't thought of that before, but...maybe this kid is smarter than we thunk he was?
After all, it's Baker vs Colon now, and that blots everything else negative about the Browns out.
Just today, Freddie Kitchens said that OBJ was missing "the offense" (he's irked by his absence himself), and (so far) Cowturd was too preoccupied with Mayfield to pounce on that and bash Beckham again...or point out that "the inmates are running the assylum" and "Dorsey's puppet has already lost control of the team" or whatever
Tony Grossi isn't alone, however, in pointing out that this time Beckham is coming to a new team with a new offensive system and new quarterbacks, and you'd think he'd want to get some reps in with his new teammates.
There is, as the coaches and I have pointed out, a genuine bright side to this, as Baker Mayfield is getting to work with the backups, and each individual receiver is a little different.
There really is plenty of time for Mayfield to "mesh" with his top receivers during Training Camp, while the backups get far fewer reps with him.
I must also point out here that Baker Mayfield isn't one of those quarterbacks who needs a ton of reps with each of his receivers. He gets used to each one quickly, and (more impressively) somehow keeps "separate files" on each of them in his head, so he rarely forgets this is receiver B instead of receiver A, and throw behind him or whatever.
In general, you need to forget that Mayfield is a second-year player. He doesn't need "mentoring" like Sam Darnold or whoever does, and he doesn't need to throw 300 passes to OBJ to develop chemistry with him.
The Coaches are also getting a much better look at the many Wide Receivers who are fighting for the last couple roster spots, so they're less likely to kick the wrong guy to the curb.
As Dan Labbe reports, Freddie Kitchens says they're experimenting a lot in this mini-camp.
I see Paul DePodesta's influence, or at least concurrence with this. Between this voluntary camp and Training Camp, the players get a 30-day vacation. Then the REAL work begins.
During this time off, the Coaches will digest what they've seen out of these players, and fine-tune their systems to make the most of them.
They don't need more data on Landry, OBJ, etc; these guys are known commodities. The Coaches already know their basic schemes, which are built around these veterans.
The fine-tuning here is about sustainability: They'll bring their Playbooks to Training Camp filled out with plays that the backups can run as well (and oh yeah: they'll have a better idea of who those backups will be, thanks to the veteran "no-shows".
Austin Corbett has been the second team center, while Kyle Kalis has dominated the First Team reps at Right Guard.
Withhold your "spin" comments for a few seconds please, but Freddie Kitchens says he's testing different players at different positions, and implies that this does not neccessarily represent the final pecking order anywhere.
JC Tretter has a history of injuries, and it makes sense that they want to see how their second round draft pick looks at that position now.
For that matter, Tretter is very expensive, so...
It looks and sounds to me that when the rubber meets the road, Corbett is still getting his shot at Right Guard.
If he wins the job, they'll probably back him up with Kalis, and have the option to move him over if Tretter goes down. If he loses, he may well be the inside utility depth guy.
Yeah, WTNY, that would be a "miss" for a top second round pick, but not quite a "bust" yet. We need to wait til after 2020 before we can judge that.
No I'm not rationalizing, B! Who was Corbett supposed to bench as a rookie-Bitonio, Tretter, or Zeitler?
Yeah he should win the RG job this offseason, but what if Kalis is just plain one of those sleepers?
Anyway, since the new contract and the rookie cap, things are different now. That draft pick was actually pretty cheap cap-wise, and he's locked into it for three more seasons.
Oh I hear you. You probably have a bunch of other players Dorsey could have drafted instead of Corbett.
...well I concur...no I don't...well ok Wil Hernandez was there, but not much else, and Hernandez was strictly a G-power guard...I admit that Hernandez would have come in real handy right now, but John Dorsey forgot to polish his crystal ball that day or something.
At the time, he thought Corbett had a chance to play left or right tackle in the NFL, but just in general was a nice mix of power and athleticism who could fit any scheme and play anywhere on the Oline.
And I'll wait a couple more years to see if Dorsey was wrong.
Shortly after Corbett, Dorsey took Nick Chubb. We can agree on that pick.
NFL Total Access just discussed whether or not Baker Mayfield should stay off Twitter, as he's escalated his war with Colon Cowturd.
I wish I could have heard it, but the sound was turned down.
Anyway yeah, I think Baker should just "go black", as Colon is trolling him, and it's a waste of Baker's time and mental energy.
But I do "grok" where Mayfield is coming from. His first instinct is always to fight, and he can't tolerate dumbassitude (sound familiar?)
It's really entertaining, and in my opinion Baker is kinda kicking Cowturd's ass, but it's already outta hand.
I hope Mayfield shuts this superficial crap down once Training Camp starts (and thereafter).
But I'll tell you people one thing: Baker Mayfield won't get distracted. He'll be fine on the field.
Actually, he might be drawing a bullseye on his own chest now deliberately to keep his teammates "out of it". I hadn't thought of that before, but...maybe this kid is smarter than we thunk he was?
After all, it's Baker vs Colon now, and that blots everything else negative about the Browns out.
Just today, Freddie Kitchens said that OBJ was missing "the offense" (he's irked by his absence himself), and (so far) Cowturd was too preoccupied with Mayfield to pounce on that and bash Beckham again...or point out that "the inmates are running the assylum" and "Dorsey's puppet has already lost control of the team" or whatever
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
2019 Browns Special Teams will be Awesome. The Wilks Defense should be too
Thanks to Randy Gurzi for the link to Tony Grossi's Seven Under-the-Radar Players on the 2019 Browns roster.
First, I congratulate Tony for comprehending that the 31 year old Gerald McCoy is being pursued by the Browns as a rotational Defensive Tackle.
One clown wrote that McCoy would "probably replace Larrywhatshisname Ogunjobi". This is common. Always assume the old guys from somewhere else are going to be better than your own third-year players.
Memorex Morons but I digress:
QB Garrett Gilbert is first up for Tony. Tony doesn't really get out the pompoms for any of these guys, but if you read what he wrote and are knowlegable, you'll see that Gilbert actually has a lot of experience in a lot of different offensive systems.
We can take his impressive stint in the AAF with a grain of salt, but this guy actually has a better background than that bumb Kurt Warner had before Trent Green got hurt.
