As you know, I had trouble figuring out the Jacob Phillips and Dovovan Peoples-Jones draft picks.
Casey Kinnamon helped me out with PJones. I especially appreciate that Casey comprehends that one of 2 Tight Ends and Kareem Hunt will be the "slodd receeeverrr" in Stefanski's 2-Tight End offense, and that a taller outside deep threat was the real need.
In general, DePoBerry seemed to proritize talent/upside over performance (even including Wills and Delpit)
Jacob Phillips shared the field with Patrick Queen and Caisson at LSU, and was a 2-year starter.
Queen covered. Caisson blitzed. Phillips tackled. Leading LSU in tackles surrounded by these high draft picks has to matter, and so should his great combine performance and upside.
Phillips' insincts and tight hips are questioned by smart people, but his ability to come forward and consistently stuff ballcarriers is not.
Phillips is also a lanky 6'3", and that had to matter. He has the length to make throwing over his head difficult, and should get much bigger/stronger.
Jacob is here to play on special teams and to help stop the run in 2020, like Andrew Billings, BJ Goodwin, and Jordan Elliott are.
I'm curious about Joe Woods' specific front line scheme here. Only Billings is a real nose-tackle type. All 3 of the other guys could play 3-4 DE or one-gap inside.
While they can all play the zero-shade and invite double-teams, it's not what they're best at.
But then, a zero-shade can collapse pockets and such by getting into the backfield before the guard can arrive to help, and now you have 4 in the rotation hmmm...
For the moment, Oliviere Vernon is sticking around to bookend Myles Garrett.
I would still be trying to replace him with Clowney or Lawrence, but Vernon isn't bad (or wasn't) when healthy.
The depth at DE isn't very good with Chad Thomas and the venerable Gramps Clayborne (why are you people all talking like he's a great passrusher? Who told you that?)
Well, NFL offenses are evolving, and (like I first said a couple years ago), very few of them run 7-step vertical schemes. Most of today's Quarterbacks are also athletic, and can escape.
2-TE offenses are all the rage, and so are read-options.
Edge-rushers don't have the same impact that they used to. Penetrating Defensive Tackles do.
Garrett comes inside as often as he goes around the tackle, and so does Vernon (and Clowney). They line up inside sometimes!
Defensively, the new regime has added two starting caliber DTs (and quit talking about Elliott as if he's a project), 2 run-stuffing linebackers, 2 starting Safeties, and Delpit (who shouldn't be labelled beyond "Defensive Back").
Schobert is gone, and we'll miss him, but he led the NFL in missed tackles, ok?
The Browns got gashed on the ground because the DLine wore out and guys missed tackles (Wilson too, by the way, but he was a rookie and coming off coverage a lot...and Randall, a little...)
Anyway after more research (and thanks to PFF) I'm flushing most of this "limited range" and "poor tackling" stuff on Delpit down the terlet:
He didn't miss any tackles in the playoffs and was stellar in coverage (again) because his ankle was mostly healed by then! He finally had some time off there so...well anyway playing through that high ankle sprain definitly undermind his 2019 performance, and Delpit was a STEAL in round 2!
The 2020 Browns defense looks a LOT stouter vs the run, including front-line athletes who can deal with zone-blocking.
I'm not sure how Joe Woods will pressure opposing QBs with guys not named Garrett or Vernon/Clowney/Lawrence, but some will come up the gut from DT, and everybody else can blitze.
The secondary is actually all set now with Ward, Williams, MITCHELL, and Johnson (who is a good slot corner ok? O K dammit?)
2 long-time starting safeties plus Rodney Hasselfield and Rodney Redwinefield and now Delpit.
A lot of you people (including me, to a lesser degree) kept echoing this "4-2-5" stuff and ass uming that there had to be a Safetybacker, but there are other ways to do this.
This off season offers clues to those of us who think about this stuff about the "Woods Defense":
They signed DT Billings (a Nose Tackle type), and Goodson (a run-stuffing LB). Then they drafted Elliott, Phillips, and Delpit.
They did not draft any Safetybackers.
So first and formost, a Joe Woods linebacker is an actual linebacker, who is expected to meet ballcarriers in the hole and get them on the ground.
