I agree with Lesmerisis that it's cool when players stand up for their teams. Doug refers to Baker Mayfield on the Colon Cowherd.
Unfortunately, Baker has been "coached up" on how to handle the media, so his responses were "muted".
I will translate:
Cowherd says the Browns organization is dysfunctional:
"No it's not. I've never even met Ray Farmer or Sashi Brown. John Dorsey seems to know what he's doing...is John Dorsey dysfunctional, Colon? Hue and Gregg have been here for two years, and Todd Haley...is Todd Haley dysfuntional, Colon? Do you know what year this is, Colon?"
Colon is the guy who, prior to the draft, figured that the Browns were just pretending to like Baker Mayfield to...err...I guess get the Jets or somebody to trade up for him...?
But the implication was the one clear thing in this black helicopter mishmash: No way the Browns would ever really consider drafting Johnny M Baker Mayfield first overall.
And you KNOW Mayfield heard that show (it's still near the top under "Browns News" on two search engines).
In his article, Doug published a Cowherd re-tweet. Some idiot declared Mayfield would never be a first pick (and went overboard, generally all but calling him a loser and a bumb). This is what Cowherd re-tweets? He can't say it himself so he finds sock-puppets to say it for him? What a racket!
Baker's reply was tepid: "Well it happened".
But check that out: The biggest real concern about Mayfield was his Type A personality and blunt honesty. I was among those who feared "Twitter wars" when people started bashing him.
I do wish he would have challenged Cowherd more directly on his Memorex Moron assertions about the 2018 Browns, but am relieved that he's kept his cool since being drafted.
Mike Freeman (Bleacher Report) wrote a really good article on how Tyrod Taylor is just what the 2018 Browns need in 2018.
Mike is unusually smart, insightful, and objective, but you can see how, in the article itself, he feels obliged to pander to the cretins and idiots who bash him for not being a Browns-basher.
"If the Browns are 0-8" ---"I'll deserve it".
No you won't, Mike. You looked at the facts and based your analysis on those facts. It was brilliant (obviously: I agreed with everything).
The people who bash you for being insufficiently pessimistic, negative, or vindictive should be sterilized so they can't further foul the gene pool, and I think your carreer can stand it if they stop reading your articles.
And anyway, why are you allowing for 0-8? ...ok I get it it's the Browns. Even evolved beings can't quite ignore the last 15 years. Or the referees. Or injuries, or a tough schedule...
Nevermind you're really good, Mike. Skip the qualifiers.
Mitch Zaloty asks if Hue Jackson is the worst Head Coach in the NFL, and acts as prosecutor and defense attorney in-turn to present the pros and cons:
I could have done much better on the Prosecutor side, as Mitch doesn't seem to be an exes and os guy, and didn't mention how he refused to zone-block, started a raw rookie quarterback, did to him what Palmer did to Couch, rarely used Njoku and DeValve together even when the wide receivers all sucked, etc.
He also overstates the lack of talent on the roster, and slants it negatively. Seth DeValve would start for some teams, Duke has been here all along, along with Kindred, Thomas, Bitonio, Crowell (yes him too), Shelton, Ogbah, Boddy-Calhoun... then Garrett, those THREE defensive tackles, those two stud veteran offensive linemen, McCourty, Schobert, Collins...those were inexperienced rosters, but "among the least talented in the NFL"? Bullcrap.
For all the big moves John Dorsey just made, the bulk of Sashi Brown's players (and some predating him) remain the core of the 2018 team:
The jury is out on the Colemans, but at least 60% of the starting offensive line, 2 out of 3 tight ends, Duke, 100% of the starting defensive line, probably two of three linebackers, the nickel back and strong safety.
But I do agree with Mike's "verdict" on Hue Jackson: He's not the worst Head Coach, but he's "up there".
"Hot seat"? Well yeah: Jimmy Haslam couldn't fire yet another Head Coach after 2 years (even at 1-31; isn't that insane?) because he'd be pillaried for it and catch all this "dysfunctional" crap all over again!
"But...he was 1-31"
"Irrelevant! You fired him after only two seasons, ergo you are a spazz!"
"Mmbut...but--"
"Case closed!"
But now, Hue is the designated fall guy, so it worked out fine. Haley and Williams will run the team and Hue will do the interviews.