I don't hate Drew Stanton or anything; especially as an advisor (*quit that "mentor" crap*) for Mayfield, but the much younger Gilbert is probably the better player.
Next is Dontrell Hilliard: check. He's a younger, cheaper, bigger Duke Johnson. (Tony didn't say this: that's me.)
THANK YOU TONY for listing Rodney Ratleyfield (Damion Ratley), who almost everybody except me wrote off when he didn't beat out Jarvis Landry, Higgins, and Callaway in a 2-tight end Offense as a rookie.
That is utterly retarded, you people!
Sadly, now OBJ joins the party, so the poor guy might not do much this season, either.
But wow...there's some real depth here, and Ratley should find roles to play on Special Teams.
Tony Grossi likes Drew Forbes' chances of eventually developing into a decent Offensive Tackle. I do too. His arms are kinda short, and that is a valid concern (born out analytically), but it's not the deal-killer a lot of pundits make it out to be.
If you say "well he's got the feet, the agility, range, good balance, height...but his arms are too short so he's a guard" you need a brain transplant.
DE Anthony Zettel is next, and thank you Tony for rubbing my nose in him.
6.5 sacks for the Lions in spot-duty in 2017. He's another short-armed guy, by the way, which might just be the ONLY reason he was considered a DT when he was drafted.
Look, boxers understand this: This is why tall guys with reach don't dominate every weight class. After all, they can hit shorter guys from a safe range all day, right?
Well, guys with shorter arms tend to have faster hands, and generate more power in tighter spaces. Shorter guys can also bob up and down to slip punches and step inside.
Much of this indeed applies to the football trenches, as reaching hands are slapped away and quicker hands hit hard, inside, and under pads and stuff...
Yes, longer arms give Offensive Tackles and Defensive Ends a clear and significant statistical advantage, but it's one of many factors to consider, and if a player shows on film that he overcomes his stubby arms, well then just leave him alone!
Anyway I had been utterly ignoring Zettel, but now I'll do some research on him, and get back to you with what you should think of him, and how to think it.
Next is Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong. I haven't paid enough attention to this guy, either, but Tony quotes Preifer raving about him as a Special Teams ace.
Looks like Ray-Ray is a core Special Teams guy. It's not common, but some of these guys play on both sides of kicking, punting, and Field Goal units.
Josh Cribbs was on both sides of at least the Kicking and Punting units. You whippersnappers know he was an awesome returner, but a lot of you don't know that he was also at or near the top in tackles on the coverage side of those units as well.
It will never happen, but Josh Cribbs should be in the Hall of Fame as maybe the best all-around Special Teams player ever.
But I digress: It's great to hear that Preifer has a big guy like Armstrong to play with (who doesn't start or play a lot otherwise).
I know that Eric Murray is also a core Special Teamer, and Jhavonte Dean is a good candidate, and JT Hassel can't miss...look for the Browns Special Teams units to be massively better in 2019, people!
And expect it to make a difference, especially with their coverage units.
But I redigress:
Jermaine Whitehead is another guy I/WE never saw coming. His consistent presence with the starting Defense can't be an anomoly, especially based on what Wilks (and his teammates) have said about him.
Wow, Dorsey and co sure love them ex-Packers, no?
But it makes sense:
Damarius Randall was a really good Green Bay Cornerback, but has been an elite Browns' Free Safety.
Morgan Burnett was an above average Strong Safety in Green Bay, but last season in Pittsburgh had to play a lot of single high "center field" coverage, not unlike what Jabrill Peppers had to do as a rookie.
He did a better job than Jabrill did, but not by much. Dorsey got him back (cheap) to return him to his natural position, where under Steve Wilks we can expect him to at least rank in the top 40% at his position.
Whitehead, I haven't checked out that much, but Lesmerisis got me up to speed somewhat.
Doug points out that Burnett and Whitehead worked with eachother in Green Bay, which probably helped Whitehead "show up" here so suddenly in 2019.
I have to redundate Denzel Ward's and Steve Wilks' comments about Whitehead (and what they meant) from a few posts ago:
They're all talking about Whitehead like Gregg Williams and co talked about Field Marshall Schobert in 2018.
Whitehead is clearly replacing Joe Schobert in a similar mental role.
Makes sense:
Steve Wilks isn't Gregg Williams. He tends to use smaller, faster guys in general, and especially in coverage.
Their coverage philosophies and schemes also differ. I won't pretend I fully understand how yet, but I can tell you that he prefers superfast shrimps to linebackers covering Tight Ends, and runs more zones and more off-man coverages.
AND, as Captain Obvious has now confirmed, the "Nickel" IS his Base Defense (yes...Steve Wilks is out of the closet. Hopefully, more Defensive Coordinators will now admit that they have a Nickel base Defense too).
This Williams vs Wilks stuff gets convoluted, as the LB/Safety hybrid (Peppers, Cousins, Whitehead) are the same, but Williams needed a MIKE Field General, and used less nickel than other guys.
He manned-up linebackers on tight ends more; that's the biggest difference. It was Jamie Collins, and Schobert would "pick" them "up" sometimes nevermind Gregg is gone that was then this is now:
Wilks may or may not want a Field General to call defenses for him on the field, but clearly, Whitehead is at least a Colonel.
I repeat: Joe Schobert is on the block. He's entering his contract year. Whitehead has already replaced him as the Field General and (oh yeah) in coverage too.
Joe LED THE LEAGUE in missed tackles in 2018 BUT is a brain and is as good as it gets in coverage. LOTS of teams would love to have Joe Schobert, and btw every Coach figures he can fix those tackling stats.
Dorsey is "dangling" him out there, along with Duke Johnson.
Sorry I digressed some more again where was I who cares:
The Safety and LB corps's are "mixed" in this Steve Wilks Defense.
Put down your label-makers and step away:
I love it. I think Gregg Williams got stubborn and was passed up by younger, hungrier guys.
...He ordered Myles Garrett NOT to use more than two pass-rush moves? He ran a 4-3, and his Defensive Line (especially Ogunjobi) into the ground...
