What is The Weekly Mock Draft?
Every Wednesday/Thursday of the season (starting today and ending after Week 17), I will post a mock draft. The order is determined by Tankathon (record and SOS) and will be updated weekly as well. This will be used as a tool to determine how the stocks of the top prospects changed throughout the year and for the fans to have something to look forward to once football games are over for the week. The teams will pick players as if they are drafting today. Enjoy!
1. NY Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
After passing on Clemson standout Isaiah Simmons for OT Andrew Thomas this past April, the Giants need to address the LB position. There is a split opinion on whether the team will part ways with the turnover-prone Daniel Jones but truth be told, he has no receiving weapons other than Darius Slayton. The most likely scenario in this case would involve the Giants trading picks with a team in dire need of a QB but since there are no trades in this mock draft, the Giants opt to add a lightning quick off-ball LB to their lackluster defense.
2. Atlanta: Gregory Rousseau., EDGE, Miami
Although viewers of the Monday night matchup between Atlanta and Green Bay watched Matt Ryan throw 0 touchdowns and rely on Todd Gurley for scores, QB is not the problem for the Falcons. Defense should be Atlanta's top priority going into the 2021 offseason and if Parsons is not available, Rousseau is the next best choice. Takkarist McKinley and Dante Fowler Jr. have not lived up to their Round 1 selections and while Rousseau is still developing as a player, his physical traits and athleticism raise his value to the point where a team in the top 5 would be willing to make the gamble.
3. NY Jets: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Sam Darnold has not been provided with the supporting cast necessary to thrive as a franchise QB but with Adam Gase almost certainly out of town after this season, a new QB could be coming to the Jets. New coaches tend to come as a package deal with a top QB prospect in the draft and Trevor Lawrence is the obvious choice. The Clemson junior has a perfect blend of size, athleticism, and arm talent and has shown the ability to play well under pressure. His game is devoid of any glaring weaknesses and with a brand new coach and QB on the team, the Jets will be one step closer to becoming a playoff team.
4. Houston → MIA: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Miami spent the 18th pick this year on OT Austin Jackson and he has lots of time to grow. They also selected Louisiana's Robert Hunt Round 2 and although he is the current backup at RT, he is capable of moving to the interior to make room for Sewell. Jesse Davis is under contract until 2023 but he is nowhere near a franchise OT and a strong blocker like Sewell would be an instant upgrade. Tua Tagovailoa is a lock to be Miami’s QB starting next season and the Dolphins must do everything in their power to keep him healthy.
5. Dallas: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Chidobe Awuzie is a solid corner but his injury has exposed the depth Dallas has at CB in a negative fashion. Jourdan Lewis has allowed 6 receptions out of 9 targets and Trevon DIggs has underperformed. Diggs has time to grow as a player and is expected to make improvements but Lewis will be a free agent next year and the Cowboys should address their secondary. Farley may be new to the position, but he plays like a polished corner and has tremendous awareness.
6. Washington: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Terry McLaurin may have been a pleasant surprise, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors last year, but fellow receivers Steven Sims Jr. and Dontrelle Inman are not expected to be core parts of the offense. With a top 5 prospect in Ja'Marr Chase still on the board, Washington needs to provide Dwayne Haskins Jr. with weapons if they want a productive passing game.Chase is a natural pass catcher with terrific vision and could certainly give the offense a significant boost.
7. LA Chargers: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
With Chris Harris Jr. on the IR, Desmond King II, who was unhappy with his playing time weeks ago, is now starting at CB alongside former Pro Bowler Casey Hayward Jr. and although they are both generally solid, King II will be a free agent after this season and so will Hayward Jr. the year after. Harris Jr. will also be on the market with the latter, but both players are catching up in age and may not be back with the Chargers once their contracts expire. With Caleb Farley off the board, the next logical choice is Alabama defender Patrick Surtain II. The 6'1" junior provides an ideal combination of height and length, and displays a high competitive drive and aggressiveness. The Chargers need an injection of youth on the defensive side of the ball and this selection gives them that.
8. Miami: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Although Miami could decide to find Tua Tagovailoa a WR after providing him with protection, they also need to address their defense, specifically EDGE and LB. Miami's starting ILBs, Elandon Roberts and Jerome Baker, have been the terrible and Dylan Moses would be an instant upgrade. Moses is a unique athlete with great instincts and range, making him an attractive LB prospect for the Dolphins to pursue.
9. Detroit: Marvin Wilson, IDL, Florida State
Nick Williams and Danny Shelton stand at the helm of Detroit's defensive line and although Shelton is a solid player, Williams can be replaced if the Lions can find an IDL worth taking. Florida State star Marvin Wilson is currently a top 15 prospect but has the potential to sneak into the top 10 with a quality senior year. After the emergence of Aaron Donald and other mobile DTs, players like Wilson became more valued and Detroit should definitely look into drafting another defensive player after spending the 3rd pick on a CB last year.
10. Denver: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Despite several rumors, the Broncos are not likely to move on from Drew Lock for an enticing QB like Justin Fields. Lock has showed enough promise to clarify that if he had never been injured, the Broncos would not be 1-3. However, Denver does need to focus on the secondary and to be more specific, the CB position. A.J. Bouye is regressing, rookie Michael Ojemudia has not shown enough to be considered a proper replacement. Besides, Bouye and Bryce Callahan will both be free agents in 2022 and neither of them are locks to return, especially the former, leaving Denver with little depth at CB. Tyson Campbell has not been on scouts' radars as much as top CBs such as Farley and Surtain II, but the outside corner from Georgia is much better than advertised and also provides the team with special teams ability.
11. Jacksonville: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
After a great season opener against the Colts at home, Gardner Minshew II has not replicated his heroics since then. In the last three games, Minshew II has been thrown 5 TD, 4 INT, and suffered a loss at the hands of a Dolphins defense missing their star CB. This could very well just be a short slump and the former Washington St QB might make a case to stay as the starter in Jacksonville, but with a top 3 QB in Justin Fields still on the board at 11, the value is just too good to pass up. An effortless thrower, Fields has a natural arm and excellent delivery, along with the ability to survive under pressure and beating defenders outside of the pocket. A new head coach is likely to be in Jacksonville next year and if a player like Fields is available, the new regime should move on from Minshew II.
12. Minnesota: Creed Humphrey, IOL, Oklahoma
Since Pat Elflein's injury, rumors have emerged that he may not be a Viking after this season and it is clear that Minnesota needs to fix their IOL. Although C Garrett Bradbury has been great, LG Dakota Dozier is not a long-term option and RG Dru Samia has been a liability, allowing 3 sacks so far. Rookie Ezra Cleveland is the obvious choice to become a starter sooner rather than later and adding Creed Humphrey to the offensive line would pay off tremendously. The Oklahoma blocker has been praised for his leadership, responsibility, and strength, and the Vikings need to keep Kirk Cousins healthy if they want to go back to the playoffs next year.
13. Cincinnati: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Cincinnati's most glaring need so far this season has been OT and they will not hesitate to pick Sewell if he is available. However, the next best OT, Alex Leatherwood, would be a reach at 13 and since there are no trades in this scenario, the Bengals provide their QB of the future, Joe Burrow, with a reliable WR to throw to in DeVonta Smith. A.J. Green is seemingly not the star WR he used to be and Cincinnati needs to find a replacement for him. Smith may not be explosive, but he displays quickness and fearlessness, perfect for a Bengals team hoping to contend in the near future.
14. Carolina: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Teddy Bridgewater has been good enough to potentially stay as Carolina's starting QB throughout his entire contract but that should not deter the Panthers from searching for their true franchise QB. It was clear when Bridgewater was signed that he would serve as a bridge QB for the team's next passer and if Trey Lance falls outside of the top 10, Carolina has to choose him. A player like Pat Freiermuth or Wyatt Davis might be on their board but since QB is the biggest need in Carolina, Lance is the pick.
15. Arizona: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
The acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins gave Arizona's offense an astronomical boost but with Larry Fitzgerald headed for retirement soon and Christian Kirk not living up to his expectations as the WR2, the Cardinals could be looking for a receiver to pair with Hopkins. Although Arizona does need help on the offensive and defensive lines, Humphrey and Wilson are off the board, and Rondale Moore beats out Wyatt Davis as the best player available. Moore has been compared to a human joystick and showcases amazing RAC skills.
16. Las Vegas: Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State
Rodney Hudson can hold his own as the leader of Las Vegas's offensive line but OGs John Simpson and Gabe Jackson have not impressed so far. A new IOL is not a top priority for the Raiders but Davis does fit the size profile of an OT, providing versatility, and the team could shift certain players around to fit Davis in and help protect Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs. The aggressive Ohio State blocker offers power and fluidity, and would upgrade an offensive line that needs help.
17. New England: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama
DTs Lawrence Guy and Byron Cowart form a middling defensive duo and although Guy is the better of the two, he will be a free agent in 2021 and there is no clear answer to whether he will return to the Patriots. However, Cowart is mediocre and can be replaced if a tempting prospect like Barmore is available. Barmore is not fully developed and has room to grow as an interior defender, but he possesses immense power and an array of moves that make him a great defensive player with star potential.
18. San Francisco: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Emmanuel Moseley will all be free agents next year and the 49ers need to prepare for the future at the CB position. Sherman is likely to only sign one more contract with the team before retiring, Witherspoon has not looked great but the sample size is too small, and Moseley should return if all goes as planned. This leaves the 49ers with only one CB they can depend on for years to come, proving CB is a priority for San Francisco. Shaun Wade is the perfect pick here and his stock can only soar from here on out with the spotlight on him.
19. Philadelphia: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Darius Slay is undoubtedly a core member of Philadelphia's defense and could be labeled as a cornerstone if he stays in town for the entirety of his contract. Avonte Maddox, on the other hand, is replaceable and not worth re-signing in 2022 if the Eagles can find better options in the draft. Stanford corner Paulson Adebo would be a welcome addition to Philadelphia's secondary with his dynamic skills and instincts, and would be an upgrade over Maddox.
20. New Orleans: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
Jared Cook might retire next offseason or leave for a new team and although the Saints traded up to select him, Adam Trautman has not been a focal point of the offense, only amassing 3 receptions for 34 receiving yards. New Orleans could either be in the mix for another TE or they could be completely fine with their current players at the position, but there is no denying that Freiermuth would drastically improve the offense. The Penn State TE is a borderline top 15 prospect and has garnered comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. He can function as a blocker or a pass catcher and would be a dependable target for whoever the Saints play at QB in the future.
21. Tampa Bay: Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
Ndamukong Suh is nearing retirement and will be a free agent next year, and Jason Pierre-Paul and William Gholston will both be on the market in 2022, with the former also close to the end of his career. Shaquil Barrett is expected to return to the Buccaneers on a new contract next year but the team still needs to improve their defense. Quincy Roche is quite underrated due to Gregory Rousseau receiving most of the attention for Miami's defensive efforts, but he still brings explosiveness and fluidity to the table. The 235 lb defender has excellent vision, strength, and length, and functions as a great run defender, which will be useful in a division housing many great rushing attacks.
22. Cleveland: Josh Myers, IOL, Ohio State
All three of Cleveland's starters on the IOL are incredible, but their contracts also expire within the next three years. The team's cap space will be spent on securing Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and potentially even Baker Mayfield to long-term contracts and there may not be enough money to keep all three interior linemen on the roster. In that case, the Browns will have to think long-term and find a player to fill in a future need at IOL, and Josh Myers is capable of doing so. Although he would be a reach at 22, the Browns have zero need for players like Alex Leatherwood and Kyle Pitts, making Myers a possible choice.
23. Indianapolis: Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
With Malik Hooker on the IR, the Colts have turned to rookie Julian Blackmon to replace him and he has been solid. Khari Willis has also played at an average level, but overall, the team needs more explosiveness in the secondary and Nasirildeen would add much needed depth.
24. Baltimore: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Besides Marquise Brown, who is somewhat inconsistent, the Ravens have no reliable WRs in the passing game and with Willie Snead IV headed for free agency next year, Baltimore could be in search of the yang to Brown’s yin. Bateman has an exciting set of receiving skills and can deliver on big plays, which should make Baltimore’s offense even more dangerous than it already is.
25. Chicago: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Allen Robinson II should be Chicago’s priority in free agency and although the emergence of Darnell Mooney has been nice, the sample size is too small and he needs to prove that he can be the long-term WR2. As of now, QB and WR are two of Chicago’s biggest needs and with the top 3 passers off the board, Jaylen Waddle is the pick. Whether Chicago sticks with Foles/Trubisky or moves on to a new QB, the team’s passer will have a legitimate receiving duo in Robinson and Waddle.
26. LA Rams → JAX: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
After drafting their new franchise QB in Justin Fields, the Jaguars decide to protect him with 310 lb Alabama OT Alex Leatherwood. Cam Robinson is not Jacksonville’s LT of the future and the smart move would be to let him go in free agency and find a promising prospect like Leatherwood through the draft. Florida TE Kyle Pitts is also a possible choice but protecting Justin Fields should be the first priority.
27. Pittsburgh: Jay Tufele, IDL, USC
According to PFF, NT Tyson Alualu has been phenomenal for the Steelers and DT Cameron Heyward has been also amazing. Heyward is under contract until 2025 and Alualu will be a free agent next year, and if all goes as planned, both players will be on the roster for next season. However, Alualu is 33 years old and nearing the end of his career, which means the Steelers should not hesitate to draft a replacement if the value is there. Tufele is a quick and balanced athlete that can sufficiently generate pressure in the passing game and use his power to get past interior linemen and rush the passer.
28. Tennessee: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jonnu Smith has been the starting TE in Tennessee since 2017 and in that timeframe, he has gathered 1035 yds. In 2019 alone, rising star Darren Waller of the Oakland Raiders had 1145 yds. Waller is also a perfect comparison for Florida’s Kyle Pitts. It is clear that Smith is not as important to Tennessee’s offense as Waller is for the Raiders, but an outstanding player like Pitts would be crucial in helping a team win. The 6’5” junior is a TE on paper but acts as an extra WR, which is a need considering the fact that Corey Davis and Kalif Raymond will be free agents after this season.
29. Kansas City: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
The Chiefs selected TCU’s Lucas Niang in Round 3 of the 2020 draft to succeed current RT Mitchell Schwartz once he starts declining. However, the plan at LT is unfinished. Eric Fisher will be a free agent in 2021 and backup Mike Remmers is not starting material. This could be seen as a luxury pick but drafting an agile 301 lb OT in Dillon Radunz should pay off in the long run.
30. Seattle → NYJ: Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
After securing Trevor Lawrence with the 3rd pick, the Jets need to choose between addressing EDGE or WR. The best WR available would be Chris Olave from Ohio State but he would be a reach at 30 and the real decision will be between EDGEs Aidan Hutchinson and Hamilcar Rashed Jr. While the latter is a good athlete and effective block shedder, he is still raw as a pass rusher. On the other hand, Hutchinson seems to be more ready to thrive as a power rusher and would be the smarter pick.
31. Green Bay: Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
Christian Kirksey, Green Bay’s often injured ILB, is once again on the IR and his replacement is Ty Summers, a Round 7 pick who has not proved that he can be a long-term starter for the Packers. Cameron McGrone is certainly a reach and the Packers could draft an interior lineman such as Trey Smith to bolster the offensive line, but the team has to draft for need at this stage and McGrone makes sense for the future.
32. Buffalo: Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
Starting OTs Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams have played an important part in Josh Allen’s success, keeping him safe and allowing the franchise QB to lead the team to victory. Williams will be a free agent next year and it would be wise for the team to re-sign him, but the logical move would be to also move him to RG and draft Faalele to play RT. RG Cody Ford is a pedestrian player and the offensive line would be much more successful with a starting lineup featuring Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, Daryl Williams and Daniel Faalele. Keeping Josh Allen healthy is a priority for Buffalo and this pick would make the future brighter for the Bills.