If you blame Hue Jackson for a loss, or credit him for a win in 2018, you don't get it.
Todd Haley was a Head Coach before. If the Browns do badly in 2018, Jimmy will regretfully fire Hue and name Haley the interim Head Coach. Haley will then have a built-in "mulligan" for 2018, and...nevermind, but in retrospect, Haslam's retention of Hue Palmer looks really smart now.
Browns Running Backs Coach Freddie Kitchens says he'll play the "hot hand" at running back game-by-game, and that's music to my ears.
Opposing defenses will need to prepare for each of the "big three", because they know that if they can stifle one early, they'll get another one, then (if neccessary) another one after that.
It's also beautiful because it tells Chubb, Duke, and Hyde that they will be fighting for snaps all season long, and competition is good.
It's not quite as simple as that, of course, because Duke is a Swiss Army Knife, so Haley will find ways to get him on the field no matter what.
Hyde is an excellent pass-blocker. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Todd Haley is certain to run at least a few "two-back" personnel groups (with Duke as one of the alleged backs).
Hyde and Chubb are similar, except different. Nick Chubb is a better athlete. He is quicker, faster, and stronger. He will quickly prove himself a more reliable receiver (probably from the slot too), and he should become a nice pass-blocker too.
Maybe Hyde and him can lead-block on runs?
I remember Mack/Byner under Marty Schottenheimer. Kevin Mack was a big freaky-fast pile of muscles who ran people over and outran them too. Byner was comparatively a shrimp and a slow-poke.
But Byner was just mind-over-matter, ya know? He ran up the gut, and just somehow wriggled and twisted for two more yards after you thought he was stopped. He was devastating catching dumpoff passes in the flats.
But check this out: Earnest Byner was often the lead-blocker for Kevin Mack! He decked guys that outweighed him by 30 lbs.
I never forgot that. And ever since, I never stopped wondering why running backs are never asked to lead-block.
I call Marty Schottemheimer a "blockhead", but now, looking back, he was pretty damn innovative.
Is Haley as smart as Marty and me? Might he actually send two-back personnel to the huddle, and actually have both backs deploy in the backfield? And then hand off to one, with the other lead-blocking for him?
Nah! No--that's too obvious! You gotta send Duke to the slot and line up Hyde or Chubb in the I or offset they'll never see that coming right?
Modern defenses are really nickel-based, and will deploy nickel personnel every time they see Duke and any other running back going into the huddle.
They know that Duke will line up in the slot or wide, okay? In most cases, the fifth defensive back is a cover corner, because Duke is literally almost like Landry, and if you put a safety on him, that's bad.
Well, the NFL is an arms race, see? Check out Lord Insideous in New England. He's run every kind of offense there is, depending on his people and the "trends".
If you think Tom Brady props him up, you are mentally impaired. Lord Insideous uses the force: When everybody else is using spread offenses or two tight ends (and defenses are adapting to those), he goes the other way.
He gets "out of style" players cheap, and thrives by being different...
Which is hysterical to watch: I mean, everybody copies Bill Belichick! He's not just adapting to trends; he's setting them! He's literally dictating the market!
Pederson and the Eagles beat him in the last Superbowl, but he had more overall talent, plus he isn't a copycat either...long story nevermind:
The point is, when everybody is geared up to stop Y, do X.
Haley should do some "Martyball" in 2018.
To clarify: A "two-back" with a blocking fullback is not what I'm talking about here. Haley will certainly use DeValve as a fullback sometimes, but nobody expects him to take a handoff, and the whole defense will "key" him as a lead blocker to predict where the ball is going (yawn).
Marty's two-back was unpredictable...
This is complicated. Maybe I'll break it down later okbye
The Greg Robinson signing isn't the yawner others will consider it to be, because this guy has terrific upside. There were reasons why he was projected to go in the first round of his draft, as itemized in the linked article.
He's never lived up to these projections in the NFL, so we can't expect him to elbow his way to the starting left tackle spot, but he has starting experience at guard and left tackle, and he's a surprising athlete.
Robinson probably won't start, but could hang on as a versatile depth player with a lot of experience; possibly the top backup at left tackle.
Chris Schisler, a Baltimore writer, explored the matchup between the Ravens and the Browns. He tried to be objective, but failed.
Marlon Humphries is a terrific cornerback, but probably not a "shut-down" type, and it's an even bigger stretch to call Jimmy Smith a shut-down corner.