Nevermind: I expect Steve Wilks to be pretty good here, at least, given the massive influx of talent that Dorsey has just added to Garrett, Ogunjobi, Ward, Mitchell, Randall, Avery (I gotta omit Schobert even though I like him a lot) etc.
Steve Wilks was no doubt bummed out when his first shot as a Head Coach was an unmitigated disaster, but right now feels much better, because he has at least 85% of all the talent he could have had in his wildest dreams.
Wilks probably never had the press/man corners he has now (and by the way: that's idiot-proof. Greedy Williams is ready to go there...well mostly...)
Pundits are basing most of their predictions of the 2019 Wilks Defense on what he did in one year as the Panthers' DC and one year as the Cardinals Head Coach.
I expect to keep staying ahead of them, because I was trained not to assume, and to recognize microscopic sample-sizes in radically different contexts for what they are.
Intelligent analysts can infer a lot from the Coaches Steve Wilks played for and understudied, but even that isn't very reliable.
The fact that Steve Wilks was regarded so highly by so many GMs is significant. Wilks impressed them in interviews, and came highly recommended, by credible sources.
...Nevermind. I can count those of you who get any of this on my fingers.
I know that for sure, because that's my HIT-COUNT!
In seclusion, 🖕.
Late note: I look foreward to hearing fromJethro Bodeen Greedy Williams after he learns how to speak english.
First, I congratulate Tony for comprehending that the 31 year old Gerald McCoy is being pursued by the Browns as a rotational Defensive Tackle.
One clown wrote that McCoy would "probably replace Larry
Memorex Morons but I digress:
QB Garrett Gilbert is first up for Tony. Tony doesn't really get out the pompoms for any of these guys, but if you read what he wrote and are knowlegable, you'll see that Gilbert actually has a lot of experience in a lot of different offensive systems.
We can take his impressive stint in the AAF with a grain of salt, but this guy actually has a better background than that bumb Kurt Warner had before Trent Green got hurt.
I don't hate Drew Stanton or anything; especially as an advisor (*quit that "mentor" crap*) for Mayfield, but the much younger Gilbert is probably the better player.
Next is Dontrell Hilliard: check. He's a younger, cheaper, bigger Duke Johnson. (Tony didn't say this: that's me.)
THANK YOU TONY for listing Rodney Ratleyfield (Damion Ratley), who almost everybody except me wrote off when he didn't beat out Jarvis Landry, Higgins, and Callaway in a 2-tight end Offense as a rookie.
That is utterly retarded, you people!
Sadly, now OBJ joins the party, so the poor guy might not do much this season, either.
But wow...there's some real depth here, and Ratley should find roles to play on Special Teams.
Tony Grossi likes Drew Forbes' chances of eventually developing into a decent Offensive Tackle. I do too. His arms are kinda short, and that is a valid concern (born out analytically), but it's not the deal-killer a lot of pundits make it out to be.
If you say "well he's got the feet, the agility, range, good balance, height...but his arms are too short so he's a guard" you need a brain transplant.
DE Anthony Zettel is next, and thank you Tony for rubbing my nose in him.
6.5 sacks for the Lions in spot-duty in 2017. He's another short-armed guy, by the way, which might just be the ONLY reason he was considered a DT when he was drafted.
Look, boxers understand this: This is why tall guys with reach don't dominate every weight class. After all, they can hit shorter guys from a safe range all day, right?
Well, guys with shorter arms tend to have faster hands, and generate more power in tighter spaces. Shorter guys can also bob up and down to slip punches and step inside.
Much of this indeed applies to the football trenches, as reaching hands are slapped away and quicker hands hit hard, inside, and under pads and stuff...
Yes, longer arms give Offensive Tackles and Defensive Ends a clear and significant statistical advantage, but it's one of many factors to consider, and if a player shows on film that he overcomes his stubby arms, well then just leave him alone!
Anyway I had been utterly ignoring Zettel, but now I'll do some research on him, and get back to you with what you should think of him, and how to think it.
Next is Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong. I haven't paid enough attention to this guy, either, but Tony quotes Preifer raving about him as a Special Teams ace.
Looks like Ray-Ray is a core Special Teams guy. It's not common, but some of these guys play on both sides of kicking, punting, and Field Goal units.
Josh Cribbs was on both sides of at least the Kicking and Punting units. You whippersnappers know he was an awesome returner, but a lot of you don't know that he was also at or near the top in tackles on the coverage side of those units as well.
It will never happen, but Josh Cribbs should be in the Hall of Fame as maybe the best all-around Special Teams player ever.
But I digress: It's great to hear that Preifer has a big guy like Armstrong to play with (who doesn't start or play a lot otherwise).
I know that Eric Murray is also a core Special Teamer, and Jhavonte Dean is a good candidate, and JT Hassel can't miss...look for the Browns Special Teams units to be massively better in 2019, people!
And expect it to make a difference, especially with their coverage units.
But I redigress:
Jermaine Whitehead is another guy I/WE never saw coming. His consistent presence with the starting Defense can't be an anomoly, especially based on what Wilks (and his teammates) have said about him.
Wow, Dorsey and co sure love them ex-Packers, no?
But it makes sense:
Damarius Randall was a really good Green Bay Cornerback, but has been an elite Browns' Free Safety.
Morgan Burnett was an above average Strong Safety in Green Bay, but last season in Pittsburgh had to play a lot of single high "center field" coverage, not unlike what Jabrill Peppers had to do as a rookie.
He did a better job than Jabrill did, but not by much. Dorsey got him back (cheap) to return him to his natural position, where under Steve Wilks we can expect him to at least rank in the top 40% at his position.
Whitehead, I haven't checked out that much, but Lesmerisis got me up to speed somewhat.
Doug points out that Burnett and Whitehead worked with eachother in Green Bay, which probably helped Whitehead "show up" here so suddenly in 2019.
I have to redundate Denzel Ward's and Steve Wilks' comments about Whitehead (and what they meant) from a few posts ago:
They're all talking about Whitehead like Gregg Williams and co talked about Field Marshall Schobert in 2018.
Whitehead is clearly replacing Joe Schobert in a similar mental role.
Makes sense:
Steve Wilks isn't Gregg Williams. He tends to use smaller, faster guys in general, and especially in coverage.
