Author: OwenSixteen016

Playoff Bound

Playoffs 2

Last night the Boston Bruins dropped a 2-1 overtime game to the St. Louis Blues, but there is a silver lining.  The 2018 Bruins officially punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  This makes it back-to-back playoff appearances for the Black and Gold.  It comes as a bittersweet consolation prize after the tough loss in overtime.

The Bruins limped into Scottrade Center with two new members added to the M.A.S.H. unit.  Rick Nash and Torey Krug both sat due to Upper Body Injuries.  It looks like those two are day-to-day  for the time being.  Enter two JAGS:  Paul Postma and Jordan Swarz were recalled from Providence to fill in.

Image result for Torey Krug injury

The game itself was was a bit of a bore.  The Bruins lineup is so depleted you’re just sitting there someone doesn’t sneeze, and have to go IR because of it.  Despite all of this, the Bruins struck first:

The Bruins caught one helluva break here.  Normally the stripes are doing their darnedest to fuck the Bruins.  Not this time!  The NHL’s most underrated Defenseman, Alex Pietrangelo attempted to clear the puck out his own zone.  He turned and flung the puck, which hit off the skate of a nearby official.  Bruins rookie Ryan Donato pounced on the rolling puck, and fired it home.  That’s Ryan’s second goal in his short two game career.

The Bruins continued to press for a second goal, but St. Louis picked up their game.  Anton Khudobin did his damnedest to protect the slim 1-0 lead.  He was able to do so until early into the third to period:

Just an insane shot from Schwartz here.  Dobby didn’t have a prayer in stopping it.  The Blues were by far the better team for the third period, and that continued.  Dobby was fantastic in goal stopping 18 of 20 shots, without him this game would not have made it to overtime.

A mere 30 seconds into the overtime, Jaden Schwartz made the Boston Bruins look completely inept.  After winning the opening face-off, Schwartz grabbed the puck, skated around his goal, and proceeded to skate end-to-end with the Bruins D-men allowing him to do so.  Schwartz ripped the puck on goal once he got to the hash marks, and it beat Khudobin low stick side.  Brutal goal to give up, as Matt Grzelcyk simply allowed it to happen.  Grzelcyk has had a fantastic year, but man you gotta contest there.  Youth Hockey 101: Gap control.  Giving forwards too much time and space leads to goals like the one above.

Silver lining: By reaching overtime, the Bruins officially clinched a playoff spot.  The three seasons prior to this were tough for the Bruins and their fans.  They missed the playoffs in 2014-15 on the last day of the season.  They finished with 96 points, but failed to qualify for the postseason.  In 2015-16 the Bruins again missed out on the postseason on the final day of the season, but finished with 93 points this time.  2017 saw them squeak into the postseason on the final week of the season, and they finished with 95 points.  It was brutal each season watching the final 20 games of the year, because each one was a playoff game.   Two of those three years the Bruins controlled their destiny and lost on the final day to miss out.  It was just fucking brutal.   Not this year, and not these Bruins.  They are comfortably locked into playoff position, and all that was needed was 1 point to secure a spot.  They got it done.  With weeks to spare.  So much better than the cheek clenching final months of years past.  I cannot fucking wait for the playoffs.  Lets go Bruins.

With the First Pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, The Cleveland Browns Select: Josh Rosen.

The last Quarterback on that should be on the Browns draft board this April is a man by the name, Rosen.  Josh Rosen was UCLA’s starting Quarterback for three seasons, before declaring for the draft this winter.  He is widely seen as the “most NFL Ready” prospect in this years draft class.  Let’s see what the hoop-la is all about.

This kid can definitely sling the rock a bit after watching the highlight tape.  When most of the so-called “experts” say he’s the most ready, I can certainly see what they’re talking about.  Rosen looks the sharpest out of any of the guys I’ve previously looked at.   The dude sets his feet, squares his shoulders to the the target, and lets it fly.  He is first and foremost, a pocket passer.   Unlike the majority of this years QB prospects, Rosen is not a dual threat.  Don’t expecting to see this dude hurdling would-be tacklers like Lamar Jackson, or scrambling around the pocket like Darnold.

Screen Shot 2018-03-21 at 12.43.59 PM.png

Screen Shot 2018-03-21 at 12.46.09 PM.png

Josh is all about standing from the pocket, reading the defense, and firing the ball.  The stats above reflect that.  His Freshman and Junior seasons he was able to play a full slate of games, whereas his Sophomore campaign was shortened to only 6 games due to a shoulder injury.  In each of his two full seasons he has thrown for over 3,000 yards.  While he did throw for 3,669 and 3,756 respectively, the 8.3 yards per attempt indicates he isn’t going to take risks with the ball.  Darnold is a guy who trusts his arm, and is willing to put it into coverage if he has to.  Rosen is less of a gunslinger in that sense.

