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The Full Offseason Game - 2020

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Out of the Rafters at the Q

Out of the Rafters
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I think it's always a fun exercise to look back on the offseason and say what you would have done. Start with the roster at the end of the year. Say who on the team you would've re-signed, who you would've let go, and how you would have handled free agency and the draft.

Usually it's best for me to provide my take in the opening post, but I'm a bit busy to throw all that together right now. However, with the draft so fresh in everyone's minds, I wanted to put this out there now to get the most involvement. Mine will likely come at some point this week.

Try to be as realistic as possible. All moves have to fit within the cap and look out for the future of the franchise. Trades are allowed, but must have a frame of reference that makes them legit. Like, if pick #43 was traded away for #48 and #133, you have to offer at least that much for pick 43 if you wanted to trade up into that spot.
 
While I don't have a full offseason redo ready, I wanted to post something. Here's my draft redo:

Draft Re-Do:
10. Jedrick Wills, T, Alabama. I love this pick. I had Thomas and Wills as 1 and 2 on my board, with the main differentiator being Thomas having experience at LT. Wills steps into LT on day one and has all the ability to be exactly what you want in a franchise LT.

41. Traded to Indy for 44+160. I like the trade. Good value. There are a bunch of players I still like on the board with roughly equal grades

44. Grant Delpit, S, LSU. While I have Denzel Mims rated slightly higher, I take Delpit here. He's the #1 safety on my board, and addresses a huge need on the team. I also feel that playing time makes a player better, so I do take need into account when projecting a player's development. Delpit comes in to play FS on a team desperately needing one. The athleticism, range, and ballhawk ability of Ward/Greedy/Delpit is going to be scary for teams in the NFL.

74. Traded with 244 to New Orleans for 88 plus a 2021 third. You turn one third rounder into two. What's not to love?

88. Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas. This is the first time I deviate from the Browns' draft. This one may end up biting me, as Elliott looks really nice, but Duvernay has that modern receiver vibe with special YAC ability. He's a guy who could easily go in the first or second rounds in a traditional draft that wasn't loaded at WR.

97. Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State. I won't be surprised if Phillips turns out to be the better player. His youth is a definite plus. But, I just want Harrison's athletic profile at linebacker in today's NFL over Phillips's potential. Linebacker is such a glaring need on this team, PLUS I feel like Woods is really able to train and mold young linebackers to fit his scheme, that I feel not taking a linebacker here would be irresponsible. I have Darnay Holmes rated higher than Harrison, but pass due to need, while Akeem Davis-Gaither is a player that I have to pass on due to injury.

115. Anthony McFarland, RB, Maryland. I know the coaching staff wants a tight end here, but Harrison Bryant just doesn't show me anything that I don't already have in Hooper and Njoku. McFarland, when healthy, looks special on the field, and can step in to replace Hunt next year. This film just looks special to me:
160. Nick Harris, C, Washington. Looks to be a fantastic ZBS IOL late in the draft. A no-brainer.

187. Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan. You have to restrain me here from not trading up and taking Quintez Cephus, who I love out of Wisconsin. I don't like drafting athletes, and always want to draft the better football player, which is Cephus. However, we already took a WR in Duvernay, and DPJ provides more on special teams. So, I sit back on my hands, and draft DPJ at 187, while watching Cephus go off the board at 166.
 
While I don't have a full offseason redo ready, I wanted to post something. Here's my draft redo:

Draft Re-Do:
10. Jedrick Wills, T, Alabama. I love this pick. I had Thomas and Wills as 1 and 2 on my board, with the main differentiator being Thomas having experience at LT. Wills steps into LT on day one and has all the ability to be exactly what you want in a franchise LT.

41. Traded to Indy for 44+160. I like the trade. Good value. There are a bunch of players I still like on the board with roughly equal grades

44. Grant Delpit, S, LSU. While I have Denzel Mims rated slightly higher, I take Delpit here. He's the #1 safety on my board, and addresses a huge need on the team. I also feel that playing time makes a player better, so I do take need into account when projecting a player's development. Delpit comes in to play FS on a team desperately needing one. The athleticism, range, and ballhawk ability of Ward/Greedy/Delpit is going to be scary for teams in the NFL.

74. Traded with 244 to New Orleans for 88 plus a 2021 third. You turn one third rounder into two. What's not to love?

88. Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas. This is the first time I deviate from the Browns' draft. This one may end up biting me, as Elliott looks really nice, but Duvernay has that modern receiver vibe with special YAC ability. He's a guy who could easily go in the first or second rounds in a traditional draft that wasn't loaded at WR.

97. Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State. I won't be surprised if Phillips turns out to be the better player. His youth is a definite plus. But, I just want Harrison's athletic profile at linebacker in today's NFL over Phillips's potential. Linebacker is such a glaring need on this team, PLUS I feel like Woods is really able to train and mold young linebackers to fit his scheme, that I feel not taking a linebacker here would be irresponsible. I have Darnay Holmes rated higher than Harrison, but pass due to need, while Akeem Davis-Gaither is a player that I have to pass on due to injury.

