With the addition of Shelby Harris outside of minor tweeks of final cuts. We have our roster.
We for sure have our starters.
Not all the starters are All Pros. At the same time IMO we do not have any liabilities either. We have some guys that are most likely league average. But I do not think we have starters below that level.
All the buzz on teams like the Jets and Cowboys. Guess what? They cannot say that. There are questions and real issues.
The Jets better be careful protecting Rodgers. Their OL is questionable. Zack Martin and the Cowboys?
Go through the teams in the NFL and you can find holes in rosters.
The Browns don't have rookie starters unless a rookie somehow in camp beats out a vet.
Thinking back over many years I don't remember feeling this way.
I cannot predict how we will play or what our record will be. However, this is the best team of starters that I can remember since the Marty years.
I don't think any team knows if or what there liabilities may be until they play the games. Judging that based on what looks good on paper has been shown to be a fatal flaw.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
There is still tons of talent spread throughout the NFL.
But like I said thinking back to prior years. I would look at the starters and know we had questions or feel we have starters that would not make other rosters.
The year we began with Cody Kessler as our quarterback. I went on a fishing trip with my son to British Columbia. We got there on opening day. In Canada non-residents cannot fish on Sunday. So we rigged up a way to watch the game. I told my son. "We may not win a game."
So, no matter what happens. I cannot look at this roster and think. "Hey, we don't have a prayer."
And of course it depends on what you call a starting WR. I look for the browns to run a lot of four WR sets so if you count that as four starting WR's I think Tillman will be in that group.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
With the addition of Shelby Harris outside of minor tweeks of final cuts. We have our roster.
The Browns don't have rookie starters unless a rookie somehow in camp beats out a vet.
If Newsome isn't healthy Mitchell stands a chance to start
If Mitchell ends up starting that's great. That means he beat out Emerson and Green and possibly Ford who are all proven veteran players with NFL game experience, (purple inferred).
Again I don't remember going into a season with this kind of roster.
It is a long season and there will be injuries. But all teams have to manage depth. Depth that will be dependent upon rookies or guys from the bottom of a roster that will never be starters.
truthfully, one of my big concerns now is the kicker
"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."
Again I don't remember going into a season with this kind of roster.
It is a long season and there will be injuries. But all teams have to manage depth. Depth that will be dependent upon rookies or guys from the bottom of a roster that will never be starters.
That is not a good sign. More of an indication as to how the Deshawn Watson trade has deprived the team of young talent.
Actually Woof, we do have some good young talent on this team. I don't think the DW trade has hurt us that much especially if he plays well. Yes, we traded 3 1st round picks but as I've stated before just about all our 1st round picks since we've come back in "99 have been busts with the exception of 3 or 4. We've drafted better in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. That has to change in the future if we expect to be competitive. I like what I see of our roster.
Actually Woof, we do have some good young talent on this team. I don't think the DW trade has hurt us that much especially if he plays well. Yes, we traded 3 1st round picks but as I've stated before just about all our 1st round picks since we've come back in "99 have been busts with the exception of 3 or 4. We've drafted better in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. That has to change in the future if we expect to be competitive. I like what I see of our roster.
I think we have some good young talent, but what he's describing is probably going to end up happening in a few more years.
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 get that this is a discussion forum and that topics arise organically. But this sudden concern or issue, whatever you choose to call it about rookie starters is odd to me. I've never heard a GM or football analytics geek correlate rookie starters to winning. I"m unaware of any empirical data that would indicate an impact or wins or losses. If anyone can produce such information I'd really be interested in reading it. I'm also aware of a sentiment on this board that no rookies be handed starting assignments. I don't know if any of the posters who hold to that are also now questioning the absence of rookies from the first team.
I don't feel strongly one way or another but some seem to have staked out a claim on this issue and it's not clear to me why suddenly it is an issue. Rookie development seems more important. Starting a rookie for the sake of saying you've done so seems arbitrary.
This is the best roster, on paper, that we've had since 1999 and I don't think it is even remotely close. Sure, it all has to come together but I'm optimistic it will.
Hopefully we can limit injuries and be in "mid-season form" sooner rather than later. If so, this is a team that will surprise many in 2023.
Thanks, DePodesta!
