Tag: Cleveland Browns

It’s Finally Over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWjhDNAy7L4

After the month’s and month’s of crap spewing every which way regarding the Browns draft, we finally got some answers.  With the 1st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, The Cleveland Browns Selected, Baker Mayfield.

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The whole lead up to the draft almost all of the pundits had the Browns selecting Darnold first overall.   Darnold was my preferred option, and the more I look back, the more I believe that had to do with him being the cardboard cutout of an NFL Starting Quarterback.  Despite everything, Baker was always in the back of my mind to be picked.  He intrigued me the most.   This kid is a winner.  He’s not putting up a front like, Johnny Manziel.  He will come in and work his ass off to beat Tyrod Taylor.  That has always been what Baker Mayfield does.  Naturally, the Browns got absolutely ripped for taking him.  Fans were upset that the golden boy from USC was not selected, and the national perception is that the Browns just picked Johnny Manziel again.  It is simply not true.  There is 1 similarity between the two, and that is their both dicks on the field.  Other than that, they are two completely different football players.

Baker Mayfield

Baker comes into the NFL having been one of College Football’s most productive players ever.  The above PFF scores don’t mean dick really, but it helps us compare him to everyone else.  A recent article on SB Nation really highlights the main differences between all of this years top QB prospects,

“In college:

  • Josh Allen was a tall mediocrity.
  • Sam Darnold coughed up gobs and gobs of turnovers.
  • Lamar Jackson had a slight physique and got hit (and sacked) a lot.
  • Josh Rosen got crushed a lot and never had a chance to shine because of iffy line play and a bad running game, not that he can’t become a great NFL QB himself.

The knock on Mayfield is he’s … a little short, I guess? He’s 6’1, which is on the smaller side for a quarterback, but he still had fewer passes swatted at the line than the 6’5 Allen did.” ( Alex Kirshner-SB Nation) 

I knew all of this going in with Mayfield.  I knew how dominant he was in college, and I still didn’t think the Browns would even consider him.  Public opinion of the team is pretty poor obviously, and I just thought the Haslam’s would not have drafted Mayfield after what happened with Johnny Football. That public perception is wrong, and I am glad the team is ignoring it.

On field, Baker Mayfield is more than capable of being the Cleveland Browns franchise quarterback.  He’s deadly accurate.  In his three years at Oklahoma Mayfield had finished with 68.1, 70.9, and 70.5 completion percentage.  That is at 69% on average.  That is insanely good for a 6 ft. 1 Quarterback.  In terms of play style, Mayfield excels within the pocket.  He is going go through his progressions, and fire the ball downfield.  The scrambling you see is mostly a fail safe, not his first instinct.  He would be decent in designed runs, as he is used to the Run-Pass Option offense.  It is not something you will catch him doing a lot of, as he is a gunslinger.

So, Browns fans quit bitching about Baker Mayfield being picked over Darnold.  This guy is money, and is going own being QB one of the Cleveland Browns.  He is going to put his balls on the line for his teammates, and when we eventually see him on the field it will be because he earned it.  Baker’s always earned it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtsu0lUU6Vw

Fourth overall was also a pick the Browns got unanimously ripped for.  I on the other hand was doing cartwheels.  With Bradley Chubb on the board, the Browns opted to pick the highest ranked corner in the draft.  It woulda sent me up a fucking wall if the Browns pissed away a draft pick on another edge rusher.  Currently our two edge guys are Myles Garrett, and Emmanuel Ogbah.  Ogbah is less known, but is only entering his third season.  Last season Ogbah played in only 10 games due to injury, and was tied for the team lead in sacks with 4.  He played in 16 games in 2016, and finished with 5.5 total sacks.  What exactly is wrong with Emmanuel Ogbah?   He is super young, on a team friendly deal, and has prior success in oh I don’t know….THE NFL.

