Browns finished 5th in total defense, 13th in points allowed, 1st (per PFF.com) in coverage, and 8th (per PFF.com) in run stop percentage... but gave up an average of 31.1 PPG to the Top 10 offenses they played this season (averaged 21.1 for the full season; 15.3 against non-Top 10 offenses). We're set to lose a ton of talent on that side of the ball in free agency if we don't re-sign them. Regardless of that, we still need infusions of talent along the defensive line (specifically) and the linebacker group.
Add another dumb rumor to the pile. This move would make about as much sense as Cleveland playing with 10 men on defense all season.
18.0 sacks and 15 tackles for loss over the past two seasons and hitting free agency this year with a projected (per Spotrac.com) average annual salary of $10 mill -- might not be a bad idea to bring him home. Especially if the F/O balks at Clowney's demands (assuming he wants to be here).
Complete horse shit. To get your head wrapped around this hypothetical you have to ignore the realities for what is driving the conversation in both Arizona and Cleveland. This dude needs to put down the controller and turn off Madden for a couple days.
Even though the Superb Owl hasn't been played, yet, we are officially in "silly season". Most what is written for the next few months won't be remotely worth reading. I just tune out until draft time, nowadays.
I actually like a lot of different opinions to bounce my own off of so I get sucked into reading some really inane shit. This one though... whew... Lots of dumb fuckery happening here.
I didn't watch it, for what should be obvious reasons, but I've caught up enough to know all the narratives now. Let me be quite clear here: f**k Odell. And I'm real close to adding all the current Browns players who still go to bat for this clown to that same sentiment.
On to 2022... Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 1-16; Post-Super Bowl Edition) The board is now set. A lot can (and will) change between now and April with free agency, trades, etc. For the time being, let's play make-believe. 1.1 Jacksonville Jaguars: Evan Neal, OT Alabama. Jacksonville is in a bad place. Trevor Lawrence puts the JAG in Jaguar but they gotta protect him. Neal makes sense here. 1.2 Detroit Lions: Aiden Hutchinson, EDGE Michigan. Local kid who had the best season at the position in the class. 1.3 Houston Texans Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE Oregon. Too much Dion Jordan in game for me, but he was a consensus top pick before a down year in 2021. Texans need everything. 1.4 New York Jets: Ahmad Gardner, CB Cincinnati. Put some respect on Sauce's name - dude is a beast and the best CB prospect in the class. Jets need a lot of things but a competent cornerback is near the top of that list. With two picks in the Top 10 they can afford to spend a premium one here as the top two CBs likely are gone by #10. 1.5 New York Giants: Ikem Ekwonu, OT North Carolina State. Interesting to watch these as the Giants have nearly back-to-back picks at the top of the order. So much will depend on what Brian Daboll discussed in his interview and subsequent hiring. My hunch this this: best player of need at #5 and choice of QB at #7. Ekwonu is a top LT prospect. 1.6 Carolina Panthers: Sam Howell, QB North Carolina. Much like Thibodeaux, Howell was a Top 3 prospect in 2020 who had a down year in 2021. However, his mobility is a major asset and if Rhule can get his back to his 2020 form, he should fare very well. Carolina must fix the QB spot. 1.7 New York Giants (f/Chicago): Desmond Ridder, QB Cincinnati. I think this is their guy all along and we may see Jones traded (or a trade already in the works) between #5 and #7. Ridder has some of the traits Josh Allen had and Daboll was able to mold him into an elite quarterback. A lot to like about Ridder/Daboll pairing. Bonus for signing Trubisky in the offseason to "back-up" Daniel Jones. 