Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Browns Coverage Corrections, Correcting Misconceptions, Football 101

1: Baker Mayfield didn't "call out" Duke Johnson.  He just kinda said he hoped Duke would put out his best effort in minicamp, in view of his repeated desire to be traded.

And he was answering a leading question.

And do any of you kids know what "calling out" even means?  It means you tell somebody to meet you after school so you can FIGHT him.

2: Greedy Williams isn't a bad scheme fit for the Browns.

Steve Wilks' Cardinals ran 75% zone, but he didn't have the players he has here; Williams is the THIRD press/man corner on this roster.

I'm not positive that there are no exceptions to this rule, but as far as I know, ANY Defensive Coordinator will use man coverage, in part or in whole, if he has the players to run it.

If he doesn't have "shut-down" corner, then he uses PLAN B, which is ZONE.

Wilks likes 3-deep probably more than any other coverage, and the two outside corners can run press or off-man with no trouble.

Here's something else: While Mitchell and Ward are best suited to press/man, Williams can play off-man (see the Legion of Boom), which looks like zone at the snap.

This is why Wilks, Kitchens, etc answer the "tackling" questions about Williams with "we want him to cover" zzinggg!  

PFF didn't exist when Minnifield and Dixon were shutting down the best receivers in the NFL, but I bet their tackling numbers would have sucked.

I even remember Dixon and Schottenheimer trying to explain this: A man corner focusses on one receiver, period, and has to turn and run with him, with his back to the quarterback, and away from the line.

Unless HIS GUY makes a catch, he's always out of position to tackle anybody.  If it's a run, he has to turn back around and come back.  He might have to cross the field, but he's always late to the party.

The REST of those Browns defenses ran ZONE, get it?  Everybody except Dixon and Minnifield...get it?

Steve Wilks will OBVIOUSLY run a similar defense, except more 3-deep than single high, because he has rare "cover" corners now.

Jake Burns is more than just a Film-Room guy, as he did a great analysis of the Duke Johnson situation.

First, I must repeat that I feel Duke's pain:  Freddie Kitchens did NOT give him many downs after he took over for Mywayorthehighway Haley, and he has no reason to expect anything more this season.

His WR role is erased.  That started with Landry, and now we have Callaway on the rise, and two-tight end offenses...

Wtf is he supposed to do, let himself rot on the vine while Dontrell Hilliard and Kareem Hunt pile on him?

So if Baker Mayfield ever were to criticize Duke, I would resume calling him a punk.

Anyway, Jake covers the potential scenarios that could play out here over the next 8 weeks or so.  I will zero in on the most likely:

In general, a Duke Johnson (and possibly a Schobert/Johnson) trade will happen.

Jake looked at player-for-player possibilities (more likely than just draft picks at this point) for interior Defensive or Offensive linemen.

I have heard from smart people on NFL Radio that home-boy Kyle Kalis is no mirage at RG, and represents a high "floor" at Right Guard.

Austin Corbett is indeed having issues switching from the left to the right side, but has indeed been taking most of the first-team reps there in practices not open to the public.

Rumors of his bustdom are greatly exhaggerated.

Meanwhile, DT depth is mitigated by viable 3-man fronts and DEs that can play inside, but the depth is still unsatisfactory.

Gerald McCoy would have been an awesome addition, but Duke Johnson, Joe Schobert, or some comination thereof could still land a real-deal player still on somebody else's overloaded DT roster.

At any rate, Duke is a GMF, and I wish him all the best.  He has EARNED it.

John Dorsey the player is being considered for the College Hall of Fame.  Dorsey was a 4th round pick and actually played in the NFL.

You people need to take note of HIS frequent references to analytical data, his repeated (dirt cheap) draftings and signings of "troubled" players and "busts"--and the fact that he is executing the final phase of the DePodesta Plan before you say again that analytics suck.

Gerald McCoy signed with the Panthers for 8 mil on a 1-year contract.  I guarantee you that Dorsey offered him more, and most likely longer-term.

Most of the real experts will agree with me that McCoy wants the chance to stick it to the Bucs (who released him) more than he wants money, and believes he will kick ass in 2019 and get moe munnah in 2020...or maybe just to stick it to the Bucs and retire.

The Browns are fine as-is, and they can cling to what's left of their cap surplus.

