Looking forward to 2019, Browns Free Agency/Trades

I see there is still a couple pages for me to catch up on...

Discussions are no problem. Its much easier to have a discussion when the condescension knob is set at 0.

My point wasn't that you can't criticize a move. My point was that this happens to literally every team every time there is a coach or GM change and that it is a move in the same vain as other moves he made that seemed to work out pretty well. So maybe just pump the brakes on the criticism mobile.

 

Episode 2 - Building the Browns 2019

 

Dorsey... you know what to do.

 

Landry earning every dime of his contract.

 

It may be a little greedy since a B+ edge guy (F. Clark) just went for a deal bigger than what the Bears gave up for Khalil Mack... but would anyone here be mad if Dorsey gave up #49 and a 2020 second rounder for Harris?

 

Word is Chris Harris wants $15m per year....

 

{ raises hand }

 

{ Tries to lower Lyman's hand }

 

Update... #49 and a 2020 first for Peterson.

 

F-it.

Go big or go home!

Trade the entire draft for Patrick Peterson and Daron Lee. Throw in another pick from next year and Duke Johnson if you need to. Go for broke now. If you look at it as getting 2 good to great starters out of those picks, then its good. You should be set up with priority UDFAs to compete for spots at the bottom of the roster.

 

Interesting trade scenario....

https://www.pewterreport.com/report-browns-interested-in-trading-for-mccoy/

 

Browns signing The Scottish Hammer
Posted by Darin Gantt on April 29, 2019, 3:38 PM EDT

Getty Images

The Browns brought in some competition for punter Britton Colquitt, and one of the best nicknames in football.

According to the Associated Press, the Browns are signing undrafted free agent punter Jamie Gillan from Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

We’re burying the lede here. Gillan was born in England and grew up in Scotland, and is known as “The Scottish Hammer” because of his strength in the kicking game.

He averaged 43.4 yards per punt last year, and had an 80-yard punt.

He also attended high school in Leonardtown, Md., which happens to be the hometown of Browns General Manager John Dorsey.

 

Not that my opinion matters in Berea, but . . .

Trading a 25 year old running back who is destined to carry half the load for the 1st half of the season for a 31 year old defensive tackle (albeit, a good one) who would join an already 2 deep and talented position group doesn't make much sense to me.

{edit} If they're bound and determined to trade Duke, I can think of, at least two positions other than DT that could improve the roster.

 

Interesting observation today on my part:

Prior to the draft, the Browns' website listed Kyle Kalis as a Guard on the roster. After drafting Drew Forbes (a Tackle in college but projected to a Guard in the NFL), he is listed as a Guard on the roster and Kyle Kalis is now shown as a Center. They also released Future/Reserve player Kyle Friend - the only other player besides J.C. Tretter that was previously listed as a Center on the roster.

So now, we are officially two deep at every O-line position according to the Browns' website.

 

I do take issue with the thought of splitting touches with a stud like Nick Chubb (#1 running back in the NFL). During the 2018 season, Chubb saw 192 touches, Hyde saw 114 touches, and Duke got just 40 carries - just 11.6% of the teams' total carries.

On a per-game basis he averaged 2.5 carries per game with no one game higher than five (against Pittsburgh Week 1). In fact, after Hyde was traded (week 7), his carries per game went down (2.2). Under Kitchens' offense, the Browns had 178 rushing attempts by running backs - that split was 88.8% Chubb, 11.2% Johnson.

Nick Chubb is a feature back and the Browns in 2019 with Mayfield, Beckham, Landry, Callaway, Higgins, Njoku, etc. should be an extremely pass-heavy team. If we want to over-value his touches by including his time as a receiver, that's fine... but I'll happily trade his 49 total touches and 336 yards for a 6-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who'd still be the third guy on the rotation.

The Browns have the best roster in the AFC and second-best roster in the NFL. There's only one football but there are a number of ways to get an impactful defensive tackle on the field, including spelling the starters, who saw 79.0% (Ogunjobi) and 69.1% (Richardson) of their teams' snaps in 2018.

 

*I should note... these were his numbers in Kitchens' offense.

 

I understand your breakdown of touches. But that was in 2018. This is now 2019 and Hyde is nowhere to be found in Berea. A straight line conversion (all things being equal) is that Duke would get the touches that Hyde once had. 114+40=154. That's a lot closer to 50% than 11.6%.

 

Chubb got the touches that Hyde got.

Weeks 1-6:
Hyde - 114 (76.5%)
Duke - 19 (12.8%)
Chubb - 16 (10.7%)

Weeks 7-16 (post-Hyde):
Chubb - 176 (89.3%)
Duke - 21 (10.7%)

At most, we're talking about 10% of a projected 350 carries (35 total carries). And that's not to say anything of when we get Kareem Hunt back from suspension, who's himself a Top 5 running back in the NFL.