Next Up: The AL East ⊠to Boston and New York
August 17, 2015LeBron James continues to hint at “Space Jam 2”
August 18, 2015
Happy Tuesday, WFNY!
Itâs a happy day for most of us, but I suspect Justin Gilbert isnât feeling too great this morning. Well, actually, I have no idea if that is true at all. Perhaps Gilbert felt his practice on Monday against the Bills was flawless.
By all other accounts, however, Gilbertâs practice session against the Bills on Monday was far from flawless.
My unofficial tally of #Browns CB Justin Gilbert's practice from hell: Allowed 11 catches (4 in 1-on-1 drills, 1 in 7-on-7, six in 11-on-11)
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) August 17, 2015
It was a bad day for the #8 overall pick in last yearâs draft. This obviously is becoming a very serious concern for the Browns. In retrospect, the signing of Tramon Williams in the offseason should been a pretty serious warning sign. When you have Joe Haden on one side, and you spend the #8 overall pick on a CB, you wouldnât expect a team to go out of their way to sign another high quality CB. Not when a team has as many needs as the Browns do. That the Browns signed Aaron Ross over the weekend is an even further indicator of just how bleak the CB situation is looking right now.
Itâs hard to really put into words and/or context just how disappointing Gilbertâs performance thus far in preseason and camp has been. I was excited when the Browns drafted Gilbert. Not because I thought Gilbert himself was going to be great, but I was fully behind the philosophy of potentially having two lockdown CBs in the secondary together. Especially in todayâs more pass-happy, QB-friendly NFL. But my gosh what a mess Gilbert has been so far.
His rookie season was a complete disaster, and thereâs no real reason to dig back into all of that. But coming into this season, there was some real hope that Gilbert had straightened himself out and that he was poised to make his mark this season. The injuries to KâWaun Williams, Pierre Desir, and Robert Nelson have meant more reps and more experience for Gilbert. This should have been a good thing for Gilbert. But instead, it seems only to highlight just how big of a problem the Browns have with the young DB.
But look, nobody wants to be down on the guy, right? Thereâs an optimistâs spin here. Perhaps we can argue that Gilbert was so far lost in 2014 that it doesnât even count as a rookie season. Maybe we can view this as his true rookie season and that heâs only just now going through your typical rookie growing pains as he learns how to adjust to the talent pool in the NFL. Gilbert cannot just get by on his athleticism at this level. Heâs going up against elite WRs every single day, all of whom are the best of the best in the world at using their body and their brain to position themselves in the best way to get open. And in the NFL, you only need the smallest sliver of daylight for many QBs to deliver a strike. The margin between success and failure is razor thin at this level. And thatâs where not only Justin Gilbert, but so many NFL draft picks fall behind. Learning how to thrive inside that margin is an elite skill.
I donât know whatâs going on with Gilbert. Iâm not a scout and Iâm not a psychologist. Iâm a fan, and as a fan, I know that I am severely concerned about Gilbert. You just cannot afford to blow top 10 picks in the NFL. With the strict salary cap, teams canât just chalk up players as busts. You need depth to win, and the best way to build great depth on affordable contracts is to nail your top 10 picks. Hopefully Justin Gilbert can somehow find a way to turn his story around.
*****
Is it ok to be kind of excited about Josh McCown?
When the Browns announced the signing of Josh McCown this offseason, I certainly wasnât thrilled. I wasnât mad. I just didnât care. At first I felt like it was just a sign that the Browns were treading water for this season. That outlook probably wasnât fair to the career that McCown has had.
The reality is, McCown has been around and survived in this league a very long time despite not having any real advantages. McCown wasnât highly touted out of high school. He played college ball at Sam Houston State. He was a third round pick in the NFL draft. Guys like McCown donât get the benefit of the doubt in the NFL. They have to fight to earn their place. And McCown is entering his 13th season. The Browns are his ninth NFL team. He has 49 career starts.
Itâs easy to scoff at the journeyman player. But you think Jamarcus Russell wouldnât trade his career for McCownâs? How about Vince Young? Ryan Leaf? Matt Leinart? Heck, McCown has lasted longer in the than his television doppelganger Jimmy Darmody lasted on Boardwalk Empire.
So while Josh McCown may not be a sexy signing and not necessarily a guy that fans will look to as the savior to turn his team around, McCown has had an NFL career, and thatâs not nothing. Craig Lyndall and I have discussed this on the WFNY podcast a couple times now. Josh McCown is a professional quarterback. Heâs been around the league and seen it all. Heâs not going to be rattled and heâs not going to be overwhelmed. His success and failure will mostly be the result of his talent and not any kind of situational excuse. I guess you could say the same about the likes of Jake Delhomme or Trent Dilfer, but no two situations are the same.
For McCown, this is his opportunity. Perhaps his last chance at being a starting QB in the NFL. So far, reports out of camp have been glowing. McCown looked good last Thursday in his lone drive in the first preseason game.