I get sick of even ex-players on NFL Radio making fun of those of us who think about re-signing our team's best players 2 or 3 years down the road:

"Who knows what the cap will be by then?  For all you know---" nah, shaddap!  The salaries go up in lockstep with the caps, Sherlock, and for that matter the increases are predictable.

"The fact that you have all these guys you can't afford anymore is GOOD news, because that means you're kicking ass in the draft, so--"

So NOTHING! This is an ex-player talking.  They don't sweat teams, but only how much individual players can earn.  Just pay the guy and let God sort the future out!

Nah! The Patriots and Steelers are model organizations worthy of emulation.  The Rams and Colts are looking very smart right now as well, and the Saints--despite how they got screwed by the referees--are another one.  

The BUDGET matters.  The DRAFT is critical.  And naturally, that Franchise QB is most important part.

Yeah I hear you: The Eagles are right there too.  Carson Wentz is indeed "all that" when healthy, and they had Nick Foles dirt-cheap as a backup...I give Howie Roseman and Pederson their props.

(and oh yeah they'll be right back in contention this year)...

But the numbers matter for anybody who wants a DYNASTY.

For those NFL Radio ex-players and those of you who would shoot the Browns budgetary wad for a better chance of the Browns reaching the Superbowl in 2019, I got this: 
🖕. 

The Browns have a Franchise QB at long last now, with (up to) 4 more years on his rookie contract, but you are a cretin if you think that (barring injury) Dorsey won't try to renegotiate and extend him in '23.

And by that time, we could be looking at 50 million/year!!!  (Skip that---17.5% or more of the cap whatever tf it is DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?!)

The Pats managed that with Brady (pinko propaganda aside) accepting less money.  The Colts exploited Luck's injuries and lack of leverage (but still, Andrew got PAID)...

The Quarterback is the big thing, but the REST OF THE TEAM matters too, including Garrett, Ogunjobi, Bitonio, Njoku, Callaway, Tretter, Robinson, Hunt, Landry, and guys like Avery that you don't see coming yet.

I guess Lord Insideous's Patriots are irrefutably the model of perpetual contention and serial Superbowl wins, so let's check them out: 

Bill traded the great Drew Bledsoe to a Division opponent after his injury for a first round draft pick (and stuff) and was roundly crucified for it in the media.

Tom Brady had looked really good, but was still considered "overdrafted" in the 6th round, and most pundits expected Defenses to "catch up" to him, whereas Bledsoe was a 1st round stud.

Haha.  Bill was right.  Everybody else was wrong...reminded me of "diminished skills" in re Saint Bernard (Kosar. He was right about that too but I digress)...

Anyway, since then, the Patriots have drafted in the lowest quarter of the draft, and yet remained a Dynasty.

First, Bill had his Franchise QB, so he was mainly looking for everybody else (exception: Garropolo: IMO Bill intended to trade Brady and replace him with Jimmy G, but Kraft nixed it).

Had Lord Insideous had his way,  he would have had a bounty of draft picks in 2018, increased his cap space massively, and had Garopollo.

Still with me here?

Probably not:

Bill Belichick is rational.  Don't get me wrong here-I'm not saying I'm a genius like Bill or anything, but I am telling you that I "grok" him, and you don't.

Most of you people are irrational.  Your emotions screw up your brains. You have real brains, but your emotions corrupt them.

Could you have traded Drew Bledsoe to the Jets like Bill did, and bet on Tom Brady?  No.

Would you have dumped Bernie Kosar like Bill did?  

Bernie himself got it, though: Per Bernie himself, Robert Kraft asked him about Bill Belichick, and Bernie told Kraft he should hire him.

Anyhow, you people are irrational.  Bernie's arm was trashed in KC; he retained his brain, but his arm and accuracy were destroyed.  

His skills were, indeed, diminished.

You people are irrational.  You can look right AT something, and say it aint so.

I think DePodesta and Dorsey are more like Belichick than like YOU people, and am very happy about that.

Schobert and Johnson have trade value, and ideally will be traded.  

Do you get this?  Can you think with your brains?

And have you already raised the bar for the 2019 Browns to the Superbowl?  Like, as if, a wildcard slot and a win and loss means nothing?

The DePodesta plan was for the Browns to contend in the AFC North in 2019.  John Dorsey (and Baker Mayfield) raised the bar.

The 2019 Browns are Superbowl contenders.  WITHOUT Gerald McCoy.

And all those unidentified NFL execs who think Freddie Kitchens will screw up are blockheads...and probably losers.









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