Jabaal Sheard getting rave reviews in New England

I know it feels like we’re just looking for new ways to be miserable, but the Browns make it easy. In addition to the Browns dropping a game to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and questions abounding about whether their suspended general manager should even find his way back to the building following suspension, there are constant questions about the team’s personnel choices. That includes draft picks and free agents that are with the team and also the free agents who were allowed to depart without any attempt to re-sign them like Jabaal Sheard. It should come as no surprise, given this lead-in that Sheard is making Pats fans happy. He’s apparently enabling them to cover up deficiencies in the defensive backfield.

“By adding Jabaal Sheard and allowing linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins increased opportunities rushing the passer, the Patriots are giving quarterbacks less time to throw, thus concealing their issues in the defensive backfield.”

“Sheard has been even better than advertised this season and leads the Patriots in total pressures with 13 on the season.”

Of course Jabaal Sheard was drafted when the Browns were a 4-3 defense and needed him to play defensive end in that scheme. Bill Belichick’s defensive coaching foundation was also the 3-4, but he somehow saw Sheard as a player worthy of bringing in to play for the defending Super Bowl champions.

It was an economical venture at that. Sheard’s deal was for two years and $11 million with only $5.5 million in guaranteed money. His cap hit for the Pats in 2015 is a mere $4 million or as I like to say, “cheaper than Dwayne Bowe.”

The Browns added Nate Orchard in the draft and also raved about recently-injured Scott “Bloodbath” Solomon, so it isn’t like they watched Sheard leave and sat idly by. At the same time, it’s tough to hear about such a good team like the Pats talk about Sheard being better than advertised for very little money as the Browns finish a game where they didn’t hit Derek Carr once, let alone record a QB sack.