Walter Football has predicted that the Browns will take Cardale Jones next season with the third overall draft pick. I found this reference in this article on HNGN.
There's nothing wrong with guessing that the Browns will again be in the market for a franchise quarterback, and I liked that Connor Cook was mentioned as another possibility.
I'm feeling better about Johnny Manziel myself, partly because the positive reviews are coming from his teammates as well as coaches. But he still has a lot of questions to answer.
It's the notion that this team will draft third overall that's really, really dumb.
This team is loaded with talent, and most of it is low in it's growth-curve. Some will debate about outside linebacker (passrusher), tight end, and wide reciever, but unless you're out of your damn mind you've got to accept that everything else is covered.
I must repeat myself about the other guys: Bowe and Hartline are pretty good, and a stud number one is desirable, but not mandatory. Further, both probable slot recievers (I believe Benjamin will leave) are p l a y m a k e r s.
I can't expect others to expect Housler to show that he's much more than his prior stats indicate, but laugh at me now but believe me later.
And there are a BUNCH of guys, including NCAA sack-leader Nate Orchard, who will be competing with eachother to win the role opposite Paul Kruger.
Further, the much-improved defensive line will create more second and third and long situations in which the Browns can use that pass-rush.
You might not be able to count on Johnny Manziel, but Josh McCown, throughout his career, has won with a strong supporting cast, just as he's lost without one. He has that strong supporting cast here, so he'll win here.
The offensive scheme is a factor here. We haven't seen a traditional West Coast offense in Cleveland, even with Kyle Shanahan. Josh McCown has run this scheme and is well suited to it. So are Bowe, Hartline, and the slot guys.
DeFelippo's planned use of the running backs as recievers (and the addition of Duke Johnson) will help any quarterback immensely.
And to make this much, much simpler, if Brian Hoyer won seven games with last year's team, how can any rational person believe that McCown will do worse with this year's?
Home-town bias aside, they're pretty much interchangeable.
On the business side, Mitchell Schwartze's contract expires after this season. This makes it more likely that he will be replaced as the starter at right tackle. This will deprive him of leverage in negotiations.
Ray will want to re-sign him because he's still young, doesn't suck (in reality), and has position flexability. Of course, it might not work, since Schwartze will still get some nice offers, and can start somewhere else.
The most likely guy to replace him is Cam Erving. Micheal Bowie isn't as effective in pass protection. By the way, this would make four of the five OL starters first and second-round picks (any of this sinking in yet?)
Phil Taylor's injuries undermine his trade value, but he's really good when healthy. However it's just possible he'll be released. The sheer number of defensive linemen will force some cuts.
The unheralded Ishmael Kitchen, who himself was injured last season, is a true nose tackle, and is more durable and cheaper. He stays in his lane and makes messes.
Desir may well spend some time at safety.
Gilbert has a very good chance of winning the starting cornerback slot opposite Joe Haden. Gilbert is a cornerback--not a quarterback. Some of you appear confused about this.
And this is mainly a press/man system. It's not rocket science. Gilbert's tools are exceptional, and in year two he can take it if he means business (which it sounds like he does).
Barkevious Mingo should be a much more effective passrusher now that he's healthy, but still won't always be used that way. None of the other OLB's can cover like him.
There will probably be a lot of rotation among the OLB's, so if Mingo gets 5-6 sacks, that will be pretty good, because he might have some deflections and interceptions too.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Lindy Infante is Alive and Well and Living in DeFellipo
I'm an old guy, so I remember the 80s, when Lindy Infante was the Browns offensive coordinator. In point-of-fact, Infante pre-dated Bill Walsh's West Coast 49ers, and introduced much of what Walsh made famous. But, you know...he coached in Cleveland, so...
Anyway, Infante had a short quarterback with a pop-gun arm named Brian Sipe, and a series of really good running backs. I can't remember the exact time-span (and am too lazy to check), but if I'm right these included the Pruitts and Mack/Byner.
Lindy helped Sipe succeed by giving him more protection, a lot of second and third and shorts, and more targets.
Sipe threw to the running backs a LOT. Most of these were flat-passes and dump-offs: Infante himself described them as "long handoffs". (Greg Pruitt was a burner, so he went downfield more, sometimes from the slot.)
Unlike with most teams, these were often designed plays--not check-downs. However, the standard m.o. was that a back looked for leakage to block, and if he saw none, he peeled out for a pass.
Infante also had Ozzie Newsome at tight end. The various wide recievers weren't superstars by any means. Reggie Rucker was released by the Dallas Cowboys and scooped up as a free agent. Dave Logan was a very tall former basketball player who could come down with Sipe's high, arcing "deep" passes.
Some of this should be sounding familiar to you.
There's no Ozzie Newsome here, but I insist: Rob Housler may well be a sleeper. To remind you, he was injured early in his carreer, and Bruce Arians has little use for a pass-catching tight end in his offensive system.
Wide reciever is similar, except that Hawkins and Gabriel are blistering fast playmakers from the slot. It's not at all true that this offense has no playmakers. They don't have a stud number one wide reciever, but they do have speed, ok? Please try to remember this.
Duke Johnson isn't exactly Greg Pruitt, but close enough. He's not as fast, nor quite as explosive, but he's thicker and stronger. He will do the same things in this offense that Pruitt did for Sipe and Lindy.
And by the way: there's another playmaker, ok? Get it?
In this PD article, Flip talks about trying Crowell and West from the slot, as well. That part is different than Infante's, and is interesting.
Many safeties could cover them, but they're too fast for most linebackers. I believe this deployment is partly a decoy, however, intended to pull run-defenders outside the box, and possibly to prevent blitzes.
The common thread remains: DeFellipo doesn't want defenses to have a clue or a key, and wants to dictate defensive personnel to force favorable matchups.
A defensive coordinator seeing two backs and one tight end in the huddle will usually have to use his base defense (call it 3-4 or 4-3).
When one of the backs goes to the slot instead of remaining in the backfield, one of the guys who normally stacks the box has to move outside to cover him.
If it's Duke Johnson or, for that matter, Malcom Johnson, this could be a problem for them.
I say Malcom Johnson because the defense will be reluctant to put a safety on him--it needs to be a linebacker. If it's a run, Johnson will block him. He could also go in motion, letting the quarterback see who goes with him, or if they're using zone--and he's now a potential lead-blocker with a head start.
The West/Crowell part, I don't know about. They're really not built that way, and my guess would be that putting them in the slot is sort of a "change-up" Flip plans to use from time-to-time, and not as a staple.
