He looks like a really good in the box safety. But we are overloaded there. Our need is a ball hawing free safety and in that highlight reel I didn't see him playing the free safety.
Delpit is our starting in the box safety, JJ3 is a great in the box safety but we have him playing FS. That is why it appears as if he sucks, we have him playing out of position because we have no one else who can do it. Harrison is an in the box safety and in my mind JOK is an in the box safety playing linebacker.
I realize that Harrison is almost certainly gone and there is a good chance that JJ3 is gone as well, but we still have Delpit and still so not have that ball hawk free safety. If your guy can be that FS great but nothing in the video suggests that.
As a tangent, as I said above, I think JOK is an in the box safety. What I really think is that he is a a tremendous athlete who is a smart football player. We should be utilizing him like the steelers used to use Polamalu. Instead we use him like a typical WLB. What happened to the story that reported how excited Woods and KS were when we drafted him that they went to the chalk board and started drawing up ways to use him?
Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.
"Whether you ask him to play free, strong or nickel safety, Antonio Johnson has the talent to fill any of those roles at a high level. He competes with a physical nature to defeat blocks and make plays near the line of scrimmage, but he also offers the range and balance to cover in space."
Dane Brugler.
He played slot corner and played everywhere he was needed.
He is not a box safety.
I doubt he gets to us. It could happen. He is a late first early second. Safety's are hard to figure where they get drafted.
He might be there.
This guy could be the glue we need on defense. First he can cover. He is versatile. He can tackle. He plays hard and with attitude. I love football players who know how to play. He fits that description.
I'm only going by what I saw in the youtube video you posted.
I don't want a hybrid safety playing free safety for us. We have done that for as long as I can remember, at least since Jabril Peppers got put back there. We have consistently asked guys to do things that they are not proficient at and offenses have been taking advantage of it for a decade or more.
I want a true ball hawing FS. I guy who can go sideline to sideline who can pick off that errant pass. A guy, who because he is back there, allows the corners to play tight man coverage because they know if they get beat he can cover up for them.
If Antonio Johnson can be that kind of safety then I am all for it. There just weren't any ighlights in that video of him playing the deep safety position.
Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.
According to PFF he is a slot or a box safety. His cons according to them are that when flipping his hips he can get a little chunky and that he has no ball skills when defending the pass, he is only credited with 1 pas breakup and 1 interception in his college career.
True free safeties are so hard to find. There just aren't many guys around anymore like Ed Reed, Earl Thomas, Kenny Easley, Darren Sharper, Ken Houston, etc. Most safeties are really box safeties that are forced to play FS because there aren't enough true FSs available.
Today, I think guys like Antoine Winfield, Marcus Williams, Kevin Byard, Justing Simmons, Diggs in Seattle are at or near the top in regards to "true" Free Safeties.
I am not disagreeing that he looks like a good player. Definitely a solid tackler. Just concerned that we don't have playng time for him at SS and worry that he won't be able to do what we need from the FS position. But again, I have only seen that highlight reel.
Don't blame the clown for acting like a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.
True free safeties are so hard to find. There just aren't many guys around anymore like Ed Reed, Earl Thomas, Kenny Easley, Darren Sharper, Ken Houston, etc. Most safeties are really box safeties that are forced to play FS because there aren't enough true FSs available.
Today, I think guys like Antoine Winfield, Marcus Williams, Kevin Byard, Justing Simmons, Diggs in Seattle are at or near the top in regards to "true" Free Safeties.
Wow, Kenny Houston. Blast from the past. The name reminds me of when I was a kid witching the NFL. He was a good one.
True free safeties are so hard to find. There just aren't many guys around anymore like Ed Reed, Earl Thomas, Kenny Easley, Darren Sharper, Ken Houston, etc. Most safeties are really box safeties that are forced to play FS because there aren't enough true FSs available.
Today, I think guys like Antoine Winfield, Marcus Williams, Kevin Byard, Justing Simmons, Diggs in Seattle are at or near the top in regards to "true" Free Safeties.
