1: The Browns don't need just any tight end. They need a "move" tight end who can do at least some of the things that Sunbelt Cameron did. They have blocking tight ends, and I sincerely doubt that Ray Farmer will burn a first or even second-day pick on this position.
Quietly, secretly, undercover, one tight end (with great film on him by the way), accomplished this on his pro day:
He was 5th in height, 16th in weight (247). (Wow he's a shrimp! Sure we're not talking about a cornerback here?)
10th in the bench press (17). How can he man-block defensive ends like that?
40: THIRD. Vertical jump: Sixth. Broad jump: SECOND. THREE CONE!: SECOND. TWENTY YARD SHUTTLE: FIRST. SIXTY YARD SHUTTLE: SECOND.
Tyler Croft is a guy I told you about several blogs ago. The reason I stressed the latter drills is because they are the ones that matter for a move tight end. They indicate explosiveness; an ability to make hard cuts and accelerate out of breaks to gain separation.
Incredibly, I seem to be the only guy who is aware of this guy's existence, which is fine with me, since it means that Ray could land him late on day 2, or on day three.
2: The perception that the Browns last season wanted to replace Mitchell Schwartze and move him to guard in a zone-blocking scheme originated out here. That is, some guy like me speculated that this might be the case.
A bunch of other people picked up that ball and ran with it, repeating it as fact. This is how propaganda works, by the way. This is how the entrenched politicians control the thoughts of everybody who doesn't pay attention or THINK.
Pettine denied it. So did Shanahan. "I don't know where that came from". But it was too late. Everybody thought they knew better, and these guys were lying to mask their intentions.
It persists in the mock drafts to date, as a bunch of mock-drafters have the Browns drafting big offensive tackles in the first round.
I can't say that they won't, since Joe Thomas can't play forever, Schwartze isn't a great player, and several of these guys could move to guard themselves.
But the guys they're picking are almost random, without a view to the zone and trap-blocking type of scheme the Browns intend to run. Some of these guys would do okay with this scheme, but they're mostly power-players not ideally suited to THIS S C H E M E DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
This is why in the same blog I linked in above, I listed Cameron Erving as a potential offensive line target for the Browns. Erving has played WELL at left tackle and center (after playing WELL as a defensive lineman). He could START at any position (except left tackle--for now).
Erving is an ideal fit for THIS SCHEME, as he's a superior athlete with speed, quickness, and balance.
In one laughable report, a local writer thought he'd slide out of the first round because he wore cut-offs to his pro day. I want to believe that, but can't.
If the Browns retain their 19th pick, Ray Farmer will be considering him...possibly after a trade-down (sorry Tony).
3: Dwayne Bowe was not overpaid. He's making less than half of what the better recievers are making. If he catches 65 passes for 800 yards, he's a bargain. And he should, even if McCown is the man.
4: Unless Ray Farmer fell on his head recently, it never even occurred to him to trade both first round picks for Sam Bradford so that Chip Kelly could use those picks to draft Marcus Mariota.
Granted, Bradford--once he's healed again (this time)--is an experienced veteran ready to hit the ground running. Mariota is a project and a risk.
...who has no injury history, and would be signed for a lot less money for five years, and wouldn't blow out of here the instant his contract expires at the end of 2015.
5: Drafting a quarterback high in the first round can't set a franchise back that much if he fails. The reason it did prior to the latest player's contract is the fact that they were massively overpaid, and ate up a big part of a team's salary cap. (Sam Bradford is the most recent example, by the way.)
6: Mariota need not neccessarily spend his whole rookie season on the bench. As Phil Savage keeps repeating, and Rob Chudzinski showed us with his management of the raw rookie Cam Newton, an offense can be tailored to the player's existing skills.
The Browns' target offense is a (more traditional form of) the West Coast offense, and I don't believe the Browns will want to scrap it entirely.
But some keys are the fact that there's no problem running shotgun and pistol formations, and incorporating some roll-outs need not throw the base system out the window either. Some pundits make this sound like rocket science, but it's not.
The pistol is a key component of Chip Kelly's read-option offense, but works almost as well as under center for play-action and inside runs, since the backs flank or line up behind the quarterback.
In point of fact, the read-option is just play-action on steroids.
More recently, Cam Newton has declined a little, as they couldn't leave that offense as it was, and like all Pro Quarterbacks, Cam did have to adapt. But he's still pretty damn good, aint he?
The plan here would be to start the season with McCown, and have Manziel and Mariota developing. More shotguns and pistols could be run by McCown as well as by them, sans the running component.
The critical thing for both young quarterbacks would be the timing aspect of the offense, and throwing before a reciever breaks. And, of course, not getting outsmarted or unnerved by insideously diabolical safeties and defensive coordinators.
After 10 games or so, one or both younger guys could step in and take a shot with only a somewhat modified playbook. The recievers run the same patterns, the linemen block the same, the backs run the same, see?
By the way, with all due respect to Andrea Hangst, both of the new wide recievers are ideal fits for a West Coast offense.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Farmergeddon PTSD and Grief Counseling
We mustn't feel bitter about Ray Farmer getting off so easily.
What he did was horrific and evil, but I can't believe he's an evil person. At any rate, he seems genuinely remorseful. Every morning for the rest of his life, Ray Farmer has to look in the mirror, and see the guy who did this horrible scandalous thing.
He'll be reminded every day by the averted eyes, the muted greetings...how could anyone else forget this terrible crime he committed?
The rest of us must pick up the pieces, and somehow rebuild our broken lives.