Those guys, however, will be scary with a flat or dumpoff pass in their hands, and here we return to Infante's logic:
The defensive line and some of the linebackers are engaged or committed shortly after the snap, and the congestion is inside. One guy might mirror the running back as he peels out, but he can't attack him for fear the pass will go over his head.
There's space between them, so that when the pass is thrown, the running back will usually have the ball and a few steps before the mirror has to try to take him down in space.
The guys inside have to see the dumpoff, then get off their blocks to try to beat him to the edge. They'll often over-commit, and the running back will cut back on them, too--scraping his mirror off.
Infante would tell you, this is how he got the ball to running backs in space, with open field in front of them. More often than not, Earnest Byner would be at least two yards upfield before the first would-be tackler even got near him.
The defensive linemen were non-factors, the linebackers lost in traffic (and sealed out by design), and once the back is out of their range, only little people can try to tackle him.
All of this will make it hard for defenses to preplan anything, and sometimes make them hesitant.
Flip said that he'd run the ball a lot, and I believe he should. But the stats might not reflect it, since those "long handoffs" are recorded as passes.
Anyway, Infante had a short quarterback with a pop-gun arm named Brian Sipe, and a series of really good running backs. I can't remember the exact time-span (and am too lazy to check), but if I'm right these included the Pruitts and Mack/Byner.
Lindy helped Sipe succeed by giving him more protection, a lot of second and third and shorts, and more targets.
Sipe threw to the running backs a LOT. Most of these were flat-passes and dump-offs: Infante himself described them as "long handoffs". (Greg Pruitt was a burner, so he went downfield more, sometimes from the slot.)
Unlike with most teams, these were often designed plays--not check-downs. However, the standard m.o. was that a back looked for leakage to block, and if he saw none, he peeled out for a pass.
Infante also had Ozzie Newsome at tight end. The various wide recievers weren't superstars by any means. Reggie Rucker was released by the Dallas Cowboys and scooped up as a free agent. Dave Logan was a very tall former basketball player who could come down with Sipe's high, arcing "deep" passes.
Some of this should be sounding familiar to you.
There's no Ozzie Newsome here, but I insist: Rob Housler may well be a sleeper. To remind you, he was injured early in his carreer, and Bruce Arians has little use for a pass-catching tight end in his offensive system.
Wide reciever is similar, except that Hawkins and Gabriel are blistering fast playmakers from the slot. It's not at all true that this offense has no playmakers. They don't have a stud number one wide reciever, but they do have speed, ok? Please try to remember this.
Duke Johnson isn't exactly Greg Pruitt, but close enough. He's not as fast, nor quite as explosive, but he's thicker and stronger. He will do the same things in this offense that Pruitt did for Sipe and Lindy.
And by the way: there's another playmaker, ok? Get it?
In this PD article, Flip talks about trying Crowell and West from the slot, as well. That part is different than Infante's, and is interesting.
Many safeties could cover them, but they're too fast for most linebackers. I believe this deployment is partly a decoy, however, intended to pull run-defenders outside the box, and possibly to prevent blitzes.
The common thread remains: DeFellipo doesn't want defenses to have a clue or a key, and wants to dictate defensive personnel to force favorable matchups.
A defensive coordinator seeing two backs and one tight end in the huddle will usually have to use his base defense (call it 3-4 or 4-3).
When one of the backs goes to the slot instead of remaining in the backfield, one of the guys who normally stacks the box has to move outside to cover him.
If it's Duke Johnson or, for that matter, Malcom Johnson, this could be a problem for them.
I say Malcom Johnson because the defense will be reluctant to put a safety on him--it needs to be a linebacker. If it's a run, Johnson will block him. He could also go in motion, letting the quarterback see who goes with him, or if they're using zone--and he's now a potential lead-blocker with a head start.
The West/Crowell part, I don't know about. They're really not built that way, and my guess would be that putting them in the slot is sort of a "change-up" Flip plans to use from time-to-time, and not as a staple.
Those guys, however, will be scary with a flat or dumpoff pass in their hands, and here we return to Infante's logic:
The defensive line and some of the linebackers are engaged or committed shortly after the snap, and the congestion is inside. One guy might mirror the running back as he peels out, but he can't attack him for fear the pass will go over his head.
There's space between them, so that when the pass is thrown, the running back will usually have the ball and a few steps before the mirror has to try to take him down in space.
The guys inside have to see the dumpoff, then get off their blocks to try to beat him to the edge. They'll often over-commit, and the running back will cut back on them, too--scraping his mirror off.
Infante would tell you, this is how he got the ball to running backs in space, with open field in front of them. More often than not, Earnest Byner would be at least two yards upfield before the first would-be tackler even got near him.
The defensive linemen were non-factors, the linebackers lost in traffic (and sealed out by design), and once the back is out of their range, only little people can try to tackle him.
All of this will make it hard for defenses to preplan anything, and sometimes make them hesitant.
Flip said that he'd run the ball a lot, and I believe he should. But the stats might not reflect it, since those "long handoffs" are recorded as passes.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Mike Pettine, Jim O'Neil, John De Felippo not Bullshooting--HONEST
Browns' offensive coordinator Dan DeFelippo isn't running for office. What he's had to say about Johnny Manziel isn't about buying your vote, and (permabashers excepted, of course) you should accept this as his sincere opinion.
Per Flip, Johnny has been all over it, and turning in a-plus homework.
Because Mike Pettine said that at this point AT THIS POINT Josh McCown is the presumptive starter, too many have assumed that Manziel won't start at all in 2015.
After all, he was so bad in 2014 that it's impossible that he could not suck anytime soon. That's not to mention the fact that he went to rehab, which means that he'll need a few years to put his life back together before he can think about starting in the NFL.
The fact that Pettine refused to etch even an opening day starter in stone has to be purely political, right?
In reality, Johnny Manziel wasted most of his rookie season. But he did get two starts, and more--of real experience. He sucked. He was humiliated--and rightfully so. But this means his rookie season wasn't a complete waste.
If he hadn't had the chance to play, and turn himself into a punch-line, he might still be partying his brains out. Johnny thought he was all that, but his real-time exposure to the NFL was traumatic.
All rights reserved: Trauma teaches.
The nimrods who doubt Manziel's arm, accuracy, or talent in general are clueless. What kept him from succeeding last season--aside from inexperience--was his poor work ethic and lack of focus.
He proved his football intelligence to every coach at his combine. Johnny knows football.
Josh McCown is indeed the probable opening day starter (DUH), but Manziel is more talented, and has every chance to take over at any time.
As I've said before, it's yet to be seen whether or not Johnny has the information-processing ability to make multiple reads under pressure.