Despite not being much of a runner, that doesn’t mean Rosen can’t move.  He demonstrates the ability to move laterally within the pocket, while keeping his eyes downfield.  In the NFL he won’t be given the time to move so freely in the pocket like the GIF below, but it is still a good trait to have.

Rosen-to-Payton-Arizona1.gif

The biggest gripe I have with this kid is his attitude.  It’s been well documented how he grew up in a well-off family blah blah blah.  He isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and not always about football.  He can be quite vocal about current events/politics.  None of that bothers me in the slightest.  Players absolutely 100% should be able to voice their opinions regarding a multitude of subjects.  It’s Rosen’s thoughts on football that crawl up my tail pipe.  It was widely reported by The Sporting News that Josh was using football more as an avenue to build his net worth.  Erik Galco explains, “According to sources who have spoken with people close to Rosen, he has been focused since high school on using football to make money and support the type of lifestyle he wants. He’s OK with challenging the system and being a mouthpiece for divisiveness because he appreciates the attention it draws”

What. A. Prick.  Look, it’s perfectly fine to express opinions and earn as much as you can.  Especially with how owners treat players, he should maximize his earning potential.  It’s the, “Mouthpiece for divisiveness……and attention it draws” with which I have a problem.  Basically, what that is telling me is Josh Rosen thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, and s willing to stir the pot.  That attitude simply will not work in Cleveland.  At times, Hue Jackson takes shots at players via the media.  How will this prick handle it?  It certainly sounds like he would fire back, causing all sorts of nonsense.

For those reasons, I am OUT.  I am set with Josh Rosen.  I just feel like his attitude and demeanor would not work on the Browns.  Seems like a bad fit.  When shit inevitably hits the fan, is this guy going to start calling everyone out?  Who knows.  I’d rather not find out.  In terms of Football, he is definitely the most complete Quarterback entering the Draft.  That being said, I don’t see as high a ceiling for him compared to the others.  His basement will be higher than the others, as he has better mechanics inside the pocket.  Basically what I am saying is, I see in Rosen having Alex Smith Potential.

I would hope come draft day, John Dorsey feels the same way.   I honestly have a strong belief that Dorsey will not select him.  Today we did get a hint as to whom the Browns were leaning towards:

April needs to get here soon.

Thank You #73- G.O.A.T.

Well, this just sucks.  Last week we were in the middle of Browns Free Agency, and things were looking exciting.  Everything was swell up until last Wednesday, when Joe Thomas announced his retirement.  Joe spent all of his 11 seasons as a member of the Cleveland Browns.  It is a retirement that is much deserved, it just sucks because the Browns never won a few games for their constant stalwart.

Image result for joe thomas blocks two people

Lets make one thing clear: Joe Thomas is the best Left Tackle the game has ever seen.  Joe was drafted third overall in 2007 NFL by the Browns.  From that point on, Joe played a whopping 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps for the team that drafted him.  This is a record that may never be broken.  For 10,363 of those Snaps Joe played at an elite level.  Eventually injuries took a toll.

I mean, that is just stupid.  30…only 30 freaking sacks!  What a beast on the football field this man was.  The Cleveland Browns may have sucked for my whole life, but for 11 seasons at least we had one truly elite football player.    Now, bear with me for a second while I attempt to locate Left Tackle highlights on YouTube…

Probably the most impressive stat of Joe’s illustrious career:

Just a brutal stat right there, especially for players, coaches,  and front office executives associated with the Cleveland Browns.  All of these numbers, and statistics add up to the greatest Left Tackle to ever play.  Joe will be a first ballot Hall of Famer once he comes up for voting, which will be in about 5 years. Hopefully one day, we’ll be able to look back at 2007-2017 and laugh along side Joe.  He’s all the fans had during that time.  Coaches changed, Quarterbacks busted, and Front Offices’ were fired.   Joe Thomas was always there.

The Browns should be disgusted at themselves.  How can you not put together a winning team for Joe Thomas?  Some loaded offensive lines went to waste here, and that really fucking hurts.  What hurts more is Joe never got to experience winning.  I will say this, and I am sure many others will echo it: There is no one more deserving of winning some football games than Joe Thomas.  It was great to have one elite player be a constant for many years, but it hurts to have failed him so miserably.  I would’ve been devastated if the Browns traded Joe, but looking back at it we definitely should’ve sent him to the Patriots in 2014 or 2016.