I say lets try to forgive Ray. Lets give him a second chance.
Until he texts a coach again, or trades two first round picks for an overpaid human mash unit with a year left on the contract he refused to renegotiate so that PT Kelly can draft Marcus Mariota or something.
Anyway, it seems that Mike Pettine has somehow found a way to forgive Ray Farmer. At first, I was certain that he would resign rather than have to share a building with such a monster, but he found a way.
Its not so easy for some of the rest of us, I know. The nightmares. The flashbacks. All we can do is support eachother through these crises, until time heals all wounds.
I forgive you for texting, Ray.
Manziel and Charles Johnson I cant forgive, but I'll try to get over the texting.
What he did was horrific and evil, but I can't believe he's an evil person. At any rate, he seems genuinely remorseful. Every morning for the rest of his life, Ray Farmer has to look in the mirror, and see the guy who did this horrible scandalous thing.
He'll be reminded every day by the averted eyes, the muted greetings...how could anyone else forget this terrible crime he committed?
The rest of us must pick up the pieces, and somehow rebuild our broken lives.
I say lets try to forgive Ray. Lets give him a second chance.
Until he texts a coach again, or trades two first round picks for an overpaid human mash unit with a year left on the contract he refused to renegotiate so that PT Kelly can draft Marcus Mariota or something.
Anyway, it seems that Mike Pettine has somehow found a way to forgive Ray Farmer. At first, I was certain that he would resign rather than have to share a building with such a monster, but he found a way.
Its not so easy for some of the rest of us, I know. The nightmares. The flashbacks. All we can do is support eachother through these crises, until time heals all wounds.
I forgive you for texting, Ray.
Manziel and Charles Johnson I cant forgive, but I'll try to get over the texting.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Mike Glennon?
Hell. Yes.
Oh, I hear you. I was never a big Glennon fan myself. His stats last season (his second...you get that right? The second season, in which defenses got you figured out and bring you down? Like RG3?) are decent, but he did have issues.
Oh yeah, I hear you. Can't call you a dummy for not liking him. But who's that who said that Manziel was better? YOU are a mow-ron!
Not that I'm dooming Manziel by any means. It doesn't look good at the moment, but you can't count a guy like him out.
No, but it's risk/reward, you see? If the Browns trade up for Mariota, it will cost at least their second round pick, and in my opinion more likely both their firsts and maybe more.
For that, you get a tremendously talented kid who may or may not have the wetware in his skull to run a pro offense and eventually become a franchise guy.
It's also about certainty. Ray can make all the plans he wants, but could well still lose a bidding war IF IF IF a trade is even possible.
I myself am not nearly as big a Glennon fan as I am a Foles fan, but the two players are similar. In fact, the two of them are similar to Joe Flacco physically.
But here's the thing: Mike Glennon has significant starting experience, and is still growing. His persistent problem as a pro has been his pocket presence, as he still doesn't step into throws in the face of pressure.
I really hate that. But then, last season Derrick Carr, who had the same problem, did okay for the Raiders, and it's not one of those things you can't fix. Glennon has proven that he can run a pro offense, from his rookie season on.
So far, he's nothing special, but he's not bad either. I would even say he's above average, with upside remaining.
I'd prefer this young guy to Gramps McCown. Given the same support and protection I expected McCown to do well with, I believe Glennon in his third season would do better.
Cincinnati has won a lot of games with Andy Dalton. Well, Glennon has a lot more upside than Dalton. He might or might not ever grow into a franchise guy (doubtful), but should become pretty good.
To date, his QBR is around 83, which is better than this team has had since Hoyer's flame-out (and until Hoyer, for several YEARS). In his third season even with the same team, you could expect that to get up around 90--that's about normal growth with experience.
If the price is a third round pick, why are you even arguing with me? You know, a third round pick is kind of lower than numbers twelve, nineteen, and maybe next year's first, you know?
If Farmer trades a third for Glennon, now we've got a younger, more promising, and experienced starter than McCown, McCown to help coach him, Johnny, and the massively underrated undrafted guy with the pop gun.
Ray's got that instead of possibly NOTHING, by the way. Remember, this is the Browns, right? Do you feel confident that, no matter HOW much Ray offers, the football gods would let him land Mariota?
Now they've still got those two first round picks. NOW, they might get one of those top three wide recievers and an elite OLB or something, and a third starter in the second round, see?
Or he could trade down and stockpile picks into the future again--and still get some really good players.
Tony Tony Tony! Listen, man: The roster is already pretty loaded, and if they draft ten players they'll have to start cutting good players--whether they're guys you just drafted or developmental guys already on the roster.
And what about franchise quarterback insurance, Tony? You think the Browns plan to wait til next year for a franchise guy...and get him with what? I know you, Tony. You know they can't manage to lose more than 9 games even with McCown, so how are they supposed to get a franchise guy in '16 without picks to trade, huh?
But I digress: If the Browns land Glennon for a third rounder, this is a guy who still has a chance to become a franchise quarterback--even as soon as this (his third) season with the best team he's had around him.
You've got Johnny there to fight it out with him, and you just never know--maybe HIS light goes on. If all else fails, at least you've got Gramps McCown.
Take your chances with these two guys. Surround them with talent. Run the ball, let them manage games--see what happens. It could just work out.
Risk/reward. Bird in the hand. Competition.
Mike Glennon just might be the answer.
Or not.