Their coverage philosophies and schemes also differ. I won't pretend I fully understand how yet, but I can tell you that he prefers superfast shrimps to linebackers covering Tight Ends, and runs more zones and more off-man coverages.
AND, as Captain Obvious has now confirmed, the "Nickel" IS his Base Defense (yes...Steve Wilks is out of the closet. Hopefully, more Defensive Coordinators will now admit that they have a Nickel base Defense too).
This Williams vs Wilks stuff gets convoluted, as the LB/Safety hybrid (Peppers, Cousins, Whitehead) are the same, but Williams needed a MIKE Field General, and used less nickel than other guys.
He manned-up linebackers on tight ends more; that's the biggest difference. It was Jamie Collins, and Schobert would "pick" them "up" sometimes nevermind Gregg is gone that was then this is now:
Wilks may or may not want a Field General to call defenses for him on the field, but clearly, Whitehead is at least a Colonel.
I repeat: Joe Schobert is on the block. He's entering his contract year. Whitehead has already replaced him as the Field General and (oh yeah) in coverage too.
Joe LED THE LEAGUE in missed tackles in 2018 BUT is a brain and is as good as it gets in coverage. LOTS of teams would love to have Joe Schobert, and btw every Coach figures he can fix those tackling stats.
Dorsey is "dangling" him out there, along with Duke Johnson.
Sorry I digressed some more again where was I who cares:
The Safety and LB corps's are "mixed" in this Steve Wilks Defense.
Put down your label-makers and step away:
I love it. I think Gregg Williams got stubborn and was passed up by younger, hungrier guys.
...He ordered Myles Garrett NOT to use more than two pass-rush moves? He ran a 4-3, and his Defensive Line (especially Ogunjobi) into the ground...
Nevermind: I expect Steve Wilks to be pretty good here, at least, given the massive influx of talent that Dorsey has just added to Garrett, Ogunjobi, Ward, Mitchell, Randall, Avery (I gotta omit Schobert even though I like him a lot) etc.
Steve Wilks was no doubt bummed out when his first shot as a Head Coach was an unmitigated disaster, but right now feels much better, because he has at least 85% of all the talent he could have had in his wildest dreams.
Wilks probably never had the press/man corners he has now (and by the way: that's idiot-proof. Greedy Williams is ready to go there...well mostly...)
Pundits are basing most of their predictions of the 2019 Wilks Defense on what he did in one year as the Panthers' DC and one year as the Cardinals Head Coach.
I expect to keep staying ahead of them, because I was trained not to assume, and to recognize microscopic sample-sizes in radically different contexts for what they are.
Intelligent analysts can infer a lot from the Coaches Steve Wilks played for and understudied, but even that isn't very reliable.
The fact that Steve Wilks was regarded so highly by so many GMs is significant. Wilks impressed them in interviews, and came highly recommended, by credible sources.
...Nevermind. I can count those of you who get any of this on my fingers.
I know that for sure, because that's my HIT-COUNT!
In seclusion, 🖕.
Late note: I look foreward to hearing from
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Garrett/Vernon, Managing Expectations, Confidence, Reality, and the Browns
The good news keeps rolling in, and Freddie Kitchens will be having even more expectations to manage.
Mike Preifer said last week that Freddie Kitchens is giving him access to the whole roster (including the starters).
Hue Jackson, understandably wanting to protect his top line players' health, kept some of those players off the special teams' table.
While most of you will jump all over this as another excuse to burn Hue in effigy, this is actually pretty common. I mean, imagine your third wide receiver or cornerback, or your starting linebacker busted up on a special teams play, or collapsing in the fourth quarter.
Anyway, for good or ill, Preifer has a better set of tools to work with than Amos Jones had (so maybe we should stop burning him in effigy too).
I'm not too worried about it, as the bottom third of this roster is jam-packed with gunners, returners, fast blockers, etc., and Preifer won't have to raid the top shelf too much.
If Duke Johnson isn't traded, he's an obvious option as a returner now (along with Hilliard and Callaway). Seth DeValve and the other Tight Ends should be part of the punt units, but probably not Njoku.
I'm personally rooting for Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, not just to give Doug Dieken a hard time, but because he's a little microbe that nobody ever heard of. And because being a returner is probably his only chance at making this roster. And because I'd rather get somebody other than Callaway beat up.
Preifer said that DSG would need to cover as well, if he is to be a returner. Good luck, man!
Jake Burns did another film study I can't seem to find again. He checked out Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon on the left (strong) side, trying to figure out which one would play on which side.
Niether has played on that side much at all, but Jake found both of them pretty effective there.
Garrett was actually significantly better as a passrusher from that side, but Vernon was no slouch, and excelled at setting the edge and blowing up runs.
Jake sees the two of them kind of rotating to make sure offensive tackles have to study and prepare for two guys instead of one, and of course to max out on ideal situations and individual matchups.
In Jake's opinion, Garrett will command all the "slides" and double-teams, regardless of where he is. Vernon is under 6'2" but his arms belong on a 6'6" frame, so he can combine superior leverage with reach.
But Garrett is a freak of a different color, as he's a rocked-up 278 lbs and faster than Vernon as well.
As Jake says, opposing offenses will focus on Garrett, and it won't work anyway. Meanwhile, Olivier Vernon vs any Offensive Lineman is a mismatch...and they can't do a damn thing about it haaaahahaha!
Garrett and Mayfield ranked #3 and #5 on CBS Sports list of top 25 players under 25 years old, per Nick Snook.
This is more significant than some people realize, as Quarterback and (at least until recently) Edge-rusher were the two most critical positions in football (Left Tackle was third).
The teams that won the most had these players in common.
Now, today I think this might be changing somewhat, as RPOs, more athletic Quarterbacks, and a resurgance of West Coast concepts are making both Left Tackles and Edge-rushers less critical, but this is still great news.
Quarterback obviously still tops this list, and pass-rusher remains number two.
Some of you people don't know that Myles Garrett is perfectly comfortable lining up and attacking inside, between a guard and a tackle---or stunting into the B-gap from the edge.
