It kinda matches up with the one I did a couple months ago, except:
I ranked Big Ben first, ahead of Baker Mayfield. But I was wrong about that. As Jonas points out, Mayfield accomplished what he did as a rookie, with a coaching change, with a rookie Callaway and no OBJ.
I also ranked the Browns' Offensive Line roughly tied with the Ravens' for second. Jonas says they're third instead, and I have to accept it.
The Pro Football Outsiders' 17th ranking, the loss of Zeitler, new things I'm finding out about Hubbard, etc have cooled me down considerably about this 2019 Browns' Offensive Line.
Mitch Zoloty calls the right side of this Offensive Line the Offense's "Achilles Heel".
But he's overstating it. Hubbard coughed up 8.5 sacks last season, which is terrible. However, most of that happened in the first half of the season. I don't think Hubbard gave up any sacks at all in the more recent second half of 2018.
And he gets the Right Guards mixed up:
It was Kyle Kalis, and not Eric Kush, who worked at Right Guard with the first team.
Mitch also makes an Olympic caliber conclusion-leap in writing both "Kush" and Corbett off as long-term answers.
That's just plain dumb, ok? Corbett has never played on the right side of the center in his life. The transition from Tackle to Guard isn't too hard, but switching sides is a major challenge that Mitchell just ignores.
Mitch might be a Memorex Moron. Memorex Morons see what a guy does (or doesn't do) as a rookie, and that's it. To Mitch, Austin Corbett is a bust.
Memorex Morons are often otherwise sentient, but lack the ability to imagine or project.
9 times out of 10, players improve dramatically in their second seasons, and make another big leap entering season 3 before their growth curve begins to flatten out.
As I've repeated at least 3 times, Austin Corbett was NOT regarded as a reach atop the second round by the real experts, and Joel Bitonio was the player he was most often compared to.
But ok: If this Offense has an Achilles' Heel, the right side of the line is it, and Mitch goes into some X/O details on the ramifications of it (which he's not wrong about).
Mitch does express some hope that new Oline Coach Dave Campen can keep the new Offensive Line out of trouble.
Randy Gurzi dug up 6 veteran Offensive Linemen who are still available.
Most of these guys are older, one-year rentals; several of which would challenge Chris Hubbard right away.
Chance Warmack could step right in at Right Guard, and 36 year old Donald Penn is still very good.
Warmack is only 27 years old, so he's probably asking for a longer-term deal and more money.
Dan Labbe asks a great question: How will Olivier Vernon do from the left side of the Browns Defense (outside the Offense's Right Tackle)?
Until I read this article, I hadn't realized that Vernon was almost exclusively a blindside passrusher. He's lined up on the strong side less than about 15% of the time.
In 2018, he lined up there on 75 snaps, and got no sacks from that side.
Dan is right that Vernon should get better matchups (vs Right instead of Left Tackles) over there, but also that he might also face more "help".
Well, in this situation, that help would come from Tight Ends; mainly chipping him to deprive him of the edge...or else an in-line TE to make him line up further outside (long story nevermind)...but in either case, the TE is delayed or prevented from running a pattern.
I wonder if this was what offenses did to Ogbah...makes me nervous.
But they've no doubt tried all this stuff on Von Miller, who attacks from the strong side too...
But then Miller is faster and more athletic than Vernon/Ogbah...nah I won't try analyzing that (yet).
I WILL say that I'm pretty sure that Steve Wilks will use Garrett and Vernon on both sides, depending on matchups.
Myles Garrett is a premier talent, and should be on the weak side the majority of the time, but he's got the tools to shrug off chips and blow the doors off Right Tackles too...
Hell who knows? We might find out he's better on the strong side!
Listen, whippersnappers: Another guy I remember is Clay Matthews (the Brown) later in his carreer, and Garrett and him have a few things in common.
Garrett is actually a little taller and stronger (but then so are the players in general these days), but Clay was quick/fast/physical too...
Marty Schottenheimer often lined Matthews (a linebacker, of course) up in the Tight End's face.
Now, Clay could COVER, ok? His Packer son is faster than he was, but not quicker or smarter or as agile.
...but here, more often than not, Clay Matthews would attack the Tight End, trying to drive him backward a step or 2 before turning his attention to the Quarterback.
It was funny to watch sometimes, kids (see if you can dig up the tapes):
Back then, Tight Ends were actual Tight Ends, and not oversized Wide Receivers, see? They were big, strong guys who could block, but they still averaged 245 lbs.
Well, at that point in his carreer, Clay was called "Conan" for his physique and size as well as his long hair.
He punked out every Tight End that tried to stand up to him. Those that tried to get around him and into a pattern got decked sometimes.
Clay Matthews probably got as many or more sacks from the strong side as he did from the weak side, except on the strong side, he also neutralized a bunch of Tight Ends.
Olivier Vernon can't do that, but Myles Garrett can...
Well sometimes. I mean you don't want Myles chasing guys like Njoku around...
But (-snap-snap-get back here) I wish the Browns would fix this glitch which makes all my emails and texts "undeliverable" (ongoing issue), because I'm trying to advise Steve Wilks to do something like that Clay Matthews stuff with Myles Garrett sometimes.
This is 2019, of course, so the game has changed. BUT many a 2019 Offense facing a Browns 2019 Defense will field extra Tight Ends, and put the "blocking" Tight End to whichever side Myles Garrett is on, see? (sigh) you know to help BLOCK him, see?
Well, please tell Steve Wilks for me to put Myles in that guy's face and make like Clay Matthews with him.
Ok it's 2019, but the "blocking" Tight End is still not built to actually block a powerful Defensive End one-on-one, see? He's supposed to help with double-teams, smash linebackers in space, seal off edges, lead-block off motion etc.
Well, how 'bout if this blocking Tight End lines up outside Myles Garrett so he can chip him to the Tackle, and finds Myles Garrett standing up, right in front of him, staring into his eyes (ideally looking kinda crazy)?
-snap-snap- try to stay with me here: That in-line Tight End is meant to force Myles Garrett the Edge-rusher further outside, to force him further away from the Quarterback and flatten out his attack angle (so that the tackle can easily intercept him from outside).
But here, Garrett Clay Matthewsizes the Offense. He drives the Tight End back and peels off.
Now, normally, you don't sweat this, as that Offensive Tackle is backing up, and ready to intercept Garrett once he gets around the Tight End.
WRONG! That Offensive Tackle finds himself isolated on Myles Garrett with zero leverage.
...Well ok if the Quarterback is exactly where he is supposed to be, the Tackle is in position to "stone" Garrett, but the QB rarely is, and (listen carefully, kids): Garrett can SEE the Quarterback. That poor Offensive Tackle can't.
This is why Offensive Linemen in general hate pass-blocking. NFL passrushers are much quicker and faster than they are, and they get to fake them out too!?!
Anyway Myles Garrett can deposit a Tight End on his ass, turn a corner, and humiliate a big goon on his way to the Quarterback.
But I digress.
Jake Burns strikes again! Jake predicts that fade-passes will be a significant part of the Browns' arsenal.
Mayfield is super-accurate, and several Browns receivers have exceptional catch-radii.
The majority of NFL teams should not try fade-routes at home, but Jake thinks they should work for the 2019 Browns.
...okbye
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