Scott Patsko did a great job of identifying several salaries that Andrew Berry may want to dump in 2020.
These included Olivier Vernon and Chris Kirksey (thank you Scott! Somebody else gets it!!!)
However, I disagree on Terrence Mitchell. He's an upper-echelon man cornerback well-suited to Joe Woods' scheme. He excelled under Gregg Williams (similar system) in 2018, ranking near the top of all corners per PFF. 3.6 mil is cheap for this guy.
Also (sigh) Scott left out OBJ (over 15 mil). Ah well...the trade probability will begin to start to dawn on these guys soon. It's unfair of me to expect them to be as smart as my humble self.
At the risk of Peter Smith humiliating me yet again, I need to defend another DB who prospered under Gregg Williams, but not under Steve Wilks: Damarius Randall.
Gregg Williams ran a lot of man (notably press/man with a single high safety.)(sometimes lined up 15-18 yards deep. You just didn't notice that in 2018 because he wasn't Jabrill Peppers, see?)
Much like Felix Wright (who backed Minnifield and Dixon), Randall was a center-fielder for Williams.
Depending on the matchups, tendancies, and situations, Randall would look for one of the press corners to get "beat" vertically (the main hazard with press coverage).
The best quarterbacks spot this and throw immediately. Randall can't always get there in time to prevent a well-placed reception, but can still try to knock it loose, or at least nail the guy before he can do more damage.
Otherwise, he can see the whole field (and the quarterback's eyes), and is well-placed to jump or blow up crossing routes.
In a Woods/Williams system, he might man up on a big slot guy, but isn't a box player. He supports the run by coming forward at near top speed to blast ballcarriers who get to the open field.
Felix Wright, who was no bigger than most cornerbacks, was great at being a human missile and knocking people's legs out from under them. Sometimes they'd land on their heads. It was awesome---but I digress:
Then came Steve Wilks, who ran a 3-deep zone, reliant on more zone and off-man coverages on the perimeter. It's called "3-deep" because the corners line up off the line (often by 5 yards).
The idea here is to deprive the receivers of their vertical routes, and force them to run slants and crosses, which the corners mirror and close on.
Here, Randall isn't a center fielder anymore. He's closer to the line, looking to jump these routes or pick up receivers who get loose (long story: faking an in-cut then going for the corner as the corner reacts, etc. OBJ, when healthy, excelled at this stuff).
Randall under Wilks was also in the box more; responsible for a gap vs the run.
Randall is cornerback-sized; maybe still under 200 lbs, and isn't built for this. It may be why he got hurt.
To be clear, I'm not bashing Steve Wilks. ...well maybe a little. Ward, Williams, Randall, and Mitchell weren't good fits, and Steve didn't adapt to them.
I searched "wide zone" and learned some more about it. I believe "wide" merely means inside and outside zone combined.
I've covered most of this before, but it was a long time ago.
Inside zone-blocking is pretty simple. If a defender is in front of you, you just fire out and block him. If you're "uncovered" (nobody is in front of you), you go help the blocker to the "play side" (the side to which the RB is going).
The double-team is extremely brief, as one of the offensive linemen immediately goes linebacker/safety hunting, while the other has control of the defender (he is stationary, and his superior athleticism can't get the big ugly's hands off him).
This includes in-line tight ends, and is idiot-proof. Any rookie (with the tools) can run it from the first snap.
The outside zone is different. Here, everybody (except the backside tackle or tight end) steps sideways to the play side.
Their objectives are unmistakably to keep themselves between the defender and the sideline.
All defensive linemen read this as a run to that side, and by instinct and training try to get or stay outside the blocker's outside shoulder so that the linemen can't stifle him and create a hole for the running back.
The defensive player is the better athlete, and will often beat the blocker to the outside...and the blocker will not only accept his defeat, but even help the defender get even further outside even faster by pushing him, and perhaps accidentally knocking him down and falling on top of him.
The running back is, of course, watching this chaos, and waiting for just this sort of happy accident.
Naturally, defenses have countermeasures---most of which involve one-gap penetrators, stunts, and blitzes intended to get quicker, faster players into the backfield before the play can develop.
This is why, vs some defenses, the blockers step back as well as sideways (why it looks like passblocking). This is called a "bucket" and maybe a "scoop" block;
This is meant to help the big uglies stay in front of the quick-twitch penetrators and shrimp blitzers (they are big and slow, but have long arms, and if you "beat" them, they'll still shove you in the direction you're going anyway, see?)
This run-blocking scheme will influence which offensive linemen the Browns will draft. No slow-pokes, no matter how flat they smash people.
Upper body strength is more important, plus balance. They don't need to be explosive, but do need to change directions well in space.
I heard a PFF show on NFL Radio, and picked this up:
Buyer beware on Becton: His actual pass-pro sample size was microscopic, and he sucked.
