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July 25, 2014Browns Training Camp kicks off on Saturday morning and the city is buzzing for football. The Browns had a big offseason full of big name additions. They changed the coaches, front office, and a few players. This unknown brings fans a lot of things to watch during the preseason. This year’s camp is very intriguing with a lot of newsworthy aspects. There are a lot of position battles that will be interesting to watch during training camp and the preseason games.
Here is my breakdown of the top position battles to watch during the preseason and my predictions for who will win each battle. Comment below with who you think will win each battle and what other battles you are watching.
Quarterback: Brian Hoyer vs. Johnny Manziel
Brian Hoyer started three games last season going 3-0 in those three games. When he was in the game, the Browns seemed to play better and more confident on both sides of the ball. Brian Hoyer is a leader on and off the field. His greatest strength on the field is his intelligence and pocket awareness. He reads the defense very quickly and can take advantage of the vulnerability in it. In the pocket, Hoyer knows when to get rid of the ball and not take the sack. His biggest questions are whether he can stay healthy and match the production of last season.
Johnny Manziel is a playmaker at the quarterback position. He can make plays with his legs and his arm. He is a guy who can motivate his teammates and get them going in tough situations. He is good at anticipating a route and throwing it to a receiver in stride. He has the arm strength to make every throw in the offense. His question mark is his ability to translate his style of play to the NFL.
The biggest and most talked about position battle is for the starting quarterback job. Hoyer seems to have a sizeable lead in this battle. He has the experience and knowledge of the NFL that gives him an advantage over Manziel. Manziel is a talented kid with the ability to make plays for an offense that did not make many last season. It will be an interesting battle to watch during the preseason.
My Prediction (Week 1): Brian Hoyer
Running back: Ben Tate vs. Terrance West
Ben Tate has had a lot of success in his limited playing time with the Houston Texans. He is a strong runner with good short field burst to hit the hole quickly. He is a one cut runner who does not hesitate in the backfield. He also has good hands to be a threat in the passing game. His running style is a perfect fit for the zone-blocking scheme of Kyle Shanahan’s new offense. His downhill running style is the way Shanahan wants his running backs to play. Tate’s biggest question mark is his injury history and whether he can be the main man.
Terrance West is a similar running back to Tate because of his running style. He is a one cut back who hits the hole hard and quickly. He is a bigger back who can break tackles. He has excellent vision to read the hole and know where to find space. He runs downhill with good balance to stay upright and fight for more yards. He too can play in the passing game because of his solid hands. He was extremely productive in college with a big workload. Tate’s biggest question is his ability to play in the NFL coming from a small college with not much competition.
Tate is the favorite to win the job because of his experience in the league. Both players are great fits in Kyle Shanahan’s zone-blocking scheme. The battle for the starting spot may not be as important as other battles because both players will probably get their fair share of carries. The Browns will want both players to contribute and not have one player take the majority of the carries.
My Prediction: Ben Tate
Wide Receiver: Miles Austin vs. Nate Burleson vs. Andrew Hawkins
Miles Austin has had a very productive career and was the number one receiver for the Dallas Cowboys for a couple seasons. He is an athletic receiver with the ability to make big plays. He is a very good route runner, which helps him get even more separation from the defender. He has good hands and can go up and get the ball at its highest point. His biggest question mark is his health. Can he reach the level of play he once had and can he do it for all 16 games?
Nate Burleson is a veteran receiver who has good hands to make big catches during the game. He is a good route runner, which helps him still be productive at his older age. He is not as fast or athletic as he once was, but he still can be solid for the offense because of his reliability to make the catch. His biggest question mark is whether he can still be a threat at his age and with his injury history.
Andrew Hawkins could be the player who makes the big plays at receiver in Gordon’s absence. He is extremely quick and has the ability to get by defenders with his agility. His after-the-catch ability is his best attribute. He can change a two yard pass into a 30 yard gain. He can line up anywhere on the field and be a true weapon for the Browns. His biggest question mark is his health and ability to have a bigger role in the offense. Can he be more then just a part time slot receiver like his days with the Cincinnati Bengals?
