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BROWNS OFF-SEASON 2020

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

I really wish he would've answered, "IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS!"

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I really wish he would've answered, "IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS!"

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I love the Rock & I will always look back fondly on his wrestling career. However, the people's eyebrow and just sniffing the air has to be some of the dumbest things in pro wrestling.
 
I am not sure if this was talked about fully in here (it was slightly with some trade offers that wouldn't have happened. See: Jets), but is there any realistic scenario in which we would combine one of our 3rd's and either a late pick, next year pick, etc. and what not to TRADE UP?

I personally don't see one, as we don't need 2 huge positions (LT + QB).

Thoughts?
 
When the Browns signed Hubbard, he was the best 6th man on an offensive line in the NFL, for one of the most successful offenses in the NFL. That's unfortunately the role he should have continued to play. Considering the Browns are leaning on a rookie at left tackle, this is a very shrewd restructure.
 
When the Browns signed Hubbard, he was the best 6th man on an offensive line in the NFL, for one of the most successful offenses in the NFL. That's unfortunately the role he should have continued to play. Considering the Browns are leaning on a rookie at left tackle, this is a very shrewd restructure.
Whats the reason he has seemed to have struggled here?
 
Whats the reason he has seemed to have struggled here?

A very good swing tackle, but mediocre as a starter. It's like an NBA team starting Marco Bellineli at shooting guard when he is at his best as your third guard, or the Tribe saying Jason Donald is the full time third baseman.
 
A very good swing tackle, but mediocre as a starter. It's like an NBA team starting Marco Bellineli at shooting guard when he is at his best as your third guard, or the Tribe saying Jason Donald is the full time third baseman.
I'm partial to using Alvaro Espinoza for analogies like this.
 
When the Browns signed Hubbard, he was the best 6th man on an offensive line in the NFL, for one of the most successful offenses in the NFL. That's unfortunately the role he should have continued to play. Considering the Browns are leaning on a rookie at left tackle, this is a very shrewd restructure.
Hubbard is an intelligent player who also is a really hard worker. I remember reading this article (below) about Hubbard after we signed him. As a utility offensive linemen, he scouts the entire defensive line and is rigorous in film study. This means that, when he comes into the game as a utility player, he knows the opponent but the opponent does not know him.


When Chris Hubbard started the game Sunday as a blocking tight end, it began an unexpectedly busy afternoon for the 26-year-old offensive lineman.

By the time the Steelers’ 26-9 victory against the Minnesota Vikings was complete, Hubbard’s time at tight end paled in comparison to the snaps he took at two other spots on offense.

When Alejandro Villanueva exited because of a stomach illness, Hubbard moved into the starting lineup for 21 snaps at left tackle. When Marcus Gilbert left in the fourth quarter because of a hamstring injury, Hubbard moved over to right tackle for the final 15 snaps.

Oh, and Hubbard also played 10 snaps while taking his regular turn on the special teams coverage units.

To recap, that’s four positions — if you count special teams — played by Hubbard in one game, and that’s not counting the practice reps he has taken at center and both guard positions since the start of training camp.

That makes Hubbard the football equivalent of a super-utility player for the Steelers, who marvel at and are appreciative of his versatility.

“He’s the most complete offensive lineman in the NFL,” Villanueva said.

“Hubbs,” center Maurkice Pouncey said, “is amazing.”

Hubbard, though, could be singularly focused this Sunday against the Chicago Bears if Gilbert’s hamstring remains an issue. Gilbert did not practice Wednesday, the first of three practices this week for the Steelers in preparation of the game.

“I’m going to get myself prepared,” said Hubbard, a soft-spoken fourth-year player from Alabama-Birmingham.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Hubbard started three games on the line in the first half of last season when Gilbert sat with an ankle injury. He also started as an extra tight end against Cleveland in November and took snaps there sporadically throughout the second half when the emphasis on offense turned to running back Le’Veon Bell.

“The most impressive thing about him is he can carry through a lot of skill through each position,” Villanueva said. “He’s a very knowledgeable player. He sees every block, he’s very fundamental, and that’s what makes him a plug-and-play sort of player.”

Hubbard appeared in eight games, with zero starts, in his first three seasons with the Steelers after being signed as an undrafted free agent and spending time on the practice squad. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after making $1.797 million — his first seven-figure salary — this year.

“I’m extremely confident in his abilities, whether it’s the multiple offensive line positions he plays,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s also center-capable, and you’ve seen that already this preseason, and obviously the work that he does for us as a situational tight end.

“It’s just good to have a versatile guy like Hubb available to us.”

Hubbard’s film study is more extensive than most players, and he takes pride in learning the nuances of each spot on the offensive line and trying to exploit weaknesses of opposing defensive linemen.

“I scout the whole line,” Hubbard said. “I could be playing tight end, I might have to play guard or tackle, or maybe even center, so I try to watch as much of the defensive line as possible.”


Hubbard also must take that knowledge onto the practice field where, for offensive linemen, getting repetitions and building cohesion are perhaps more important than any other position. When he is working with the first team, Hubbard primarily plays the tackle position that is vacated that day. When he is playing on the scout team, Hubbard said he likes to switch it up and play on the interior.

“I try to prepare myself for everything,” he said.

And that’s what endears Hubbard to the rest of the offensive line starters, who are asked to master one position, not five.

“He’s really an accountable guy who takes the job seriously,” Pouncey said. “When you have players like that who can come into the game and fill in anywhere, it makes the game roll off you even easier.”

Guard Ramon Foster also wasn’t surprised to see Hubbard play on the left and right sides of the line Sunday and help pave the way for the Steelers to rush for 102 yards against the Vikings.

“That’s Hubbs,” he said. “We always know he can do that. He can play anywhere we need him to, and we won’t miss a beat.”
 
Someone just asked me who was the most random player you remember from your childhood, that you think everyone forgot about. Alvaro was my answer.
He was a big name. I would've gone with the pinch runners from that era like Wayne Kirby and Ruben Amaro from that era.

Candy Maldonado was probably less known than Espinoza as far as bench players from then. Obviously everyone knew Tony Pena, so no dice there.

I'll also always hate Albie Lopez. That dude felt like the worst reliever in baseball history.
 
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