Three General Manager/Head Coach combos that could make our turnaround much faster

The Piano Pact (Drac's Ascension Part 16)

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Marcia banged on the door with her fist, screaming, "How could you betray us!" like a skipping record.
Abby ran up to her and struggled to grapple her arms, but ultimately yanked her away from the door.
"Let go of me, Abbadonna!" Marcia grunted.
"Are you mad? We can't just come here and take him on without a plan!" Abby whispered.
"Let. Go. Of. Me!" Marcia squirmed in her grip, but Abby restrained her.
"Only if I have your word you'll go back to the car with me!"
"Abby, I will launch you into the wall if you don't let me go!" Marcia blurted.
She released her grip, and Marcia jumped towards the door and continued to pound the wood until the knob clicked, and it cracked open.
No one was in the doorway or hall.
"How did...?" Abby uttered to herself.
Marcia studied the hall before stepping in and turning on a switch to the side, lighting up the dark house.
"Tyrannus! Come out here and greet your Lord, fucker!"
From upstairs, Hannah heard the muffled yells of a woman's voice. She held her ear up to the wall. Stomping shook the house, followed by more shouts of, "Tyrannus! Where the fuck are you? I just wanna talk."
Back downstairs, Abby tiptoed behind Marcia as she strode through the house. Abby scanned every nook and cranny, her brow arched at the colorful walls and just how disturbingly bright it was. They inspected the living room, the hall, the empty bright-yellow kitchen, and the dining room, which was bubblegum-pink with just a wooden table and two matching chairs.
"Tyrannus! We know you're in here!" Marcia bellowed. They spilled out into the hallway and came up to a closed-door at the end. Just as Marcia was about to pull the knob, the door opened on its own.
The hairs on Abby's neck stood on end, but watching Marcia truck through unimpressed put her sightly more at ease. Behind the door were stone steps and a narrower hallway with candles glowing soft orange against the dark blue stones.
"Tyrannus! You've got a lot of fucking explaining to do! And you know what? I'm willing to listen to you. You hear that? ...you insane bastard."
The ground was damp, and Abby heard drops of water falling into a puddle, but she wasn't sure where it was coming from. The basement was muggy, humid, and smelled of mildew. There were dark openings that had prison bars over them.
"I'm down here," a grizzly voice came through the walls.
Marcia and Abby froze up, waiting to see if there was going to be a follow-up. Abby wanted to continue tiptoeing to sneak up on them, but Marcia rushed ahead.
"Show yourself, fucker!" Marcia sprinted, reaching the end of the hall where an opening on the right had an excess of amber light spilling out.
Once Abby joined with Marcia, they saw Tyrannus, sitting at a bench holding his head in his hands. He was in a control room with numerous pipes linking up to the ceiling. On the screen sitting next to him was a live camera feed of the front porch.
Abby and Marcia gaped at all of it.
"Glad you could make it," Tyrannus lifted his head, lips cracked into a crooked grin. His fangs made an appearance as he started to chuckle quietly. "Neither of you were invited, but you're welcome to stay when Drac comes in, and I finally put an end to his reign."
"What reign? He's only the Lord of Indianapolis. I have a reign," Marcia stated.
"I know you want to kill me. How come you haven't?" Tyrannus asked.
Marcia's brain glitched for a moment. His tone and voice didn't sound like Tyrannus' usual cunning growl. He was always so full of intimidation with his stabbing blue eyes and widened smile. Now he seemed like a lost little boy, who was afraid to admit to his parents he got in trouble at school.
"Tyrannus, why? Why did you kill your brothers?"
"I didn't kill no one," his eyes were outlined red with a sheen of tears. "Drac killed Fenny with his own hands. Believe it. It really happened. He's the one at fault."
"Bullshit!" Marcia's voice faltered. "You told the killers! You tipped them off! And for what?! Just to cry in some random ass basement in Wisconsin?"
Tyrannus shook his head. "You don't get it, Marsh. Ya just don't get it. I brought in so much blood. So many souls. They looked the other way. Chicago was going to be mine."
"Yeah, real impressive, you killed your friends, and the city is still mine. I can't believe you," Marcia shook her head. "So why this barn? Why are you targeting Drac?"
Tyrannus took a deep breath and gazed lifelessly at Abby and back at Marcia. "I grew up in this very house. I had three other older siblings. They always impressed my parents. The ideal demon children. Perfect in athletics, fighting, and even blood collecting.
"I was different from them. They overachieved, and I never could please my parents even though I knew deep inside, I was more powerful and motivated than all of them combined. They used to keep a few people chained up down here for a few days to get all their blood, which was more than enough for my family, but they also had to pay their knight.
"But one evening, I snuck out to the lake that's not far from here and saw a teenage couple, kissing on a bench in the late spring. It was around eleven at night. No one was around, but I could smell their blood. I was just a teenager, too— thirteen. I'd already had my fair share of blood by then, and I wanted to go on my own hunt. It was a gruesome display. I didn't mean for it to be so bloody. In time, I refined my blood drawing, but I give 'em credit, they fought me. As a thirteen-year-old going against an athletic eighteen-year-old guy and girl, it was a gamble for me.
"But I made it out alive and even filled up a handful of bags. I sprinted home, though, feeling nervous. The kill wasn't well thought out, but I knew it would just be riskier for me if I stayed out any longer. But as soon as I got home, my siblings tattled; they said I snuck out of the house, so both my mom and dad waited up for me to return. And when I did, they saw me coated in blood. Their faces were twisted with rage. Both took turns, torturing my body with pokers and hooks. Stuff they kept in the basement for the human prisoners. I don't remember what else happened except waking up, right here, on this very floor that we're standing on.
"Walking back upstairs, I was a naked, bloody mess. In the living room, my siblings cackled at me. But my parents couldn't be distracted. They were glued to the television. All over the news, they had photographs of a crime scene near a lake. The news anchor going on and on about how 'grizzly' it was. How the whole attack seemed 'inhuman.'
"They glared at me when I came in, and my mom asked, 'did you do this?' and I said no, even though it was apparent. My father stormed up to me and struck me across the face. He said, 'gather your clothes and belongings. You can't live here anymore.' I was cut out of the family, and I never saw them again. When I saw this house for sale, I had to own it," Tyrannus grinned and cracked up. "I won. They're dead now. Dead, and I'm the last one standing. This is my house now."
Marcia glanced over at Abby with a lifted brow. She focused back on Tyrannus and said, "It doesn't matter much anymore. I'm about to kill you anyway."
"Yes, Marcia, I know in a battle between the two of us, without any interference, you can kill me. I know, I'm a cocky sunnuvabitch, but I'm not stupid. Especially with Abbadonna here, I don't stand a chance."
"Let's not get her involved. I'll just kill you one on one."
"I wanted this to be my compound. Things weren't supposed to end like this, but there's no other way... I'd like to strike up a deal with you."
"I'll hear you out, but make it quick. I want to tear you limb from limb, and I'm tired of waiting."
"In this house, I have gallons of blood. A secret supply that's locked away and well protected. You name the type, I have all of it. It's quite the collection. It can all be yours, but if you kill me, it's gone. You'll never be able to figure out how to get it. You can't even detect its scent, can you?"
"Where'd you get all this blood I don't know about?"
Tyrannus chuckled. "That was the beauty of this deal I had, the demon hunters looked away at a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean enough to feed you for a lifetime."
"Alright, what do you need from me?"
"It's deceptively simple. All I want is to kill Drac."
"Well, there's nothing I can really do about that. That's between you and him."
"I mean, I'll let you kill me. I'll tell you how to get the blood too, but I just want to wait until Drac gets here. Let me fight him. One on one. And when I've crushed his fuckin' skull, I'll tell you where all that blood is. Got a deal?"
"Yeah, of course. I don't mind waiting, but it might be a while. Who knows how long it will take him to find you here?"
"I don't know what else to tell you. Wait or fuck off," Tyrannus gritted through his teeth.
"Uh, actually, Drac is already on his way," Abby uttered.
"How does he know?" Tyrannus said. Abby gulped in response, and that was enough information for him.
"Damn. Not even enough time to sell tickets to the main event. But I have a question about the blood...what if Drac kills you?" Marcia lifted her eyebrow.
"That's not gonna happen. I know I'm a better fighter than he is. When he gets here, you two can greet him and let him know I'm down here. Until then, get out of my fuckin' sight."
"You have yourself a deal," Marcia stepped up to him and shook his hand while he still sat on the bench. "We'll wait outside. How about that?"
Tyrannus grunted something in reply, but Abby and Marcia didn't understand. They stared at each other, shrugged, and walked out of the house.
In Abby's car, she called Drac and explained everything that happened. Except for the blood deal that Marcia had made.
"How's Hannah? Did you see her? Is she okay?" Drac asked.
"Oh, uh, to be honest, I didn't see her anywhere, but Tyrannus has a nice house. A lot more colorful and well kept than I'd imagine," Abby said.
"What does that have to do with anything? I don't care what his house looks like!"
Abby rolled her eyes. "Would you rather Hannah be locked up in a derelict house infested with rats?"
"I'm just a little irritated. You couldn't get a report or update?"
"Sorry, what else was I supposed to do? Marcia was shot out of a cannon. I had to make sure she didn't do anything rash. In all honesty, I think your friend is fine. He just said he wanted you."
"Well, good, I guess. We should be there in less than an hour. I'll see you then."
"Okay. See you then," Abby ended the call.
Reynold continued flying down the expressway, everyone made sure their seat belt was fastened as he weaved in and out of lanes, dodging the traffic, and shifting the wheel like an arcade video game.
Thank you for reading, I love reading your comments, they make the experience way more enjoyable. Also, I'm on Patreon. You can get the next three chapters for $3! You also get advance three-chapter access to my other story, An American in Hogwarts too (a Harry Potter fanfic people have really enjoyed An American in Hogwarts).
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[OC] Chronicles of the Siren War [Chapter 62]

