Browns Best and Worst - 2018 Edition

Absolutely!!

I'm expecting to retain both..We won't lose Higgins, he's a RFA. I think we will get a deal done with Perriman as well.

However, it's just my opinion that there isn't a WR worthy of the #17 overall pick. There are in my estimation, at least 15 guys right now that I have rated higher and I'm just scratching the surface. I'm very early into watching tape, I've only seen one game per WR, but right now my personal top WR is N'Keal Harry and I have him at a second round grade based on the one game I watched. I liked what I saw from an ability to fight for balls, but I wasn't sold on his ability to separate. I know that not many have him in their top 3, so if that holds true, he can probably be had in the second round. Like I've said before, I don't see a WR1 in this draft, but there are a lot of guys capable of being a WR2, which I would be very happy with now that we have Baker developing them.

Bottom line, unless I see proof to the contrary, I don't see a WR capable of being the #17 overall pick, based solely on the fact I have found so many other players that are worthy of that pick. Has nothing to do with the theory I want to pass over WR, it is based on BPA and I don't think that's going to change for me.

 

Fair enough. that's what i was wondering...It's all about perceived value. I see at least two WR's that I think are first round worthy, and potentially 4 or 5...I'm really looking forward to see how this group tests at the Combine...

 

I haven't scoured the internets enough, but I feel like most folks are putting D.K. Metcalf and N'Keal Harry in the Top 15 of wide receivers. I also haven't done enough film watching - mostly because our season wasn't over by early October - to make a personal judgement call on them.

My thinking is more along the lines of what impact a first round receiver would have, if said receiver isn't in the "can't miss" category of a Calvin Johnson or A.J. Green. The history the past several drafts has not been good. Couple that with the Browns' receivers actually taking tremendous strides under Kitchens and a scheme that played to their strengths.

The one thing we saw - especially early on this past season - was receivers struggling to get separation from corners, and this was double-compounded during those longer developing route patterns. Even Jarvis Landry struggled at that. So my priority for receiver would be a guy who can generate that separation and present open targets to Mayfield. I truly believe that Perriman can offer that as he continues to develop and develop in this offense.

If D.K. Metcalf were sitting at #17, right now I would take him over a defensive player most likely. That said, I expect he'll be a Top 10 pick.

 

I'll take my comments on WR needs over to the Rookie Draft thread . . .

 

And yet somehow lost Rookie of the Year to an above average running back.

 

Barkley was way above average but so was Mayfield

 

Mayfield, as a rookie, is already a Top 10 at the premier position in his sport. Looking at just his time with Kitchens, he's Top 5. Again, that's in his rookie year when he was also given no chance to be the starter.

Saquon Barkley wasn't even the best rookie running back this year. Nick Chubb was.

 

Honestly, I believe they gave the nod to Barkley because he was the best player to start day one. He did it for 16 games. That gave him a leg up, and to his credit, he ran with it. (pun intended)

 

Barkley was in rare territory for RBs, has the NY media behind him and was one of the two guys that deserved it. The other was Mayfield with the Cleveland media. Edge Barkley with the NY media.

 

I can't believe what I'm about to type . . .

I agree with Gideon on this.



Goes to prove stopped clocks are right twice a day.

 

He literally did not have as much success in his rookie year that Ezekiel Elliott did.



Totals:

Barkley: 22.0 touches, 126.8 yards, 1.0 touchdowns per game
Elliott: 23.6 touches, 132.9 yards, 1.1 touchdowns per game

 

I don't have any stats to back it up, but it seemed to me that Barkley had a lot of no gains or short runs that were offset by the "home runs". Chubb had some home runs, but I think overall his runs were more frequently in the "intermediate" range which would help sustain the offense better.

 

Some of this is relative to their teams, QBs, etc..

Saquon Barkley was tackled for loss 2.94 times per game, 10th worse in the league.

However, the 4th worse in the league was a 3-way tie with Rashaad Penny, Alex Collins and our own Nick Chubb at 3.01 times per game.

So, on the surface, Barkley seems to be better than Chubb here...right?

Let's look more closely at the top 5
Tarik Cohen was worst at 3.34, but it really shows just how bad he was when you look at he and Penny only facing an 8 man box 5.05% and 10.59% respectively

The next 3 above are as follows: Carlos Hyde 2nd worst at 3.02 (34.3% 8-man, 5th most in the NFL), Collins (34.21% 8-man, 7th most in the NFL) and Chubb (34.38%, 4th most in the NFL)

Barkley wasn't the lowest in the league by a long shot, but he only faced an 8-man box 22.9% of the time, 24th most in the NFL.

This was the difference between Eli Manning and a rookie's Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson running the show. Defensive coordinators always want to challenge rookies.

The Rams' Gurley only face an 8-man 8.2% of the time, Packers only faced 8-man 11.57% of the time.

I'm not sure you can really use these numbers to relegate who is better/worse from this metric between Barkley and Chubb.

Now despite the 8-man differential, Chubb averaged 5.2 yards compared to 5.0 for Barkley. No other RB averaging above 5 ypc had to face an 8-man box 30%+ of the time

Aaron Jones 5.5 ypc, 13.53%
Kerryon Johnson 5.4 ypc, 21.19%
Phillip Lindsey 5.4 ypc, 14.06%
Matt Breida 5.3 ypc, 25.49%
Nick Chubb 5.2 ypc, 34.38% Obviously tops in this category
Austin Ekeler 5.2 ypc, 28.3% (second worst percentage in the 5 ypc club)
Gus Edwards 5.3 ypc, 13.14%
Melvin Gordon 5.1 ypc, 25.71% (third worst percentage in the 5 ypc club)
Saquon Barkley 5.0 ypc, 22.99%
Christian McCaffery 5.0 ypc, 19.63%

I personally think it is relative, but everything is subjective when you break down selective stats.

I think Nick Chubb is one of the best in the league...

 

isn't that exactly what I said ?

 

lol, yup, just filling in your "missing stats".

 

In 2014, Ray Farmer took Justin Gilbert with the #9 overall pick. 118 selections later, he took Pierre Desir.

Gilbert was the biggest bust in Cleveland Browns history (don't @ me) and was out of the NFL in three seasons. Desir led the NFL in QB rating allowed in his fifth season.

 

between 10-19 yards...

Come on SAS, lol, let's not get out of control... Show me his stats outside of that marker, then we can talk...and this is coming from a guy that likes Desir, wanted him to stay.

 

I mentioned him on the F/A thread. Had a solid year for the Colts...I'd consider that an upgrade to Boddy-Calhoun

 

No doubt similar players. But, Boddy-Calhoun can and has also played Free Safety in addition to Nickle CB.

 

and Boddy-Calhoun can be signed to a RFA tender...which will most likely be lower than the free agent market. That's the one RFA that I don't understand letting go. He has done whatever was asked of him over the past 3 seasons.