Sources Say Kareem Hunt is On the Block. Honest!

OBJ is working out with Cam Newton and a couple Patriots receivers, per Randy Gurzi.

Randy was predicting the pending birth of still another trade rumor.  Randy isn't a buyer himself, as a lot of players work out with guys from other teams each off season.

I see it a little differently, as I'm the guy that was predicting that OBJ might well be cashed in traded ahead of the 2020 season.

Lord Insideous just replaced Tom Brady with Superman Newton, and didn't sign that veteran to launch a rebuild.

I just checked out New England's cap space, and...nevermind.  They're coming up about 14 million shy of OBJ's contract so far.  That team is in literal cap hell.

Bill always dumps some salary (just restructured Burkhead, and usually lets a couple old guys walk...he'll take calls from anybody interested in his front line players). But a first round pick for OBJ is highly improbable, unless...

Has Bill got a badass Right Guard or Edge-rusher he can't afford?  (There: I just started a rumor! Call me "sources", 😉.)

OBJ could still be traded, along with Hunt and Njoku.

Speaking of Njoku, I'm sure that Mary Kay is right that Berry would want a first round pick for him, but really now...

However I also disagree with Risdon that all they could get for David would be a 5th round pick.  Please stop it.  If I'm DePoBerry and that's the best offer I get, I just KEEP the kid and make lemonade.

And Risdon should know that all the other GMs know that, too.  They probably won't even call unless they have a 4th rounder or higher, and/or a veteran player to offer.

Yokels tend to undervalue local talent.  Terry Pluto thinks Njoku is in "no position to make" any such demands, but he's just not thinking clearly.  An injury and bad GM coaching decisions don't erase Njoku's first 2 seasons, for cryin out loud!

Chad Porto too: You think David Njoku could still be a bust?

HOW?  He'd have to get significantly worse!

Sure, any GM looking at Njoku at his current salary is concerned about those drops (and not so much his blocking...btw who is telling you he sucks at that? He was never a great blocker, but never sucked either good grief why not just call him David TRUMP?)

Ohmmm...ohhhhmmmmmm...

Low third or high 4th round pick, here on this planet, Chicken Little.  Njoku is ready to step in and make an immediate and significant impact (notably in the red zone), get it?  His FLOOR is what he did in 2018 DO YOU UNDERSTAND?  His cieling is Kittle, Kelce, Ertz...

Under contract for 2 years and you say a 5th round pick for that?

Ohmmm...

Terry Pluto said a lot of people (he) were surprised that the Texans gave up a conditional third round pick for Duke Johnson.  I wasn't.

Terry is right that running backs in general aren't valued much in the NFL, but Duke's long-term contract and excellence as a receiver made him more "special" than his outstanding YPC stats.

You people should just ignore everybody else and read this Blog.  You can pretend you thought all this up yourself like the assholes that regurgitate it (verbatum sometimes)--that you read instead of me ohhmmmm....ohhmmm...

Might as well stick to the trades.  Much of this is redundant, but that's what happens when it feels like nobody is listening:

The brain crust would like to cash Kareem Hunt out for reasons I've outlined:

Stefanski has the weapons to run 2-3 Tight End offenses like he did in Minnesota, but it would be idiotic to bench either Chubb or Hunt: Hence Njoku (wisely) asking for a trade, as 21 personnel is coming.

That's one of those "nice to have" problems, but it drives efficiency experts like Paul DePodesta nuts.

Verily, the offense with Hunt is superior to the Huntless version, but not by that much, and then in 2021 he's gone, for nothing.

He's worth at least a second round pick now (get your heads out yes he is, off the field stuff and all get a grip).

The likeliest scenario is another team making an offer to Hunt, the Browns not matching it, and picking up a 2021 2nd round draft pick (and some cap space).

It is less than what Hunt is worth, but massively better than zero.  Think about the Browns entering the 2021 offseason with 3-4 extra mil and an extra 2nd round draft pick.  

The 2020 offense wouldn't be quite as scary as it could have been, but DePodesta looks farther down the road than us immediate gratification spazzes do, and is focused on long-term success (hence his title: Chief Strategy Officer).

An OBJ trade is less likely now, due to an awesome crop of WRs in the 2020 draft.

A Vernon trade was NEVER a realistic prospect, and still isn't.

Njoku is "on the block", but like I said they won't trade him just to trade him.  He's under contract through 2021, and has that high floor and astronomical cieling I told you about so why tf would they oohhhmmm...ohmmmmmm...

You people.  

Anyway for now we must assume that Hunt and Chubb are both here and (err-DUH) Hunt is the 3rd WR doyee.

This is why DePodesta wants to trade Hunt.  Austin Hooper is the presumptive Tight End, but they're paying Njoku good money to collect splinters, and good luck to Harrison Bryant or Steve Carlson.  They're unlikely to even get on the field in an offense that includes Kareem Hunt.