1.8 Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Hamilton, S Notre Dame. Hamilton is a defensive monster with elite size, great football instincts, and all-around talent. Here's the first logical spot I can see a WR come off the board (Cleveland watch) but it's tough to pass up a talent like this. Arguably, TE wasn't the biggest need last season and they went with the best all-around player (Pitts). In this class, it's tough to argue Hamilton isn't that top all-around guy. 1.9 Denver Broncos: Derek Stingley Jr., CB Louisiana State. Ideally, they would have gone quarterback since that's a mess, but QB3 in this class is definitely an R2 grade. If teams are keeping an eye on Stingley's 2019 tape, they won't let him drop outside the Top 10. A Surtain/Stingley duo is a must in a division featuring pass-heavy opponents and elite guys like Mahomes and Herbert. 1.10 New York Jets (f/Seattle): Drake London, WR Southern California. London just looks like a WR1 - he was on a tear prior to injury in 2021, too. A big-bodied, contested catch type of guy who can start Day 1 for a team lacking offensive fire power and set to lose 2-3 receivers to free agency. 1.11 Washington Commanders: Devin Lloyd, LB Utah. I cannot, in good faith, put three QBs in the Top 15 in a class that truly lacks a clear-cut #1 guy. Lloyd, on the other hand, can be a Roquan Smith-type player in this league who combines elite speed with great instincts. Taylor Heinicke wasn't awful but their pass defense sure was. 1.12 Minnesota Vikings: David Ojabo, EDGE Michigan. Minnesota has a lot of needs and how truthfully new HC Kevin O'Connell was hyping Kirk Cousins will be part of this picks' direction. For now, I have to take them at face value and address another glaring need: the defense. They produced a decent pressure rate in 2021 but did so without a designated guy. Hutchinson's running mate was a force in his own right, notching 23 combined sacks and TFL's. 1.13 Cleveland Browns: Garrett Wilson, WR Ohio State. Wilson is not just my WR1 but he's likely the WR1 in this class (depending on how you project USC's London). Browns had a litany of issues in 2021 but playmakers on offense was chiefly among them. Their best offensive weapons all line up behind center at the moment (Baker, Chubb, Hunt) so a guy who can step into Landry's shoes and thrive in a slot receiver role will be critical to Baker's (and the teams') success in 2022. 1.14 Baltimore Ravens: George Karlaftis, EDGE Purdue. Baltimore is an elite drafting team, so I could see this picking changing a lot over the next several mock drafts just based on where BPA falls. Karlaftis is a work-horse EDGE prospect who could pair nicely with 2021 top choice, Odafe Oweh. TRADE!! 1.15 Pittsburgh Steelers (f/Philadelphia via Miami): Kenny Pickett, QB Pitt. Owning back-to-backs gives Philly the chance to move down. In this case, their sisters from across the state can jump the Saints to get their QB of the future. No one in that F/O can feel good about Mason "Dixon Line" Rudolph taking the bulk of the snaps next season. Pickett is consistent and seasoned -- two things a stable franchise surely would appreciate. 1.16 Philadelphia Eagles (f/Indianapolis): Trent McDuffie, CB Washington. I don't think it's a secret the next two Philly picks are at corner and wide receiver where the team badly needs talent. The order will depend on how the prospects shake out. First up, McDuffie, who did not allow a TD in 2021.
