DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2016 NFL Season 2016 NFL Draft Third Round Pick - QB Cody Kessler

I'm still hesitant to come out of the shadows and post but I'll say this:

My first reaction was that this is a guy who was taken too high. I remember the last time a "QB Guru" with the Browns stepped in and clawed for his guy to be drafted in the third round. It didn't end very well for us. I thought we really reached on Kessler. I still don't think he will end up being worth the pick, but I like the guy and I hope I'm wrong.

Now that being said, I reviewed his film. I did see a guy who hit throws the likes of which Weeden, Quinn, McCoy etc. did NOT hit. I saw him hit the fades, the backshoulders, leading on nine routes, hitting the posts in stride. The other guys we had hit spots. Often stationary targets or receivers coming back toward the LoS. Except for Quinn, they were in gimmicky offenses, did not read coverages, and did not keep their eyes downfield. I saw Kessler do all those things with some success. He has a good feel for the pocket and he throws with anticipation. I don't have much hope for the kid, but I'm keeping an intrigued eye on him.

i only know him from a highlight video....but i can see a project that, really, really might pan out! the browns are obviously thinking 3 years....this is good...they drafted weapons and defenders..out of 4 wr and 5 pass catchers drafted...lets try to remember they got 2 o line, 2 maybe 3 pass rushers
its almost like they said you know what...we need talent....just get more pics and find the talent...etc...just get talent...i realize this is what all teams try to do...but the obvious result is this...in this draft
we got the most upside and doubled down....ill take my chances at dealer 16....hit me


i really think they did....its kinda like they thought of not just drafting, but treating it like recruiting....just get talent...we will coach em

Whats with us? We've been down this road too many times with experimental QB's and ALL of them failed. there is very good reason to be skeptical with this organization. If he's meant to be a backup, so be it. Then why are we drafting a backup before a franchise QB? Thats like replacing your spare tire before replacing the flat tire on your car.

I've said before I am done with blind faith in this team. If Hue wants my trust that he made the right pick, then he needs to prove he can win. Until then, I will remain skeptical in every decision this organization makes.

can't say I disagree super...clearly he was in contact with Hue and company long before the draft took place. haven't seen any vids on the kid, buy I am at the point that if Hue likes what he sees and has had an chance to study the kid and like him then why not let Hue do his thing? otherwise the Browns should just hold and a contest and draft whom ever the said winner of the contest was and draft whom he thinks is good and roll with that

so you mean, you will question every single move the Browns make until a winner is produced? that is a lot of questioning my friend

Some scouting reports from the past

"Is not what you’re looking for in terms of physical stature, strength, arm strength and mobility, but he has the intangibles and production and showed great improvement as a senior. Could make it in the right system but will not be for everyone." Tom Brady

"Weaknesses Cousins is widely considered to be a game manager type at the next level. He makes good decisions with the ball but has not shown he can make the flash plays to move the offense and win games for his team at the next level. He will need talent around him to succeed, which limits his value. " Kirk Cousins

I don't have time time to look everybody up but If I remember correctly all of these guys were said to have below average arm strength. Manning, Joe Montana, Brees, Sipe, Tarkington, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Alex Smith, Rivers.

Will Kessler end up as good as even one of these guys??? Will he be out of the league in 2 seasons??? I have no clue and won't pretend to. I prefer smart QB's who are accurate to strong armed guys who are idiots, so Kessler appears to be my type of QB BUT I don't know enough about the kid to even form a opinion about him one way or another.

j/c:

Kessler was likely to not get drafted. We missed out on a lot of good prospects, including a few qbs, by trading down w/Carolina and then taking Kessler as high as we did.

I have no clue if he would or would not have been drafted. As I have said many many times I have very little knowledge of most collage players. I would feel comfortable saying 90 percent of the folks on this board know more about the guys being drafted than me.

Can Hue be objective with His own personal pick ??

I want to see how the kid does with some solid coaching and IF we give Hue a chance to stick around some actual stability! 4 coaches in five years doesn't create an environment for a QB to thrive in. Was Sarkisian ever sober for a game plan? I'm going to do what Hue said and trust him. What else at this point is there to do?

I've been racking my brain trying to understand this pick.

I still don't understand why Kessler was taken in the 3rd round. I think taking him there was a major reach.

MAYBE part of the reason to draft an effecient pro-style QB rather then a developmental QB is to give the large class of rookie WRs a headstart on learning the offense at rookie mini-camp?

So I was originally with most of you on this been g a reach pick, but at the end of the day Hue saw something in this kid and wanted him. I say that as ringing of an endorsement as you can get.

Then I watched some highlight tapes and came away impressed. Not only does it look like he has plenty of arm, he has a great awareness of the pocket and is extremely accurate. The best part for me however was that he always finds the open man. He goes through his progressions and makes the right decision. He also shows some decent athleticism.