What’s next for Joe Thomas?  Whatever the fuck he wants.  The best part about Joe Thomas is his personality.  Well known for his sense of humor on Twitter, Joe has been boosting his presence in the media this year.  As we know, he tore his one of his triceps in week 7 this past season.  This injury famously ended his 10,363 snap streak, but during his new found off-time Joe began to expand his brand.  He did all sorts of interviews with news outlets, sports shows, and even started his own Podcast with ex Browns Receiver, Andrew Hawkins, called the Thomahawk Podcast (Highly recommend).

Image result for Joe Thomas podcast

Whatever Joe chooses to do, he will succeed that is one fact I do know.  He has stated that he has interviewed to be an NFL analyst for a few networks, and has more coming in the pipeline.  Not everyone got to see how great Joe Thomas was at Tackle, but many will get to see how smart/entertaining he is.  Hopefully he will be able to fill the large shoes of one, Sergio Dipp.

Image result for Joe Thomas hour

It’s been great to have one nice thing over these past seasons.  Joe never bitched, never called out his teammates, or coaches about the constant losing.  Joe showed up and continued to excel on the field.  Wherever Joe ends up (Canton) he will be a star.  Looking forward to the entertainment and laughs he will bring on MNF, or something similar.  Speaking of jokes he’s got some good ones:

#ThankYou73

The Kid Can Play

Image result for Ryan Donato Bruins

Last night we saw yet another rookie make their debut for the Boston Bruins.  Ryan Donato took the ice for the Bruins wearing a spoked B for the first time in his young career.  He did not disappoint either.

Just a stellar night from the kid on a less than stellar evening for the Bruins.  Donato slotted onto David Krejci’s wing with Danton Heinen, and registered 3 points.  A goal and two assists.  Donato was forced into that spot due to Rick Nash being a late scratch, due to an Upper Body Injury.   Besides the 3 points Donato had a great debut.  While he looked a bit lost at times, he was always hounding the puck, and firing shots on goal when he did have it.  The mental and physical speed the NHL game is played at will come to him in time, but he will be prone to tough stretches.  For now, just throw your body around and fire the puck on net.  Donato is a natural goal scorer that will all come if he keeps it simple.

Otherwise, it was a shitty night for the Bruins.  After taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the 2nd period, they fell apart.

Sonny Milano re-directed a slap-shot past Tuuka Rask to make it 3-2 late in the second period.  Then noted Bruins killer, Thomas Vanek re-directed a shot top tit to tie the game at 3 in the third period.

The Jackets continued to press the Bruins in the 3rd period, and Artemi Panarin fired a snap-shot past Rask directly off a face-off.

Just abysmal.  Lazy from all 5 guys on the ice.  The Jackets should not be, 1. winning the draw that cleanly, and 2. firing off a shot that cleanly.  Pathetic effort from Tuukka Rask who’s sucked for the better part of two months.  Pay attention, and he stops it.

David Krejci tied the game at 4 just a few seconds later, after a nice backhand feed from Ryan Donato, and the game would head to Overtime.  Brad Marchand appeared to have the game winning goal on his stick early in the extra frame:

https://twitter.com/CBeswick/status/975910606963343360

Bruins Fans: Quit bitching.  Brad Marchand is never EVER getting this call.  Not to mention Brad Marchand is 50% of the reason Brad Marchand went twirling in the air here.  Either way, Brad is the least policed player in the league.  He’s earned that reputation, and will get ZERO breaks from the officials probably ever.  Should that have been a penalty?  Probably, but I think there is a hefty assist from Marchand and I am fine with a no call.   The Jackets controlled the puck for the rest of OT, and finally Cam Atkinson snapped a Wrist Shot through the arms of Tuukka Rask.

He’s absolutely 100% gotta stop that.  Be better, Tuukks.  Overall a solid debut for Ryan Donato (weird seeing him in Milan Lucic’ #17) that was dampened by a sloppy finish.  Having lost 3 of their last 5 the Bruins take on St. Louis on Wednesday.  The Blues have surged back into playoff contention the past weeks, and are coming off 2 straight wins.  Going to need a strong bounce back performance, lets go Bruins!

 

Tampa Bay Sucks.

Image result for Bruins vs. Lightning

The Big Bad Lightning!  The Tampa Lightning, wire to wire have been the  the best team in the NHL.  They currently sit at 102 points, which is four ahead of the Bruins (98).  They added pieces such as J.T. Miller, and Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline, and surely the up-start Bruins couldn’t keep up with Big Bad Lightning, right? Wrong.