...is any of this sinking in yet?

I don't think that what an anonymous Head Coach said about OBJ "taking plays off" for "years" was neccessarily fair.

I admit that I don't study films like even several Browns' pundits do, but I will tell you that I can't remember Odell Beckham Jr ever not diving, fighting, leaping, or struggling for a catch.

I could be wrong.  This alleged anonymous Head Coach...if that's who he really is...may have seen things I didn't.

I don't accept "anonymous sources" like you people do, even if some writer decides to call him a "Head Coach"...

I've considered fabricating "sources" to artificially validate my own opinions, but (silly me) that is immoral, deceptive, and wrong.

That's because my first choice when I enlisted was journalism.  My second choice was Intelligence.

That screwed me up.  When lives, victory etc depend on what you say, reality and the truth mean everything to you.  Even though we were at peace at that time (we nearly went to war with North Korea at one point), I personally took my job seriously.

I say "that screwed me up" because I'm eyeball deep in soulless liars and assholes who have NO respect for the truth (or reality).

Listen to me, you people:

I might need to start fabricating "sources" (perhaps including Head Coaches or GMs) soon.

Let's see:  SOURCES say Browns want to trade Hunt.

Browns Could Beat Ratbirds in Game 1 (and maybe not choke vs Bengals)

The Browns get to kick off their season vs the Ratbirds in Baltimore.  Most fans think that sucks, but I like it:

1: All of the Browns preseason concentration will be on this one game.  After that game, they'll have 6 days (or less...they get the Bengals that thursday night).

First real game or not, I prefer that they get all offseason to prepare for the toughest opponent they will face, especially since

2: While Stefanski and the Browns will have a clear bead on what Harbaugh and the Ravens will try to do, the Ravens can't be as certain about the Browns.

Naturally, they'll study the 2019 Vikings, and what worked for the Browns in 2018 and 2019.  Unlike YOU amateurs, they'll see the 21 sets (Chubb/Hunt) coming (duh)...

Naturally the wide zone, play-action, moving pocket (especially since they do all that stuff themselves), but the Browns should still have a nice edge in "intelligence", since the Ravens have well-established systems and are a veteran team.

The 2020 Ravens will evolve/adapt, of course, but would be dumb to make significant changes to how they operate.

The Browns kind of have a "free shot" at catching the Ravens flatfooted here in Game One in front of 14,000 masked Ravens fans.

3: The players will all tell you that they take every opponent seriously, and certainly the individual Ravens will do their homework on their opposite numbers (especially if their names are Garrett, Ward, Beckham Jr etc), but there's no fighting human nature:

The Ravens mentally have this game vs a rookie team with new systems and a QB who sucked last year and that they dominated in their 2019 rematch in the bag.

They KNOW Mayfield is for real and Stefanski and this staff are excellent.  They'll be ready to fall behind and need to come back, but every one of those Ravens is positive that when the dust settles, the Ravens will win their home opener.

The biggest problem with his level of confidence is that nobody except Lamar Jackson is sure exactly how that will happen.  That's how overconfidence can undo a TEAM.  The individual players don't know who will win for them, and sometimes that mystery player doesn't show up.

This is "Let JOE do it", see? It's a natural tendancy for every tribe, gang, clan or team.  There's nothing wrong with it, and it dates back to the caves and trees for us.

I've spent more time on that than it deserves, but since we're talking Browns vs Ravens in Baltimore game 1, I had to turn that card: The Ravens could lose because they're overconfident.

You get this: It's not MMA or boxing.  It's a TEAM sport, with 22 starters.  Hell YES the Browns could deck and stomp the Ravens if they're not all psychologically prepared for a real fight (like all 22 Browns will be.)

4: Redundancy alert: in my opinion Kevin Stefanski and all his assistants are very capable, and Harbaugh is still just human.

The Shanahan offensive scheme is player-freindly.  The Browns' offense will be over 80% "ready for primetime" out of the gate.

80% is conservative, since Baker Mayfield enters his third season returning to most of the stuff that made him great in College and as an NFL rookie.

Dan Orlosky and Brady Quinn rant and rave over Mayfield's pinpoint accuracy, and want you to know that this is rare, and (barring an injury to the throwing arm) can't go away.

Furthermore, both these ex-QBs stress that Baker Mayfield is exceptionally accurate (notably DEEP) running around without his feet planted.

You people don't get how rare this is, but PFF and other geek-sites try to spell it out for you.

Pat Mahomes is "all that" cubed, but you people need to comprehend that Baker Mayfield is right there with him.

It's there in the statistics (including their historic face-to-face encounters).

Baker and Patrick are pals, despite the fact that Mahomes took Mayfield's job while Baker was injured.

(How UNFAIR! Baker should have started again once healthy no matter what!) 

