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ASK WUNKLE: PRE-NFL DRAFT EDITION FOR 2019
With the 2019 NFL Draft a mere four weeks away, it’s that time once again for another edition of ASK WUNKLE. I’ve asked our esteemed (and some perhaps not so esteemed) members for their draft related questions, and once again, they have not disappointed. My sincere thanks go out to all those who participated in the questioning.
We kick off the questioning with THE DUDE from parts unknown, who asks:
Mr. Dorsey is a man on the move. What do you see happening in this draft in regards to moving up, trading picks away, or maybe just having a nice boring draft and sticking with what we have?John Dorsey still has eight picks in this year’s draft. Now that he’s in “FULL DORSE MODE”, I have absolutely no clue as to what he’s going to do with those picks. However, if I had to guess, I’d say that he might still trade up into the top of the second round in order to get a player he’s targeting. Depending upon who goes off when and how the Browns big board is set, I could see them taking one of the safeties . . . possibly Washington’s Taylor Rapp, Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Alabama’s Deionte Thompson, Iowa’s Amani Hooker or Mississippi State’s Jonathan Abraham. If Dorsey takes a linebacker, then I think Alabama’s Mack Wilson. An outside possibility is Georgia edge rusher D’Andre Walker or Louisiana Tech’s Jaylon Ferguson because of his length. With all the firepower the Browns now have on offense, I just don’t see them taking someone early on that side of the line. On the off chance that Dorsey trades down, I think that Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen will be somewhere in the conversation.
THE DUDE follows up with:
We now have a little bit of a whole on the offensive line. Not that we had a ton of power there, but what is your prediction on starters? I think this is where we will win games, and it needs attention.Dorsey re-signed Greg Robinson to play left tackle, so that position is pretty much settled. We still have Joel Bitonio at left guard, JC Tretter at center and Chris Hubbard at right tackle. I think that Austin Corbett will replace the recently departed Kevin Zeitler at right guard. Recently acquired veteran Eric Kush will compete at center and right guard, as well as provide quality depth; and Desmond Harrison will continue to develop as the backup at both tackle positions.
And to finish his trifecta:
What does Joe Schobert need to do to be successful this year?He needs to take better angles to get to the football quicker, wrap up when he tackles and play a faster and more physical brand of football overall. Everything Joe Schobert does on the football field, he needs to do it faster.
Our website’s owner and founder, ICE from Florida asks:
Tell me what you think our LB corps will look like on opening day.I have the Browns starting Christian Kirksey at SAM, Joe Schobert at the MIKE and Adarius Taylor at the WILL with Genard Avery coming in on passing downs to provide extra pressure on the opposing quarterback.
ICE also asks:
Who starts at CB across from Ward this year? Money Mitch was pretty darn good when he wasn’t injured, but we know Dorsey wants serious competition and views CB as one of the most important positions in the sport. Is it a rookie?It could be Terrence Mitchell again, unless Dorsey makes another one of his patented moves. One way or another, there will be competition at all the defensive backfield positions; whether via the draft, trade or free agency. Finally, let’s not overlook Howard Wilson, a fourth round draft pick from Houston in 2017. He’s sat out the past two seasons with injuries, and he’s chomping at the bit to get out there and make an impact.
MIKE BARNES is next on our list with this question:
Do you see a draft day trade of either Emmanuel Ogbah or Duke Johnson and if so will it be for a LB or maybe to move up higher in the second round?I really don’t see Dorsey trading away Duke until at least week nine of the regular season because Kareem Hunt’s suspension will keep him out of action for the first eight games of the regular season. Ogbah gives us some much needed depth at the defensive end position, so it’s not necessarily a given that he’ll be traded away on draft day either. If one of them is traded away on draft day, then I think that Ogbah is the most likely candidate of the two.
MDP SACK ATTACK chimes in with:
Bill, valuing draft picks as much as you do, how do you feel about the hefty price we paid for Odell Beckham Jr.; Both short term and 3+ years out?First off, feelings can be deceiving. My thoughts on the matter . . . Odell Beckham Jr. is a far better player than anyone the Browns could’ve drafted at the #17 slot. He’s a top five receiver in the NFL right now, which makes the entire WR group better than it was at the end of the 2018 season. Having OBJ paired up with Jarvis Landry will force opposing defenses to play the Browns offense straight up, which will leave fewer defenders in the box on running plays. You then throw in Antonio Callaway and David Njoku, and you have a legitimate threat at every position for quarterback Baker Mayfield. You can only double team so many players, so which one do you pick? Having 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE & 3 WR’s) on the field makes this team very scary to defend, so the opposition will need to be in nickel and dime packages anytime the Browns show that package. Short term ramifications are that the Browns may have the NFL’s leading offense in 2019 and beyond. The long term ramifications could come once Miles Garrett, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb have all completed their rookie contracts and are on the verge of free agency. We’ll have to see where the Browns are in terms of salary cap space when that time comes, but I think that the iron is hot now and the Browns need to strike early and often on the field in order to collect more and more wins. The only thing that I see realistically putting a damper on the roster scenario is egos getting in the way of the team’s expected success if someone isn’t “getting enough touches”.