Saturday saw the Bruins limp into Amalie Arena down Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara, and Jake Debrusk.  Each one is a major piece to the puzzle for the 2018 Bruins.   DOES NOT MATTER.  The Bruins not only went to Tampa, and won, but they fucking emasculated the them.   3-0 final was the final.  With the win the Bruins move to just 4 points behind Tampa for first play in, well the NHL.  Personally, let Tampa have the Presidents Trophy.  This win just shows me how much more of a sound team the Bruins are than Tampa.

The game opened up with the Bruins hounding the Lightning all over the ice, despite being down so many key players.   Early on in the first period, Tory Krug fed a streaking David Pastrnak in the high slot.  Pastrnak took the puck to the cage, and shoveled a backhander around the pad of Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Early on things were looking great for the Bruins as they completely hounded the Lightning.  The Bruins gave up chances to the Lightning, but for the first time in awhile Tuukka Rask was in the zone, and the Bruins depleted D Corps played the best game they’ve had as unit all season healthy, or otherwise.

On the Power Play just over the halfway point of the season, David Backes banged home a Tory Krug rebound to make it 2-0.  Finally, early in the second Riley Nash slammed home a rebound to make it 3-0 Bruins.  It was their second Power Play goal of the game, and would effectively put the game on ice.

The Bruins would coast home in the third to seal 3-0 win over the best the NHL has to offer.  The scoreline definitely could be higher, but the if I were Tampa I’d be embarrassed.  The Bruins are missing so many key players, and lost ANOTHER (David Backes) mid-game.  They allowed the Bruins to bully them.  You had guys like Kuraly, Acciari, and Schaller drilling the Tampa D behind their own net, which forces mistakes, and causes havoc.  Not only did the fourth line throw their body around, the whole team was finishing their checks.  Physically wearing down the best team in Hockey.

Tampa is too good to keep down for long, and Tampa certainly had their chances to get back into the game.  The Bruins Defense and Goaltending shut down Kucherov, Stamkos, Miller, Hedman, Johnson, Palat, and Killorn all night long.  I would not be overly optimistic with Saturday’s effort if I were a Bolts fan.

Tune into NESN tonight @ 7pm to catch the Bruins against the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Jackets sit at 4th in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points.  They are currently locked into the first Playoff Wildcard seed.

The Bruins will have a new Rookie making his debut tonight:

Top Forward Prospect, Ryan Donato has signed a 2 year Rookie Contract with the Bruins.  Donato is the Bruins top forward prospect after shining at Harvard University for three seasons, and for Team USA at the 2018 Olympics.  Most kids sign their rookie contracts and spend 1-2 years in the AHL developing their game.  Donato is a special talent.  Special enough that Bruce Cassidy is inserting him to tonights lineup:

 

Let’s go Bruins!

Magical.

On Tuesday evening the Boston Bruins traveled down to Raleigh, N.C. to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. What happened was absolutely magical, and this team just has IT.

Generally, I’m not too inclined to watch the Carolina Hurricanes. I got stuck watching this limp dick franchise for four years in College, so enough is enough. Any-who….the Bruins looked brutal for 50 of the 60 minutes played in this one, but managed to steal a 6-4 victory. How’d it all play out?

It was a sloppy sloppy game to start out, but the Bruins managed to score first. Brad Marchand netted his 30th goal of the season. The third season in a row he’s reached this clip. Brad Marchand has turned himself into an elite goal scorer in the NHL simply overnight. Seen as a nice complimentary piece before, he now carries the team on his back.

What an absolute saucy dish from Pastrnak on this opening goal, and just abysmal goaltending from Cam Ward. Gotta hug that post, man. Things would only get worse from the Bruins from this point to about the 10 minute mark of the third period.

Early in the second period, Sebastian Aho ripped a blocker side snap shot over Tuukka Rask to tie the game at 1.

Later, Teuvo Teravainen fired a one timer over the shoulder of Rask to make it 2-1 Hurricanes.  This coming on a 5-3 power play.  Almost unstoppable for Rask.

At the end of the second period Justin Williams made it 3-1 Hurricanes.  To make matters even worse just 51 seconds into the third Brock McGinn made it 4-1 Hurricanes.  Our jolly Beat Writer, Joe Haggerty decided it was time for the Bruins to throw in the towel.

To be fair to Jolly Saint Haggs, it certainly seemed like the game was over.  The team had taken a shit ton of penalties, had coughed the puck up all night, and their number 1 tendy was playing like dog-shit again.