I digress here, but know you get it: Mahomes might be better than Mayfield, but not by much.  Don't even start with Darnold or Allen.

Mahomes and Mayfield are kinda like Brees, Rodgers, and Werner combined.

Shut up stay with me here:

Mahomes is an inch taller and bigger, and throws like a shortstop (*YES he's slightly better than Mayfield*), but Baker Mayfield will probably wind up being better than Allen, Darnold, Watson, and (I bet) Joe Burrow.

I GET it!  Why did they trade down FROM Pat Mahomes?  Trade down to NOT draft him?

That was obviously and irrefutably idiotic (in hindsight), especially since I wanted them to draft Mahomes right tf there...

You guys know I'm not a great John Dorsey fan, but he traded up for Mahomes and then drafted Mayfield first overall......

In 2018, John Dorsey traded up with the Browns for Pat Mahomes. Dorsey was right.  Berry, DePodesta etc were wrong.

But Mayfield 1st overall (over Allen and whozzit) was a no-brainer.

Good for Dorsey! He sucks on Offensive Linemen, and he traded a stud SS in his prime (cheap contract), a 17th ovsrall draft pick, Zeiter, and a 3d round pick for a 31 mil cap hit on 2 chronicly injured players...

Niether Dorsey or Berry are perfect here, but I think DePoBerry is better on balance.

On the eve of the Supreme Court's decision that anybody's tax records are fair game, I feel silly talking sports, but fortunately I don't care any more:

If you ignored me, you deserve what's coming.

Sadly, your CHILDREN do NOT.

 

New Vernon Deal is a Great Move! Ramifications and Stuff

I keep getting surprised and impressed by DePoBerry, and here we go again: they got Pegleg Vernon to take a big pay cut!

It's bigger than it seems, because 2 mil of the new contract is based on incentives, too.  If he maxes out in 2020, the Browns will save over 4 million bucks (up to 6 mil if he gets hurt again).

This doesn't preclude signing Clowney or anybody else, Virginia:  This is still a one and done deal that drops off the books in 2021, and they still have room for upgrades.

This shows that Olivier Vernon has something going on between his ears:  If he's cut loose as a chronicly injured 31 year old, it's hard to imagine any team paying him more than around 6 mil.

Olivier also seems to want to stick around (yes it's true!!!)  That's smart too, because he's ignoring history, and making decisions based on the talent and players around him now.

I don't know Olivier Vernon (no surprise: he's quiet, right?), but I just automatically like him.  He truly is an excellent player when healthy, and he's played hurt, too.  His injuries are infuriating, but he's more pist about them than any of us are.

When I pushed to replace Vernon, it was just business.

...It's just business now when I say that Vernon's new contract makes him tradeable.

I don't know what all these other pundits talking trade on Vernon were smoking or snorting, but not even Da Bearss would have offered a draft pick AND 15 million bucks for Pegleg Vernon.  (Seriously, you people: pay attention: Idiocracy was more prophetic than "1984".  Today they expect some GM to trade a draft pick and 15.5 mil for a 31 year old chronicly injured player, and tomorrow they'll be watering crops with Gatorade).

I shouldn't have bothered mentioning that, however.  Substitute Vernon for Njoku in a Chad Porto column, and that's about what Berry could get for him.

Vernon could be part of a blockbuster compound trade though hmmm....

Casey Kinnamon lists 3 veteran players he thinks could get the axe before the 2020 season starts.

I get WR Damion Ratley.  That's pure numbers, and it's hard to favor Ratley over Peoples-Jones or Higgins, and even Hodge is a legit road-block in an offense that needs a third WR like it needs a hole in the head.

I also get RB Dontrell Hilliard: D'Earnest Johnson just plain looks more promising, and Kevin Stefanski seems determined to roster at least one true fullback.  Johnson was also an impressive returner.

But this Terrence Mitchell stuff was old in 2019:

Read this slowly, word by word: Man (or "cover") cornerbacks are RARE.  This is why they get paid so much.  Terrence Mitchell is a bargain at his current salary.

Berry is probably trying to extend him, but Mitchell and his agent (and PFF) know he's a starter and can get paid like one by some GM not from the Browns fan base good grief...

-Snap-snap- right now, Terrence Mitchell is much better than the 2019 Greedy Williams, and right there with Denzel Ward (who projects off the charts) too.

Why TF are all you clowns trying to get RID of Mitchell!?!  It's insane!

...but naturally, now that I've so vociferously shouted that, watch them release Mitchell tomorrow.  I must apologize in advance to Terrence Mitchell for causing his release.

...Nah!  If he's released, GMs will fight over him and offer him MOW munnah than he makes now, so Terrence I want 10%.