The Browns wide receiver position is a huge question mark coming into the season. The Browns are expected to lose number one receiver Josh Gordon for a long period of time, so who will step up for the Browns and be their number one receiver. These three players will not fill the number one receiver spot like Gordon. Miles Austin has the track record to be the number one receiver. Hawkins is young player who could be the most productive in big plays. Austin, Burleson, and Hawkins will need to team up to match the production of Gordon.
My Prediction: Miles Austin
Offensive Guards: John Greco vs. Jason Pinkston vs. Joel Bitonio vs. Garrett Gilkey
John Greco is a good run blocker with average ability in pass blocking. He is a strong player with the ability to drive defenders back and make holes for the runner. His intelligence allows him to get in the right position to make the block. He is not an athletic player, so he struggles in pass blocking because he can have trouble staying in front of the speed rushers.
Jason Pinkston is an athletic guard who has been injured over the past couple years. He is a solid pass blocker because of his athletic ability to stay in front of rushers. He is a smart player and a hard worker. He struggles in run blocking because of his lack of strength to move defenders out of the way for the runner.
Joel Bitonio is a versatile blocker because of his ability to play both the guard and tackle position. He is a strong and nasty player who also has athletic ability to be a really good offensive lineman. He gets off the line with a quick explosion, which gives him an advantage to make first contact to the defender. He can run and pass block well because of his combination of strength, toughness, and athletic ability. His biggest question mark is his transition to the offensive guard position from playing tackle in college.
Garrett Gilkey is a raw player with strength and athleticism to be a starting offensive lineman. He is a good run blocker because of his strength and athleticism to get of the line and move defenders back. He is still very raw and must improve his pass blocking. He is not experienced at pass blocking as a guard because he played tackle in college.
Greco and Pinkston are the most experienced offensive guards on the team. They have several years in the NFL playing and starting at guard. Bitonio and Gilkey are players who have the most talent, but do not have the experience like the previous two. These two could be the future and maybe the present offensive guards for the Browns.
My Prediction: Right Guard – Joel Bitonio; Left Guard – John Greco
Inside Linebacker: Chris Kirksey vs. Craig Robertson
The Browns drafted Chris Kirksey in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He is a very athletic linebacker who has great coverage skills. He is a very agile and fast, which makes him a player who plays sideline to sideline. His coverage ability is very unique for linebacker and could allow him to make the field faster. His quickness allows him to make plays in the run game because he can chase down runners. The league is a passing league and so his skills are really valuable. His biggest question mark is his size and strength. Can he get away from blockers and be productive at the line of scrimmage?
Craig Robertson was the starting inside linebacker last year, but had a subpar season. He is an athletic player with good speed. He was a good cover linebacker in his rookie season, but struggled last year to replicate it. His role expanded last season and it looks like he could not handle this new role. He struggles in run defense because of his lack of size and strength at the line of scrimmage. He may be better suited as a backup linebacker who comes in for certain situations.
Chris Kirksey and Craig Robertson will be one of the most heated battles during camp. Robertson has shown that he can play in the league, but has not shown it consistently since his rookie year. Kirksey may have the upper hand because of his excellent coverage ability. Robertson has the experience, but Kirksey can make up for it with his talent.
My Prediction: Chris Kirksey
Cornerback: Justin Gilbert vs. Buster Skrine
The Browns first selection of the 2014 NFL Draft was Justin Gilbert from Oklahoma State University. He is a super athletic player with the ability to be a shutdown corner in the NFL. He has speed, size, and athleticism to cover all kinds of receivers. He sticks with his man because of fluid hips to change directions. His closing speed allows him to make up ground quickly and make a play on the ball. When he has a chance at the ball, he can take it away from the receiver and make big plays the other way. His biggest question marks are his inconsistency with his technique and his effort to compete in run defense.
Buster Skrine was the starting number two cornerback last season. He had an up and down season last year. He is a very fast corner with the ability to stay with quicker receivers. He has good feet and agility to change directions and remain on the hip of his receiver. He is a smaller corner so he can struggle guarding the bigger receivers. He also does not have the confidence in his game yet. He can panic in coverage and cause penalties even when he is in good position. Slot corner is probably the better role for him on the defense.
