Browns 2021 Off-Season Thread

[Kbiz]

LB depth on paper doesn't look great but considering we are likely to see many sets where there is only 1-2 on the field, the defensive picture becomes much clearer. While none of our current guys wow me, I'd argue that they all have varying skillsets which, if used effectively, will lead to some exciting situational packages.

With that said, I do think that a player like JOK has the potential to cause absolute havoc as a roamer similarly how we had planned to use Delpit had he not gotten injured.

ND is my second team so I've seen a lot of Koramoah. The guy makes plays everywhere on the field and played the biggest role in making their D one of the best in the country last year. lf he were to fall early, I wouldn't be opposed to trading up.

 

[Lee]

He is really missing Greedy, Delpit and Billings on the list. None of the 3 played in 2020 either.

 

[Cement]

 

[Real Deal]

 

[Mr. Orange]

We have added 6-8 defensive starters compared to the end of last year. Unbelievable.

Browns are a legit Super Bowl contender. Not a favorite but they are a contender.

 

[Soar]

QB: Mayfield/Keenum

Think the Browns end up keeping a guy on the PS but not on the active roster.

RB: Chubb/Hunt/Felton

Chubb and Hunt are locks. I think Felton will showcase more skills than Johnson and we have a swap of third RBs.

FB: Janovich

No change

TE: Hooper/Njoku/Bryant

No change. This is a very solid group. Though we lack a true stud at the position I think Bryant will improve and Njoku should be utilized more.

WR: Beckham/Landry/Higgins/Peoples-Jones/Schwartz/Hodge

Schwartz will be added as the speedster. Unit returns. Hodge is kept as a ST ace.

OL: Wills/Bitonio/Tretter/Teller/Conklin/Hudson/Hance/Dunn/Harris

Hudson replaces Hubbard. Very solid group. I think someone like Drew Forbes might have a strong camp and be inserted instead of Dunn. Either way, I'm not losing sleep over backup OG.

DE: Garrett/Clowney/McKinley/Weaver/Gustin

Browns did not address DE in the draft. Always a chance they look elsewhere before the season starts but perhaps they really like Curtis Weaver.

DT: Jackson/Billings/Elliot/Togiai/Wilson

I sort of figured there was a strong chance Sheldon Richardson returned as of this morning but I'm not so sure now. All things being equal i think the Browns would take him back at the right price but drafting Togiai and signing Marvin Wilson to a very large UDFA contract makes me more skeptical of that.

LB: Walker/Owusu-Koramorah/Phillips/Smith/Takitaki/Fields

Browns will often play 1 or 2 LBs. I think Mack Wilson, barring a big camp is elsewhere. Taki finds a way to stick around, for now. Phillips, JOK and Walker will see the vast majority of any LB time. Fields starts on ST.

CB: Ward/Newsome/Hill/Williams/Stewart/Green

Greedy should not be relied upon but if he contributes this unit could really be elite. Stewart and Green could be improved upon and it seems like a random UDFA CB always impresses in camp. I wouldn't rule out the Browns signing a guy too. Whatever happened to the Gareon Conley noise?

S: Johnson III/Harrison/Delpit/LeCounte

Johnson will be the leader in the back. Delpit, if healthy, could give us a new dimension.

ST: Parkey/Gillan/Hughlett

 

[MD13]

Couple of thoughts after seeing how Berry and co draft for another year:

• Can't stress enough how important age is in their evaluations. All of our picks in the first 4 rounds were <22 years old. Through 2 years, only 3 prospects in the first 4 rounds and 1 prospect in the first 3 rounds was over 22 on draft day (Jordan Elliott). Looks like we devalue highly rated older prospects relative to the rest of the league to such an extent that we're unlikely to get them. If there's a day 1-2 prospect next year that's 23-24, you can just about remove him from our boards.
• Looks like the LB-bias was a bit overblown with one caveat: when we do spend resources, it's on modern LBs who are an asset in pass coverage. I wonder if a guy like Zaven Collins was even on our board. Seems like the possible weakness in run defense is acceptable to maximize the pass defense we can put on the field.
• Once again, the Browns clearly put a ton of stock into athletic metrics. We don't know their algorithms to measure athleticism, but odds are it's something similar to/uses SPARQ/RAS/on-field tracking/etc. Only one guy on the first two days was considered a below average athlete (Jordan Elliott), and the worst athlete in the 1st 2 rounds is Jed Wills, who still has an 8.4 RAS.
• Seems pretty clear that our early picks have to hit on all of the guidelines (age, athleticism, on-field production, no serious injury history) while they consider guys who only hit some of those guidelines later on.

 

[MGMT]

Man, seeing this front office prioritize athleticism is awesome — compared to a group led by Mangini that so heavily prioritized football IQ which led to some of the least athletic teams I’ve seen fielded in the NFL.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Looks like the LB-bias was a bit overblown with one caveat: when we do spend resources, it's on modern LBs who are an asset in pass coverage. I wonder if a guy like Zaven Collins was even on our board. Seems like the possible weakness in run defense is acceptable to maximize the pass defense we can put on the field.

I wrote one post covering this, but others around here definitely mentioned it:

The beginning of the rebuild is not going to have the same strategy and approach to the draft as the year three or four strategy. Everyone writing about a value chart from a draft 3-4 years ago forgot that a lot of those positions are filled now. Linebackers were, eventually, going to be a target because at least one is always on the field. JOK being there in the second round likely bumped stud linebacker the target up by a year.

There are a lot of hacks out there, but this site has a few people sifting through a that noise. Great draft season, everyone!

 

[GonzoRatso88]

Great work by Berry & Co. this weekend. We will probably see vets like Sheldrick Redwine, D'Ernest Johnson, JoJo Natson, Mack Wilson and Takitaki get cut this offseason as names like JOK, Schwartz, Fields, LeCounte replace them.

Sheldon Richardson in all likelihood is not returning. Drafting Togiai and adding Marvin Wilson ends that dream.

We didn't draft a pure DE which tells me the team is excited about Curtis Weaver from last year.

Overall, there is depth and competition at numerous positions. We got faster and flexible on both sides of the ball.

 

[MGMT]

Does it really kill the Richardson dream though? I’m probably just dying on another hill but signing an UDFA who wasn’t good in 2020 and a fourth round selection doesn’t sound like it dispels the notion in definitive fashion.

conceivably the room is pretty full now though, I just really wanted him back.

 

[Mr. Orange]

Great work by Berry & Co. this weekend. We will probably see vets like Sheldrick Redwine, D'Ernest Johnson, JoJo Natson, Mack Wilson and Takitaki get cut this offseason as names like JOK, Schwartz, Fields, LeCounte replace them.

Sheldon Richardson in all likelihood is not returning. Drafting Togiai and adding Marvin Wilson ends that dream.

We didn't draft a pure DE which tells me the team is excited about Curtis Weaver from last year.

Overall, there is depth and competition at numerous positions. We got faster and flexible on both sides of the ball.

I feel like Taki started to show more towards the end of the year.

 

[GonzoRatso88]

I feel like Taki started to show more towards the end of the year.

I agree and would think he beats Mack Wilson for a roster spot. I wonder what happens to Drew Forbes and Chris Hubbard with the drafting of Hudson and emergence of Blake Hance.

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

 

[Out of the Rafters at the Q]

I agree and would think he beats Mack Wilson for a roster spot. I wonder what happens to Drew Forbes and Chris Hubbard with the drafting of Hudson and emergence of Blake Hance.

Forbes is going to get every chance to earn the #1 backup guard spot. Hance hasn't done anything to hold that spot over someone else.