The Bruins were dead men walking.  Some weren’t even walking, as at Jake DeBrusk, Zdeno Chara, and Tory Krug had all left the game at this point.  It does not matter.  Countless times you think the 2017-2018 Boston Bruins are going to fold like Claude Julien’s handkerchief, but Butchy simply does not allow it.  Once the fourth goal went in, the Bruins really pressed the Canes all over the ice.  They were starting to force more turnovers, and create scoring chances when finally at the 10:04 mark of the 3rd period Matt Grzelyck fired home a snapshot passed Cam Ward.  4-2 canes with half of the third period remaining.

Just a minute later, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand completed a beauty of a give-and-go along the right wing hash marks.  Pastrnak ripped a snap-shot over the glove of Cam Ward.  Ward looked like a dingleberry waving his glove at it, he had absolutely no shot.  With close to 8 minutes left, the Bruins cut the lead to 4-3.

https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/973734469697003523

With all of the momentum it was only a matter of time before the Bruins tied the game.   The Bruins wasted no time, as just 21 seconds after Pastrnak’s goal, David Krejci slid a cross ice dish for Danton Heinen to re-direct home.  4-4 with 8 minutes to go in the third period.   The Hurricanes have every right to be furious this goal counted.  Back in the Boston Defensive zone David Krejci caught the puck in mid-air, took a stride to avoid contact, and dropped the puck.  This should have been ruled a hand pass, and the play whistled dead.  Instead it was a tie game.

On the powerplay with 3 minutes left to go David Pastrnak added his second goal of the game, and the Bruins finally took the lead.  He would also add an empty netter to ice the win, and hat-trick.

What an absolutely fantastic game.  One of those nights that makes you feel like something special is happening with this team.  They’re not playing with any pressure, even when they were down 3.  Teams that have fun out there generally don’t have to dig as deep as some late in the third period.  Minus three guys the Black and Gold still had better legs in the third.  They were absolutely buzzing.  Lets hope the injuries to Chara, DeBrusk, and Krug are all minor.  Bruce Cassidy confirmed this morning that Krug will be a game-time decision tonight against Florida, but Chara and DeBrusk will be out tonight.

https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/973737819352043521

Browns Free Agency Recap.

Image result for John Dorsey

We aren’t even in the first hour of Free Agency, and the Cleveland Browns continued to add to their Roster.  There aren’t as many “WOW” names like we saw on Friday, but some solid additions overall.  Going into Free Agency, I was hoping the Browns would address the Wide Receiver position, and Cornerback.  Last year the Receiving Corps was up there as the worst in the league.    Dorsey addressed this need via trade on Friday.  The Defensive back that was acquired from Green Bay will be moved to Free Safety, so I was hoping Cornerback would be a priority.

Image result for trumaine johnson

As a flurry of shitty Quarterbacks, and mediocre Wide Receivers signed albatross contracts, the Browns made their first signing of the day:

Ah yes.  A depth lineman.  Not much to see here regarding this guy.  Stephenson is a swing tackle, who isn’t going to start unless there are injuries.  Can’t have enough lineman, especially those who have made 50 career starts, as Stephenson has.

Image result for donald stephenson

The Browns continued to add to their offensive line depth with another signing.  This time for some big money:

Interesting move as this guy was never really popped up on any rumors.  There is the connection with Todd Haley, as Hubbard comes from the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Hubbard is a Right Tackle who started 14 games total for Steelers since 2013.  He appeared in 39 total.  By all accounts , Hubbard is a versatile Right Tackle who deserves a chance to start.  He started at Right Tackle for Haley’s Steelers last year after Marcus Gilbert was injured. Solid depth move, and will shore up the right side of the offensive line.

Image result for Chris Hubbard Browns

As we went along, the moves got a little bit sexier.  Not really though.  The Browns signed a depth Defensive Lineman formally of the Cincinnati Bengals. A nice binky for Hue Jackson:

Nice! Who’s that?  Not going to pretend to know, but I do know 3 years at $14 million dollars is a lot of money.  Seems like a lot for a guy with three career sacks.  A guess a little depth hurt nobody, but man.  Three fucking sacks? Theoretically this dude could’ve downed the QB by touching him 3 times, and he still got $14 million.  The NFL is fucking stupid.

Image result for chris smith browns

Tuesday evening saw the Browns news slow down, as most of the big names were off the board.  The last piece of news we got was Isaiah Crowell departing the team after 4 seasons.

Not a bad deal for the Jets.  Crowell is coming off a disappointing year to say the least.  It seemed the Browns were going to increase his workload coming off a career year.  He touched the ball a career high 206 carries, but his yardage slipped to 853 after rushing for 952 in 2016.  Part of the reason Crowell struggled this year was Hue Jackson refusing to run the football, so Jets fans have that. Crow stats.PNG

Wednesday morning came, and the New Year STILL had yet to start.  That didn’t stop the Browns from making another Free Agent signing.