Mock Draft 1.0 (Picks 17-32; Post-Super Bowl Edition) 1.17 Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Olave, WR Ohio State. Let's assume Mike Williams, who had struggled to produce until last season, signs elsewhere. Their roster is in really good shape on offense otherwise, so this could flip to the defensive side when all is said and done. Ultimately, I think the R1 receivers are more of a premium than the remaining defenders. 1.18 New Orleans Saints: Charles Cross, OT Mississippi State. The new coaching staff will have to determine the best path forward at the QB spot. This could be a Daniel Jones, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, et al. spot or - based on evals - a rookie. At the moment, I think stabilizing the line should be a focus. Cross is highly rated but struggled mightily last season, so take a stellar campaign with a grain of the "whole picture" salt, if you will. 1.19 Philadelphia Eagles: Jameson Williams, WR Alabama. The Alabama-to-Philly pipeline for receivers continues as they snatch up the electric, albeit injured, Williams. 1.20 Philadelphia Eagles (f/Pittsburgh): Nakobe Dean, LB Georgia. If they land the picks (and trade) here, I would say they easily won the first night. Dean is a lightning-fast defender in the mold of Cleveland's own Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Smallish linebackers have never been a problem for the Eagles and he's the top-rated guy on my board at this selection. 1.21 New England Patriots: Kaiir Elam, CB Florida. Other needs are there, but tough not to see the torching they experienced at the hands of Buffalo as a sharp reminder to Belichick his corners aren't up to snuff. Elam allowed only an 18.3 passer rating in his career, tops among SEC cornerbacks since 2017. 1.22 Las Vegas Raiders: Treylon Burks, WR Arkansas. Lot of directions that the Raiders could - or might - go. Burks, who excels from the slot, is a better fit in that offense than Renfrow. Burks is a prospect I really like and I hate sending guys I like to teams I don't... but I think this move makes too much sense to pass up. 1.23 Arizona Cardinals: Tyler Linderbaum, C Iowa. Tough to see a guy with this much potential drop this far, but a true center in the Top 20 seems like a luxury. Linderbaum plays in a pro style offense at a high level and earned PFF.com's "best center prospect ever" designation. 1.24 Dallas Cowboys: Kenyon Green, Texas A&M. Dallas stays in the state and adds a lineman that's played just about every combination of positions and done so at a high level. Cowboys need help at almost all those spots. 1.25 Buffalo Bills: Jordan Davis, DT Georgia. Man... the Bills are sooo good. It's tough to find a glaring need and while BPA is always an option, this team has always seemed (at least to me) to try and address deficiencies rather than add a "consensus top rated" guy. If you had to find a weakness, it was probably run defense? An absolute unit like Davis (6'7" and 360 pounds) feels like he fixes that problem immediately. 1.26: Tennessee Titans: Trey McBride, TE Colorado State. McBride is a beast and the Titans need an upgrade here. Overall, the team has a number of needs and their 12-5 record and coaching accolades are more a by-product of playing in a poop division than a team that is close, so I could see a number of positions end up being called between now and April. To wit: nine of their games were decided by 8 or less points and seven of those were decided by 3 or fewer points (they went 6-1 in those). 1.27 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jahan Dotson, WR Penn State. Chris Godwin may leave in free agency while Antonio Brown left midway through a Jets game. Tom Brady walking away while at the top of the game means this team could be back to "The Troubles" when QB play (Jameis Winston) held back an otherwise very solid roster. I think they could swing for a QB here but it could also be a landing spot for a veteran who wants to pick up Brady's mantle, so I'm going with the position of need. 1.28 Green Bay Packers: Andrew Booth Jr., CB Clemson. Much like how COY award was a joke, Rodgers winning MVP over Brady -- or Kupp -- was equally embarrassing for the League. Reportedly, the Packers are "all in" on bringing Rodgers back and will spend what they need to. I think lining the team with playmakers in free agency (Godwin, Adams, etc.) could entice him to come back. If they do, pass defense continues to be a big issue, so Booth will help out. Just adding another defender to a team that seems to thumb their noses at its QB every season seems like a bad joke, but believe me when I say I think they'll have QB sorted before the Draft. 1.29 Miami Dolphins (f/San Francisco): Bernhard Raimann, OT Central Michigan. Assuming this team gets to keep its draft picks (or its owner, for that matter), they would do well to invest in the offensive line. Flores held together an average roster with a below average quarterback and the team did him dirty. Good luck to Mike McDaniels and whatever the league decides to leave you with after the lawsuits. 1.30 Kansas City Chiefs: Kyler Gordon, CB Washington. Another Washington cornerback comes off the board, this time it's Gordon who boasts freakish speed and acceleration with the ability to play perimeter or inside. Chiefs finished with a very poor overall secondary ranking and need to boost that if they want to return to the Super Bowl next season. 1.31 Cincinnati Bengals: Roger McCreary, CB Auburn. Call it recency bias, but the inability to play defense at a clutch moment stopped Cincinnati from winning its first Super Bowl. If they do indeed pass up the offensive line (again), Burrow better hope that they fix those issues in free agency. 1.32 Detroit Lions (f/Los Angeles): Malik Willis, QB Liberty. Due to his contract, there's almost no chance they move on from Goff in 2022 but they do have an out in 2023. Goff's play was atrocious early but it got better as the season wore along. While I doubt he's the long-term answer, he certainly can be the short-term bridge to a guy like Willis who like Lamar Jackson in 2018 offers incredible upside as a playmaker but needs some development and seasoning before taking over a team.
