Micheal Thomas may sign for 22 mil/year, and these guys expect OBJ to try to renegotiate as he enters only the second year of his deal...asking for more than Thomas!?!
These pundits are exposing their prejudice, and a tendancy to stereoptype.
This crap first came up when Antonio Brown was traded to the Raiders, and they renegotiated Brown's old, outdated contract.
These people expect OBJ to want more money too, because...well that's what you do when you get traded, right?
And of course Antonio Brown and OBJ are the same, right? They want the ball and money above all else, hold out, and don't show up and stuff, right?
That's crap. OBJ is wierd, but not a selfish mercenary like Antonio Brown--or Ebineezer Bell. THEY would probably think they deserved more than Micheal Thomas, but what tf makes you think OBJ is that kind of scumbag?
And anyway, check with PFF, Numberfire, and Pro Football Outsiders about OBJ vs Thomas.
The inmates haven't taken over the alylum. Contracts are contracts, and will not be renegotiated annually based on new contracts.
If OBJ gets difficult down the road, Dorsey will trade him. But he won't get difficult in 2019...unless he reads the crap you gumballs are writing and thinks he can get away with it...you know, since it never would have occurred to him otherwise?
Ed Aviv (a Baltimore guy) wrote a great analysis of the Browns vs Ravens.
Ed notes that the only NFL team to slow down the Ravens' devastating running game in 2018 was the Chargers, who used a Wilksian Big Nickel, with 2 safeties doing linebacker stuff.
As he points out, the Ravens just added Ingram to their running back stable, and have a beastly run-blocking Oline with Tight Ends and stuff.
Ed does a great analysis, but doesn't think the Browns can do as well as the 2018 Chargers did.
That's the only correction I have to make: The Browns have to have at least as much run-stopping talent at safety as the Chargers did, and are 3-deep in shut-down cornerbacks who can stifle both outside receivers without help.
Ed really knows his stuff about both teams, and was scrupulously objective (how rare that is!), so except for that comparison, this was an outstanding article.
I can add a little to it:
1: Schobert might well be traded before the teams meet. Mack Wilson could replace him in this situation.
2: Christian Kirksey, assuming he isn't released, probably won't play much vs the Ravens, as Wilson could also replace him, and as Takitaki might well get in there ahead of him.
Ed considers each and every back 7 player as both a coverage and run guy.
Nah! The Ravens can't send more than 5 receivers, and will rarely send that many, even in obvious passing situations.
There will be one linebacker who can take on offensive linemen and stop (or at least re-route) runs. If not Takitaki, this could be Genard Avery.
3: Again: Ward, Williams, and Mitchell. In Wilks' system, they can cap off the deep routes without Randall's help.
Blahblah in reality Lamar Jackson will never be very accurate, or have great touch. He especially isn't built to nickel and dime his way down the field to crossers and slanters.
Jackson might be the scariest dual-threat ever in the NFL, and has a great arm too, but Steve Wilks and these Browns coverage guys got the answer to Jackson's arm.
His legs are a separate issue...
4: As Ed Aviv would stipulate, the 2019 Ravens offense will be the most gimmicky and run-oriented in the NFL. They will seek to bludgeon defenses into submission via physical domination, and monopolize the play-clock.
Lamar Jackson can't be dismissed as a real quarterback. He can strike deep at any time, and his lethality as a runner forces defenses to contain more than attack him.
It probably won't work well enough vs this 2019 Browns defense. The Ravens will do some damage, but those long bombs? Unlikely to succeed.
Game-flow is critical: The 2019 Ravens Defense is less talented than the 2018 version, and the Browns Offense is better.
*You know not just OBJ but Mayfield/Callaway/Chubb entering year 2, Njoku year 3, Hilliard, Kitchens/Monken in charge and the other obvious stuff*
The Ravens' Defense won't stop the Browns Offense anywhere near as well as it did in 2018.
The Browns should establish an early lead, and build on it. Once the Ravens are in a "come-back" situation, they're DEAD DEAD DEAD.
Ed agrees with me that the 2019 Browns Defense has the edge on the 2019 Ravens Offense. He just misses a couple minor points and doesn't factor in "game-flow".
Ed Abib is extremely smart. I wish he were drinking beer with me now, because I know he would be admitting that the Browns are gonna kick the Ravens' asses by now.
Really it's the Steelers that scare
It probably won't be enough, of course (even with the "mystique" and history and stuff), but with a few deliberately bad calls by referees (see "Bottlegate"), the Steelers could derail the Browns...
By the way also see "Red Right 88". THAT was a fix too. You are not allowed to tackle receivers in the end zone...well until they touch the ball, anyway...and refs are supposed to---nevermind but a FIX or 2 won't surprise me.
But I digress: The Bengals actually scare me more than the Ravens do, since they have more overall talent, plus a real quarterback.
I expect the Browns and Steelers to finish 1st and 2nd in the AFC North (or the Steelers/refs 1st and the Browns 2nd), but am not even sure the Ravens can beat out the Bengals for 3rd.
....okbye
No comments:
Post a Comment