Joe Flacco

I often get strange looks when I mention that Joe Flacco is my 20th ranked QB in the NFL even though the Ravens just won a Super Bowl.  I was inspired to show how I got to this point and my reasoning for putting in so low.  I found the need to put all the different QB's ahead of Flacco into categories because each QB is in a different stage of development.


The Super Elite:  These are the QB's that are without a doubt big time players and have shown repeatedy that they can get the job done on the biggest of stages.  Joe Flacco cannot touch any of these QB's no matter how you spin it.  Further, these QB's are often the first thing you think of when you think of their respective teams and  DCs often have to game plan against.  These guys are in no particular order.

1.  Ben Roethlisberger

2. Peyton Manning

3. Arron  Rodgers

4. Matt Ryan

5.Tom Brady


The Elite:  These are the guys who are continual outstanding performers but, for whatever reason they can't seem to get over the hump.  These guys are any moment can carry a team and have demonstrated a high level of consistency throughout their  career. Again, in no particular order.


6.  Carson Palmer

7. Phillip Rivers

8. Eli Manning

9. Matt Schaub

10. Tony Romo


The Super Rookies:   These are the Rookies/2nd year players that you can clearly see that sooner than later is going to greatly exceed anything that Flacco has done or will ever do.  These guys are going to be so outstanding for a long time that it is justified that these guys should be called Franchise QB's. 

11.  Colin Kaepernick

12. Robert Griffin III

13. Andrew Luck

14. Cam Newton

15 Russell Wilson



The Inconsistent Elite:  These are the guys who have tremendous upside but, it's just a matter of time before they put it altogether and become big time players at their position.  These guys have been somewhat inconsistent due to alot of things not all in their control  but, I would never trade any of these guys for Joe Flacco.


16. Matthew Stafford

17. Josh Freeman

18. Sam Bradford

19.  Andy Dalton


*In the case of Andy Dalton more scrutiny and work needs to be done because I'm still not convinced he can make ALL the throws necessary to be possible elite.  In looking at is body of work in the two years he's been in the league, it's hard not to be very impressed though.

This puts Joe Flacco as my 20th ranked QB.  Yes, he has been solid and he had a tremendous run as a QB to the Super Bowl but, lets not get carried away about this great playoff run because his entire body of work has been  up and down(mostly up) but, far from elite or should be called a franchise QB.

Haden vs Revis

Keep in mind I consider a shut down CB as a CB that can go up against the very best WR's and limit them if not shut them down.  I did Revis vs Haden.


Darrelle Revis:

Revis played against the following top WR's:

Steve Johnson(Buf)

Wes Welker(NE)

Brnadon Marshall(MIA)

Jeremy Maclin(PHI)

Demaryius Thomas(DEN)

Dewayne Bowe(KC)


Revis vs Steve Johnson   in two meetings:  3 catches for 84 yards  and 8 catches for 75 yards

Revis vs Wes Welker:  in two meetings:  5 catches for 124 yards and 6 catches for 64 yards

Revis vs Brandon Marshall:  in two meetings:  6 catches for 109 yards and 5 catches for 50 yards

Revis vs Jeremy Maclin:  one meeting:  3 catches for 57 yards

Revis vs Demaryius Thomas:  one meeting:  2 catches for 37 yards

Revis vs Dwayne Bowe:  one meeting 6 catches for 69 yards



Joe Haden:

Haden against the following top WR's:

Michael Crabtree:(SF)

AJ Green:(CIN)

Larry Fitzgerald(AZ)

Brandon Marshall(MIA):

Mike Wallace(PIT):

Pierre Garcon(IND):


Haden vs Crabtree: one meeting:  5 catches for 54 yards

Haden vs AJ Green: two meetings:  one catch for 41 yards(that play where the Browns were knapping) and 3 catches for 110 yards

Haden vs Larry Fitzgerald:  one meeting:  3 catches for 62 yards

Haden vs Mike Wallace:  two meetings: 4 catches for 57 yards and 1 catch for 11 yards

Haden vs Brandon Marshall:  one meeting:  4 catches for 43 yards

Haden vs Pierre Garcon:  one meeting:  3 catches for 28 yards

Random Thoughts

Even though he didn't get the victory Ubaldo set the tone with an outstanding pitching performance.  He got in and out of trouble but, didn't give up the big hit as he has done in other performances.  The Indians will need more of this going forward because it appears that reinforcements could be on the way to help them stay in the race the entire season.  Also, it is obvious that the Indians really miss Rafael Perez.  He had become very reliable in the Indians bullpen since 07'.  His presence in the Indians bullpen not only balances the bullpen with a lefty but, allows Joe Smith to be more a specialty pitcher.  I do predict that Cody Allen sooner rather than later will be the man for the seventh.