Oh, I hear you. I was never a big Glennon fan myself. His stats last season (his second...you get that right? The second season, in which defenses got you figured out and bring you down? Like RG3?) are decent, but he did have issues.
Oh yeah, I hear you. Can't call you a dummy for not liking him. But who's that who said that Manziel was better? YOU are a mow-ron!
Not that I'm dooming Manziel by any means. It doesn't look good at the moment, but you can't count a guy like him out.
No, but it's risk/reward, you see? If the Browns trade up for Mariota, it will cost at least their second round pick, and in my opinion more likely both their firsts and maybe more.
For that, you get a tremendously talented kid who may or may not have the wetware in his skull to run a pro offense and eventually become a franchise guy.
It's also about certainty. Ray can make all the plans he wants, but could well still lose a bidding war IF IF IF a trade is even possible.
I myself am not nearly as big a Glennon fan as I am a Foles fan, but the two players are similar. In fact, the two of them are similar to Joe Flacco physically.
But here's the thing: Mike Glennon has significant starting experience, and is still growing. His persistent problem as a pro has been his pocket presence, as he still doesn't step into throws in the face of pressure.
I really hate that. But then, last season Derrick Carr, who had the same problem, did okay for the Raiders, and it's not one of those things you can't fix. Glennon has proven that he can run a pro offense, from his rookie season on.
So far, he's nothing special, but he's not bad either. I would even say he's above average, with upside remaining.
I'd prefer this young guy to Gramps McCown. Given the same support and protection I expected McCown to do well with, I believe Glennon in his third season would do better.
Cincinnati has won a lot of games with Andy Dalton. Well, Glennon has a lot more upside than Dalton. He might or might not ever grow into a franchise guy (doubtful), but should become pretty good.
To date, his QBR is around 83, which is better than this team has had since Hoyer's flame-out (and until Hoyer, for several YEARS). In his third season even with the same team, you could expect that to get up around 90--that's about normal growth with experience.
If the price is a third round pick, why are you even arguing with me? You know, a third round pick is kind of lower than numbers twelve, nineteen, and maybe next year's first, you know?
If Farmer trades a third for Glennon, now we've got a younger, more promising, and experienced starter than McCown, McCown to help coach him, Johnny, and the massively underrated undrafted guy with the pop gun.
Ray's got that instead of possibly NOTHING, by the way. Remember, this is the Browns, right? Do you feel confident that, no matter HOW much Ray offers, the football gods would let him land Mariota?
Now they've still got those two first round picks. NOW, they might get one of those top three wide recievers and an elite OLB or something, and a third starter in the second round, see?
Or he could trade down and stockpile picks into the future again--and still get some really good players.
Tony Tony Tony! Listen, man: The roster is already pretty loaded, and if they draft ten players they'll have to start cutting good players--whether they're guys you just drafted or developmental guys already on the roster.
And what about franchise quarterback insurance, Tony? You think the Browns plan to wait til next year for a franchise guy...and get him with what? I know you, Tony. You know they can't manage to lose more than 9 games even with McCown, so how are they supposed to get a franchise guy in '16 without picks to trade, huh?
But I digress: If the Browns land Glennon for a third rounder, this is a guy who still has a chance to become a franchise quarterback--even as soon as this (his third) season with the best team he's had around him.
You've got Johnny there to fight it out with him, and you just never know--maybe HIS light goes on. If all else fails, at least you've got Gramps McCown.
Take your chances with these two guys. Surround them with talent. Run the ball, let them manage games--see what happens. It could just work out.
Risk/reward. Bird in the hand. Competition.
Mike Glennon just might be the answer.
Or not.
Cleveland Browns: We're All Gonna Die Part 79
First off, a few corrections:
1: Rationality must not be confused with bendoveritis. When your team looks like it's about to get screwed over by commissioner Dick Tater, it's not irrational to call that spade a spade.
More than a small fine and suspension for Textageddon is patently rediculous. It is rational to say so.
This matter was all internal, gaining the team no advantage. For that matter, this level of micromanagement by the league office is preposterous in the first place.
2: Danny Shelton is very slow. Gil Brandt and several other real pros I've heard from see him as a good NFL nose tackle--not worthy of a top 15 pick.
Phil Taylor is the forgotten man in all this. Taylor is as massive as Shelton, and much more athletic. He shouldn't be kicked to the curb due to his injuries, and any past lack of discipline is correctable.
It's true that the Browns sucked against the run after Taylor went down, but nose tackle is not a position of great need.
Ishmaa'ily Kitchen is listed as a DE, but is more of a nose tackle. The recent acquisition of Randy Starks, who takes great pride in stuffing the run, will help too.
John Hughes was just extended. He missed time to injury as well, and his main role is stopping the run.
The real net change here is Hughes and Taylor healthy, plus Randy Starks. Improvement against the run is already here, so there's no need to overdraft a ponderous nose tackle.
3: Edge rusher may not be as "desperate" a need as we'd thought. Unlike many others, I believe that Barkevious Mingo played most of last season hurt. He was used more in coverage, and not even "sent" after quarterbacks.
I absolutely love what Blunt Force Trauma said about using Armonty Bryant at OLB. It's hard to find a place for this guy as a down lineman in this kind of defense.
Bryant is ideally a 4-3 defensive end, but was just too talented for Mike Pettine to throw away when he came here.
Prior to his own draft, Armonty was worked out at OLB by a number of teams, and many (including me) thought he'd be used that way here in the first place. I'm still not sure why Ray Horton did that.
Pettine left it alone in his first season, as Bryant was still developing at the pro level, and can be used as a passrusher in any defense.