I have to admit, Iâm sort of getting excited to see what McCown can do. In Chicago, when he was given good protection, he played really, really well. If the Browns can stay healthy on the offensive line, I actually think McCown can have a really productive season this year. Does that mean Super Bowl? Of course not. Playoffs? Probably not. Is he the QB of the future? Nope. Iâm not saying any of those things. Iâm simply saying that in full contrast of the way I feel about Justin Gilbert, I feel OKÂ about McCown being the Brownsâ QB this season. Iâm excited to see what he can do with this opportunity.
*****
New music of the week
QuickâŠ..name some bands who can successfully blend garage punk music with soul. Iâll wait.
How many did you come up with? I suppose there a handful of bands out there capable of it. Maybe someone like The BellRays. Or more recently, a band like Algiers has elements of punk and soul in their music. But itâs not a common or natural marriage of sounds.
One band who absolutely has pulled it off is Australiaâs Royal Headache. This band seemingly came out of nowhere in 2011. But I vividly recall the first time I heard them. I read about them on some website (I no longer remember which one), so I checked out their debut album. The opening song started nice enough. A tight, jangly garage sound. I liked it. Then the vocals came in. And I was floored. Blown away.
Royal Headacheâs singer is a man who goes simply by the name Shogun. And Shogun was put on this earth for one purpose only: to sing. His vocals are a blast of powerful soul delivery. He lifts songs that are very good by their own up another level. And he does this without even trying. In fact, Shogun spent much of his early career self-sabotaging.
Overcome with insecurity and self doubt, Shogun intentionally mixed his vocals lower into the mix on Royal Headacheâs debut album. Then, in what can only be described as a bizarre interview, the singer proclaimed that he was done with Royal Headache. He said we would sing on their second album, but that was it for Royal Headache.
I was crushed, but I was eager to at least get one more album out of them. I would have to wait four years. Now, finally, Royal Headache will release their follow up album, âHighâ, on Friday. And boy is it good. Well worth every last second of the four year wait.
As it turns out, a lot has changed for Shogun in recent years. In a recent interview, he opened up about his insecurities and self-sabotaging. He talked about coming to terms with himself and with accepting his vocals and being more willing to share them with the world. And the change is noticable. On âHighâ, Shogunâs vocals are once again the most remarkable aspect of the songs, but this time, the vocals are properly mixed front and center.
The songs are great, too. Itâs a shame the rest of the band gets so overshadowed, but Iâm sorry, when someone has a voice like Shogunâs, youâre going to talk about it.
This is one of my absolute favorite records of 2015. Itâs concise, tight, infectious, joyous, and just a fun listen. And in the best news yet, Shogun has now said that his claims of quitting the band were more or less a tantrum. Heâs over it, and heâs in Royal Headache for the long haul. Itâs the best outcome for any fans of good, soulful rock and roll music. Check this one out for sure. No, really. Please, please, please give this album a listen.
*****
Thatâs been my time. Iâll check yâall again next week, enjoy the rest of this week here at WFNY!
44 Comments
How I pine for the days of Buster Skrine.
Looks like Flawless is at a fork in the road. And Bust City seems a lot closer than Shutdown Heights.
I hope he realizes that this is shaping up to be his make-or-break season.
The Dirtbombs. Maybe the best at combining garage punk and soul.
I freaking love the BellRays. Incredible live band.
Oh, good call. I totally forgot about them.
I fear for the eye sockets of all players near referees anytime Skrine is on the field.
I was a large proponent for drafting Justin Gilbert. He has man coverage skills in Oklahoma State, elite athleticism, and ridiculous return skills (both off INT and KR).
He has been exceedingly frustrating in the NFL and the complete lack of “feel” in zone defenses seems to be a flaw that he is not going to be able to correct (I hope I’m wrong).
But, can the coaches at least throw him out on the return teams? They seem to like Benjamin at the PR spot, but Benjamin is actually useful at his primary position. Why not try Gilbert out at both PR and KR throughout preseason and see if he can at least use his athleticism to help the team?
I agree on Gilbert. Put him on PR/KR. Screw it. Not to mention the fact that we knew Gordon was going to be out last year and the next best WR was Odel Beckem Jr.
They should all be wearing visors when Skrine is in.
Benjamin would not have much more contribution on the team if not for PR. He seems too little and fragile for PR. You can be little back there, but it seems like Benjamin gets hit hard, whereas other PRs get tackled, not demolished.
“try Gilbert out at both PR and KR” yes x1000
You get a pass for Bitonio.
http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/Faceslide_4ed445_395365.gif
I have a feeling that Benjamin wants nothing to do with punt returns.
Those Royal Headache songs are pretty solid. Kind of reminds me of The Jam. I will definitely check them out.
