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#1955707 07/07/22 02:54 PM
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Hopefully next week or so we will find out about DW.

Until then camp is not to far away and there should be some good competition to follow once camp begins.

Hooper is gone. Njoku and Bryant will be the primary guys. However, the third TE is up for grabs.

Miller Forristall, Nakia Griffin-Stewart, Zaire Mitchell-Paden, Marcos Santos-Silva, these four guys who I don't a thing about get to fight for a roster spot. I know Silva played PF in college basketball. I don't know what to expect from them.

Slot receiver is wide open and I will say. I miss Jarvis. However, this should interesting. I think Felton is in the mix. He has good short area quickness and can catch the ball. He is a good runner after the catch. Bell the rookie has been pegged for the position. All indications are that he has been impressive. Runs good routes and has exceptional hands. Anthony Schwartz? Not sure about him in the slot. I think he will be moved around in camp. They will looking closely at him. Expecting him to show development as a receiver. Jakeem Grant will get reps in the slot. He is a proven ST player but he is also a receiver. He can run after the catch. I would expect him to get some trick plays like reverses, or jet sweeps. Slot?

We have some UDFA's receivers. Ya never know about them. We look light at receiver. I wonder if we might add a vet?

DT will be wide open. The Malik's are gone. Sheldon Day is a vet backup. Jordan Elliott was a third rounder and it is time for him. Taven Bryan was traded for. He has underachieved but he might be one of those guys who needed a fresh start. Togiai? He was drafted to be developed. Kind of see where he is.
Perrion Winfrey is a rookie. I saw him at the Senior Bowl practice. Loved him. I am hoping he will be what I saw.

JOK will play every down. Who is next to him? Walker, Phillips, Taki, Fields. I expect Taki to play on run downs. Walker and Phillips will both play. Maybe sometimes together with JOK and other times one of them.

Center? Harris was drafted to play center. His strength is his ability to move. He has good feet and can get to the second level. He needed to get stronger and be consistent. He is expected to start. However, they brought in Ethan Pocic. He has experience and is a lot bigger than Harris. He could push Harris.

RT is for Conklin if healthy. Hudson and Hubbard will be the primary backups. Hubbard has more experience. Hudson was not bad as a rookie. He had some bumps but he played better as the year went on.

Camp always brings a surprise. Some guy comes in and plays his butt off. I felt bad for Malik McDowell. I thought the guy was over his past and had a future. He might have developed into something decent. But his past was not so far behind.

I am looking forward to camp.

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If Hubbard is fully healed, RT is his until Conklin is back.

I also thought Hudson performed admirably in a tough situation, but the Pittsburgh game showed he's not ready yet.


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I think Bell might fit in the slot.

I will be interested in how the WRs shake out. We have one proven WR. I have hopes for Bell, but he is a rookie who lacks the measurables. DPJ has some impressive physical skills. Schwartz is fast. We need at least two of these guys to play well and be solid contributors. It would be nice if all three of them earned playing time because of their performance and not play because we don't have anyone else. At this point in time, I have more confidence in Bell and DPJ stepping up than I do in Schwartz. It should be interesting to watch.

Picking up a vet makes sense. Glad you brought that up. I just wish we would have kept Landry.

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KS and AVP want Schwartz to be that vertical guy.

Will Fuller is still out there. He has played with DW. I know they liked the smarts of Schwartz. There are others like Bradley etc. But I think they should sign Fuller.

I thought DPJ was going to have a great year last season. He was outstanding in camp. But DPJ suffered from bad qb play.

I think he will do very well as the number two. Bell has the attributes to play slot. It will be a position to watch.

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Originally Posted by oobernoober
If Hubbard is fully healed, RT is his until Conklin is back.

I also thought Hudson performed admirably in a tough situation, but the Pittsburgh game showed he's not ready yet.


This is one I am anxiously awaiting. Conklin is supposed to be ready by pre-season. If he is healthy, that would be a big check mark for the O-line. They missed him dearly last year.