(*Mack Wilson covers well, and Phillips has the tools for it too...and for that matter, Takitaki can cover too--but these moves speak volumes*)
Phillips and Delpitt are both extra tall and fast for their positions.
Billings is a nose tackle, but Elliott is like Ogunjobi and Richardson, and Berry traded down from Baun to draft him.
I suspect:
1: Woods prefers specialists and rotation over hybrids. He'll trade some muscle for more speed and height--just making sure his back end players can all cover first.
2: Conversely, his front 6 can't get bullied or worn down, and have to get pressure and at least force runs outside.
3: Ignore what Woods said about 4-3, 3-4. If he keeps Vernon (or replaces him with Clowney) he can mix in 3-3 fronts with this guy (or even Garrett) standing up (and moving around).
Remember, 3 DT's who can play 3-4 DEs and one nose tackle? Garrett was an OLB prospect, and Vernon played OLB for much of his carreer?
Billings on the center, Ogunjobi or Elliott or Richardson in the B-gaps, Wilson/Phillips/Takitaki (pick 2) and Garrett/Vernon (pick 1) behind them.
Joe Woods should really consider this. It would help him keep his best guys rested, and screw up opposing offenses.
4: Woods does seem to be keeping up with the NFL arms race, as I mentioned.
Speed and athleticism are the best solution to zone-blocking and RPOs, along with inside penetrators.
Joe is no doubt looking right at the Ravens' offense (which just got better dammit).
The Ravens just drafted an excellent Running Back to alternate with and later take over for Ingram, and they're going to keep playing smashmouth and overpowering defenses.
Obviously, you have to stop that first.
That's a tall order...I can't count the ways again here, but it has to do with an excellent Offensive Line, Tight Ends, Ingram, Lamar Jackson, and Coaches smart enough to use them right (dammit).
Anyhoo, the Dline is critical vs the Ravens. They're the dedicated trench-warriors who just have to win their individual battles vs their counterparts.
If they attack (as I know they must), a good Dline can screw up any offense (like the Browns did to the Ravens in game 1 2019).
The Ravens' offense exploits Jackson as a runner and deliberately puts coverage guys between a rock and a hard place as he drifts (or charges) toward the line of scrimmage (damn you to hellll, Harbaughhhh---) but I digress:
Athletic (and numerous) Defensive Tackles and run-stopping linebackers make sense here...especially if the linebackers aren't expected to cover, right?
Woods has cover corners, and should use them outside. The 3 inside guys will include Delpit, and Lamar? Be very, very careful, ok?
Anyhoo aren't you sick of 6'5" Tight Ends burning 6'1" linebackers? Captain Obvious just texted me: "Height and athleticism seems more important than bulk on bucket passes", and I tend to agree.
Vs the Ravens, you must stop the run first (including Jackson himself) with your front 6.
Jackson is still ascending as a pure passer, which is terrifying, but still, if you can stifle his 2 outside (obstensibly his first and second reads) receivers, he has to throw into a tight window, lob to an outlet guy, or throw high to a spot, see?
One of your 6'5" Tight Ends is supposed to be there, right?
Except so is DELPIT. And he can run circles around your receiver and outjump him too.
The 2020 Ravens will be a juggernaut. For that matter, the Bengals are loaded for bear, and the Steelers are treading water too.
Dammit the 2020 Browns are stuck in probably the best Division in the NFL in 2020, and with Burrow and Jackson for a decade or more how...perfect?
Take the gun out of your mouth, ok? The Cleveland Browns are at least as talented as the Bengals and Ravens, and more talented than the Steelers. Baker Mayfield can toe the line, even with Burrow.
I was predicting that OBJ, Hunt, and Vernon would be gone, but they're all still here! (I still see a Hunt trade (or conversion) as possible, and an OBJ trade as a remote possibility, and turning Olivier Vernon into Trevor Lawrence or Jadeveon Clowney as probable, but...
Hunt, OBJ and the rest of this offense in 2020!?!
Might as well shoot for the Superbowl RTFN. No other offense in the NFL is that loaded with talent, and this defense is near the top as well.
...I still hope Hunt and OBJ get traded and Vernon gets replaced, but seeing a team this loaded in action would be memorable.
Whah-evah go Browns okbye
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