Chris doesn't expect either of these two having any problems man covering that pesky Josh Gordon.
Chris also mentions lots of other cornerbacks who can cover slot guys, which pretty much eliminates Cory Coleman and whatshisname (yawn).
Chris cites the Ravens vulnerability to tight ends, and does worry about Njoku.
But in summary, Chris forsees no problem as long as the Ravens can trap Taylor in the pocket and stop the run (yawn).
I'm trying hard not to pick on this guy, and I know he might be on a word-count or something, but
1: NOBODY could even slow down Josh Gordon through 14 games in 2013, with double coverage. How does Chris find not one, but two cornerbacks on one roster that can do the job?
2: Ditto Landry.
3: You assume that your defense can shut down the Browns rush in 2018 with Haley calling the shots, really?
In "Ravens offense vs Browns defense", Chris got even more general, and relied exclusively on the two games in 2017.
Flacco did okay, and the Ravens managed to almost run the ball well sorta. Chris says Denzel Ward should help in coverage, but with the Ravens new receivers, the Ravens shouldn't be "too worried about it".
Well yeah, as I posted earlier, the 2018 Ravens will have the best wide receivers they've had in several years (I've honestly felt sorry for Flacco), but jeez, Chris! While your guys upgraded your wide receivers, my guys upgraded their whole secondary (massively!)
They "shouldn't be too worried about that"? Oh, I beg to differ!
Seriously, what scares me about the Ravens is what Harbaugh will do with his new toy, Lamar Jackson.
Other than that, Chris, my guys are better than your guys.
If they don't hold the free safety back to back up whichever cornerback Gordon will out-muscle or outrun, he'll torch you deep.
If they DO hold the safety back, Landry will knaw on you like a pihrannah, Njoku WILL hurt you bad, and (name somebody) will average 4-plus yards per-carry.
Listen, Chris, you can only field eleven guys at once, and it takes eight to stack a box, and two to double-cover Rodney Gordonfield. Your guys will lose each and every one-on-one matchup vs Gordon and Landry, just like everybody else in the NFL has.
And you're right about Njoku: He WILL turn them upside down and take their lunch money. And so might DeValve and Fells too!
But thanks for throwing us that bone!
You were right about how to stifle Tyrod Taylor, though: Keep him inside and get heat on him ASAP. But you're assuming that the Browns offensive line doesn't get a vote? Dig a little deeper, Chris.
There's a new coordinator in town, who knows your guys intimately, and has new toys of his own to play with. If you think Todd Haley will run a Marquis of Queensbury offense and make Tyrod Taylor a sitting duck for you like Hue Palmer did...
And you know, after the first 9-10 times Gramps Suggs fights through traffic and chases that rabbit, he might keel over, ya know?
This is the Hensley (or maybe Helmsley) effect in Baltimore. This H guy is our Mary Kay Cabbott, and he just drips sniffing, lint-flicking, dismissive arrogance in re the Browns.
Guys like Chris Shisler can't help but be influenced by that. Chris made an honest effort to be objective, but...
This is why critical thinking should be taught in every gradeschool (along with the US Constitution).
Chris: Think with your brain! That's what it's there for! And not the reptilian part, but the newly-evolved frontal and cortical parts!
Your guys are outgunned! Harbaugh and Jackson (and of course the refs) might bail you out, but unless they do, your boyz are gonna lose both games. Deal with it.
Hue Jackson's history with quarterbacks is being exhaggerated and over-inflated again.
1: He should have started the best quarterback out of training camp/preseason: Kevin Hogan.
Shut up. Hogan was the "veteran", had played well in 2016, and if he'd had more reps with the ones and been allowed to gain more experience, his whole story might have turned out different.
2: As it was, benching Kizer for Hogan was an obvious move. Kizer just plain SUCKED, okay? In reality, Jackson was a dumbass for naming Kizer the starter in game one, and in re-benching Hogan for him after one start---NOT for benching Kizer.
3: Hue remains the Head Coach, and does have the authority to name his starters.
But as I've explained repeatedly, Hue is on thin ice, and will NOT win any arguments he has with either of his coordinators. Haslam remains the owner, and has the gavel.
Even if you think Hue Jackson is a panic-prone spazz (which he isn't), Todd Haley won't let him mess his offense up.
