Saturday, June 6, 2020

High Ankle Sprains 101, Intro to Critical Thinking, Kareem Hunt's Value Duh, the Browns and Stuff

J D Bagley wrote a decent article guesstimating how the Browns might use their 2020 draft class this season.

It was pretty good, but J D did make a few small mistakes:

1: I haven't heard anyone accuse Delpit of playing to protect his sprained high ankle, but if anybody did, J D should filter them out from now on.

I guess you just have to experience a high ankle sprain for yourself to know how idiotic that statement would be.

The ankle has to be immobilized under layers of tape before the player can even function.  That ankle can barely bend.  You can't drive off that leg.  You have to run on the flat of that foot.  You can't cut hard away from that ankle, and by the way: It HURTS.

The injury itself made a HUGE difference in Delpitt's 2019 regular season performance.  You really can't "protect" it.  The 50 or so layers of tape does that for you.

2: DT Jordan Elliott should play on at least 25% of the defensive snaps (more likely 30%).  Ogunjobi and Richardson are under 305 lbs., and Larry has been starting as the zero shade (nose tackle).

Andrew Billings (327 lbs) is here to take a big chunk of that off him, but Elliott is here as the 4th part of a 4-man rotation.  He's pretty refined technically, and has produced at both nose tackle and 3-tech.  PFF graded him as the second best DT in this draft class, and even the consensus ranked him third.

3: The fact that the analytics guys don't value linebackers highly has zero to do with how much playing time the one they drafted in the third round (Jacob Phillips) will get.

They didn't spend a third round pick on a "project".  This was the biggest correction; Phillips will compete for a starting role, and Mack Wilson is just another guy in that competition.

That's all.  J D got most of it right.

Randy Gurzi lists 3 players he thinks the Browns might consider trading ahead of the season.

Long story short it's Terrence Mitchell (honorable mention), Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon, and David Njoku.

Randy's rationale for each made sense, but most of these trades are highly unlikely unless Andrew Berry is willing to accept almost nothing in exchange for really good players (and has a capital "L" tattoo on his forehead).

Randy himself describes Terrence Mitchell as a top-flight man corner, and there are only two others on this roster.  Mitchell is on the final year of his contract, and nobody would trade more than...well it's just dumb, ok? You keep Mitchell, and even try to extend him (he's only 28, and it seems like everybody hates him so...)

Richardson is different, as he's under contract through 2021, and is durably kicking ass at 28-29 years of age, and anybody with a brain would want him for under 12 mil/year BUT:

Nobody will offer a 2nd round pick (etc) for him so how 'bout we just KEEP him, ok?

Nobody will trade for Pegleg Vernon in the final year of his 15.5 mil contract.  What is Randy fishing for here-a 2021 conditional 6th round pick?

But David Njoku could be different, as other NFL teams might consider...

Ok Njoku's cieling is astronomical and his floor is above average, and with 2 years left on a contract you don't take less than a mid-2nd round pick and change for that, and that aint happening either.

I can't believe that Gurzi didn't list Kareem Hunt here!

Technically, some other team making Hunt an offer isn't a trade, but if the Browns don't match that offer, the other team surrenders their highest 2nd round pick to the Browns for him (per his 2nd round tender).

Randy et al seem to be unanimous on this subject:  No GM in the NFL will make an offer to Kareem Hunt.

Well let's see: Kareem Hunt was the rushing champion as a rookie, as well as a surprising receiver.

Why on Earth would any other NFL team want Kareem Hunt?  (At a big DISCOUNT due to his off the field issues?)

This isn't technically a "trade", but is THE most likely transaction that I seem to be the only guy on Earth sees coming.

I don't get it!  Why doesn't anybody else seem to get that the NFL rushing champ from 2 years ago who subsequently proved a lethal weapon receiver is now NOT worth a low-ball offer and a 2nd round pick?

Kareem Hunt is obviously a top 4 running back:  If he couldn't catch a pass, he's still an Adrian Peterson-like stud.

But he kicked that woman in that hotel so he's worthless 2 years later---oh seriously you people...

Okbye













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