I have no idea how to embed video! Here is the link to the video i watched..

The video is fine but the language in the video is not allowed on this board. If you can find a video without the profanity please feel free to re-post it.

Holy cow, you're right, that tape does seem to show his arm is fine. I know it is a highlight tape, but my one (overriding) concern was the noodle arm. Everyone says he is smart, understands pro offenses, is a good guy, processes fast, etc. The concerns are height (6-1 is fine) and the arm. There are a lot of deep throws on this reel and a lot that show him rifling it in to a tight window.
I will trust in Hue.

This guy does not have a noodle arm. He is not Colt McCoy. It was said he does not have elite arm strength. Either did Joe Montana, or hell. Most of the elite QBS. Brandon Weeden has elite arm strength. I am excited about this pick after watching some tape on him. He works through his reads , finds the open guy, and hits him in stride.

You're right, his arm looks fine. He looks and plays a lot bigger than 6-1 too. He's much stronger than our Lil' Colt (who I compared him to, wrongly). The Browns say he's here to compete for the starting job, not as a designated backup. We'll have to see how he does, but I feel better after watching that video - and yes, I realize it was a highlight vid. LOL, it looked like he threw 75 TD passes last year.

I think you guys should look at every scouting report available and see how many say that his arm is fine and how many say that his arm isn't very good.

Would that be fair? Or, does one highlight video tell us for sure that he has a good arm?

We won't know anything about his true arm strength until he plays at FE Stadium on a cold, windy December afternoon.

So if he's third string, it'll probably happen this year.

His offense changed when Sark got the boot and his center got hurt. They went to a short passing, run heavy scheme. He didn't have time for longer routes to develop, so he became the guy who only threw it short. Throwing it short led to the weak armed label. He hit 55 MPH at the combine which is solid. In his 2014 tape, there are times he overthrows his receivers 40+ yards downfield (there was a flag). He had 5 coaches in 3 years and was supposedly the guy that kind of held the team together.

I'm not saying it was a great pick, but I don't think it was terrible either. He seems pretty advanced on the mental side. Cody showed an ability to look off coverage, get through progressions, and use the pump fake. The way he moves reminds me of Tom Brady.

However, he didn't always make the best decisions this year. That does worry me a bit. Hopefully it was just the mid season change in offense and a lack of comfort with it.

*LOL* ... Another entry into the sad but true column .... ..

The real question is actually where to set the over/under ..... 8 games or10 games? ... ..

Vers, I wasn't saying he had a good arm or a bad arm, just that the eye test seems to indicate he has enough arm to make the throws he needs.

Like I mentioned the biggest piece for me was the accuracy, pocket awareness, and ability to find the open man by going through his progressions. Granted, it is a highlight tape, but i came away feeling better than I did when we first made the pick. Also, he put up some great numbers at USC during their down years against some pretty good talent. Palmer, Sanchez, and Leinhart all had amazing OL and WR's surrounding them, Kessler really didn't.

JMO

Think he was overdrafted, but at this point, I'm okay with the pick.

Let him learn, and see what shakes. Our QB's never stay healthy for a full 16 games, so I'm sure at some point he'll get a shot to show something.

j/c

I wonder if it is a reach or not taking Cody in the third round. If Hue is being truthful, he believes this guy is our future. Do you wait?

New England, Dallas, and Baltimore use analytics extensively. All looking for a future or backup QB. Hard believing Hue/Cleveland were the only team looking.

The biggest thing I like about this kid is how he stayed consistent through several coaching changes. We see it in Cleveland what it does to players. You know it messed Cody's development.

One thing for sure Cleveland will have a room full of hungry QBs competing for a starting job. We know what McCown can do. If either RGiii or Kessler wins the starting job, one must believe they found a quality guy.

I watched some tape of Kessler earlier, and he really impressed me. To me, he has plenty of arm strength. He will never be Joe Flacco, but he can hit a guy in stride 30-40 yards down field no problem. He has a quick release, moves in the pocket well, and is crazy accurate. None of this means he will be a good QB, but he has a shot to be pretty good if he puts the work in.

Its not like I posted what I did to pimp the pick. I just wanted to amend my earlier comments, and say I have moved to the wait-and-see crowd when it comes to Kessler. I'm no scout, but his arm looks perfectly okay to me. Certainly not Bradshaw or Elway quality, but at least "average". I don't have access to real scouts' reports, but one guy I do read, Daniel Jeremiah, say he has average or adequate arm strength. Others, like Dane Brugler say its below average. My eyes say its not that big an issue for Kessler. Anyway, if his ceiling is Andy Dalton, he's a bargain at #3. If his floor is "quality backup", as Gil Brandt suggests, its probably still worth the pick. So I'm stepping away from the ledge about this pick.