DAWGSTYLE comes in with this question:
Much has been made about our lack of depth at CB, FS and LB. In your opinion, what is the biggest position of need on the defensive side of the ball and how would you like to see it addressed?Excellent question. I see a starting corner opposite Denzel Ward and intimidating physicality at the LB position as the two weakest spots on the defense. The safety position will work its way out, one way or another. One thing I’ve learned with Dorsey is that we can expect something when we least expect it. Leave all options open. Making any predictions without the benefit of a first round pick makes things a bit more difficult; but I’ll guess that Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen might be the targeted cornerback in the second round, if indeed that’s the position the Browns decide to pick first. If linebacker is the pick, then I look for Alabama’s Mack Wilson will be the pick in round two.
GABROWNSFAN is next with:
Do you see us going with Drew Stanton as Baker’s primary backup this year? And if not, who would you like to see come in?I do look for the Browns to have Drew Stanton as the second string quarterback this season. If they bring in a veteran arm; then I would like to see Garrett Gilbert, who’s currently playing for Orlando of the AAF. If they draft an arm, then I would look for someone they could keep on the practice squad for the entire season and develop. A few names come to mind in the second half of the draft (4th round and beyond) . . . West Virginia’s Will Grier, Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson and Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham. A dark horse contender would be North Dakota State’s Easton Stick. Of the four; Jackson is the biggest project, while Grier and Stick were undisputed team leaders that showed good throwing accuracy and an ability to make quick reads. Stidham could be this year’s version of AJ McCarron in that he’ll be functional, but not particularly lights out at the position when called upon to play for an injured starter.
GA follows up with:
Who is your top-rated QB in this year’s class? Not Browns-related, thankfully, but just curious.While Kyler Murray is an excellent thrower of the football and is very mobile, his height (or lack thereof) and bone structure give me lots of concerns when dealing with the size and speed of NFL defenders. Overall, I like Dwayne Haskins as my top QB prospect; even though neither of these two players had a lot of experience. Haskins is a pure pocket passer with plenty of arm strength, touch and accuracy. Murray will be drafted ahead of Haskins because he’s a perfect fit for the Arizona Cardinals’ new offense. In a more conventional offensive scheme, Haskins would be the man.
And finally, SHOOTER has a few questions of his own:
How many Skype interview requests will you grant to the Barking Lot this year?Shooter, the door to The Padded Cell will always be open for you. All you have to do is contact me in advance, and I’ll do my very best to make myself available.
Is it acceptable to think that the Browns will go 19-0 or is it an insane overreaction from a win-starved fanbase?
Look at it this way . . . in 2012 Tom Brady had Randy Moss , Rob Gronkowski, Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Donte Stallworth to throw the football to, and even he couldn’t go 19-0; so I don’t know if anyone can do that. I do think that the Browns can go into just about any game with the expectation of winning. How many of them they’ll actually win is anyone’s guess, but I’m pretty sure that they won’t go 19-0.
And our last question for this edition of ASK WUNKLE:
In what way will our hopes and dreams be crushed this upcoming year?Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps the Browns will be the victim of a bad no-call like New Orleans was against the Rams in the NFC Championship game. Or maybe injuries will cripple the teams hopes for 2019. Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . the Browns will go 12-4 in the regular season, winning the AFC North on their way to the team’s first Super Bow Championship. Then finally, Tony Grossi can retire as the General of Cleveland’s 100 year war and great Jim Brown can die a happy man, knowing that the Cleveland Browns are once again FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Am I going mad, or did the word THINK escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic landmass!
But Bill, you forgot to answer has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do more like??!!
Great writeup, thanks Bill!
But Bill, you forgot to answer has anyone really been far even as decided to use even go want to do more like??!!
Ice, I’m still waiting for that question to be translated into proper English for the Crusty Old Curmudgeon.
Am I going mad, or did the word THINK escape your lips? You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic landmass!
Hey Barberton buddy boy, think Ogbah and Duke are still on the team after the draft?
http://cloudassetserver.com/STL/posts/185/sp_04_976x0.jpg
Hey Barberton buddy boy, think Ogbah and Duke are still on the team after the draft?
My opinion doesn’t matter, but I think Duke is and Ogbah isn’t.
I will be a guest on shooters Skype session. Could someone tell him this for me.
Hue Jackson is a loser.
I will be a guest on shooters Skype session. Could someone tell him this for me.
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