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Tag Archives: Ryan Shazier
POSITION BREAKDOWN – BROWNS AT STEELERS – LINEBACKERS and SECONDARY
In years past this was an easy pick as the Steelers defense dominated because of its linebackers in Dick Lebeau’s “Blitzburgh” scheme. The pressure Pittsburgh’s LB’s would put on opposing quarterbacks allowed Troy Polamalu to do whatever he wanted and Ike Taylor was able to cover the opposition’s top wide out.
That is not the case anymore.
The Steelers linebackers are average at best, and Polamalu and Taylor are older and slower. That is not a good combination for the “Black and Gold”.
How bad are the Steelers linebackers? They drafted one in the first round in Ryan Shazier, and he’s starting on the inside! Mike Tomlin doesn’t like to start rookies on defense, or anywhere. That should tell you something. Last year’s first round pick, another linebacker in Jarvis Jones, underperformed based on the front office’s expectations and the other two starters, Jason Worilds and Lawrence Timmons have also been disappointments, even though Worilds led the team in sacks last year with 8. They are a downgrade from Steeler linebackers of the past.
Pittsburgh brought in Mike Mitchell to replace the ancient Ryan Clark at safety and that is an upgrade. However, without pressure and creating havoc in the backfield from the Steelers linebackers, Polamalu, Mitchell, Taylor and fellow starting corner Cortez Allen can be exposed by good passing attacks.
The Browns feel they’ve upgraded the middle of their linebacking core with the addition of veteran Karlos Dansby. He’s more of a play-maker than D’Qwell Jackson was, but doesn’t have many years left.
2013 First Round Pick Barkevious Mingo
Last year’s number #1 pick Barkevious Mingo will be called upon to sack the quarterback. That’s why he was drafted. He’s very suspect against the run, so he has to make up for that with double-digit sacks this year.
Last year’s biggest disappointment was free agent linebacker Paul Kruger. He did not provide the pass rush that the Browns were expecting and needs to step his game up a lot or he’ll lose playing time to another guy that Jim O’Neil is hoping will get after the quarterback, Jabaal Sheard. The last starter right now is Craig Robertson on the inside, but for how long? He’s OK, but rookie third round pick Christian Kirksey was impressive in camp, in the preseason and is a better cover guy than Robertson, so don’t be surprised if the rookie from Iowa leap frogs Robertson and eventually becomes the starter.
Joe Haden is the best player on the Browns defense. When he’s at his best he can take away a quarter of the field and cover the opponent’s top receiver. It’s the other corner position the Browns were worried about so they passed on a much needed wide receiver at #4 and then at #8 in the draft, and selected defensive back Justin Gilbert to plug in opposite Haden. This has the potential to be an outstanding tandem even though Gilbert struggled at times in the preseason. The Browns believe he has the size, speed and instincts to be a top flight cover corner. This also moves Buster Skrine inside to cover the slot guys and it will benefit the team immensely, as Skrine was often picked on last year by opposing quarterbacks on the outside and beaten badly or flagged for a penalty.
The strong safety position will be led by hard hitting veteran Donte Whitner. He was brought here in free agency to replace T.J. Ward because of his experience and leadership, as well as delivering the big hit to make receivers think twice about coming into his area. The Browns also feel Whitner is a good compliment to free safety Tashaun Gipson who led the team with 5 interceptions last year.
The Steelers front office feels the linebacking core will take major steps forward this year with Shazier using his speed to make tackles and Jones his pass rush ability to sack the quarterback, but I’m not as sold on this group, especially when you compare it to what they’ve had in the past. Also the secondary has been a major problem for the Steelers for a number of years now and it’s just getting older. Yes the Steelers are using the same scheme, but do they have the players to make it work? Add in that Joe Haden is the best defensive player either of these two teams have, and the Browns have upgraded their talent and now have some depth, while it’s not a huge edge, I give the Browns linebackers and secondary the slight nod over the Steelers.
LINEBACKERS and SECONDARY ADVANTAGE – CLEVELAND
EVEN NATIONALLY ON FOX SPORTS RADIO THEY WANT TO TALK “JOHNNY FOOTBALL”
Earlier this week I joined the Jason Smith Show on Fox Sports Radio to talk about, well who else, Johnny Manziel and his trip to Vegas!