I haven't read all of what J C Tretter (the NFLPA) and the League has said about how to proceed with the NFL season given the "pandemic", but can fill in most of those blanks (very predictable) and go ahead and say some stuff:

1: While the likelyhood of infection/spread among NFL players is extremely high, the likelihood of even ONE of these guys dying from it is all but impossible.

People with pre-existing conditions and compromised immune systems will die from this "plague", but the REST OF US shrug it off.

2: Even as increased testing duh led to increased reported infections duh the death rate has DECLINED, despite the fact that hospitals get paid triple for Covid 19 deaths and work that for all it's worth.

I'd like to think that JC Tretter is just doing his job, but am pretty sure that he is a useful idiot and wants to get rid of Donald Trump, and wrecking the NFL in 2020 is "any means neccessary".

Thank God Tretter is white, so I can skip 2 paragraphs of disclaimers here:  

JC, get off your "safety" tricycle (and please lose the bells and flowers) and renew your "man" card.

You're not talking about concussions or spinal injuries or carrer-enders here.  You're not protecting your players from the bubonic plague here.  You're protecting them from sniffles and achy joints (at worst) for political reasons.

JC, are you a man, or a useful idiot?

Disclaimer: I accuse Tretter of nothing here.  He's supposed to look out for his fellow players and is doing his job here.

I'm up to my hairline (and surrounded by) useful idiots and Marxists (especially spoiled brat athletes), so I...cling to the faint hope that JC Tretter isn't just another Comrade.

Njoku Trade Speculation, the Echo Chamber, Dumbassiitude, and Stuff

Chad Porto has proposed 3 possible Njoku trades for veteran players from other teams, but man, he's just off the charts hating on Njoku!

Chad's premise of looking for players on other teams who are nearing the ends of their contracts is a good one, since any smart team is taking calls on any of these guys they don't think they can afford to keep.

Guard Brandon Scherf is an interesting one if he'd accept a pay-cut, but not for Njoku AND a third round pick (what a joke.)

Yannick Ngakoue for Njoku and a third rounder makes more sense.  Ngakoue is still young, and might not demand rediculous money (the Browns may be the only team that can afford a serious bid on him, and we can assume he wants to avoid a franchise tag).

Paired with Myles Garrett...it's spine-chilling, aint it?

Joey Bosa would be great too, but his asking price might be whatever Myles Garrett gets, and Njoku, a first, and a 4th Chad?  Really Chad?  Man, what did David Njoku ever do to you?

And Chad just generally seems way too anxious to get rid of as many high draft picks and as much cap space as possible.  I'm going to file a restraining order to keep him a mile away from the Front Office.

David Njoku's real value is a high 4th or low third round draft pick.  This is a combination of his verteran status, stratospheric cieling, and affordable 2-year contract (the drops aren't all there is, folks, and the "attitude" stuff is bullrap.  Now take your ropes and pitchforks and go on home and sleep it off).

Chad seems to value David as worth a 6th round pick or lower.  I man WOW.

Elliott Kennel wrote an uncharacteristicly mediocre article on Njoku, as he echoed the blocking critique (note to Chad/Elliott/Terry: Echo chambers amplify dumbassitude).

He also expects the base offense to feature 12 personnel (one back, 2 Tight ends).  See my last post: I don't believe that Kevin Stefanski intends to bench Kareem Hunt for any Tight End (would you, Elliott?)

Oh yeah note to Randy Gurzi: Byner was LISTED at 216, but probably really weighed around 205.  And Kareem Hunt is listed at 216 (NOT 201), and is probably bigger than that rookie weight now.

And while I'm on Hunt, HE could be part of a trade for the players Chad Porto listed.  Chad do you think that off the field stuff makes him worth a conditional 7th round pick or what?

Seriously on this planet Hunt/Njoku could land Ngakoue or Bosa or whatever (if the other team can afford to extend Hunt).

Thomas Moore says PFF is ranking the Browns 2020 Offensive Line 6th in the NFL (so far).  That sounds fair to me, except I expect them to grade higher after game 8 or so:

The run-based wide zone scheme is simpler/easier for all offensive linemen.  Tretter and Bitonio are elite pass-protectors and just above average run-blockers in a conventional scheme, but have the athleticism to be better zone than man-blockers for the run.

Conklin didn't run zone exclusively in Jacksonville, and Wills is custom-made for this offense.

This offensive line should hit the ground running (pun intended) because there aren't many "true pass sets" in which stunts, twists, delayed blitzes etc can screw up a line that hasn't played together a lot, and Tackles who shouldn't play on "islands".

Right Guard is the only question mark, but worst-case is Wyatt Teller continues to start there.

That's not ideal, as Teller is a "mauler" better suited to a power/man scheme, but the best Oline coaches can tweak their schemes to exploit exceptions like this.

For example, a Bitonio will step sideways at the snap, but a Teller might step foreward as well as sideways so that he can get his hands on the guy he needs to block right away (and start pushing him upfield).

