2023 Browns Off-Season Thread II: Free Agent Marathon: Settling in for the Long Haul: Slow and Steady: Patience is a Virtue: Loose Lips Sink Ships!

[Smooth]

I know Newsome has been pretty vocal about not wanting to play inside so I’m curious to see how/if that changes under Schwartz.. To be honest, Ward may be your best slot corner so it’ll be interesting if they explore playing him there in 3CB looks.. Schwartz historically likes to play a lot of Dime so all three guys will be out there a good portion..

Ford looks like he’s a ST team guy with an outside shot to compete for slot corner snaps with Graham (who I like and think has a decent shot to claim that role).. He had some decent grades at slot last year, and also played some safety, so could be a MJ Stewart type…

Bringing in Ventrone was step one, step two looks like bringing in some guys he’s identified (Kunasyzk, Ford) to help the ST unit..

 

[CBBI]

Ford led the Falcons with 361 special teams snaps in 2022 - 83%

 

[adam81king]

I know Newsome has been pretty vocal about not wanting to play inside so I’m curious to see how/if that changes under Schwartz.. To be honest, Ward may be your best slot corner so it’ll be interesting if they explore playing him there in 3CB looks.. Schwartz historically likes to play a lot of Dime so all three guys will be out there a good portion..

Ford looks like he’s a ST team guy with an outside shot to compete for slot corner snaps with Graham (who I like and think has a decent shot to claim that role).. He had some decent grades at slot last year, and also played some safety, so could be a MJ Stewart type…

Bringing in Ventrone was step one, step two looks like bringing in some guys he’s identified (Kunasyzk, Ford) to help the ST unit..

Im 99% sure that the willingness to play nickel/slow is 1000% based on how the position is viewed, especially financially, around the League. Asking a top 20 pick to go from a position getting $20+M per year to one getting $5M per year isnt gonna bode well for his morale; especially when that player does, in fact, perform better on the field at that more expensive position. People may not like his responses, but imagine your company hiring you as manager put then asking you to be the custodian, instead. Hyperbolic metaphors aside, I don't blame him.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

At the very least you need another veteran EDGE and iDL.. One injury to Myles, OO, or Dalvin and you’re right back in the position last year of having JAGS all over the line.. On top of that more depth = better ability to rotate guys in-game and keep them fresh during season/year.. Last year’s line put too much pressure on Garrett and Clowney to be everything..

They need to continue building out the depth, and hopefully Schwartz is able to help the development of the young guys along the line… Outside of Winfrey, Thomas and Wright, not sure any of the young guys are worth keeping..

Campbell and Ioannidis would be at the top of my iDL list, with Houston, Dunlap, Floyd and Fowler on the EDGE..

Depth has to come from the draft.

You pay to fix holes that your drafting leaves behind--and you pay for starters. You don't pay for depth because the reality is every team in the NFL is one injury away from a position group no longer being a strength.

I'm fairly certain that was one of those DePodesta guardrails from forever ago that people still like to show the image of.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Im 99% sure that the willingness to play nickel/slow is 1000% based on how the position is viewed, especially financially, around the League. Asking a top 20 pick to go from a position getting $20+M per year to one getting $5M per year isnt gonna bode well for his morale; especially when that player does, in fact, perform better on the field at that more expensive position. People may not like his responses, but imagine your company hiring you as manager put then asking you to be the custodian, instead. Hyperbolic metaphors aside, I don't blame him.

I think that perception is starting to shift.

NFL teams are placing more and more value on guys who can play inside corner. Whether you call it nickel, star, or whatever--it's the hardest position to play as a corner. You have routes that can go either way, you have guys in motion constantly, you have more traffic to sift through AND you have to play in run fits.

Jalen Ramsey primarily plays inside and is one of the highest paid corners in the league.

 

[Kbiz]

Woohoo! Go this guy!

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

Woohoo! Go this guy!

Another nice call by ClevTA

TA with some awesome breakdowns on FA options for the Browns--

2023 NFL/Browns Free Agent Options – ClevAnalytics

www.clevanalytics.com

Potential Browns UFA DT Targets:​

6. Trysten Hill (25)- Hill would purely be a dirt cheap, backup level DT for the Browns. He has never been a true starting level DT in his short career but as a rotational player could have a lot of upside. His combine numbers (9.5 RAS, 81st percentile SPARQ) were outstanding for a man his size but it has not totally translated on the field yet. He was only in on 121 pass rush snaps last year between Dallas and Arizona, with 9 pressures (7.4% pressure rate) and 1 sack. That is almost identical to his 2021 season in Dallas. He has all the athleticism to produce at a high level in the NFL and at just 25 years old, the Browns could take a flier on him.

 

[sportscoach]

Anthony Walker is a good guy and is well liked by the team.

But the guy tore his quad tendon.

That’s a really bad injury. And quite frankly he might not be the same guy or even close to it.

I have scar tissue in my leg from when I did that... I get that feeling...

Though I'd like a leader like him in the LB room...

 

[adam81king]

I think that perception is starting to shift.

NFL teams are placing more and more value on guys who can play inside corner. Whether you call it nickel, star, or whatever--it's the hardest position to play as a corner. You have routes that can go either way, you have guys in motion constantly, you have more traffic to sift through AND you have to play in run fits.

Jalen Ramsey primarily plays inside and is one of the highest paid corners in the league.

I think Ramsey is a clear CB1 that got paid accordingly. He does more traveling than many CBs, and ends up in the slot more often than typical. When slots get paid like CB1s, I think Newsome would calm his concerns; until then, Ramsey is the exception, not rule, and I get Newsomes apprehension.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I think Ramsey is a clear CB1 that got paid accordingly. He does more traveling than many CBs, and ends up in the slot more often than typical. When slots get paid like CB1s, I think Newsome would calm his concerns; until then, Ramsey is the exception, not rule, and I get Newsomes apprehension.

Agreed with everything here.

I think this is the slot guy I want if he's available at pick 98 or later:


If we can't get Jartavius, Starling Martin is another guy I'd take a stab on later on (round 5 and later). Dude's like a little sawed off shotgun out there in the secondary.

 

[adam81king]

Agreed with everything here.

I think this is the slot guy I want if he's available at pick 98 or later:


If we can't get Jartavius, Starling Martin is another guy I'd take a stab on later on (round 5 and later). Dude's like a little sawed off shotgun out there in the secondary.

I wouldn't mind either of those guys. The guy I'm looking at is JL Skinner (Boise State). Hes listed as a Safety everywhere, but PFF has him as a slot in their mock. As big, strong and versatile as he is, having him act as 3rd safety/slot seems interesting to me. I doubt the Browns can get him, or even would get him, but hes a guy that I'd send a "Hey Big head" text to, for sure.

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I wouldn't mind either of those guys. The guy I'm looking at is JL Skinner (Boise State). Hes listed as a Safety everywhere, but PFF has him as a slot in their mock. As big, strong and versatile as he is, having him act as 3rd safety/slot seems interesting to me. I doubt the Browns can get him, or even would get him, but hes a guy that I'd send a "Hey Big head" text to, for sure.

I like Skinner a lot.

As a safety.

I don't think there's any chance he plays nickel corner, man coverage against slot receivers like Cooper Kupp.

At most, I think he brings versatility to match up with tight ends who out-size your nickel corner.

 

[MirORich]

 

[Scrote Squad]

I’ve noticed Berry & Co. prefer guys that rate highly on the SPARQ and RAS scales. Is there any correlation to a higher rate of success amongst those players than when using other advanced metrics?

 

[CBBI]

Dobbs v. Mond in a battle for the ages.