Higgins (like Ratley) has a good chance to be third on the WR depth chart in 2020...and to barely ever see the field unless Landry or OBJ is injured.
Even if he is third on the depth chart, he may find himself behind Peoples-Jones and Ratley on third and a mile, as they are the deep threats.
Frank Teriaca bears bad news: Two other teams in the AFC North upgraded themselves in the draft as much or more than the Browns did (on paper).
The Steelers got Minkah Fitzpatrick for their first round pick, then giant WR Claypool and EDGE Highsmith. You guys know I loved Claypool, and Highsmith in the third round was a great value for them.
They didn't really improve as much as the Browns did, however.
The Browns got an elite Left Tackle, a Super Safety, a starting caliber Tight End, a terrific wide zone center (who Joe Thomas says could play guard in this scheme), a stud passrushing DT, a tackling machine LB, and a big fast WR with upside.
Frank ranked the Bengals behind the Ravens.
They got some Quarterback (yawn), WR Tee Higgins, and LB Logan Wilson (plus Gaithers and a situational edge-rusher.
Tee Higgins is a truly scary WR and Wilson a terrific LB. Indeed, the Bengals drafted more guys that I picked for the Browns than Berry did.
The Ravens drafted LBs Queen and Harris, a stud RB in Dobbins, and...ok a disruptive huge Nose Tackle and 2 potential starting offensive linemen, so I can see why Frank picked the Ravens first on this list (But I'd still rank the Bengals first because of the Quarterback thing).
Good grief like the Ravens needed 2 more Linebackers and a big monster pocket-collapsing DT! Wow TWO more offensive linemen too really?
It just aint fair, man!
Fortunately, I'm here to remind you guys of the rest of the story:
1: Conklin, Hooper, Sendejo, Joseph, Billings, Johnson, Janovich and Goodson all in free agency ahead of the draft.
Conklin was a huge upgrade, and subsequently Hubbard was re-signed for peanuts for terrific depth at both guard and Tackle.
Hooper is reliable as hell. That's more important than Njoku's big-plays for Baker Mayfield. Billings was a great run-stuffing zero shade rotational player (sorely needed).
Ward and Sendejo were both long-time NFL starters ready to step in and plug 2 holes.
Goodson is a run-stopping linebacker (he, Billings, and Sendejo are good vs the run).
Kevin Johnson was a first round draft pick who got hurt and failed to live up to that status. Berry is taking a flyer on his talent, and hoping that the change of scenery and his coaches will find lightening in that bottle. (If not, Johnson is still worth his dirt-cheap salary as a slot corner and backup).
Janovich is a stud blocking fullback and special teamer.
Rounding it up, before the draft the Browns landed 4 new starters, a strong rotational player, PFF's #2 Fullback, and a good Cornerback with great upside.
Combine that with their draft class, and we could argue that the Browns had the best OFF SEASON in the AFC North.
Adding it up, it's
1: 2 massive upgrades at Offensive Tackle.
2: 2 more Tight Ends, setting up a Ravens'-style 3-TE capability.
3: A true blocking fullback (I'm not that thrilled by it but Stefanski is so ok)
4: Arguably the best Safety in this draft class (high ankle sprain--think Minkah Fitzpatrick, ok?)
5: 2 pretty good starting safeties too.
6: 2 run-stuffing linebackers.
7: 2 strong rotational DTS (one a zero-shade and one a 3-tech)
I'll leave Peoples-Jones alone because I don't get the hype, and Nick Harris, because he's mostly a depth guy.
But in re Harris, as I mentioned, Joe Thomas says he can play guard here! (Do YOU want to correct Big Joe? I don't!)
I already understood the first part of what Joe said: In a wide zone scheme, an offensive lineman is really running sideways.
The defensive linemen are responsible for covering gaps, and this is based on where the offensive linemen are. They have to move with the offensive linemen.
So now you're running sideways, and the more athletic offensive lineman has the advantage. The defender can't blow his doors off or try to jack him up. He can't anchor or even get both hands on him.
Thomas also makes fun of how most personnel guys make a big deal about arm-length.
Shorter guys (guards, for example) can get by a reach-disadvantage by making better use of their lower bodies. (I think Joe means that you can stay low, and bat the taller player's hands away with your forearms *upward blocks* and go in under their pads).
Joe goes on to talk about "levers": Shorter guys have shorter limbs, so they can't generate as much power (that's a strike against Nick Harris).
Anyway, I do believe that Berry drafted Harris to back up JC Tretter, but now think that he will be tried out at Right Guard in 2020, and has a chance.
Nick is smart and technically proficient. He played guard his first 2 seasons (and in a wide zone it's not that different).
Another great article by Elliott Kennel calls the Delpit and Jacob Phillips picks "moneyball".
Elliott's premise is on the money:
Berry (and apparently Joe Woods) is happy to use specialists in situational roles, rather than 11 million dollar men like Joe Schobert.
Now that Elliott mentions it, that's what the Billings and Goodson signings seem to say; both are better vs the run than vs the pass (and both are very inexpensive).
And clearly, Jacob Phillips is a more athletic, souped-up run-stuffer who will leave the field on passing downs.