This kind of thing causes some confusion and chaos, but (you need to understand this) that's the whole idea of zone-blocking.

The running back looks for gaps, and those gaps appear randomly and spontaneously by design.

Bill Callahan was, in reality, a HUGE upgrade over Campen as the Offensive Line coach, and I've heard this from many of his former players and coaches he taught.

Campen is merely competent, and well-connected.  His offensive lines in Green Bay were never very good.  After first regurgitating all the rave reviews Campen had from other Coaches etc and checking him and his offensive lines out further, I was quickly pissed off: I know politics when I see them.

Nothing personal against Campen here, but this is the "old boys' network" on steroids, and this Coach was/is massively overrated.

Bill Callahan IS at least one of the 3 best Offensive Line coaches in the NFL, and thank you Andrew Berry for hiring him!!!

Pete Smith had to put his 2 cents in on a potential Njoku trade.  Pete thinks Dallas DB Chidobe Awuzie could be part of a trade.

Awuzie's stats aren't impressive (don't suck either): Pete's point is that Awuzie can play Safety or cover the slot, and fits Joe Woods' eventual "big dime" defense perfectly.

He'd have to be extended, but that would be affordable.  Pete didn't go into the trade itself, but I can channel Chad Porto and assume it's Njoku and a 4th for...ok seriously:

Awuzie and a 4th round pick (get the paramedics to Chad asap) for Njoku.

Nobody except me is talking about trading Kareem Hunt, even as they're talking about trading for players who would need to negotiate an extention immediately.

I need to light a fire up here.  It might take everybody else 2-3 days, but I'm pretty sure that between flames and smoke, the rest of the guys you read instead of me will start repeating a little of what I'm dealing here (dammit):

The REAL best trade package is Njoku and Kareem Hunt.

As I've said, I would re-sign Kareem Hunt for (up to) top 5 RB money right now, while he has little leverage, but I realize that expecting even Paul DePodesta to be as smart as my humble self is unfair.

Since he's a GMF anyway (and Chubb is here) duh let's cash Hunt in (I repeat "duh" and by the way why don't you people see what's right in front of---nevermind you never get it anyway)

Hunt is worth up to/including a 1st round draft pick right now (Political Correctness doesn't make everybody stupid, but...for no RATIONAL reason, it deprives this player of leverage.)

Smart GMs (see Lord Insideous) exploit these idiocies to...

Nevermind.  Nobody is listening anyway okbye

THIS JUST IN: Jared Mueller reveals that the Raiders (8 mil in cap space) are competing with the Browns for Jadeveon Clowney.

Mueller never openly ridiculed these rumors, but I vouch for his sentience, and tell you he worked very hard to write this article as if it was legitimate, and let the math and facts ridicule it for him.

It won't matter.  John Gruden will still win the popular vote.

Njoku's Value, THANK YOU Bucky Brooks, Memorex Morons, and the Cleveland Browns

Speculations over a Njoku trade (and what they could get for him) are popular for everybody who is desperate for something to write about.  Chad Porto wrote another smart article, but as he often does, went overboard:

David Njoku doesn't have an attitude problem.  John Dorsey had problems with any player he himself didn't sign or draft.  Did Rashard Higgins have attitude problem, Chad?

He could light it up, like he might not get a second contract.  He does right now look more like a bust than a superstar, but his sophomore year did happen, and a lot of teams would take a small, predictable impovement over that, Chad, and eagerly fork over at least a 4th round pick for it.

The 4th round is where you take shots at raw athletes with great upside, and Njoku is a veteran who has already shown that upside.  He's a much safer pick at a position of need than that mysterious 2021 4th rounder.

I know Chad would point to his league-worst Tight End drop rate.  Well, Jim Thome nearly led the league in strikeouts at a time when he also nearly led in homers and RBI, and drops are more fixable than swinging (or not) at a tiny little ball.

Terry Pluto et al bash Njoku's blocking too much.  He's actually become a mediocre blocker, which is a cut above crappy.  This is another Memorex Moron thing going back to John Dorsey's public challenge to Njoku to improve in that area.

*At the time, I thought it was a GOOD move by Dorsey to motivate a player (and that's how David took it, too).  I NOW know that at that time, Njoku wasn't a bad blocker either: Dorsey was pre-excusing the fact that Njoku was doomed, because he wasn't a Dorsey guy*

Anyway the blocking thing is largely propaganda:

Njoku is actually a supersized Wide Receiver.  He's long and lanky.  If he were to pump himself up over 250 lbs, he'd lose speed and agility.  Anybody who checked him out pre-draft knew that he would never be more than a wall-off type in-line blocker (like Ozzie Newsome was).

Make no mistake: the 5 or so teams who are in the market for a Tight End are looking for a weapon first, and some of those teams are under pressure to diversify their passing attack.

