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He's been very productive over his career at Va. Tech. His name is especially cool though.

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DIVINE DEABLO...6-3..226#...5th year senior...

I need to watch some video on this guy...his size indicates that he is a physical tweener between LB and Safety.




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Exactly, he might be that positionless defender the team can use to run the 4-2-5. Hopefully our scouting department has done their due diligence.

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It’ll be interesting to see where things trend. Smaller and faster seems to be the current flavor on defense due to up tempo offenses and mobile QBs. You have speedy WRs like the Chiefs and then QBs like Jackson. The emphasis has become keeping those guys contained and in front of you.

Then you have offenses like ours with guys like Chubb and a zone stretch that love seeing more DBs on the field.

10 years ago it seemed like free safeties didn’t matter much and now they’re all the rage. It seems like LB has now become the undervalued position. Back when the Patriots started their dynasty, they had hulking former DL players like Bruschi and McGinest playing LB. Now LBs resemble more oversized DBs.

I wonder how the trend will keep evolving. Hell, next thing you know, some team will be the next hot item because they implement a power running game with a man-blocking scheme because the opposing defenses are too small.

Last edited by dawglover05; 01/29/21 11:06 PM.

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I agree. Things are cyclical. The power run game will make a return at some point, whether it’s widely accepted or done by a few teams to buck the trends and take advantage offensively


"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
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Originally Posted By: Dawgs4Life
I agree. Things are cyclical. The power run game will make a return at some point, whether it’s widely accepted or done by a few teams to buck the trends and take advantage offensively


A controlling run game slows down these scoring machines. Defenses are signing smaller faster players. They are not built to take Chubb beating on them for four quarters.

Many say the run game is fading, but if you look, the teams that can run are at the top of the heap.


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I get kinda confused when I see Ski build an offence that is built to beat the kind of Defense they want to build ..

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Browns D:
Myles Garrett
Jadeveon Clowney
Takk McKinley
Andrew Billings
Malik Jackson
Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Troy Hill
Greedy Williams
Anthony Walker
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Malcolm Smith
Mack Wilson
Sione Takitaki
John Johnson III
Ronnie Harrison
Grant Delpit
Sheldrick Redwine

https://twitter.com/H_Grove/status/1388317667388534792


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You know my love will Not Fade Away.........


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DL and Pass rusher with the next two picks.

Then I really don’t care.


There will be no playoffs. Can’t play with who we have out there and compounding it with garbage playcalling and worse execution. We don’t have good skill players on offense period. Browns 20 - Bears 17.

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Originally Posted By: GratefulDawg
Browns D:
Myles Garrett
Jadeveon Clowney
Takk McKinley
Andrew Billings
Malik Jackson
Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Troy Hill
Greedy Williams
Anthony Walker
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Malcolm Smith
Mack Wilson
Sione Takitaki
John Johnson III
Ronnie Harrison
Grant Delpit
Sheldrick Redwine

https://twitter.com/H_Grove/status/1388317667388534792


Murderers' Row

Last edited by TrooperDawg; 05/01/21 06:14 AM.
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Originally Posted By: TrooperDawg
Originally Posted By: GratefulDawg
Browns D:
Myles Garrett
Jadeveon Clowney
Takk McKinley
Andrew Billings
Malik Jackson
Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Troy Hill
Greedy Williams
Anthony Walker
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Malcolm Smith
Mack Wilson
Sione Takitaki
John Johnson III
Ronnie Harrison
Grant Delpit
Sheldrick Redwine

https://twitter.com/H_Grove/status/1388317667388534792


Murderers' Row



With that secondary, it's more like the 1st Air Cavalry.


Browns is the Browns

... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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Rashard Weaver: DE: Pittsburgh
Daviyon Nixon: DT: Iowa
Jamar Johnson: S: Indiana
Tre Brown: CB: Oklahoma

That's just on defense.

We could go Michael Carter: RB: North Carolina (though I doubt Ernest Johnson would appreciate that)


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You know my love will Not Fade Away.........


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Is this the physical profile for a Bullet type player I have read about? Seems like everything for anything.


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3 yards and cloud of dust rings a bell, a pass can go wrong two ways.....if you have the ball and score TDs and other team gets very few possessions, good things can happen....Go Browns!!!


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Originally Posted By: Bard Dawg
Is this the physical profile for a Bullet type player I have read about? Seems like everything for anything.


bard..Joe Woods and Berry had to be shocked that JOK was still on the board. JOKs athletic ability seems to fit a defensive scheme that Woods might prefer.

