The 2020 Offseason | Team Needs

Admittedly I don't like they're rankings. But I think they're competent enough to track opponent passer rating. Obviously there should be some minimum snap filter but anyway you slice to call him the best coverage linebacker in the NFL is a SAS special.

 

Hmm...

True, or false? Joe Schobert led all linebackers in interceptions?

True, or false? Joe Schobert finished Top 2 among all linebackers in pass disruptions (PBUs plus INTs)?

True, or false? Among all linebackers with 80+ solo tackles (similar market share as Schobert), Joe Schobert was Top 2 in best passer rating against?

A: True. True. True.

Joe Schobert had 4 interceptions (with another three near interceptions). Jordan Hicks had 3. No other linebacker had more than 2.

Joe Schobert had 9 pass break ups, 4 interceptions for a total of 13 pass disruptions. Only Luke Kuechly (2 INTs, 12 PBUs) had more (by one).

BONUS: Including QB hits and sacks in that number, Schobert had 19 total. This was Top 3. Ex-Brown, DeMario Davis had a total of 26 (4 sacks, 9 QB hits, 1 INT, and 12 PBUs), and was first among LBs. Corey Littleton was second with 19.5 (by 0.5; 3.5 sacks, 5 QB hits, 2 INT, 9 PBU).

Joe Schobert's passer rating against was 74.6. Here's his peer group:

Code:

                                                                                            
                                             Game                         Tack           Def
Rk            Player Year Age Draft  Tm  Lg  G GS  Sk Solo Ast Comb TFL QBHits  Int Yds TD PD
1      Demario Davis 2019  30  3-77 NOR NFL 16 16 4.0   87  24  111  11      9    1   1  0 12
2       Luke Kuechly 2019  28   1-9 CAR NFL 16 16 0.0   81  63  144   4      5    2  26  0 12
3       Joe Schobert 2019  26  4-99 CLE NFL 16 16 2.0   89  44  133   7      4    4  24  0  9
4       Jaylon Smith 2019  24  2-34 DAL NFL 16 16 2.5   83  59  142   6      3    1   0  0  9
5        Fred Warner 2019  23  3-70 SFO NFL 16 16 3.0   89  29  118   7      5    1  46  1  9
6      Lavonte David 2019  29  2-58 TAM NFL 16 16 1.0   82  41  123  10      7    1  26  0  7
7       Jordan Hicks 2019  27  3-84 ARI NFL 16 16 1.5   93  57  150  11      7    3  64  0  6
8       Bobby Wagner 2019  29  2-47 SEA NFL 16 16 3.0   86  73  159   7      4    1   6  0  6
9    Zach Cunningham 2019  25  2-57 HOU NFL 16 16 2.0   99  43  142   7      3    0   0  0  2
10    Blake Martinez 2019  25 4-131 GNB NFL 16 16 3.0   97  58  155   5      3    1  22  0  2
11    Anthony Walker 2019  24 5-161 IND NFL 16 16 2.5   84  40  124   6      3    1   0  0  2

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table

Davis: 75.8
Kuechly: 75.3
Smith: 102.1
Warner: 86.2
David: 73.0
Hicks: 100.0
Wagner: 108.2
Cunningham: 107.4
Martinez: 102.1
Walker: 101.4

We agree here... it is a SAS-special -- a factual thing based on empirical evidence.

 

Add *checks notes* a fourth safety to our list of needs.

Current list, by my count:
OT
OT
OT
OG
LB
LB
LB
LB
S
S
S* (projected, based on Damarious Randall leaving)
S** (new add for Burnett)

Bold strategy, Browns...

 

Mack Wilson walking into the LB meeting room:



Damarious Randall walking into the S meeting room:



Wilson and Randall walking out of their meeting rooms and running into each other:

 

Browns agree to terms with (ATL) TE Austin Hooper.....

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...rowns-te-austin-hooper-agree-to-terms-on-deal

 

Hooper. So what does this mean?
2 TE sets to help the O line?
Less WR targets? Does OBJ get traded?

It feels like a pretty high price to pay if you're thinking Njoku has any real value.

I'm not thrilled, but mostly because it simply wasn't a High Position of Need, IMO.
Whats the take from the Pound?

 

Hooper produced 10x what all the Browns TE's combined to produce last year...It's a good signing, but I wonder if the Browns are planning to deal Njoku?

I'm hoping they keep both. Seems we are trying to surround Mayfield with as many weapons as possible. I like it any time talent is added to the roster. We certainly did that.