A 4th round pick is likely, but more than that is very possible.

...but Chad was really funny describing what he thought the Browns could get for him (you can be funny and wrong.  Check out the late night propaganda comedy shows!

Thomas Moore cites Bucky Brooks, who says the Browns offensive skill players might be, as a group of 5, the best in the NFL.

I pay extra attention to Brooks, like I did to Mayock, in re offensive skill-players, because he was a defensive back, and studied these guys for a living BEFORE they retired.

The 5 players Bucky lists are Landry, Mayfield, Hooper, and (ahem) Hunt and Chubb.

Tom might have erred in his title here, as OBJ is omitted in Brooks' comments.  I assume that Bucky includes OBJ, so unless you kinda combine Hunt and Chubb it's 6 players (but I'm nitpicking who cares?)

The point here is that Bucky named a QB, 2 WRs, 1 TE, and TWO Running Backs.

Bucky Brooks never got the memo about Kevin Stefanski being a "2-Tight End" guy and Hunt collecting splinters, because he's just assuming a 2-back offense in 2020.

You have to excuse Bucky for this: He tends to assume that other people can see the obvious as well as he does.

Anyway, as Thomas points out, that top skill-player ranking by a credible analyst is impressive, and Sir Thomas also cites Bill Barnwell (in defense of ignorant Mayfield-bashing), who says that now that Dorsey Kitchens is gone and Stefanski is here, we get to see the 106+ QBR play action Mayfield instead of the crappy drop-back long bomber...which is something else Bucky Brooks assumes that sentient beings all comprehend (poor Bucky.  Hillary Clinton came close 3 years ago...)

When you consider that Bucky Brooks ignored the massive upgrades on both sides of the offensive line this offseason, you'd almost think that the rest of the NFL should be nervous, but Noooo!

Well as you know, I get this.  After all the pre-2019 hype and subsequent let-down, nobody (except guys like Bucky Brooks, who scrupulously ignore politics and "sentiment"), wants to stick their necks out again.

It's also the fact that this is the AFC North.  The Ravens are awesome.  The Steelers are overrated, but not by that much.  That's easily a top 8-10 team with a truly scary, talent-laden defense, and an elite QB who can't be written off just yet.

Even real analysts have to water down their Browns' optimism.

But let's put it this way:

In the AFC, the Chiefs are the top dogs right now, and haven't weakened much.

The Ravens are BETTER than they were in 2019.  The Steelers get Big Ben back and (just the facts man): some nice offseason upgrades.

(Redundancy alert) Kevin Stefanski could be the best Head Coach in history, with the most talented roster in history, but he's installing all new systems and there's a major influx of new players, including 2-4 rookie starters--amidst this Covid 19 mass-hysteria (the Reds are laughing their asses off at us but I digress):

The new CBA adds one more wild card team to each conference, so the "new kids" 2020 Browns have a good shot at the playoffs.

The 2020 Browns are arguably the most talented team in the Division, but it is "arguable" and close.

Every other Division rival (including the underrated Bengals) comes back in 2020 with established systems and coaches, and even less "turnover".

I hate to say this, but due to the Covid-19 hysteria, the Bengals could upset them, and the Steelers...

...ok I'm going overboard my own self here on the doom/gloom side:

1: If you ask any offensive lineman (on sodium pentathol) about the wide zone blocking scheme (or zone-blocking in general) they'll tell you it's idiot-proof.

2: It's the same for most running backs, because they get to rely on their instincts, and "run to daylight".

3: Most QBs love a great running game and play action, for obvious reasons....

The Shanahan scheme is simple, yet brillant.  Guys like Hugh Jackson and Mywayorthehighway Haley try to outsmart it, but well...duh...

It's not complicated, and Stefanski inherits Hunt AND Chubb, and Mayfield in year 3 off a year of idiocy--

Nevermind last call okbye

Njoku/Rosenhaus are Right. So am I. Again. Not You. ME

David Njoku's asking to be traded makes more sense to me than it does to Terry Pluto et al.

These guys keep echoing the fact that Kevin Stefanski used 2+ Tight Ends 57% of the time last year with the Vikings, but my readers comprehend that this won't be the case with this roster (unless Stefanski is a blockhead too.) 

Hellooo ever hear of Kareem Hunt?  Seriously--is anybody in there?

Even aside from this drastic difference between the 2 rosters, look what Stefanski's 2 Tight Ends did: Kyle Rudolph caught 39 passes, while Irv Smith caught 36 (both averaged under 10 YPC).  That's a combined 77 catches for the position, which is great for A Tight End, but cut that in half, and Njoku has a point, right?

We have to throw the injured Thielen out, but Diggs caught 63 and Dalvin Cook 53 passes in 2019.  

David Njoku knows that Nick Chubb can do everything Todd Gurley in his prime did, and Kareem Hunt is actually close to Cook as a receiver.

