Dorsey Reclaims 9 Waived Players to Practice Squad. Don't play Poker with this Guy!!!

First, some good news for the NFL: Vontaze Burfict, who should be in prison, has suffered his 7th concussion, and might be on his way out.

Prison would be better, of course, since Burfict is a psychopath, and will assault and injure civilians instead.

Unlike the NFL, Law Enforcement doesn't care for violent psychopaths, so Burfict should end up where he belongs anyway.

The one redeeming thing about Burfict is that Antonio Brown was one of his many victims.

Anyway, I'm glad I've accepted that John Dorsey (and DePodesta and the scouts and coaches) know more about building an NFL roster than I (or most pundits) do, because the release of Derrick Willies would have driven me (more) insane.

But in DePodesta Dorsey I trust, and most of these moves do make sense to me.

This roster is still "churning", as it is for 31 other teams.  It's unlikely that the final version will have only 3 Tight Ends and 5 Wide Receivers, with 10 Offensive Linemen.

Randy Gurzi gets this, and lists several available veterans he thinks could help the 2019 Browns.

Understand that every GM has a wish list of "ones that got away" in previous drafts, and of players who impressed them.

Many of the players on the current roster are not Dorsey favorites.  He no doubt wanted to draft Taywan Taylor in his draft, and doesn't see his bad hands as a deal-killer (or irreparable).

Certainly, Taylor is one of the fastest and most athletic players in the NFL, and belongs on somebody's roster as at least a 6th Wide Reciever (moreso than Braxton Miller).

Taywan Taylor also has great Special Teams potential.

John Dorsey's priority for all defensive and skill players seems to be speed and explosiveness.

Paul DePodesta, if he isn't influencing these moves, at least agrees with them:

The bottom third of the roster should be fast, explosive, and young.  This makes Special Teams better, and keeps potential superstars in this system and on this roster.

Me? I would have kept Willies, but the Taylor over Miller moves do make sense --and again, I'm not qualified to second guess Dorsey anyway.

Anyway, Gurzi came up with some interesting players for the Browns:

RB Josh Adams is a proven veteran player being shed by a top Superbowl contending team; a former "bellcow" who Randy says has improved a lot as a receiver.

D'Ernest Johnson has been impressive so far, but he's more like Hilliard than Chubb.  Adams could "spell" Chubb, and actually shoulder the load if neccessary.

He did it for the Eagles, so...

TE Dwayne Allen (an ex-Patriot yuk-yuk) is an excellent blocker and underrated as a receiver.

Randy is wrong about Njoku as a blocker.  Njoku has improved a lot in that department.

He's also wrong about Njoku's blocking, and thinking that the acquisition of another blocking Tight End is urgent.

Pharoah Brown and Demetrius Harris are both good in-line blockers, and the Browns don't need a third one as much as they need another Njoku or DeValve type.

Dwayne Allen is, however, underrated as a receiver, so Randy might accidentally be right about him.

Safety Su'a Cravens is a Gurzi "spitball" based on Steve Wilks' 4-2-5 base defense, but Randy himself doesn't know if he'd fit better than any of the current "nitro" hybrids on the current roster.

Randy is being thorough here, and in every case speculating about how each player would impact Special Teams.

Cravens is a good player.

Eli Rogers?  Steeler WR/returner? Where do I sign!?!  That's a no-brainer!!!  Nuff said!

Thanks to Randy, I am now aware that TE Luke Willson exists.

Per Randy, Willson is a real Tight End who can block and catch.  Gurzi also thinks that Willson might be able to line up and block at fullback sometimes.

Update: Derrick Willies and 8 other Browns' cuts have been signed to the Practice Squad.  

I'm surprised that none of the other teams grabbed Willies, but I guess that's why Dorsey gets the big bucks and the rest of us are clueless.

And despite being beyond our comprehension, re-signing 9 waived players is impressive for any GM.

While it could mean that he is a blockhead stuck on favorite players, in Dorsey's case it more likely means that he (and/or DePodesta) played a masterful poker hand.

...but...what tf is wrong with Derrick Willies?  Why tf did nobody else claim him?  What tf am I missing here?!?

I'm sorry.  I am a legit analyst, and this does not compute.  My regular readers know that I almost always figure stuff out eventually, but this...this Willies thing...

...Ok well obviously Dorsey was ok with waiving him, and risking him.  But just as obviously, he wanted him back.  This was a calculated risk.

As an accomplished poker player and competent gambler overall, I don't get this.

Derrick Willies is a prototypical big target playmaker; a proven one in the NFL.

I get that John Dorsey and co might be willing to risk Willies on the open market, but why tf didn't anybody else claim him!?!

This does not compute.  Kudos to Dorsey for pulling it off, and I have now confirmed that Dorsey is smarter than most of the other GMs in the NFL.  

He waived and reclaimed Willies, right?

You people don't get the biggest part of this:

NFL GMs are "gamblers".  They calculate odds.  They bluff.  Most of you don't get this.  I'm here for you:

John Dorsey probably expected to lose Derrick Willies in free agency, but had his eyes on Taylor (and other guys) and was willing to let Willies (etc) go if the cards fell that way.

Context matters, you people, and this is about the bottom of the roster.  I love Derrick Willies as much as any of you, but OBJ, Landry, and Higgins were ahead of him, and maybe Ratley, with Callaway waiting.

Taywan Taylor is a lethal weapon who can turn dink passes into TDs and burn deep.

You people don't get Baker Mayfield, or the Monken/Kitchens Offensive system, so you don't comprehend why John Dorsey would risk Willies for Taylor.

Willies is a big target.  BAD Quarterbacks need big targets, because they aren't accurate, and have no "touch".

Baker Mayfield is a G O O D Quarterback DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

It looks to me like John Dorsey is loading up on lethal weapons first and foremost, and trusting Baker Mayfield to make accurate and timely passes to them.

Baker Mayfield doesn't need "big targets".  He is a sharpshooter.  He needs lethal weapons; playmakers!

Read this slowly and carefully:

Baker Mayfield is exceptional.  He is exceptionally accurate, in the pocket or scrambling.

Baker Mayfield, unlike over 20 other Starting QBs, doesn't need a "can't miss" target!  Taywan Taylor, bad hands and all, might just rate 5th WR in this offense, and be a Special Teams asset.

You people don't comprehend accuracy or touch.  You don't grok Baker Mayfield.

Dorsey is all-in on Mayfield: He released Willies and traded for Taylor IS ANY OF THIS SINKING IN YET?

Screw it.  Okbye.