 

Not a big fan of the move, tbh... if for no other reason than it signals a move on from Njoku. Doesn't necessarily have to be this season, but with a decision to be made on his fifth year option after this coming season, and a new face in the TE room that's making the highest in the league, that doesn't leave a lot of room for a guy who produced similar stats/growth in his time in the NFL.

Seems like yet *another* instance of the team moving on from home-grown talent.

Code:

                                         
                                      Rece
Rk          Player From   To  Rec  Yds  TD
1    Austin Hooper 2016 2018  3.0 31.7 0.2
2      David Njoku 2017 2019  2.6 29.6 0.3

Per-game stats for the two TEs through their first three seasons.

 

Joe Thomas is talking about Cleveland going hard after a big name OT in free agency. He mentioned Jack Conklin and Bryan Bulaga as the most likely targets, and said the Browns still showing interest in getting a deal done for Trent Williams.....

If we could somehow come out of this with Conklin and either of those other two, that would be ideal...

 

I think those stats could be skewed a bit. Hooper joined the league as a 3rd rd selection, so he might not have had the same opportunities as Njoku (1st rd)....I'd be curious to see how many snaps each guy received....

 

Atlanta also played with a guy named Gonzales when Hooper came in.

Edit: I think.

 

SAS providing skewed stats? Never...

I've never thought Njoku had that high a ceiling at the NFL level, unfortunately. I would've liked to see him succeed. But I think he was a long way off coming in, and hasn't shown entirely too much progression. That said, I think this is an overpay for Hooper. So I'm not crazy about any of this. If the Browns were gonna throw money around, I think there were several higher priorities. Still a lot left to happen, but I don't think this was really a hole that needed this kind of filling. We'll see.

 

Definitely... and I'm not trying to discount that. Njoku missed nearly his entire third season with injury, played his first with some guy named Kizer, and Taylor for some of his second.

Another way to look at it might be market share (e.g., what number of targets did the player get in relation to the other options).

In 2016, Hooper actually shared playing time with Jacob Tamme. His market share was as follows:

2016: 5.0% of targets, 5.1% of catches, 5.5% of yards, 7.9% of touchdowns
2017: 12.3% of targets, 14.3% of catches, 12.7% of yards, 14.3% of touchdowns
2018: 14.3% of targets, 16.6% of catches, 13.3% of yards, 11.1% of touchdowns
2019: 14.2% of targets, 16.3% of catches, 15.6% of yards, 20.7% of touchdowns
TOTAL: 11.7% (targets), 13.3% (catches), 11.7% (yards), 12.9% (touchdowns)

Compared to Njoku...

2017: 12.0% of targets, 10.3% of catches, 10.9% of yards, 26.7% of touchdowns
2018: 15.3% of targets, 15.9% of catches, 15.0% of yards, 13.8% of touchdowns
2019: 1.9% of targets, 1.6% of catches, 1.1% of yards, 4.5% of touchdowns **limited to 1.5 games
TOTAL (excludes 2019): 13.7% (targets), 13.2% (catches), 13.1% (yards), 18.2% (touchdowns)

 

To me, the biggest difference is that Hooper seems to be a much better route runner, and probably has better hands. Njoku was a track star, and he is an amazing athlete. He can jump out of the gym, but i've always questioned his football IQ, and his love for this game.... DN is obviously very bright. He comes from a family of academic superstars, but his football is somewhat limited.

I can't figure out Njoku....Thought for certain that he would be among the best at his position by now.

 

BROWNS AGREE TO TERMS WITH OT JACK CONKLIN!!!!

YES!!!

 

Couple really good moves by Cleveland today.

 

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sp...ck-conklin-titans-nfl-free-agency/5029989002/

Go Andrew Berry!!!

 

This one honestly fires me up more than the OBJ signing last year....Great get for the Browns! Plus his name is Conklin. If that doesn't say badass O-lineman, what does?

 

He's a good one...addresses a need and will help Baker a lot. And they added another weapon on offense.....a guy I think might be the best young TE in football.

Very good moves.

 

Browns signed former-Redskins QB Case Keenum to a three-year, $18 million contract.
The deal includes $10 million in guaranteed money. It's not an insignificant number, although backup QB was an area for need with little proven depth behind Baker Mayfield. Keenum has struggled to replicate the magic he enjoyed with the Vikings in 2017, posting below-average numbers in both Denver and Washington over the past two seasons. Still, Keenum is a nine-year veteran that has the ability to both provide support to Mayfield and keep the Browns offense above sea level if called upon.

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitte