Stump Mitchell RB's, Adam Henry WR's, Ryan Lindley QB's, John Lilly TE's.
I was struck by their professionalism. All had that coaching mentality. "Get better every day."
All echoed an underlying respect for Freddie. They Liked the way he went about his business. All mentioned how he has delegated authority and let them all know what is expected.
All seemed to acknowledged the talent. Had positive things to say about Baker has a leader.
Stump mentioned more than a couple times how well Hilliard has done. He mentioned that Freddie was high on Hilliard. His respect for the depth of talent. He knows these runners very well. Has had previous experience with most of them.
Lilly TE'S, said he is looking for Njoku and DeValve to be consistent. It is there but it is not there at all times.
Adam Henry of course knows Jarvis and Odell. Knows how they work and what to expect from them. He was pleased with Callaway and how he has come back as an improved player.
Ryan Lindley spoke of Baker and how driven he is. How he is able to get everyone on the same page.
None of this is earth shattering. However, there is a vibe. The overall energy and knowledge is impressive.
My take away is that from head coach, coordinators, and position coaches, we have a solid professional staff. All appear to be excited to be with the Browns and the opportunity in front of them.
Overall I see a solid group. Experienced straight forward guys.
I am sure that Dorsey assisted Freddie. At least as far as candidates.
Once camp breaks in late July it will get serious. This time of year it is important for the young guys and the guys trying to make the team.
I keep imaging the offense. Once these guys find the groove they will be hard to stop. We have the right mix of youth and experience but the talent is undeniable.
Good insights, Bonefish, and I agree with it as a good group, and I am cautious at the same time. With this group of coaches and the way Kitchens is using them, I hope we game plan better, and also that we troubleshoot better and adjust on the fly better. All about game prowess. I say that because of the sting I still get when I remember week after week how we "We really practiced well" and lost games.
We need to win games. Played hard, fans do not need to be told you "battled." Our coaches' in-game game has been weak. I think we are mentally tougher now.
"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
I was struck by their professionalism. All had that coaching mentality. "Get better every day."
With these guys its a mantra and not just something said at the opening presser ... These guys are all on the same page ... i think that was a huge priority on the traits list during the hiring process .... being a team guy and understanding u don’t know it all or have all the best ideas ....
Quote:
All echoed an underlying respect for Freddie. They Liked the way he went about his business. All mentioned how he has delegated authority and let them all know what is expected.
That starts at the top and Dorsey got his guy 100% in this aspect and it was one of the huge advantages Freddie had with that year long interview ... sounds like he was raised that way and he’s not changing who he is for no one or nothing ... ANOTHER thing the players love and respect about him ...
When these guys who we hired called around to find out about Freddie from those that worked with him before it sounds like all they got was glowing remarks from both former coaches and players ... there’s a reason the Tuna and Arians and many many others speak so highly of the dude and who he is as a coach and person ...
Not sure what happened but everything else bone posted is gone now ... to be continued ...
This coaching staff is extraordinary. While other staffs are calling their players pieces of crap,these guys are praising their players. They should all be placed in the HOF immediately.
CLEVELAND, Ohio —Browns quarterbacks coach Ryan Lindley hopes to travel to Norman, Oklahoma over the next month or so to pick Lincoln Riley’s brains about Baker Mayfield and his high-flying Air Raid offense.
Riley guided Mayfield and Kyler Murray to back-to-back Heisman Trophies and back-to-back No. 1 overall picks in the 2018 and 2019 draft, with Murray going to Arizona and making Josh Rosen expendable.
"Obviously the guy's busy running a powerhouse college football program, so I'm sure it would be tough to try to fit into his schedule, but I'd love to,’’ Lindley said Thursday after Browns’ OTAs. “Yeah, obviously, after this next week, we've got a little time off and hopefully we can do that. I'd still love to pick Lincoln's brain and those guys out there in Norman."
Lindley, the former NFL quarterback who promoted from Browns running backs coach last year to quarterbacks this year, is determined to do anything possible to help Mayfield succeed and has even watched a ton of film of Murray to pick up clues.
“Obviously, knowing where (a guy’s) from, especially young guys, kind of where their baseline is, it'd be great to see what they're thinking,’’ Lindley said. “You kind of have a good idea of what they do, but you just want to see how they ingrain the things. The great tools Baker has right now, you can even see it in Kyler, so obviously that's coming from somewhere. They're teaching that there. They do a very good job of developing quarterbacks. You'd love to kind of see some of the things that they do to make that happen."
The Browns have also hired former Oklahoma graduate assistant Tyler Tettleton to bring a little of the Riley magic here to the lakefront. Tettleton was in Oklahoma with Mayfield from 2015 to 2017 when the Sooners won the Big 12 Championship three times and Mayfield won the Heisman.
“As much as we can do,’’ said Lindley. “I think it was great to bring Tyler in because once Tyler got in and while the players weren’t still here, he and I were in here kind of putting together some of the playbook. The biggest thing for me obviously I got to know Baker in the eight weeks that I was here at the end of the season but getting to know really how kind of certain thing that he picks. He’s been in a room with him for four years, for an extended period of time, having Tyler and knowing kind of what Baker thinks, where we can go back if we want to do some things like they did at Oklahoma, Tyler can be a great reference for that, so he’s been great for us.”
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
My take away is that from head coach, coordinators, and position coaches, we have a solid professional staff. All appear to be excited to be with the Browns and the opportunity in front of them.
Guess there wasn’t much left ... *L*
There’s a reason guys like Arians were actively lobbying for this job .... everyone wanted it cause of the talent we had and the cap space we had to acquire more ... then u add a dude as well respected and liked as Freddie and your going to get quality coaches throughout the staff ....
And the fact some of the O coaches worked with and got to know those guys makes the learning curve a lot less steep ...
Off topic some but I’m wondering with Freddie calling plays, will Monken be on the sidelines working with the players directly, or up in the booth giving Freddie his birds eye view? I’ve always thought calling from the booth would allow for a better understanding of what was actually happening on the field. Thoughts?
I would think Monken might be an "on the field" OC with us, talking to our offense between possessions and during time outs since Freddie will have his hands full with other things.
Though, like you, I could see how it might be beneficial to have that booth perspective to speak into Freddie's ear.
I was going to make a new thread, but decided to put this here.
I am worried about Steve Wilks for a few reasons.
The first is that his defensively philosophies are similar to Gregg Williams. Both like to bring a ton of pressure on the qb. That's good at times, but people sure were complaining about how much we blitzed last year.
The second and more important reason is that Wilks Carolina defense played more zone than any other team in the NFL when he was the DC there. I like using zone defenses. I like mixing defenses up. However, I don't think it's a good thing when you utilize one defense more than any other coach in the league.
This bothers me because that suggests we might be playing more Cover 2 than I think we should. You can read the Cover 2 thread for more info about that. I do NOT think our corners are Cover 2 corners. I think they are man corners and Cover 3 corners.
Finally, Arizona's defense regressed after Wilks got there. Here are some numbers:
He's been successful as a coordinator and even in AZ his defense wasn't that bad. I think the more important thing is how he and freddie work together. He also has alot more talent here than he did in AZ https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/fro...ks-an-ideal-fit
Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday. -John Wayne
What I would love to see is a DC that doesn't dogmatically tie himself to any single philosophy.
What might set my mind at ease is perhaps more of an explanation/insight of what he said about the corners. Trying to divine too much from one quote with little context is never a good idea.
Every defense is great and versatile - and every defense has a weakness and different personnel requirements. Different defenses have evolved as a means of attacking or taking away different things that have gotten popular with offenses over the years; they all have their uses and their place -- I'd like a DC intelligent & flexible enough (and I'm not saying that Wilkes isn't this) to put in place a system that allows a team to flow seamlessly between them as needed based upon the opponent/personnel we are facing. Hopefully, any DC at the NFL level is capable of this.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
While you bring up a good point, I still haven't seen anyone try and break down the secondary talent he had to work with on the teams he previously coached. Not many teams have two shut down CB's and a dependable FS on the same roster.
I'm simply wondering how the talent he was given to work with may have influenced or possibly limited the defenses he could employ?
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Actually, while I didn't do full-on scouting reports of each player, I did do this in another thread.
He had diddly to work with for the most part - both in Carolina and Arizona.
Any "names" he had either were at the end of their career or were lost part way through a season to injury. Tre Boston followed him everywhere, but that isn't saying much. End conclusion: he has NEVER had secondary talent like he does right now.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Thanks. That's sort of what I expected to hear. I'm not saying that he'll suddenly modify the defenses he will call here. But knowing he didn't have the talent to expand the D's he could run certainly opens the door for him to expand and vary his coverages here.
As is often times the case, coaches can be limited by the talent they're given to work with. Hopefully that's the case here and he'll use the secondary talent we have to their strengths.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
However, at this stage I will give Wilks the benefit of doubt.
Defenses and personnel should go hand in hand. The Browns have the personnel to show and execute different coverages. Personnel packages should be dictated by down a distances.
At this point I don't think Wilks knows exactly what he will favor. Camp will show him how these guys compete.
As camp progresses defensive position coaches along with Wilks will work through what guys are best suited for specific roles.
By camp end he will be ready to game plan.
Then we will see what happens.
Results is what I will go by. This is still a discovery phase for Wilks. New coordinator, new players lots to find out as they work all the groups.
The personnel looks promising. We shall see what Wilks can do with them as time goes by.
And, to be fair to Wilkes, he is going to go with his tried-and-true; the things he knows he can get to work based upon his experience to date. The personnel we have will have to demonstrate consistency with the more difficult aspects of things in order for him to have trust that he can call certain things that he otherwise might avoid due to that experience.
I think that he will find that he will have far more freedom to get creative than he's ever had.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Actually, I brought up points...as in plural. I am not sure it is wise to simply dismiss his comment about the effectiveness of our defense being linked to how well our corners tackle.