MANZIEL NOT THE ONLY BROWNS ROOKIE OUT OF TOWN AFTER OTA’S
When the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel, they knew they were getting the “Johnny Football” persona too. So when Manziel has time off to do what he wants and decides to go Las Vegas it’s going to be a big deal no matter what he does.
He could have stayed in his hotel or maybe just went gambling like many other 21 year olds do at one of the casinos along the strip and that would have been a major story because of who he is and what the was doing. That would have been guilt by reputation. I could just see the TMZ headline – “Did Johnny Football Gamble Away His Signing Bonus“!
But Johnny Manziel didn’t stay in and low key it in Vegas, instead he went out and had what looked to be a kick ass time with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski at a pool party with beautiful women in bathing suits and he also attended a UFC event. Call that one guilt by association if you want to because “Johnny Football” was partying with “Gronk” and hot women! So this WAS the TMZ headline –
JOHNNY MANZIEL – CHAMPAGNE RAINSTORM … In Vegas Nightclub
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/05/25/johnny-manziel-champagne-rainstorm-in-vegas-nightclub/#ixzz32nKmSKRa
Did either of them get in any trouble? Have you heard of any arrests or were there any altercations? Did “Gronk or “Johnny Football” break any laws?
Just because Manziel didn’t stay in Cleveland in between OTA’s doesn’t mean he did something wrong.
In fact he wasn’t the only Browns high draft pick who didn’t stay in Cleveland during the time off between OTA’s. Fellow first rounder and 8th overall pick Justin Gilbert was, based on the Instagram pictures posted by former Ohio State Buckeye and current Steeler Ryan Shazier, and Instagram videos from Gilbert himself, in Miami, Florida hanging with some of the fellas over the weekend.
Let the night beginnings @bino6@jgil_4 40pvamu http://instagram.com/p/ocfLvPD_iI/
Ryan ShazierVerified account@RyanShazier
Last night Miami Nights!!!!!! @sds1_@jgil_4 40pvamu http://instagram.com/p/obaqO1j_op/
Justin Gilbert – http://instagram.com/jgilbert_21 http://instagram.com/p/obgFLQOe_t/
Another Justin Gilbert Instagram post – http://instagram.com/p/ocGY9AOe2d/
Shouldn’t Gilbert be scrutinized too? I mean what on God’s green earth what was the 8th overall pick doing out of Ohio? Why wasn’t the higher of the two draft picks back in his hotel room near Berea, Ohio just studying his play book for the next round of OTA’s with the Browns? Granted he wasn’t caught on video with alcohol in his hands or posing for pictures with women in bathing suits, but like Manziel he decided to get away for the weekend.
Why? Because they’re young aduls with lots of money and access to a good time. So they go enjoy themselves and as long as neither broke any team rules or any state laws or jeopardized the safety of the United States of America, it’s OK and you all need to just relax.
If the partying or going out of town on off nights continues during the season and it affects Manziel’s or Gilbert’s performance on the field and hurts the team, then everyone has a right to be upset. But until it gets to that, and hopefully it won’t, everybody needs to just realize you’ve got a rock star in town who’s going to garner attention no matter what he does, and as long as he doesn’t hurt himself, somebody else or the team, again you all need to just chill, because Manziel’s not the only one doing it and he didn’t do anything wrong.
