Long read, but good one on Dobbs: Josh Dobbs Compares him early and often to Dak Prescott (where have I seen that before... ) and includes some insights the Senior Bowl.
Browns' QB Buzz from Mary Kay: The most unsettling bit is her second talking point: My response: Spoiler Having fun with some BBCode. Yay!
I've seen where the Patriots want to trade him before the draft. The Browns would be massive idiots to give up #12 for him but would be even bigger idiots for trading prior to the draft. I'm not a fan of trading for a QB who hasn't proved anything besides being injury-prone and who's facing a contact issue, but if they truly are entertaining the notion, wait until Round 1 is settled and see what happens with the #33 pick. You'd think some Harvard grads would be smart enough to figure that out...
Things I'd rather use the #33 overall pick on than Jimmy Garoppolo: DeShone Kizer[/*] Joe Mixon[/*] A punter[/*] Cocktail Hour with Bill Cosby[/*] Lead and Mercury-based enema[/*]
Now...if they believe he is better than what is available in the draft and can get him with the #50 pick (with a contract extension worked out ahead of time), then go for it. I am not taking a guy who has started (2) games, getting injured before halftime of his second start...an injury to his throwing shoulder no less...and only has one year left on his rookie contract, with anything higher than a 4th round pick, unless a relative contract is worked out ahead of time. Relative meaning backup money laden with incentives to make it a starter value. NO WAY am I guaranteeing this kid upwards of $35-40M (Osweiler money) with absolutely no proven NFL experience. Only incentive laden and wouldn't give up higher than #50 with a contract in place. Wouldn't give up anything higher than a 4th without a contract in place.
From the mouth of Hue Jackson: We've had some debate about 'arm talent' and what that really means. One measure of it is a QB's throw velocity. Jimmy Garoppolo measured at 56 - pretty high (since they've been tracking this at the Combine, the highest is 60). All this seems to rule out Cody Kessler, right? Wrong. Kessler threw 55 mph at the 2016 Combine. So the arm talent is there. Obviously, standing in the pocket and throwing isn't an issue for him... he completed 70.4 percent of his passes from the pocket in college and remember, per PFF.com, Kessler was first in the NFL in completion percentage under pressure - 79.4 percent. The measurables are negligible between a guy like Garoppolo (6'2" 226) and Kessler (6'1" 220) with one glaring exception... hand size. Garoppolo measured 9 1/4" - Jared Goff small. Kessler was a whopping 10 7/8". Remember: Hue says hand size matters. Kessler also has a longer arm (32 5/8") versus Jimmy G. (31"). Hue and Sashi have said repeatedly they're still "looking for the guy". He's been here right under their noses the whole damn time!! Draft him a safety blanket at #12 in O.J. Howard. Run the damn football like every other offense Hue's ever coordinated. Draft some impact players on defense (Garrett, Baker) to keep the pressure off a young offense. And give him a season to prove it!
Cody Kessler 6'1" 220 pounds 1 Yr. Pro Pros: Precision passer with adequate arm strength and mobility. Gusty performer on a bad team who still managed to show League-leading accuracy in his short audition window. Possesses both tangible and intangible assets that were on display, despite a letdown from overall talent around him. Already on the team, costing us nothing in terms of draft picks and only $770,246 against the cap in 2017. The F/O's confident choice in the 2016 draft which included two players who went #1 and #2 overall, the #2 option that Cleveland had a shot at who was deemed "not worth it". Cons: Two concussions in eight starts (five weeks apart) as a rookie and an undersized frame lends to some trepidation about not only his ability to stay healthy, but his long-term prospects if head trauma continues to mount. Not a running threat at QB and accuracy on the move needs to improve. Throws underneath when flushed which can cause too many failures to convert on third down. Could be a victim of a horrible season (1-15) that causes management to panic and hit the reset button. Bottom Line: I had to include Cody on the 2017 prospects list because he very much should still be in the mix for the position. If the Browns organization is going to write him off after one season - a season in which he wasn't intended to play at all - because the team as a whole went 1-15, then we need to be drafting new players at every position. Were there a slam dunk prospect at QB it wouldn't be a discussion. Were there even a guy who looks like they could be "the guy" with a little seasoning, it'd be a good debate. There isn't. The closest thing to it is Deshaun Watson who some people believe is a third-round prospect. If Mitch Trubisky does measure in a shade over 6'1" at the Combine, he'll be the exact same prospect Kessler was in 2016, only with two fewer starting seasons of experience (meaning he ought to be considered at least a 5 - 6 round prospect like Kessler was). Don't believe me? Trubisky as a junior: [table][/table] [table][tr][th]Comp[/th][th]Att[/th][th]Pct[/th][th]Yards[/th][th]Y/A[/th][th]TD[/th][th]Int[/th][th]Rate[/th][/tr][/table] [table][tr][/tr][/table] [table][tr][td]304[/td][td]447[/td][td]68.0[/td][td]3,748[/td][td]8.4[/td][td]30[/td][td]6[/td][td]157.9[/td][/tr][/table] [table][tr][/tr][/table] [table][/table] Kessler as a junior: [table][/table] [table][tr][th]Comp[/th][th]Att[/th][th]Pct[/th][th]Yards[/th][th]Y/A[/th][th]TD[/th][th]Int[/th][th]Rate[/th][/tr][/table] [table][tr][/tr][/table] [table][tr][td]315[/td][td]452[/td][td]69.7[/td][td]3,826[/td][td]8.5[/td][td]39[/td][td]5[/td][td]167.1[/td][/tr][/table] [table][tr][/tr][/table] [table][/table] Stick with the first-year pro and let him build on a decent start to his career. Comparison: Andy Dalton Final Thought: Like the three-time Pro Bowler in Cincinnati, Kessler isn't a physically intimidating presence (Dalton - 6'2" 215) and doesn't have the arm cannon or elite mobility, but he makes the right decisions and is deadly accurate. Dalton has helped to make Cincinnati competitive and helped take them to the Playoffs five years in a row. What does Dalton have that Kessler doesn't? A strong running game and a talented defense. The Browns course-correcting this offseason and going a different way with the QB position will underscore - at least to me - that they don't trust their evaluations and cannot field a competent defense or running game yet, instead insisting they need to "find the QB" to save all the problems. Moving on from Kessler is not a testement to his failures, but rather a testament to the failures of the F/O.
