Cleveland Browns: Stocks Falling

The first quarter of the NFL season is behind us so it’s a natural point to stop and take a look at the Cleveland Browns and see Ray Farmer and Mike Pettine’s portfolio of players to see whose stock is rising and whose is falling.

Earlier this week we started with the guys you can send your buddies texts, emails, and gifs saying “I told you so”, for you were the one standing on the ledge of optimism! Today, we’ll finish with the guys you can send your buddies texts, emails, and gifs saying “I told you so” for being the doubt-filled buzzkill that you, at the end of the day, truly are.

Stocks Falling

Joe Haden – Few players have been under more scrutiny this season than Haden, and rightfully so. After signing a contract this off season putting him in the same rarified air as elite corners Richard Sherman, Darrelle Revis, and Patrick Peterson, Haden has been merely pedestrian on the field in 2014.

The Browns’ Pro Bowler had a tough go of it in the opener against Pittsburgh, once again being at the mercy of Steelers’ star wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown has a history of making Haden’s day miserable, as chronicled earlier this year, and Week 1 was no different. All within the first half, Brown victimized Haden for an 18-yard grab, 35-yard touchdown, and two defensive holding penalties. The touchdown wasn’t entirely Haden’s fault as Roethlisberger made a vintage escape to buy more time and fire a strike into the end zone, leaving Haden in coverage for far too long. Not many can run around with Antonio Brown for the count of five Mississippi’s, but what was troubling was the way Haden had no sense of where the ball was as it was landing in Brown’s hands. Just another chapter in the book of Antonio Brown owns Joe Haden.

Against New Orleans, Haden was much better in coverage, but still gave up a crucial touchdown at the end of the first half to Jimmy Graham. Graham is a handful for anyone in one-on-one coverage and is a maestro when it comes to using his body to shield off defenders, but Haden has to know the time and situation at the end of the half.

With only eight seconds left in the half and the ball on the 9-yard line, Haden’s sole responsibility on this play is DO NOT GIVE UP A TOUCHDOWN. Any way, any how, just don’t let a guy in a gold helmet come down with the ball in the end zone. Graham ends up getting Haden one-on-on and sure enough, despite Haden’s solid positioning, Graham uses his basketball player body to haul in the touchdown. In this situation, Haden has to know that a pass interference or holding call is infinitely better than giving up a score, but instead Brees connects with Graham and the Saints go into the half with momentum.

Facing the Ravens in Week 3, Haden was once again victimized on a game changing play. This time, not for a touchdown, but the 32-yard completion to Steve Smith Sr. which iced the game for Baltimore and set up Justin Tucker’s game winner. The Browns were in a Cover-1 robber look with Whitner providing some help over the top, but as Smith stutters on his go route, Haden abandons his technique, tries to get contact on Smith but whiffs, and it’s an easy pitch and catch for Flacco and Smith.

Opposing quarterbacks are completing 76.5% of passes when targeting Haden, the 13th worst number among all cornerbacks.

Justin Gilbert – Remember Justin Gilbert’s game against Pittsburgh? Well, Steelers’ wide receiver Markus Wheaton sure does. The second year Steelers wideout punked the rookie corner for 6 catches on 6 targets and 97 yards. Throw in a 25-yard reception by Antwon Blake and the Steelers hung 122 yards on Gilbert in his NFL debut.

Historically, life is difficult in the NFL for rookie corners, but what is disconcerting for Browns’ fans is while Gilbert struggles, other rookie corners like Kyle Fuller in Chicago and Jason Verrett in San Diego are thriving. With two corners picked after him succeeding, it’s impossible for the eighth pick in the draft’s stock not to have dropped.

The good news is Gilbert bounced back from a disastrous debut and played a strong game vs. the Saints in Week 2. Gilbert was targeted five times for just 29 yard against quarterback ninja Drew Brees, contributing in a key role in the win.

The following week against Joe Flacco and the Ravens, the Oklahoma State product was thrown at only three times, the first two resulting in incompletions, and the third being the pass interference penalty below in which Gilbert has a blatant disregard for finding the football. One of the reason’s the Browns were so high on Gilbert was the set of physical tools he came equipped with — size, speed, and length, but last year’s first round pick still has some ways to go to be worthy of such a high selection.

Jordan Cameron – You hate to knock a guy for being hurt, but the NFL is a production based league and thus far in 2014 Jordan Cameron has not produced. Cameron only played 22 snaps vs. Pittsburgh before exiting the game with a shoulder injury that would then force him out of the Week 2 contest with the Saints. Cameron returned against Baltimore, but was not the player Browns’ fans and fantasy owners all over the country were expecting to see.

Despite playing on 85% of the offense’s snaps vs. Baltimore, Cameron was targeted just three times for one catch and 23 yards. After changing his twitter bio this summer to label himself as a “pass catcher” in an aim to get wide receiver money in the off season, Cameron has yet to make any strides towards earning that big pay day.

While not known for his blocking abilities, Cameron was a blocker on 22 of the 30 runs against Baltimore with Pro Football Focus giving him the worst run block rating per play of any tight end in the league. Once balls start coming Cameron’s way the blocking won’t be much of an issue, but in the mean time Jim Dray and Gary Barnidge have filled in nicely both in the running and passing games.

The Defensive Line – Once thought of to be one of the strengths of the team, the defensive line has perhaps been the most glaring weakness in 2014. Veteran stalwarts of the Browns’ front, Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin, have been the main culprits of poor play for a defensive line that is giving up over 150 yards per game on the ground and 5.2 yards per carry. Part of the large rushing numbers given up is by design to take the ball out of the hands of the likes of Drew Brees, but the line’s struggles with playing their assignments has magnified the issue. Last week’s film room took a look at this in further detail and Coach Pettine spoke to it in this week’s Tennessee press conference.

“I think that’s part of it. I think it’s making sure of some fundament stuff. When I’m pursuing, I’ve got to make sure I can stay square in case the back decides to cut back and understanding when I can kind of open up and run full or when I have to kind of throttle down stay square to the ball. Sometimes staying behind the ball is important – not over running it and being susceptible to the cutback. It’s been a lot of detail things at every position. It is obviously a point of emphasis for us to get cleaned up.

Rubin and Taylor aren’t alone in their digression this season, both Armonty Bryant and Desmond Bryant have struggled as well. You have to wonder if it’s a scheme issue more than anything given that all three players in question have thrived in the past. The one man who has shown well is Billy Winn. Winn has been stout against the run, and provided somewhat of a pass rush with one sack and five hurries despite limited snaps.