The Indians' FO needs to step up to the plate and make moves to help this team.  The team desperately needs reinforcements in the form of at least another hitter and maybe another starter.   It comes a point in time where the Indians FO needs to stop talking a good game and doing something.  Yes, we know it's a tough trading market because of the extra wildcard but, other teams seem to make moves to improve.  No more excuses for the FO.  It's put up or shut up time.


I must say that with the start of Browns camp, I am most disappointed and disgusted with the fans in this region who are so ready to jump ship on the Indians to give all support and love to the Browns.  It seems that some were wishing the Indians to get swept out this series so, they can declare them dead so they can talk Browns all day.   For a region to have not won anything in 50 years it's a darn shame that the people don't grasp onto any team that's a contender and go with them until they can't anymore.  It shows that people in the region are stuck and lack the capacity to change, adapt.

12' mock draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB- Stanford

2.  Washington Redskins:  Robert Griffin III, QB-Baylor

3. Minnesota Vikings:  Matt Kalil, OT-USC

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB- Alabama

5.Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Mo Claiborne, CB- LSU

6.  St, Louis Rams:Fletcher Cox, DT- Mississippi State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars:  Justin Blackmon, WR- OSu

8.  Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB-Texas A&M

9.Carolina Panthers:  Dontari Poe, DT-Memphis

10. Buffalo Bills: Jonathan Martin, OT-Stanford

11.Kansas City Chiefls:  David DeCastro, OG-Stanford

12.Seattle Seahawks:  Luke  Kuechly, LB-Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT-Iowa

14.Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, S-Alabama

15.Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers,  DT-LSU

16.New York Jets: Michael Floyd, WR-Notre Dame

17.  Cincinnati Bengals: Stephon Gilmore, CB-South Carolina

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE-Illinois

19.  Chicago Bears: Melvin Ingram, DE-South Carolina

20. Tennessee Titans: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB-Alabama

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cody Glenn, OG-Georgia

22. Cleveland Browns: Nick Perry, DE-USC

23.Detroit Lions: Josh Robinson, CB-Central Florida

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Donta Hightower, LB-Alabama

25.Denver Broncos: Devon Still, DT-Penn State

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR-Baylor

27. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw, LB-Alabama

28. Green Bay Packers: Andre Branch, DE-Clemson

29.  Baltimore Ravens:  Mohamed Sanu, WR-Rutgers

30. San Francisco 49ers: Jayron  Holsey, CB-Va. Tech

31. New England Patriots: Brandon Thompson, DT-Clemson

32.New York Giants:  Doug Martin, RB-Boise State

Ideal Browns 2012 draft

#4:  Trent Richardson  RB- Alabama

#22:  Kendall Wright WR- Baylor

#37: LaVonte David, LB-Nebraska

#67: Mitchell Schwartz OT- Cal

#100:  Bruce Irvin DE-West Virginia

#118: Janzen Jackson S- Tennessee

#139: Audie Cole LB - NC State

#160:  Cliff Harris:  CB- Oregon

#204: LaDarius Green TE- Louisiana-Lafayette

#205:  Greg Childs WR- Arkansas

#211: Tydreke Powell DT- UNC

#245:  Tom Compton OT- South Dakota

#247:Nelson Rosario WR- UCLA

My offseason Plan for the Browns...