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A/N: Please consider supporting my writing efforts on Patreon. You can follow this story and be alerted when new chapters release via fanfiction.net.
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The Final Battlefield, June 5th 06:15 Hours, Thorson’s Fleet
Andrew Thorson stood ready on the bridge of the Fusou at first light. Across the ocean to the north lay empty water, but the sky was dotted with the silhouettes of fighters and bombers. “Well this is it then. If they don’t dislodge us from this position they’ll never be able to invade the atoll,” he murmured. Thorson took Fusou’s hand briefly before ordering his fleet to battlestations, the two surviving forces of the battle of Midway clashing at long last. “All ships, full steam ahead. All power to anti-aircraft defense and shields. Protect each other and keep Ark Royal operational!”
Just behind the Fusou, dead center in the fleet and surrounded by escorts, Ark Royal prepared her P-40 Warhawk fighters. After many weeks of practice she sent them skyward with a wave of her hand, foregoing bombs in favor of maneuverability and speed. She rested her rifle on her shoulder, her captain’s uniform billowing in the winds of early morning as the sun began to warm the waves and air around them. “All wings are airborne, Knight Commander. Ascending to altitude now.”
“Dakota, get behind me, now,” Colorado ordered, shifting her throttle to full. The three Colorado class sisters and South Dakota made up a diamond shaped tip of the spear, the front of Thorson’s formation.
“I am the shield of this fleet, Colorado,” South Dakota replied quietly. Thorson and Fusou looked at one another, listening silently as the enemy aircraft, numbering at least two hundred, drew closer.
“And when we come under shell fire I will be happy to let you sacrifice yourself for the greater good. But for now get the hell out of my way. We have better AA armaments and you know it,” Colorado brokered no argument. “Little one, escort her to my stern. There will still be plenty to do.”
“That sounds alright. Come with me please, Dakota-san?” Kasumi requested, the two vessels giving way as Colorado took point. To Thorson’s surprise, the silver haired battleship wasn’t done. He allowed her the floor.
“Maryland, how many planes do you think Enterprise and her sisters carried?” Colorado asked calmly. As with Tennessee, she preferred the deck of her ship for confrontations, standing atop one of her main forward batteries.
“Call it ninety aircraft a ship,” Maryland replied seriously. “Zed, are you ready?”
“Ja, Maryland!”
“Good, stay to my inside stern and keep yourself alive for now. We’ll get you somewhere you can use those guns eventually.”
“West Virginia,” Colorado continued. “How many aircraft do you believe were stationed at Midway?”
“At least a hundred, sister. Javelin?”
“Ready to roll! I’ll do what I can, West Virginia,” the Royal destroyer assured her.
“Some four hundred aircraft destroyed and yet they only send two hundred or so to face us?” the lead Colorado class scoffed, her brow knitted in anger.
“Oooh, Laffey’s partner is angry. She can feel it, yes yes. Laffey will stay behind her guns for now.”
“Commander Thorson!” Colorado called him directly.
“Go ahead, Colorado,” he replied sternly.
“Requesting permission to demonstrate to the enemy the power of the Big Seven.”
Tennessee scoffed, adjusting her gloves as she prepared to use what little AA was available to her in the fight. On the flanks, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Yamashiro, and California drew close to their escorts and the Union cruisers. Cleveland, on the other hand, was more than happy to play along. “Ready and able to support, Colorado! I don’t think there’s ever been this grand of a test for the Union’s anti-aircraft abilities!”
“Good. Focus on your friends and the carrier. Those that slip through are yours… we’ll try to let you have a bit of fun,” the battleship promised confidently. “Sisters?”
“All systems green, ready to fire!” Maryland reported, adjusting her heading so that the envelope of her short range AA guns would overlap suitably with Colorado’s. West Virginia did the same.
“I’m ready. Mmm, it is a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” the dark haired sister remarked as she left the safety of her bridge and proceeded onto deck. “At your command, Colorado.”
“Commander?”
“Fire when ready, Colorado. All ships, follow Colorado and Cleveland’s lead.”
“Oooh, those foxes and rabbits are in for a world of hurt,” Shigure remarked with some anticipation, having become familiar with the potential of the Union’s AA weaponry over the last several weeks.
“The enemy has rabbits? Laffey will sink them, yes yes. There will only be one rabbit for the Commander.”
From atop her guns, Colorado stretched her arm out towards the northern horizon. She could make out the red rising sun on the wings of the Sakura aircraft. Her Bofors and Oerlikons moved seamlessly at her command, adjusting their trajectory to account for the attacking aircrafts’ flight path.
“The era of the dreadnought is not over. Big Seven, fire!”
-----
Aboard the Kaga, the snowy-haired leader of the Sakura was coming to understand just how great of a coup Pearl Harbor had been. The devastation she and her sisters had wrought during that sneak attack had been immense, with the Union ships clustered tightly, thinly manned and helpless. Her body and mind screamed with pains both dull and sharp as her air wings were assaulted by impeccably placed AA fire. It had begun with a sound like drums in the distance as the highest caliber guns of the Union’s newest battleships fired at her aircraft. Losses had been acceptable, only a handful, until she and her sister realized that it had only been one ship firing at them. When the other Colorado-class ships joined the barrage, assisted by another, different class behind them, the hits felt like a wall of bullets and flak. They scattered, aiming to move around the frontal obstruction but coming into contact instead with groups of P-40s, the typically land-based aircraft armed to the teeth with more machine guns than their Zeros could ever hope to mount. She and Akagi maneuvered around them skillfully and brought down many in intense dogfighting, but the wall of steel and guns did not stop moving north beneath them.
Hiryuu and Soryuu tried an attack run on the lead ship and suffered immense losses in the chaos, their planes riddled with fire from the enemy cruisers and battleships as the shipgirls piloting them simply projected shields forward and shrugged off the occasional direct hit. Beneath the action, a single wing of swordfish biplanes, assisted by floatplanes from Yamashiro and Fusou, made short work of the torpedoes released by the rabbits’ Nakajima torpedo bombers. The planes were flying so low and slowly that no one was able to pay them any heed. Colorado sailed straight through towering columns of water from the detonations, utterly fearless and brimming with cold fury, a yin to Tennessee’s chaotic yang. West Virginia and Maryland held position on her rear flanks, ensuring that any Sakura attack against weaker points of the formation’s AA defense would have to come from the rear or sides, making the approach more time consuming and opening up bombers to strafing runs from Ark Royal’s remaining fighters which remained at altitude, away from the enemy Zeros. Commander Thorson and Fusou stood strong amidst the chaos, the human doing his best to keep tabs on the overall flow of battle while Fusou piloted her aircraft and sent the occasional volley of AA fire skyward. Like most of the Sakura she was woefully under-equipped compared to the ships of the Union, but that was the benefit of a mixed formation so far as he was concerned. The radio was eerily silent, his fleet operating like a well-oiled machine with a singular purpose orchestrated by Cleveland, Colorado, and Ark Royal, vengeance for the deaths of Oklahoma, Nevada, Prince of Wales, Exeter, and thousands of other lives both human and shipgirl.
After approximately forty minutes of fierce combat the action suddenly halted, the few enemy aircraft left suddenly plummeting into the waves below. “Damage reports!” Thorson demanded immediately. West Virginia’s voice, breathing heavily, crackled in reply.
“Those bombs pack a punch, sir. A few secondaries may not be operational when we get there, but I’m still down for a scrap. No major structural damage.”
“Damn right,” Maryland added, resting against one of her turrets as a manjuu hopped up to join her. “Huh? Where’d you come from, little guy? For me? Hey, thanks a bunch. Oh by the way, Zed, I saw that kill of yours. Nice one.”
“D-Danke, Maryland!” the Ironblood destroyer stuttered in reply. She had only managed the one aircraft kill, an Aichi headed straight for Maryland’s main batteries, and blushed crimson at recognition for such a small thing in the midst of a battle so grand. As with Maryland, she soon noticed a couple of puffy, yellow manjuu hopping about outside her bridge windows. Opening the door and allowing them in, Zed received a delivery of secret coolant, the drink soothing her overheated blood as her cube calmed itself after drawing blood in battle again after so long. The manjuus hung around for a moment, inspecting her and poking at her shoulder to get her attention. “Oh, you need something else?” she wondered, sitting on the floor to be closer to them. After a few moments of chirping and looking about her, Zed realized that they were trying to ascertain the status of her injuries. “I’m just fine with this drink, thank you!”
Thorson couldn’t help but chuckle at the evolution of his fleet’s damage control systems as Akashi revealed yet another secret weapon, the fact that as with the Langley, manjuus seemed to prefer support ships to combat vessels. As a result, a flood of the curiously competent creatures was at the minty kitty’s disposal, and she sent them to supply the ships of the fleet with coolant and to get an idea of the necessary damage control needed from her and the bulins, who numbered far fewer. Colorado and her sisters had suffered some superficial damage, with bruises and tattered capes to prove it; but beyond the dented metal and scorch marks the worst damage done had been to Yamashiro, who had allowed a bomb to slip through her shields as she defended the lead ships from torpedoes.
“Tono-sama,” Fusou began, her concern for her sister more than apparent in her tone and the way her eyes shifted constantly. The explosion on the battleship’s stern had been impossible to miss.
“Go to her. I’ll hold things down here,” Thorson assured Fusou. The younger sister had barely made a sound when the hit had come, remaining focused on her task as her stern smoldered following the impact. Several bulins were helping her with fire control.
“Thank you, tono-sama,” the elder neko battleship said with relief, leaving the lightest of kisses on his cheek before exiting the bridge at all possible speed. He radioed Colorado.
“Colorado, I want you and your sisters to change formation,” he commanded.
“Requesting an explanation, sir. I think we performed splendidly,” Colorado replied, fingering the singed hem of her cape. “We remain fully operational as well.”
“Miss Colorado should not be questioning the Commander so much, no no. Laffey has been with him from his very first day, yes she has. He has yet to do something stupid in battle even though he is a lecherous man,” the lapine destroyer insisted sleepily.
“Well I’m happy to have your conditional approval, Laffey,” Thorson groaned as multiple shipgirls took the offered occasion to have a laugh and breathe deeply after the stress of fighting off a competent air raid. He was just thankful it hadn’t involved siren aircraft attacking a fixed target this time around.
“Laffey loves her commander, yes she does.”
“Commander?” Colorado attempted to bring them back to the topic at hand as they continued north.
“I agree with you, Colorado. That was a demonstration worthy of Independence Day. However, tell me you believe the enemy will attack us with their aircraft head on again.”
“It’s a good point, sis,” Maryland insisted.
The silver haired battleship sighed in acceptance. “Very well. Your orders, Commander?”
“They would be fools to attack us with their airpower alone after what just happened,” Thorson declared. “They might, but if they do we’ll simply beat them back again. I think the next battle will be fleet versus fleet, and they’ll attempt to use their torpedo advantage to sink us. South Dakota, I want you to take point, with Maryland and West Virginia swapping with Pennsylvania and California. Arizona, I want you to stay in the middle or rear of the formation so long as you’re confident you can use those healing rounds again.”
“I will do whatever is necessary, Commander,” she promised.
“Good. Tennessee, you’re taking the position right behind South Dakota. Colorado, you and Laffey will take the rear now.”
If Colorado had any protests as Thorson finished assigning new orders, she kept them to herself. Slowly the fleet spread out, allowing the hulking Union dreadnoughts to move and shuffle their locations. He called the Yamashiro next. “Fusou, Yamashiro, are you there?”
“She will be alright, tono-sama,” Fusou explained in relief. “Akashi is assessing the damage now, but it appears that at worst she will be without a handful of secondary batteries and her floatplane catapult.
“Nee-san, they hurt my butt!” Yamashiro complained, bringing a smile to Thorson’s face in spite of himself.
“Don’t worry, Yamashiro. I think we hurt them a lot worse.”
-----
“We cannot underestimate him again, sister,” Kaga stated quietly, standing proudly just opposite Akagi on her deck. Her body throbbed with pain, but she kept it concealed behind a mask of indifference. Akagi’s face, by contrast, was contorted in rage.
“To think those lumbering, obsolete steel tubs could be capable of that kind of firepower,” the Sakura commander groused. Kaga did not have the strength to scold her.
“It must be that commander of theirs, their Knight. He’s allowed them to fight as we do. If anything we’re fortunate our advantage lasted even this long. What are your orders, Akagi?”
The brown haired kitsune stared at her sister. “What? No snide comments? No passive aggressive insinuations that had you been in command we would have prevailed?”
“No, dear sister. They shot down my planes too. When we return to eviscerating the rest of the impotent Union navy I will have my fun with them and with you, but for now we decide whether we retreat or stand and fight as one.”
“Sometimes, Kaga, your lips move and it’s your voice I hear but her words reach my ears,” Akagi said quietly, their face to face discussion allowing for privacy as their fleet continued south and east towards confrontation now that their enemy had shown his hand. “We cannot afford to simply leave now. We will meet him in battle and cut the head off of this snake before it kills us all.”
“I am in agreement, sister. Then it is time?” Kaga inquired eerily, her voice like a wraith.
“My powers will be yours, dear sister,” Akagi assured her.
“And mine will be yours.”
-----
June 5th 9:34 Hours, Thorson’s Fleet, Bridge of the Fusou
“May the gods protect us,” Fusou whispered as her fleet finally obtained a visual on the enemy after more than a day at sea. Broken aircraft littered the seas between them and the Union fleets, their fate rendered almost irrelevant by what they were witnessing. “Tono-sama?”
“Are you scared?” he asked quietly, looking through his binoculars at the small Sakura ship silhouettes on the horizon. The scene was dominated by the Akagi and Kaga, which seemed to have burst into colored flames that towered several hundred feet into the skies like funeral pyres. Blue and red swirled and shifted, acting as if one mind and one force, but the colors never bled or mixed.
“I am,” the shrine maiden admitted freely. “I have never witnessed such a thing.”
“You think we’re going to die, short stuff?” Tennessee asked Downes. She shook her head fiercely.
“Can’t. I’ve got someone waiting,” the ‘tiger of the Union’ insisted tensely.
“What should we do, Commander?” Cleveland asked, a hint of worry in her usually confident and animated voice. “You know we’re with you, and I wouldn’t back down from a fight even with the sirens… but I’m not sure my guns will work against that.”
“All ships, continue full steam ahead,” Thorson ordered, gripping the radio transmitter with a shaking hand as his fleet all listened silently, hoping for something more than onward into death. “I’m sure you all know the stakes here. The Sakura fleet is right there, more powerful than it’s ever been. Enterprise and her sisters have obviously failed.”
“Yukikaze the Great is feeling not so great at this particular moment,” the little destroyer admitted.
“I guess they didn’t feel it nearly as bad as I thought,” Shigure admitted.
“I know,” Thorson assured them. “Quite the vulgar display of power, isn’t it? But I didn’t see any other allied fleets on the way up here, did any of you?” Their silence was his answer. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the specifics of one of the Great War legends. “I want to tell you girls a story. Ark, you might actually know this one.”
“If you call me old again, Knight Commander, I’ll be quite cross with you when this is all over. But if these are to be my final moments, the sound of your voice isn’t the worst thing to listen to,” the veteran carrier admitted.
“Akashi cannot stop blushing and hiding under the steering column in fear, nyaa!” the minty kitty cried as aircraft began launching from the Hiryuu and Soryuu.
“I want to tell you all a story about the difference a single, competent soldier can make, a story about a man… from Tennessee.” At Thorson’s words, his wildest battleship tilted her head curiously. She’d been ready to dismiss his story out of hand entirely and prepare herself to kill as many Sakura as possible before they came for her, but she’d not missed his tone when he mentioned her namesake state. “This is the story of Sergeant Alvin York.”
Thorson’s ships sailed north in silence as he set the scene for them, a scene they could only identify with as their own Hill 233 loomed before them. Machine gun fire from concealed locations within the enemy lines, the Argonne forest, comrades dead and dying all around. “And so there he was, exchanging rifle fire with machine guns, alone, one against thirty at least. But he shot, killed, and kept shooting. During the battle six soldiers charged him with bayonets. He drew his sidearm and gunned them all down before they could reach him. The enemy commander emptied his pistol in an attempt to kill York, and failed. He then surrendered. In the end, the actions of one man led to the capture of the Ironblood position and 132 soldiers. And no, Sergeant York did not have any wisdom cubes at his disposal, just a 1917 Lee Enfield and a Colt 1911.”