This could be the start of a long process for them trying to find the guy, like so many of the rest of us have been doing for so many years.... OR, this could be one more example that will be thrown in our face of the "You let the Steelers take a QB, when you had the chance to take him yourself". The draft is such a game, some times you win, sometimes you crap out. 6 WRs in the first round... I think we see a current trend. There have been a lot of talented players at that position the past few seasons. This draft class looks stacked.
Don't love any of these QBs, tbh... but it's a buyer's market. Demand will always outpace supply. Pickett might be the safest of the bunch or at best "least likely to bust". Willis is probably the biggest boom/bust player with Howell not far behind. I don't see the Steelers waiting around for their guy and I also don't believe they can have faith in Rudolph. Five in first round of the last two drafts and as you said, the league keeps trending that way. It's still a copycat league and both Los Angeles and Cincinnati stacked their rosters with quality receivers.
Another interesting plot line (like all offseasons) will be the QB carousel. I think most sane folks can rule out the trades like Murray for Mayfield, but.... Deshaun Watson Aaron Rodgers Derek Carr Russell Wilson Carson Wentz Jimmy Garoppolo All could be playing in different colors next season and would not only shake up the draft, but the outlook of the divisions as well.
I considered it, honestly. There were a lot of articles after the Senior Bowl that the Steelers personnel folks were quite taken with Willis but I'm also very cautious not to believe most of what I read during the "silly season". Maybe in version 2.0 we'll change it to Willis. Good news there is you shouldn't have to move up for him!
I doubt that Picket, Willis and Howell make it to twenty. If they want any of them they will have to trade up.
Will be interesting to watch. He's certainly got the highest ceiling of any of the quarterbacks but arguably also has the lowest floor and would be the biggest boom/bust prospect -- at least at the QB spot. A team drafting him in the Top 5 will need to surround him with an appropriate cast and scheme - as Baltimore has done with Lamar Jackson - to limit his turnover-worthy plays and maximize his athleticism and ability to create outside of the pocket. Also... #1 - Jacksonville: Yes, Lawrence is going to be a bust but a team that sunk the first overall choice on him won't give up after one season. #2 - Detroit: I actually have them taking him but later on (and maybe that means they move up from #32 to get him). This would be tough to support passing over those elite pass rushers. #3 - Houston: They either have to trade Deshaun Watson (which means they should get something back in return), or convince him to play again. Davis Mills wasn't terrible. #4 - New York Jets: Drafted Zach Wilson second overall last season, too early to give up on him. #5 - New York Giants: THIS is where I think you'd see him picked up if your Top 5 prediction comes through. Daniel Jones isn't the answer and they have a new regime which could decide to hitch their futures to Willis.
The plot thickens... Again, probably rumors. That price tag is going to be very tough for a team to swallow, but I don't think Landry returning in 2022 stops the Browns from taking a WR early on. Unless they place a higher value on RT than WR or fail to resign Jadeveon Clowney, I cannot see them passing over the position at #13.
Guess we can take Carr's name off the list. Surprising to me, given his 0.449 winning percentage (0-2 in the postseason). Dude is fantasy football superstar, a poor man's Matt Ryan.