The Browns may have reached with Denzel Ward, but he was the best Corner in the draft per many outlets.  I haven’t watched this kid play much, but multiple reports say that Ward is one of very few College corners who plays man-to-man.  That is 100% exactly what the Browns need.  The past few years the Browns have trotted out nothing but JAGS in the secondary, and people are still going to bitch?   Would you prefer Tramon Williams? No? Johnson Bademosi anyone? Nah, you’d rather have Buster Skrine. Give me a break. I’ll leave you with Defensive Coordinator, Gregg Williams statement on the pick.  This comes in Josh Edwards Orange and Brown Report Article explaining the pick.

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“Ward. The reason is our need for a press cover cornerback. Denzel probably plays that position as well as anyone I’ve seen in college football in some time. We probably play the most press of any team in the league. There’s another reason. I’ve got a video of 28 snaps of Myles Garrett pass-rushes last year where he gets within two steps or less of the quarterback when the ball comes out. Basically, we aren’t covering long enough to let him get to the quarterback. Myles and others—especially [defensive end] Emmanuel Ogbah—will get more chances because of Denzel.” Ogbah, Williams said, was a major reason why the Browns went Ward over Chubb. “Ogbah’s a rising star in this league,” Williams said. “He’s got a chance to be Chubb.” High praise”  

Couldn’t have said it better myself, Gregg.  Come get some baby!

A full breakdown of the rest of the picks can be found here.   I frankly don’t care about the picks outside of 1 and 4.  I wanted the Browns to identify their guy, and select him at 1.  They did that with Baker.  Now we wait for the new shitheads to arrive, and hit the field.  Go Browns!

Welcome Back, You Fucking Shit Stains.

It’s not a lot but it is something.  The Cleveland Browns have started up Organized Team Activities (OTA’s).  For the first time this new look Browns team will be together in one place.  It is their first chance to wipe off the stink of 2017.

This wasn’t the biggest news of the day regarding our beloved Shit Stains:

Josh Gordon officially signed his Exclusive Rights Tender, putting him on the books for 1 year at roughly $790,000.  This is actually pretty significant to me in terms of Josh staying on the field.  Now, Josh Gordon is on the last of all last chances.  Should single little nugget of Mary Juana enter his body, he is fucked.  No if’s, and’s, or but’s.  With this extension, and the Browns publicly backing him earlier this year, I feel like the Sobriety is going well?  I don’t want to speculate, but I feel like the Browns are comfortable with tagging him.  Hopefully this means no more fuck ups?  Tyrod Taylor spoke to the media today, and stated that Josh was participating in workouts and looked good.

I was all happy about the Browns returning, and working out as a team again.  But, then I got a rotten fucking stench:

LOL okay, Hue.  Go Browns!

Browns Re-Sign WR, Jarvis Landry to 5 Year, $75.5 Million Extension.

Holy shit!  That is some serious dough being forked over by the Browns.  As soon as the trade went down the belief was that a deal would be done at some point.  It finally happened this morning, and Landry’s payoff is massive.

A lot of chirping about this being an over payment, blah blah blah.  I don’t agree with that statement, but I also don’t disagree.  The guaranteed money, and term is a bit much in my opinion.  $47 million is the most guaranteed money any active receiver is making, but there is no debating the fact that he produces.  What do the Browns suck at ( I know  everything! HAHA)?  They suck at throwing, catching, and completing first downs to sustain drives.  Those drives eventually lead to points.  Jarvis is one of three receivers in the  to have at least 400 catches since 2014.  Not bad!

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Jarvis lead the league in catches last year, and had 60 first down catches.  He catches the ball, and gets first downs at an exceptionally high rate.   That is something that sounds really fucking simple, but the Browns did not have a reliable guy in Landry’s mold pretty much ever.

Overall I like this move and have zero issue with overpaying.  The $15 million per year the Browns just shelled will drop their available cap to around $70 million. Boy that Landry contract is really putting us in cap hell!  Fuck outta here with that.