Wow, Kenny Houston. Blast from the past. The name reminds me of when I was a kid witching the NFL. He was a good one.
I'll admit I haven't seen the guy play but what you posted from Walterfootball doesn't say a word about him being able to play the FS position. According to PFF he played 123 snaps as at the deep position and their grade for him was 60.4 which is considered poor. He had better grades lining up at slot corner, in the box, along the line, and at wide corner than he did at the deep safety spot.
Really I am not saying a thing about him. I read some reports and watched some film.
I watched his film and I like what I see. He has length and speed. If you can play nickle corner. I have assume you can cover.
The chances that we draft him are slim.
I can think of only one player I wanted that the Browns drafted and that was JOK.
Every year I see a player or two I like and I follow them and see how they do. I try and pick guys we may draft or are near when we draft.
Last year I liked George Pickens.
There will be others in this draft that I am sure will catch my eye.
I loved Christian McCaffrey. I kinda like Jalin Hyatt, but I need to watch him more.
I have not even looked at DL yet just names.
I'm with you. I really liked George Pickens out of Georgia 1st RD talent level that fell to RD 2.thats what successful Franchises do. They find upper tier talents in the mid To late RDs that make a difference What do Andrew Berry do....drafts 7th RD talent In the 3rd RD. The Steelers got the better part of that deal. Yeah MJ Emerson can play CB. Good enough to start over Newsome. But CB was not dire need last year like a Play making WR was. Berry to pull a Bengals or Chiefs this draft and find playmakers And difference makers
I don't know. I thought signing Cooper and giving your young WR talent another year to develop made sense at the time. The Browns knew a suspension of watson was looming but the length of that suspension was up in the air. This year however is a completely different animal.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
IMHO, huge mistake. Wills hasn't performed at a level to warrant the 5th year option. Giving Wills the option locks the Browns into a guaranteed 14M-16M contract for 2024 no matter his performance level in 2023. That means no restructure, no cap cost reduction, and making it impossible to deal him in any way if the Browns decide to move on after another suspect year. Keeping Wills on a final prove it year wouldn't cost the Browns much more if they would then decide to offer another deal but more importantly allow the Browns the option of moving his 2024 and beyond salaries into prorated bonuses which they won't have using the 5th year option for 2024.
It's no secret that I'm negative about all the salaries Berry is moving to prorated bonuses (currently in the top 3 of the NFL) but in this case with a lot of those prorated bonuses kicking in in 2024 for the Browns, locking the Browns into a 14M-16M guaranteed contract in 2024 when the Browns could move the majority of that cost for year 1 to a prorated bonus on a new deal instead (saving 13M-15M in 2024 cap costs) is much more financially fiscal than locking the team into a guaranteed deal in 2024 when they are already projected to be significantly over the cap as it is. Additionally, if they so choose, it will be much cheaper to sign Wills to a new deal in 2024 than it will be in 2025 after he just received a guaranteed year. Sitting the organization up to have to pay top 5 pay for a LT who's nowhere close to being a top 5 performer is not very smart IMHO.
I'm good w/the Browns extending Wills. He has been a bit inconsistent, but I remember the days when we didn't have a LT and it was hard to get anything done offensively. The salary cap used to be a huge thing. It's still a thing, but teams have figured out how to manipulate the cap. I also think that our FO has extremely intelligent folks who will handle the cap issues. Also, the cap is going to continue to increase each year. I do not miss the days when we led the league in available cap space and won 3 games or less.
I am not a GM. Berry is and he has paid his dues to learn about how to handle the cap.
His resume is there for the looking.
These types of decisions are not made by consulting this Board. They are made by professionals. First you learn what Bill Callahan says about Wills. No offense to PFF but they don't work with Wills.
Once Callahan provides his input then it goes to Stefanski and then to Berry. All three look at every possible angle and then make a decision.