“Damn, that’s quite the tale, eh Belle?” Downes declared as Thorson finished. Colorado and her sisters had their forward batteries trained on the enemy formation. They would be in range in moments. Tennessee said nothing in reply, however, and Downes couldn’t see the blonde battleship girl from her own position. Instead she radioed back to Thorson. “I think you’re in luck, Commander.”
“Why is that, Downes?”
“I don’t know if that York fellow was skilled, crazy, or both, but I don’t see anyone turning around. Let’s go take this hill.”
“Well said, Fire-eye!” Maryland cheered. “Girls, you ready?”
“Yes. Your target, Commander Thorson?” Colorado demanded.
“Target the carriers and battleships until you’re close enough to destroy the escorts confidently,” he replied. “All battleships fire at will upon reaching engagement range. Escorts, move outside the battleship wall and prepare to screen the capital ships and counter enemy attacks. Retreat to the safety of the AA envelope as needed. Cleveland, remain at the center with Ark. Colorado, I think it would be fitting for you to begin.”
“It would be our pleasure, Commander. Those enemy foxes aren’t the only ones capable of a lightshow. Maryland, West Virginia, prepare to fire!”
“406mm showoffs,” Pennsylvania whispered, but Yuudachi was ready with upbeat words.
“Don’t worry about it, Pennsylvania-san. If the battle doesn’t last long enough for you to get in range then it won’t matter, wan~!”
“Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine, puppy girl?”
“Not when we’re in a battle Penny-san!” Yuudachi ‘complained’ as the Colorado class ships picked their target. Anyone else engaged in last minute conversations, in attempts to bolster morale or maintain sanity in the face of the raw power of the first carrier division, was silenced as twelve shells rocketed into the sky, leaving red, white, and blue wakes behind them. Even at that extreme distance, one of the massive shells managed to reach its target many seconds later, exploding against Kaga’s forcefields with a terrible sound and fury. The kitsune bore the attack and remained standing, conjuring in return a swarm of flaming spirits shaped like Sakura aircraft from the towering column of flame above them.
“So we shall cross swords at last,” she murmured appreciatively. “Come!”
-----
“Indy, more planes at three o’clock!”
“I see them, sister. California?”
“You’re too cute to deny but you know my AA isn’t great! Oh, thanks for the assist, Maryland.”
“Don’t mention it, but stay alert. We’re close to torpedo range.” The words were not even out of the battleship’s mouth when a bright blue forcefield enveloped South Dakota, the dark-skinned woman forced to her knee as a torpedo detonated beneath her hull. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself back to her feet with the help of her shield and carried on. The enemy formation was spreading out before them, increasing the angles at which torpedoes could be launched towards Thorson’s ships. Not even he had anticipated such a long range strike, courtesy of Maya.
“Spread out!” he ordered in reply, ‘showing’ Fusou what he intended thanks to the link between them. She then conveyed it via radio to the rest of the fleet, their pattern shifting in an orderly fashion from a circular formation to a broad crescent meant to shield Ark Royal, Akashi, and specific escorts like Cleveland from the brunt of the enemy attacks. Chaos reigned around them as aircraft dove and swarmed them, held in check by the fleet’s AA guns and the prodigious firepower of Ark Royal’s fighters. All the while Thorson’s battleships launched shells at the enemy, scoring occasional hits against the enemy cruisers and battleships whereas the carriers proved an impenetrable bastion. Akagi and Kaga, their abilities at fully synchronization, simply vaporized any shells or aircraft that got too close. While the detonations above made for an epic display and deafened many of the Sakura shipgirls, they didn’t score the kills Thorson desperately needed. Instead he ordered a shifting of fire to the escorts as the range closed. So long as the Sakura drew closer, he felt he had the advantage.
It was clear, however, that Akagi and Kaga felt the same, and the damage reports from Thorson’s fleet lent credence to that opinion. For every hit against Haruna, Kongou, Kirishima, or the other smaller ships outside of the protective range of the first carrier division, he suffered damage in return. Cassin took an incredibly unlucky HE shell to her superstructure, knocking the girl unconscious and taking her out of the battle completely. Downes had been distraught, but Tennessee kept her in formation as Akashi dispatched two bulins to aid the stricken ship as it fell behind the advancing formation. South Dakota was taking a beating as well, even with the help of Indianapolis’ pandora reactor and shields. She only fired a handful of volleys from her main guns before the role of defender consumed all of her strength and energy, beset upon by torpedoes. With Kasumi’s assistance and encouragement, she was able to avoid most of the further incoming ‘fishes’, but Hiryuu and Soryuu refused to be denied either. The added focus on torpedo defense had necessitated a shifting of resources away from air defense, and the lapine carriers kept launching bombers and fighters with all their remaining strength. Maryland was suffering from fires on deck, while Pennsylvania lost a main battery, the shipgirl grunting in pain as her shoulder felt ready to pop out of its socket.
On the other side of the battlefield, the attrition took its toll as well. Nagara had gone silent following a bruising volley from California and Arizona, and Nowaki was occupied with multiple fires on deck courtesy of Portland and Zed’s exceptional gunnery. They hadn’t suffered torpedo attacks, but Akagi and Kaga had not given a retreat order. The enemy fleet, situated between them and Midway, was getting closer. With grace and calm, Hiei took aim at the flagship, the Fusou, and fired a volley.
“Tono-sama!” Fusou placed her body in front of him, arms wide, and threw up her shields as the incoming shells detonated around her. One made it through and exploded on her forward decks, throwing her back into Thorson as they crashed violently to the ground. Several hails came in at once, trying to ascertain the condition of their commander, but Laffey was focused on the ship that had fired the shot.
“You… Laffey knows you from her dreams, the bad ones when she is forced to sleep somewhere other than the Commander’s chest or lap. You will not take him from Laffey today!” From her position in the center left of the formation, Laffey’s bow transformed and began charging her Annihilation Mode cannon. Crackling electricity and plasma sparked in the air and off the sea as Colorado radioed her.
“Listen up, Laffey. The commander may take it easy on you, but I won’t. If you fire that weapon and go to sleep on me, surrounded by the enemy, I’ll take you out myself,” the battleship warned. “I can’t afford to lose my escort.”
“Miss Colorado should trust Laffey,” the destroyer insisted as the volume of shells in the air decreased significantly as the enemy took notice of the impending attack. “Laffey will never rest, never so long as the Commander needs her. She will continue to escort once the enemy battleship is no more. Condition green, firing.”
Even Akagi and Kaga’s battle trance was broken as the beam of energy tore across the open ocean directly at the Hiei. Kongou and Haruna shrieked and called out to their sister in fear as Kirishima pulled down her mask to stare openly. The proud Sakura battleship’s shields slowly faltered and then broke. Hiei’s cry of anguish sent shivers through the entire fleet as her ship was left barely afloat, a charred remnant of its former glory. Aboard the bridge, the shipgirl slumped unconscious and dying to the floor, her last mote of energy dedicated to the barrier that had saved her body from instant immolation. Her cubes had simply been pushed past their limits.
“That was a damn fine shot, Laffey,” Thorson radioed, his survival sending his fleet’s morale through the roof. “Fusou’s injured but seaworthy. Press the attack! Arizona, now’s the time!”
“I understand, Andrew!” she replied, hurrying out onto her deck as she killed her engines and shifted her rudders, turning her side to the enemy as her sister and friends charged forward, the enemy ships only then restarting their attack. The resurrected battleship knelt upon her forward deck as all of her main batteries turned to face her allies and the enemies beyond. The words came easier the second time, as though her cubes compelled her to remember. “I call upon the angels again, as one who has walked the ether and returned. In service to the one named for the first-called of the apostles, I beseech you to heal our wounds. Eagle’s Tears!”
“Oh my, that is utterly delightful!” Brooklyn remarked, firing off a well placed strike against a conventionally manned destroyer as she experienced the radiating energy of Arizona’s healing ability for the first time. Even the bruised and battered South Dakota found herself standing proudly with newfound energy, the fires aboard the Maryland extinguished. Behind her, Tennessee was chomping at the bit, her secondary batteries almost in range as Akagi and Kaga began lashing out directly with bolts of spirit fire.
“Torpedoes, now!” Thorson commanded, watching as his destroyer escorts swept out of their battleship cover, Laffey included, and unloaded an aquatic salvo. “Guns silent, shields and engines to full! Break them open!”
“This is it, Belle,” Downes whispered, keeping her defenses up as best she could as a blue bolt of fire struck her rear left torpedo mount. “Oh you are so dead, goddamn carriers! I liked that hardpoint!”
With South Dakota leading the charge, Thorson’s formation tightened behind the wall of torpedoes at his command, arranging themselves in an arrowhead as Arizona was left alone with Yukikaze, Cleveland, Brooklyn, Ark Royal, and Akashi. Unbelievably, the enemy had not turned from battle, continuing to maneuver evasively but not increasing the engagement distance. Without Arizona’s assistance Thorson knew that would have been an appropriate decision, his fleet peppered with shells and the occasional torpedo as shields flared and flickered. By her grace, however, his doomed cavalry charge, a tactic as old as warfare itself, was seen to fruition. Through his binoculars, looking at the bridge of an enemy heavy cruiser, the Commander picked out a pretty, black-haired girl with yellow eyes and red, demonic horns jutting from her forehead. Her eyes were wide and white with fear. It was time. “Open fire!”
At his command South Dakota finally allowed herself to fall back as Tennessee put on a burst of speed, fueled by bloodlust and the promise of vengeance. She could see the secondary guns on the carriers that had attacked her at Pearl Harbor, she was so close. None would deny her. “Get out of my way!” she roared, turning her main batteries and secondaries on the closest ships and lashing out indiscriminately. Command towers and main batteries burned or were blown to pieces, with Downes maneuvering expertly in her wake and firing an unnaturally high number of shells into the confused and routing masses before dodging back to Tennessee’s other side. Maryland and Zed were employing a similar strategy, while Javelin led West Virginia’s way, dodging incoming fire with surprising grace and speed while the lumbering Union colossus simply eviscerated any enemies left at what was, for naval combat, point blank distance. The attack was not without its downsides, however, as Akagi and Kaga lashed out directly with their flames, inflicting terrible pain and damage on ships that found themselves unable to properly block their attacks. Despite the kitsune’s heroics, the fact of the matter remained that they were at a disadvantage, and the towering columns of fire suddenly broke as Pennsylvania, California, Colorado, Minneapolis, Portland, and Indiannapolis all trained their guns on them and fired in unison.
“Why won’t they sink?!” Akagi shrieked, biting her lip until blood spilled down to her chin. It was a fitting pain to go with the bruising her ribs had just endured. “Just die already!” While Akagi’s towering rage alone was enough to roast the superstructure of the Yamashiro from a distance, the fact remained that Thorson’s fleet had survived both torpedo and aircraft, and was now wreaking havoc, killing and maiming indiscriminately as a battleship that should have burned in the docks at Pearl Harbor bore down on a now crippled Hiryuu, her engines and rudder long disabled by armor piercing shells.
“My lords… Akagi-sama, Kaga-sama,” the rabbit coughed as Soryuu tried to launch more planes only to have them immediately gunned down. “You can still… get out.”
Kaga watched with horror as battleships that looked like a force sent from hell, charred and missing turrets, AA mounts, and secondary batteries, nevertheless carried on, alive, capable, and fueled by a rage that not even she and Akagi could understand. The Union’s remaining guns tore into her troops and decimated her ships. Hiryuu was correct, the hundreds of meters between the first and second carrier divisions would seal both of their fates. “Akagi, we need to leave, now. Any longer and we will be unable to outrun him.”
“Damnit. Damnit! DAMNIT!” Akagi screeched, conjuring another fireball and launching it directly at the Fusou. The shrine maiden yelled in pain as many of her smaller guns were melted and her forward decks set ablaze, forcing Thorson to take her up in his arms and move as quickly as he could to the stern of the ship, ready to leap overboard minutes later as the fires slowly spread. Though the attack was impressive and terrifying, it encompassed the extent of Akagi’s ability to influence a battle now firmly out of her control, a gamble that had shattered the Union and, were it not for the divine grace of a ship that should have been dead, would have ended the war entirely. “All ships, full retreat! Hold formation and return to the Sanctuary!”
With Thorson unable to command the situation, Pennsylvania took up the mantle of commanding officer as the first carrier division, their escorts, and any other ship that could break engagement with Thorson’s forces broke and fled. “They’re retreating! Stay alert, disable any enemy ships you can and try not to kill them. You know how Thorson does business. End any who fight back. Go!”
Tennessee needed no encouragement, barrelling forward over the waves at the stricken Hiryuu, continuing to pound the carrier with shell fire. No longer was she at point blank in a naval sense. She was at point blank range, period. “This is for Nevada, you bastard!” she roared as Downes was forced to back off her stern, gazing on with wonder and dreaded excitement as Tennessee shielded her bow and rammed into the Hiryuu amidships, splitting the carrier in half in a display every bit as vulgar as the first carrier division’s area denial capabilities. “Holy shit that was awesome,” the athletic destroyer murmured.
“Hiryuu-chan!” Soryuu screamed, limping along her flight deck, arm outstretched as the sounds of shearing metal carried over the battlefield. Exhausted, drained of her ability to fight, and riddled with holes, all she could do was drop to her knees and watch as her sister’s ship suffered Tennessee’s wrath. If Laffey’s attack against Hiei had turned the tide, Tennessee’s had ended the battle completely. Every gun on both sides fell silent as Akagi, Kaga, and the rest of the Sakura were forced to abandon the wounded, retreating to the north and west. Aboard the Hiryuu, the white-furred rabbit found herself contemplating how she wished to die. A proud, tanned, Union woman was advancing on her, rigging drawn as she casually leapt from her own boat and ‘boarded’ the carrier.
“Well, that explains a few things,” she agreed with herself, coughing into her hand only to come away looking at blood. “Here to finish what we started… then I will too.” Using that same blood, Hiryuu imbued her remaining talismans with her very will and threw them as far as she could off her deck. Tennessee, in no mood to play games, fired a full salvo from her rigging and knocked Hiryuu to the ground. The rabbit did not find her feet again.
“Shit, cunning little snake,” Tennessee swore as the talismans, borne by the wind, materialized into a wing of dive bombers so low to the ocean that they couldn’t be targeted, heading at full speed to the east. Behind her, Thorson and Fusou had been evacuated to the Akashi, with the majority of the bulins engaged in fire damage control aboard the flagship. Thorson could only assume the target of the aircraft.
“Javelin, Yukikaze, Yuudachi, Downes, follow those aircraft and make contact with the Union task forces! Render assistance if necessary. All ships engaged in pursuit, break off and search the area for survivors and cubes. We need those more than anything else. We will regroup at Midway itself,” he commanded, holding a hand to his head as the pains of the battle slowly left him. Being connected to Fusou when she’d sustained damage had not been the most pleasant experience, but the shrine maiden was alive, and that was all that mattered. Aboard the slowly sinking rear half of the Hiryuu, Tennessee finally loomed over the woman who had bloodied her and her friends half a year prior. She watched silently, a scowl on her face, as the bruised and beaten carrier tried to stand, another wracking cough spilling her blood on Tennessee’s boots.
“Surrender,” she ordered coldly. “Or don’t. I’d prefer that.”
“I… won’t…” Hiryuu declared, barely able to keep her eyes open. Tennessee’s once blinding anger, now a more manageable inferno, did not completely overpower her appreciation for the Sakura carrier’s sheer guts. As she slumped over on her deck, Hiryuu could only grunt as Tennessee took her by her collar and held her aloft.
“If you survive this, know that you owe your life to Commander Thorson. It’s more than you deserve,” the Union battleship insisted fiercely before throwing her to the deck and ripping her shard from her neck.
Far in the distance, Akagi gave her final murderous orders as the Sakura fleet escaped to fight another day. “Iroha, take your sisters and finish what we started here. This war no longer concerns the Union. Ensure they understand that.”
“With pleasure, Lady Akagi. We were growing bored playing at recon.”
-----
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2020 Offseason Review Series - Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns

Division: AFC North
Record: 6 - 10
Introduction
Hey everyone u/goingsouthhiker here to provide you more information than you ever wanted to know about the Cleveland Browns. My first distinct memory as a child is my fathers face in stunned silence as Ernest Byner fumbled at the goaline. I have been gifted through some sick hereditary defect a lifelong love of the Browns. so here you go.

Coaching Changes/GM Changes

Freddie Kitchens Fired
On December 29th, 2019, the Browns fired head coach Freddie Kitchens. This is the culmination of a coaching hire that seemed to be entirely based upon folksy blue collar catch phrases “if you don’t wear brown and orange, you don’t matter” and a good relationship with Baker Mayfield.
Some of Freddie's greatest hits included

4th and 9 - Draw Play
Madden Style 5 WR streaks from your own goal line
Send out the punt team on 4th-and-11 down 17 points in the fourth quarter to the New England Patriots, only to change his mind and take a deliberate false start rather than burn a timeout.
4th and 1 on the goal line and not have Nick Chubb on the field

John Dorsey Fired
On December 31st, 2019, the Browns and general manager John Dorsey mutually agreed to part ways after an up and down tenure that brought in a lot of talent but ultimately the decision to hire Kitchens and some questionable high draft picks sank him.

Kevin Stefanski Hired
On January 13th, 2020, the Browns hired former Minnesota Vikings' offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski as head coach. This is another first time head coach hire for the browns after an exhaustive coaching search. This hire is the one Paul Depodesta of Moneyball Fame banged the table for prior to the promotion of Kitchens so ultimately the nerds won the battle a year too late.

Andrew Berry Hired
On January 27th, 2020, the Browns hired former Philadelphia Eagles' vice president of football operations Andrew Berry as general manager. Berry previously served as the Browns' vice president of player personnel from 2016–18 under Sashi Brown. At age 32, Berry became the youngest general manager in NFL history.
Berry has been considered in league circles as the next great rising front office star even from his early days in Indianapolis. Ivy league educated and an analytics darling now paired again with Depodesta the Browns will be heavy into analytics and efficiency in their decision making.

Alex Van Pelt Hired
On January 29th 2020, the Browns hired former Cincinnati Bengals' quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator. Van Pelt, who served as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2009, replaced Todd Monken, who was not retained by Stefanski.
Nobody is quite sure who will be calling plays on game day, The one thing going for this hire is when Van Pelt was the QB Coach for Green Bay Aaron Rodgers was super angry about Van Pelt being fired so there is that.

Joe Woods Hired
On February 7th 2020, the Browns hired former San Francisco 49ers' defensive backs coach Joe Woods as defensive coordinator. Woods, who previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2017–18, replaced Steve Wilks, who was not retained by Stefanski
Woods is a man of mystery he has coached just about every scheme in existence and has given the ever popular "We will tailor our defense to our personnel" answer every time somebody tries to get anything out of him in regards to what he plans to run in Cleveland.

Free Agency
Players lost/cut

Player	Position	New Team
Joe Schobert	LB	Jacksonville
Christian Kirksey	LB	Green Bay
Eric Kush	G	Las Vegas
Demetrius Harris	TE	Chicago
T.J. Carrie	CB	Indianapolis
Damarious Randall	S	Las Vegas
Greg Robinson	T	Prison
Rickey Seals Jones	TE	Kansas City
Adarius Taylor	LB	Released
Morgan Burnett	S	Released
Eric Murray	S	Houston

Going into the 2019 season the Browns defense had a lack of quality depth at LB and Safety. So naturally the first thing the Browns do in Free Agency is let go the remaining veteran players at LB and Safety. I can't say for certain this was a bad thing as you will see below.

Top Losses

Joe Shobert LB - Was a tackling machine and rare pro bowler on this team, however too many of those tackles were made 8-10 yards downfield on run plays. His coverage skills were raw as well so I get not paying him big money.
Christian Kirksey LB - This one hurts a bit not due to production on the field as Kirko was hurt a lot! But more so as he was that beloved master of the Dawg Check and was a great team guy.
Damarious Randall S - A solid player who the Browns converted back to Safety but was always a bit of a headcase. He will be remembered best as the player who intercepted a Bengals pass and handed the ball to Hue Jackson on the Bengals sideline.

Players Signed/Brought Back

Player	Position	Contract
Kareem Hunt	RB	1yr $3.25M
Case Keenum	QB	3yr $18M
Andy Janovich	FB	Trade w/Broncos
Jack Conklin	T	3yr $42M
Austin Hooper	TE	4yr $44M
Karl Joseph	S	1yr $2.5M
Andrew Billings	DL	1yr $3.5M
Kevin Johnson	CB	1yr $3.5M
Andrew Sendejo	S	1yr $2.5M
Evan Brown	C	No Details
Donovan Olumba	CB	No Details
JoJo Natson	WR	1yr $1M
BJ Goodson	LB	1yr $2.4M
Chris Hubbard	T	Restructured
Adrian Clayborn	EDGE	1yr $2.4M
Olivier Vernon	EDGE	Restructured
Myles Garrett	EDGE	So Much Money
Rashard Higgins	WR	1yr 910k

Man this is a list... Ok so there were very few holes on Offense going into Free Agency but the ones that stood out were both tackles and depth at tight end. The Browns ultimately solved one tackle spot and TE really early in Free Agency with what most considered the best available players at their position.
On the Defensive side we had a open call for any experienced body who wanted to take a 1 year prove it deal. So much depth added via players that fell through the cracks on their former team.

Top Signings

Jack Conklin RT - The top right tackle in free agency, had a nice season for the titans after coming off a major injury the year before. Can be a All-Pro caliber RT if healthy. Really filled a huge need.
Austin Hooper TE - or "HooooooP" As the falcons fans tell me I am to call him. Filled a big need for reliable catches at the TE position. With David Njoku in the dog house, unable to catch anything, and now asking for a trade this is a big get for the Browns.
Andy Janovich FB - By far my personal favorite signing. Acquired in a trade with the Broncos he is one of the best pure Fullbacks left in the game. I expect him to be a Fan Favorite quickly. There is nothing more that Cleveland Fans adore than elevating a former Broncos fullback to Legendary status.(See Peyton Hillis)
Case Keenum - Browns fans all hope that the Baker Mayfield of last year was a product of really bad coaching, however Keenum can win games in the NFL and is a familiar face to new coach Stefanski having had a career year with Minnesota with Stefanski as his QB coach. I am much more confident in having Keenum as the backup than Garrett Gilbert.
New Contracts - The Browns have ensured Myles Garrett will be a Brown for a long while, placed a 2nd round tender on former rushing champ Kareem hunt, and after briefly flirting with Clowney decided to restructure Olivier Vernon to a much better contract number befitting his oft injured yet surprisingly productive season.

Draft - Cribbed from u/Marzman315 with permission who did a very excellent defending the draft and I agree with it in it's entirety. The Grades are mine.

Round	Player	Position
1.10	Jedrick Wills	T
2.44	Grant Delpit	S
3.88	Jordan Elliott	DT
3.97	Jacob Phillips	ILB
4.115	Harrison Bryant	TE
5.160	Nick Harris	C
6.187	Donovan Peoples-Jones	WR

1.10 - Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Tackle Alabama Grade A
As expected, the Browns used the tenth overall pick on a tackle. The tackle turned out to be Jedrick Wills Jr., blindside blocker for Tua Tagovailoa. The former four star high school prospect started all 28 games for the Crimson Tide over his sophomore and and junior years. As a second team All-American and first team All-SEC player, he paved the way for Alabama's elite offense with his quick feet, smooth redirection, extremely powerful anchor and strength, and absolutely punishing punch.
This pick was overwhelmingly approved of by analysts both internally and externally. Joe Thomas released a reaction video that was enthusiastic to say the least. He made it clear that Wills was his ideal target for the Browns at 10th overall. The front office and coaching staff made it known that Wills was their priority target going into the draft, and were entertaining the possibility of trading up for him, but ultimately the draft board fell their way and they got their man at 10.
The only negative to the drafting of Wills is that he has only played right tackle in his college career, and given the free agent signing of right tackle Jack Conklin, Wills is going to be expected to transition to left tackle to start his NFL career. Joe Thomas also gave input on this, and stated that while the transition is difficult it is easier to do early in your career, and that he would personally take Wills under his wing and mentor him. Between Joe Thomas's guidance and the coaching of veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan, not to mention the phenomenal talent of Wills, the transition should be doable for Wills with a minimum of serious difficulty. The protection of franchise QB Baker Mayfield is of paramount importance, and this selection reflects that.

2.44 - Grant Delpit, Safety LSU Grade A
Most Browns fans anticipated that a safety specializing in coverage would be a priority target on day 2. With replacing Damarious Randall a necessity, the Browns zeroed in on LSU standout Grant Delpit. Boasting phenomenal range, excellent ball skills, and tremendous athleticism for the position, he brings an impressive skill set to the team.
Once considered a top 15 to top 20 pick, injuries and questions about tackling caused his value to drop a bit over the season. His broken clavicle in 2018 likely led to a hesitation in committing fully to tackles, and his production in that sense dropped in 2019. Despite some questions about open field tackling, Delpit's football IQ, versatility, and ball skills are enough to excite Browns fans into thinking that they found a solid starter.

3.88 - Jordan Elliot, Defensive Tackle Missouri Grade B
In a post draft interview, Browns Chief Strategist Paul DePodesta revealed that obtaining 2021 draft capital was a priority coming into the draft. Depth along the defensive line has been an issue for the Browns for some time. Both of these issues were addressed with the Browns first pick in the third round.
Jordan Elliot is well known in the scouting community for being the darling prospect of Pro Football Focus, who consistently rated him as a first round prospect. While he lacks some power and length, he has a lightning quick first step and fluid pass rushing skills. His skill set doesn't exactly project him to be an every down player, but he can be a strong gap penetrating 3T rotating along the Browns defensive line.

3.97 - Jacob Phillips, Linebacker LSU Grade C Minus
Joe Shobert led the Browns in tackles in two of the last three seasons. Replacing that production was certainly a concern of the Browns. Phillips is an athletic linebacker that led a powerhouse LSU team in tackles. He is strong against the run, and plays fast and strong with solid instincts.
Phillips likely may not replace Shobert's pass coverage, as coverage skills were a clear negative on Phillips' scouting report. But as far as reliable tackling goes Phillips can contribute early, especially on special teams and base defense.

4.115 - Harrison Bryant, Tight End Florida Atlantic Grade A
Kevin Stefanski's offense notably uses multiple tight end sets and 12 personnel. Harrison Bryant is a very exciting receiving threat at the TE position. He projects mainly as a depth player behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku (if he remains on the team) currently while he develops his overall game, but he likely sees the field a bit as a rookie. He doesn't bring much to the table as far as blocking goes, but there is absolutely some exciting upside here.

5.160 - Nick Harris, Guard/Center Washington Grade C
While the Browns O-line was the subject of well deserved criticisms in 2019, the interior of the line was quietly fairly solid. Left guard Joel Bitonio is among the best in the league at his position and Center JC Tretter is a pro bowl caliber player. Wyatt Teller was unspectacular but played well enough to bring a bit of stability to the position. Lacking at the interior o-line was any sort of depth.
With years of experience at guard and center, Nick Harris will add solid depth and may compete with Teller for the starting right guard spot. He is a smart and nimble pass blocker, and while he doesn't have ideal size for the position (6'1" 300 LB) he uses his low center of gravity effectively to secure a solid base.

6.187 - Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver Michigan Grade A (upside)
Wide receiver was sneakily a bit of a need for the Browns going into the 2020 draft. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are among the best 1/2 starters in the NFL, but after them the depth chart is thin.
Peoples-Jones is a perfect prospect to gamble on. He showed flashes of phenomenal play while at Michigan, and was considered at one point to be a future first round pick and NFL star. Injuries and abysmal QB play severely hindered his college career. His production did not come close to matching his talent. He is athletic, runs clean routes, gets solid separation, and is good with the ball in his hands. There is a lot of talent here that can be developed.

Undrafted Free Agents:
Soloman Ajayi, Linebacker, Liberty
Elijah Benton, Safety, Liberty
Ja'Marcus Bradley, Wide Receiver, Louisiana
Tony Brown, Wide Receiver, Colorado
Kevin Davidson, Quarterback, Princeton
Drake Dorbeck, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Southern Mississippi
A.J. Green, Cornerback, Oklahoma State
Brian Herrion, Runningback, Georgia
Jameson Houston, Cornerback, Baylor
Benny LeMay, Runningback, Charlotte
Jovante Moffit, Safety, Middle Tennessee
George Obinna, Defensive End, Sacremento State
Alex Taylor, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina State
Jeffrey Whatley, Defensive Tackle, South Alabama
Nate Wieting, Tight End, Iowa

Going Forward:
You will have a hard time finding a Browns fan who did not love this draft. They filled all of their pressing needs without reaching, were savvy navigating the board with trades, and acquired 2021 draft picks. The Browns earned one of only four A+ grades from PFF. While the roster is not without some holes, particularly at linebacker, this is a team that is built to compete. With improvements on the offense that will hopefully come with better coaching and a brand new O-line, the Browns are absolutely in a better position this year than last

Projected 53 Man Roster (starters in bold):
OFFENSE:
QB - Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum (2)
RB - Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrelle Hilliard, (5)
FB - Andy Janovich (6)
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Taywan Taylor, Donovan Peoples-Jones, JoJo Natson (12)
TE - Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant (15)
OT - Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Jack Conklin (RT), Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes (19)
OG - Joel Bitonio (LG), Wyatt Teller (RG), Colby Gossett (22)
C - JC Tretter, Nick Harris (24)

DEFENSE:
DE - Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Thomas (28)
DT - Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliot, Daniel Ekuale (33)
LB - Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, BJ Goodson, Jacob Phillips, Jermaine Grace, Tae Davis (39)
CB - Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell, Donnie Lewis Jr., Tavierre Thomas (45)
SS - Karl Joseph, J.T. Hassell (47)
FS - Grant Delpit, Andrew Sandejo, Sheldrick Redwine (50)
SPECIALISTS
K - Austin Seibert (51)
P - Jamie "Scottish Hammer" Gillan (52)
LS - Charley Hughlett (53)

What to expect in 2020

QB Grade: Incomplete
Baker Mayfield - This is the wildcard for the entire team. There is arguably not a better supporting cast in the league for a Quarterback. Assuming at minimum competent coaching there is no excuse for Mayfield going into year 3. There will be a long leash I am sure but Keenum is waiting in the wings if Mayfield looks like he did last year as opposed to the record setter he was in year 1.
As goes the arm of Mayfield so goes the Browns Playoff hopes.