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Originally Posted by IrishDawg42
Originally Posted by oobernoober
If Hubbard is fully healed, RT is his until Conklin is back.

I also thought Hudson performed admirably in a tough situation, but the Pittsburgh game showed he's not ready yet.


This is one I am anxiously awaiting. Conklin is supposed to be ready by pre-season. If he is healthy, that would be a big check mark for the O-line. They missed him dearly last year.

IIRC, the only news about Conklin was shared by his agent, and it was of the best-case-scenario variety.


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Quote
JACK CONKLIN
T, CLEVELAND BROWNS
Conklin
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Browns RT Jack Conklin (patella recovery) is not participating in minicamp as expected.
Conklin tore his patella in late November and is a PUP list candidate. Veteran Chris Hubbard is taking snaps with the ones while Conklin sits. It's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that Conklin can't suit up in Week 1, but the Browns have presented an optimistic face on Conklin so far.

SOURCE: Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter
Jun 14, 2022, 1:33 PM ET

------------------------------------------

JACK CONKLIN
T, CLEVELAND BROWNS
Conklin
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot reports that Browns RT Jack Conklin is participating in Cleveland's offseason program.
“He’s here, and he’s working really hard,’’ Kevin Stefanski told reporters. “I don’t have a date for you, but he’s on schedule with everything. He’s doing a nice job.” The Browns are hopeful that Conklin can return from a torn patella tendon by opening day.

SOURCE: Cleveland Plain Dealer
Apr 24, 2022, 2:28 PM ET


https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/12377/jack-conklin

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That's a little concerning. Not panic time, but concerning.

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Training camp is closing in fast, eh?

I like what I’ve read about Bell thus far, but I never put much hope in rookie WRs. It’d be nice if he could turn into a Chase type, the guys with the Bengals.

I think it’d be huge if DPJ could step up and be a clear #2 behind Cooper. It’d take a lot of heat off the younger guys. Schwartz? Have to see him do it to believe he can do it.
BTW, is Carlson still on the roster? The tight end, I mean.


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Carlson is not on the roster.

I would not expect Bell to be a guy like Chase. My hope is that he is a young version of Jarvis.

He has the traits.

The running back room will be crowded. Behind Nick and Kareem you have d'Earnest, Felton, and Ford. what a luxury.

We will run it.

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I can't post all the charts w/Advanced Stat comparisons because this article is premium content, but you garner some information from this regarding David Bell.


Quote
2022 NFL Draft Player Comparisons: Purdue WR David Bell's impressive college production hints at NFL success

West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver David Bell (3) in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

By Kevin Cole
Apr 11, 2022
Comparing current NFL draft prospects to those of years past is standard procedure in draft evaluation, though most comparisons are built on the memory recall and subjective opinion of the particular evaluator.

In this series of articles, I will compare the 2022 draft prospects to prior years and pick out the most similar comps with a clearly delineated and quantifiable method.

PFF data scientist Eric Eager has done tremendous work building college-to-pro projections, which are built off the robust college data we’ve collected since 2014 and have been applied to exercises like building an “analytics” mock draft. In this analysis, I will use some of our advanced stats for comparison but primarily rely on traditional stats to go back further and compare the 2022 prospects to draft classes since 2006.



METHODOLOGY
The comps below were derived from a two-step process. First, I converted all the most statistically relevant stats and measurables to percentiles based on the thousands of prospects who have entered the NFL since 2006.

The matching features were transformed by principal component analysis (PCA). I found the closest statistically comparable players by the Euclidean distance between the players' principle components, listed in the top 10 below.

For draft position, I’m using an estimate based on the mock data collected at GrindingTheMocks.com. The college statistical metrics for PCA are career market shares for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, best-season market shares for receiving yards, yards per route run and yards per reception.

I also included the most important workout metrics for NFL and draft position for wide receivers: weight, 40-yard dash time and vertical jump. I’m taking the best number from either the prospects' NFL Scouting Combine or pro-day performances. If the 40-yard dash time or vertical jump are missing, I estimate them based on historical modeling with weight and available other workout metrics.

