brooks1957

Your point is well taken. It was easier to bomb us over the top last year to gain significant advantages. But with the drafting of Ward, and the additions of Randall, Gaines and Carrie - the back end of the defense has been shored up. That will force opponents to rely more on the run - right into the strength of the Browns defense.

Spot on, CBrownsman. I saw in an earlier article elsewhere (I have to look for the link) stating that the Browns coaches think the LB Joe Schobert is one of the smartest guys on the team. In my mind, that makes him a lock for the final 53. It was one of the biggest coaching blunders since the return when Ray Horton played Joe at OLB. Williams moved him back inside and he blossomed. The paragraph on the Browns from the linked article: 12. Cleveland Browns TOP THREE RUN-DEFENSE GRADES AMONG RETURNING PLAYERS: Derrick Kindred, safety – 87.3 run-defense grade Carl Nassib, edge defender – 84.8 Myles Garrett, edge defender – 84.8 Missed tackle % on run plays, 2017: 11.2% (13th) Gone is Shelton, but there is still a lot of talent on the Browns defense when you look through their roster. While Garrett’s rookie campaign was limited to 518 snaps due to injury, he looked impressive against the run when he was on the field with a run-defense grade of 84.8 that was tied for 15th among edge defenders. Even better news for the Browns is that the player he was tied with at 15th, was their own in Nassib. Larry Ogunjobi was a force against the run in his first season in the league, producing a 9.5 run-stop percentage that was tied for 17th among defensive tackles, and the exact same mark produced by Shelton a year ago. At linebacker, Joe Schobert made first contact with the runner on 66 plays, more than any other defensive player in the NFL. The Browns allowed a league-best 0.88 yards before contact in 2017, and they have a shot to be just as good, if not better in 2018. https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-nfl-run-defense-rankings-all-32-teams-entering-2018

I saw this on ProFootball Focus and I thought I would share. According to the stats from last year, we were knocking on the door of being a top ten run defense. We all know how many rookies and second year players we had last year - but that was also the first year in DC Gregg Williams' system. Even he stated at the conclusion of OTAs how much more relaxed and instinctive the players were this season. There is zero reason not to expect that "second year in the system" leap forward for this unit into the top ten - and we begin to get the reputation of a DOMINATING defense. Here is the excerpt from the linked article on the Browns in 2017" 12. Cleveland Browns TOP THREE RUN-DEFENSE GRADES AMONG RETURNING PLAYERS: Derrick Kindred, safety – 87.3 run-defense grade Carl Nassib, edge defender – 84.8 Myles Garrett, edge defender – 84.8 Missed tackle % on run plays, 2017: 11.2% (13th) Gone is Shelton, but there is still a lot of talent on the Browns defense when you look through their roster. While Garrett’s rookie campaign was limited to 518 snaps due to injury, he looked impressive against the run when he was on the field with a run-defense grade of 84.8 that was tied for 15th among edge defenders. Even better news for the Browns is that the player he was tied with at 15th, was their own in Nassib. Larry Ogunjobi was a force against the run in his first season in the league, producing a 9.5 run-stop percentage that was tied for 17th among defensive tackles, and the exact same mark produced by Shelton a year ago. At linebacker, Joe Schobert made first contact with the runner on 66 plays, more than any other defensive player in the NFL. The Browns allowed a league-best 0.88 yards before contact in 2017, and they have a shot to be just as good, if not better in 2018. https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-nfl-run-defense-rankings-all-32-teams-entering-2018

Who's Conaway? Oh, you meant Tim Conway....... Crap - that must mean Ray Farmer is still the GM............ Or did you mean Antonio Callaway against Indy's 5th corner???????? Yup - me too

That is a pretty fair assessment Nate and mistakey. But I will offer this: The offense is so much stronger as a whole in 2018 than in 2017. I will say the biggest single impactful change is we no longer have a turnover machine trying to learn the game on the fly at the most important position on the field.. If I am a defensive coordinator vs the Browns 2018 offense, I am very concerned because this is what I have to stop: Pressure Taylor the best you can and keep him in the pocket as long as you can. Remember, he has mad escapability skills. Big, game changing plays seem to happen more often than not when a QB breaks contain. Lock down Gordon and Landry so you are not getting nuked by the 15 yard plus pass plays. Shore up the box so you are not getting gashed and trucked by Hyde and Chubb up the gut. There is no more demoralizing play in football than knowing your opponent needs 4 yards, you know they are running it right at you - and you cannot stop them. Be ever cognizant of where Duke Johnson. He has a knack for slipping out of the backfield, catching a pass - and once he is in the open field - his speed and moves become lethal to an unprepared defense. So, finally we get to the tight ends at point 5. I consider all of the above to be of more importance to a defense. You cannot cover or double team everyone. That is why I expect better opportunities for our TEs to post monster numbers this season.

Never want to see this happen - even to a rival. From Browns Nation - RIP Gabe, and prayers to the Rivera family. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/former-steelers-texas-tech-dt-gabe-rivera-who-was-paralyzed-in-car-accident-dies-at-57/ar-AAAd9TC?li=BBnbfcL

Don't forget the long snapper in the 5th!

I know I am being a Nervous Nellie here, but training camp is just eight days away, and our top two choices, Baker and Denzel, remain unsigned. If we were under the old system, I would be in full blown panic mode. I understand our remaining draft picks were selected at 1 and 4 - not 17 and 21. That may be throwing a wrench into the process. With the current "slotted" system in place, the only thing I can see that really can be a major stumbling block is the offset language. Does anyone here have any 411 on the status of the contract talks for both our boys? I would hate to see a season kicked to the curb due to contract issues that result in holdouts.

I tell you, boys and girls, I have had my eye on DeAndre Baker, CB, who will play his senior season this year at Georgia. No way he survives in the draft until round 3, but......... To the point of this thread - we still have the 3rd round pick we did not have to forfeit for Sam Beal. If we choose to do so, it can now be part of a package to get back into the first round for Baker, or select Baker with our top 1st round pick and use this to select a premier LT later in the 1st or 2nd round. We still have flexibility for 2019.

OG - I think that is the position they will settle on for the long haul.

Go to the Bell contract thread in the Stooler forum. They are mocking us and Jarvis by saying A.) - the only reason Jarvis got the contract he did was because we have been so bad for so long; aka desperate and B.) - Bell is a much better player, so he deserves more............ So, you rationalize your argument by comparing him to someone who you infer sucks............ Really? How average does that make your guy? That's real mature. Follow Bell's lead and take another big hit off that doob.......... I hope Jarvis goes off on them in week 1 for a 200 yd, 2 TD day. Of course, their retort will be "Well we didn't have Bell.........." Gawd, I hate the Stooler throng Sheffy is reporting it looks like a holdout is on deck for #26 https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2786295-adam-schefter-thinks-its-possible-leveon-bell-sits-8-games-if-no-new-contract

Just another sad reality of the NFL boning the Browns

Move along, folks - nothing to see here..........

That team of turds 125 miles to the east of us has done that for years. Of course when needed, they go up into the first round and grab All Pro OG David DeCastro

Hmmmmmmm...........