RB Grade: A+++
Nick Chubb - Quiet, professional, will run you over and laugh at your pitiful tackle attempts. Nick Chubb is a beast, lead the league in yards after contact and nearly won the rushing title. In this new RB friendly system with an improved O-Line and an actual fullback Chubb is going to eat.

Kareem Hunt - It's not often that your backup running back is also a league rushing champion. Last year after serving his suspension he came in and made quite a few spectacular plays in the passing game and showed he still had that spark in the running game. This one Two punch is going to be fun to watch!

Pass Catchers WTE Grade: A
Goodness where to start... This might be an unpopular take but Jarvis Landry is the Best WR on this team and a top 5 pass catcher in the league. He has the most catches ALL TIME in a players first 6 seasons in the league. No longer relegated to slot duties as he was in Miami he had is best year in 2019.

Both Landry and OBJ went over 1000 yards last year which is stunning to me because it felt like both were under utilized all year long. With an increased emphasis on the running game and a deceptive scheme there should be a lot of wide open receivers for the Browns this year
Adding in a third down catch machine in Austin Hooper oh my.. The room is stacked.

Offensive Line Grade: B Minus
The OL has been a major issue at the tackle spot since Joe Thomas retired. It now feels like the Browns have the complete package assuming Wills can make the transition to LT in this super strange offseason. The interior is still super solid. There will be a lot riding on the rookie.

Defensive Line A Minus
Oh noooooo MYLES!!!! How different would 2019 have been had Myles Garrett kept his cool. Fresh off signing a new mega deal Myles Garrett needs to be the great pass rusher he has been in his first few seasons. He was averaging a sack per game before the suspension and should easily go into double digit sacks this season as well.
Olivier Vernon when healthy is a QB pressure machine but he has problems staying on the field. When he is playing though He and Myles make a great bookend.
The interior is solid with Sheldon Richardson and Larry O, in the middle. This will probably be Richardson's last year with the Browns so I expect him to show out to push for that one last contract.

Linebackers Grade: I was told there would be no math
Do I believe in Mack Wilson? Ask me on a day he writes a fired up hype tweet and I will say he is going to be a stud. In the quiet times though I think to myself boy I hope the opposing team does not have a decent tight end because our LB core is going to get burned. I don't know what to think of the rest of the room as it is totally shuffled. Maybe Takitaki is something more than a special teamer? Was B.J. Goodson a diamond waiting to be polished?
The Browns need Takitaki, Wilson, and Phillips to grow up fast in this defense. Goodson has been a part-time player in his career and should have the opportunity to get more playing time than he has had to date in his career. With a one-year prove-it deal, Goodson has the motivation to show that he deserves a multi-year deal.
This is by far on paper the weak point of this team.

Cornerback Grade: B
This is the Ward and Greedy Show. Ward is occasionally dinged up but most of the time he is a shut down corner. Super young and is a willing tackler if a bit reckless in his form. Ward has the potential to be a top 5 CB in the league.
Greedy Williams had a decent season on the other side when he got into the game but it is his spot full time now and he needs to step up. The talk when he was drafted was he could not tackle. (Much like Delpit this year) but he showed he was more than willing to tackle and even come up and rush the passer and play the run when needed. With Ward on the other side he is going to be targeted a LOT.

Safety Grade: D
Who the hell knows.. Really. I know I said that Linebacker was the weak point but man Safety is as much of a question. Karl Joseph is a Thumper and with that he ends up injured a bit. Delpit has huge potential but is a rookie at FS and supposedly has tackling issues. Outside of those two you have Sendejo in his 11th year in the league and Sheldrick Redwine who was a beast in college but has yet to really prove himself in the league.
Here is hoping Delpit lives up to his potential because man this is a thin group.

Specialists Grade: B
Scottish Hammer That is all... The Punter might be the best form tackler on the team hopefully he does not have to do that this season. Or we can stick him in at Linebacker.
But seriously things stabilized with two rookie kickers last year and they both look serviceable. Jojo Natson was brought in to do one thing and that is to return kicks.

Training Camp Battles

On Offense there is very little up for grabs maybe who wins the 3rd WR spot but given Higgins relationship with Mayfield it is his job to lose.
On Defense a lot of the battle is going to be who shows up at LB and Safety as discussed above. there are slim pickings at both positions and really the only people who seem to be safe are Mack Wilson just due to the playing time he got last season and Karl Joseph just based upon his experience in the league.

Scheme Descriptions

Offense: Kevin Stefanski as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2019 produced an offense determined to run the ball and crush teams with play-action. Under the watchful eye of consultant Gary Kubiak he installed a Wide Zone blocking scheme that is time tested and very OL and RB friendly. It is considered a Run first offense which should play right into the Browns strengths. If Mayfield can tighten up the play action fake game the Wide outs should feast as well.

Defense - Who knows? I am not even sure Joe Woods knows yet what type of Defense the Browns will run. During his tenure as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator he ran a Base 3-4 Under defense. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings the team ran a base 4-3 which is also the case for the San Francisco 49ers defense this past season.
When asked Woods usually replies with something along the lines of "it's a secret"
Based on the Browns current roster,the preference would be an attacking 4-3 scheme given the strength on the defensive line and questionable linebacker core.

Season Predictions
It is an impossible task to predict a Browns season. Typically you could say 3 - 5 wins and chances are you would be right. This season with a new head coach, no preseason, maybe no training camp who the hell knows. It is a weak schedule on paper.
So instead of going game by game I am going to make some bold predictions.

The Browns will make the playoffs
Nick Chubb will win the rushing title
Jarvis Landry and OBJ will both go over 1000 yards again
The Browns will split all of the division games
The Steelers, Ravens, and Art Modell still suck
Final Record 10-6 with a Wild Card game win

Thank You's and Final Thoughts
If you read all this you are a better person than I. Big thanks to u/Marzman315 for lending me the draft section. Also a hearty Woof Woof to u/Usuallyrelevant who keeps us entertained over at Browns
Also the crew at LakeErieBros for sharing together our collective misery.
And finally I want to thank the Bull City Browns Backers in Durham NC for being awesome and showing up to every game with hope in your heart and unwavering dedication.

I did not hear from the non fan for the post so maybe we can add it later.

Link To Hub

Defending the Draft: Green Bay Packers

2019 OVERVIEW

The Green Bay Packers surprised just about everyone (except James Jones) with their successful campaign under first year HC Matt LaFleur. Before the season, he hired former Jaguars OC Nathaniel Hackett to fill the same role in his offense, and he elected to keep DC Mike Pettine who served in that capacity the year before under former HC Mike McCarthy.

The team ended the year 13-3 on the regular season, including a complete sweep of the division, plus a win against the Seahawks in the division round of the playoffs. Despite their success, there were many critics who considered them to be the worst 13-3 team in NFL history. The Packers were accused of "winning ugly" and not resembling a true contender. Those chickens would come home to roost in San Francisco as they were no match for the 49ers in the NFC championship game. The team gave a horribly flat performance on defense, plus an offense that had no answer to San Francisco's elite defensive front 7.

Even though they didn't achieve their Cinderella story, the Packers would go into the offseason with much of the starting roster returning intact for a chance at a second run in 2020. The roster is mostly comprised of players 27 or younger, and only three starters needed to be replaced from the prior season. The team is banking on the growth and development of their young players to help propel the team to that next level. Their upcoming schedule will be much more challenging than 2019's on paper, but working on building more consistency on both sides of the ball will hopefully produce a better overall "team" than the one which overachieved a year ago.

2020 FREE AGENCY

Departures:

This offseason saw the end of the road for two longtime Packers in Green Bay with RT Bryan Bulaga (EYE-WAH) and ILB Blake Martinez (aka pussyfucker69). They signed deals elsewhere after giving the team many years of consistent on field play. Replacing them will not come easy. Jimmy Graham, on the other hand, will not be greatly missed. His best games of the season came in the playoffs after two seasons of dropped passes, lazy routes, and non-existent blocking. (But at least he was better than Martellus Bennett.) The only other significant loss was Tramon Williams who played lights out as the nickel corner last year. At 36 years old, it is more likely the team will go with younger and cheaper alternatives to fill his role next season, but a return to the team isn't out of the question.

The contracts signed by Martinez and Bulaga, along with OLB Kyler Fackrell, should mean the Packers are in line to be rewarded three compensatory choices in 2021 in the 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds respectively. Bulaga's compensation is capped at a 5th rounder due to being a 10 year veteran.

* = former starter

Player	Position	New Team	Contract
Bryan Bulaga *	RT	Chargers	3 yr / $30 mil
Blake Martinez *	ILB	Giants	3 yr / $30 mil
Jimmy Graham *	TE	Bears	2 yr / $16 mil
Kyler Fackrell	OLB	Giants	1 yr / $4.6 mil
B.J. Goodson	ILB	Browns	1 yr / $2.4 mil
Dan Vitale	FB	Patriots	1 yr / $1.3 mil
Jason Spriggs	LT	Bears	1 y $825 K
Geronimo Allison	WR	Lions	1 yr / $800 K
Ibraheim Campbell	S	Titans	1 yr / $750 K
Tramon Williams	CB	UFA	NA
Jared Veldheer	RT	UFA	NA

Additions:

The Packers used the $8 mil in cap savings they got back from releasing Jimmy Graham to add Christian Kirksey (ILB - Browns), Ricky Wagner (OT - Lions), and Devin Funchess (WR - Colts) once they were released from their former teams. Kirksey is an athletic ILB with 4.55 speed and playmaking ability, but he has missed substantial time due to injuries recently and only played in 9 games the last two years. Wagner has had one brilliant season with the Ravens in 2017 followed by two average ones with the Lions, but a starter is a starter. Funchess is a former 2nd round pick and still only 25, so hopefully he can finally reach the potential he has flashed now that he has Rodgers at the helm.

They did not sign a TE to replace Graham because the team will be using returning players instead. The favored starter is 2019 3rd round pick Jace Sternberger, after he missed most of his rookie season due to injuries. He is accompanied along with the returning ageless veteran Marcedes "Big Dog" Lewis (who is now famously known as the only 1st round player Rodgers has thrown a TD pass to).

By making these moves and essentially locking up their starters pre-draft, they allowed themselves some flexibility with their approach to how they would spend their picks.
*= projected starter

Player	Position	2019 Team	Contract
Christian Kirksey *	ILB	Browns	2 yr / $13 mil
Ricky Wagner *	RT	Lions	2 yr / $11 mil
Devin Funchess	WR	Colts	1 yr / $2.5 mil
Reggie Begelton	WR	CFL	3 yr / $2.3 mil
Treyvon Hester	DT	Redskins	1 yr / $850 K
Gerald Willis III	DT	Dolphins	1 yr / $675 K
Jamal Davis II	OLB	Dolphins	1 yr / $675K
Mason Crosby	K	Packers	3 yr / $13 mil
Marcedes Lewis	TE	Packers	1 yr / $2.3 mil
Tyler Ervin	RB/RS	Packers	1 yr / $1 mil
Will Redmond	S	Packers	1 yr / $750 K

2020 NFL DRAFT

1 (26) - JORDAN LOVE (QB - UTAH ST)
\pick acquired from Houston thru Miami for #30 and #133 overall*

The Packers shocked everyone by passing on a player who may have helped the team right away when they instead traded up for Utah St. QB Jordan Love. This has been an endless point of criticism and even ridicule since the draft ended. But this pick made a lot of sense at its core. I go into much greater detail in regards to this pick elsewhere, but here are the main points that led to this selection:

The team was unable to move up for a WR they were targeting and didn't want to reach for the next one down.
They had a very high grade on Love and expected him to be gone before the #20 pick - he was probably rated higher than any other player in the draft late in round 1.
In 2017, they considered drafting Deshone Kizer at #33 but ultimately chose CB Kevin King instead. Then in 2019, they had a lot of reported interest in Drew Lock – including an official team visit. However, the Broncos moved up ahead of the Packers in round 2 to take him, so we will never know how interested Green Bay truly was. But there is a clear pattern being established of open interest in top rated QB's.
In 2020, the Packers made Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts two of their official “visits” in the pre-draft process, once again showing a clear interest in an early round signal caller.
The Packers do not believe in passing on a high rated player if he is available, especially at QB which is the most important position in the game

"I think it's always kind of been in my DNA that anywhere in the draft, if you have an opportunity to take a quarterback you really think can play, you need to consider it."

-Brian Gutekunst, GM of the Packers

Jordan Love is a 6'4 and 224 lb QB with large 10.5" hands and a rocket for an arm. He is a self-described playmaker, which is evident when you watch him on tape. At Utah St in 2018, Love put on a clinic, throwing for 3500 yards, 32 TD's, and only 6 INT's. This put him on the radar as a potential top 10 or even top 5 prospect heading into the 2019 season. Unfortunately, after a coaching change and losing 9 offensive starters, Love saw a major drop in his numbers (3200 yards, 20 TD's, and 17 INT's). Love started to develop some bad habits such as staring receivers down and forcing risky throws, which is what led to the spike in turnovers.

However, it needs to be mentioned that Jordan Love put the team on his shoulders all season. He frequently had limited choices available but to either try and make a play or take the sack. Had he not been dealing with this adversity, he probably would have heard his name called much sooner and the Packers would not have had a shot at him in the late 1st round.

"He’s not a bad decision-maker. That was one of my biggest pet peeves in the draft process was people calling that kid a bad decision-maker. He’s not. He’s a kid that’s played with nobody around him and he was competitive and he was trying to win football games. Did he force throws? Absolutely. Did he have to force throws? Absolutely. You didn’t see bad decision-making on ’18 tape, when he threw 32 touchdowns and six picks. You never heard those numbers brought up the whole process. All you heard was 20 touchdowns, 17 picks. Like, nobody ever went back and talked about ’18….. He is the only QB I’ve ever scouted who will be throwing into bigger windows in the NFL than he threw into in college.”