MOST COMPARABLE PLAYERS
David Bell was one of the class' biggest fallers from the NFL combine, where he posted a 4.65-second 40-yard dash (11th percentile). That slower performance, combined with running an even worse 4.74-second time at his pro day, has pushed his status from a possible second-round pick to potentially falling out of Day 2 altogether.

Still, we know NFL front offices generally overrate speed, and Bell’s combine wasn’t that bad, according to my model that focuses on actual NFL value.



College production is more indicative of future NFL success than speed, and Bell hits the metrics you want to see for a successful NFL wide receiver. He posted 30% or better career team market shares in receiving yards and touchdowns after breaking out in 2019 as an 18-year-old true freshman, leading Purdue in receptions (86), receiving yards (1,035) and touchdowns (7).



Bell’s list of comps includes a few tremendously successful but slower players, such as Keenan Allen and Jarvis Landry. In fact, the breadth of success for the Purdue product's comps illustrates how overrated timed speed can be if a prospect has strong production at an early age.



ADVANCED STATS COMPARISON
Looking only at Bell's closest comparable players who played in the PFF College era (2014-2021), we can see how he stacks up with his percentiles for receiving grade and other advanced stats like alignment, yards after the catch and deep targets (targets from passes thrown 20 or more yards downfield). These stats are all from the prospects’ final seasons.



This comp list becomes narrower when restricting it to the era in which PFF has been collecting data (2014-2021). Bell graded well in his final season and was able to play outside and generate yards after the catch, hinting at athleticism missed in his combine numbers.

While it’s difficult to get meaningful dynasty rookie draft information at this point in the offseason, Bell has been drafted WR10 in recent best-ball drafts after going as high as WR7 leading into the NFL combine. He might not have the ceiling of some of the athletic marvels in his class, but his poor measurables are more likely a value opportunity than a disqualifying factor for NFL front offices.

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Well that is some methodology. Euclidean eh?

"the Euclidean distance between the players' principle components,"

Well I don't know if I can think that hard?

Just kidding.

thanks for posting that.

I watched some tape. Not to much. I like the way he catches the ball. Very natural. I know his 40 time was poor.

That is ok and does not bother me. It is about getting open and catching the ball IMO. They wanted him. So he will get a good look see.

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Nice breakdown


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The Browns do not have position battles they give 90%, maybe more, of them away for free.
Deshawn Watson did not beat Mayfield out in camp to take the starting Qb job.
Chubb never had to beat out Isaiah Crowell for the starting job his first year. Neither did Kareem Hunt have to beat out what's his name from back then. (Because the Browns just didn't bring the previous players back iirc.
This year, Nick Harris or Ethan Pocic did not have to take the job from Tretter in training camp.
3 years ago there was some battle that Wyatt Teller won, but he wasn't beating out a former starter, it was a case of they had nobody except new faces by committee. Joel Bitonio, who did he have to beat for the starting job that returned when he first started? I think it was a case of just fill in because the previous guy is gone.
The same with the left and right tackle positions as they are now, The Browns had no solid starter who a new face outperformed the previous starter.
The Wide receivers, Noboby beat OBJ out for the #1 spot in camp, and OBJ didn't beat out a former #1 when he first signed.
Nobody performed Jarvis Landry out of a job, in camp. Neither DPJ, nor Bell took a job from Rashard Higgins, not in camp.
Position battles and the Browns don't mix. They don't return a solid starter, and get a player who comes in younger and outperforms the current starter.
Did JOK have to beat out the others to get his starting spot, maybe, it is unclear, but he was going to be given playing time.
And maybe Greg Newsome beat out others for his time on the field.
But JJ3, and Troy Hill the year they came in as free agents, they were starters replacing what wasn't returning.
It is not like the old days,
So I don't think position battles happen like they used to.


