The "Everything But" Season

[Shep]

Here's what I think the Browns can accomplish in 2010:

On offense, I think they can become a team with everything but the explosive passing offense possessed by every serious contender in today's NFL.

They can forge together a Top Five line that isn't very old if Thomas-Steinback-Mack-Lauvao-Pashos works out as well as I think it can.

They can have a set of young backs that becomes the envy of the league in Hardesty, Harrison, and Hillis, plus FB Vickers.

They can develop some pass-catching talent from among youngsters Moore, Robiskie, and Massoquoi. If two of the three are a big part of the long-term future, that's great.

The next steps will be to find another passcatching weapon, almost certainly a very fast one, and hopefully find our version of Manning, Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Roethliberger, etc. The QB who can run a high-powered passing offense for the next decade.

On defense, I think we can have everything but a dynamic edge guys OCs have to gameplan for. I think we have a lot of really good young talent on that side of the ball in Rubin, Gocong, Jackson, Roth, Haden, Wright, Ward, and maybe Benard.

We'll need to get faster and more athletic on the edges, at OLB and DE.

Overall, I think the Browns can come out of 2010 looking like a team that's only maybe four starters from serious and sustained contention. Delhomme could well start again in 2011, but you want the long-term guy on the roster, learning for a year.

[Greythan]

Pretty solid read Shep.

I'd add that we need another safety and for either Ward or the other safety to evolve into a playmaker. Its a passing league after all.

Also, we need OLine depth going forward, but that falls under your caveat about needing 4 more starters.

[ramrod]

Nice thread shep.

If we can look like a team thats 4 starters away from being legit then I would be happy. If we end the year in the same place we started (a lot of question marks) then it will obviously be a huge failure.

Robo and MoMass need to step up big time. We HAVE to see something from these guys and they will have plenty of oppurtunities to accomplish that will Delhomme at the helm.

December football will mostly be Vickers and Hillis and we will win a lot of low scoring quick games like that.

[Solon16]

Another guy who DOESN'T get it....on defense atleast....We need a david harris type middle linebacker and have for decades. We have sucked on Defense since Earl Holmes got released and he was better than average at best! ....everything else i agree with... We need to get Andrew Luck somehow, someway!

[grimmreaper3]

Put me in, coach.

[Inspecta]

Can't argue with most of that Shep. Good read.

I know you're not a freckles fan, and that's fine. He sure as shit hasn't shown you reason to be anything different after this preseason. However my hope is that Delhomme plays above average this year, and we're drafting in the middle of the pack so we can focus on other areas of need besides drafting a QB that high. I know it's a long term need, but I'd like to see McCoy for another preseason with added reps after a season of watching from the sidelines before I close the book on him completely.


I think our run game can be elite this year, and with that comes an exponential improvement to our passing game. If teams are forced to put 8 in the box to stop us I can almost guarantee you that Jake will take full advantage of it and make teams pay. Which puts defensive coordinators against us in their worst nightmare. Keep their safeties back to protect the pass or watch our O-line chew up game clock all day.


The defense for me is a unit I've had a hard time getting a read on this preseason. The Dude no doubt spent a lot of time testing packages, blitz schemes and the such so it's hard to see how they're gonna compete for 60 minutes in a real game. I do however feel a lot better about the safety position. I think Ward is going to be a starter for us for a very long time.

I'm also impatient as shit to see Hardesty in action for us.

[Shep]

When is the NFLN replay of the game, BTW?

[Jax Dawg]

Originally Posted by Shep

When is the NFLN replay of the game, BTW?

Saturday @ 1:00 PM.

[kydawgfan]

Great analysis shep, i couldnt agree more..and at the very least i believe we are finally heading the right direction and that definitely makes me feel good about our role within the nfl in the not so distant future!

[King of Kings]

Originally Posted by Solon16

Another guy who DOESN'T get it....on defense atleast....We need a david harris type middle linebacker and have for decades. We have sucked on Defense since Earl Holmes got released and he was better than average at best! ....everything else i agree with... We need to get Andrew Luck somehow, someway!

That and a Demarcus Ware type passrushing OLB. Or a Woodley/Harrison twofer punch.

It's a good read Shep and you're pretty close, i'd agree two or three guys on Offense and the O will take off. What I see we need for offense is 1: A #1 WR. We need that Moss/Fitzgerald/T.O./Chad/Driver/Jackson/Holmes #1 wideout. That will almost instantly make the other WR's better.

2: A #2 RB. I know everyone loves Harrison, but he's A: going on 28, and B: Not that good. If Hardesty is the bellcow I think he can be we need to upgrade the change of pace back. That will open up the run game which opens up the passing game.

3: QB to groom and take over. Meh if we need it we need it. I just want for us to make damn sure he has ALL the key pieces and more importantly is the right guy for the job. I'm not opposed to, in fact i'm cool with grabbing Andrew Luck and sitting him for a season or two until we have all the pieces and he's ready to go.

Defense though, defense is a bit trickier. We need a bit more on the Defense to make it elite. As it looks to likely be our backfield is a key player away. All we need there is for Haden to step into the role we drafted him for then draft another Safety who can hit and ballhawk. That could become an elite strength with one more move.

Onto linebackers, i'm a linebacker snob of the highest order. I'm not into rubber band LB's. We need, NEED at the least as Solon said a beast ILB, BADLY. I'd actually say we need two thumpers in the middle with DQ as the main backup. On the outside we need passrushing LB's something fierce. Ideally a Woodley/Harrison type combo, but easier said then done. Well not really, if Woodley hits FA throw the kitchen sink at him then draft a passrushing specialist.

The D.L.: This is a big one. The entire line needs rebuilt, including NT. Rogers will be a 31 year old FA at the end of the year and we need someone to rotate with Rubin. DE's? We need at least four of 'em. Two that can passrush/collapse the pocket/stuff the run and two young backups.

I do agree though that with another good free agency and draft we'll just about be there.

[Shep]

BTW, Ponder completed a McCoy-esque 69% of his passes last year for 8.2 YPA... pretty incredible. His year was cut short by injury or he may have been a first round pick already.

He's 6'3" and 227, so he's a full-grown man already. He scored a 36 on his preseason Wonderlick, which is Aaron Rodgers-ish.

I'm keeping an eye on him. He feels WCO-friendly, like Luck and maybe Keenum. I doubt anybody's gonna pass on Locker for any type of offense.

[Sez.EJ]

Shep. I can't really argue with this assessment.. It's optimistic..but that's what this time of the year brings. I hope at the end of the season we can look at this and still have a similar point of view. 4-5 new starters away is about right. I think we need more than just one new guy on the DL but that's just me banging that some old gong again. Not only do we need that down the field WR I think we need another solid all around guy who can start if needed. I'm not convinced stuckey is anything yet and we have very little behind him. Cribbs is not real reliable either... QB of the future is a no brainer of course. McCoy or someone new.. I care not.. just get the right guy.. If we do pick a QB high.. I just want us to finally get it right for once.

We also need to get our K and P of the future too. more so kicker as we are getting old there..Punter is just a place I believe we can upgrade. I am not counting those 2 spots in the 4-5 you mentioned.. I am guessing you did not mean that either.