I thought the Browns draft made sense...Would I have taken Chubb? yes..... But Ward was next on my list, and nobody should really be surprised that the Browns took him. They were very transparent all along on that, but the media made us all believe it was unthinkable.... I love it...I'm a CB guy at heart. Do you know who really should take notice? Antonio Brown and AJ Green. Because they now actually have something to deal with when they play the Browns... Ward should absolutely be on the ROY watch list.
AB isn't worried about any of the current professional DBs in the league. Why would a rookie shake him up?
I will admit that Antonio is on the absolute top of his game...If you admit, at the age of 30, he will be losing steps faster than it will take to get Mason Rudolph on the field(circa 2 years to Ben retirement).
I don't expect Steelers to be worried yet....but you'll know his name this fall when he does this to one of your boys;
@Lyman The Cleveland Browns were bound to be one of the most polarizing teams in the draft, which is what happens when a franchise walks in with a pair of top-five picks. The Browns and new general manager John Dorsey emerged looking great, though. They got the guy they wanted at No. 1 with Baker Mayfield, who doesn't need an introduction. He's a potential franchise quarterback who doesn't even have to start right away thanks to the presence of Tyrod Taylor. At No. 4, the Browns turned some heads with Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. While a bit of a surprise, the top prospect at a premium position is nothing short of a smart get—especially in a division featuring A.J. Green and Antonio Brown. The rest of the draft turned out great as well. Austin Corbett is a versatile lineman who can help block for Mayfield, and running back Nick Chubb is a bruiser who can complement Duke Johnson Jr.. It's even hard to complain about Miami's Chad Thomas, who makes a deep rotation led by Myles Garrett even nastier. Then there's Antonio Callaway, one of the draft's biggest outright fallers. Callaway took a dive thanks to character issues, but getting a first-round talent who adds to a wideout group already featuring Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry is an excellent move. This class will be judged harder than most by the time the dust settles, which the Browns shouldn't complain about. ^^^^fairly common report from everything I've read...
Addition of network television makes for most-watched NFL draft ever The NFL draft was on network television for the first time ever, and that made the difference as it became the most-watched draft ever. The league announced today that the draft had an average of 5.5 million viewers at any given time, the highest viewership total ever for the full draft. The first round of the draft averaged 11.2 million viewers on Thursday night. Draft viewership declines on the second and third days, but Saturday’s average of 2.9 million viewers was the best Day 3 ever. This year NFL Network’s coverage on Thursday and Friday night was simulcast on FOX, while ESPN’s coverage on Saturday was simulcast on ABC in most markets. After ratings of NFL games have declined for the last two seasons, the league was looking for something to bolster the viewership of its biggest offseason event, and the addition of network TV partners made a big difference. (PFT)
Rice 30-35 arguably had his best 5 seasons. Moss just got to NE and tore up the league for the next 3 years. TO was still in SF. Larry Fitzgerald has looked stronger and faster since turning 30. Tim Brown had 6 straight 1000 yards seasons from 30-36. Marvin Harrison had 5 straight after 30. Reggie Wayne had 4 out of 5. Steve Smith, Tony Gonzalez, Andre Johnson, Isaac Bruce, Cris Carter, Anquan Boldin... There is nothing to suggest Antonio Brown is going to lose steps at the age of 30. He's not a running back. That's wishful thinking.
Happy to see Chase Litton get a UDFA shot with an NFL team. Too bad it’s the KC Chiefs. Litton will need a nasty turn of events to befall the team to see any meaningful playing time in the Arrowhead organization.
Two years go pretty quick..We'll see if he is on the same caliber of the HOF players you were mentioning, or more the average player in the NFL... Regardless, from a Browns perspective, this defensive team improved immensely with the drafting of Denzel Ward in my opinion. I think his impact will be felt more heavily than Chubb would have, as long as Ogbah stays healthy. I would have loved that rotation, but the CB position would still be weaker without taking what I consider to be the best player in the draft at his position. Honestly, I think the Browns could have done themselves a disservice by not doubling down at the position in the second round. There were more quality players that could have challenged to start right away vs. what we currently have on the team.
Wouldn't be surprised if the Chiefs ultimately went with Lagow after seeing him perform at rookie mini-camp, forcing Litton back into free agency (where I believe he would be signed quickly). To be clear, I had Litton ranked ahead of Lagow but I like the fit with player/coach quite a bit for Rich and I think his arm talent may win Andy over.
I completely agree...I was watching with some friends and I suggested the same thing....I was thinking about Josh Jackson or Isaiah Oliver, but I understand they needed the O-line, and they wanted another RB. Plus the signing of EJ Gaines was surely a factor...
@TopDawg @IrishDawg42 I'm gathering that neither of you have any concerns with any parts of Ward's game?
He's a rookie, there are always concerns. Much less concern with him over the other CB prospects in the draft. I think his skill set will translate well to the pro level and his ability to recover will be one of the reasons for his success, imho.
The funny thing is, it was the Browns that put it out there that Ward was a possibility at #4, and nobody believed them. They were very transparent about their intentions, but nobody could fathom it because of all the hype on Barkley and Chubb. ..I suspect they might have liked to do a little tradedown first, but I honestly don't think Ward would have got by Chicago. Bears were all over him in the pre-draft process, same as Cleveland. So anyway, that didn't give them much room to find a trade partner with Chicago picking 7th, so they just went ahead and grabbed their guy at #4...I can respect that. Cleveland wanted their guy. As far as the talent...Denzel is a STUD! I think Ward is maybe even better than Lattimore, and the Browns needed a shutdown CB in the worst way. So I'm fired up about it. I do believe this is the best CB drafted by this franchise since Hanford Dixon. He's going to be a superstar in Cleveland. Ward brings a physical brand of football, and his instincts and ability are second to none...
I'm not Irish or TopDawg but, he did struggle a bit at Ohio State when matched up with tall, rangy receivers who could high point a ball. He is a bit "vertically challenged".