In this offseason plan the common theme for all the players that I think the Browns should go after is EXPLOSIVENESS:  If the Browns follow this realistic plan they will be one of the more exciting, fastest, deepest and best teams in the NFL


Free agency:
Mario Williams(DE)
DeSean Jackson(WR)
Mike Otto(OL)
John Carlson(TE)






Mario Williams:  Williams would be at home once again in the 4-3 and not have to worry dropping back into coverage like he did in the Wade Phillips defense last year.  He would focus on doing what he does best and that is getting up field and rushing the passer.  He would give the Browns the best DL in football hands down and allow them to rush four and drop back seven without having to blitz.  Everyone on not only the defense but, on the entire team will benefit because turnovers would put the offense in better position moving forward. This move is a no brainer.



DeSean Jackson:  Jackson will give the Browns the Deep threat they so desperately need.  Jackson is also awesome on special teams that could come in handy if needed and become that explosive homerun hitter everytime he touches the ball.  Also, Jackson is the perfect compliment to Greg Little who will suddenly have the middle of the field open with the presence of Jackson.  Another key component is putting Mohammed Massoquoi in the third WR role where he will flourish.  I think MoMass is a #2 WR on a good team but has never had a decent QB to be able to get him the ball.  This move is also a no brainer. In Vincent Jackson  I fully understand his frustration in feeling like he was being treated unfairly, however, his behavior in pouting was totally unacceptable on the field.

Mike Otto:  Otto is a big, versatile OT who would give the Browns an experienced OT if and when the Pashos goes down.  Otto isn't going to wow with his tremendous play but, will be more than adequate in filling in when the time comes.  Also, with this addition it will buy the Browns enough time to develop someone for the long term at RT.  Even after the Browns groom a future Otto would remain relevant as an adequate and capable backup for a number of years.

John Carlson:  This is the type of player that is a low risk, high reward type player.  He is considered an excellent blocker and a capable receiver.  The Browns are going to want to feature the talents of one Jordan Cameron and will need another solid blocking TE to go along with him.  He is coming off  missing the season with a torn labrum, however, should come at an reasonable price because he isn't flashy and the skill needed isn't considered to be as valued as catching the ball.











Draft:
 Round 1
Robert Griffin III(QB)
Zach Brown(LB)

Round 2
Stephon Gilmore(CB)

Round 3
George Iloka(FS)

Round 4
Levy Adcock(OT)
DeJohn Harris(DT)


Round 5
Shea McClellin(DE)

Round 6
Tauren Poole(RB)

Undrafted Free agent:
Carmen Messina(LB)


Robert Griffin III:  Yes, I am in the minority that believes that RG3 is the best QB in this draft.  I think he can do everything you want in a QB.  Long, short, intermediate throws and can scramble.  I love his accuracy, touch, leadership skills and all the other intangibles.  I look forward to watching him become great in a Cleveland Browns uniform.

Zach Brown:  The Browns will be pleasantly surprised when Zach Brown is left on the board. This guy will give us the speed at LB that the Browns have needed for so long. Brown will also allow the Browns to be more flexible with their coverage because he is one of the linebackers that you can put on a real good TE or RB and take the TE or RB out of the game.  As mentioned before it will be very difficult to run wide on the side of Brown because he is that fast and that good of an athlete.

Stephon Gilmore:  Gilmore is a very solid, speedy CB that can press cover, support the run and can be used as a return man.  With the addition of Gilmore, the Browns will yet again get an explosive individual who can turn a turnover into TD's and then do is duty as a very solid CB to team up with Joe Haden.

George Iloka:  Iloka is tall, rangy, FS that can not only cover in space and come up and support the run.  The beauty in this selection that Iloka won't be pressured into starting right away because of the presence of Usama Young.  Iloka would be allowed to concentrate solely on special teams with the belief that he is the heir apparent to the FS position once Young is gone.  This would be a very solid pickup with a player that is fast rising and has shown considerable skill for now and going forward.  Very solid choice Iloka would be.

Levy Adcock:   Adcok is a a huge, athletic individual that would be groomed to be the RT going forward.  He is very athletic and would need some fine tuning in using his feet and continue to get stronger.  He won't be pressured to play at all and shouldn't be classified as a bust or disappointment because of the presence of Mike Otto.  It wouldn't be surprising that Adcock would be inactive for a period of games because his presence will be felt a year from now.  He is a very solid pick and would future RT in taking over for Pashos.