I'm good w/the Browns extending Wills. He has been a bit inconsistent, but I remember the days when we didn't have a LT and it was hard to get anything done offensively.
Unfdortunately, I also remember the days when we had a Hall of Fame LT, and couldn't get anytyhing done offensively.
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.
I’d keep Wills for this year as well. We have too many defensive holes to worry about LT. He’s serviceable. It could be a 2024 problem
"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."
Not to cause an argument and it's just my opinion, but where are your facts that our FO is doing a great job with the cap?
Here's what I know as facts:
1. At the start of the new season in March 2022, the Browns had serious needs at both DT's, a true #2 WR, and free safety. 2. After all the off season moves and the draft, the Browns entered the 2022 season still having needs at both DT's, a true #2 WR, and free safety. 3. Contrary to your opinion,
Originally Posted by Versatile Dog
I do not miss the days when we led the league in available cap space and won 3 games or less.
https://www.profootballrumors.com/2022/10/2022-nfl-cap-space-by-team-3 2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team October 28th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson Days away from this year’s trade deadline (3pm CT, Nov. 1), a few teams have made some in-season moves to bolster their rosters. Several squads have also restructured contracts this season to create additional space. That extra room will matter as most teams will consider adding or subtracting costs before Tuesday’s deadline.
Here is how teams’ cap-space numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) look ahead of the October trade deadline: 1 Cleveland Browns: $33.72MM 2 Las Vegas Raiders: $10.35MM
The Browns had 23.37M more in available cap than any other NFL team at the trade deadline yet did next to nothing. Though they eventually won more than your 3 wins or less opinion (which by the way, has only happened 3 times in the last 21 years), the Browns still garnered their second straight losing season and a last place finish in the AFC North while holding on to the most available cap in the NFL. Worse yet, the Browns still had serious needs at both DT's, a true #2 WR, and free safety.
4. Fast forward to February 1, 2023; under Berry's reign - the Browns still have serious needs at both DT's, a true #2 WR, free safety, and now DE. Add to that is the part where not only has the cap level been increased by $16.6 million leap for each club from the $208.2 million cap in 2022 and with the Browns carryover from 2022, the Browns current contracts have left the team in a current situation of being ($13,415,552) over the cap. Before you go wacko on me, I'm well aware that Berry will be restructuring contracts (again) to address this issue.
To everyone on the forum, excuse me for my skepticism of Berry's talent evaluation and his handling of the cap. He had the most cap available of any team in the NFL and didn't address the issues in 2022 and count me as skeptical that he'll deliver now being at 24th in available cap. His past history doesn't show he can or will do it. Let's not kid ourselves either, the Browns still have issues that need addressed at both DT's, a true #2 WR, free safety, and now DE.
Not to cause an argument and it's just my opinion, but where are your facts that our FO is doing a great job with the cap?
You say you don't want to cause an argument and then misquote me.
I said something like our front office has very intelligent folks who will handle the cap. Will means moving forward.
How about you voice your opinions and stop trying to challenge anyone who doesn't agree w/your constant doom and gloom takes? I disagreed w/your takes but I did not call you out to make my point.
I’d keep Wills for this year as well. We have too many defensive holes to worry about LT. He’s serviceable. It could be a 2024 problem
It's not a question of keeping Wills for the 2023 season, he's under contract already. The question is will the Browns give him a 5th year option due May 1 for 2024 that will be guaranteed at 14M-16M for that season. Giving Wills the 5th year option is what will cause the possible 2024 problem. If the Browns don't exercise it, then Wills will play out his final year and be due a new deal for 2024 if he's earned it. That gives the Browns options they won't have if they exercise the 5th year option like: cutting him with no cost, franchise tag him either (exclusive where the tagged player cannot negotiate with other teams or non-exclusive where the player is free to negotiate with other teams and should the player sign an offer sheet from another NFL team, the player’s current team has the right to match the offer or if they do not, they receive two first-round draft picks as compensation when the player leaves for a new team), the Browns can tag him and trade him, or the Browns can just negotiate a new multi-year deal with Wills.