But with all the depth on this defensive line, including Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Starks, Hughes, Solomon, etc., Mike wants to find ways to get Armonty on the field more often, while also filling a real need.
I still don't know how the healthy, more experienced Mingo will look in his third season. His biggest problem could be his metabolism. Some guys (who the rest of us just hate) have a hard time getting bigger, and he is one of those.
But he's aging, and there's a good chance he'll come in at a cut-up, stronger 242 or something with all his speed intact, and accomplish something as a passrusher.
Between the bigger, stronger Armonty Bryant and him, one or both could go a long way towards counterbalancing Paul Kruger.
3: Stopping the run is not as important as rushing the passer. Statistics prove this. This is why the Browns defense last season ranked among the better ones in the league, despite being almost the very worst against the run.
As I keep repeating over and over again (to no effect), Pettine doesn't run a traditional 3-4 defense, and the need for a human fire hydrant nose tackle is overblown.
Ideally, you definitely want guys who can do that--like Kitchen and Taylor. But this is just one of the "looks" he uses, as it's just as often a 4-3.
Pettine's priority will remain pressure and penetration. This is why sometimes his linemen will two-gap, and other times they'll attack. He tries to mask their intentions prior to the snap, and send one-gappers from different spots.
A conventional 3-4 uses three down linemen to eat up blocks period.
Pettine is willing to risk cut-back runs and guards on linebackers in exchange for tackles for losses, forced fumbles, and rushed throws. By design, his defenses may never rank in the top 10 against the run.
But that's okay if they rank high in turnovers and scoring. That's what it's all about.
I'm seeing Marcus Mariota sliding down the draft boards, and can already see this coming if Farmer trades up to grab him:
He'll be burned in effigy for giving up more than he had to.
Look, most of the draft pundits were never General Managers, or even scouts. I follow Brandt, Kirwan, Mayock, and guys like that, and take most of the rest with a pound of salt.
Mariota is one of only two quarterbacks in this draft who project as franchise guys. It's possible Mariota could slide to the Jets, but doubtful. If Ray doesn't make a move, somebody else will.
This article by Jared Mueller on the possibility of the Raiders trading out of their third spot is a well-reasoned reason for optimism, should Marcus slide to that spot. This could only cost the Browns their second rounder and 12.
I'm not even predicting that Farmer will try it. He loved the guy prior to last year's draft, but his ardor may have cooled somewhat. In fact, the problems he's had with Johnny Selfie may have iced it.
Physically, there's no comparison between the two. Nor even psychologically. However, Mariota never had a playbook or took snaps from under center either.
There's no doubt at all that Mariota can do all the mechanical stuff easily. There's high confidence that unlike Johnny, he loves the game and will study hard. Nobody questions the guys intelligence.
But the information-processing part is something other than intelligence, and some guys are simply incapable of it. That's not even fixable, and it's a huge risk with a guy like this.
Ray is damned if he doesn't, and may be damned if he does. We'll see.
One mock draft saw the Browns trading away their second rounder to nab Kevin White. Chuh. I really like both Cooper and White, but can safely predict that Ray Farmer won't trade up for any wide reciever. Some guys just throw it against the wall and hope some of it sticks.
I kind of hope the league forces "Hard Knocks" on the Browns. Johnny will show up early and leave late. Mike Pettine would no doubt point out the cameras installed in the film room first.
I can kind of see part of an episode in week 3.
Scene: Mike Pettine's office. Johnny is sitting in front of Mike's desk.
Mike: So far so good, Johnny. But I'd like you to stop smiling at the cameras. Just try to forget they're there like everybody else, ok?
Johnny: Sorry.
Mike: Ok. Now, the IT guys brought me this. Yes, we see you in the film room and all, and the cameras don't see what you're watching, but IT does. This is a report they gave me on how you're killing time in there.
Looks like you're Grand Warrior Wizard Throg, and you've made some serious inroads into the Grog Empire...
Johnny: Uh--
Mike: We really need you to take this seriously, Johnny. Hey! (snaps fingers) I'm over here. Quit looking at the damn camera!
1: Rationality must not be confused with bendoveritis. When your team looks like it's about to get screwed over by commissioner Dick Tater, it's not irrational to call that spade a spade.
More than a small fine and suspension for Textageddon is patently rediculous. It is rational to say so.
This matter was all internal, gaining the team no advantage. For that matter, this level of micromanagement by the league office is preposterous in the first place.
2: Danny Shelton is very slow. Gil Brandt and several other real pros I've heard from see him as a good NFL nose tackle--not worthy of a top 15 pick.
Phil Taylor is the forgotten man in all this. Taylor is as massive as Shelton, and much more athletic. He shouldn't be kicked to the curb due to his injuries, and any past lack of discipline is correctable.
It's true that the Browns sucked against the run after Taylor went down, but nose tackle is not a position of great need.
Ishmaa'ily Kitchen is listed as a DE, but is more of a nose tackle. The recent acquisition of Randy Starks, who takes great pride in stuffing the run, will help too.
John Hughes was just extended. He missed time to injury as well, and his main role is stopping the run.
The real net change here is Hughes and Taylor healthy, plus Randy Starks. Improvement against the run is already here, so there's no need to overdraft a ponderous nose tackle.
3: Edge rusher may not be as "desperate" a need as we'd thought. Unlike many others, I believe that Barkevious Mingo played most of last season hurt. He was used more in coverage, and not even "sent" after quarterbacks.