Flip talked about calling protections pre-snap. I'm confident that Manziel will handle that part fine, now that he's freaking paying attention.
I was glad to hear that DeFellipo valued Johnny's scrambling, and didn't want to take that away from him.
I'm pretty sick of hearing that last season he found out that this doesn't work in the NFL because in his 2.-something games he didn't run all over everybody. If you've already buried that part of Manziel's game, you are a mow-ron.
On Deflate-gate radio, I've heard the non-football guys repeatedly declare any Browns' QB D.O.A. because of their recievers...and despite their running backs and admittedly a top-five offensive line.
They cite how between them, Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline had one touchdown last season.
You see, the receptions and yards don't matter.
It's a crock. These are two pretty good x/y recievers who get open and make catches. They have wide catch-radiae so that pinpoint accuracy isn't required.
DeFellipo wants a West Coast offense, which will maximize their production. A true West Coast also minimizes the importance of a stud number one reciever, as the majority of the passes are short and between the hashmarks.
See Jerry Rice. He rarely caught a deep pass. He took short passes deep.
But I digress:
Defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil isn't running for office either, and was honest about stopping the run.
This fed into the "lack of pressure" narrative last season, because enemy offenses weren't often stuck in obvious passing situations due to their success on the ground.
The Browns' pass-rush didn't suck. They just didn't have enough opportunities to let the dawgs loose.
Now that Starks, Cooper, and Shelton have been added, and Hughes is healthy, the pass-rush should magically improve for some strange reason.
Duh.
Per Flip, Johnny has been all over it, and turning in a-plus homework.
Because Mike Pettine said that at this point AT THIS POINT Josh McCown is the presumptive starter, too many have assumed that Manziel won't start at all in 2015.
After all, he was so bad in 2014 that it's impossible that he could not suck anytime soon. That's not to mention the fact that he went to rehab, which means that he'll need a few years to put his life back together before he can think about starting in the NFL.
The fact that Pettine refused to etch even an opening day starter in stone has to be purely political, right?
In reality, Johnny Manziel wasted most of his rookie season. But he did get two starts, and more--of real experience. He sucked. He was humiliated--and rightfully so. But this means his rookie season wasn't a complete waste.
If he hadn't had the chance to play, and turn himself into a punch-line, he might still be partying his brains out. Johnny thought he was all that, but his real-time exposure to the NFL was traumatic.
All rights reserved: Trauma teaches.
The nimrods who doubt Manziel's arm, accuracy, or talent in general are clueless. What kept him from succeeding last season--aside from inexperience--was his poor work ethic and lack of focus.
He proved his football intelligence to every coach at his combine. Johnny knows football.
Josh McCown is indeed the probable opening day starter (DUH), but Manziel is more talented, and has every chance to take over at any time.
As I've said before, it's yet to be seen whether or not Johnny has the information-processing ability to make multiple reads under pressure.
Flip talked about calling protections pre-snap. I'm confident that Manziel will handle that part fine, now that he's freaking paying attention.
I was glad to hear that DeFellipo valued Johnny's scrambling, and didn't want to take that away from him.
I'm pretty sick of hearing that last season he found out that this doesn't work in the NFL because in his 2.-something games he didn't run all over everybody. If you've already buried that part of Manziel's game, you are a mow-ron.
On Deflate-gate radio, I've heard the non-football guys repeatedly declare any Browns' QB D.O.A. because of their recievers...and despite their running backs and admittedly a top-five offensive line.
They cite how between them, Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline had one touchdown last season.
You see, the receptions and yards don't matter.
It's a crock. These are two pretty good x/y recievers who get open and make catches. They have wide catch-radiae so that pinpoint accuracy isn't required.
DeFellipo wants a West Coast offense, which will maximize their production. A true West Coast also minimizes the importance of a stud number one reciever, as the majority of the passes are short and between the hashmarks.
See Jerry Rice. He rarely caught a deep pass. He took short passes deep.
But I digress:
Defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil isn't running for office either, and was honest about stopping the run.
This fed into the "lack of pressure" narrative last season, because enemy offenses weren't often stuck in obvious passing situations due to their success on the ground.
The Browns' pass-rush didn't suck. They just didn't have enough opportunities to let the dawgs loose.
Now that Starks, Cooper, and Shelton have been added, and Hughes is healthy, the pass-rush should magically improve for some strange reason.
Duh.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Some Stuff Ray Farmer Knew that We Didn't
WR Vince Mayle didn't drop passes at the Senior Bowl. He didn't put on a great show, but didn't hurt himself either.
I used that link because, in a separate column on the right side of the page, is a commentary by Bob Rang:
Mayle injured his right thumb during the Senior Bowl, and had it in a cast during the combine. Because of this, he reversed his starting stance for the 40-yard dash. Rang believes this hurt his clock-time.
Certainly, Mayle was a deep threat in college. Scouts go over those tapes with a fine-tooth comb, and they know how fast the defensive backs he's blowing by and running away from are. They know how fast he actually plays--and Mayle is fast.
Pett and Farmer clearly paid a lot of attention to the Senior Bowl this year, as they've collected several of those players.
If Mayle doesn't drop passes, he should actually contribute this season, and could well become a starter in time.
No link here, but I read another article asserting that Johnny Manziel should start game one. I don't know where some sites get these writers.
The guy says Johnny can't learn anything on the bench. He's wrong. And he doesn't seem to care if this guy, who came from a sandlot offense, is ready or not--just throw him in there.
He doesn't seem to care whether or not McCown gives the team the best chance to win. By inference, this guy already sees 2015 as a lost season for the Browns.
We don't watch him practice. We're not there when McCown (as he is known to do) ropes him in and drags him into the film room on tuesday for some lessons. We have no idea if he can even make a second--let alone third read yet, or throw before the wide reciever breaks.
Manziel has yet to prove all of that, and shouldn't be forced to start until he's good and ready.
Rich Gannon (NFL Radio) offered a lot of insight into the whole Hoyer vs. McCown thing. First of all, I love Brian too, but he sucked like a turbocharged Kirby for the whole second half of the season.
Mike Pettine didn't cave into pressure when he started Manziel. He was desperate.
Brian (or you or I in the same situation) couldn't be expected to help a younger quarterback learn the ropes. Brian to date has about one season's worth of starting experience himself. He's in his prime, and sees himself as an ascending starter.
He's still figuring some of this stuff out for himself, fighting for his future--and he's supposed to take time off to help a kid take his job?
Brian Hoyer is a good guy, but at this stage of his career, he's no mentor.