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Originally Posted by oobernoober
If Hubbard is fully healed, RT is his until Conklin is back.

I also thought Hudson performed admirably in a tough situation, but the Pittsburgh game showed he's not ready yet.

I re-watched that game. Hudson didn't play as bad as it seemed. 1st he was matched up one on one against one of if not hte best pass rusher in the NFL. He had zero help. No chip from a TE. No help from a RB. How does that happen? Despite that, Watt didn't get free run at Baker. Hudson held his own on most of those sacks for a while. Baker was holding the ball a long time. Not casting blame on Baker. I was at that game (damn it was cold) and there were not many open receivers.


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I like Bell, too. I know his 40 time was terrible, but the guy catches the ball. I watch a ton of Big 10 games and each time I saw Purdue play, Bell stood out from the other guys. He just makes play after play after play.

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That seems to be the take by those that have watched him

KS loved the guy.

Jarvis was slow. He still was great. Cooper Kupp is far from fast. Larry Fitzgerald was not fast. Good receivers have that ability to get open. Jerry Rice was not a speed demon.

They know how to set up db's. They use slight deceptive movements to create space. They gain the confidence of the quarterback by running precise routes.

Bell could do well.


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Cooper Kupp ran a 4.62
Larry Fitzgerald ran a 4.50 at his pro day but Anquan Bold in ran a 4.71
David Bell ran a 4.65


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I hate 40 times because they mean literally not much at all. I ran a 5.0 in high school, when 5 were timed at the same time. You took off when the coach said "go".

In games, I was never once caught from behind, even by track 'stars'.

I get the 'measuring' thing, but it doesn't hold much sway with me.

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Originally Posted by Versatile Dog
I like Bell, too. I know his 40 time was terrible, but the guy catches the ball. I watch a ton of Big 10 games and each time I saw Purdue play, Bell stood out from the other guys. He just makes play after play after play.

Speed is great, and adds a lot, but it is overrated.

Bell's "lack" of speed might require him to gain some space with moves, and some of his passes will need to me more timing routes of sorts, but if he can gain a step or two on his break, he will catch the ball. The break will be his key. That and a QB who knows when to throw the ball to take advantage of the separation he gains on the cut.

Bell ran a 4.65. Cooper Kupp ran a 4.63. I'd say Kupp has done OK being a "slow" receiver. I am not sure how that difference in speed would actually measure in a race or on the football field, but I suspect it doesn't mean a whole lot.

Bell's sucess is going to depend on his ability to break off the ball and his ability to get the corner to ever so slightly dip his shoulder one way just before he makes his cut the other way. Bam! There is the separation.

Thus far, Bell has had the ability to do that. If he can continue to do that, he will catch 80 balls or more a year...ok...maybe not as a rookie, but you never know.

The art of receiving isn't so much what we see. We see a guy catch the ball and we clap. The unseen part is the important part. What did he do to be in position to catch the ball?

The Big 10 is a pretty good test of a player who wants to play in the NFL. The Big 10 puts quality DB's in to the league every year. He did it there on a regular basis, so he should be able to do it at the NFL level at least often enough.


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Here is a player profile that should be easier to read than the previous one I posted.



Quote
David Bell NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Purdue WR
BR NFL SCOUTING DEPARTMENT


HEIGHT: 6'0 7/8"

WEIGHT: 212

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 31 7/8"

WINGSPAN: 6'4 5/8"


40-YARD DASH: 4.65

3-CONE: 7.14

SHUTTLE: 4.57

VERTICAL: 33"

BROAD: 9'10"


POSITIVES

— Good size and strength for the position. Overpowers CBs trying to get their hands on him.

— Aligns inside and out. Can consistently find soft spots in zone coverages when working over the middle.

— Has the body control and ball skills to be a valid weapon on back-shoulder throws. Understands how to use his body to box out defenders.

— Can create yards after the catch with his strength and good balance. Bounces off CBs with the ball in his hands and flashes some burst to get north.






— Above-average hands with good catching range.