I absolutely love what Blunt Force Trauma said about using Armonty Bryant at OLB. It's hard to find a place for this guy as a down lineman in this kind of defense.
Bryant is ideally a 4-3 defensive end, but was just too talented for Mike Pettine to throw away when he came here.
Prior to his own draft, Armonty was worked out at OLB by a number of teams, and many (including me) thought he'd be used that way here in the first place. I'm still not sure why Ray Horton did that.
Pettine left it alone in his first season, as Bryant was still developing at the pro level, and can be used as a passrusher in any defense.
But with all the depth on this defensive line, including Desmond Bryant, Billy Winn, Starks, Hughes, Solomon, etc., Mike wants to find ways to get Armonty on the field more often, while also filling a real need.
I still don't know how the healthy, more experienced Mingo will look in his third season. His biggest problem could be his metabolism. Some guys (who the rest of us just hate) have a hard time getting bigger, and he is one of those.
But he's aging, and there's a good chance he'll come in at a cut-up, stronger 242 or something with all his speed intact, and accomplish something as a passrusher.
Between the bigger, stronger Armonty Bryant and him, one or both could go a long way towards counterbalancing Paul Kruger.
3: Stopping the run is not as important as rushing the passer. Statistics prove this. This is why the Browns defense last season ranked among the better ones in the league, despite being almost the very worst against the run.
As I keep repeating over and over again (to no effect), Pettine doesn't run a traditional 3-4 defense, and the need for a human fire hydrant nose tackle is overblown.
Ideally, you definitely want guys who can do that--like Kitchen and Taylor. But this is just one of the "looks" he uses, as it's just as often a 4-3.
Pettine's priority will remain pressure and penetration. This is why sometimes his linemen will two-gap, and other times they'll attack. He tries to mask their intentions prior to the snap, and send one-gappers from different spots.
A conventional 3-4 uses three down linemen to eat up blocks period.
Pettine is willing to risk cut-back runs and guards on linebackers in exchange for tackles for losses, forced fumbles, and rushed throws. By design, his defenses may never rank in the top 10 against the run.
But that's okay if they rank high in turnovers and scoring. That's what it's all about.
I'm seeing Marcus Mariota sliding down the draft boards, and can already see this coming if Farmer trades up to grab him:
He'll be burned in effigy for giving up more than he had to.
Look, most of the draft pundits were never General Managers, or even scouts. I follow Brandt, Kirwan, Mayock, and guys like that, and take most of the rest with a pound of salt.
Mariota is one of only two quarterbacks in this draft who project as franchise guys. It's possible Mariota could slide to the Jets, but doubtful. If Ray doesn't make a move, somebody else will.
This article by Jared Mueller on the possibility of the Raiders trading out of their third spot is a well-reasoned reason for optimism, should Marcus slide to that spot. This could only cost the Browns their second rounder and 12.
I'm not even predicting that Farmer will try it. He loved the guy prior to last year's draft, but his ardor may have cooled somewhat. In fact, the problems he's had with Johnny Selfie may have iced it.
Physically, there's no comparison between the two. Nor even psychologically. However, Mariota never had a playbook or took snaps from under center either.
There's no doubt at all that Mariota can do all the mechanical stuff easily. There's high confidence that unlike Johnny, he loves the game and will study hard. Nobody questions the guys intelligence.
But the information-processing part is something other than intelligence, and some guys are simply incapable of it. That's not even fixable, and it's a huge risk with a guy like this.
Ray is damned if he doesn't, and may be damned if he does. We'll see.
One mock draft saw the Browns trading away their second rounder to nab Kevin White. Chuh. I really like both Cooper and White, but can safely predict that Ray Farmer won't trade up for any wide reciever. Some guys just throw it against the wall and hope some of it sticks.
I kind of hope the league forces "Hard Knocks" on the Browns. Johnny will show up early and leave late. Mike Pettine would no doubt point out the cameras installed in the film room first.
I can kind of see part of an episode in week 3.
Scene: Mike Pettine's office. Johnny is sitting in front of Mike's desk.
Mike: So far so good, Johnny. But I'd like you to stop smiling at the cameras. Just try to forget they're there like everybody else, ok?
Johnny: Sorry.
Mike: Ok. Now, the IT guys brought me this. Yes, we see you in the film room and all, and the cameras don't see what you're watching, but IT does. This is a report they gave me on how you're killing time in there.
Looks like you're Grand Warrior Wizard Throg, and you've made some serious inroads into the Grog Empire...
Johnny: Uh--
Mike: We really need you to take this seriously, Johnny. Hey! (snaps fingers) I'm over here. Quit looking at the damn camera!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Roger Goodell: Gimme a Break
Ray Farmer texting the sidelines apparently warrants "severe" punishment.
Roger needs to be consistent. We need to penalize holding the same as we penalize helmet-to-helmet hits.
Maybe school principals should pay attention. Expel kids for throwing spitballs. (Bad example, I guess. They expel kids for making gun-signs with their fingers so...oh! Maybe Roger is learning from THEM!)
Are you kidding me with this? Admit it: It's because it's the Browns, isn't it?
Rules are rules, huh? Let him off light on this and before you know it they'll be taking photos of their middle fingers and sending them to offensive coordinators! After that, the end of civilization as we know it!
Just how SILLY can you GET, man?
Roger needs to be consistent. We need to penalize holding the same as we penalize helmet-to-helmet hits.
Maybe school principals should pay attention. Expel kids for throwing spitballs. (Bad example, I guess. They expel kids for making gun-signs with their fingers so...oh! Maybe Roger is learning from THEM!)