McCown has been there/done that. He knows he's old, and accepts that he's sort of doomed. He's a sincere christian, and loves to help younger players. Gannon said everywhere he's been, everybody says he's the most selfless player there is. He sort of adopts younger guys, and treats them like he would his own son.
That's right. You're going to take my job someday. I look forward to seeing you grow and be better than I was. No kidding--this guy is really like that! And that's the main reason he is here, and Brian Hoyer is not.
Xavier Cooper looks to be setting up on the right guard's outside shoulder more than anything else in both 3-4 and 4-3 sets. He's got a great punch, and excels at engaging and shedding blocks in a two-gap.
He has the wheels to drop into coverage on a zone-blitze.
I learned a little more about the 3-4 today:
Sometimes, One, two, or all three linemen will rush instead of play two-gap. When it's all three, all three will attack the gaps to their left. The RDE will cross the left tackle's face, the nose will go between center and right guard, and the LDE will go between guard and tackle.
That can really mess up an offensive line. The left guard is supposed to be double-teaming the nose tackle, but suddenly he's gone (being chased by the center). The left tackle expects a fistfight, and there goes his guy running to the inside, and he has to chase him, too.
The left guard, of he reads it quick, can lunge to his left to try to reroute the right DE, but the guy often has a step on him and he has no angle--especially since he (the guard) probably stepped toward the missing nose tackle at the snap anyway.
Cooper, over the right guard, would be great at this. The way he plays, he'd set it up with a hard punch, just like when he two-gaps, but then instead of fighting with the guard and reading the play, he's in the gap.
This guy overmatches even athletic guards--he's too quick. He doesn't have to explode out of his stance to get by him. He can punch--coming almost to a dead stop--and then dart away. The guard, once stationary, simply can't stay in his way. His only hope is a fistful of jersey and a referee not looking.
For that matter, that's what Cooper does when he two-gaps anyway. Jolts the guard, keeps his hands inside (he has short arms but has turned them into an advantage), and as soon as he knows what's happening, separates and accelerates past the blocker.
Cooper isn't perfect by any means, but he'll make a lot of plays out of the gate. The writer who "graded" that pick a c-minus doesn't know what he's talking about: this guy is special.
This article on "backfield by committee" is pretty good. In it, Mike Pettine talks about matchups from week-to-week, which I'd forgotten about.
Now he'll have Crowell, Johnson, and West, and he'll use one more than the other two vs. a given defense depending on which will be most effective.
Some of Crowell's scouting reports were pretty bad, as they didn't describe a physical runner at all. He was called by some the best pure runner in his draft class, however. As West was described by some as the best running back, period.
I think Crowell is better, and will pull ahead. Nor do I see a marked contrast between the two--they're similar to eachother. Crowell, to me, just looks a little stronger, and like he accelerates faster.
Johnson makes the big plays, though. It's a beautiful mix. I didn't think this backfield could get much better, but it sure did.
I used that link because, in a separate column on the right side of the page, is a commentary by Bob Rang:
Mayle injured his right thumb during the Senior Bowl, and had it in a cast during the combine. Because of this, he reversed his starting stance for the 40-yard dash. Rang believes this hurt his clock-time.
Certainly, Mayle was a deep threat in college. Scouts go over those tapes with a fine-tooth comb, and they know how fast the defensive backs he's blowing by and running away from are. They know how fast he actually plays--and Mayle is fast.
Pett and Farmer clearly paid a lot of attention to the Senior Bowl this year, as they've collected several of those players.
If Mayle doesn't drop passes, he should actually contribute this season, and could well become a starter in time.
No link here, but I read another article asserting that Johnny Manziel should start game one. I don't know where some sites get these writers.
The guy says Johnny can't learn anything on the bench. He's wrong. And he doesn't seem to care if this guy, who came from a sandlot offense, is ready or not--just throw him in there.
He doesn't seem to care whether or not McCown gives the team the best chance to win. By inference, this guy already sees 2015 as a lost season for the Browns.
We don't watch him practice. We're not there when McCown (as he is known to do) ropes him in and drags him into the film room on tuesday for some lessons. We have no idea if he can even make a second--let alone third read yet, or throw before the wide reciever breaks.
Manziel has yet to prove all of that, and shouldn't be forced to start until he's good and ready.
Rich Gannon (NFL Radio) offered a lot of insight into the whole Hoyer vs. McCown thing. First of all, I love Brian too, but he sucked like a turbocharged Kirby for the whole second half of the season.
Mike Pettine didn't cave into pressure when he started Manziel. He was desperate.
Brian (or you or I in the same situation) couldn't be expected to help a younger quarterback learn the ropes. Brian to date has about one season's worth of starting experience himself. He's in his prime, and sees himself as an ascending starter.
He's still figuring some of this stuff out for himself, fighting for his future--and he's supposed to take time off to help a kid take his job?
Brian Hoyer is a good guy, but at this stage of his career, he's no mentor.
McCown has been there/done that. He knows he's old, and accepts that he's sort of doomed. He's a sincere christian, and loves to help younger players. Gannon said everywhere he's been, everybody says he's the most selfless player there is. He sort of adopts younger guys, and treats them like he would his own son.
That's right. You're going to take my job someday. I look forward to seeing you grow and be better than I was. No kidding--this guy is really like that! And that's the main reason he is here, and Brian Hoyer is not.
Xavier Cooper looks to be setting up on the right guard's outside shoulder more than anything else in both 3-4 and 4-3 sets. He's got a great punch, and excels at engaging and shedding blocks in a two-gap.
He has the wheels to drop into coverage on a zone-blitze.
I learned a little more about the 3-4 today:
Sometimes, One, two, or all three linemen will rush instead of play two-gap. When it's all three, all three will attack the gaps to their left. The RDE will cross the left tackle's face, the nose will go between center and right guard, and the LDE will go between guard and tackle.
That can really mess up an offensive line. The left guard is supposed to be double-teaming the nose tackle, but suddenly he's gone (being chased by the center). The left tackle expects a fistfight, and there goes his guy running to the inside, and he has to chase him, too.
The left guard, of he reads it quick, can lunge to his left to try to reroute the right DE, but the guy often has a step on him and he has no angle--especially since he (the guard) probably stepped toward the missing nose tackle at the snap anyway.
Cooper, over the right guard, would be great at this. The way he plays, he'd set it up with a hard punch, just like when he two-gaps, but then instead of fighting with the guard and reading the play, he's in the gap.
This guy overmatches even athletic guards--he's too quick. He doesn't have to explode out of his stance to get by him. He can punch--coming almost to a dead stop--and then dart away. The guard, once stationary, simply can't stay in his way. His only hope is a fistful of jersey and a referee not looking.
