The Tale of Quentin Jammer

[Brown Warrior]

Slow, you disagree with my thesis. I'm not blind, though... and I feel EXTREMELY confident in my primary assertion: Cornerbacks (with REALLY rare exception) are about as good as their pass rush. Elite corners without a pass rush will struggle. And if you have a good pass rush... you don't need elite (highly drafted, expensive) cornerbacks.

My Bengals and Chargers examples aren't only NOT wrong-minded... they're dead-on, as PGL said. Two teams with a pair of first round corners, the Bengals' taken in back-to-back years, but the success of their pass defenses haven't been at all consistent. In fact... they've been wild rollercoaster rides...

That correlate almost perfectly with their sack totals. Hmm. So that supports the notion that fielding a pair of first round corners won't necessarily give you a great or even GOOD pass defense. Both of those teams have been as low as the mid-20s MORE THAN ONCE as far as QBR in recent years. They're only good when the front 7 are getting heat on the passer.

And if you're getting heat on the passer? As Tomlin said (and I appreciate his agreement about defense quite a bit)... if you put heat on the passer, you don't need elite cover guys. That was true of both Super Bowl participants, who started zero first round corners between them... but a fourth and a UDFA.

Bucky Brooks said it: You draft for the front of your defense to help the back, not the other way around. It's one of the first things he was told as a scout.

I'm not saying you get your corners in the bargain bin. I'm saying taking them in the top 10 is clearly unnecessary. None of the 4-3 teams we might be emulating have done that, and they all have very good pass defenses: Chicago, Tampa, Philly. Zero first round corners between them, all top 11 pass defenses.

I'm not saying nobody's allowed to disagree. I'm saying my core idea has never been radical at all. Drafting corners in the first round in back to back years? Radical. In the top 10 both times? Lunacy based on absolutely nothing.

I only have to keep repeating it because someone keeps wanting it to be nuts. It's still not.

[Brown Warrior]

Good stuff, Tom. I think I might look at the draft differently than some. My overview isn't specifically about BPA or even need. It's, "What draft improves us the most? Which version creates more WINS?"

I think the two things the Browns MUST do to finish games and win in this league are, in order: Pass the ball WAY better in order to score WAY more points... and rush the passer.

Maybe I'm too simple. Too didactic. But you take those two needs into the draft and you look at the big picture. You also mix in that you're switching to a 4-3 and need at least a couple guys on the DL... that you're committed to your QB and like your running backs and TEs... and then you start looking at the if/thens, the value areas, and imagine the ideal draft.

You want to come out of this draft much stronger at WR and DL. Period. Anything else is ear-fuckage. There are other things to accomplish, but if you fail to do either Job 1 or Job 2, you can't like your draft too awfully much.

That's the way I see it, at least.

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

Good stuff, Tom. I think I might look at the draft differently than some. My overview isn't specifically about BPA or even need.

It's, "What draft improves us the most? Which version creates more WINS?" I think the two things the Browns MUST do to finish games and win in this league are, in order: Pass the ball WAY better in order to score WAY more points... and rush the passer.

You're on to something: WINS.

Score more points? Yes
Give your young QB/new WCO offense/new HC/WR's a chance? Yes

Who has the most chance for improvement in 2011 BW?
Our offense or our defense?

Even with the plethora of D players drafted, I bet you this offense under Shurmur starts of the season and leads the AFCN in offense. Our offense is strong and explosive. And this defense takes us to 10-6.

Wide Receivers: Greg Little, Momo, Robo, Chansi, Josh Cribbs, Haggerty, Mitchell, FA, UDFA, UDFA, ?draft pick?.

What improves us the most? Not allowing Phil Savage or Butch Davis to draft our toilet cleaners.