115. Anthony McFarland, RB, Maryland. I know the coaching staff wants a tight end here, but Harrison Bryant just doesn't show me anything that I don't already have in Hooper and Njoku. McFarland, when healthy, looks special on the field, and can step in to replace Hunt next year. This film just looks special to me:
160. Nick Harris, C, Washington. Looks to be a fantastic ZBS IOL late in the draft. A no-brainer.

187. Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan. You have to restrain me here from not trading up and taking Quintez Cephus, who I love out of Wisconsin. I don't like drafting athletes, and always want to draft the better football player, which is Cephus. However, we already took a WR in Duvernay, and DPJ provides more on special teams. So, I sit back on my hands, and draft DPJ at 187, while watching Cephus go off the board at 166.

Funny its almost the same draft.

Not a fan of adding 2 wr's, I do like Harrison, not an OSU guy, but I think the better LB. I rather have Bryant than McFarland. TE's with good hands seem to make plays even if they aren't straight line fast.
 
Funny its almost the same draft.

Not a fan of adding 2 wr's, I do like Harrison, not an OSU guy, but I think the better LB. I rather have Bryant than McFarland. TE's with good hands seem to make plays even if they aren't straight line fast.
I agree with you. This was the first year I can remember when we got the guys I actually wanted with our first two picks.

I also don't like adding multiple rookies to one position group--but I rationalized it by saying DPJ is more of a special teams player than a WR.

There's probably more value to a good TE than a good RB, but I have more faith in a healthy McFarland to be an impact player than Bryant. I also don't see what Bryant brings to the table that Hooper and Njoku don't already. Finally, I see Hunt leaving after this year, and Chubb's up for a new contract shortly--which makes scooping up a premium talent at RB a nice move.
 
I agree with you. This was the first year I can remember when we got the guys I actually wanted with our first two picks.

I also don't like adding multiple rookies to one position group--but I rationalized it by saying DPJ is more of a special teams player than a WR.

There's probably more value to a good TE than a good RB, but I have more faith in a healthy McFarland to be an impact player than Bryant. I also don't see what Bryant brings to the table that Hooper and Njoku don't already. Finally, I see Hunt leaving after this year, and Chubb's up for a new contract shortly--which makes scooping up a premium talent at RB a nice move.

One of the guys on NFL Network said extreme value pick on DPJ, had him as his 8th ranked WR. Said he guarantees he will be good in the NFL was completely misused at UM.
 
One of the guys on NFL Network said extreme value pick on DPJ, had him as his 8th ranked WR. Said he guarantees he will be good in the NFL was completely misused at UM.
The guy has tons of raw talent, but I didn't see a good WR at Michigan--just an athletically gifted guy.

I tend to prefer guys that are good at playing football to guys who are good athletes, but the value in the sixth round is just too good to pass up.

If DPJ turns out to be a top-10 WR from this draft class, that's a huge hit (I'm also really high on this draft class as a whole)
 
I really like the first three picks and I really like the last three picks.

Wills and Delpit are plug and play starters at LT and S respectively. Elliott could be the starting 3T as early as 2021. Byrant, Harris and Peoples-Jones are all nice depth and potential long-term rotation guys.

If I could change one pick, I'd have taken Troy Dye or Akeem Davis-Gathier at 97 instead of Jacob Phillips.

I just don't trust Phillips as a coverage linebacker and adding him into a linebacker group that collectively doesn't have many good cover guys, I'm just not super confident if that's going to work.
 
I do think it's incredibly likely the Browns go with 4 down linemen, 6 members in the secondary and Wilson on passing situations.

I would say that is their best bet from a coverage standpoint by a lot. On passing downs...

Vernon-Richardson-Garrett-Clayborn

Wilson

Ward and Williams on the outside, Johnson in the slot
Delpit, Joseph and Sendejo manning the middle and over the top at various depths

Karl Joseph is good enough in the box to where he could be a bit of a S/LB hybrid with either Sendejo or Redwine playing deeper with Delpit.
 
I do think it's incredibly likely the Browns go with 4 down linemen, 6 members in the secondary and Wilson on passing situations.

I could see on some passing down going with 5 down lineman to rush the passer, ie add a Chad to Vernon and Myles, or just go with three on 3rd and very long.

Speed and position flexibility is very important in todays NFL.
 
I could see on some passing down going with 5 down lineman to rush the passer, ie add a Chad to Vernon and Myles, or just go with three on 3rd and very long.

Speed and position flexibility is very important in todays NFL.

On passing downs, I'd be pretty sure you'll see:

Clayborn-Garrett-Richardson-Vernon

Quite a bit. Could go Garrett-Elliott-Richardson-Vernon

Either way they could maybe go 5 down, but it'd be surprising. I don't think that's how Woods will roll.
 
On passing downs, I'd be pretty sure you'll see:

Clayborn-Garrett-Richardson-Vernon

Quite a bit. Could go Garrett-Elliott-Richardson-Vernon

Either way they could maybe go 5 down, but it'd be surprising. I don't think that's how Woods will roll.
Yeah, my guess is our defensive formations look like Miami and New England. Lots of 425 and 416.
 

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