For that matter, that's what Cooper does when he two-gaps anyway. Jolts the guard, keeps his hands inside (he has short arms but has turned them into an advantage), and as soon as he knows what's happening, separates and accelerates past the blocker.
Cooper isn't perfect by any means, but he'll make a lot of plays out of the gate. The writer who "graded" that pick a c-minus doesn't know what he's talking about: this guy is special.
This article on "backfield by committee" is pretty good. In it, Mike Pettine talks about matchups from week-to-week, which I'd forgotten about.
Now he'll have Crowell, Johnson, and West, and he'll use one more than the other two vs. a given defense depending on which will be most effective.
Some of Crowell's scouting reports were pretty bad, as they didn't describe a physical runner at all. He was called by some the best pure runner in his draft class, however. As West was described by some as the best running back, period.
I think Crowell is better, and will pull ahead. Nor do I see a marked contrast between the two--they're similar to eachother. Crowell, to me, just looks a little stronger, and like he accelerates faster.
Johnson makes the big plays, though. It's a beautiful mix. I didn't think this backfield could get much better, but it sure did.
Monday, May 4, 2015
The Rest of Them
Apologies for slipping Mayle into the third round, which probably would have been a dumb pick. He was taken in the fourth.
Ibraheim Campbell is listed as a strong safety with an "in-the box" label by many scouts. They say he's "choppy" in his backpedal.
But this is another guy who played in the Senior Bowl, and Farmer and company seem to have paid attention to his multiple deflections and two interceptions in coverage there, combined with his pretty good clock-times.
Of special note here is his recovery speed. He can get beat in man-coverage, but he makes up for it quickly with unusual explosion and acceleration.
We can take his tackling and instincts vs the run off the table--nobody disputes these. He'll certainly be a special teams asset on coverage units, but based on what those few of us who paid attention saw in the Senior Bowl, could evolve into a starting safety in time.
Pettine runs a base cover two, which uses two safeties rather than a free and strong safety. But no coverage scheme is etched in stone, and free/strong are sometimes used, so Ibraheim could get some spot duty immediately.
In that scheme, Ibraheim could compete to start right away.
Highly underrated.
Charles Gaines is a cover corner with all the instincts and tools, except he needs work with Hans and Franz. 5'10", 180, he's sometimes pushed around, and can't be expected to press cover in the NFL yet.
His frame has a lot of room for growth, but at this point he's probably a practice squad guy.
"Fullback" Malcom Johnson might be the most interesting guy here, because he's unique.
A former wide reciever, Malcom's 4.68 speed isn't good enough there. Lucky for him, he was switched to tight end/h-back/fullback and used all over the place.
He's 6'1", 231 lbs., so playing actual tight end here isn't going to happen.
But he is a very good reciever, and loves to block. Here, he'll be used at H-back and fullback--sometimes coming out of the huddle and going to a slot position.
Tony Grossi should be happy with this one, because he really likes knocking people on their butts to clear the way for ballcarriers. Unlike many blocking fullbacks, he has a little height and reach, making it harder to shed his blocks in space. He's also much faster than most fullbacks.
He should not only make the final roster, but play on special teams and situationally in the offense.
Randall Telfer is a real tight end who is injured a lot. He's a good blocker, and would be a really good reciever if he didn't drop balls. He's not a natural pass-catcher. This was a calculated risk.
Haynes Pullard is an inside linebacker with a lot of knocks on him. He was kicked out of Stanford for dirty hits, which right away bothers me. Headhunting, spearing.
He does have good instincts and covers more ground than his 4.78 clock time indicates, but he's only 6' tall, and (they say) "maxed out" at 240 lbs.
He needs to be protected from blocks.
He's a strong special teams candidate, and beyond that could play very specific positions here--where it's hard to get a hat on him ("run-and hit" guy).
Ifo Ekpre-Olamu beamed down here from Andromeda...no really...Oh my God what a name...
Anyway he is injured and is strictly a wait-til-next-year pick. But he's really worth the wait, because he's an excellent cornerback who scouts believe would have gone in the first round if not for the injury.
I have to call this one a steal. Ray bought a penny stock that might be worth ten bucks next season.
They're also just loading up on defensive backs (and some wide recievers) among the undrafted free agents, and I have a feeling Ray might dig up another safety here. If he finds another Charles Johnson, I sure hope he doesn't kick him to the curb for an inferior but more eggzzbeereeunzed player again. Dammit.
Most of these guys have a good shot at special teams, and I'm sure that Ray had that in the back of his mind with each pick. Some were dice-rolls, but many have a pretty good chance to make this team and be players down the road.
This was mostly for the future.
Malcom Johnson is a big exception, as he fills a clear niche in this new offense. Listen to me: This guy was more than an afterthought, and could play on ten or more downs per-game as a rookie.
He'll be in-motion, in the slot, or lead-blocking. He'll catch some passes and he'll hit a lot of people very hard. This guy is a real football player!
It's funny to hear fans calling into NFL Radio to grade their teams' drafts. Well, this one for me is incomplete for a couple years, but I do sure feel good about it.
I'd feel better with a Mariota or even a Grayson, but Pettine's logic is NOT flawed. A journeyman surrounded by talent can win a lot of games.
Light a candle for Johnny. We can dream, can't we?
Ibraheim Campbell is listed as a strong safety with an "in-the box" label by many scouts. They say he's "choppy" in his backpedal.
But this is another guy who played in the Senior Bowl, and Farmer and company seem to have paid attention to his multiple deflections and two interceptions in coverage there, combined with his pretty good clock-times.
Of special note here is his recovery speed. He can get beat in man-coverage, but he makes up for it quickly with unusual explosion and acceleration.
We can take his tackling and instincts vs the run off the table--nobody disputes these. He'll certainly be a special teams asset on coverage units, but based on what those few of us who paid attention saw in the Senior Bowl, could evolve into a starting safety in time.
Pettine runs a base cover two, which uses two safeties rather than a free and strong safety. But no coverage scheme is etched in stone, and free/strong are sometimes used, so Ibraheim could get some spot duty immediately.
In that scheme, Ibraheim could compete to start right away.
Highly underrated.
Charles Gaines is a cover corner with all the instincts and tools, except he needs work with Hans and Franz. 5'10", 180, he's sometimes pushed around, and can't be expected to press cover in the NFL yet.
His frame has a lot of room for growth, but at this point he's probably a practice squad guy.
"Fullback" Malcom Johnson might be the most interesting guy here, because he's unique.
A former wide reciever, Malcom's 4.68 speed isn't good enough there. Lucky for him, he was switched to tight end/h-back/fullback and used all over the place.