He doesn't have to be on the edge to ruin the other team's day, and he can go up the same gap that DT Aaron Donald uses...he is much taller and faster than Donald btw.
I was a little surprised that only two Browns under 25 made this top 25 list, so I'm checking the roster now (please wait)....
Njoku, Callaway, Nick Chubb, Schobert, Ogunjobi and Ward were all contenders.
Wow this is a new paradigm, aint it? I'm so used to my team getting dissed, my impulse is to feel like (as usual) all the players listed got screwed off the list because they were Browns.
Well, Nick Snook didn't include the whole list of 25 players, and there must be a thousand or more NFL players under 25, including 180-200 first and second round picks, so I get it.
Oh we're managing expectations here right?
Pump the brakes! Oh no oh no don't get cocky! "We haven't done anything yet" is great Coach-speak--and well-intended---but it's kind of a joke.
Freddie and company are trying to make sure these players practice hard and study hard, and don't assume that their opponents will cave in for them.
It's silly because Baker Mayfield is the Quarterback. He won't tolerate complacency, and he won't let his offense or defense screw up more than once.
In reality, the 2019 Browns are a 50 gallon drum of whupass featuring a BUNCH of Pro Bowlers, and you know what?
Who cares what the Ravens or Steelers post on their bulletin boards!?! Who cares how pist off they get!?!
It's OKAY to feel confident, and not mandatory to be...fearful.
Genie back in the bottle. Managing expectations. It's just so predictable and boring...
Mayfield and Garrett aint listening.
GOOD!
Mike Preifer said last week that Freddie Kitchens is giving him access to the whole roster (including the starters).
Hue Jackson, understandably wanting to protect his top line players' health, kept some of those players off the special teams' table.
While most of you will jump all over this as another excuse to burn Hue in effigy, this is actually pretty common. I mean, imagine your third wide receiver or cornerback, or your starting linebacker busted up on a special teams play, or collapsing in the fourth quarter.
Anyway, for good or ill, Preifer has a better set of tools to work with than Amos Jones had (so maybe we should stop burning him in effigy too).
I'm not too worried about it, as the bottom third of this roster is jam-packed with gunners, returners, fast blockers, etc., and Preifer won't have to raid the top shelf too much.
If Duke Johnson isn't traded, he's an obvious option as a returner now (along with Hilliard and Callaway). Seth DeValve and the other Tight Ends should be part of the punt units, but probably not Njoku.
I'm personally rooting for Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, not just to give Doug Dieken a hard time, but because he's a little microbe that nobody ever heard of. And because being a returner is probably his only chance at making this roster. And because I'd rather get somebody other than Callaway beat up.
Preifer said that DSG would need to cover as well, if he is to be a returner. Good luck, man!
Jake Burns did another film study I can't seem to find again. He checked out Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon on the left (strong) side, trying to figure out which one would play on which side.
Niether has played on that side much at all, but Jake found both of them pretty effective there.
Garrett was actually significantly better as a passrusher from that side, but Vernon was no slouch, and excelled at setting the edge and blowing up runs.
Jake sees the two of them kind of rotating to make sure offensive tackles have to study and prepare for two guys instead of one, and of course to max out on ideal situations and individual matchups.
In Jake's opinion, Garrett will command all the "slides" and double-teams, regardless of where he is. Vernon is under 6'2" but his arms belong on a 6'6" frame, so he can combine superior leverage with reach.
But Garrett is a freak of a different color, as he's a rocked-up 278 lbs and faster than Vernon as well.
As Jake says, opposing offenses will focus on Garrett, and it won't work anyway. Meanwhile, Olivier Vernon vs any Offensive Lineman is a mismatch...and they can't do a damn thing about it haaaahahaha!
Garrett and Mayfield ranked #3 and #5 on CBS Sports list of top 25 players under 25 years old, per Nick Snook.
This is more significant than some people realize, as Quarterback and (at least until recently) Edge-rusher were the two most critical positions in football (Left Tackle was third).
The teams that won the most had these players in common.
Now, today I think this might be changing somewhat, as RPOs, more athletic Quarterbacks, and a resurgance of West Coast concepts are making both Left Tackles and Edge-rushers less critical, but this is still great news.
Quarterback obviously still tops this list, and pass-rusher remains number two.
Some of you people don't know that Myles Garrett is perfectly comfortable lining up and attacking inside, between a guard and a tackle---or stunting into the B-gap from the edge.
He doesn't have to be on the edge to ruin the other team's day, and he can go up the same gap that DT Aaron Donald uses...he is much taller and faster than Donald btw.
I was a little surprised that only two Browns under 25 made this top 25 list, so I'm checking the roster now (please wait)....
Njoku, Callaway, Nick Chubb, Schobert, Ogunjobi and Ward were all contenders.
Wow this is a new paradigm, aint it? I'm so used to my team getting dissed, my impulse is to feel like (as usual) all the players listed got screwed off the list because they were Browns.
Well, Nick Snook didn't include the whole list of 25 players, and there must be a thousand or more NFL players under 25, including 180-200 first and second round picks, so I get it.
Oh we're managing expectations here right?
Pump the brakes! Oh no oh no don't get cocky! "We haven't done anything yet" is great Coach-speak--and well-intended---but it's kind of a joke.
Freddie and company are trying to make sure these players practice hard and study hard, and don't assume that their opponents will cave in for them.
It's silly because Baker Mayfield is the Quarterback. He won't tolerate complacency, and he won't let his offense or defense screw up more than once.
In reality, the 2019 Browns are a 50 gallon drum of whupass featuring a BUNCH of Pro Bowlers, and you know what?
Who cares what the Ravens or Steelers post on their bulletin boards!?! Who cares how pist off they get!?!
It's OKAY to feel confident, and not mandatory to be...fearful.
Genie back in the bottle. Managing expectations. It's just so predictable and boring...
Mayfield and Garrett aint listening.
GOOD!
Monday, May 27, 2019
Baker should Ignore Colon, I am the Best, and Deal Wit It
I have to agree with Peter King and Nick Dudukovich on this Mayfield vs Cowherd feud.
Peter thinks it makes Baker Mayfield seem kinda petty. Amen. Really, he's got to be boosting Colon's ratings, and that's certainly partly why that nimrod keeps saying idiotic stuff about him (and all things Browns).