Alot of what you said in your post says he has a good chance of being more than capable QB. I also read where he goes through his progressions well. With a good QB coach like Hue working with him he has a chance to be real good.

Just a thought;

When we drafted JFF, the fans and media immediately began demanding the Browns start him. There won't be as much pressure to get Kessler into the game before he has had a chance to acclimate himself to the league.

This group, and this plan, must be given AT LEAST three full seasons. As much as folks - self included - are absolutely freaking tired of having patience, this plan requires folks to just accept right now that 2016 & 2017 seasons are scrapped; we're hoping to show meaningful progress in the 2018 season.





I don't get the impression that this FO is concerned in any way with justifying their choices to the masses ('m' may be silent).

I agree that we should trust in Hue when it comes to QBs. However; I still think he was a reach in the 3rd round.

And I'm tired of fans who never mentioned the guy, didn't even have him on their radar, a guy who was a projected 6th round pick or later, suddenly change everything they believed about this QB class because the people in charge here did the complete opposite of what they believed to begin with.

They reached for the pick. He has little arm strength and you feel somehow vindicated in being a blind follower. Do ahead Tab, it's you MO. Sorry that you feel it's so wrong to question what seems to be your belief of your blind loyalty and superiority because you wish to be a follower and have been of every coaching staff and FO we've ever had.

The evidence is strongly in favor of the failed policies that have led us to where we are now. Sorry, you lose this one.

I didn't say that in an accusatory tone. It was a suggestion. A couple of us have said his arm strength is poor and a couple of you said his arm strength looked fine. Instead of arguing about it, I suggested research. That's all. I wasn't trying to be mean or critical.

"Bridgewater’s statistics in his final college season confirm the scouts' concerns. He completed 39.1 percent of his passes thrown 20 yards or farther downfield, the second-lowest percentage of the top 10 QB prospects ranked by Scouts Inc.

The issue is arm strength. As noted above, Bridgewater is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the nation on intermediate passes, but when he has to throw it farther downfield, the ball tends to hang in the air."

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/87939/grudens-qb-camp-teddy-bridgewater

We are talking about Kessler.

You liked Teddy with issues about arm strength but not Kessler?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/201...r-starting-job/

Browns make it clear that Cody Kessler will compete for starting job

When quarterback Robert Griffin III signed with the Browns, the Browns made it clear that Griffin would be handed nothing. He won’t even be handed the edge over third-round rookie quarterback Cody Kessler.

In response to a suggestion during a Saturday press conference that Kessler won’t pose a threat to Griffin, Browns executive V.P. of football operations Sashi Brown advised caution: “I beg to differ with that,” Brown said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I do think Cody is a guy that I would not want to sleep on at all if I wanted to be the starting quarterback of the Browns.

“[Kessler is] going to come in serious ready to work. Robert has four years of NFL experience, is tremendously athletic and serious about becoming a starting quarterback in this league. There’s no reason he can’t, but this is going to be a competition.”

Even if Griffin has the edge, it’s smart for the Browns to create the impression that Griffin will have to compete. He arrived in Washington with the presumption that he’d be “the guy.” Now, he’s just “a guy” — and he needs to regard himself that way.

“We truly believe in competition here,” Brown said. “We’re realistic about where our roster is at that slot and we want to find a long-term answer. It’s as critical for everything we’re going to do here. We’ll give them an opportunity to compete and the best quarterback is going to start for us period. We’ll roll the ball out and see who’s the best at throwing it.”

The candidates for the starting job are Griffin, Kessler, Josh McCown, and Connor Shaw. Which means that part of the competition will consist of determining which of the four won’t be on the team come September.

Eh, he'll "compete", but I wouldn't put much stock into him having any real chance at beating everyone out for the starter role.

His main competition will be to make the roster - he should aim for McCown & RG3, but know that his real competition is with Shaw and whomever else might be in camp throwing balls around.

Jackson said before the draft that every position is up for grabs except left tackle.

I didn't take it as accusatory, mean, or critical. Just trying to explain what I think, and why. Sorry if it came off as defensive.

He'll also be competing for a roster spot.

here is some footage of the kid...

General reply

What are the percentage chances that Cody Kessler is the future starter of the Cleveland Browns for the majority of games for a 2 or 3 year period, beginning next, next season the 2017/2018 year. Not this upcoming year.

10%

20%

50%.

They finaly had a franchise QB in Manziel, and cut him for their own ""Moral"" reasons. He didn't fail on the field.

Either way, I still feel the 50% coin flip win for the Browns is the 5th win of the year. Thinking they only have a 50/50 shot to get to that 5th win mark, and they aren't going to win 6 games this year.

Bright side!
The last two times the Browns drafted a wide receiver in the 1st round they had a winning season 2 years later. (was Edwards from 05)
Kevin Johnson, and Braylon Edwards.