4: You're not reaching with this stuff--you're diving! You expect Tyrod Taylor's wheels to come off here, now? How likely is that? Stop it!
Now, I've been generalizing on Tyrod Taylor's past "weapons", but this article by Josh Edwards corrected me.
Tyrod got the Bills into the playoffs last season with Charles Clay, LeSean McCoy, and not much else. That's in the bank.
But as Josh points out, in 2015 (his first year as a starter), Tyrod had Chris Hogan, Robert Woods, and (we cooda had)Sammy Watkins.
Along with Clay and McCoy, this was Tyrod's "high water" mark for skilled talent around him.
Context matters: Tyrod was a first year starter. He is better now than he was then. You can't ignore this.
That season, Tyrod completed 242 of 380 passes for 3,035 yards with 20 TDs and 6 interceptions.
That's close to 64%, and 12.54 yards per-completion (189.68 yards per game). Josh left out Tyrod's rushing numbers here, but that's context as well: Tyrod is a dual threat, and if you leave out his rushing stats when you compare him to guys like Manning and Brady, you're not being fair (no knock on Edwards: he did this on purpose, because he's comparing supporting casts, and not quarterbacks).
Let's compare that "high water" first-year Bills offense to what the much more experienced veteran Tyrod Taylor has to work with now:
First, Wecoodahad Sammy Watkins has never panned out. He gets hurt a lot, and for whatever reason has never been anything special.
Josh Gordon vs Sammy Watkins is a sick joke.
Woods is a different story, but he was just getting started then. Woods has emerged as a truly excellent receiver, but in context, the 2018 Landry is better than the 2015 Woods (and might still be better).
And Hogan. Well, he was a puppy then too. I don't understand why that Bills regime dumped these guys. But ditto what I said about Woods: he wasn't as good as Landry is now.
And wait a minute here: Don't write Coleman off just yet, let alone Callaway--one or both of them could be better in 2018 than Woods or Hogan were in 2015.
The more experienced veteran Tyrod Taylor has better wide receivers than he did in 2015.
Josh Edwards calls Charles Clay vs Njoku and company a wash, but I can even debate that:
Clay is like Gary Barnidge, but Njoku is like Winslow/Newsome/Gates. Njoku was just an embryo last season, without much experience in college either. He's going to make a huge jump, and he's a BIG PLAY guy.
Josh also says that the Browns don't have anybody like McCoy. Well, I can't fight that much.
...Except that Duke Johnson is very similar to McCoy. In context, McCoy was THE man in Buffalo, while Duke shared the stage with Crowell. If you compare these two players statistics, you will see that Duke is right there with McCoy...and with Ebineezer Bell, for that matter.
And of course, Josh went no deeper into running backs, but Nick Chubb and Carlos Hyde are relevant as hardnosed downhill smashmouth runners. These guys can halp a quarterback a lot too, and Tyrod never had them before, either.
Just to clarify, I don't know if Duke Johnson could take the pounding McCoy has taken as THE man, and I like Clay like I liked Barnidge. These are terrific players. I just think that Njoku is more dangerous, and Duke is right there with McCoy skill/talent-wise.
Anyway, you can debate me on some of this, but Tyrod never had a Gordon or a Landry, so that's that.
Josh ignored the respective offensive lines, and I haven't researched that much, but I think I'm safe in saying that I think the 2018 Browns big uglies are better than the 2015 Bills were (even without Big Joe).
As usual, Josh Edwards is thorough and objective, and finishes his article with an insightful and fair summary; actually mentioning C Coleman and Callaway. Josh Edwards: I like this guy!
Bucky Brooks is another very smart guy, and he played in the NFL. He ranked the Browns wide receivers fifth in the NFL.
I think he's wrong.
1: No, Julio Jones is not as good as Josh Gordon is. NOBODY else is, either, no matter how much "seniority" they have. The best wide receiver in the NFL should matter.
2: Landry vs Thielen and those guys can be debated, as Landry hasn't been a big play guy, but isn't there a place for a guy who has caught 100 passes per-season ever since he was drafted?
I mean, Bucky should survey 32 NFL quarterbacks about this before he gets into those "yards per-catch" stats, or at least look at first down catches, before he downgrades the most reliable wide receiver in the NFL.
3: Bucky went in-depth on the other teams, but not so much on the Browns (Coleman/Callaway etc).