There we go!  A football player I have heard of.  Love the move by bringing in Hyde.  It gives us a good 1-2 punch with Hyde and Johnson.  Add a third bruiser, and we could have a competent offense. I would rather take this approach than draft a Running Back in the first round. This team has bigger fish to fry.

Hyde has been a solid contributor to a rotten 49ers team for the past few years. He’s rushed for 938 and 988 yards the past two seasons, while rushing for 14 touchdowns in that same time. Hyde isn’t much of a weapon in the passing game, but his yardage is slowly increasing each year. He’s only caught 3 total touchdown passes since 2014.

In the afternoon more defensive dominos fell as the Brown signed two AFC West Cornerback’s.

Terrance Mitchell formally of the Chiefs signed a 3 year $12 deal with the club that wears turd colored pants. Mitchell was a 7th round draft pick in 2014. He is coming off a career year with Kansas City, where he registered 53 tackles and nabbed 4 interceptions.

Another depth Cornerback signing in Carrie. Comes at a very hefty price for a supposed “depth” signing. Carrie was a seventh round draft pick in 2014, much like Mitchell. Carrie was a solid contributor in Oakland starting 15 games in 2017, and 36 total over 4 seasons. Based off research, Carrie can play either Nickel Corner, or safety.

Sandwiched in between these moves was the signing of former Lions Tight End, Darren Fells to a 3 year $12 million dollar contract. Not much to see here other than Fells being lauded as one of the premier blocking TE’s. Always need a good blocking Tight End, as almost all good teams have one.

Last year he showed he could do some things in the passing game, as he caught 17 passes for 177 yards and 3 scores.

Decent two days for big John Dorsey. Some of the money handed out was a bit excessive for some marginal starters, but that’s what the Browns have to do to sign people. He seems to be filling depth throughout the roster, which helps the overall quality of the roster top to bottom.

I would hope the checkbook would shut for a bit here, and we move on to the draft. There is only one player I’d like to see the Browns bring in if they can….

Go Browns. #ThankYou73. (More on that later).

Let the Madness Begin (Continue?)

Schefty LOL 2

What a freaking weekend it has been throughout the NFL.  The NFL league year starts tomorrow, when free agent signings/trades can be finalized.  Yesterday saw the legal tampering period open.  That means we have plenty of contract agreements, trades, and players getting cut.  It is truly fantastic, and this year the Browns were in the forefront.

The Cleveland Browns fired three trades in succession.  They traded a 4th round pick in 2018, and a 7th in 2019.  Absolute peanuts compared to Unrestricted-Free Agents who are signing mega deals.

Not a bad deal at all!  Shows the Browns are serious about adding some play makers.  Landry will play one season on the $16 million dollar franchise tag.  I really liked this trade even more once the following broke:

Tyrod!  Welcome aboard, guy.  Love this trade, because it enhances the Jarvis Landry deal.  Landry is a 5-8 yard pass catcher, who lead the league in catches this past season with 112.  These two seem like they were born to play together, and I am hoping this may help Taylor expand his game.

Still not done, the Browns made a THIRD trade right after the Tyrod Taylor trade was announced:

This one came at a complete shock.  The Browns shipped off second year Quarterback, DeShone Kizer for Green Bay Corner, Damarious Randall.  Sad to give up on Kizer, but he will be given a better chance to win out in Green Bay.  He won’t have to deal with Hue Jackson on a daily basis.  The Packers are getting an athletic specimen of a Quarterback.  The dude is a cardboard cutout of what you want in a Franchise Quarterback.   Kizer is a freaking oak tree standing at 6’4, 233 lbs.  He’s got the body to with stand NFL punishment, and can run with the best of Quarterbacks.  DeShone will need time and coaching to fix his footwork, and woeful accuracy.

Kizer bomb.gif

To the Browns end of the deal we go.  Damarious Randall was drafted in the first round, 30th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Randall came out of college as a Free-Safety, but had been playing corner with Green Bay.  He has nabbed 10 interceptions through two seasons, regular season, and playoffs.

As was reported by numerous outlets over the weekend, the Browns will be moving Randall back to his natural position.  This allows Jabrill Peppers to play in a more natural spot, which is strong safety closer to the line of scrimmage.  Last season Peppers was hardly able to make plays, because he was lined up a million fucking miles away from the line of scrimmage.  It was one of few decisions Williams made that I hated.  Glad to see they may have learned from that.

https://twitter.com/Cianaf/status/964557159378726912

The Browns were still NOT done.  On Saturday morning they fired off their fourth and final trade of the Weekend:

Danny Shelton was shipped off to New England, and the two teams swapped mid-round draft picks.  Not a bad trade for either team here.  Danny Shelton isn’t a star lineman by any means, but he is a valuable piece to your defensive line rotation.  His role is limited to clogging A gap during the run game.  Don’t expect Shelton to improve your pass rush, as he’s only been able to record 1.5 sacks in his three seasons.