-Jim Nagy, Senior Bowl director and former NFL scout

Numbers aside, there are glimpses and flashes of his game that make you swear you are watching Aaron Rodgers himself. He flourishes when the play breaks down displaying the ability to throw off various platforms to keep the play alive. Love has that same gunslinger mentality that Patrick Mahomes had at TX Tech – no throw is impossible in their minds. And when I say that Jordan Love didn’t have any help, it isn’t just making an excuse. He was essentially the only threat Utah St. had on offense in 2019, so Love took it on his shoulders to will the team forward, similar to other top picks like Daniel Jones at Duke and Josh Allen at Wyoming.

As far as his fit with the Packers, clearly they have to like his arm talent and his hand size, along with his experience playing in frigid environments - those are three important boxes that need to be checked if a QB wants to succeed at Lambeau Field. One could argue that of all the QB's in this draft, Love may have the most upside just due to his physical traits but is also the least ready to play. I don't think he could have landed in a better position than on a team built to win championships with a future Hall of Famer to learn from.
2 (62) - AJ DILLON (RB - BCU)
According to Peter King, the Packers were trying to trade up in round 2 for one of two specific WR's. Once Chase Claypool was selected at #49, they stopped calling teams. We can take this to mean that at that point, the Packers felt all the impact players at WR in the draft were gone. The Packers were content to look for other ways they could improve the offense. The team did not want to simply draft a receiver just to say they took one. And that's where AJ Dillon comes in.
Even with the breakout season of Aaron Jones in 2019, there is reason to suspect the Packers view AJ Dillon as the long term primary RB in this offense. Unlike Jones who is a quick and elusive 5’9 and 200 lb RB, Dillon is a north/south runner with surprisingly light feet for his 6'0 and 247 lb frame. He has proven he can withstand the workload of a RB1 posting three 1,000+ yard seasons in college. Similar to Jordan Love, he did it without much of a supporting cast. He led the FBS in the amount of stacked boxes he was facing by a wide margin (46% of the time). He also led the FBS in yards after contact (over 800) because teams knew he was getting the ball but it just didn't matter - he ran it hard just the same. Dillon is best known for his balance and being able to keep himself moving through first contact. He is knocked by evaluators by his lack of presence in the passing game, catching only 21 career passes, but not being asked to do it isn’t the same as not being able to do it. Dillon also has a tendency of not exhibiting the patience to let the play develop, which leads to him missing opportunities for cut back lanes on occasion. These two things are hardly fatal flaws, and he can improve with proper coaching.
But why Dillon, and why Round 2? That seems to be what gets people scratching their heads the most. Well, the Packers love to draft athletes, and as far as RB prospects go Dillon is a rare player. He is bigger than Eddie Lacy and faster than Aaron Jones. Dillon posted the best SPARQ score (97%) among all RB's at the combine, and his speed score (117) was in the 97th percentile. Running 4.53 and jumping 41" should simply not be allowed from a RB who is also 247 lbs. I also believe the front office had Dillon rated extremely high on their board compared to other options at RB. Dillon and Jonathan Taylor (96% SPARQ) had to be the 1a and 1b of this class for the Packers. Gutekunst just can't help himself, he loves size and speed.
The Packers will also be facing a lot of difficult decisions with their group of free agents in 2021, which includes #1 RB Aaron Jones and #2 RB Jamaal Williams. Drafting Dillon makes it so the team can choose to keep one of those two next year, while potentially grooming their long-term starter. Now LaFleur has his own Derrick Henry that will help him run the kind of offense he wants to execute. Short yardage and goalline situations will be a different story in 2020 compared to the struggles a year ago. Frankly, fewer positions are as NFL ready as RB's are, and few of them are as rare of an athletic prospect as Dillon. He is likely going to be a big part of the offense moving forward. Especially in December and January when it is freezing cold and actual football begins.
3 (94) - JOSIAH DEGUARA (TE/HB - CINCINNATI)
The Packers missed on all the WR's that might have made a difference for them, but they were ready to find a pass catcher in an unconventional way. So at pick #94, with only two TE's selected at that point (Cole Kmet and Devin Asiasi), the Packers had their choice of player at the position. It is safe to say the Packers got their preferred one with Josiah Deguara.
This pick was considered a reach by most analysts when it was made, but context is important. Matt LaFleur was the QB coach in Washington in 2010 under Mike Shanahan. That year Chris Cooley, a 6'2 and 250 lb TE/HB, had 77 catches on 126 targets for 849 yards. That position was currently vacant on the Packers depth chart, so it can't be underestimated how integral this role could be going forward as LaFleur continues to shape the team to fit his philosophy.
Josiah Deguara is the perfect player to fill that Chris Cooley (or Kyle Juszczyk) role in this Shanahan-style offense. At only 6'2, Deguara played in-line TE 60% of the time in college because they tried to move him around to take advantage of his versatility. He played TE, HB, FB, and WR at Cincinnati, where he ended his career as the school record holder for catches at the position with 92 catches in 2 years. The former record holder was Travis Kelce, so he is in good company. It also just so happens that Mike Denbrock, the OC for Cincinnati, coached alongside Matt LaFleur at Notre Dame previously - I bet the two discussed together all the ways Deguara could be a factor within the Packers offense.
The main thing that I keep reading about Deguara is how great his character is both on and off the field. The Packers believe strongly in finding players who "carry the G", and Deguara is just a high effort, hard-working, bring-your-lunch-pail-to-work kind of guy that everyone wants to root for. He will play on all the special teams units, learn to play in whatever role the offense asks him to, and he will always give 100% effort. It would be premature to say Josiah Deguara is an impact player as a late 3rd round pick, but he is a wild card who could potentially open this offense up and take it in several new and creative directions.
P.S. LaFleur showed this play during one of his team meetings in 2019 as the prime example of what it means to never give up on a play (he starts at the top of the screen as a blocker, then chases the defender down to make the TD-saving tackle).
https://twitter.com/ethanthomthom/status/1254590868507557890?s=19
Six months later, the Packers selected him with the #94 pick. It is clear looking back that Deguara was meant to wear green and gold. LaFleur was more excited about this pick in his post-draft interviews than any other player chosen that weekend.
4 (133) - to Miami
*traded along with #30 overall to move up to #26 for Jordan Love
5 (175) - KAMAL MARTIN (LB - MINNESOTA)
Kamal Martin is one of those LB's that would have been talked about more had he not been battling injuries and been able to compete in the pre-draft functions. Injuries cut his season short to just 8 games, but he still finished with 66 total tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 2 FF, and 2 INT's - his knack of finding ways to always be around the ball had to stand out to Gutekunst. Jim Nagy, the director of the Senior Bowl, called Martin a top 3 senior LB and a steal for the Packers as a 5th round pick. He has prototypical size for a 3 down LB at 6'3 and 240 lbs along with 34" arms and an 81" wingspan. The Packers scouts estimated that he runs between 4.55 - 4.65 in the 40, but he wasn't able to participate in the drill while recovering from his knee injury.
Martin is a former high school QB, and he uses that experience on the defensive side to help give him a unique perspective of the action in front of him. He lined up at both OLB and ILB at Minnesota and was a playmaker at both positions. And that position versatility is what attracted the Packers to him. He will need to get stronger and play with better pad level, but there is a lot going for Martin as a prospect.
As the first defensive selection in the draft for the Packers, Martin will be given a chance to compete with other young players, such as Oren Burks, Ty Summers, and Curtis Bolton, for a chance to be the #2 ILB next to Christian Kirksey. Burks and Summers are two very athletic guys who have played mostly on special teams, and Bolton was a UDFA last year who made waves in preseason before getting hurt. This group is young, athletic, and horribly inexperienced, making it the most open of all the roster competitions on the team.
Kamal Martin is the definition of a sleeper who could have landed in a fortuitous situation based on the uncertainty surrounding the LB group in Green Bay. He is a proven playmaker who finds ways to get to the ball, and those instincts could serve him well as he fights for a spot. Martin is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Blake Martinez to become an every down starter as a day 3 selection.
6a (192) - JON RUNYAN JR (G/T - MICHIGAN)
*pick acquired from Raiders for WR Trevor Davis
The Packers have had a very positive track record selecting OL on day 3 of the draft. They had three picks to spend in the 6th round, and considering they have veterans with expiring contracts coming up and nothing but UDFA's as depth, they felt it was an area of the team that could use an infusion of new competition. They have a good shot of one of the next three players becoming a starter down the road.
With their first of three IOL choices in round 6, they selected Jon Runyan Jr who comes to the Packers with a great NFL pedigree (his father had a very long and successful career for the Oilers/Titans and Eagles). After being a backup OG for his first few seasons, Jr. made the switch to RT and then LT under the coaching of Ed Warriner who coached Packers center Corey Linsley at Ohio St. Jon Runyan would go on to start 25 games at LT for Michigan over the next 2 years, earning 1st team all-Big 10.
While Runyan is a bit smaller than you would like out of an NFL tackle (6'4 and 306 lbs with 33" arms and a 79" wingspan), his agility and athletic ability were near the top of the draft class. He had the 3rd best 3-cone time at 7.57, and his 40 time of 5.08 was 9th best in the class. His 10 yard split of 1.79 met the threshold that you want for OL by 0.01 (good enough by NFL standards and that's all that matters). Due to his size, Runyan is more of a pass blocker than run blocker at this point in his career. He excels by using his quickness and athleticism to keep up with dangerous pass rushers but sometimes struggles with moving bigger guys back in the ground game.
Runyan will compete at guard, which is what he was announced as during the draft, but his versatility makes him a potential swing tackle and utility guy in the early part of his career. Fortunately he comes from a zone blocking scheme at Michigan, which will help him adjust to the Packers version. A lot will depend on how well he transitions inside and how he makes the jump to the speed and complexity of the NFL. If he can make a similar leap like he made entering his junior season, the future looks very bright for him in the NFL.
6b (208) - JAKE HANSON (C - OREGON)
*pick acquired from Titans for OLB Reggie Gilbert
There is always something to be said when the Packers select a true center in the draft because they rarely do. Elgton Jenkins played 4 different positions at Miss St and JC Tretter played OT before the Packers moved him inside. The only true center Ted Thompson ever drafted was Corey Linsley - an athletically limited and undersized player but a consistent technician who played in a big time program at Ohio St.
Now, Linsley at 28 years old is heading into 2020 as the 6th highest paid member of the team and 3rd highest paid center in the NFL. He is also entering the final year of his contract. Next year is going to be judgment day for many starters on the team, and decisions will need to be made to see who will be offered an extension including David Bakhtiari (LT), Kevin King (CB), Aaron Jones (RB), and Kenny Clark (DT). The Packers may not have the cap space to keep Linsley around beyond this season. The Packers also dislike handing out third contracts to their players who may be starting to head towards the back end of their careers. That means the search to find a successor is part of the plans, and that leads us to this next pick.
Jake Hanson may not have had the flashiest combine (5.5 in the 40 at 6'4 and 303 lbs), but when it comes to centers, it is more about their technique and ability to make the right calls at the line. That being said, he did have 33 reps in the bench press which was #4 among all OL. Hanson comes to Green Bay as a 4 year starter who boasted 49 career starts. He was the anchor of one of the best lines in the country since he first won the job as a true freshman, and Oregon may not have been as successful without him in the middle making sure the assignments were correct.
Hanson plays with an incredible motor, even if he lacks the desired size to compete against linemen one on one, but the Packers' zone system should be able to hide some of those deficiencies. He has strong hands and a sticky grip (which I'm sure will make our division rivals happy), and he works well with guards in double teams. He still needs some fine tuning with his snap placement as he can occasionally misfire out of the shotgun. But as a developmental 6th rounder, Hanson can continue working on those techniques while learning behind one of the best technicians in the game. Not to mention he can use this valuable time on the scout team practicing with Jordan Love. Should the time come when both players are ready to start, they would have already developed a rapport thanks to their time on the practice field together.
6c (209) - SIMON STEPANIAK (G - INDIANA)
With the selection of Simon Stepaniak, the Packers believe they got a player who could have been selected as early as the 4th round had he not tragically torn his ACL last December. Stepaniak is the opposite of Runyan and Hanson - he is a tough-nosed mauler in the run game who likes to pick fights and look for people to punish. He played RG at Indiana, and it is likely with his 32" arms that he may be limited to play interior OL as a pro. His 37 reps (!!!) on the bench press in Indianapolis frequently showed up on tape where he routinely manhandled defenders in one-on-ones and would flatten other guys out on double teams. (The fact he could even do 37 reps while recovering from his surgery is astounding.)
His main issues will be dealing with poor agility when matched up against quicker speed rushers, where relying on his upper body strength alone won't be enough. Despite his athletic shortcomings, Stepaniak allowed a pressure on only 3.3% of passing plays per PFF. With some fine tuning of his game, there is potential that Stepaniak could become the top OL of the three the Packers selected in round 6.
Stepaniak resembles a guard in a power running scheme from 1993, who would rather be out hunting for defenders than settling back and waiting for them to come to him. In a way, this could be a pick for the future direction of the offense, especially after the Packers selected AJ Dillon and Josiah Deguara earlier. This shows a subtle shift in the offense away from 5 WR shotgun formations and hinting more towards pounding the rock to punish the new mold of smallefaster defenses. It makes sense that they would take a gamble on Stepaniak late this year. Even though he may wind up on the PUP/IR list, the Packers liked his talent this late in day 3.
7a (236) - VERNON SCOTT (S - TCU)
*pick acquired from Browns for OG Justin McCray and #244
Who the hell is Vernon Scott?
He was only Dane Brugler's 61st ranked safety out of 62 in the 2020 draft, of course! But really, this is a name that most people just shrugged their shoulders to and probably overlooked. Let me now be the one to introduce you to him. Vernon Scott is a player that is all about two things: versatility and upside.
At 6'2 and 206 lbs, he has the prototype size you are looking for in a modern defensive back. He wasn't invited to the combine, and his pro day was canceled hence why he was invisible to the draft community. His athletic testing will unfortunately remain a mystery, but the Packers estimated he ran a 4.40, which would be outstanding for a player at his size.
Scott was a one year starter at TCU who lined up all over the secondary. He was primarily a key contributor on special teams for all 4 years before taking over as a starter this past season. While Texas WR Devin Duvernay made him look silly in 2019 (seriously, don't watch the tape), Vernon Scott really started to come on towards the end of the year. In the last three games of the season he had 4 total takeaways, a sack, and a TD. He had a particularly strong game against Oklahoma where he made 7 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a 98 yard INT for a TD. He would finish the year with 44 tackles (4th on the team) and 7 PBU's (ranked 3rd).
Where did this sudden playmaking skill come from? Scott moved to the nickel corner role, and he was told to let loose. The Packers are clearly banking that his ability as a slot CB, while also having experience playing the other 4 positions in the secondary, will translate to the NFL and give him an edge to win a roster spot. Not often is a player drafted because of a 3 game stretch, but hey, it is the 7th round so why not? He joins a secondary that is led with Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos but was often exposed when other players such as Will Redmond had to see meaningful snaps. The team also allowed Ibraheim Campbell to walk this offseason who had been with the team for two years. Needless to say, the Packers liked the direction where Vernon Scott’s arrow was pointing, and the more competition in the secondary the better.
7b (242) - JONATHAN GARVIN (OLB - MIAMI)
*pick acquired from Ravens for RB Ty Montgomery
Jonathan "Spider" Garvin comes to Green Bay with a nice resume from his last two years at Miami. He is an impressive physical specimen at 6'4 and 263 lbs with 34" arms and an 80" wingspan. While his 4.82 probably didn't help him, when you watch the tape his explosiveness jumps off the screen - literally. His 36" vertical was #1 among edge rushers and DL at the combine.
Garvin put up 60 tackles, 17 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 5 pass breakups his sophomore season (not to mention a fumble returned for a TD) while playing across from Joe Jackson. That sort of production tends to get a player noticed, and so his junior season in 2019 was all about fighting for whatever he could get while dealing with the extra attention. Garvin would enjoy much of his time fighting off double- and triple-teams in 2019, which caused a dip in his overall numbers from the year prior. Garvin ended the season with just 37 tackles, 9 TFL, 5 sacks, 4 hurries, and 2 FF. However, his pressure rate of 14.8% was still 5th best in the ACC according to PFF.
The drop in production along with the 4.82 in the 40 is likely why he didn't hear his name called in the early part of day 3. Even so, at his size, length, and explosiveness, he could find a home as part of the rotation at OLB in Green Bay. Kyler Fackrell played over 400 snaps on defense as the #3 OLB last year while 1st round pick Rashan Gary played 245. Now that Fackrell left to join the Giants in free agency, Gary will presumably be in line to pick up the snaps left behind which still allows enough opportunities for Garvin to find a role as a situational pass rusher on defense if he can win the #4 spot.
Garvin comes to Green Bay with very similar measurables as Za'darius Smith. He has the strength to hold up on the edge but also the explosiveness off the line to get up field to rush the passer. Garvin has a lot of tools to work with, and having both the Smith's as mentors could go a long way as far as how he learns to master them. The OLB depth has a lot of juice on the team for once, and Garvin makes this group even more exciting.
7 (244) - to Cleveland
*traded along with OG Justin McCray for #236