In fairness to Bucky (again, a former player), he did say that the Browns could "move up" on this list in preseason. He tends to rely on what he has seen already, and doesn't like to stick his neck out.
I'll take "fifth-best" from Bucky, with the asterisk.
Hmm...is there a unit on the Browns roster that isn't top five in the NFL?
Offensive line: Debatable. Definitely top ten, but we got that left tackle issue. Tough call.
Tight end: Really in today's NFL, this is fuzzy, since so many tight ends are really just huge wide receivers who can't block well in-line.
In a fair world, guys like Clay and Witten would get their due, but they don't.
It's okay, though: Njoku and company might make the top five (certainly top 7-8) publicly, but (if you surveyed COACHES) they'll be top five easily, because Fells might be the best blocking TE in the NFL, Njoku has turned into a decent blocker, and DeValve is like Njoku (except shorter).
Running backs will be top five.
Edge-rushers top five.
Defensive tackles hmm...well top ten for sure, obviously, but there are some awesome tandems out there (like the Rams), and maybe the Bengals too. The Browns guys are emerging, so it's a tough call.
Linebackers top five, obviously. Doesn't matter how it shakes out, but Schobert made the Pro Bowl last season, they just signed Kendricks, Jamie Collins will be back healthy, and they drafted Rodney Averyfield.
Cornerback top five too. Denzel Ward was not just the best cornerback in this draft, but maybe the best MAN corner to come along in several years. The veterans Dorsey brought in are top-notch and proven as well, and Boddy-Calhoun was one of the best nickels in the NFL.
Safety should be top five as well, provided Damarius Randall works out as expected. Williams doesn't need to count on Jabrill Peppers at strong safety, since Rodney Kindredfield has already proven himself a terrific starter there.
Top five maybe. Top ten for sure.
...ok I gotta stop here. I can't get into special teams. Sorry. But top 15 easy: Returners out the yinyang plus athletes and stuff.
Oh yeah quarterback! AHAH! NOT top five, and maybe not even top ten there you go! We're all gonna die!!!
Doug Lesmerisis is a terrific columnist, and I rarely find anything wrong with his analysis. (As we all know, the more you agree with me, the better you are.)
He makes an excellent point which I've made several times: Average quarterback play could win the Cleveland Browns a bunch of games in 2018.
And after what Browns fans have witnessed behind center for the last couple eons or so, an average quarterback will look like Tom Brady to us.
But I do have to nitpick Doug a little on his dismissive treatment of some of the things Zampeze, Haley, et al have said about Tyrod Taylor:
These guys have said that Tyrod is still an emerging player who can run any scheme and throw deep.
If you've read this Blog, you know that I've said some of this stuff about Taylor (in response to faulty, shallow analysis of him) long before the Browns coaches got around to it (Redundancy Alert):
1: Tyrod Taylor always had a strong arm in general, and was always capable of throwing deep. If he has a deep target, and more than 2.9 seconds to throw. If he has niether, he can't throw deep.
Now he will have Josh Gordon, and Coleman or Callaway. So he can throw deep.
2: Tyrod has never had an offensive line or receivers this good in his carreer. I can't impugn Buffalo's coaches, who I don't know that well, but he may never have had an offensive coordinator like Todd Haley, either.
You can't judge players in a vacuum, as if every team is the same. If an "average" quarterback moves on to a better team, he will usually miraculously transform into an above average quarterback, for some inexplicable reason.
So Doug's skepticism isn't justified. But other than that, it was a great article.
I read somewhere that Gregg Williams would have liked to have had Bradley Chubb, but that he wasn't very good in deep coverage, and didn't get enough interceptions. I love that guy. He's a foulmouthed hardass, but he's entertaining as hell.
Mary Kay had an unusually good "Hey Mary Kay" this week, as she mentioned how Denzel Ward and big upgrades throughout the secondary will give Garrett and Ogbah that extra fraction of a second they need to turn "hurries" into sacks.
She also (mostly) nailed the quarterback thing: Taylor should start until the Browns are knocked out of playoff contention (if they are). With nothing to lose, at that point they'll get Baker Mayfield on the field.
But she was probably wrong about Drew Stanton being the primary backup during the first four games of the season (over Mayfield).