DaJohn Harris:   DaJohn Harris is an exciting explosive players that has turned many heads during some of the practices.  While at USC he somewhat underachieved but, later on in his tenure at USC he really came on and it continued during the bowl games.  On the Browns he would be a perfect fit for a backup role for Atyba Rubin and Phil Taylor along with Scott Paxson.  Harris is 300lbs and somewhat athletic.  He would be an outstanding pick at this stage and a very valued backup.

Shea McClellin:  McClellin is an effort player that will do whatever it takes to make a play.  He is somewhat athletic but, uses guile, a tad bit athleticism and alot of effort to get to the QB.  He is deceptively quick but, doesn't have one distinguishable trait to wow scouts.  He is one of those players that will be at minimum a productive backup because of his knack of getting to the QB.  Kind of reminds me of a younger version of Kyle Van daBosch of the Lions.  This guy would be an excellent backup to Jabaal Sheard, with Marcus Bernard being the speedy backup to Mario Williams.  This would give the Browns eight quality DLineman which is the the minimum that is needed to run a successful 4-3 defense.

Tauren Poole:  Poole would give even more speed out of the backfield and on special teams.  He is a versatile player that can return kicks and catch the ball.  If nothing else he would give Browns even more depth in the backfield in case Brandon Jackson goes down and the need for a versatile third down back is needed.  I consider this player to be an upgrade over the overrated Chris Obogonnaya and would beat him out with his speed and versatility.

Undrafted Free agent:


Carmen Messina:  Messina is another player that doesn't have any features that would wow a scout but does enough things to considered a solid backup and special teams player.  He is considered a leader and would be that high character player in a key backup MLB role.  He gives tremendous effort and loves to make tackles at the point. He isn't the most gifted athletically but,  is athletic enough to the point where he wouldn't be taken advantage if he needed to fill in.  He does need to get stronger but, that shouldn't be a problem with the weight programs in the NFL.

Terry Pluto is Wrong AGAIN!!

 In response to Terry Pluto's inaccurate article on :

Cleveland Browns' plan to improve probably not a good fit for Robert Griffin III: 

 Terry makes the false assumption that because RG3 takes the vast majority of his snaps from the shotgun that he is incapable of of taking snaps from Center.  This is far from the truth and if you watch any games for any length of time you will see him take snaps from center and does it effortlessly.  In fact, if you go to youtube, you will be able to see that RG3 takes his snaps from Center and doesn't miss a beat in doing what his asked of him.   To further show how misinformed Terry Pluto is on his analysis Bleacher Report writer in his analysis of RG3 gives him an A for footwork and in doing so says the following "However, Griffin also drops back from under center, often seeing three- and five-step drops, which are seen throughout the NFL.  This contradicts the erroneous, misinformed supposition by Pluto.

 Another contradictory comment by Pluto is one in which he says that:Take the biggest impact offensive player at No. 4. Look elsewhere for a quarterback. To this what happened to building a team around a Quarterback? As I mentioned before, I 99% of the league believes that in order to win you  must have a good/great QB.  In listening to the Presser today and the one given by Shurmur the Browns have very strong doubts about the abilities of one Colt McCoy.  In saying that they need to find a QB because according to Mike Holmgren, you build a team around a QB and what Pluto doesn't mention in his article is the fact that the Browns put to rest any talk that RG3 is to short by referencing Aaron Rogers and going on to say that a 6'2" QB can be successful in the offense(referencing RG3).  

To put this argument to rest.  Go on ESPN and see the comments of one Mel Kiper.  He points out that RG3 can play in any offense.

I will put links of the scouting report of RG3 and the comments of Mel Kiper on my link so you can have it and refute the misinformation given by Pluto.  Oh by the way, Pluto doesn't mention that RG3 played in the same offense of Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, did they have problems taking snaps from Center??  I rest my case!!!!!

RG3 scouting report:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1006396-2012-nfl-draft-full-scouting-breakdown-and-analysis-for-robert-griffin-iii

Kiper Article:http://search.espn.go.com/kiper-on-rg3/

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/story/_/id/7419742/robert-griffin-iii-not-andrew-luck-right-pick-indianapolis-colts