— Has the frame and strength to be a valid weapon on underneath routes like slants. Knows how to stay friendly to QBs and is willing to work over the middle.

— Not a burner, but has enough straight-line speed to threaten CBs on vertical routes.




NEGATIVES

— Has a tendency to push off defenders, which will be penalized more frequently in the NFL.

— Inconsistent with his route running. Will lack urgency and details.

— Average lateral quickness with the ball in his hands.


2021 STATISTICS

11 G, 93 REC, 1,286 YDS (13.8 AVG), 6 TD


NOTES

— 2021 first-team All-American.

— 2021 Big Ten WR of the Year.

— 2021 first-team All-Big Ten.

— 2020 first-team All-Big Ten.

— 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.


OVERALL

David Bell is a good-sized WR who can align inside and out in an offensive formation. He wins with his strength and body control, but he has enough athleticism to win on vertical routes and threaten cornerbacks just enough with his long speed.

Bell's body control and ball skills really flash on back-shoulder throws, on which he already shows a propensity to be a valid weapon. He is willing to work over the middle on underneath routes, where his frame and play strength make him a friendly option for quarterbacks.


While Bell can create some yards after the catch with his balance and core strength, he is not a burner and doesn't consistently make defenders miss in a phone booth. He also is inconsistent with his route-running technique and effort, and he'll need to continue to polish his technique and route tree in the NFL.

Bell tends to push off on defenders at the top of his routes, which will be penalized more often in the NFL. He also lacks detail on routes on more advanced parts of the route tree.

Overall, Bell projects as a No. 2 type of receiver who can align inside as a "Power Slot" and outside as a Z receiver. His strength, body control and ball skills will get him playing time early in his career, but he needs to continue working on his technique and overall effort to ascend to more.


GRADE: 7.2 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 92

POSITION RANK: WR13

PRO COMPARISON: Joshua Palmer


https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10021513-david-bell-nfl-draft-2022-scouting-report-for-purdue-wr

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May well prove to be the second coming of Brennan, a good thing for the O, among my favorite receivers. Part of the chain gang, moving them and converting to keep drives alive. Bell will be a crowd pleaser. I see no way that more drives being kept alive, ending in points, can not end in more wins, especially if this monster leg holds up. Can he match and surpass the output we saw last season? Fingers crossed! fingerscrossed thumbsup


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Originally Posted by archbolddawg
I hate 40 times because they mean literally not much at all. I ran a 5.0 in high school, when 5 were timed at the same time. You took off when the coach said "go".

In games, I was never once caught from behind, even by track 'stars'.

I get the 'measuring' thing, but it doesn't hold much sway with me.

I have to agree with Arch...the 40 time is a poor measure of a players ability to play a position. My HS experiences were similar to Arch in that I had OL speed according to a stop watch yet played strong side outside LB soph, jr, sr and with conference honors all 3 yrs. How does an OLman do that?

Example that Browns fans can digest, in 2021 Browns drafted WR Schwartz (4.27/40) with the #91 pick. He caught 10 passes for 135 yds last season.
......next WR drafted at #109..at pick 110 Browns take OL Hudson
......at pick 112 Lions draft WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (4.51/40). He had 90 catches for 912 yds last season.

Over emphasis of analytics (4.27/40) can lead to draft failures. Football is not Baseball and it's not 'track' either. But I guess the Browns can blame it on the numbers..right?




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Who is blaming anyone for anything on this thread? Well, other than Throw. We are actually having a nice conversation.

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True, true, true. I put real stock in what you are describing in a game situation. I never had speed to speak of, Dad joked he had to time my 40's with a calendar. But I could get where I needed to make plays. He called it "football speed." Fast as you need to be when you need to be. You can surprise yourself. I expect Bell will impress and succeed.


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Thanks vers good stuff.

"Good size and strength for the position. Overpowers CBs trying to get their hands on him."

The skill of hand fighting is often overlooked. In press jam man coverage hand fighting is an art. Jarvis was great at it. Bouldon and Fitz were amazing.