Baker Mayfield has football OCD, and learns very quickly. A Taylor-freindly offense is a Mayfield-friendly offense, and Haley will have a core "package" of plays which Mayfield will have zeroed in on and mastered.
Mary Kay is underestimating both of them.
Baker Mayfield is here substantially because he had the right aptitute, attitude, psychology, and mentality to be an NFL quarterback. Aside from Josh Rosen, Jim Miller considers Mayfield the most "NFL-ready" quarterback in this draft class.
As Jim tried to explain, Mayfield sees the "whole field", is decisive, checks down and doesn't hesitate. While Gregg Williams' defensive backs have been messing him up sometimes so far, Miller predicted that this would happen.
But these are obstacles that he will adapt to, just as he adapted twice as a walk-on. He is mechanically perfect, and has that rare processing speed; "Once the game slows down for him, look out for this kid!"
It won't take that long, Mary Kay. Maybe it will for Darnold and Allen, but not for Mayfield.
Mary Kay said Danny Shelton would be missed, but he won't be. As she herself stated, Gregg Williams called Meder one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL (and PFF concurs).
Shelton was no slouch (I'm not bashing the guy), but Meder outperformed him.
I'm afraid I have to redundanationalize on Mychal Kendricks and Genard Avery some more:
I still expect them both to work at middle linebacker for awhile, until they have a handle on that position in this defense, and then get moved outside.
They'll probably practice at all three linebacker spots (and some situational roles), but ultimately, Christian Kirksey is going to be challenged.
Kirksey's PFF grade is a little over 59. He's higher vs the run, and even lower vs the pass, and he plays WIL (coverage matters here!)
Specs: Kendricks (9th ranked linebacker) at 86 overall; 87 vs the run, 76.8 in coverage.
Kirksey: (52nd ranked) at 59.6 overall; 69.7 vs the run, 53.3 in coverage.
(Schobert: 32nd ranked at 77.4 overall; 81.6 vs the run, 70.7 in coverage).
Based purely on these numbers, Kendricks is better than all these guys, but can you find the weak link?
Actually, Schobert is interesting: He trimmed down between his first and second season, and got quicker/faster. I've also learned that he was a really good basketball player. His coverage grade surprises me.
It's possible that Mychal Kendricks, who is a smart guy and an experienced veteran who could probably also be Gregg Williams' "field general", could bump Schobert to WIL and Kirksey to the trading block or bench.
However it shakes out, I hereby predict that Christian Kirksey will not be a starter in 2018, and Kendricks and Schobert will be.
Yes, Sashi Brown signed Kirksey up for four years at over 9 mil/year with 20 mil guaranteed because he had an impressive 147 tackles in 2016. But that was Brown, not Dorsey.
And things have changed. Nobody (including me) expected Joe Schobert to be as good as he was this early in his carreer.
Nobody was counting on Mychal Kendricks, let alone his embryonic clone, Genard Avery.
Christian is a solid starter, but since his extention, one undrafted free agent emerged, another was signed, and a third drafted, all of which are or will be better than he is.
Kirksey's cap hit this season is 6,200,00.00, but in 2019 it will be 2 mil more, and even more in 2020.
Christian Kirksey is probably already "on the block". John Dorsey (a former linebacker himself, perhaps a lot like Kirksey), doesn't want to pay a backup that kind of money, and will take what he can get to dump that contract.
Other changes are influencing this:
Damarius Randall is moving Jabrill Peppers closer to the line (to challenge Derrick Kindred).
In 2017, Gregg Williams couldn't run "his" defense, but now he can. That means he will delete one real linebacker and use a safetybacker (Peppers or Kindred) more often.
147 tackles in 2016 aside, the PFF numbers from 2017 don't lie: where does Kirksey fit here?
He's last (by a significant margin) in coverage, and (counting a healthy Collins) last even vs the run!
Like Danny Shelton, I like Christian Kirksey...but business is business.
On the other side of that, Ebineezer Bell is gouging for wide receiver money based on the fact that he lines up there a lot. Meanwhile, Duke Johnson, who has outperformed him as a receiver, wanted to stay here, and accepted a reasonable running back contract to do so.
As you know if you read this Blog, I had all but written Duke off once Jarvis Landry was signed, but was overjoyed that Duke was retained.
9th-best running back contract? He's earned that, and could have gouged for more, like Ebineezer Bell. But he wanted to stay here.