Are you kidding me with this? Admit it: It's because it's the Browns, isn't it?
Rules are rules, huh? Let him off light on this and before you know it they'll be taking photos of their middle fingers and sending them to offensive coordinators! After that, the end of civilization as we know it!
Just how SILLY can you GET, man?
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Panicking Permabashers Paradise
Wow. The Browns can't possibly win more than two or three games this season! Therefore they should forget about Mariota and just draft for all their urgently critical needs, like offensive line, tight end, wide reciever, third down back, defensive line, outside linebacker, and everything else!
Then next year just draft a franchise quarterback, since surely they'll be so terrible that they will have a pick in the top five.
Don't worry, because all the players Ray Farmer has signed or will draft will be lousy too!
Holy loony-bin, batman!
Here are a few fun facts for you:
1: The only free agent Ray Farmer overpaid was Tramon Williams. He's also the only one over 31.
2: Buster Skrine and other unresticted guys were under no obligation to come back the the Browns to see if they would offer more than they'd been offered by other teams.
In point of fact, those other teams usually tell them "If you walk out of here today, we can't guarantee it. We might fill your slot, or have other guys competing with you."
3: Jordan Cameron does have a scary concussion history, and for that matter a history of other injuries. A second year linebacker just retired out of concern for what concussions would do to him.
It doesn't matter how late in the game they made their highest offer to him. It was a sensible and valid strategy to try to replace him with a more durable, reliable player.
4: There are two sides to every negotiation or non-negotiation. Many free agents refused to even consider the Browns. Some who did only did so to leverage more rediculous offers elsewhere.
Some of the same people who've bashed Ray Farmer for not overpaying big-name free agents are now bashing him for overpaying the last remaining cornerback.
5: Bryce Petty is still the Bryce Petty they see in the film room. So are the other quarterbacks. Their Pro Days and workouts are much less meaningful.
If Ray Farmer can't engineer a trade for Bradford, trade up for Mariota, or pull off some other miracle, he might take a shot at another quarterback at 19 despite his misgivings, and it could be Petty.
That would be called a panicked disaster, of course, since there's no way any of the guys behind Mariota and Winston rate as first rounders.
But every other quarterback-needy team will be overdrafting all these other guys, and if Ray wants to roll the dice on any of them, he'll have to pay the price himself.
The Browns can't count on Manziel, and need a quarterback in the worst way. In reality, they have too much overall talent NOT to win at least six or seven games, and planning to nab their franchise guy next season is idiocy.
In fact, it's more likely that the strong running game and defense, along with the two new wide recievers already on board, will make Josh McCown look like the guy who made Jay Cutler look like a boob.
In which case, they draft LOWER than 12, with no ammo for a trade-up.
Speaking of Jay Cutler, everything else aside, he's not a WEST COAST quarterback, so please cut that stuff out.
Terry Pluto addressed a lot of this, and I'd like to add this: What HE said!
I was at first ticked off that the Browns were even talking to Dwayne Bowe, but then I found out that he's really only 30.
Bigger, stronger wide recievers last longer, because they rely more on position and reach than on explosion or speed. An Andrew Hawkins needs daylight between himself and his defender to have a good chance for a catch, but a Dwayne Bowe can have the guy right on him and still make the catch.
No, he's not a true number one speed merchant, and you need to stop pitching temper-tantrums over that, and start living in reality. Nobody else wanted to come here.
Averaging around 13 yards per-catch should be adequate. He doesn't outrun guys. He just runs them over.
The defense now has five seasoned veterans (including Joe H) sprinkled across each position group to help the young guys round into mental shape much sooner in the second year of Pettine's system, and that is very good.
The offense now has two tall, reliable recievers that it didn't have before. The net loss with Cameron could well be around half a season, because he'll probably get hurt again.
All the young guys will naturally be better, and this remains a young team. How you think that Josh McCown, all by himself and despite all the talent around him, can somehow manage to single-handedly lose more than nine games is beyond understanding.
And that's the worst-case. Manziel is the joker in this deck.
Then next year just draft a franchise quarterback, since surely they'll be so terrible that they will have a pick in the top five.
Don't worry, because all the players Ray Farmer has signed or will draft will be lousy too!
Holy loony-bin, batman!
Here are a few fun facts for you:
1: The only free agent Ray Farmer overpaid was Tramon Williams. He's also the only one over 31.
2: Buster Skrine and other unresticted guys were under no obligation to come back the the Browns to see if they would offer more than they'd been offered by other teams.
In point of fact, those other teams usually tell them "If you walk out of here today, we can't guarantee it. We might fill your slot, or have other guys competing with you."
3: Jordan Cameron does have a scary concussion history, and for that matter a history of other injuries. A second year linebacker just retired out of concern for what concussions would do to him.
It doesn't matter how late in the game they made their highest offer to him. It was a sensible and valid strategy to try to replace him with a more durable, reliable player.
4: There are two sides to every negotiation or non-negotiation. Many free agents refused to even consider the Browns. Some who did only did so to leverage more rediculous offers elsewhere.
Some of the same people who've bashed Ray Farmer for not overpaying big-name free agents are now bashing him for overpaying the last remaining cornerback.
5: Bryce Petty is still the Bryce Petty they see in the film room. So are the other quarterbacks. Their Pro Days and workouts are much less meaningful.