I shouldn't have to spell EVERYTHING out, right?  If you're reading this, you have a functional brain.

For David Njoku, this has nothing to do with getting dicked by Dorsey Kitchens last season, so just ignore those echos too.

The Browns are (duh) saying they don't want to trade Njoku, and we know they never lie, so of course there will be no trade😜

There might not be one in truth.  Njoku's drop rate leads all Tight Ends (I've been fulla beans minimizing that.  Please excuse me.)

These drops shouldn't define him, because they've mainly been "lapses" where he gets both hands on it and blows it.  Meanwhile, he makes awesome circus-catches at other times.

Still, any other GM looking at Njoku is alarmed by that unreliability.  Bullcrap aside, Nkoku's current contract (good for 2 years) is quite affordable for any team that expects him to start and remain a red zone threat, so toss that "overpriced" crap in the garbage too.

Pundits are talking a "4th or 5th" round pick for Njoku.  The 5th is a joke, but the 4th might indeed be the most they can get.

Stay tuned, as Kareem Hunt is under a 2nd round tender and could still turn into a 2nd round pick or be traded.  This would change the Tight End situation (...you understand why, right?)

I consider a 4th round pick (or player) for Njoku more likely than not (even if Hunt is exchanged or traded himself--which in turn is only about 30% likely).

Pharoah Brown is a good blocker (who can catch) and converted WR Steve Carlson, who is 2" taller and much more durable than Seth DeValve, and could surprise a lot of non-mes in 2020, are also on this roster, and shouldn't be dismissed.

I'm sure that Kevin Stefanski thinks that 2 Tight Ends are important.  This became obvious when the Browns made Austin Hooper the highest paid Tight End in football, then drafted Harrison Bryant, but I don't believe he's a "no madder wudd" kinda coach (*although he still might be.  I said the same stuff about Hue Jackson--my horribly idiotic bad*)

...ok look there is short-term and long-term planning.  While I went "out there" in suggesting that the Browns should consider paying Kareem Hunt big RUNNING BACK money (since he's also the defacto third WR and stuff), I have to assume he's gone in 2021, right?

Well, Austin Hooper was for NOW, and Harrison Bryant is for later.

You people need to look a tad deeper and think a little longer (and not in sound-bytes and cliches):

Unless Kevin Stefanski is almost as dumb as most pundits, he will obviously NOT run 2 TE offenses 57% of the time with the 2020 Browns, because that would be stoopid, K?

(sigh) the QB and Offensive Line are 6 players, leaving 5 slots for skill-players.  A running back is pretty much mandatory, leaving 4 slots.

Almost as mandatory as the RB is 2 WRs, leaving 2 slots.

This is where a lot of you whippersnappers get befuddled:  Way back when I walked 2 miles uphill and barefoot to and from school, NFL offenses had fullbacks and Tight Ends, and "21" sets (2 backs/1 TE) were standard...as incomprehensible as that is.

This was shortly after we came down from the trees, so usually one back was a fullback and blocked a lot, and the Tight End was a blocker and (reliable) short-range receiver.

(A little later Fullbacks caught more passes, by the way).

Anyway, a Hunt/Chubb 2-back (with one TE) has actually been done, kids!  Even as recently as when Marty Schottenheimer deployed Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner (with Ozzie Newsome btw) in a 21 offense.

(Brian Brennan was one of the first "slot receivers" here by the way--just so you know it wasn't all cave man stuff).

Anyway (sigh) so sorry to redundate yet again but if you put Kareem Hunt on the bench in favor of a Njoku or Bryant, you are an idiot, and I don't think Kevin Stefanski is an idiot (yet).

The 2/3 Tight End stuff will be on hold in 2020, unless Chubb or Hunt gets injured.  

Austin Hooper (point Rosenhaus/Njoku) is the default top Tight End.  He blocks well, and is extremely reliable.  He's much better vs zone than man coverage, but the nature of this offense will make committing a player to man up on Hooper insane, so...(ok maybe I'll spell that out later but not now and I think most of you can see why anyway).

Assuming no Hunt departure or injury, or Stefanski blockheadedness, the 2020 Browns base offense will be a "21" (2 backs/1 Tight End). (Remember you heard it here first.  No gdammit you did not think of it yourself again after arguing with me and stuff you---)

(I'm the guy that says you should buy a house rather than rent so you're building wealth instead of bleeding money, and you brush off, and the next morning wake up and say "Hey! I just had a great idea! We should buy a house!")

Anyway come game 2 or 3 of 2020, you guys can tell ME:

"Like I told you" Stefanski is running a 2-back...

You will have spontaneously deduced that...

Sorry--anyway Kareem Hunt is a superstar and it would be retarded to bench him (or Chubb) in favor of anybody else on this roster.

For 2020, look for Kareem Hunt to be on the field more often than any Tight End not named Hooper.