Giving Wills the 5th year option limits the Browns as to what they can do with Wills. I'm not saying get rid of him now but to leave your options open for if he has another less than expected year of performance.
So tired of individuals claiming to be victims. I did not misquote you. You are the one who brought up the history of sitting on the excess cap - not I. Once you did that it opens the door for the history, including Berry. I cannot see into the future so I cannot claim as fact that Berry and the folks will do a bad job of handling the cap. I can only perceive an opinion based on Berry's history. Likewise, your opinion that Berry and his folks will handle the cap is nothing more than a perceived opinion too. If I am guilty of "trying to challenge anyone who doesn't agree" with my opinions, aren't you doing the exact same thing with your posts? Or is it you just believe your opinionated posts should be taken as gospel?
Willis is just another Andrew Berry draft pick that is a wait And see player. " oh Willis is still young and inconsistent Let's give him another 6 years to see if can play at high level For 17 games" you can insert any Berry draft pick and it Applies to him. "Blah blah blah David Bell let's see what He can do with a full season with Watson" I swear Andrew Berry gets the benefit of the doubt every year. Wake me up when the Browns draft a immediate playmaker Who doesn't need a 6 year window to see if he has it or not.
Berry has made mistakes. I pointed it out numerous times. Especially in overestimating the DT position last season.
However, the draft is a different animal. When you go into the third round you are looking at development. Sometimes guys develop. Sometimes they do not. No GM hits on every pick. Hell look at all the first rounders that totally bomb.
Each player when he was drafted and his age are important to consider. Wills was a first rounder for a reason. He has the skills to develop.
He has been inconsistent but in his case. I think you have to expect that. Like I said he came into the NFL as a RT at age 20.
You don't give up on players like him if the people you trust believe in the guy.
Berry has made mistakes. I pointed it out numerous times. Especially in overestimating the DT position last season.
However, the draft is a different animal. When you go into the third round you are looking at development. Sometimes guys develop. Sometimes they do not. No GM hits on every pick. Hell look at all the first rounders that totally bomb.
Each player when he was drafted and his age are important to consider. Wills was a first rounder for a reason. He has the skills to develop.
He has been inconsistent but in his case. I think you have to expect that. Like I said he came into the NFL as a RT at age 20.
You don't give up on players like him if the people you trust believe in the guy.
It is not that difficult.
The problem I see with Wills is that he lacks a passion and Desire for the game. You cannot coach that into a player. He lacks that mindset to dominate. Callahan can coach techniques But he can't give a player heart.
I don't totally agree on the your 3rd RD picks have to be Developmental. Look at the last 2 AFC Championship teams. The Bengals and Chiefs. They coach their draft picks To be ready when their number is called. Isiah Pacheco...7th RD pick. Jaylen Watson was not a high pick. The Bengals had a couple starters from there past 2022 Draft that were mid RD picks
Like I said good GMs can find contributors and playmakers In RDs 3 to 7. Alot of teams do it...how come the Browns can't?
You are correct. He had a outstanding rookie year. But I think WR was a bigger need Than CB. I think George Pickens would have been perfect fit For this offense
I wasn't directing at you at all. I have no issue with your posts - in fact, I find them informative.
About Wills - please read the whole post. I didn't say in this post that we give up on Wills. I said that rewarding him with a 5th year option considering his play to this point has not warranted a 5th year option. It was also my opinion that after 2023, the Browns would have several more options in dealing with Wills (good or bad) that are totally eliminated without a huge cost if the Browns give him a guaranteed 5th year option before he even plays a down in 2023 after 3 less than stellar years. Wills is a 1st round draft pick and the Browns should expect more than what they have received from him to this point. Rewarding him with a fully guaranteed 5th year option for his level of performance by a 1st round pick in my opinion is a bad decision by the Browns when there's other better options in dealing with his future in Cleveland.
