Bucky was a defensive back when he played in the NFL (before he got into scouting and stuff). When he talks about how a given offensive scheme will effect a Quarterback, you should listen.
Without geeking out, Brooks gets a little technical in describing how the Stefanski offense worked in Minnesota, and how it's likely to be used with the Browns' skill personnel.
Bucky focused on the Tight Ends as receivers attacking seams, and curls and digs by OBJ and Landry, which shed more light on this for me:
It sounds like the Tight Ends will run more vertically than the wide receivers will!
This actually makes perfect sense, as they're challenging linebackers and safeties. What are these defenders supposed to do when Nick Chubb is running all over them? They're the guys who have to stop the run--so sending the big tall receivers into their faces is perfect.
Bucky hinted at it: Defenses will have to commit to aggression or coverage pre-snap, and hope they've guessed right and can blow something up.
The Tight Ends running vertical routes also makes it difficult for the Free Safety to help one of the corners out in coverage.
Bucky also mentioned "Check with Me"'s, which is how Bernie Kosar's offenses were set up.
Bernie had packages of three plays he could call. The Coach would tell him which package he had, and (I think) the play they wanted him to run.
But the QB can look at the defense as he's in the huddle (mainly for presinnel, since defenses deliberately look like "mud" until the offense breaks and lines up) and change the call right there.
Then, as the offense and defense line up, the Quarterback can change the play to one of the other two in the package with one word...often after somebody goes in motion and he sees how the defense reacts.
Bernie loved this system. Occasionally, he would flush a package and call his own play, but he says that 9 out of 10 times, one of the 3 plays he had "on deck" would work against what he saw.
Normally, these were one pass and two runs for Kosar, but his Browns didn't run RPOs or rollouts like Mayfield will, so it might be a little different for these Browns.
This is actually in Baker Mayfied's wheelhouse.
No knock on some Quarterbacks, but they do better when just following orders, because they don't read coverage well.
Every Quarterback learns to read coverage, but in the NFL defenses take deception to a whole new level. Some Quarterbacks can (painfully) learn to read body language, glances, etc to see through it, but others can't.
Mayfield can. Forget 2019: He had to run the plays they called. Defenses didn't "catch up to" Baker Mayfield. John Dorsey Freddie Kitchens led him into ambush after ambush. If he was an old vet like Aaron Rodgers, he would have rebelled, but what if he had in 2019?
Bucky Brooks is right: Baker Mayfield is about to "go off" in 2020 in this offense.
He's off to a great start, as (per Jake Trotter) nine players attended "Camp Mayfield" in Texas, including Hooper, Njoku, and Case Keenum.
OBJ and Landry are rehabbing, and Nick Chubb can't gain much from it, so the other 5-6 guys include some combination of Higgins, Hodge, Ratley, Peoples-Jones, Hunt, Bryant, an/or others who are hanging on by their fingernails like Pharoah Brown, Hilliard, Johnson etc. Maybe Javovich?
This isn't a bunch of guys running around in the back yard. Keenum and Mayfield are calling actual plays off actual wristbands in simulated huddles, and the other guys are expected to acually understand it.
In the absence of any actual coaches, the Quarterbacks have to fill that role, and this will be great for Baker Mayfield, who needs to develop his "darker" side more, and yell at guys and stuff like Brady does.
Without the WR Coach there to jump on the receiver for not being where he's supposed to be, or half-assing, the Quarterback has to do it (or sure as hell should, if he doesn't want to get blamed for interceptions that weren't his fault!)
Baker Mayfield is already a born leader, but his guys follow him because they believe in him when things look worst (and they like him personally). He does have an indefinable charisma, as well.
But he has room for imrovement, and having to coach receivers on routes will help him a lot.
He'll have to say stuff like, "if you keep doing this, I can't trust you.", and maybe "get your head out of your ass you won't make this team!"
Camp Mayfield will be great for depth, too. The Mayfield-Higgins connection formed when they were both stuck on the 2nd and 3rd teams, and practiced together a lot.
Case Keenum is practicing with Hooper and Njoku here, while Mayfield is working with guys he's unlikely to get any reps with in this Covid 19 (bullshit) abbreviated season.
You can count on all this being recorded, and sent to Stefanski, too. DePoBerry will make sure of it, so they can get a bead on all these new players ASAP.
Jake Trotter pointed out that it was Austin Hooper who reached out to Mayfield for offseason workouts, and Mayfield just took it from there.
The Jadeveon Clowney thing is clearing up somewhat. As Adam Shefter (uncharacteristically) suggested, Clowney's rejection of the Browns' offer wasn't about money.
I don't believe that Clowney just doesn't like the city, or expects Stefanski and Mayfield to continue some "curse", or whatever. I strongly suspect that Jadeveon Clowney insists on being THE Edge-rusher on his next team.
He had that chance with the Texans until JJ Watt got there, but was never a full-time DE. Clowney might feel that he could have done a lot more as a full-time DE in Houston, and got screwed by his core muscle injury as well last year in Seattle.
I won't bash the guy, if he's trying to prove he wasn't a "bust", and will take less money to make sure he gets the same chance that Myles Garrett got.
Elliott Kennel, responding to the rumor that a deal with the Titans was likely, instantly suggested that if that proves to be true the Browns should target Titans DT DaQuan Jones, since the Titans are under cap stress, and Jones makes 7 mil/year.
Elliott stresses the 2019 (and prior) suckitude vs the run, and feels that the big/strong Jones would help there a lot.
Well ok look: Big strong Defensive Tackles are not the ONLY solution to the run, ok? The Browns now have Billings, Elliott, Richardson, and Ogunjobi at DT, so who is Elliott planning to kick to the curb to make room for Jones?
Verily, Jones is bigger than everybody except Billings, but Elliott is talking about trading for him and his 7 mil/year salary.
Jones is an excellent DT, but is only under contract at 7 mil through 2020.
Sheldon Richardson is one year older than Jones, but Ogunjobi is only 26, and Elliott just got drafted. Is cutting any of these guys worth trading a draft pick for Jones?
DUH! But maybe if the Titans release him...but he's likely to cost MORE than 7 mil/year after that, so...
Elliott, stopping the run isn't all about big strong DTs. You're obsessed by them.
Sheldon Richardson's dead money for 2020 is around 11.5 mil (much cheaper in 2021). Ogunjobi has little leverage right now, and could probably be extended pretty cheap. Billings (per PFF) isn't as good as Jones, but won't break the bank either, if extended.
...actually I like DaQuan Jones (if released--not in a trade), and would even pay him like...well less than Richardson, but more than Ogunjobi or Billings...
Okbye
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