DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum It's Time to Start Cody Kessler

Being the "glass half full" guy that I am, we can do just about anything in this next draft and address issues and improve.

I do not want to hijack this thread...but I'm gonna.

Do you think there is ANY chance that Garrett is actually Clowney? Or is he a can't miss guy?

I actually don't see that as a glass half full comment. I see that as admitting we're so bad everywhere that every position on the team could use an upgrade.

No doubt. I'd wager to say that the ONLY position I wouldn't even consider in Rd 1 or 2 is WR...I might get excited about a QB in Rd 2, but not likely with the defensive talent that's going to be sitting there for us.

bro, you're good.

we suck so much, every thread is gonna end up talking about who we can pick up in the draft. we need an upgrade at practically every position except LT.

Clowney was always talented, but lacked motivation and then had injury issues.

I don't think Garrett has any major issues.

We definitely need a safety/safeties. Assuming we have the first overall pick, I take Garrett. With the Eagles pick I would try and trade down and get more picks for 2018.

I would not be shocked if our front office moves off of 1/1 for a deal similar to what the Titans got.

At some point, you need players.

I get that Brown's fans love them some draft picks. It's all they have to look forward to. But, we end up w/guys.


We need impact players at impact positions.

And until that is accomplished, the draft will be a far more interesting subject for Brown's fans than the playoffs.

I agree Vers, we need ONE or TWO great player more than we need 5 or 6 average players. I see teams win every year in this league with a bunch of average players because they have other great players who make average players look better.

Yep. We have plenty of draft picks. It's time to get some players.

Trade down again? Oh lawd. lol

I think people are just gun shy because we have blown so many high draft picks looking for great talent that it is "safer" to keep trading back and lowering your expectations and if you come away with a guy who can just contribute, then that's fine.. at some point (sooner rather than later) we need to find a Von Miller (Overall #2) or a JJ Watt (Overall #11) or a Julio Jones (Overall #6) or somebody of that caliber at key positions..

And I'm not even addressing the QB position..

This is why I am officially on the Myles Garret bandwagon, I think he could be like Von Miller and make the entire front line good. I think he will make ogbah/orchad turn into super stars because all of the pressure he is going to create.

I say lets roll with Kessler and pick up another qb to develop.

We have enough draft picks. Stay where we are in the draft and take the best player available. Let's get some impact players.

As of this moment, my thinking is that Kessler may not be the long term superstar at QB, but as of today, he's really not the problem. He's ok. Not a John Elway or even Bernie Kosar, but he's ok.

I agree, get impact players..

Browns coach Hue Jackson dials down Cody Kessler hype but is still encouraged by rookie QB: ‘What he is so far looks pretty good’


By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer



Updated: October 21, 2016 - 09:03 AM


BEREA: Browns coach Hue Jackson amended a comment he made earlier this week about rookie quarterback Cody Kessler.

On Monday, Jackson said Kessler “is playing as good as I have had in a long time.”

On Wednesday, Jackson said, “What I meant by that is he is one of the better rookie quarterbacks that I have coached. ... He is playing as well as any rookie quarterback that I have had.”

That’s still high praise, especially because Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens was named rookie of the year and became the first rookie quarterback to win two playoff games when Jackson served as his position coach in 2008.

But the point is Jackson and the rest of those in charge of the Browns don’t want to get carried away with any Kessler hype when he’s started just four games and the team owns a record of 0-6 as it prepares to visit the 2-4 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Yet the third-round draft pick from the University of Southern California may have a better chance to become a long-term starter for the franchise than anyone anticipated a month ago.

“Cody is a beast,” rookie wide receiver Ricardo Louis said. “He got thrown into the fire, but he just ran with it.

Kessler has completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 865 yards and four touchdowns with an interception. His passer rating of 93.8 ranks 14th in the NFL.



“I have to keep improving. I have to get more comfortable. I have to do these things in crucial situations that will help us win games,” Kessler said. “That has been my main focus. Obviously, I want to build off of the things that I might have had a little success in, but your biggest focus point should be on things that you need to improve on.”

At least for now, there isn’t a draft-eligible college quarterback who has presented himself as a no-brainer, slam-dunk No. 1 overall pick, which the Browns are on pace to own next year because they’re the NFL’s only winless team. Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson may be the best of the bunch but have blemishes.

So what does Kessler need to do to impact the Browns’ plans for the 2017 draft?

“That is a good question,” Jackson replied. “I don’t know that anybody will affect the draft plans. I don’t think we will talk about those until the season is over.

“We are going to do everything we can to get better everywhere. I just think that is how we look at it. We want to have a good team as we continue to move forward.”

The Browns aren’t good, but they’re learning whether they already have a good, young quarterback on their roster. If there’s a silver lining to losing quarterbacks Robert Griffin III (fractured left shoulder) and Josh McCown (fractured left collarbone) to injuries in the first two games, Jackson said it’s that “you find out what you have” in Kessler.

“We have had a really good look at him, and we will continue to get a look at him as we move forward and know what he is,” Jackson said. “What he is so far looks pretty good. He is doing well, and I kind of anticipated some of that, but at the same time, you don’t know until you play.

“He has done some good things, but he has to keep stacking good games and practices and games on top of each other, and it is not going to always go right neither. I think we all know that. That is the National Football League. If he can stay consistent and consistently grow through all of this, then he will get better.”