He seems that way, but Benjamin is really good in the red zone. His shiftiness allows him to find the small creases and get open, and his outstanding vertical is great on the backline. He’s an oddity, but it’s who he is.
He drew PI when they matched him up against a speedster, true. But he never gave up the long TDs that Haden does on a startingly consistent basis.
I really liked Odell Beckham too, just thought he’d drop into the mid-teens. And, I stand by the assertion that the trade down was a good one. If we draft Beckham (or Donald or Barr or Martin or Fuller) and still end up with Erving, no one is upset.
I thought early reports were that Erving was struggling?
When you drag the WR down to the ground before the ball gets there, you tend to not give up the long passes. And, I liked Skrine, he made the most out of his ability and was scrappy as all get-out.
Haden is amazing against the longer limbed WRs. Best in the NFL. He struggles against the quicker route-changers (Brown for instance). And, it was also Skrine’s weakness. Williams is supposed to be better against the quicker guys and struggle against the bigger guys, so we have a better suited pair now.
He struggled in preseason game one at LT. He is not an OT in the NFL. He was not drafted to be an OT. He’s an interior OL that the Browns wanted to learn every spot on the OL. Put Bitonio at LT and he’d struggle there too.
Reports I have seen have said he’s had good first-punch in drills, which along with learning the offense should put him inside where he’s needed. It appears the Browns FO is taking a slower approach with him by force-feeding multiple positions (perhaps grooming him to be the Mack-replacement).
I’d rather see the WR on the ground with a flag then a WR in the end zone is my point I guess.
More on point, Haden and Skrine never really complemented each other in terms of coverage. Each was expected to be a stand-alone island out there with Haden almost always going one-on-one against their best receiver, regardless of whether or not his skillset offset theirs. I am hoping Williams is the answer.
My local ACC expert says center is his best position.
We basically gave up the #4 for Gilbert and Erving.
The jury is out, but I’m not counting this as a win.
I love the poetry, but remember, the days of Skrine would mean no Tramon Williams. We are actually better at corner this year than last year, even without Skrine and with Gilbert playing Lacrosse on a football field.
Just for funsies, I looked at some of the instant grades bestowed on all the NFL teams after the 2014 draft:
NFL.com: A-minus. “Ray Farmer knocked it out of the park.”
SB nation: B-minus. “The secondary gets better.”
SI: B-plus. “The first day of the draft may have been among the most exciting stretches in franchise history.”
CBS Sports: B-minus. “I like the two players the Browns landed in the first round.”
Fox Sports: B-minus. “The Browns also picked up a freak athlete in CB Justin Gilbert.”
And one of the comically worst sports analysts ever, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com: A. “Nobody scores higher than the Cleveland Browns.”
Of course, there’s still time for the draft to live up to those expectations, but . . .
is there anyone who thinks they know more, but actually knows so little as Chris Fedor? He is the worst…or at least he was when he was the shoe shine boy at KNR. Havent really paid attention to him since
hey, a couple of years ago Buster would drag down receivers on short curl routes. So, progress. (I like him too. Buster never ever gives in or gives up).
I like his overly authoritative diction. People believe you when you say staccato-style: “The Cav-a-liers need ze-ro adjust-ment when you have Le-Bron. I see no rea-son why they won’t win six-ty five games, may-be sev-en-ty.”
good stuff.
Hopefully, a healthy Ifo Ekpre-Olomu will ease the impact of a Gilbert bust.
I forgot one.
RGB: EPIC FAIL! “Are they nuts? Sammy, oh, Sammy.”
The problem with viewing this year as Gilbert’s rookie year is that it’s an indictment of the organization. If he was so immature, ruined by first round money, substance-addled, or whatever that last year was a zero as far as developing NFL-level skills, there’s no way the FO shouldn’t take a huge hit for 1) Not having vetted their top draft pick, and/or 2) Not handling him properly. You have to blame the player first but given the way the Browns rewarded Johnny’s lack of prep with game starts, given how West was dogging it, I suspect the org didn’t know how to treat those who are full of themselves..
well, the rest of the draft is doing well.
Plus the name Shogun >>>>>
“Do-I-think-that-J-R-Smith-is-an-all-pro? No. Do-I-think-that-Tris-tan-Thomp-son-is-an-all-pro? No. Do-I-think-that . . .”
Sheesh.
At least it’s not raining.
He also has the worst voice for radio I have ever had the displeasure of hearing.
That is what I have heard too.
I laughed at the lacrosse comment đ
In Hell, they make you listen to him, Booms, and Goldhammer for eternity.
http://www.reactionface.info/sites/default/files/images/1311948270220.jpg
ugh. That’s it. Now I’m in hell.
This was the gif I used when they made the trade…
http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Angry-Fan.gif
Ha ha ha. If I’m not mistaken, later on you also used a gif of Ralphie getting hit right in the face with a snowball. I remember that because it was so hugely hilarious.