Body control shows up on 50/50 balls. IMO it is what makes receivers. The ability when the ball is in the air to win and make the catch. That is the NFL. DB's are really good. You have to make contested catches. Jarvis made his career at it.

I have listened to Chad O'Shea in his press conferences and in a interview with Nate Zugura. He seems like a good coach. He had lots of praise for Bell. Both KS and O'Shea were high on Bell in the draft.

I am optomistic about Bell.

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But I could get where I needed to make plays. He called it "football speed."

Bard...yep, measuring the quality of a football player with a stop watch seems to be the primary focus of some NFL teams these days.

But, if we hang some pads and a full uniform on a player and see if he can complete his assignment might be a better measurement.

"Football Speed", yep, putting yourself in position to make the play...some players just have an "instinct" and "desire" to make plays. Can't measure it with a stop watch because it comes from within a player. You just have to know it when you see it..!




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This is from an interview with Chad O'Shea regarding Bell.

"O'Shea broke down one of the plays that highlighted that: an impressive deep-ball catch against Notre Dame last season. Bell ran a vertical route and leaped over the defender to make a tricky two-handed catch, one that he still corralled despite not having much separation between him and the defensive back.

"We saw him as one of the best players in the draft as regards to his ball skills," O'Shea said. "He did it in a lot of contested areas, or where he was closely matched at the top of the route.

"That was a difficult catch. He has a defender that's closely trailing him or matching in man coverage, and he has the ability to make those plays and show his great ball skills."

This is precisely what I was emphasising about making contested catches.

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Originally Posted by Versatile Dog
That's a little concerning. Not panic time, but concerning.

My recollection was about what you posted there. Roses and butterflies update/prognosis is he COULD be ready for week 1... but that's best-case.

IMO, if Hubbard is 100% then we'll be fine for a few weeks. Hubbard went offline pretty early last year, so he should be GTG.


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Agree with that. And responding to your last line, and what has driven me crazy with the Browns, especially the 0 - 16 gang, you can't help but know it when you don't see it. The whiffs, the loafers, lousy technique, all that and more reveal less about where a player's head is in a game than speed. Speed is a gut check, and fans know it when they see it. I commented last season a few times that it looked like we weren't locked in, like we didn't care enough and couldn't be bothered to close out a win. Certainly not all, but certainly some, and certainly more than once. Can't say they quit, because they didn't seem like they ever managed to get up to speed. Football speed is like our LB. Get there! Go, Browns!


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Jc, bard.

There are a few things that make a good/elite receiver what he is, but in my mind, quick feet when changing direction are more important than straight-line speed.


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DT and LB spots are most interesting for me.

Also wondering how Safety depth will pan out. Hoping LeCounte gets an opportunity.


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They are a must. My comments were about the extra gear players find in the clutch. The WRs live in a world with their own skill mix. I don't think great feet hurt any position. Mine was broader in my own mind, but didn't get that done well enough. Hope we agree on Bell!


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Originally Posted by lampdogg
Jc, bard.

There are a few things that make a good/elite receiver what he is, but in my mind, quick feet when changing direction are more important than straight-line speed.

That, and sure hands. If you can get open, then catch the ball, you will succeed. Plenty of successful "slow" receivers over the years. Before anyone misunderstands, that doesn't mean I think speed isn't extremely valuable.

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Throw you are right, Chubb did not have to beat out Crowell. I think Carlos Hyde was the starter he had to beat out and he did.

I am looking forward to the d tackle competition. I think we have 4-5 solid options, no great ones. Looking for a couple of the young ones to step up and the others to provide a decent rotation.

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Originally Posted by FORTBROWNFAN
[quote=lampdogg]


That, and sure hands.

You know anytime I see or hear someone talking about WR's hands - I think of one player. It's a painful memory - but Quincy 'Stone Hands' Morgan pops right into my head ! Ugh.