Designing and selling those T-shirts is kinda cute, I guess, and Baker has kept his responses brief and uncommon. But like Peter and Nick, I'd prefer it if he'd just ignore the guy.
This is nothing compared to the crap Mayfield will get the first time he has a bad game. When that happens please, Baker--don't even respond to it!
You've got lots of legitimate experts who will tell the uninformed masses about the blown routes and stuff. Let them set those records straight, and they'll say everything you want to say (especially when it's a teammate's fault).
The one thing I have to say in Mayfield's defense here is that he is now mainly defending his team-mates and the organization itself. Indeed, he's actually kind of ignored the idiotic comments aimed at him personally.
I know that Baker (rightly or wrongly) considers this part of his job--he's got to get between his boyz and the people who attack them. To Baker Mayfield, that's part of the whole "leadership" thing.
It's not a big deal, though.
PFF rates OBJ the 4th scariest WR in football last season, and this is probably about right.
Recievers are relatively easy for (knowlegable) geeks to analyze. The "catchable pass" thing could get fuzzy and subjective, but I assume that PFF even has a rule for that: Any pass he can get both hands on is catchable.
In other words, Baker Mayfield won't upgrade OBJ's ranking in 2019, even though Baker is already better than Eli Manning.
Poor Odell! He should probably catch for more yardage and TDs in 2019, but the other weapons and the scheme will even limit that for him. He might only rack up 1,200 yards or so -sob-!
John Dorsey signed another Des Harrison-like UFDA athletic freak Left Tackle in Brian Fineanganofo (wow what a name!)
I love how John Dorsey tracks these mutant projects down and signs them for peanuts.
Statistics say that the odds are against this guy or Harrison ever approaching their potentials (and becoming at least upper-echelon Left Tackles in the NFL), but it's not that uncommon, either, and now the Browns have two of them.
Yokels keep talking about the "next Joe Thomas" as if that's A: where the bar is set and B: possible, but when John Dorsey signs players like Harrison and (ahem) Fineanganafo, that's who he's trying to find.
Rodney Harrisonfield will have another crack at starting this season already, and shouldn't be written off, either.
Greg Robinson did a nice job in 2018, but as I've repeated repeatedly, he was helped by chipping TEs, quick releases, and Mayfield's athleticism (which is why Dorsey didn't overpay him long-term).
As for...the new guy, yeah he's a project, but we can probably look forward to a bigger, more refined version in 2020.
This is the problem you casual fans have.
I get it. You are Indians or Cavs fans as well, and have other interests, and jobs that don't let you listen to sports talk 24-7, and of course you don't have Browns OCD.
You don't even notice these longshot dice-roll undrafted guys, or many other longer-term players either.
You just want the Browns to win games now, and don't want to get into the whole salary cap 2-3 years down the road business part of all this.
Yeah I get it. But now thanks to me, you are reminded that Desmond Harrison still exists, and informed that Dorsey just signed another potential Joe Thomas like him, and (I hope) know why.
Check it out: Who was talking about Dontrell Hilliard before OTAs, while almost everybody else was telling you that the Browns couldn't trade Duke Johnson?
Should I keep going? How 'bout Callaway, Avery, Ogunjobi, and Schobert?
Why do you read MKC or Pluto or anybody else? How often do I have to correct them, or beat Pluto to the punch before you know where to come for Browns stuff?
Here, for example, is a pretty good article on 3 "X-factors" for the 2019 Browns.
It was a good, but shallow article.
First, the writer asks whether or not Duke Johnson will stick around. He points out that since asking to be traded, Duke has "quieted down". He infers that Duke has accepted his situation, and can "co-exist" with Kareem Hunt (and stuff).
This is a smart, but undeveloped analyst:
1: He ignores money, and the business side of Duke's situation.
Even though Duke Johnson's cap hits aren't too bad for 2020 and beyond, Dorsey needs to convert current assets into future draft picks, as of right tf NOW, and Duke is worth something.
2: The writer assumes too much.
I guarantee you that none of Freddie Kitchens' platitudes (or anything else) has changed Duke's mind about needing to go somewhere else, because OBVIOUSLY, his role in the 2019 offense will be even more microscopic than it was in 2018!
Dorsey and Duke's agent are working together here. Dorsey told the Agent that he won't trade Duke for chump-change, so he and Duke need to act cooperative, or else, see?)
But both sides want the trade, ok? You get this, right? Duke knows that he is stuck here unless some team coughs up a third round pick for him, and if he squawks publicly again...well?
This guy's next "X-factor" was Njoku.
That makes sense, except for the fact that the "Njoku factor" is predictable. I'm not sure what this writer was wondering about.
Last, the writer wonders just how much better the 2019 Browns' Defense will be.
I give the guy points for pointing out that the Chiefs' Defense was even worse than ours, but this was like the Njoku question, except worse:
Hmmm...Steve Wilks, Olivere Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, Greedy Williams, Wilson/Takitaki/Whitehead/Murray hmmmm...I guess we could cautiously think about the Browns 2019 being marginally better than the 2018 version maybe...
I'm not trying to kick puppies here, but rather to just point out to you people that I'm better than everybody else (sorta);
Jake Burns and the other Film Room guys are better X and O guys, and frequently punch me in the nose, but in general, I'm a better analyst than everybody else (including them).
I've learned a ton from the Film Room guys. But I could teach those guys a thing or 2 about social dynamics, psychology, leadership, and more.
You people might never grasp this. I accept and learn from experts who know more than I do, even when it contradicts stuff which I've posted in my Blog.
Idiots have accused me of being "wishy-washy" because I've changed my opinions. This dates back to before Bernie Kosar.
Was agreeing with Bill Belichick that Saint Bernard had dimished skills wishy-washy?
Was defending Art Modell wishy-washy? Not to mention Belichick?
Intelligent analysts vs lynch-mobs date back to the trees and caves, in a way. Spazzdom vs rationality. I'm positive that "wait a minute!" was one of the first phrases our ancestors came up with.
Darwin says so.
Okbye.