The battle between these two is for the role of being the number two corner pairing up with Joe Haden. Gilbert and Skrine give the Browns very good depth behind star Joe Haden. Gilbert is the better fit for the starting number two corner because of size and athleticism. Gilbert and Haden could turn into one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. If Gilbert can win the job, it should improve Skrine because it allows him to play the slot corner, which he is better suited for.
My Prediction: Justin Gilbert
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(Photo by: Joshua Gunter/ The Plain Dealer)
16 Comments
I think at both WR and CB the Browns can have two winners each.
At receiver, Hawkins would be best suit to play in the slot while Austin or Burleson plays outside. Using Hawkins on the outside would really hurt his playmaking ability since, at 5’7 getting him the ball on the outside would be a challenge.
And like you, I think the same of our cornerback situation. I really think Justin Gilbert would struggle playing the slot against shorter, quicker receivers, so I hope he starts and play on the outside. That would put Skrine in the slot, a much better use of his quickness and speed.
I think Hawkins is in line for a big year. Shanahan offenses tend to favor the X receiver (Garcon, etc.), but this team seems better suited to play-action their way to success in the slot.
I hope Mr. Shaw pushes JFF for that clipboard…
Totally agree. It’s going to be fascinating how the Browns can get their passing game going without anyone who can consistently beat 1-on-1 coverage (Austin and Burleson used to, but I’m certainly not banking on them doing so in 2014). Shanahan brought the WR screen from Baylor to Washington, for RGIII, so I wonder if he’ll bring them to Cleveland with Hawkins.
And check out the 2012 stats. WAS threw for 3400 yards but Garcon led the team with 633 receiving yards. Hopefully Cameron will break that mark, but Shanahan will certainly spread the ball if needed.
Hawkins isn’t really an X tho is he? That’s the shame of the loss of Gordon because Hawkins could play the slot where he’s an awesome threat. Best case scenario someone else steps up to pair with Austin on the outside and that way you get Cameron and Hawkins in the slots which should be dynamic.
I like Shaw but I think he’s headed for the practice squad. I just can’t see two rookies being Hoyer’s backup. I think the ex-Chiefs QB whose name escapes me at the moment will be the third QB to start.
Tyler Thigpen.
Since the biggest threats for the Browns are Cameron, their RBs, and possibly Hawkins, I’m not sure how easy it will be to spread the field and keep defenses from loading up the box.
I know it’s not ideal, but I see Skrine starting the year at #2 CB, and I think that’s OK. CB is supposedly one of the tougher positions to absorb as a rookie – Haden didn’t even start week 1 in his rookie year. I think tempered expectations for Gilbert are in order. I also expect to see improvement from Skrine (he made big strides last year, and everyone with the Browns talk about his effort), which will have just as much to do with him starting week one – along with Gilbert not being quite ready.
Skrine will be fine, but will eventually surrender to the better suited Gilbert after the bye week, and Skrine will make a bigger impact covering the slot.
I see that early bye as more and more of an opportunity. They start with 3 TOUGH games and have lots of rookies in interesing situations to contribute.
After the bye the schedule definitely eases up. Everything is coming up bye-week for me.
Agreed on Shaw, although I think he’ll eventually be the #3 or even #2 depending on how things shake out – just not this year. Not a Thigpen guy though, I’d expect the Browns to pick up a veteran QB that gets cut towards the end of camp.
Shaw’s abilities aren’t that far behind JFF, that can’t be overcome with hard work and dedication.
I expect defenses to do just that load up for the run not only for what you said but also because Kyle Shanahan’s system is predicated on being able to run the ball. I like what Farmer did though not only with Tate and West but also Bitonio and don’t forget Dion Lewis will be back too.
Whoever it is I stick with the belief that #3 on the depth chart will most likely be a veteran Thigpen or otherwise. I just can’t see two unproven rookies being Hoyer’s backups. Even more so should Hoyer go down or be replaced by Manziel which I hope doesn’t happen for awhile if at all.
How legit are concerns about arm strength? I’m just not too familiar, and have heard that about him.
I think #21 starts opposite #23 game one with Skrine in the slot. Gilbert will show he was worthy of that #8 selection overall just watch.
No, he doesn’t have a Jay Cutler cannon, but he can make all the throws. Think Tom Brady arm strength.
Bode posted some clips of Shaw making all sorts of nice throws, a while back.
He’s a tough guy and a hard worker.