So far so good with Landry since coming over from Miami.  At first you feel bad for the guy, going from South Beach to Cleveland.    From 6-10 to 0-16 I figured he wouldn’t be too pleased, but he seems excited, and thrilled to be in Cleveland (Now I know the $75.5 million reasons why).  He’s even got the skill position players together to work out in the offseason.  Something we never see from the lowly Browns:

https://twitter.com/God_Son80/status/977320797332271105

Kind of a lame video, but at least we have some decent Football players, who appear to be excited to work together.  Team Chemistry gets overblown in terms of impact, but with these Browns anything is positive.   That video is a tease.  I need these guys on the field, and I need these guys on the field now.

Go Browns.  T-Minus 2 weeks until draft day.

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So, We’re doing Josh Allen?

Well this morning I got some unfortunate news regarding the Browns choice of Quarterback.

Oh boy!  A guy who knows a guy says the Browns are going to pick Josh Allen and Saquon Barkley in round one of the 2018 NFL draft.   I guess I am not surprised rumors of this nature are spreading like wildfire.  With there being 4-5 Quarterback Options, and the Browns picking 1st overall it was bound to happen.  While I don’t love this news, because I hate the player, I am not too surprised to be hearing it.  From now until draft day I am sure there will be a tweet, story,  or media clip that has the Browns leaning on picking the Browns with each of the top 5 QB’s (Mayfield, Rosen, Darnold, Allen, Jackson).

Honestly, I do not even really care who they pick.  After years and years of trading down, settling for the 4th or 5th guy, or picking project guys in the middle rounds, I just want them to identify a guy and pick him #1 overall.  If that is Josh Allen then so be it.  I do not love the player overall, but he does have positive qualities.

Obviously, you have the large frame and a rocket arm.  Those things make any fan, coach, and wide receiver droll.  The problem is, he has issues with his feet within the pocket, and he has horrid accuracy.  At the 2:27 mark of the video Allen misses his a wide receiver deep down the field in single coverage.  Josh slings it so far he couldn’t put it within 5 yards of his target.  With his arm he should be throwing guys open, especially when they are in single coverage.  Good example of positive footwork however. Allen avoided pressure in the pocket, and stepped up to give himself more time to hurl it. Not good, but not great.

The throw at the 2:31 mark is more alarming.  Allen couldn’t hit his Wideout on a simple swing pass.    Not only was his ball inaccurate, but he threw the poor kid right into the Linebacker.  Put that ball on his back shoulder, the Receiver should be able make that linebacker miss for a big gain, or at the very least a first down.

1:36 Mark, Allen has two receivers bunched to his right, the outside receiver on the hash mark runs a 5 yard out.  The receiver has the corner beat, but Allen throws a jump pass off his back foot.  The ball was picked off easily by the Iowa Corner.  You’d think a guy who can supposedly throw the ball 90 yards from his knee’s would try setting his feet?  If he sets his feet, squares the shoulder, and fires the fucking thing his receiver probably has a catch there.    Sometimes with this kid, it looks like he has absolutely no clue with his feet sometimes, and sometimes he looks like a tap dancer moving throughout the pocket.  The first throw I highlighted is an example of Allen using his feet to buy time within the pocket, stepping up, and hurling it deep.  Problem was he overthrew his receiver.  Still, it was a good example of his footwork looking good.

The great part of being a Browns fan is, I can talk myself into ANY QB at ANY time. Problem is, I can talk myself out of them as well. None of the Quarterbacks this year are slam dunks, but Allen has the most questions. That scares me. The good news is Baker Mayfield has his visit in Cleveland today, and would bet that there will be a report of Baker Mayfield being the leading QB in the Clubhouse by my morning shit. While I don’t take this report 100% seriously, it was written by as credible source as they come (MMQB/Peter King). Josh Allen will get a serious look from Dorsey and Co. It’s a matter of whether or not he can pass Darnold and Mayfield. We’ll see where that rocket arm takes him.

(DraftJoshAllen.com)

Browns Sign Ex-Cardinals Stiff, Drew Stanton.