IMO, Delpit was drafted last year to possibly take on that position but his injury put a stop to any plan of a hybrid LB/SS.

Now with LBs JOK and Delpit, Joe Woods should be able to run more of his defensive playbook.




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Well, Mac we can live with those surprises OK, LOLetc. I want to see Woods and his D do more of about three things: First, get themselves off the field more; second, create more turnovers and takeaways; and, third, but not least, score every now and then. Our Line and this deck secondary should do all that and get some sacks.


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j/c...
A pretty good overview of who he is and how we got here...

Curtis Weaver: Why is everyone talking about him?

The Browns defensive line looks a lot different this year


By Barry Shuck May 21, 2021, 4:28am EDT 6 Comments


Did you hear that Cleveland GM Andrew Berry stole a fifth-round pick from the Miami Dolphins? Snatched. Seized. Kidnapped. Usurped. Captured.

And did you hear that the player they absconded just might be the answer to the right defensive end position as a stud pass rusher?

Curtis Weaver. Yeh, that’s his name. Never heard of him? Really? Well, let’s take a look at this young man.

In last year’s NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins drafted Weaver in the fifth-round as an EDGE rusher out of Boise State. Weaver (6’-2”, 265 pounds) had the college football production numbers that should have vaulted his draft status earlier than where he was drafted. One word: highly productive. Okay, that’s two words, but he is an intelligent athlete with a high motor and should become a solid defender for the Browns.

Or, he should have been with the Dolphins.

Weaver was never hurt in college, yet in Miami training camp he encountered a freak accident in the second week of full-contact sessions. He took on a block near the end of practice and felt a crack inside his cleat. Although in pain, he participated on the next play only to feel even more pain. He was then instructed to head towards the training room.

When Weaver got inside the training room, the trainers asked him to take off his cleat. As he did and removed his now-blood soaked sock, one of his toes was just, well....dangling. It seems that the big toe had completely snapped when the front of his cleat had gotten bent downwards.

From there, he was sent to the hospital. The extent of the trauma is described as an injury to the sesamoid bone in his big toe. It was there that he learned that his rookie season in the NFL was now over. The likelihood was that Miami would place him on season-ending IR even if surgery was not needed.

However, a few hours later he was informed that the Dolphins were cutting him with a waived/injured designation. This meant he was headed to the waiver wire. Miami’s full intent was to push him through waivers, re-sign him and then place Weaver on IR. However, that plan backfired.

When asked, Miami head coach Brian Flores stated in Sports Illustrated why they had made the decision to waive/injure Weaver and expose him to the waiver wire:

“A lot goes into these decisions: the injury itself, player performance, salary cap, depth at the position, next year’s draft. Those conversations happen with myself, (General Manager) Chris (Grier), (Vice President of Football Administration) Brandon (Shore), the coaching staff. He’s waived. He could get claimed. It’s a small percentage of players who do get claimed in this situation. We’ll see if we get him back.”

Browns’ GM Andrew Berry put in a claim for him. On August 25, 2020, Weaver officially became a Cleveland Brown.

At the time, the Browns had just come off a 6-10-0 season under then-head coach Freddie Kitchens, so they had the 10th spot in the waiver system. Since Miami was slotted Number 5, this meant only eight clubs were ahead of Cleveland. None of those teams put in a claim for Weaver, however, the Los Angeles Rams did with the 20th waiver wire slot.


Scouting report
That may be all well and good, but aren’t we talking about a fifth-round draft pick? What’s the big deal?

Weaver was a three-year starter for Boise State, but before that he attended St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, California and played varsity basketball and football. The top defensive end in the nation in 2016 was Nick Bosa. Weaver was ranked #40 and the 83rd best high school player in his state. He was named to the California Small Schools All-State Football Team and rated as a three-star recruit.

He received quite a bit of attention from D-1 schools including Wisconsin, Boise State and Illinois plus some D-2 schools. On his official visit to Boise State, he felt at home and announced his intention on National Signing Day.

He was a redshirt in 2016, and then played in all 14 games his freshman season. Weaver had 33 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, a defensive touchdown, 13 tackles for loss, one forced fumble plus 11 sacks.

In his second year, Wilson had 43 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. When the smoke had cleared, he was named First Team All-Mountain West.