I also disagree somewhat w/him never having talent to work w/in the past. Patrick Peterson is one of the top corners in the entire NFL and Josh Norman is, too.
It is also noteworthy that Arizona's defense statistically got worse after he took over.
Sometimes, I get the feeling that people don't like talking about subjects such as this one. It actually is a lot more about "Pure Football" than the crap that is going on in threads like the Duke thread.
I'm not making any huge proclamations like he sucks. I am voicing some concerns that are directly related to Pure Football talk.
And I do agree that those concerns may very well be legitimate. I'm also hopeful that with the talent we have on the roster some adjustments may be made. I'm not sure why you're being snarky.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I'm still willing to give Wilks the benefit of the doubt. Long story short, drafting a guy like Greedy and then running him out there to tackle RBs all game (exaggerating, but still) is too much "same ol' Browns" for what we've seen out of this regime so far.
It's early. We won't begin to see the first stages of the actual defense until the first game of the season.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
I'm still willing to give Wilks the benefit of the doubt.
I'm not bashing him. Just voicing some concerns. I did try to say that hopefully my concerns won't occur, but I'm just trying to connect some dots and talk about football.
I mentioned before that I have been doing some occasional reading on Wilks.
One of the other items I came across was that Arizona played a 3-4 defense before he got there. As noted in my earlier post, the Cardinals were ranked 2nd and 6th in defense in the two previous years before Wilks arrival.
Wilks switched them to a 4-3 defense and they slid to 20th in defense. After Wilks was fired, Arizona hired Vance Joseph, who will switch back to a 3-4 D.
I am not arguing which defense is better, but I think it is noteworthy that Wilks was willing to change a very successful defense to the scheme he was personally more comfortable with.
I bring this up because Pit has made a point--and rightfully so--about maybe Wilks was just employing a D that was suited to the talent on the team. The switching of Arizona's defense seems to throw a bit of shade on that notion.
Hopefully, I am over-examining things and Wilks will break from his past and utilize a D that plays to his players strength rather than employing one that he is most comfortable with.
Hard to project tendencies when it is not a large data base.
Possibly he was doing what was best with the talent that he had.
We have possibly one of the best DLs assembled not just this time but all time. Something we will have to see.
Also we have 3 very good man CBs in the likes of Ward, Greedy and Mitchell.
It is possible that with the DL that we have we will not have to utilize a blitz to acquire pressure a DC's dream. We can still play man pressure and even bring on a blitz that is very successful (its the blitzes that are picked up that burn you) With our DL plus a blitz should be very successful. But also we have excellent man defenders - the Safeties and LBS can then play a zone while the CBs play man. creating a ton of turnovers or sacks.
jmho
Defense wins championships. Watson play your butt off! Go Browns! CHRIST HAS RISEN! GM Strong! & Stay safe everyone!
That's a wrinkle I was unaware of, and it increases my discomfort my Wilks.
Things may work out fine, and I'm hoping they do of course, but I agree with your notion that it doesn't look like he is the kind of guy to fit what he does to who he has.... he's just another in a long list that expects who he has to fit into what he does.
We need a guy that knows how to use the tools he has, and not guys that demand the tools magically change into what he wants them to be.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Thanks for the reply. Our concerns might turn out to be nothing. I think I can speak for both of us that we are not saying he will try and turn man corners into zone corners, but I don't think it's farfetched to have a bit of concern.
My concern goes beyond just the CB's and is more along the lines of worrying/wondering "just how dogmatic is he?".
This is where I *really* hope to see Kitchens' influence. He did fantastic last year by breaking away from any sort of rigidity of scheme and instead going to what the players do well. We *need* to see that practice trickle down through his staff.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Here is the latest entry from Jake Burns giving us an up-close look at pass coverage technique that Wilks secondary is practicing. No definitive answers should be assumed from a few clips of OTAs or mini-camp. Also, the focus of these clips are OBJ vs. DBs. Not particularly the entire execution of the secondary.
Keeping it strictly to what is observable. You see examples of press-man, cover 3 and off-man coverage. I'd like to think that it's unnecessary to say that the results of each rep are less relevant than the fact that multiple techniques are being installed.
Oh man ... thanks so much ... i really like this Jake Burns dude ... have learned more from him than any other analyst ever .... his breakdowns are AWESOME ...
Thanks again ... this one is especially cool ... just watching the clips and seeing how good these guys are .... this snippet from your link made me smile from ear to ear ....
A clear favorite for this offense will be the usage of Beckham on shallow crossing routes and slants. The offense will try to get the ball into his hands, and when it doesn't go to Beckham quickly, he will draw plenty of attention from secondary players while crossing the field. We saw the offense use this several times throughout minicamp to various levels of success.
Not sure theres a better receiver with the ball in his hands in the league ... if he ain’t the best at it he’s right there inches away from the top ... u give him space and he’s going to turn his turbo jets on and blast through it ...
Man ... this is so so so much FUN .... how much fun are Freddie/Todd and the rest of the staff having drawing up plays for this O ... NOTHING is off the table ... they have the skill sets atall positions to do anything they want ...
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