To the astonishment of many, the 2-TE set might be deployed less than 30% of the time.

You guys will remember reading it from one of the assholes that raids this blog for intellectual property, or else predicting this to me yourself.

Sorry again.  I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of bloggers (...not sure.  Did they steal his jokes too?)

Anyway 21 offense in 2020.  YOU HEARD THAT HERE.  REMEMBER THIS.  I SAID THIS TO YOU.  ON THE 4TH OF JULY.  2 BACK OFFENSE.

Happy Independance Day.  Yeah now we only rebelled against Britain to preserve slavery...my fkng God I was hoping to be dead by now...you poor brainwashed kids...

2020 Browns Offense Preview: Not Exactly Like the 2019 Vikings duh

Odell Beckham Jr should "go off" this season in the Stefanski offense.  He probably won't catch a ton of passes, but will make more big plays; he should average over 18 yards per-catch (and Landry over 14).

The featured running and play-action game would be wasted if the WRs and TEs ran many short slants and crosses.

Thielen (slot) and Diggs didn't in 2019.  What's more, if you look at Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma, he hit guys downfield, with the highest yards per-attempt in his draft class.

This is why some call him a "gunslinger": Baker Mayfield wasn't another popgun checkdown charlie whose 70% completion percentage was infated by dumpoffs and screen passes.  He was one of the most bloodthirsty slingers in football.

That's why I expect Stefanski and Van Pelt not to duplicate the 2019 Vikings offense here: Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield are very different.

So was the Vikings offense, as I've posted: the 2020 Browns look deeper in passcatching Tight Ends and at Running Back.  Dalvin Cook was also different than Chubb/Hunt, and was an integral receiver.

The 2020 Browns are actually more physical than the 2019 Vikings, with a 3rd Tight End, 2nd (BIG) Running Back, and two Offensive Tackles custom-built for the Wide Zone scheme.

As I've posted repeatedly, Between Kareem Hunt and the "other" 2 Tight Ends, the third WR is an endangered species here.

In Minnesota, Kevin had one awesome Running Back, one top-notch veteran and one Njoku-like rookie Tight End, and then Thielen and Diggs.

He also had a prototypical West Coast Quarterback with decent athleticism.

That script pretty much wrote itself.

In 2020, poor Kevin and Alex have too much skill talent, and have to bench at least one star Tight End or Running Back on each and every offensive snap (TWO if Jankowski is used)!

Everybody assumes that OBJ and Landry are splinter-proof, but they're not.  

Van Pelt and Stefanski, if they take my humble advice, can get extremely creative and exotic with this crew, and screw the rest of the NFL up:

As a defense, how do you stop a Browns' "elephant" offense?  Ok that's any offense with only one true Wide Receiver, so it usually means 2 RBs and 2 TEs (at least with this roster).

The Elephant obstensibly forces a defense past it's base and turns a DB into a Linebacker.

Not here:

3rd or 4th and inches aside, the 2020 Browns' "elephant" includes Njoku, Hooper, and Kareem Hunt (with OBJ or Landry).

The run threat is obvious, and the defense has to respect it first (even 5 yards from the marker).

Still with me here?  Ok well with only one WR, most defenses will replace one Cornerback with a Safetybacker or Strong Safety (vs THIS offense).

Ok well they still have to stack the box against the run.  They can man-up on the lone WR if they have a true shut-down guy, if not they need to play zone or keep a safety deep, because if a WR catches anything deeper than that stacked box, nobody can catch him.

Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt can line up anywhere, and so can Njoku, so once the huddle breaks, you (the defense) could be trying to deal with up to/including a 4-wide spread, with Nick Chubb at RB.

I can't break it all down as well as I'd like (and Stefanski might say the same thing), but if he eschews the mandatory 2 WR rule maybe 20% of the time, he can mess up the rest of the NFL and win a couple more games than he would have otherwise.

Look at how the Ravens' offense has everybody scrambling for a solution to-date!  

Lamar Jackson is one of a kind, and I can't say that Stefanski/Van Pelt can be that revolutionary in 2020, but (if he takes my humble advice) can screw up opposing defenses about 70% as much if he uses elephant offenses 15+% of the time.

I have to admit that I want things to be fair, so everybody "gets to play" here, but I'm also being extremely pragmatic:

I love Nick Chubb and root for Home-boy Hunt to redeem himself.  I've come to like OBJ a lot, and always liked Jarvis Landry.  David Njoku is getting dissed ignorantly, and--

Oknevermind: The Browns need to win first and foremost.

Bullshit aside, the 2020 Browns roster isn't stacked with selfish divas, and if they win, OBJ and the other "big egos" won't be bitching about personal stats.

OBJ never did, in this reality.  Nor did Landry.  You people with your "big ego" crap--polly wanna cracker?)