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The Browns made a bit of surprising news here on Sunday, by signing long-time Backup Quarterback, Drew Stanton.  What this move tells you is: 1-Quarterback taken at #1 is almost guaranteed, and 2-Dorsey is making it damn clear that guy will not play for at least 1-2 seasons.  I don’t necessarily have an issue with this signing, as the Browns go through QB’s like…………well I don”t know, they go through a lot.

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As you can see, Stanton will come in handy next season.  The Browns aren’t known for keeping Quarterback’s healthy, so adding a guy with experience is never a bad thing.  Stanton will provide that insurance in case Tyrod goes down, and mentor whichever guy is picked at #1.  This free’s up Tyrod to focus on solely on improving the actual team on the field, and focus on winning each week.   I am not saying Tyrod should ignore the Rookie coming in, but I’d rather him focus on producing a few wins than mentoring a Rookie. A few interesting notes about Drew:

1-In 2009 Drew was the Backup for number 1 overall pick, Matt Stafford.

2-In 2012 Drew was the Backup for number 1 overall pick, Andrew Luck

3-Since 2013 Drew was the Backup for former number 1 overall pick, Carson Palmer.

That makes this signing a little more clear to me.  This guy has a history of working with rookie QB’s, and more specifically rookie QB’s that went first overall.  That seems like it will be valuable experience. The only issue I really have with this deal is the fact that we committed to a Backup Quarterback for over 1 season.  I just think that is unnecessary to commit to any Backup for more than one year.   I guess a two years would mean that Drew Stanton is considered a strong Backup?  That’s great and all, why not just go year to year with him?  Weird move going for two years.

One thing is for certain, this man is a fucking GIF machine, and I absolutely love it.

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Hopefully we won’t have to see this guy play, but if we do I am sure there will be entertaining moments.   Also, to be fair to Drew he is 4-1 in his last 5 starts, and that’s about as much as you can ask out of your Backup.

Go Browns.

Browns Sign Ex-Bills Cornerback, E.J. Gaines.

The Browns continued to add to their Roster yet again, as Free-Agency is slowly coming to a halt.  Friday, they reached an agreement with former Bills and Rams Cornerback, E.J. Gaines.  Gaines was originally drafted in the Sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.  Gaines was traded to Buffalo this past season for Wide Receiver, Sammy Watkins.  When healthy, this dude has been a solid contributor to both the Rams and Bills.

Lovely!  The Browns have added a young corner with the potential of being a number 1.  At times he’s showed the ability to play up to that level.  Injuries, and Tre’Davious White have prevented him from blossoming into a number 1.  The money and term on the deal is just perfect too.  Gaines missed all of 2015 with Lisfranc, and missed 5 games in 2016 with a Thigh Injury.  1 year at $4 million seems like a reasonable amount to pay.  If he gets injured, or sucks they will move on, and it will be fairly easy.  If he performs at a high level, then they’d probably look to an extension.  Lets take a look at what Gaines brings on the field:

The nerds had E.J. scoring an average of 86.6 in 2017.  That’s good for the 13th best average score among corners.  But what does any of that really mean?

Well that certainly means more to me.  This guy appears to be one of the better cover corners in the league.  He’s good at keeping guys quiet while going somewhat unnoticed, as E.J. only has 1 interception in his entire career.   The Gaines signing makes it look like the three corners the Browns will go with next year are as follows: 1. Gaines 2. Carrie 3. Boddy-Calhoun.  That seems like an upgrade from 2017.  The Cornerback crew the Browns rocked with in 2017: 1. McCourty 2. Taylor 3. Boddy-Calhoun.  Boddy-Calhoun has developed into a very good slot corner, and at times McCourty played like a true number one corner.  Despite all this, the Browns clearly wanted to get younger and faster.  Bringing in Carrie and Gaines likely means the end of Jamar Taylor in Cleveland.  Taylor struggled last season with an increased workload.  He was bumped to the number 2 corner spot after Joe Haden was released from the team.  Taylor is most remembered for being completely emasculated by T.Y. Hilton this past season.