AFC NORTH 2014 COMPLETE TEAM DRAFT PICKS AND GRADES
CLEVELAND BROWNS – GM – Ray Farmer – Overall Grade ( B-)
1st – 8th – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State
1st – 22nd – Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M
2nd – 35th – Joel Bitonio, OG, Nevada
3rd – 71st – Christian Kirksey, OLB, Iowa
3rd – 94th – Terrance West, RB, Towson
4th – 127th – Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood
*(Picked up Buffalo’s 1st Round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS – GM – Kevin Colbert – Overall Grade (B+)
1st – 15th – Ryan Shazier, OLB, Ohio State
2nd – 46th – Stephon Tuitt, DT, Notre Dame
3rd – 97th – Dri Archer, WR, Kent State
4th – 118th – Martavis Bryant, WR, Clemson
5th – 157th – Shaquille Richardson, CB, Arizona
5th – 173rd – Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt
6th – 192nd – Jordan Zumwalt, OLB, UCLA
6th – 215th – Daniel McCullers, DT, Tennessee
7th – 230th – Rob Blanchflower, TE, Massachusetts
BALTIMORE RAVENS – GM – Ozzie Newsome – Overall Grade (B+)
1ST – 17TH – C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
2nd – 48th – Timmy Jernigan, DT, Florida State
3rd – 79th – Terrence Brooks, FS, Florida State
3rd – 99th – Crockett Gillmore, TE, Colorado State
4th – 134th – Brent Urban, DE, Virginia
4th – 138th – Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Coastal Carolina
5th – 175th – John Urschel, OG, Penn State
6th – 194th – Keith Wenning, QB, Ball State
7th – 218th – Michael Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest
CINCINNATI BENGALS – GM – Mike Brown – Overall Grade (B)
1st – 24th – Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
2nd – 55th – Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
3rd – 88th – Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia
4th – 111th – Russell Bodine, C, North Carolina
5th – 164th – AJ McCarron, QB, Alabama
6th – 212th – Marquis Flowers, OLB, Arizona
7th – 239th – James Wright, WR, LSU
7th – 252nd – Lavelle Westbrooks, CB, Georgia Southern
2014 NFL DRAFT – AFC NORTH 1ST ROUND GRADES
First Round
Pick #8 – Browns – Justin Gilbert – Cornerback – Oklahoma St.
Pick #15 – Steelers – Ryan Shazier – Linebacker – Ohio St.
Pick #17 – Ravens – C.J. Mosley – Linebacker – Alabama
Pick #22 – Browns – Johnny Manziel – Quarterback – Texas A&M
Pick #24 – Bengals – Darqueze Dennard – Cornerback – Michigan St.
Browns (A)
First year General Manager Ray Farmer was wheeling and dealing his way through the first round and filled two huge needs for this year’s team at cornerback and quarterback, while also picking up a first round pick and a fourth round pick from the Bills in 2015. Gilbert was the best cornerback in this draft, while Manziel may not be the best QB in this draft, but he’s one of the best, and is by far the most polarizing figure in the entire draft. Owner Jimmy Haslam knows “Johnny Cleveland” will sell tickets and merchandise even if he sits the entire year and will bring young fans back to the Browns, which is extremely important to a franchise that was losing some of its fan base. Can he play and can his body withstand the punishment it will take at the NFL level? Only time will tell. But for a night, and on paper, the moves and picks the Browns made look very good.
Steelers (B)
Kevin Colbert needed help at cornerback and wide receiver and instead went for a linebacker in the first round for the second year in a row (Jarvis Jones last year). Shazier racked up a lot of tackles at Ohio State, but did so for a below average defense in a weak conference. Cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Jason Varrett were staring the Steelers in the face and Colbert passed on both for the 4th best linebacker in the draft. Shazier does fit the mold of linebackers who can get after the quarterback in the Burgh, but needs work against the run. Pittsburgh fans better hope Shazier impacts the team more than previously drafted Buckeyes Cameron Heyward and Mike Adams.
Ravens (B+)
It’s tough to question the birds G.M. Ozzie Newsome, so I’m not going to. The Ravens get a solid linebacker against the run, who plays from sideline to sideline and did so in the toughest conference in America, the SEC. Mosley is not a get after the quarterback linebacker like Shazier in Pittsburgh, but he’s a more complete, fundamentally sound linebacker who can quarterback the defense.
Bengals (A-)
Talk about a solid player falling into your lap, that’s exactly what happened to the Bengals with Dennard. Cincy was looking for help for their aging secondary and they got it with a tough, physical defensive back from Michigan St. At pick 24 it really couldn’t have worked out any better for Cincinnati, as they got in most people’s eyes, the second best cornerback in the draft late in the first round.
So overall the AFC North did very well in day one of the NFL Draft. Now it’s back to work for all of the G.M.’s to try and continue their roll in the 2nd round. The Browns will be up first with the 3rd pick in the second round and look for Cleveland to target a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. WR’s Marquise Lee and Allen Robinson are there as well as a pair of OL guys in Xavier Su’aFilo and Cyrus Kouandjio. They could also look at Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde. So plenty of options to pick from and impact the team even more. It must be fun to be Ray Farmer right now!