2019 was the year that brought all his efforts together: 19.5 tackles for loss, 52 total tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, and 13.5 sacks. Again, he was named First Team All-Mountain West, but he also was a Ted Hendricks Award finalist, a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist, plus was named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year.

When his college career was completed, he had set the Mountain West Conference (MWC) record for career sacks with 34. He was also the only defensive player in college football to ever average 9.5 sacks or better during a three-year stint.

There were doubters who stated that the blocking standards and talent level in regards to the offensive linemen in the MWC weren’t as stringent as other conferences. Regardless, Weaver was ultra-productive at Boise State and was a problem for every offensive coordinator in that conference.

Weaver was the first player to receive grades above 90 from Pro Football Focus as a pass rusher since the Browns’ Myles Garrett in his playing days at Texas A&M. It has been noted that Weaver’s hand battles and placement along with better bend are some of the reasons he ended up in opposing backfields so often. He is also a leader.

Here is a 2020 pre-draft scouting report from TheLastWordOnSports.com:

“Over the past three college football seasons, few players rivaled Curtis Weaver in terms of being able to force negative plays week in and week out. His 34 career sacks are currently a Mountain West record. Those scouts and other talent evaluators who adhere to the notion that players can successfully transition their production from college to the pros will certainly have their eye on Weaver. He’s a smart, instinctual player who’s elusive in space which makes him capable of blowing up plays in the backfield.

Perhaps the biggest concern surrounding Weaver is his ability to convert speed to power doesn’t jump out which will inhibit his ability to dominate at the point of attack against the top tackles in the league. That probably creates a limit to his ceiling. But he does have a future at the next level.”

Here is the scouting report on The Draft Network:

“Does well to reduce, tilt, flatten and work around the outside hip of offensive tackles. Generally takes good rush angles and complements his rush with ideal footwork. He’s slippery when working through gaps and around edges. Rushes with a plan, showcasing an expansive array of moves to get home. Executes with good timing. He looked comfortable in any role, which speaks to his football IQ.”


Browns plans for him?
It seems very clear that the Browns consider Curtis Weaver can come in and someday soon become that dominant pass rushing machine he once was while in college or insert him at linebacker. The franchise was ear-marked to draft a young stud defensive end in this year’s draft, yet they did not. The speculation is that Berry believes Weaver is that vernal guy.

By claiming Weaver when he had just developed his injury, this meant that Cleveland had to immediately place him on IR and pay him for an entire year. Which they did. Later, Weaver would have surgery. It also meant that they had to save a spot on the 90-man training camp roster for this year until he was completely healthy enough to participate in camp. Which they did that, too.

Browns’ head coach Kevin Stefanski had this to say about Weaver in a recent article in The Beacon Journal about his expectations of Weaver making a contribution to the defense:

“Those are the type of guys that we’re going to give them every opportunity to grow, and they have to put the work in to make it happen. I love Curtis, and really, you can put him with the second-year players, or you can put him with the rookies and say this is truly his first year with us.”

According to Weaver’s agent Ron Slavin, he signed a four-year deal with the Dolphins for $3.602,996 million with a $308,000 signing bonus which is standard for a fifth-round pick. He got the same deal with Cleveland.

Players who are designated as waived/injured usually don’t get picked up by other teams for the reason that other clubs don’t want to take on the salary to pay a player who is injured and has zero chance of playing that year. For the Browns and Berry, Weaver seems to be that rare exception. He will be 23 years old in August while his cap number in 2021 is just $660,000.

In training camp this year, Weaver will be working for a spot behind either Myles Garrett or Jadeveon Clowney. Currently, those two backup roles are penciled in as Porter Gustin and Takk McKinley. Weaver will have to be patient plus he is facing a jump in competition from the Mountain West Conference.

The beauty of Weaver is that he has been in Ohio a full year instead of being claimed just now. At least his new teammates won’t be strangers as he spent the entire 2020 season at the Browns’ facilities complete with his rehab process. He has quietly and diligently spent the past six months working to regain his core strength, running, cutting, lifting and all the other rigors of working out. Now, the toe and his body have fully-healed and he was cleared by the team doctors two months ago.

Can Weaver secure one of those four or five defensive end roster spots? His defensive line coach, Chris Kiffin, believes in him:

“It’s exciting. He bought in, and we all saw the change. Word spread around the building like, ‘Man, this guy might be something.’ He’s been fun. We’ve had him in the meeting rooms all year long and he’s a good personality. We’re anxious as can be to get him out there and see what he can do.”