Sadly, Elliott's analysis wasn't perfect here:
1: Grant Delpit missed zero tackles through the playoffs in 2019, and was a great tackler throughout 2018. It WAS. OBVIOUSLY. The high-ankle sprain he played through that undermined him through his 2019 regular season.
Listen: It's like your achilles is cut. You can't drive off the ball of that foot. You have to immobilize that ankle with layers of tape. Ballcarriers spot this in a hurry, and make you look bad cutting away from that ankle and making you dive at them.
The healthy Delpit will do fine vs the run.
2: Nickel is the real base defense for ALL NFL teams, and that includes the "Big Nickel" which is the most common answer to 2 Tight Ends (or Running backs).
Delpit is unlikely to "rotate" with Phillips (or anybody else). Joseph or Sendejo maybe. Not Delpit.
But Kennel is still light years ahead of most of these goobers, because he's onto the cost-effectiveness of specialists.
Lord Insideous in New England has been exploiting this flaw in the market forever.
Billings is actually a terrific player, but Berry got him cheap because he's not a great passrusher. Goodson was almost free, because he can't cover (and his special teams play is ignored).
Check out Jadeveon Clowney! He's likely to accept a Vernon deal because he's never had 10 sacks in a season, see?
Tackles for losses, turnovers, domination vs the run, coverage ablility, versatility...meh! Somebody will pay a guy with 12 sacks who gets steamrolled by Tight Ends and big backs 19 mil/year, but won't pay Clowney 15.5 mil--it's idiotic (shhh! Let them keep doing it!)
Anyway, Elliott: Mack Wilson should be a starter and every-down linebacker in 2020.
I know that per PFF he sucked as a rookie, but seemed to play really well in games 12-16; like he was "getting it", right?
Mack Wilson excelled in coverage at Alabama. While he came on late vs the run and as a passrusher in 2019, he's a certifiable 3-down Linebacker.
Takitaki fought at a lower weight class and had a lot more rough edges when he turned pro, but showed great promise in his microscopic 2019 sample size.
The pundits panned Seoni for his coverage in college, but he got deflections and interceptions, and was mainly a run-stopper and blitzer, so I have trouble believing these guys (wish I could afford PFF's premium package. But I digress)
Wilson is likely an every down fixture, but the rest of the Linebackers are up in the air.
Woods will rarely use more than 2 actual linebackers in 2020, Elliott, but when he does, Billings will be there, Wilson might NOT be, and Takitaki, Phillips, and Goodson should stop the run.
...and Delpit is probably in that defense too.
DePoBerry upgraded the run defense and secondary significantly, but sort of ignored the EDGE.
I get this (see previous posts): Edge-rushers were more important vs vertical passing offenses than they are now. Shallower pockets let big slow OTs block a much smaller area, and quicker releases give the edge guy much less time. (and the referees well...don't get me started).
As I've mentioned, Myles Garrett (and Olivier Vernon) rote at least as much havoc from the inside as from the outside.
Berry didn't ignore the passrush in general, as (to my amazement) PFF ranks Jordan Elliott as the top DT passrusher in this draft class, Delpit is an excellent blitzer, and Phillips has the length and speed to be used that way.
I look foreward to seeing Everson Griffen or Jadeveon Clowney replace Pegleg Vernon, and hereby predict it:
Olivier, this aint personal. You are a terrific player at both DE and OLB; good vs both the pass and the run---verily, just a great football player.
But you keep getting hurt, and now you're past 30. Even if I irrationally think you might stay semi-healthy for awhile in 2020 for once, I can't expect you to be as good as you were way back when.
Clowney is a lot like Vernon, except taller, quicker, faster, younger, and healthier, so.....
Anyway as-is the Browns 2020 defense will be significantly better than the 2019 version.
Kirksey guys need to get over it. Schobert is certainly a terrific player (and field general), but the 2019 Randall wasn't like the 2018 Randall, and Schobert once again led the NFL in missed tackles.
Wilson, Takitaki, Williams, Redwine, and Rodney Hasselfield et al enter their second seasons.
Billings, Elliott, Phillips, Goodson and Delpit are new.
By the way, the biggest reasons why Andrew Berry will be more successful than John Dorsey?
1: He will NOT systematically purge his roster of "Dorsey guys". OBJ, Landry, Ward, Thomas, Richardson, Wilson, Takitaki, etc are still here.
2: He will NOT trade first round picks and ascending young star players for old, often injured, overpriced veterans (imagine if Dorsey was still in charge for Trent Williams 3.0).
3: Andrew Berry DOES draft players his coaches want. He listens to them!
John Dorsey, in my opinion, not only dictated the roster, but also made Freddie Kitchens the Head Coach so that he could run the team.
Njoku and Higgins benched. Mayfield forcing passes to OBJ. Dorsey. Not Kitchens.
4: No drama. Berry, Stefanski, etc aren't Jerry Springer fans, and left Junior Highschool back in Junior Highschool.
No "power struggles". No juvenile bullshit. No "these guys aren't real football players" or "we gotta keep Schobert because I picked him" crap.
Seriously you people, I had a lot of fights in my ute with guys like John Dorsey. Never with guys like Stefanski or Berry.
The Browns have a great organization. Finally.
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