We can get behind guys like this! Like Joe Thomas, Duke isn't a moneygrubbing mercenary.
This is part of what Dorsey is doing right; part of the "culture change". Dorsey probably went out of his way to retain our hero.
Myles Garrett is impressing me, as he picks on athletes who avoid weaker teams and "ride coat tails", rather than welcome the challenge of coming up from the bottom.
I like Garrett more every day! I'm so glad he's here! He knew he'd take all sorts of insane bullshit when he said that stuff, but he went ahead and said it.
He's SMART! And he seems to like being a Cleveland Brown!
And Kendricks! I heard him on NFL Radio, and he said his decision to sign with the Browns was not about personal goals, but about wanting to be part of "something special" (and his role/fit in Gregg Williams' defense).
And HE's really smart too (I see a pattern here...)
Jeez it's like Dorsey used 1-31 as a selling point to attract the smartest, most competitive players (and eliminate the frontrunners).
Of course, as I mentioned, Landry and Taylor were pump-primers...
Anyway Myles Garrett was already here, but he effectively endorsed what's going on here.
Garrett is special. He's wise beyond his years. He goes against the grain without fear or apology. He makes his case like a lawyer, and doesn't care how badly he's outnumbered or what he's called or accused of. I love that guy! Myles Garrett is NOT a "Me too" guy. And he cares about stuff!
And Landry: I know he had issues with the coaches in Miami, and Dorsey overpaid him, but he still seems genuinely happy to be here, and eager to help dig our team out of the gutter.
Sashi Brown deserves a lot of credit for the cap money, draft picks, and talent, but Dorsey (wow) made the most of it, and indeed changed the "culture" too (and he still has more cap space than anybody else in the NFL!)
Dorsey has changed everything. While expecting the Steelers to beat the Browns in game one isn't unreasonable, predicting five or fewer wins for this team is insane.
And so is dismissing every ray of hope by saying "it's the Browns".
No offense to Randy Gurzi, but most teams would not have cut Josh Gordon. This has always been a specious assertion...Redundancy alert:
1: Gordon was on his rookie contract. He cost the team not one cent, or even the 53rd roster spot, while on suspension.
2: His time on suspension also suspended (ie extended) his contract. With increased annual salary cap inflation, his contract quickly became very cheap.
3: So, not only was there no rational reason to release him, but it would have been irrational to do so, because:
4: As he proved beyond a shadow of a doubt in 2013, he is one of the most gifted wide receivers ever to have played.
Now, some people talk about "distractions", which I guess I can't call irrational, but it seems to me like a suspended player who is liked by coaches and teammates and never causes any distruption barely sneaks into that category.
If you say "distruption", you need to look that word up. Josh might have partied too much, but he's always been a good teammate and a good person.
What's more, believe it or not, Josh Gordon is a really smart guy. Cut out the eyerolls and snorts, please: A whole lot of smart people have had similar issues.
Anyway, certainly some teams would have cut Josh Gordon, but not any competent teams.
You cut guys like this if they are expensive, or not truly elite. You don't cut a dirt-cheap historically-talented 25-26 year old superstar, "one strike away" or not...DUH.
Jeff Hartman, a Steelers' writer, offers some insight into how Steelers fans regard Todd Haley's assertion that he might just have the best quarterback room ever with the Browns.
Sorry G, Jeff is a good analyst, and wrote a generally good article. Yes, even though he is a Steelers fan. What's more, G, I have met many Steelers fans who could spell their names correctly and had most of their teeth (deal with it!)
Anyway, Jeff isn't perfect. He seems to think the notion of Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield, and Drew Stanton being more exciting than Big Ben and ? and ? is laughable which...well it just does not compute.
And Jeff brings up the fact that Haley had Kurt Warner in LA.
Clearly, Todd Haley is talking about the atmosphere, personalities, and relationshps between his three quarterbacks. Jeff seems not to have heard "room" in Haley's statement.
No doubt, Steelers fans are hypersensitive about this stuff from their former offensive coordinator, and certainly a few of them are stupid enough to think this was Haley bashing Big Ben or something, but they don't matter.
Jeff also mentions "even if you hated every minute of Haley's playcalling": He's not stating an opinion here. He is addressing his audience, ok?
Evidently, a lot of Steelers fans haven't liked Todd Haley for awhile now.