If Ray Farmer can't engineer a trade for Bradford, trade up for Mariota, or pull off some other miracle, he might take a shot at another quarterback at 19 despite his misgivings, and it could be Petty.
That would be called a panicked disaster, of course, since there's no way any of the guys behind Mariota and Winston rate as first rounders.
But every other quarterback-needy team will be overdrafting all these other guys, and if Ray wants to roll the dice on any of them, he'll have to pay the price himself.
The Browns can't count on Manziel, and need a quarterback in the worst way. In reality, they have too much overall talent NOT to win at least six or seven games, and planning to nab their franchise guy next season is idiocy.
In fact, it's more likely that the strong running game and defense, along with the two new wide recievers already on board, will make Josh McCown look like the guy who made Jay Cutler look like a boob.
In which case, they draft LOWER than 12, with no ammo for a trade-up.
Speaking of Jay Cutler, everything else aside, he's not a WEST COAST quarterback, so please cut that stuff out.
Terry Pluto addressed a lot of this, and I'd like to add this: What HE said!
I was at first ticked off that the Browns were even talking to Dwayne Bowe, but then I found out that he's really only 30.
Bigger, stronger wide recievers last longer, because they rely more on position and reach than on explosion or speed. An Andrew Hawkins needs daylight between himself and his defender to have a good chance for a catch, but a Dwayne Bowe can have the guy right on him and still make the catch.
No, he's not a true number one speed merchant, and you need to stop pitching temper-tantrums over that, and start living in reality. Nobody else wanted to come here.
Averaging around 13 yards per-catch should be adequate. He doesn't outrun guys. He just runs them over.
The defense now has five seasoned veterans (including Joe H) sprinkled across each position group to help the young guys round into mental shape much sooner in the second year of Pettine's system, and that is very good.
The offense now has two tall, reliable recievers that it didn't have before. The net loss with Cameron could well be around half a season, because he'll probably get hurt again.
All the young guys will naturally be better, and this remains a young team. How you think that Josh McCown, all by himself and despite all the talent around him, can somehow manage to single-handedly lose more than nine games is beyond understanding.
And that's the worst-case. Manziel is the joker in this deck.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Ray Signs Williams and Starks. Well, ok. I Guess.
As I'd feared, Ray Farmer has waited for some bargains and is now raiding the retirement home. But these two players--well it's not as bad as I'd feared.
Niether is going to kick a young, talented player to the curb, as Mike Pettine will be holding onto a lot of players in both these position groups. Both players played well last season.
Tramon Williams is the most troublesome to me. A (press/man) cornerback relies heavily on recovery speed and explosive changes of direction. 32 is very old for one of these guys, and the erosion of these traits happens fast.
But for sure, Tramon has enough left to force Gilbert to fight like hell for playing time. He will offer leadership, and be a good example. He does have the size to play safety, and move around in situational defenses. He should be fine in zone and off-man coverages.
I'd feel differently had the Browns retained Buster Skrine, but with the current roster, this particular geezer makes sense.
By the way, Buster: Now that the Jets signed Cromartie and you're going to the slot again...how does that make you feel?
Randy Starks was a good signing. He is over 30, but will be rotated in and out, and can still definitely play really well for at least another year.
Starks is a pro's pro who will likewise be a good example and offer leadership. I said before that he was solid, but he's more than that. In the Browns' scheme, he can play any position.
I'm not sure what happened to Rubin, but something sure did, and Starks is a definite upgrade to what the Browns had.
More on the quarterbacks:
In this article by Jonathan Webb, a lot of guessing and assuming went on. Fotunately, you have me here to make the corrections:
First off, the Browns haven't "decided to move on" from Johnny Manziel. What they've seen so far was discouraging, and they know they can't count on him.
I have almost zero doubt that the Browns did offer a first round pick for Sam Bradford, and that book may not be closed. They may well make a push for Mariota as well.
But this is just common sense. This is just trying to make sure. How one can take these efforts as a sign that they have no hope for Manziel, I don't understand.
And with all due respect to Terry Pluto, there is little concern about Manziel's physical ability to play quarterback in the NFL. Not with Wilson and Brees around. The only concerns with Johnny are mental.
In one over-the-top, atrocious Bleacher Report article, this Freeman person declared Manziel DOA based on zero talent among the recievers.
This clown actually lists the whole TE and WR corps, and implies that it's the worst in the NFL. Hawkins, Gabriel, and Hartline all suck now? Really?
He goes on to cite Ray Farmer's refusal to draft a wide reciever last year as conclusive proof that he NEVER WILL!
For that matter, even Barnidge and Dray, far from sucking, are pretty good chain-movers--I guess for this guy anybody who doesn't make annual trips to Hawaii can't play.
The current corps has a very good possession reciever, excellent slot recievers, and average pass-catching tight ends, and obviously Ray Farmer will soon add to that.
If this goober had called the current recievers below average, I wouldn't have bothered with this steaming pile of LaCanfora. Why do you have to go overboard like this? There has to be something wrong with you when you dump Gabriel/Hawkins/Hartline out with the bathwater oh puh-leez!
I was gone for awhile but I'm back now:
While I'm at it, it is irrational to want to cut Josh Gordon. In what concievable way could you benefit? Retainng him is zero risk, high reward, and free. So just stop it.
I see Travis Benjamin as low man on the wide reciever totem pole, and rather expect his departure after the draft. But to pro-actively cut him...I swear I just don't get the logic here.
Listen to me: Travis Benjamin, if not injured, will be in the NFL for a long time, and play a lot of football. The only reason his days are numbered here is the fact that the Browns have two superior slot recievers ahead of him.
