Scott Raab on the Cavs championship, Browns draft, and his book
March 7, 2017Making sense of NFL combine with Mockdraftable: While We’re Waiting
March 8, 2017When you have a 1-15 football team with north of $100 million in cap space, the first place you would look during free agency is obviously a fullback. Enter Kyle Juszczyk, the most Brownsian free agent on the market.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Browns are “very interested” in free agent Juszczyk, the Medina, Ohio product who has spent the last several years with the Baltimore Ravens. But outside of being from Medina and playing a position that could conceivably serve to bolster a fledgling offense, the 25-year-old Juszczyk attended Harvard, the alma mater of a sizable portion of the Cleveland Browns’ front office.
To be fair, outside of possessing a last name that will drive local beat reporters up a wall, Juszczyk is an incredibly dynamic fullback, a new-age break from the mold of players the Browns have deployed at the position over the last several years. In addition to being a stud blocker, Juszczyk has very good hands, serving as a legitimate outlet for the short passing game and red zone. In 2014, Juszczyk scored his first NFL touchdown against the Browns in FirstEnergy Stadium. A year later, he hauled in 42 passes for 321 yards and four touchdowns—numbers that would rival most Browns receivers in the same year.1 And in 2016, while he only had five rushing attempts for the Ravens (with a touchdown), Juszczyk caught 37 passes with an average of 7.2 yards per reception.
There is a chance the Browns view the 6-1, 240-pound Juszczyk as a hybrid H-back style player, allowing Hue Jackson to move him to different spots on the field to create mismatches with opposing linebackers. The Harvard connection will obviously draw a lot of headlines, but there’s little denying Juszczyk’s ability to make the Browns a better team. The trick, of course, will be the Browns front office’s willingness to finally part with some of their available dollars.
- Brian Hartline finished with 46 catches, 523 yards and two touchdowns, for comparison. [↩]
56 Comments
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If this happens, I feel the worst for Jon Gruden who won’t get to talk about him for at least another year.
https://media.tenor.co/images/86ad6e662d9c317f1456629a800f9502/raw
*think positive* … this obviously wouldn’t be a sexy pick-up … but the guy always seemed to score a TD against us … he would also be an upgrade over Malcolm Johnson. if it makes us better , then it’s all good.
Not sexy, but I think it would be a good pickup. Adding an H-Back who can both catch and block would help keep our QB’s upright.
“To be fair, outside of possessing a last name that will drive local beat reporters up a wall,”
I think you’re under-estimating the reporters who grew up on the west side.
Yeah, I read “Juszczyk” and kind of assumed he was a local product. (but my internal dialog did not attempt to pronounce it)
If he comes here, will he finally make us forget the Fabled Hero, Larry Vickers?
Let’s be fair: this may be when a guy at a position of need is available, and if he signed after that QB and O-lineman we’d say it makes perfect sense.
On the other hand, why should I be fair? When has my fairness been reciprocated in Berea? When they scrupulously avoided future HOFer Khalil Mack because the fit was too perfect? When they signed Bowe and Hawkins? When they eschewed Bridgewater for Johnny? No, I’ll be all irrash for minimum 2 years after they display minimal FO competence, til they prove acquiring quality is not a blind squirrel/acorn thing. Leave the fullback, Sashi, go review the evals of your college scouts. Forget the coolness of signing the only NFL football player from your alma mater with two Zs in his name.
Those who forget St. Lawrence are doomed to re-heat him.
I think you’re underestimating press box petulance.
If you are from Cleveland you cannot pronounce Juszczyk then you aren’t really from Cleveland.
Does this signal we don’t expect to be able to fully fix our OL this offseason?
How can you replace folk tales like this?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cowboys-fb-lawrence-vickers-sidelined-by-ants-in-his-pants/
From a Stark County native…I would say Jooz-check.
Those who forget the pasta are doomed to reheat it. This was a meme I was unfamiliar with! Thanks!
He’s basically Johnny Appleseed or John Henry at this point. Also, are all folk heros named John? Was that a rule I missed?
You earned this badge son. Well done. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c276aa39c3fa2e09b7879d7b049c5dc716dcf6819940a99ab1c326dff249d71e.jpg
i’ve spent more time in press boxes than anybody on this site. I doubt it.
On the OL part, I think they won’t use multiple high draft picks on any 1 position grouping – because they all become free agency in the same time. That’s just my thoughts.
I agree and I think Yooz-check would be a mighty fine stop-gap.
Johnny Cash
Johnathan “Bruce” Springstein
Theory checks out!
And those who forget to reheat their pasta are bound to eat cold pasta.
Folk legends named Johnny?
https://media.giphy.com/media/Yzuj8ww7tIKMo/giphy.gif
Colonel Sanders and his fellow Kentucky folk say it’s pronounced “Juicy Chicken”
Exactly! We wouldn’t want an entire position group to all sign their second contracts elsewhere in the same offseason, now would we?
??
Hey hey hey. Juszczyk can pick up some of those targets we’re losing with TP.
Denny Manoloff, is that you?
I like it. On day one this guy could step in, open a meat market off of Fleet Avenue, and we’d all think he had always been here.
if it doesn’t end with a vowel, I’m not shopping at that meat market.
im ok with that.
HOW DARE YOU
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/004/521/tumblr_lcdldkcbLU1qzkjh0.gif
Paul “John” Bunyan. Yep – works for me.
Fake News.
When Garry reads these comments he’s gonna flip. First Vickers and now J-Footy, himself? whew.
His JFF radar must be ringing of the charts.
I woulda finished it with more of a “chick” but I smell what you’re stepping in.
Yooz-Guyz also works.
Upon review, this may be the most offbeat, weirdest comment I’ve ever posted. Seemed funny at the time, but poor impulse control leads to little but social isolation and an endless loop of spousal forgiveness requests. Feel free to downtick your ups.
Oh good, you haven’t excluded Giant Eagle.
He has logged a lot of hours and is a known connoisseur of the media room cuisine.
(wipes hands on shirt instead of using napkins)
longer version of this where she goes double thumbs down is the best
http://imageserve.babycenter.com/14/000/271/F1kFxmGxKf3EvMm1uuF6nFVCpLuVpjwW_lg.jpg
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/blows nose very loudly, frequently
Here in Savannah, they would say, “Juz, Jos, umm, Jicz….dude from Cleveland.”
A little east of there, it would be You-ins-check.
I upticked it just so I could downtick it.
http://www.ohmagif.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/cute-sleepy-kid-waking-up-to-music-in-a-car.gif
Oh, I always do that. Commentariat version of popping bubble wrap.