I've read a bunch of articles about Big Ben asking position coaches to mediate between him and Haley, and I can guarantee you that there was a real personality conflict here.
Haley is definitely a type A guy, plus an alpha male. Unlike Gregg Williams, he's not a "people person".
But...play calling? Ok so Big Ben never quarterback sneaks, but other than that...what the hell?!? You think that offense racked up those numbers in spite of the playcalling?
Sounds to me like there are as many absolutists among Steelers fans as among Browns fans. You decide you don't like a guy because he's picking on your quarterback, then start building a case against him like you're a Federal Persecutor.
On the quarterback sneak thing: Per Pat Kirwan and a couple other Head Coaches on NFL Radio, every quarterback can check to a sneak anytime he wants.
In fact, it's rare for any offensive coordinator to call a sneak, because it's dangerous, and should be up to the quarterback, based on what he sees at the line of scrimmage.
Kirwan, in particular, finds it highly unlikely that Todd Haley took the sneak out of Big Ben's toolbox, and that when Rottenburger said "you'll have to ask the coaches about that", he was shifting the blame.
Nevertheless, I do have concerns about Haley's interpersonal skills. Not his brains, or his playcalling. Just how he deals with quarterbacks in particular...
However, Kurt Warner LOVES the guy!
...is it possible that...Big Ben might be...naah!
At any rate, Todd has Hue Jackson and Gregg Williams surrounding him now, so he'll probably refine his people skills at least a little, if only by osmosis.
Gregg Williams is percieved as an abusive slave-driver...and he sorta is, but of all the players I've ever heard from who played for him, I have never heard anything but gratitude and praise.
Williams is as much Type A/Alpha as Haley, but his guys all love him (including the guys he cut or demoted).
I'm getting into the weeds here, but in re Todd Haley I'm saying
1: Has anybody asked Antonio Brown or Ebineezer Bell about him?
2: Is Kurt Warner a liar?
3: Is it concievable that Saint Big Ben is a butthead? THE butthead?
4: Are the guys on NFL Radio all wrong? Is Todd Haley the first Coach in history to ban the quarterback sneak...to a 6'5", 250 lb quarterback?
I'm personally overjoyed to have Todd Haley here.
Sure, Big Ben was "due" to develop into a truly elite quarterback, but Haley adapted his offense for Bell and Brown; he made these guys (and helped Rottenburger massively in the process)...
Haley has had Big Ben and Kurt Warner (and Marshall Faulk), but never a Josh Gordon...probably never an Njoku either. And never a dual threat quarterback like Taylor (or even Mayfield) either.
And what about Faulk and Bell? Would either of these guys have done as well without Haley? Well...wait til you get a load of Duke Johnson in 2018 (just sayin).
Every coach (including Hue Palmer) claims to adapt his scheme to his players, but Todd Haley actually does!
My last post got deep into this, but what Haley will do different here than he has before in his carreer were not fully addressed:
1: He will throw more deep, vertical passes.
I know I know, without Big Joe, we can't have Tyrod standing there in a pocket for four seconds and that Hue Palmer stuff, but you don't get it:
A: A quarterback can throw a high-trajectory pass in under 1.2 seconds if he is confident that his target will be at a certain spot at a certain time, and can make sure it's not intercepted at the very least.
B: Tyrod Taylor can throw accurate deep passes on the run, (and so can Mayfield).
Haley has never had a Josh Gordon. He will make the most of him.
2: Haley has never had passcatching tight ends like he has now, including DeValve (who he's now working at fullback, H-back, and like Njoku too).
3: Haley has never had a Jarvis Landry.
In general, aside from quarterback, Todd Haley has never had this much overall talent to work with before.
The biggest difference is a true deep threat.
Second is a lethal passcatching tight end (I'm projecting a bit here, but if you don't see it coming you are mentally impaired).
The third is a Jarvis Landry (okay we can argue about this, especially since Antonio Brown is who Landry is actually up against here if you understand football).
But (with all due respect to Ross Tucker), in reality, Antonio Brown dropped off the map every time Big Ben didn't play. Jarvis Landry delivered game in/game out for every quarterback, none of which were as good as Big Ben.
Further, thus far, Landry is averaging a LOT more than 8.6 yards per-catch for Todd Haley, so...
You don't get it. Yet. So oknevermind okbye