This is one slot the Browns have no need to fill. You shouldn't lump slot recievers and X/Y recievers together the way a lot of people do. They're different types of player.
The Browns need an X (number one) wide reciever, and I suppose more depth. Not another smurf DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
I wouldn't mind taking a risk on Sam Bradford (for number nineteen, should that come up), but it IS a risk with his injury history.
I also hate the fact that he has refused to renegotiate his way-too-fat contract. I hope Ray doesn't do this without a new contract already in place.
I can just see this guy sure enough staying healthy all season and kicking butt...then LEAVING in 2016. If, after missing about half his games since he was drafted, he refused to renegotiate--this guy seems to have zero loyalty to anything but the dollar.
Oh, you can't sign or retain players because of me? Tough. GIMME.
Terry Pluto points out that the one year remaining in his current contract is a kind of insurance. Should he once again get hurt and crap out, the cap-hit is limited to the 2015 season.
I suppose, but we want this quarterback thing fixed long-term, don't we?
Between Bradford and Mariota, I'd prefer the much cheaper, signed for five years Mariota.
Niether is going to kick a young, talented player to the curb, as Mike Pettine will be holding onto a lot of players in both these position groups. Both players played well last season.
Tramon Williams is the most troublesome to me. A (press/man) cornerback relies heavily on recovery speed and explosive changes of direction. 32 is very old for one of these guys, and the erosion of these traits happens fast.
But for sure, Tramon has enough left to force Gilbert to fight like hell for playing time. He will offer leadership, and be a good example. He does have the size to play safety, and move around in situational defenses. He should be fine in zone and off-man coverages.
I'd feel differently had the Browns retained Buster Skrine, but with the current roster, this particular geezer makes sense.
By the way, Buster: Now that the Jets signed Cromartie and you're going to the slot again...how does that make you feel?
Randy Starks was a good signing. He is over 30, but will be rotated in and out, and can still definitely play really well for at least another year.
Starks is a pro's pro who will likewise be a good example and offer leadership. I said before that he was solid, but he's more than that. In the Browns' scheme, he can play any position.
I'm not sure what happened to Rubin, but something sure did, and Starks is a definite upgrade to what the Browns had.
More on the quarterbacks:
In this article by Jonathan Webb, a lot of guessing and assuming went on. Fotunately, you have me here to make the corrections:
First off, the Browns haven't "decided to move on" from Johnny Manziel. What they've seen so far was discouraging, and they know they can't count on him.
I have almost zero doubt that the Browns did offer a first round pick for Sam Bradford, and that book may not be closed. They may well make a push for Mariota as well.
But this is just common sense. This is just trying to make sure. How one can take these efforts as a sign that they have no hope for Manziel, I don't understand.
And with all due respect to Terry Pluto, there is little concern about Manziel's physical ability to play quarterback in the NFL. Not with Wilson and Brees around. The only concerns with Johnny are mental.
In one over-the-top, atrocious Bleacher Report article, this Freeman person declared Manziel DOA based on zero talent among the recievers.
This clown actually lists the whole TE and WR corps, and implies that it's the worst in the NFL. Hawkins, Gabriel, and Hartline all suck now? Really?
He goes on to cite Ray Farmer's refusal to draft a wide reciever last year as conclusive proof that he NEVER WILL!
For that matter, even Barnidge and Dray, far from sucking, are pretty good chain-movers--I guess for this guy anybody who doesn't make annual trips to Hawaii can't play.
The current corps has a very good possession reciever, excellent slot recievers, and average pass-catching tight ends, and obviously Ray Farmer will soon add to that.
If this goober had called the current recievers below average, I wouldn't have bothered with this steaming pile of LaCanfora. Why do you have to go overboard like this? There has to be something wrong with you when you dump Gabriel/Hawkins/Hartline out with the bathwater oh puh-leez!
I was gone for awhile but I'm back now:
While I'm at it, it is irrational to want to cut Josh Gordon. In what concievable way could you benefit? Retainng him is zero risk, high reward, and free. So just stop it.
I see Travis Benjamin as low man on the wide reciever totem pole, and rather expect his departure after the draft. But to pro-actively cut him...I swear I just don't get the logic here.
Listen to me: Travis Benjamin, if not injured, will be in the NFL for a long time, and play a lot of football. The only reason his days are numbered here is the fact that the Browns have two superior slot recievers ahead of him.
This is one slot the Browns have no need to fill. You shouldn't lump slot recievers and X/Y recievers together the way a lot of people do. They're different types of player.
The Browns need an X (number one) wide reciever, and I suppose more depth. Not another smurf DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
I wouldn't mind taking a risk on Sam Bradford (for number nineteen, should that come up), but it IS a risk with his injury history.
I also hate the fact that he has refused to renegotiate his way-too-fat contract. I hope Ray doesn't do this without a new contract already in place.
I can just see this guy sure enough staying healthy all season and kicking butt...then LEAVING in 2016. If, after missing about half his games since he was drafted, he refused to renegotiate--this guy seems to have zero loyalty to anything but the dollar.
Oh, you can't sign or retain players because of me? Tough. GIMME.
Terry Pluto points out that the one year remaining in his current contract is a kind of insurance. Should he once again get hurt and crap out, the cap-hit is limited to the 2015 season.
I suppose, but we want this quarterback thing fixed long-term, don't we?
Between Bradford and Mariota, I'd prefer the much cheaper, signed for five years Mariota.
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