Because there were so few plays for them to look at, they drew no conclusions. Becton could be ok, and even if he sucks in pass pro now, could improve quickly. They're just saying: this player hasn't proven it yet.
Meanwhile, the PFF guys love Josh Jones (Houston), who Walter Football ranks 8th (always a good sign) and smarter people rank 6th among the draftable offensive tackles.
Playing against the Little Sisters of the Poor and stuff in college, Josh was a man amongst boys, but he DOMINATED all week and in the game at the Senior Bowl. He did so at guard as well as left tackle.
Critiques from people I deem credible say Josh gets "upright" a little too much and overextends sometimes; that he needs some "polishing", and is quick but not fast.
Josh is 6'7" (you can't coach that), 310 lbs. As a freshman, he gave up 32 (or so) pressures, but improved each year to only 4 in 2019.
To us analytical types, that means a LOT, as it shows a clear pattern of improvement. While the NFL is a whole new world, this is a guy with a work ethic who kicked the best senior defensive linemen's butts in the Senior Bowl, ok?
Most non-PFF analysts like Jones too, but simply see the other OT's as more "pro-ready", and also ding him for not being a pancake-making run-blocker.
It's unlikely that the Combine or his Pro Day will change things much for Josh Jones. He's an offensive tackle. Clocking under 5 flat will barely budge the needle, and at 6'7" with that wingspan, the bench probably won't help him either.
Most conventional analysts are still projecting Josh Jones to go in the second or even third round.
I believe that (Tony Grossi close your eyes) a trade-down is very possible from 10th overall in this draft, and that it could be significant.
I expect DePodesta and Berry to see what PFF sees. I know that only so many teams will be targeting Left Tackle over other positions, and that at least 4 other offensive tackles will be drafted ahead of Jones.
Read this slowly, and several times: The 2020 Browns don't need the next Joe Thomas. They're going to lean hard on play-action, use West Coast pinciples, move Mayfield, and should avoid obvious deep-passing situations.
Of all these OTs, however, Josh Jones might be the closest one to Joe Thomas (eventually).
His upside is great. He has lots of room for more muscle, strength, and even quickness.
At his level of competition, he had nothing like what he'll have in the NFL in coaching, strength training, or nutrition.
Meanwhile, other teams will be chasing that 4th or 5th quarterback, or that freak super-safety, or that superstud DT, or that freak EDGE guy, or even that not-Jones OT.
The Colts (13th overall) might go for a QB (if Nick Dudukovich's hypothetical 3-way doesn't land them Nick Foles--see last post):
They have the 44th overall pick.
Berry and DePodesta are loving where John Dorsey accidentally left them here. They can free up a ton of cap space and turn OBJ into (at least) a mid-first round draft pick, and maybe trade down from 10th overall.
You ignorant people are blaming Berry and DePodesta for 1-31, and predicting doom on that basis.
What you are really saying is that Schobert, Garrett, Njoku, Tretter, Ogunjobi, Zeitler, Peppers, Nassib, Ogbah, Reiter, DeValve, Higgins etc all suck, and that's just...I'm embarrassed for you.
Paul DePodesta had 2 guys ranked ahead of Hue Jackson, and Stefanski over Kitchens.
John Dorsey inheritted a boatload of draft picks and cap money generated by the guys you're blaming for 1-31, and also a bunch of young talent entering years 2 and 3...I mean DUH!
Dorsey didn't suck: I still think Mayfield, Ward, Williams, and...err...ok but Kizer for Randall was brilliant, and in his first year he rebuilt the secondary instantly...
But no: DePodesta/Berry are to blame for 1-31?
I can't talk to you people. And by the way: Baker Mayfield was a unanimous first overall pick (for good or ill), so when he resumes kicking ass don't pull that Dorsey card, ok?
You people! All the REAL experts know that Dorsey got HOSED by Geddleman! JFC Peppers, Zeitler, 17th overall, and a 3rd round pick for 2 injury-prone players, one of which was 29, and the other of which was unneccessary, with a combined 31 mil cap-hit!?!
I personally look foreward to the return of "analytics". No more Hue Jacksons. No more idiotic trades. Turning uneccessary assets into draft picks, reallocating funds, and building a DYNASTY.
Dorsey set us back, but the Browns will compete in 2020 and go for the marbles in 2021.
You people, with your LABELS: Lord Insideous can deny “analytics” all he wants, but he’s analytics savant, and everybody is sick of him and Tom Brady for obvious reasons.
Listen: If Lord Insideous loses Saint Thomas in 2020, he will remain obnoxious, and keep winning.
I remind you, (I believe) 2 years ago, Bill intended to trade Saint Thomas for a boatload of draft picks and stuff, and re-sign Garropolo, but Robert Kraft nixed it.
Bill was right. Kraft was wrong.
GET UP OFF JIMMY HASLAM WITH THIS “MEDDLING” BULLSHIT!
You people...
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