He's 6'1", 231 lbs., so playing actual tight end here isn't going to happen.
But he is a very good reciever, and loves to block. Here, he'll be used at H-back and fullback--sometimes coming out of the huddle and going to a slot position.
Tony Grossi should be happy with this one, because he really likes knocking people on their butts to clear the way for ballcarriers. Unlike many blocking fullbacks, he has a little height and reach, making it harder to shed his blocks in space. He's also much faster than most fullbacks.
He should not only make the final roster, but play on special teams and situationally in the offense.
Randall Telfer is a real tight end who is injured a lot. He's a good blocker, and would be a really good reciever if he didn't drop balls. He's not a natural pass-catcher. This was a calculated risk.
Haynes Pullard is an inside linebacker with a lot of knocks on him. He was kicked out of Stanford for dirty hits, which right away bothers me. Headhunting, spearing.
He does have good instincts and covers more ground than his 4.78 clock time indicates, but he's only 6' tall, and (they say) "maxed out" at 240 lbs.
He needs to be protected from blocks.
He's a strong special teams candidate, and beyond that could play very specific positions here--where it's hard to get a hat on him ("run-and hit" guy).
Ifo Ekpre-Olamu beamed down here from Andromeda...no really...Oh my God what a name...
Anyway he is injured and is strictly a wait-til-next-year pick. But he's really worth the wait, because he's an excellent cornerback who scouts believe would have gone in the first round if not for the injury.
I have to call this one a steal. Ray bought a penny stock that might be worth ten bucks next season.
They're also just loading up on defensive backs (and some wide recievers) among the undrafted free agents, and I have a feeling Ray might dig up another safety here. If he finds another Charles Johnson, I sure hope he doesn't kick him to the curb for an inferior but more eggzzbeereeunzed player again. Dammit.
Most of these guys have a good shot at special teams, and I'm sure that Ray had that in the back of his mind with each pick. Some were dice-rolls, but many have a pretty good chance to make this team and be players down the road.
This was mostly for the future.
Malcom Johnson is a big exception, as he fills a clear niche in this new offense. Listen to me: This guy was more than an afterthought, and could play on ten or more downs per-game as a rookie.
He'll be in-motion, in the slot, or lead-blocking. He'll catch some passes and he'll hit a lot of people very hard. This guy is a real football player!
It's funny to hear fans calling into NFL Radio to grade their teams' drafts. Well, this one for me is incomplete for a couple years, but I do sure feel good about it.
I'd feel better with a Mariota or even a Grayson, but Pettine's logic is NOT flawed. A journeyman surrounded by talent can win a lot of games.
Light a candle for Johnny. We can dream, can't we?
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Rounds 2 and 3, and Analysis Corrections
Duke Johnson surprised me at first--especially since one knucklehead said "the Browns got themselves an every-down back"--like they didn't have any.
But Duke Johnson, listed as the fourth-best running back by CBS Sports, is a smaller, elusive guy. He's an accomplished reciever who can catch the ball running patterns downfield.
The new offense ideally uses the running backs as recievers ala Lindy Infante, making a guy like Johnson a nice fit. He's much different from Crowell and West, so opposing defenses will now have to prepare for two different types of threat.
Johnson should also return kicks and possibly punts.
The correction here is that the Coaches will be developing Crowell and West as recievers. It's common for running backs to come out of college a little light on these skills, simply because they were rarely used that way. Both bigger backs have shown promise as recievers.
But Duke is the curveball.
Xavier Cooper also surprised me, since I'd colored the Browns all set on the defensive line. Then it dawned on me that Ray was actually doing what he said he'd do, and drafting the best available player.
He obviously thought Cooper was a bargain, as he traded an extra fourth and sixth rounder to make a big move up to nab him.
According the the reports I've read, Cooper has barely scratched the surface of his potential. He's blistering fast for a defensive tackle, and sounds kind of like a faster version of Billy Winn.
In Pettine's defense, he can play the three technique (on the guard), five (on the tackle), and either DT in a 4-3--although personnel indicates rush DT here.
He has even played in both the 3-4 and 4-3.
This pick, along with Danny Shelton's, gives the Browns too many defensive linemen, and I believe Ray must be shopping around for a trade.
Forget where Cooper was drafted. He is here to stay, and will be part of the rotation immediately. He adds speed and passrushing ability to this defense.
Nate Orchard (can't miss with a name like that!) led the nation in sacks last season. He's kind of like Armonty Bryant. The knocks on him are that he needs to get stronger, and he clocked a pedestrian 40-time.
The scouts specifically mentioned that they saw no bull-rushes out of him. I learned from Pat Kirwan that this is important for outside pass-rushers--to "translate speed to power".
If an NFL tackle knows that you won't attack him directly, they can risk reaching and leaning more to reroute you. If the passrusher can juke to one side to make a blocker lean or overstep to that side, then slam in under his pads at full-speed, he can deprive the bigger guy of leverage and drive him back, off-balance.
Nate demonstrated decent functional strength with 22 bench reps, and Hans and Franz will go to work on him. He's really not far away from becoming a quarterback-killer in the NFL, and he can immediately be a situational rusher from the edge.
Along with Kruger, Armonty Bryant, Solomon, and Mingo the Browns are eyeball-deep in outside linebackers now. From among the latter three and Orchard, one or two almost have to emerge as real threats opposite Kruger.
Vince Mayle was a dice-roll. He's a natural pass-catcher, and his drops were concentration lapses. Still, we've had experience here with Scissorhands Edwards and Greg Little, so I take this one with a pound of salt.
Despite his glacial clock-time, the scout consensus is that he is a deep threat. He's most likely a strong special teams player for now, and we will cross our fingers.
Corrections: Dwayne Bowe was drafted high in the first round. He never lived up to those lofty expectations, but some of this stuff is getting rediculous. Please pretend that Bowe was drafted low in the second round.
See? He's pretty good after all!
Orchard can cover, but it's not his thing. Mingo is the only one of these guys who can actually MAN-cover tight ends. I know that Mingo hasn't been a great passrusher so far, but let's quit the hate, ok? Give him credit for what he has done.
More on Pettine's 3-4:
Danny Shelton uses leverage and his low center of gravity exceptionally well, and can single-handedly collapse pockets. This deprives quarterbacks of the ability to step into throws, and forces them back, beyond where the offensive tackles expect them to be.
When this happens, the edge-rusher can get around them for the sack. Those blockers don't have eyes in the back of their heads. In fact, the best edge-rushers use their eyes and body language to fool the tackle into thinking the quarterback is behind them when he isn't.
But I still think that Shelton will play roughly half the snaps so that he doesn't wear out, and he'll rotate out on obvious passing downs.