The Browns are continuing to add solid pieces to their roster.  In the week and half since the league New Year began the Browns have added: Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Damarious Randall, Donald Stephenson, Chris Hubbard, Chris Smith, Carlos Hyde, T.J. Carrie, Terrance Mitchell, E.J. Gaines, and Darren Fells.  Some names are bigger than others on that list, but all have contributed to winning programs in the NFL.  These are the players the Browns needed to fill out the roster, that way they are not relying on Rookies so often.  They will use rookies to supplement the talent they already have, rather than force them to be starters right away.  The Roster is substantially better than it was just two weeks ago, and we still have the draft to go.  Go Browns.

So……..We’re Doing Darnold?

So, yesterday was Sam Darnold’s Pro Day at the University of Southern California.  These events are fucking stupid plain and simple.  Sam’s was especially stupid, because it was pouring rain out (Does USC not have a bubble?) which got all the analysts hot and bothered.  Whatever Sam did on the field during this workout is absolutely 100% irrelevant.  I could care less how far he throws, how tight the spiral is, and if he can hit an uncovered dude wearing shorts.  I simply don’t care.  NOTHING and I mean nothing matters football wise, until I see it on the field in an NFL game. I am more interested in finding clues as to who the Browns are leaning to picking come April. This Pro Day was interesting for that reason.

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Well well well!  Looks like there may be a leader in the Clubhouse for the number one overall pick?  Jimmy Haslam swapping spit with the Darnold family, while Sammy was slingin’ the rock in the rain.  Many share the belief that draft stock doesn’t necessarily go up after a pro-day, but your stock can go down.  Pro Day’s are seen as a way to solidify your standing with teams.  It is sounding like Sam really solidified himself as the top Quarterback Prospect in this years draft.  The overwhelming thought around the league is that the Browns will take Sam Darnold 1st overall.

I truthfully don’t know who this guy is, but he strongly believes the Giants are on the clock.  This would mean Darnold locked in as the first overall pick.  This whole thing reeks of taking him first overall.

I mean that is one hefty contingent travelling out to  watch this kid run around in shorts. Sounds like there was a dinner held with Darnold and the Browns brass the night before his workout as well.  It just seems like this guy is the guy, and everyone is doing their due diligence prior to being selecting their guy. I saw some people griping that Jimmy Haslam was meddling again, and to that I say fuck off.  The number 1 pick of the 2018 NFL draft is the most important single event in the 18 years since the Browns have returned.  You bet your ass he’ll be there. The Browns finally control their own destiny in terms of who to draft. They don’t have to see who trades up and down, they don’t have to worry about guys not falling to them, and they don’t have to settle for the third or fourth best Quarterback option. They haven’t have this opportunity since ’99 when Tim Couch was drafted 1st overall, and the Browns as we know them hadn’t played a single game yet. This year, the Browns have the pick of the litter.

In other news, it appears Sam Darnold actually wants to play in Cleveland? Albert Breer published an article documenting Sam’s day with the Browns.  Darnold had some interesting thoughts with throwing coach, Jordan Palmer (Yes, Carson’s brother).

darny

All the signs are there, and it really does appear that Sam Darnold will be chosen first overall.  Better yet, Sam seems excited about playing for the team and likes the idea of sitting for a year.  So here I am on 3/22/2018 saying the Browns will pick Sam Darnold.  For the get-go he’s been regarded as the unanimous best Quarterback (among writers/analysts), and his Pro Day solidified that, and all of the Browns major decision makers where there to see it.

It’s gotta be Darnold, right?

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.

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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.

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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.

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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…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVRKRq3OyD8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQEtUetR_FU

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).

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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.

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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

Browns Free Agency Recap.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coBpKY93vB0

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.

https://youtu.be/Dxx_6u-7×04

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).