Quote:One more reason Bortles shouldn't be rushed into service.
Brad Meester's retirement is the reason, actually, because right now we don't know if McClendon or Bowanko is a better option at center.
Quote:Brad Meester's retirement is the reason, actually, because right now we don't know if McClendon or Bowanko is a better option at center.
Meester wasn't any better at the end.
The team took a serious swing at fixing the C position with Mack, and just couldn't pry him free from Cleveland. It's a position that will be a focus all year long until they can find a fix next year. There isn't a savior riding in at this point.
Quote:Meester wasn't any better at the end.
The team took a serious swing at fixing the C position with Mack, and just couldn't pry him free from Cleveland. It's a position that will be a focus all year long until they can find a fix next year. There isn't a savior riding in at this point.
I will forever wish the Browns did not have enough money to match our $42 million contract offer sheet. The problem was they have more money than we do and are able to match any offer sheet, so the only way to get Mack is wait for him to be an unrestricted free agent. Fortunately Caldwell put two voidable years in the contract so Mack can try again as a UFA in 2016 IIRC.
McClendon was awful yesterday. I have seen Meester have bad games, but not like that.
Quote:I will forever wish the Browns did not have enough money to match our $42 million contract offer sheet. The problem was they have more money than we do and are able to match any offer sheet, so the only way to get Mack is wait for him to be an unrestricted free agent. Fortunately Caldwell put two voidable years in the contract so Mack can try again as a UFA in 2016 IIRC.
McClendon was awful yesterday. I have seen Meester have bad games, but not like that.
None of that helps this team now.
Quote:None of that helps this team now.
I know. What does help this team now will be a depth chart shakeup and week of practice.
Quote:I know. What does help this team now will be a depth chart shakeup and week of practice.
Rotating mediocre players at center isn't going to fix a thing.
I am sorry, if the options we have at center are all below average why can't they find a average one in free agency somewhere? They may not grow on trees but I bet there are a couple of centers better in the CFL or something.
Quote:I am sorry, if the options we have at center are all below average why can't they find a average one in free agency somewhere? They may not grow on trees but I bet there are a couple of centers better in the CFL or something.
We did sign a free agent center who is actually above average. Unfortunately the Browns gave him the transition tag, which means they can choose to match any contract offer from another team. All we could do after the Browns matched our offer sheet was draft one. Luke Bowanko is here for future success, so he is not being rushed into the starting job.
Can't believe there are pro Centers out there who are erratic with high snaps
Quote:I guess the only way of finding out is to actually start him.
Unless there were some way of having a staff of NFL professionals constantly evaluating his play in practice, with a whole load more information than we have access to.
You'd think they'd be able to find some way of doing that with all the money and organisation the NFL is supposed to have.
Honestly I thought Beadles was the weakest link on the line. There were multiple plays where I saw him get blown back 2 yards at the point of attack. It's the whole reason the stretch plays don't work with Gerhart or anybody else. The RB is supposed to go down the side and pick the biggest hole to cut back into. It doesn't work if he has to go backwards because the guard got blown off the line.
McClendon didn't do particularly well, but he didn't do as badly as Beadles either.
And according to PFF, Gratz gave up 1 rec for 11 yards on 4 targets with one pass defended. Really good start there when Foles passed for over 300 yards. Basically it looked like wherever Gratz was, the passes were going the other way.
I jus find it hard to believe there isnt better options than what we have on the oline.
Quote:I jus find it hard to believe there isnt better options than what we have on the oline.
List the players that are currently available who represent an upgrade over what we have now.
Quote:Unless there were some way of having a staff of NFL professionals constantly evaluating his play in practice, with a whole load more information than we have access to.
You'd think they'd be able to find some way of doing that with all the money and organisation the NFL is supposed to have.
You can save your snarky comments for someone else.
I'm sorry, but they have mishandled the center position.
They GAVE the position to Brewster (and majority of the snaps) without Brewster ever earning it.
I'm sorry that Yarno and Luke Butkus don't instill a supreme confidence in me.
Besides, there's many examples of players playing better in real games than practice.
I do think McClendon probably just knows the playbook better than Bowanko and that's the reason he's starting (same reason for Bortles)
Quote:You can save your snarky comments for someone else.
I'm sorry, but they have mishandled the center position.
They GAVE the position to Brewster (and majority of the snaps) without Brewster ever earning it.
I'm sorry that Yarno and Luke Butkus don't instill a supreme confidence in me.
Besides, there's many examples of players playing better in real games than practice.
I do think McClendon probably just knows the playbook better than Bowanko and that's the reason he's starting (same reason for Bortles)
They made a bold move going after Mack only to be matched by a team with deeper pockets. That was their best option to address the Center situation, and it didn't pan out. Brewster was the default starter following Meester's retirement based on who was still on the roster. How did that work out for him?
Quote:List the players that are currently available who represent an upgrade over what we have now.
I didnt say I scouted the free agents or other teams backups for possible trades. Im saying there just has to be better options out there somewhere.
Quote:List the players that are currently available who represent an upgrade over what we have now.
I didnt say I scouted the free agents or other teams backups for possible trades. Im saying there just has to be better options out there somewhere.
Quote:They made a bold move going after Mack only to be matched by a team with deeper pockets. That was their best option to address the Center situation, and it didn't pan out. Brewster was the default starter following Meester's retirement based on who was still on the roster. How did that work out for him?
He shouldn't have been the default starter. That's my point. What has he done to be default anything?
If you start training camp with an open competition at center, McClendon and Bowanko would have had more snaps.
They mishandled it. Only when Brewster made it clear to everyone by his bad snapping and worse play, did they start rotating and the competition began with roughly 2 weeks to go before the regular season started.
Quote:Honestly I thought Beadles was the weakest link on the line. There were multiple plays where I saw him get blown back 2 yards at the point of attack. It's the whole reason the stretch plays don't work with Gerhart or anybody else. The RB is supposed to go down the side and pick the biggest hole to cut back into. It doesn't work if he has to go backwards because the guard got blown off the line.
Beadles play doesn't surprise some people
Quote:They made a bold move going after Mack only to be matched by a team with deeper pockets.
It wasn't that bold of a move by the Jags when Cleveland matched the offer in like 30 seconds