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Can David Njoku be a No. 1 tight end? Browns key questions for 2022

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...t-end-browns-key-questions-for-2022.html


By Ashley Bastock, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As a social media debate consumed Twitter earlier this offseason, Browns tight end David Njoku wasn’t paying attention.

The discourse centered around Njoku’s flashy new contract extension, a four-year deal worth up to $56.75 million that makes him the fifth-highest paid tight end in the NFL, putting him in the company of first-team All-Pros and multiple-time Pro Bowlers (San Francisco’s George Kittle, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, Philadelphia’s Dallas Goedert and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews).

“It’s actually my first time hearing that the Browns overpaid me,” Njoku said during the team’s OTAs this offseason. “I didn’t hear that. I mean, it’s my first time. It is what it is. I feel like we are going to do great things together in the near future.”

Njoku may have tuned out the social media noise, but on the field he will have to answer one burning question: Can he be a No. 1 tight end?

At this moment, it’s an unanswerable question for sure. But what’s inarguable is Njoku likely has untapped potential, and the Browns believe that with more time, experience, and targets, he can get there.

With Austin Hooper released and now with the Tennessee Titans, Njoku is the undisputed No. 1 tight end on the roster. In his career, however, Njoku has only averaged 36 receptions, 428 yards and 3.5 touchdowns in his four healthy seasons (he only played four games in 2019 after breaking his wrist and landing in Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse).

Considering coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Deshaun Watson like to utilize tight ends in the pass game (Watson has thrown about 20% of his 104 career TD passes to tight ends), it wouldn’t be shocking for Njoku to get the second-most targets behind star wide receiver Amari Cooper, even if there is a decreased use of 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends).

With the extension, the Browns are seemingly paying Njoku based on potential rather than past production.

He certainly has potential, considering Njoku is only 25 and has been in the league for five years.

“He is young,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “I do not know if he physically can grow any more, but his game can grow. That is a conversation I have had with him. I do expect his game to grow, and it is not as simple as saying, ‘Hey, we are going to throw more balls to you.’ I think his game will grow, and you will see it in the run game and in the pass game, and you will see it kind of throughout. I think he is committed to that. David wants to get better, and to be 25, I think you have that opportunity to get better.”

Over the years Njoku’s greatly improved his blocking, something that has drawn praise from both Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry. Last season he was the best blocking tight end on the team with a 72.4 pass blocking grade and 64.1 run blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

The pass game is where he has the most room to grow.

Drops have been one of his biggest perceived issues, and while he still has room to improve there, he’s come a long way already. Njoku dropped eight balls during the 2018 season, but had just three in 2020 and two last season, according to PFF.

There’s also room to improve his route running.

“Especially on plays where he has to break down and make cuts,“ offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “David is really fast and a really good straight-line runner so improvement in his route-running ability [is possible].”

Considering his size at 6-4, 246 pounds, Njoku could be the kind of tight end to get eight touchdowns a season, as Mary Kay Cabot has argued. So far he’s averaged only three, but when you talk about potential, Njoku’s development combined with Watson’s accuracy understandably has the Browns optimistic that he can perform in the No. 1 role.

That experience that Njoku is going to gain, and the confidence that comes with being No. 1 on the depth chart may ultimately be what helps Njoku reach his potential -- his new contract reinforces the front office’s expectations.

Njoku will have more of an opportunity than ever before due to increased experience and targets.

Regardless of the social media chatter, he has the chance this year to prove he can be a No. 1 tight end and quiet the critics for good.


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Stating the obvious here, but -

If Njoku can really step up, that's going to be a big factor in any games Brissett starts.

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Another delusional move by the FO. Njoku is a chronic underachiever, a fat contract is not changing that.

This will prove to be another ignorant move.

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Originally Posted by Baker_Dawg
Another delusional move by the FO. Njoku is a chronic underachiever, a fat contract is not changing that.

This will prove to be another ignorant move.

While your comments are motivated by bitterness, I tend to agree that Njoku is a player who gets a lot of love for little reason.


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