To be factual, once he became injured, the Dolphins decided Weaver simply wasn’t worth keeping around.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to get you triumph. It may have happened for Weaver. And since Andrew Berry did not draft a pass rushing defensive end in this year’s draft, the Browns are counting on it.

https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2021/5/21/22426897/curtis-weaver-why-is-everyone-talking-about-him


HERE WE GO BROWNIES! HERE WE GO!!
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I really hope he works out.

Crazy about the injury. One might say he suffered from an open sesamoid...

...I'll see myself out.


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lol!


It's a great story, and potentially the steal of the year. At the very worst, he should be able to develop into a solid rotational guy. Our long-term 3rd or 4th DE. If he blows up and takes a starting DE spot, so much the better.... either way, our depth is improved and we're better positioned to keep pressure on offenses throughout a game.


Browns is the Browns

... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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For whatever CBS knows ....... but if they're right ...... look out. wink

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranki...not-far-behind/


Ranking NFL's top 10 defenses for 2021: Hail to the Football Team, with Bucs and Browns not far behind

We've spent a lot of time this offseason talking about offenses. But enough of that.

Now, it's time to move to the other side of the ball. Because while offense has a greater effect on overall team performance -- and is more consistent year over year -- than defense, you still need to put up some resistance in order to actually win football games. Rather than go through every team from 32-1 on this side of the ball like we did on offense, however, we're going to reveal our top 10 defenses here, and then debut a list of teams from outside that group that have the best chance to crash the party as the best defense in football.

Without further ado ...

(You can read the rest of the teams at the link)

3. Cleveland Browns
As high a hopes as I have for the Ravens, they are even higher for the Browns. They should be the most improved defense in the league. John Johnson III might have been the best free-agent signing of the offseason, a perfect match of skill set and team need. He'll diversify the team's coverages with his ability to play center field and rotate into two-high looks, and to make plays on the ball. Cleveland also added both Troy Hill (in free agency) and Greg Newsome II (in the draft) to Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams at corner, plus they have Grant Delpit coming back from injury and Ronnie Harrison for a full season. They signed Jadeveon Clowney and Takkarist McKinley to supplement Myles Garrett on the edge, and brought in Malik Jackson and Tommy Togiai to work with Jordan Elliott and Andrew Billings up the middle. Throw in linebacker Anthony Walker and jack-of-all-trades Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and this might be the most versatile group in the NFL.


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bro if our defense even finishes in the top 10 at the end of the season...when the last time that happened? 2014 season with Pettine?


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What will be more impressive is if the defense finishes in the Top 10 along with having a Top 10 offense.

We've seen all too many times where teams wouldn't even work their offenses because we posed no threat, so our defenses had stats that looked better than they were.


Browns is the Browns

... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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I'd heard of Weaver, hasn't played a down yet, iirc, think he's a guy with upside I'd like to see make the 53 to see where it goes.

Defense where do they go from here,
Ahead of myself: WE all know, 8 Charlie Fryes, Quinns, Thaddeus', and so on are not equal to one top QB in this league, on that note the tough question number 2.

The Browns are expected to have a lot of success including playoff level in the upcoming season, the defense is expected to be top quality and part of it is using a lot of cover guys and more snaps in dime defense than otherwise.

1. Do the Browns have a veteran true Cornerback not named Denzel Ward or Troy Hill?
2. Is this player a real veteran cornerback or one of the other categeories.?

a) A hopeful veteran who has experience but has not yet been really good.

b) A 1st year player with high expectations but we never really know until it's tested.

c) A position player who is not a true cornerback.

It'd be fun to just wave the Brown and Orange flag and not question anything but that is a tough question to answer that may be a future look back at why they didn't live up as a group to expected success.


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Having two of three starting CB's as veterans goes a LONG way. You can afford to start a rookie/Greedy on the other side. Further backing this is the guys behind them: we are LOADED at Safety. Yes, Delpit will be a redshirt rookie, but he was lighting it up in camp last year before his injury and he has a year of learning under his belt.

This isn't to say that it will all be roses and fairy farts, because it won't be. QB's will still get theirs, we will still give up some big plays, we will still allow completions and some of them will be in the endzone... but we will still stop more than we allow. We're gonna be Ok.

The weaknesses that offenses choose to attack will still be starting-caliber players; not recycled backup role players forced into a starting role.


Browns is the Browns

... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.

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Yeah as really having two CB vets does go a very long way. But hope Greedy will star off the bat!


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