Note: Since nobody else on this planet will ever catch me, I must correct myself:
Kyle Kalis has ZERO starting experience in the NFL, is a third year player, and was signed last season. I managed to confuse him with Lamm and/or Kush.
I would be embarrassed about this, if anybody else had noticed this severe screwup before I myself did.
As is, I'm embarrassed for YOU people instead.
My bashers never catch me either. They just generally sorta call me an idiot and my Blog garbage and stuff "just because".
It's pretty ironic...okbye
Peter thinks it makes Baker Mayfield seem kinda petty. Amen. Really, he's got to be boosting Colon's ratings, and that's certainly partly why that nimrod keeps saying idiotic stuff about him (and all things Browns).
Designing and selling those T-shirts is kinda cute, I guess, and Baker has kept his responses brief and uncommon. But like Peter and Nick, I'd prefer it if he'd just ignore the guy.
This is nothing compared to the crap Mayfield will get the first time he has a bad game. When that happens please, Baker--don't even respond to it!
You've got lots of legitimate experts who will tell the uninformed masses about the blown routes and stuff. Let them set those records straight, and they'll say everything you want to say (especially when it's a teammate's fault).
The one thing I have to say in Mayfield's defense here is that he is now mainly defending his team-mates and the organization itself. Indeed, he's actually kind of ignored the idiotic comments aimed at him personally.
I know that Baker (rightly or wrongly) considers this part of his job--he's got to get between his boyz and the people who attack them. To Baker Mayfield, that's part of the whole "leadership" thing.
It's not a big deal, though.
PFF rates OBJ the 4th scariest WR in football last season, and this is probably about right.
Recievers are relatively easy for (knowlegable) geeks to analyze. The "catchable pass" thing could get fuzzy and subjective, but I assume that PFF even has a rule for that: Any pass he can get both hands on is catchable.
In other words, Baker Mayfield won't upgrade OBJ's ranking in 2019, even though Baker is already better than Eli Manning.
Poor Odell! He should probably catch for more yardage and TDs in 2019, but the other weapons and the scheme will even limit that for him. He might only rack up 1,200 yards or so -sob-!
John Dorsey signed another Des Harrison-like UFDA athletic freak Left Tackle in Brian Fineanganofo (wow what a name!)
I love how John Dorsey tracks these mutant projects down and signs them for peanuts.
Statistics say that the odds are against this guy or Harrison ever approaching their potentials (and becoming at least upper-echelon Left Tackles in the NFL), but it's not that uncommon, either, and now the Browns have two of them.
Yokels keep talking about the "next Joe Thomas" as if that's A: where the bar is set and B: possible, but when John Dorsey signs players like Harrison and (ahem) Fineanganafo, that's who he's trying to find.
Rodney Harrisonfield will have another crack at starting this season already, and shouldn't be written off, either.
Greg Robinson did a nice job in 2018, but as I've repeated repeatedly, he was helped by chipping TEs, quick releases, and Mayfield's athleticism (which is why Dorsey didn't overpay him long-term).
As for...the new guy, yeah he's a project, but we can probably look forward to a bigger, more refined version in 2020.
This is the problem you casual fans have.
I get it. You are Indians or Cavs fans as well, and have other interests, and jobs that don't let you listen to sports talk 24-7, and of course you don't have Browns OCD.
You don't even notice these longshot dice-roll undrafted guys, or many other longer-term players either.
You just want the Browns to win games now, and don't want to get into the whole salary cap 2-3 years down the road business part of all this.
Yeah I get it. But now thanks to me, you are reminded that Desmond Harrison still exists, and informed that Dorsey just signed another potential Joe Thomas like him, and (I hope) know why.
Check it out: Who was talking about Dontrell Hilliard before OTAs, while almost everybody else was telling you that the Browns couldn't trade Duke Johnson?
Should I keep going? How 'bout Callaway, Avery, Ogunjobi, and Schobert?
Why do you read MKC or Pluto or anybody else? How often do I have to correct them, or beat Pluto to the punch before you know where to come for Browns stuff?
Here, for example, is a pretty good article on 3 "X-factors" for the 2019 Browns.
It was a good, but shallow article.
First, the writer asks whether or not Duke Johnson will stick around. He points out that since asking to be traded, Duke has "quieted down". He infers that Duke has accepted his situation, and can "co-exist" with Kareem Hunt (and stuff).
This is a smart, but undeveloped analyst:
1: He ignores money, and the business side of Duke's situation.
Even though Duke Johnson's cap hits aren't too bad for 2020 and beyond, Dorsey needs to convert current assets into future draft picks, as of right tf NOW, and Duke is worth something.
2: The writer assumes too much.
I guarantee you that none of Freddie Kitchens' platitudes (or anything else) has changed Duke's mind about needing to go somewhere else, because OBVIOUSLY, his role in the 2019 offense will be even more microscopic than it was in 2018!
Dorsey and Duke's agent are working together here. Dorsey told the Agent that he won't trade Duke for chump-change, so he and Duke need to act cooperative, or else, see?)
But both sides want the trade, ok? You get this, right? Duke knows that he is stuck here unless some team coughs up a third round pick for him, and if he squawks publicly again...well?
This guy's next "X-factor" was Njoku.
That makes sense, except for the fact that the "Njoku factor" is predictable. I'm not sure what this writer was wondering about.
Last, the writer wonders just how much better the 2019 Browns' Defense will be.
I give the guy points for pointing out that the Chiefs' Defense was even worse than ours, but this was like the Njoku question, except worse:
Hmmm...Steve Wilks, Olivere Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, Greedy Williams, Wilson/Takitaki/Whitehead/Murray hmmmm...I guess we could cautiously think about the Browns 2019 being marginally better than the 2018 version maybe...
I'm not trying to kick puppies here, but rather to just point out to you people that I'm better than everybody else (sorta);
Jake Burns and the other Film Room guys are better X and O guys, and frequently punch me in the nose, but in general, I'm a better analyst than everybody else (including them).
I've learned a ton from the Film Room guys. But I could teach those guys a thing or 2 about social dynamics, psychology, leadership, and more.
You people might never grasp this. I accept and learn from experts who know more than I do, even when it contradicts stuff which I've posted in my Blog.