Image result for Danny Shelton

This all before any of the other teams made real significant moves.  This past evening saw free agents agree to terms with new teams.  There have been a shitload, so I am just going to highlight a few:

Interesting move from the Bears here.  They are starting to add outside skill players to compliment the running attack.  Robinson is coming off a year in which he was out for the whole year with a torn ACL.  The Penn State product has had success in the past (1400 yards in 2016), but down years and injuries have plagued him.  If he and Cam Meredith can return to form, that forms a nice duo on the outside for Mitch Trubisky.

Robinson stats

Another Wide Receiver choose his destination fairly quickly:

Sammy Watkins sucks.  This guy is a fucking joke.  Hyped up heavily his draft year, he’s never fulfilled expectations.   Guess that makes him a perfect fit for the Kansas City Chiefs?  The writing is on the wall for this guy.  The Buffalo Bills decided to get rid of their only outside receiving threat for pennies on the dollar this off-season.  Watkins was a solid option in Los Angeles, but had the franchise tag rescinded.  Have fun with Andy Reid.

Finally to the big boys.  The Quarterbacks.  We had a slew of shitty Quarterbacks sign some atrocious contracts today.  First and foremost our man, Kirk Cousins.

This deal right here will be applauded by many players.  Kirk gambled on himself the previous two seasons in Washington.  That gambled played off as he now has a fully guaranteed contract worth $84 million dollars with the Minnesota Vikings.  Congrats Kirk Cousins, and god speed to the Vikings.  If it don’t work out, well that really sucks. Have fun!

(I can easily see this not working out)

The funny part is, Kirk wasn’t even the first QB to pick a landing spot:

Case Keenum agreed to a 2 year, $36 million dollar contract with the Denver Broncos. $18 million?!? You’re going to give Case Keemun $18 million dollars?! This is a brutal move by Elway and the Broncos. Case Keenum played WAY over his head in 2017-18. Even if this contract is only two years, that is still a shitload of money to pay a Quarterback. That’s a shitload to pay a Quarterback who you will be replacing in draft night. John Elway has to be one of the most overrated executives in professional football.

Last but not least we have Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy signed with the J-E-Ts. He is coming off a brutal knee injury which saw him miss the past two seasons. If we’re being honest, Teddy Bridgewater sucked before the injury.

Many other domino’s fell on Tuesday, and we’re STILL not at the league new year. The Browns are poised to make some moves to bolster their roster. Get er done, John.

Go Browns!

Let the Madness Begin (Continue).

Schefty LOL 2

What a fucking weekend it has been throughout the NFL.  The NFL league year starts tomorrow, when free agent signings/trades can be finalized.  Yesterday saw the legal tampering period open.  That means we have plenty of contract agreements, trades, and players getting cut.  It is truly fantastic, and this year the Browns were in the forefront.

The Cleveland Browns fired three trades in succession.  They traded a 4th round pick in 2018, and a 7th in 2019.  Absolute peanuts compared to Unrestricted-Free Agents who are signing mega deals.

Not a bad deal at all!  Shows the Browns are serious about adding some play makers.  Landry will play one season on the $16 million dollar franchise tag.  I really liked this trade even more once the following broke:

Tyrod!  Welcome aboard, guy.  Love this trade, because it enhances the Jarvis Landry deal.  Landry is a 5-8 yard pass catcher, who lead the league in catches this past season with 112.  These two seem like they were born to play together, and I am hoping this may help Taylor expand his game.

Still not done, the Browns made a THIRD trade right after the Tyrod Taylor trade was announced:

This one came at a complete shock.  The Browns shipped off second year Quarterback, DeShone Kizer for Green Bay Corner, Damarious Randall.  Sad to give up on Kizer, but he will be given a better chance to win out in Green Bay.  He won’t have to deal with Hue Jackson on a daily basis.  The Packers are getting an athletic specimen of a Quarterback.  The dude is a cardboard cutout of what you want in a Franchise Quarterback.   Kizer is a freaking oak tree standing at 6’4, 233 lbs.  He’s got the body to with stand NFL punishment, and can run with the best of Quarterbacks.  DeShone will need time and coaching to fix his footwork, and woeful accuracy.

Kizer bomb.gif

To the Browns end of the deal we go.  Damarious Randall was drafted in the first round, 30th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.  Randall came out of college as a Free-Safety, but had been playing corner with Green Bay.  He has nabbed 10 interceptions through two seasons, regular season, and playoffs.