There may always be doubts about Kessler, 23, because he isn’t the prototype. At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, he lacks ideal size and arm strength.

But could he eventually reach the level of Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton? Dalton, 6-2 and 220 pounds, doesn’t have a rocket arm, either, but he has made two Pro Bowls, and the Bengals have made the playoffs every season since they drafted him in the second round in 2011.

“Andy is a pro that has been doing it for a long time,” said Jackson, who guided Dalton the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Bengals. “He knows how to do it, and he has worked his tail off to get to where he is. I think we all know Andy is one of the better quarterbacks in this league in my opinion.

“Cody is working to get there. He has a long way to go to even be on that platform. He has to do it enough over time before he can ever be considered in a conversation with anybody like that, but what he is doing right now as a young player for our football team is as good as I have seen.”

Kessler actually got to know Dalton pretty well this past summer while they worked out together under the direction of throwing guru Tom House in Los Angeles.

“He talked about Hue very highly and loved him as a coach and just kept telling me I was very fortunate,” Kessler said of Dalton. “He is a great guy. He is a great competitor, and he throws the ball obviously really well, so I was learning from him.”

Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins first compared Kessler to Dalton two weeks ago in an interview with the Beacon Journal, and he did it again this week. Hawkins played for the Bengals when Dalton had a rocky preseason as a rookie but went on to make a Pro Bowl that year. Kessler endured rough exhibition outings but has looked much better in the regular season.

“There was a lot of question marks going in, but he thrives once he is kind of running the show,” Hawkins said, “and that is how Andy Dalton was.”

Hawkins added Kessler has what it takes to be a quality NFL starter, and he doesn’t view his arm strength as an issue.

“He is still young, and he is still learning,” Hawkins said, “but I think he is light-years ahead of what you see out of normal rookies.”

Kessler’s rapid development is tied to his dedication. The Browns are off on Tuesdays, but it’s his longest workday of the week. He watches plenty of game film and doesn’t leave team headquarters until about 9 p.m.

The most important lesson he learned this week is he must get rid of the ball against the Bengals sooner than he did Sunday in a 28-26 loss to the Tennessee Titans, who had 11 quarterback hits, including six sacks.

“Some of the sacks last game, watching the film, were on me,” Kessler said. “The offensive line did a great job. I just have to help them out and get the ball out a little bit quicker.”

Kessler’s awareness has allowed him to play as well as any rookie nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas can remember.

“He was going to be the guy that learns under Robert and Josh and see what he can do in the future years, but he was thrust into service, and I think he really surpassed people’s expectations, not only what he’s doing on the field, but how he prepares himself,” Thomas said. “As a leader, as a quarterback, those intangibles that you need to have, he’s clearly the type of guy that has those intangibles that can be a great quarterback in the NFL.”

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.
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Or you are more likely to select good players the more picks you have. Especially if you are getting more first and second rounders.

I agree. Depending on where the Philly pick ends up being, I would consider trading up from that pick. Hoping that it is high enough that we can bundle that pick with a 3rd rounder to gt high enough to get Jabril Peppers. I would play him at free safety or the way Pittsburgh used to play Palumalu.

Pair that with Garrett taken with our own 1st rounder and all of a sudden our defense looks pretty impactful.

Then if someone like King, the Cb from Iowa were to drop to our 2nd round pick ... Our defense is practically fixed.

Hey, I guy can dream

I try to temper my enthusiasm for Kessler by reminding myself how good Hoyer looked for a stretch. However, Kessler has improved each outing, he has made plays, he has eliminated bad plays for the most part and made smart, quick decisions. He has earned the respect of his team mates with his work ethic and attitude. I know his deep ball has come under criticism but he looks to have enough arm to be a good QB if he keeps maturing and progressing. That 4th down conversion to Pryor was a play beyond his years. Cool, calm, decisive and accurate. That's what I want in my QB. He needs a win, to get over the line, and I think that will help him and the team immensely.

I'm crossing everything because if Cody can keep on the same trajectory, not let any bad outcomes affect his confidence - he will have bad plays / games, it happens to all QBs - then unless there is a bonafide cannot miss QB coming out, I plug in the best player at our pick and build around Cody for the next year.

After that stretch Hoyer had culminating in that Thursday night game when he dissected the Bengals, I was sold on him. Alas, it wasn't to be (I still think Hoyer can be good, but that's another matter) but if Kessler can somehow be a Dalton-(good)Hoyer-esque guy, that's a guy to build a competitive team around that can challenge and hopefully get us a winning record in the next few years.

I'm actually looking forward to sundays despite our record because I have something I haven't had for a wee while - hope that we may have a decent QB for the future

I don't get that same feeling from the Browns, and I am thankful for that.

I don't think Kessler will ever be any better than he currently is. This is what I said about him in the draft forum after we picked him:





I thought this one was funny because we ended up with both guys:



https://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.ph...ler#Post1109734

With all that that, Kessler has a much better chance at being good than Brian Hoyer ever did. Kessler is starting in the NFL at age 23, that gives him ample time for development. Hoyer wasn't a full time starter until his age 29 season.

Too early to say whether I'm not on any of the college players bandwagon... but I'll wait til the season come to an end and see how Kessler finishes.

I like what I've seen from him so far. One thing for sure, I dont question his decision making. We've had a few QB's in the past that every time they passed the ball, I immediately got a gosh thats an INT feelilng. I dont have that with him. Take care of the rock, and I'm happy.