Wait a minute...I thought that came from IrishDawg? *SHADES* Honestly, I think this front office and Hue are inline with everything going on. I think they talk daily and I believe they don't have to feed too much info to the press because Hue Jackson is ready and willing to stand at the podium and say whatever is needed to get teams thinking. It isn't about getting a deal to trade down, but I think it is about having as many options as they can garner. If teams feel the Browns are desperate for a QB, they may think it will take more to move up to #1, #12 or even #33. By also stating every now and then the importance of a pass rusher, it leaves the options for the two lineman as possible picks at #1, again, increasing the value of that #1 overall pick. I don't think anyone will know who they are picking, or even what position, prior to April 27th at what 7:00PM?(I think that's when it starts)... I think they will have their draft board set by mid April and begin to do their mock draft scenarios for the final 2-3 weeks, to decipher what trades would get them the best possible players. This is common practice, and having trade partners for every scenario will give a true value to those top 15 players in the draft overall. If your #1 pick is top value of say a #5 overall and a 2nd round pick in compensation, it really isn't worth considering. Just make the pick. However, if they REALLY rate the top 3 guys within say a thousandth of a point, like I do...Trading back with the Bears would give you great value, even if you only ended up with their second rounder in compensation. Even though, I don't think that #1 pick is traded for less than either a 2018 first or 2017 2nd and 3rd.
Between you and Hue, it's like the chicken and the egg. Their board should be 1/14 set already. Spoiler Don't let [notify]Lyman[/notify] hear you say that.
The film doesnt lie....he can make all the throws, has mobility, doesnt throw many Ints and hasnt reached his ceiling....only thing I see sometimes is throwing w a backwards lean at times
I think, of the college QB's, Trubisky is the one that the Browns like the best, but I'm not sure if they like him as much as they like Garoppolo....I think the Pats want #1 overall for him, and the Browns are thinking more like maybe #33. In the end, I won't be shocked if we deal #12 to NE for Jimmy G.... Relax SAS, it's not the end of the world. Don't get any crazy enema ideas....JG went 2-0, completed 71%, had a 120 QB rating with 4 td's and no picks in his limited time. From what I've read, there are several NFL GM's that think very highly of Garoppolo...One supposedly is even on record as saying that JG is worth the #1 overall, and that NE would be crazy to trade him for anything less...Now, I don't know about all that, but I can see a deal happening here, and I mentioned that a month or so ago....I think the only thing that prevents it is Kyle Shanahan, when he gets to SF. He loved JG when he was here and fought hard for the Browns to take him. Of course, we took Johnny (against Shanny's wishes) and the rest is very forgettable history. It sucks, but I think SF will be a player and drive the price up... If we could get it done for #33 or better #52, I would be pleased with that....
For the record, I think it goes without saying, the Browns don't do anything unless Garoppolo is willing to sign an extension....
I really don't want to even think about Jimmy Garoppolo, to be honest...I am hoping and praying these are fluff reports...
I can't believe any Browns fans are content with our current QB situation. SAS can sell anything well, and I give him lots of credit for that. Wish I had him on my sales team back in the day, but I'm not buying the whole, "Cody Kessler is the answer" theme he's been working on ..I'm not saying Jimmy G is the answer, but if the Browns, and Hue Jackson, believe he is, then I can support the decision to try and improve at the games' most pivotal position....Just the mere fact that Hue Jackson keeps reminding us that it's his job to find a QB, and then declaring that he will succeed in his search, should tell ya something...He's not sold on Kessler.
TD, It's not that I'm content with the QB situation . . . I simply do not see anyone out there that is significantly better than what we have right now. That includes draft prospects and possible free agents.