At DT, context and meaning are a scarecrow kicking at moving goalposts.
I agree. Most of the roster seems set. But I remain open to more upgrades. Our PS can be vital this year to develop players for the future, and we have some well- qualified players to help them along.
But point of this post: I am tired of winning on paper, and of talking heads' snarky cheap shots. I want wins and respect in gametime. Do our talking on the field.
"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
I get that this is a discussion forum and that topics arise organically. But this sudden concern or issue, whatever you choose to call it about rookie starters is odd to me. I've never heard a GM or football analytics geek correlate rookie starters to winning. I"m unaware of any empirical data that would indicate an impact or wins or losses. If anyone can produce such information I'd really be interested in reading it. I'm also aware of a sentiment on this board that no rookies be handed starting assignments. I don't know if any of the posters who hold to that are also now questioning the absence of rookies from the first team.
I don't feel strongly one way or another but some seem to have staked out a claim on this issue and it's not clear to me why suddenly it is an issue. Rookie development seems more important. Starting a rookie for the sake of saying you've done so seems arbitrary.
I agree 100%
You raised an eyebrow with me, as I wondered how many 1st round picks actually start Week 1. As usual, google is a b**** and I get apple pie recipes instead.
I did find this which is very interesting as it breaks down success rate by position. Obviously not answering your question as to whether it correlates to success. I'm guessing Woofer was just making a matter of fact statement that came off as sour grapes. At the end of the day, he's right in the fact that you have a much slimmer chance of a rookie starting, week one, without a first round pick. "Troubling"? Not in the least.
The very idea of the draft is to try and get quality players that can become foundational players for your team on cheap contracts. You can sign first rounders to a fifth year extension. Joe Thomas was a first rounder. Chubb was a second rounder. The cream is there for those who can identify and draft them. In the case of the Browns they overall haven't been very good at that. So that part of the conversation is certainly worthy of discussion. But those 1st round draft picks are one of the, if not the most valuable asset an NFL team has in terms of acquiring top tier talent on the cheap.
Yet at the same time your team will never sustain any long term success with out a franchise QB. That is the most valuable asset a team can have in regards to a player on the field.
Whether such a trade is worth those draft picks it dependent on the outcome. Only time will provide the answer to that one.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
The writing is on the wall for Schwartz probably not making the team as a WR. With Ford due to miss some time, perhaps we could do something similar to what we did with Felton and give him some RB time. I think he'd get to focus more on ball security there practice-wise, which it seems he could use. Supposedly, the transition from college to pros at RB is one of the "easier" positions, and Schwartz could perhaps be a mismatch for defenders there.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
I don't think any team knows if or what there liabilities may be until they play the games. Judging that based on what looks good on paper has been shown to be a fatal flaw.
No, we've known in preseason in years past where our liabilities were, and then the pundits acted all surprised when those things were our downfall.
We didn't address DLine or WR's several years in a row and they were consistently a problem. Then, last year, we began addressing these things and this year we hit them hard.
Where the next deficiencies are will be a case of being relative to how much we've built this stuff up and where injuries hit, but it is a fairly complete roster at this point, so it is FINALLY difficult to tell where our weaknesses are.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
I think I addressed part of this in my post to mac. The Browns hoarded a lot of money towards the cap year after year in order to invest it when they felt the time was right. When they signed watson they now feel they have the QB that may give them an opportunity to compete to win a SB. So spend it they did.
I should never have stated that in seasons past it wasn't more obvious what the teams weaknesses and liabilities were. It most certainly was. So we agree there. So as it stands, we don't know what they may or may not be as of now until games are played.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I think Anthony Schwartz had a good game and I could see him making the roster, this time, it's not his fault they drafted him 4 rounds "udfa" too early, and I think he's better today than Austin and probably Harley too, at least.
and he got robbed of that catch he caught tonight being called a no catch, that was a catch, the ball never hit the ground.
Coaches don't throw go routes, boo.
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
"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."
York the FG kicker... But if he has a low percentage it is a great reason/excuse for head coach to go for it again on 4th down instead of taking the 3 points like he should, which results in the head coach costing you points game after game, in the first half. n.t.i.t.f.h. Negative, three, in, the, first, half,
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
I like the starting roster with the exception of DT. It may seem odd to read that at first, BUT DT is the one position group where the "starters" rarely play much more than 50% of the snaps. We need (4) guys there that can play almost an equal amount of snaps. We've got (2) guys at DT who are proven and not too old or too inexperienced...just right.