Cam Erving won't start? That's possible, but unlikely. He can be better than Schwartze immediately, and if he and Greco are tied, he will start so that he can refine his skills while Greco backs up multiple positions and extends his career.
It's possible that they could have the kid focus on center instead, but real experience in the trenches is valuable.
But Duke Johnson, listed as the fourth-best running back by CBS Sports, is a smaller, elusive guy. He's an accomplished reciever who can catch the ball running patterns downfield.
The new offense ideally uses the running backs as recievers ala Lindy Infante, making a guy like Johnson a nice fit. He's much different from Crowell and West, so opposing defenses will now have to prepare for two different types of threat.
Johnson should also return kicks and possibly punts.
The correction here is that the Coaches will be developing Crowell and West as recievers. It's common for running backs to come out of college a little light on these skills, simply because they were rarely used that way. Both bigger backs have shown promise as recievers.
But Duke is the curveball.
Xavier Cooper also surprised me, since I'd colored the Browns all set on the defensive line. Then it dawned on me that Ray was actually doing what he said he'd do, and drafting the best available player.
He obviously thought Cooper was a bargain, as he traded an extra fourth and sixth rounder to make a big move up to nab him.
According the the reports I've read, Cooper has barely scratched the surface of his potential. He's blistering fast for a defensive tackle, and sounds kind of like a faster version of Billy Winn.
In Pettine's defense, he can play the three technique (on the guard), five (on the tackle), and either DT in a 4-3--although personnel indicates rush DT here.
He has even played in both the 3-4 and 4-3.
This pick, along with Danny Shelton's, gives the Browns too many defensive linemen, and I believe Ray must be shopping around for a trade.
Forget where Cooper was drafted. He is here to stay, and will be part of the rotation immediately. He adds speed and passrushing ability to this defense.
Nate Orchard (can't miss with a name like that!) led the nation in sacks last season. He's kind of like Armonty Bryant. The knocks on him are that he needs to get stronger, and he clocked a pedestrian 40-time.
The scouts specifically mentioned that they saw no bull-rushes out of him. I learned from Pat Kirwan that this is important for outside pass-rushers--to "translate speed to power".
If an NFL tackle knows that you won't attack him directly, they can risk reaching and leaning more to reroute you. If the passrusher can juke to one side to make a blocker lean or overstep to that side, then slam in under his pads at full-speed, he can deprive the bigger guy of leverage and drive him back, off-balance.
Nate demonstrated decent functional strength with 22 bench reps, and Hans and Franz will go to work on him. He's really not far away from becoming a quarterback-killer in the NFL, and he can immediately be a situational rusher from the edge.
Along with Kruger, Armonty Bryant, Solomon, and Mingo the Browns are eyeball-deep in outside linebackers now. From among the latter three and Orchard, one or two almost have to emerge as real threats opposite Kruger.
Vince Mayle was a dice-roll. He's a natural pass-catcher, and his drops were concentration lapses. Still, we've had experience here with Scissorhands Edwards and Greg Little, so I take this one with a pound of salt.
Despite his glacial clock-time, the scout consensus is that he is a deep threat. He's most likely a strong special teams player for now, and we will cross our fingers.
Corrections: Dwayne Bowe was drafted high in the first round. He never lived up to those lofty expectations, but some of this stuff is getting rediculous. Please pretend that Bowe was drafted low in the second round.
See? He's pretty good after all!
Orchard can cover, but it's not his thing. Mingo is the only one of these guys who can actually MAN-cover tight ends. I know that Mingo hasn't been a great passrusher so far, but let's quit the hate, ok? Give him credit for what he has done.
More on Pettine's 3-4:
Danny Shelton uses leverage and his low center of gravity exceptionally well, and can single-handedly collapse pockets. This deprives quarterbacks of the ability to step into throws, and forces them back, beyond where the offensive tackles expect them to be.
When this happens, the edge-rusher can get around them for the sack. Those blockers don't have eyes in the back of their heads. In fact, the best edge-rushers use their eyes and body language to fool the tackle into thinking the quarterback is behind them when he isn't.
But I still think that Shelton will play roughly half the snaps so that he doesn't wear out, and he'll rotate out on obvious passing downs.
Cam Erving won't start? That's possible, but unlikely. He can be better than Schwartze immediately, and if he and Greco are tied, he will start so that he can refine his skills while Greco backs up multiple positions and extends his career.
It's possible that they could have the kid focus on center instead, but real experience in the trenches is valuable.
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Ray Farmer Done Okay
Round 1:
I would have taken the wide reciever, despite his mother's rather ignorant protestations. But I know my limitations, and that Mike Pettine (and company) had more say than I did.
I remain afraid that Danny Shelton's knees and/or ankles will buckle under his weight, or that he will have a heart attack.
While I can see that his propensity to accumulate lard is genetic, I sincerely hope that Hans and Franz (the Browns nutritionists and strength and conditioning people) can at least prevent him from ballooning up into immobility.
While I remain fearful of a brief and injury-riddled career for this guy, there's no denying that he is a stud.
At the Senior Bowl, Danny Shelton was "unblockable" throughout the practice week. He just wrecked EVERYTHING the offense tried.
Unlike many nose tackle prospects, Danny's "motor" is non-stop. He's never been accused of taking plays off. He never stops pursuing the play with all his might until the whistle blows.
Gil Brandt told me two weeks ago how slow he was. More recently, he's been telling me how he's as quick as any DT prospect within a ten-yard circle. (Thanks for the egg on my face, Gil.)
This pick was called "safe" by most pundits, because Shelton is bar-none the best nose tackle in this draft, and undeniably exceptional.
I was expecting the stud wide reciever with the ignorant mother, and was stunned when the sheep pick was made.
Well, Mike Pettine does adapt his defenses to his personnel. I'd assumed that with the return of Phil Taylor, nose tackle was no priority--and a stud number one reciever was much the priority.
But apparently, Mike (not Ray), thought otherwise.
I'll pick on Ray Farmer over quarterbacks now, because I've proven to myself and my crickets that I'm better than he is there. But I'll never second-guess these guys anywhere else, because they know what they're up to, and I'm clueless.
So: With Danny Shelton, Mike can run a TRUE base 3-4 which, clearly, he wants to.
I love Mike's ideal 3-4. Like all 3-4's. the one critical element is a true nose tackle. I believe he would have tried it with Phil Taylor, but Phil is starting to look injury-prone, and at that position is no Danny Shelton either.
With Danny, Mike can count on the center and one guard trying to block (as in not "chip") him on both runs or passes.
