Colin Cowherd listed the Cleveland Browns as one of the 8 most talented teams in the NFL (6th), but ranked the Ravens 1st and the Steelers 8th.
Per Greg Newland, our friend also predicted that, due to the lack of continuity, the Browns would underachieve once again in 2020.
This doesn't tick me off whatsoever, and I gave you Greg's link because he's being grown up about it too.
Who can blame Colin or anybody else for thinking the well-established veteran Steelers and Ravens will outperform the Browns, with (as usual) new coaches and systems, and a lot of new and younger players?
Greg stipulates all that, and (THANK you man) suggests that Dorsey hired Kitchens because he could control him.
*Yeah I know I said that was BS at the time, but now think I was wrong: That Dog House of his was full of Sashi Brown's players, and I don't think that was a coincidence*
He also stipulates that the Browns have been a dumpster fire for decades (though I say less so recently).
But Greg says this year feels different, and so do I.
Greg speaks for himself, but I want to add a few hard points:
1: Paul DePodesta wanted Kevin Stefanski (then a QB Coach with 3 games interim OC experience) instead of Freddie Kitchens after 2018.
A couple years earlier, DePodesta lobbied for current Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott instead of Hue Jackson.
*I sided with Freddie and Hue my own self. I have now learned not to disagree with this guy*
2: DePodesta is not "political", emotionally insecure, or power-hungry. He has finally been given a stronger voice, and is the main reason why Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are here today.
"Alignment" is a buzzword, but there is no better description of this.
No (serious) conflict. The principals have similar philospophies, and are adults.
While Stefanski hasn't proven himself yet, DePodesta is a highly respected "big brain", and Berry has a great resume.
John Dorsey had 2 years to work on this roster.
While he certainly made some impressive moves (Kizer for Randall was especially outstanding, and picking Nick Chubb as high as he did too), a lot of what he did was ego-driven.
Remember, he said that the roster he inherited from the Sashi Brown regime lacked "real football players"?
And he proceeded to purge them: Ogbah, Nassib, Shelton, Fells, DeValve...then trading Zeitler and Peppers, letting Higgins rot on the vine, benching Njoku...
You see it, don't you? John Dorsey doesn't want anybody else to get any credit. That's childish. It reflects insecurity.
These guys don't care who drafted or signed any given player. Instead of cutting Hubbard loose, they renegotiated and kept him as a backup. They're holding onto Teller, Forbes, Wilson, Takitaki--well just most of Dorsey's players.
Kevin Stefanski will run this team. DePoBerry won't interfere with his personnel decisions. They'll stay in their lanes.
The moves they've made are all logical, and clearly aligned with Kevin Stefanski's system; a Pro Bowl Tight End and an elite fullback.
*I said Stefanski would adapt his system to his players. But here goes Berry copying the Vikings roster! Stefanski will indeed adapt his offense to his roster...and run a nearly identical offense here to the one he ran in Minnesota*
Yeah, this feels different, allright!
Cowherd has a point about continuity. The Browns will field 3-5 new starters on Defense and 3-4 on offense, most likely with 2-4 rookies overall. New offensive and defensive systems.
There will be mistakes and miscommunication, especially early in the season. The Ravens and Steelers can run their systems in their sleep.
This is why (shhh!) the Browns plan to contend for the Division Title or at least the playoffs in 2020, but live in the real world, and secretly would not be surprised if they come up second in the Division; if they're still a year away.
That's why they won't do anything idiotic like trading for Trent Williams, or paying Jedeveon Clowney much more than half his current demanding price, or refusing to trade OBJ or Hunt, or trading up (for anybody other than Isaiah Simmons).
Indeed, here's my second half-assed Browns mock draft:
First, I'll steal Pete Smith's trade-down with Miami for their 26th overall, 7th in the 2nd, and 6th in the third.
Next, somebody will make Kareem Hunt an offer. I won't bother with any research here, and just throw a dart (thunk!) Ok it's the Bills.
They draft 22nd in the 2nd round (54th overall). The Bills are in win-now mode with New England rebuilding (yeah that's right), and due to Kareem's off-the-field baggage and the Browns roster situation and scheme they can make a lowball offer for a player who could carry them all the way.
So the Browns (to MKC's amazement) don't match, and will draft 22nd in the 2nd round.
Then there's OBJ. I'll wildly guess that the Titans cough up 29th overall (and maybe a 2021 4th rounder) for him. *probably stupid due to cap issues or something, but it's a low 1st rounder which serves my purposes here*
Let's review: Now the Browns draft 26th and 29th in the 1st, 7th, 9th, and 22nd in the 2nd, and 7th, 10th, and 33rd in the 3rd.
This is way too many high draft picks; 8 in the top 100, and another not missing by much.
So (before we go anywhere else) they will need to either combine some of those to move up for specific players, or trade some of those picks into the future (ie a 2020 3rd rounder for a 2021 2nd rounder).
(If they hit on the majority of these picks, 4 years down the road they will lose these guys to free agency, however well they manage their cap.)
Ok so per several mock drafts, Josh Jones (as well as Pete Smith's Ezra Cleveland) is still there at 26, and I take Jones (but Cleveland works too). Left Tackle check.
THIS JUST IN: The Browns just signed DE Adrian Clayborn (31) from the Falcons for 6 mil over 2 years.
He only had 4 sacks last season, but PFF graded him 76.6 (above average) as a passrusher (and mediocre vs the run; 57.2)
He's a decent passrusher who got 9.5 sacks in 2017. Nothing too special here, but for the price an adequate starter/outstanding depth.
He can play inside too.
Anyway, the Browns use their highest 3rd round pick to move up from 29 to nab linebacker Patrick Queen.
Zierlein loves the guy. He only started for one year, and he's rough around the edges, but Zierlein says he should start immediately and has astronomical upside.
He clocked 4.5 and is 6'0", 229 lbs so he's kind of a SS/LB hybrid---but that's ideal for the modern NFL.
At 39th overall, it's EDGE Terrell Lewis.
He played linebacker for Alabama, but is a rocked-up (complete with 6-pack) 6'5", 255 (or 261?).
He was a DE in highschool but Saban made him a linebacker, and he could play that (even in a 4-3) in the NFL.
Terrell would be a first rounder, but he missed most of 2 seasons with an elbow and a knee injury.
I can tell you that this guy is not wired to get much bigger, despite all the room on his frame--his metabolism is too high.
But 265-270? No sweat, and that's like 290 for normal guys, see?
Boom or bust as a DE but plan B is linebacker. A bit of a dice-roll, but the Browns are hurting for edge-rushers, and Lewis would at least be a situational guy opposite Garrett in 2020.
Maybe I'll continue this mockery later okbye
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