Idiots have accused me of being "wishy-washy" because I've changed my opinions. This dates back to before Bernie Kosar.
Was agreeing with Bill Belichick that Saint Bernard had dimished skills wishy-washy?
Was defending Art Modell wishy-washy? Not to mention Belichick?
Intelligent analysts vs lynch-mobs date back to the trees and caves, in a way. Spazzdom vs rationality. I'm positive that "wait a minute!" was one of the first phrases our ancestors came up with.
Darwin says so.
Okbye.
Note: Since nobody else on this planet will ever catch me, I must correct myself:
Kyle Kalis has ZERO starting experience in the NFL, is a third year player, and was signed last season. I managed to confuse him with Lamm and/or Kush.
I would be embarrassed about this, if anybody else had noticed this severe screwup before I myself did.
As is, I'm embarrassed for YOU people instead.
My bashers never catch me either. They just generally sorta call me an idiot and my Blog garbage and stuff "just because".
It's pretty ironic...okbye
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Whitehead, Mack Wilson, Steve Wilks, and the Browns.
I've accidentally dissed some new Browns players while defending others that are being dissed, so I need to catch up with local media in discussing guys who are shining in Camp right now.
Dan Justik followed up on a Terry Pluto mention of 5th round pick LB Mack Wilson, who, by all accounts, is looking good (maybe better than expected) so far.
Wilson is an off-the-ball linebacker who excels in coverage.
Unlike Jermaine Whitehead, who is so far the designated safety/linebacker hybrid, Wilson is a real linebacker (6'1", 240 lbs).
...I'm sorry, but if Wilson keeps this up, he makes a Schobert trade almost certain. Schobert is in the final year of his rookie deal, was not drafted by Dorsey, is not as critical in Steve Wilks' scheme as he was in Gregg Williams' scheme, and led the NFL in missed tackles in 2018, so......
Anyway, Whitehead and Wilson are scoring a lot of points right now.
Whitehead will be challenged by new draft pick Redwine, while Mack Wilson is directly in Kirksey's and Schobert's face.
My last post still applies. I still expect that Wilks will field a "Big Nickel" a lot (with the 5th DB being a blitzer and run-stopper), and (more often than not) a 4-man front.
In my last post, I called Takitaki and Avery the two real linebackers who would fit best here (and explained parts of "zone coverage" and stuff).
That's still valid, but this whole Mack Wilson thing slides right in there (sorry guys):
Defenses have to match up, player-to-player, as well as they can on each and every down. Takitaki and Avery might be the "default" linebackers in the real base defense, but vs two tight ends, or certain elite tight ends, or certain scary passcatching running backs, you need a Mack Wilson, and need to delete a Takitaki or an Avery.
Understand this: Steve Wilks and Gregg Williams are different people. They agree on most stuff generally, but differ on 20-25% of this stuff fundamentally, and now the players Steve Wilks has are very different than those Gregg Williams had.
If you would focus on the exact words out of the COACH's mouths like I do, you would understand that Jermaine Whitehead is "running" the defense.
In time, it would perhaps dawn on you that this "Big Nickel" is the real base defense, and that the LB/S hybrid player is essentially a "starter".
Eventually, it might dawn on you that the linbacker position here isn't a big deal, and that NONE of them needs to get massively overpaid if he can fetch a third round draft pick instead...
But I digress: Mack Wilson matches Schobert in coverage, and is a better tackler. He is dirt-cheap and locked up for 4 years.
If Steve Wilks wants a "Field General", it obviously doesn't have to be a MIKE, and for Wilks, linebackers who lead the NFL in blown tackles need not apply.
...Err...you guys know that shut-down cornerbacks are different, right?
Why do I bother okbye
Dan Justik followed up on a Terry Pluto mention of 5th round pick LB Mack Wilson, who, by all accounts, is looking good (maybe better than expected) so far.
Wilson is an off-the-ball linebacker who excels in coverage.
Unlike Jermaine Whitehead, who is so far the designated safety/linebacker hybrid, Wilson is a real linebacker (6'1", 240 lbs).
...I'm sorry, but if Wilson keeps this up, he makes a Schobert trade almost certain. Schobert is in the final year of his rookie deal, was not drafted by Dorsey, is not as critical in Steve Wilks' scheme as he was in Gregg Williams' scheme, and led the NFL in missed tackles in 2018, so......
Anyway, Whitehead and Wilson are scoring a lot of points right now.
Whitehead will be challenged by new draft pick Redwine, while Mack Wilson is directly in Kirksey's and Schobert's face.
My last post still applies. I still expect that Wilks will field a "Big Nickel" a lot (with the 5th DB being a blitzer and run-stopper), and (more often than not) a 4-man front.
In my last post, I called Takitaki and Avery the two real linebackers who would fit best here (and explained parts of "zone coverage" and stuff).
That's still valid, but this whole Mack Wilson thing slides right in there (sorry guys):
Defenses have to match up, player-to-player, as well as they can on each and every down. Takitaki and Avery might be the "default" linebackers in the real base defense, but vs two tight ends, or certain elite tight ends, or certain scary passcatching running backs, you need a Mack Wilson, and need to delete a Takitaki or an Avery.
Understand this: Steve Wilks and Gregg Williams are different people. They agree on most stuff generally, but differ on 20-25% of this stuff fundamentally, and now the players Steve Wilks has are very different than those Gregg Williams had.
If you would focus on the exact words out of the COACH's mouths like I do, you would understand that Jermaine Whitehead is "running" the defense.
In time, it would perhaps dawn on you that this "Big Nickel" is the real base defense, and that the LB/S hybrid player is essentially a "starter".
Eventually, it might dawn on you that the linbacker position here isn't a big deal, and that NONE of them needs to get massively overpaid if he can fetch a third round draft pick instead...
But I digress: Mack Wilson matches Schobert in coverage, and is a better tackler. He is dirt-cheap and locked up for 4 years.
If Steve Wilks wants a "Field General", it obviously doesn't have to be a MIKE, and for Wilks, linebackers who lead the NFL in blown tackles need not apply.
...Err...you guys know that shut-down cornerbacks are different, right?
Why do I bother okbye
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