Understand Mike's 3-4: There's the nose tackle yeah. But one of the defensive ends lines up shaded outside one guard, and the other nose-to-nose with a tackle.
Both "defensive ends" dictate blocks by forcing engagements. The guard on the 3-technique ( DE lined up on the guard) and the DE lined up in the tackle's face FORCE that guard and that tackle to block those players, see?
Because of this, only one guard is left to help the center with the nose tackle.
All the defensive linemen know how they must be blocked. Against the run, they must all hold their ground, because then, the rest of the defense knows where the pile-ups and gaps will be.
Inside linebackers and a safety know before the snap where these gaps should be IF IF IF the defensive linemen aren't driven back.
Now, this leaves one offensive tackle free. A little known fact is that offensive tackles are not generally good at blocking smaller people in space. Another overlooked fact is that they're outside the tackle-box.
OK: So there's the two passrushing outside linebackers too, see?
Well, the free tackle can't do anything until he knows that the OLB on his side isn't blitzing. If it's a run, he'll target and charge towards that guy, telling the rest of the defense it's a run. If it's a pass, he has to back up and set until he's sure the OLB isn't coming. The threat of a blitze neutralizes or slows down that free tackle in either case.
On the other side, on which the defensive end forces engagement with the other OT, only a running back or tight end can hope to slow down the other OLB, should he blitze.
The blitzes matter on runs, since a well-executed 3-4 will plug every inside hole. A backside blitzer will deprive the runner of time and cutback lanes. An in-your-face blitzer will force you out of bounds, or to cut back into a tackle.
Two tight end offenses were designed to attack 3-4's...but I digress:
Cameron Erving is the best center in this draft, but was also an all-american left tackle. He is NOT just Kevin Mack insurance, but a probable starter in 2015.
John Greco is actually an excellent right guard, so if he is replaced by a younger player, it coudn't be called more than a marginal upgrade. But between Erving and Micheal Bowie, RT Mitchell Schwartze is likely to be replaced, and this will be a nice upgrade. It will make every starter on this offensive line elite. It will make this the best offensive line in football.
If you are rolling your eyes at that statement, you need your head examined. Where do Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Joel Bitonio rank? Are you aware that Greco rates right at the top too? Can you count to four? Ok then--wake up.
The rest of the draft was pretty good too. More later.
I would have taken the wide reciever, despite his mother's rather ignorant protestations. But I know my limitations, and that Mike Pettine (and company) had more say than I did.
I remain afraid that Danny Shelton's knees and/or ankles will buckle under his weight, or that he will have a heart attack.
While I can see that his propensity to accumulate lard is genetic, I sincerely hope that Hans and Franz (the Browns nutritionists and strength and conditioning people) can at least prevent him from ballooning up into immobility.
While I remain fearful of a brief and injury-riddled career for this guy, there's no denying that he is a stud.
At the Senior Bowl, Danny Shelton was "unblockable" throughout the practice week. He just wrecked EVERYTHING the offense tried.
Unlike many nose tackle prospects, Danny's "motor" is non-stop. He's never been accused of taking plays off. He never stops pursuing the play with all his might until the whistle blows.
Gil Brandt told me two weeks ago how slow he was. More recently, he's been telling me how he's as quick as any DT prospect within a ten-yard circle. (Thanks for the egg on my face, Gil.)
This pick was called "safe" by most pundits, because Shelton is bar-none the best nose tackle in this draft, and undeniably exceptional.
I was expecting the stud wide reciever with the ignorant mother, and was stunned when the sheep pick was made.
Well, Mike Pettine does adapt his defenses to his personnel. I'd assumed that with the return of Phil Taylor, nose tackle was no priority--and a stud number one reciever was much the priority.
But apparently, Mike (not Ray), thought otherwise.
I'll pick on Ray Farmer over quarterbacks now, because I've proven to myself and my crickets that I'm better than he is there. But I'll never second-guess these guys anywhere else, because they know what they're up to, and I'm clueless.
So: With Danny Shelton, Mike can run a TRUE base 3-4 which, clearly, he wants to.
I love Mike's ideal 3-4. Like all 3-4's. the one critical element is a true nose tackle. I believe he would have tried it with Phil Taylor, but Phil is starting to look injury-prone, and at that position is no Danny Shelton either.
With Danny, Mike can count on the center and one guard trying to block (as in not "chip") him on both runs or passes.
Understand Mike's 3-4: There's the nose tackle yeah. But one of the defensive ends lines up shaded outside one guard, and the other nose-to-nose with a tackle.
Both "defensive ends" dictate blocks by forcing engagements. The guard on the 3-technique ( DE lined up on the guard) and the DE lined up in the tackle's face FORCE that guard and that tackle to block those players, see?
Because of this, only one guard is left to help the center with the nose tackle.
All the defensive linemen know how they must be blocked. Against the run, they must all hold their ground, because then, the rest of the defense knows where the pile-ups and gaps will be.
Inside linebackers and a safety know before the snap where these gaps should be IF IF IF the defensive linemen aren't driven back.
Now, this leaves one offensive tackle free. A little known fact is that offensive tackles are not generally good at blocking smaller people in space. Another overlooked fact is that they're outside the tackle-box.
OK: So there's the two passrushing outside linebackers too, see?
Well, the free tackle can't do anything until he knows that the OLB on his side isn't blitzing. If it's a run, he'll target and charge towards that guy, telling the rest of the defense it's a run. If it's a pass, he has to back up and set until he's sure the OLB isn't coming. The threat of a blitze neutralizes or slows down that free tackle in either case.
On the other side, on which the defensive end forces engagement with the other OT, only a running back or tight end can hope to slow down the other OLB, should he blitze.
The blitzes matter on runs, since a well-executed 3-4 will plug every inside hole. A backside blitzer will deprive the runner of time and cutback lanes. An in-your-face blitzer will force you out of bounds, or to cut back into a tackle.
Two tight end offenses were designed to attack 3-4's...but I digress:
Cameron Erving is the best center in this draft, but was also an all-american left tackle. He is NOT just Kevin Mack insurance, but a probable starter in 2015.
John Greco is actually an excellent right guard, so if he is replaced by a younger player, it coudn't be called more than a marginal upgrade. But between Erving and Micheal Bowie, RT Mitchell Schwartze is likely to be replaced, and this will be a nice upgrade. It will make every starter on this offensive line elite. It will make this the best offensive line in football.
If you are rolling your eyes at that statement, you need your head examined. Where do Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Joel Bitonio rank? Are you aware that Greco rates right at the top too? Can you count to four? Ok then--wake up.
The rest of the draft was pretty good too. More later.
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