As was reported by numerous outlets over the weekend, the Browns will be moving Randall back to his natural position.  This allows Jabrill Peppers to play in a more natural spot, which is strong safety closer to the line of scrimmage.  Last season Peppers was hardly able to make plays, because he was lined up a million fucking miles away from the line of scrimmage.  It was one of few decisions Williams made that I hated.  Glad to see they may have learned from that.

https://twitter.com/Cianaf/status/964557159378726912

The Browns were still NOT done.  On Saturday morning they fired off their fourth and final trade of the Weekend:

Danny Shelton was shipped off to New England, and the two teams swapped mid-round draft picks.  Not a bad trade for either team here.  Danny Shelton isn’t a star lineman by any means, but he is a valuable piece to your defensive line rotation.  His role is limited to clogging A gap during the run game.  Don’t expect Shelton to improve your pass rush, as he’s only been able to record 1.5 sacks in his three seasons.

Image result for Danny Shelton

This all before any of the other teams made real significant moves.  This past evening saw free agents agree to terms with new teams.  There have been a shitload, so I am just going to highlight a few:

Interesting move from the Bears here.  They are starting to add outside skill players to compliment the running attack.  Robinson is coming off a year in which he was out for the whole year with a torn ACL.  The Penn State product has had success in the past (1400 yards in 2016), but down years and injuries have plagued him.  If he and Cam Meredith can return to form, that forms a nice duo on the outside for Mitch Trubisky.

Robinson stats

Another Wide Receiver choose his destination fairly quickly:

Sammy Watkins sucks.  This guy is a fucking joke.  Hyped up heavily his draft year, he’s never fulfilled expectations.   Guess that makes him a perfect fit for the Kansas City Chiefs?  The writing is on the wall for this guy.  The Buffalo Bills decided to get rid of their only outside receiving threat for pennies on the dollar this off-season.  Watkins was a solid option in Los Angeles, but had the franchise tag rescinded.  Have fun with Andy Reid.

Finally to the big boys.  The Quarterbacks.  We had a slew of shitty Quarterbacks sign some atrocious contracts today.  First and foremost our man, Kirk Cousins.

This deal right here will be applauded by many players.  Kirk gambled on himself the previous two seasons in Washington.  That gambled played off as he now has a fully guaranteed contract worth $84 million dollars with the Minnesota Vikings.  Congrats Kirk Cousins, and god speed to the Vikings.  If it don’t work out, well that really sucks. Have fun!

(I can easily see this not working out)

The funny part is, Kirk wasn’t even the first QB to pick a landing spot:

Case Keenum agreed to a 2 year, $36 million dollar contract with the Denver Broncos. $18 million?!? You’re going to give Case Keemun $18 million dollars?! This is a brutal move by Elway and the Broncos. Case Keenum played WAY over his head in 2017-18. Even if this contract is only two years, that is still a shitload of money to pay a Quarterback. That’s a shitload to pay a Quarterback who you will be replacing in draft night. John Elway has to be one of the most overrated executives in professional football.

Last but not least we have Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. Teddy signed with the J-E-Ts. He is coming off a brutal knee injury which saw him miss the past two seasons. If we’re being honest, Teddy Bridgewater sucked before the injury.

Many other domino’s fell on Tuesday, and we’re STILL not at the league new year. The Browns are poised to make some moves to bolster their roster. Get er done, John.

Go Browns!

Not Done Yet….Browns Trade For Packers CB Damarious Randall.

Anyone got a pack of smokes? Still sweating from the Tyrod Taylor trade. John Dorsey pulled off a third Trade in the span of an hour and a half. This time he sent DeShone Kizer and a late round draft choice to Green Bay. In exchange, the Browns received Cornerback, Damarious Randall.

Excellent work by Dorsey on this one. Randall was Green Bay’s top corner this past season. Randall was drafted in the first round of the 2015 draft by the Packers. With the Green Bay roots in Cleveland’s front office, this one comes as a little less surprising. Randall has 10 interceptions through 2 full seasons.

Shame to have to give up on DeShone Kizer less than a year removed from drafting him. I still believe he will succeed in the NFL. Despite his accuracy issues, anti-clutch gene, and 0-16 record, Kizer handled a truly horrible season in a professional manner. He never complained, called any of his teammates out, and always shouldered responsibility. For that, I will always respect the shit out of DeShone Kizer. Hue Jackson did his best to destroy the kid, but he kept his head up. Some games he really looked like he could be something. The Packers will coach him up well.

Go fucking Browns.