But after those (2) guys you could put their names in a hat and pull out (2) others and I don't think we'd know the difference. We know that Ika isn't getting cut...so pull his name out of the hat for now. Then we know that Elliott has $1.5MM guaranteed that he recently signed. So the 2nd (2) "starters" will be a rookie and most-likely a young, vet DT that has continuously NOT played well or developed. I keep reading that we will deploy a bigger DE at DT on obvious passing downs...so that's comforting...but why must we settle for/with a guy at #4 DT who is just not a good player?
I like the starting LBs well-enough and prefer TakiTaki over A Walker...JOK is still a prove-it guy for me. The backups are...meh. With the concern I have at DT ^ I don't know if these LBs are the right group...or what we can do about it. If we had another LEGIT DT I could be made Ok with the LBs. I don't think any of these guys are "special". This is an easy group to upgrade.
It feels like we have an embarrassment of riches at DE. We arguably have (4) starters and at least one other backup-worthy guy there. Again...maybe the DE-at-DT on passing downs will make that overall DT group work.
The only thing I don't care-for in the backfield is what they are doing - or not doing - in the slot. I don't know why Newsome got pigeon-holed there last year, but it never seemed right. And no...I don't have a better idea for what to do there. I'm curious to see how the slot plays out and to see how the CBs put their money where their mouths are with a press-man scheme.
The weirdness at QB in Berea continues...just in a different form. How Mond is on this team (was and that still is) is beyond me...as is why Dobbs got the deal he did. They are both PS guys. DTR is better than either one by a long shot.
We went from (3) pretty-good RBs at this time last year to (1) this year. We need to quit screwing around here and find a backup to Chubb. I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I think Ford should be viewed as RB3 and we need to find a legit RB2...asap. Old guy...young guy...K Hunt...I don't care.
We are set at TE with (2) guys who are starter quality. The days of (3) TE sets are likely over. If Bryant and "pick-one" are the (4) there we should be fine. None of these guys are special.
We have a lot of bodies at WR...some intriguing guys...but only (1) is special...looks like Moore may make it (2) special guys. It seems like we brought in 6-8 guys who are/were always battling for (1) spot. Cooper, Moore, PJ, Tillman, Bell are making this team. I hatehatehate burning a roster spot on a KR.
The OL is - as it probably should be - almost a forgotten group. For the starters, the middle is very good and the edges can be shaky...but are good when healthy...again (5). Harris is getting all the shots in the world and there is a picture of Drew Forbes next to the slang term of 'Bad Penny'...he just keeps coming back...not unlike Gossett. I can't imagine the FO letting Wypler get away...D Jones (6) isn't going anywhere and Hudson (7) isn't a turd like some people seem to think. I think it's Harris v Wypler for C2 (8) and Dunn/Martin/Forbes for G3 & G4 (9th & 10th).
MoreForYouCleveland @MoreForYou_CLE #Browns are signing RB Jordan Wilkins, per @AaronWilson_NFL
"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."
Well G. Delpit did not play, and I had not heard why, then I heard he was excused for a college graduation ceremony, so, Whew. well at safety if they keep five that includes D. Bell and R. Hickman.
Can Deshaun Watson play better for the Browns, than Baker Mayfield would have? ... Now the Games count.
Dobbs traded to the Cards. Didn’t see that coming this morning.
The Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals have agreed to the following trade: Browns receive: 2024 5th round pick Cardinals receive: QB Joshua Dobbs 2024 7th round pick Dobbs was active but did not play in the first 11 games for the Browns in 2022. In 2024, the Browns currently have one pick in round two, one pick in round three, two picks in round five, two picks in round six and one pick in round seven.
Complete overhaul of DT position- enough said. Kicker, reported 6 for 6 today- if we lose a game due to missed makeable FGs he could be toast, win games with missed FGs, he probably still on team due to youth, strong leg, draft choice.....time will tell.
"You've never lived till you've almost died, life has a flavor the protected will never know" A vet or cop