OVERALL DRAFT EVALUATION

The Packers were in an interesting position heading into the draft, coming in as a 13-3 team without any major holes on the roster. All the starting spots were filled ahead of time, which already put this draft class at a disadvantage compared to other teams in the league. The rookies may not be relied upon to start or play much in 2020, barring an injury to someone ahead on the depth chart. It isn't too farfetched to think that the Packers could have selected 9 completely different players and would have received the same level of impact from this class year 1.
That isn't to say some of the members of this class can't find a role as part of a rotation - I expect Dillon, Deguara, and Martin to all get involved - but there isn't a need to have any of these guys start right out of the gate. Which can be a good thing. It reminds me of the old school days where rookies yielded to veterans and had to bust their asses to earn playing time, rather than being handed a job as soon as they walked through the door.
At the end of the day, regardless of what happens with any other player, this draft will ultimately be judged based on the success or failure of one single player: Jordan Love. The legacy (and possibly the future employment) of GM Brian Gutekunst is also now firmly tied to this selection. The coaching chops of Matt LaFleur will also be thoroughly put to the test to see how he develops. A lot is riding on getting this one right.
But in the end, because Jordan Love plays the most important position in the game, if he becomes a successful starter, this whole draft is a win. For now all he needs to do is focus on being the best scout team QB the Packers have had the luxury to have on the team since Aaron Rodgers himself. Nothing will be easily given to Love. Proving to the organization that he is worthy of being the heir apparent to Aaron will greatly depend on how he prepares himself for what comes next.

We drafted him in the first round, we certainly think he has that kind of talent. But that’s not enough in the National Football League. You’ve got to work, you’ve got to earn it, you’ve got to become a good enough player. Again, we have one of the best to ever lace them up, and we’re shooting for championships as long as he’s here, and we expect him to be here for quite a while. -Brian Gutekunst

Cleveland Browns 2020 Offseason Review

I was tasked to write the offseason review for NFL so here it is

Cleveland Browns

4th and 9 - Draw Play
Madden Style 5 WR streaks from your own goal line
Send out the punt team on 4th-and-11 down 17 points in the fourth quarter to the New England Patriots, only to change his mind and take a deliberate false start rather than burn a timeout.
4th and 1 on the goal line and not have Nick Chubb on the field

Player	Position	New Team
Joe Schobert	LB	Jacksonville
Christian Kirksey	LB	Green Bay
Eric Kush	G	Las Vegas
Demetrius Harris	TE	Chicago
T.J. Carrie	CB	Indianapolis
Damarious Randall	S	Las Vegas
Greg Robinson	T	Prison
Rickey Seals Jones	TE	Kansas City
Adarius Taylor	LB	Released
Morgan Burnett	S	Released
Eric Murray	S	Houston

Player	Position	Contract
Kareem Hunt	RB	1yr $3.25M
Case Keenum	QB	3yr $18M
Andy Janovich	FB	Trade w/Broncos
Jack Conklin	T	3yr $42M
Austin Hooper	TE	4yr $44M
Karl Joseph	S	1yr $2.5M
Andrew Billings	DL	1yr $3.5M
Kevin Johnson	CB	1yr $3.5M
Andrew Sendejo	S	1yr $2.5M
Evan Brown	C	No Details
Donovan Olumba	CB	No Details
JoJo Natson	WR	1yr $1M
BJ Goodson	LB	1yr $2.4M
Chris Hubbard	T	Restructured
Adrian Clayborn	EDGE	1yr $2.4M
Olivier Vernon	EDGE	Restructured
Myles Garrett	EDGE	So Much Money
Rashard Higgins	WR	1yr 910k

Man this is a list... Ok so there were very few holes on Offense going into Free Agency but the ones that stood out were both tackles and depth at tight end. The Browns ultimately solved one tackle spot and TE really early in Free Agency with what most considered the best available players at their position.
On the Defensive side we had a open call for any experienced body who wanted to take a 1 year prove it deal. So much depth added via players that fell through the cracks on their former team.

Top Signings

Jack Conklin RT - The top right tackle in free agency, had a nice season for the titans after coming off a major injury the year before. Can be a All-Pro caliber RT if healthy. Really filled a huge need.
Austin Hooper TE - or "HooooooP" As the falcons fans tell me I am to call him. Filled a big need for reliable catches at the TE position. With David Njoku in the dog house, unable to catch anything, and now asking for a trade this is a big get for the Browns.
Andy Janovich FB - By far my personal favorite signing. Acquired in a trade with the Broncos he is one of the best pure Fullbacks left in the game. I expect him to be a Fan Favorite quickly. There is nothing more that Cleveland Fans adore more than elevating a former Broncos fullback to Legendary status.(See Peyton Hillis)
Case Keenum - Browns fans all hope that the Baker Mayfield of last year was a product of really bad coaching, however Keenum can win games in the NFL and is a familiar face to new coach Stefanski having had a career year with Minnesota with Stefanski as his QB coach. I am much more confident in having Keenum as the backup than Garrett Gilbert.
New Contracts - The Browns have ensured Myles Garrett will be a Brown for a long while, placed a 2nd round tender on former rushing champ Kareem hunt, and after briefly flirting with Clowney decided to restructure Olivier Vernon to a much better contract number befitting his oft injured yet surprisingly productive season.

Draft - Cribbed from u/Marzman315 with permission who did a very excellent defending the draft and I agree with it in it's entirety. The Grades are mine.

Round	Player	Position
1.10	Jedrick Wills	T
2.44	Grant Delpit	S
3.88	Jordan Elliott	DT
3.97	Jacob Phillips	ILB
4.115	Harrison Bryant	TE
5.160	Nick Harris	C
6.187	Donovan Peoples-Jones	WR

1.10 - Jedrick Wills Jr., Offensive Tackle Alabama Grade A
As expected, the Browns used the tenth overall pick on a tackle. The tackle turned out to be Jedrick Wills Jr., blindside blocker for Tua Tagovailoa. The former four star high school prospect started all 28 games for the Crimson Tide over his sophomore and and junior years. As a second team All-American and first team All-SEC player, he paved the way for Alabama's elite offense with his quick feet, smooth redirection, extremely powerful anchor and strength, and absolutely punishing punch.
This pick was overwhelmingly approved of by analysts both internally and externally. Joe Thomas released a reaction video that was enthusiastic to say the least. He made it clear that Wills was his ideal target for the Browns at 10th overall. The front office and coaching staff made it known that Wills was their priority target going into the draft, and were entertaining the possibility of trading up for him, but ultimately the draft board fell their way and they got their man at 10.
The only negative to the drafting of Wills is that he has only played right tackle in his college career, and given the free agent signing of right tackle Jack Conklin, Wills is going to be expected to transition to left tackle to start his NFL career. Joe Thomas also gave input on this, and stated that while the transition is difficult it is easier to do early in your career, and that he would personally take Wills under his wing and mentor him. Between Joe Thomas's guidance and the coaching of veteran offensive line coach Bill Callahan, not to mention the phenomenal talent of Wills, the transition should be doable for Wills with a minimum of serious difficulty. The protection of franchise QB Baker Mayfield is of paramount importance, and this selection reflects that.

2.44 - Grant Delpit, Safety LSU Grade A
Most Browns fans anticipated that a safety specializing in coverage would be a priority target on day 2. With replacing Damarious Randall a necessity, the Browns zeroed in on LSU standout Grant Delpit. Boasting phenomenal range, excellent ball skills, and tremendous athleticism for the position, he brings an impressive skill set to the team.
Once considered a top 15 to top 20 pick, injuries and questions about tackling caused his value to drop a bit over the season. His broken clavicle in 2018 likely led to a hesitation in committing fully to tackles, and his production in that sense dropped in 2019. Despite some questions about open field tackling, Delpit's football IQ, versatility, and ball skills are enough to excite Browns fans into thinking that they found a solid starter.

3.88 - Jordan Elliot, Defensive Tackle Missouri Grade B
In a post draft interview, Browns Chief Strategist Paul DePodesta revealed that obtaining 2021 draft capital was a priority coming into the draft. Depth along the defensive line has been an issue for the Browns for some time. Both of these issues were addressed with the Browns first pick in the third round.
Jordan Elliot is well known in the scouting community for being the darling prospect of Pro Football Focus, who consistently rated him as a first round prospect. While he lacks some power and length, he has a lightning quick first step and fluid pass rushing skills. His skill set doesn't exactly project him to be an every down player, but he can be a strong gap penetrating 3T rotating along the Browns defensive line.

3.97 - Jacob Phillips, Linebacker LSU Grade C Minus
Joe Shobert led the Browns in tackles in two of the last three seasons. Replacing that production was certainly a concern of the Browns. Phillips is an athletic linebacker that led a powerhouse LSU team in tackles. He is strong against the run, and plays fast and strong with solid instincts.
Phillips likely may not replace Shobert's pass coverage, as coverage skills were a clear negative on Phillips' scouting report. But as far as reliable tackling goes Phillips can contribute early, especially on special teams and base defense.

4.115 - Harrison Bryant, Tight End Florida Atlantic Grade A
Kevin Stefanski's offense notably uses multiple tight end sets and 12 personnel. Harrison Bryant is a very exciting receiving threat at the TE position. He projects mainly as a depth player behind Austin Hooper and David Njoku (if he remains on the team) currently while he develops his overall game, but he likely sees the field a bit as a rookie. He doesn't bring much to the table as far as blocking goes, but there is absolutely some exciting upside here.

5.160 - Nick Harris, Guard/Center Washington Grade C
While the Browns O-line was the subject of well deserved criticisms in 2019, the interior of the line was quietly fairly solid. Left guard Joel Bitonio is among the best in the league at his position and Center JC Tretter is a pro bowl caliber player. Wyatt Teller was unspectacular but played well enough to bring a bit of stability to the position. Lacking at the interior o-line was any sort of depth.
With years of experience at guard and center, Nick Harris will add solid depth and may compete with Teller for the starting right guard spot. He is a smart and nimble pass blocker, and while he doesn't have ideal size for the position (6'1" 300 LB) he uses his low center of gravity effectively to secure a solid base.

6.187 - Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver Michigan Grade A (upside)
Wide receiver was sneakily a bit of a need for the Browns going into the 2020 draft. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are among the best 1/2 starters in the NFL, but after them the depth chart is thin.
Peoples-Jones is a perfect prospect to gamble on. He showed flashes of phenomenal play while at Michigan, and was considered at one point to be a future first round pick and NFL star. Injuries and abysmal QB play severely hindered his college career. His production did not come close to matching his talent. He is athletic, runs clean routes, gets solid seperation, and is good with the ball in his hands. There is a lot of talent here that can be developed.

Undrafted Free Agents:
Soloman Ajayi, Linebacker, Liberty
Elijah Benton, Safety, Liberty
Ja'Marcus Bradley, Wide Receiver, Louisiana
Tony Brown, Wide Receiver, Colorado
Kevin Davidson, Quarterback, Princeton
Drake Dorbeck, Offensive Tackle/Guard, Southern Mississippi
A.J. Green, Cornerback, Oklahoma State
Brian Herrion, Runningback, Georgia
Jameson Houston, Cornerback, Baylor
Benny LeMay, Runningback, Charlotte
Jovante Moffit, Safety, Middle Tennessee
George Obinna, Defensive End, Sacremento State
Alex Taylor, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina State
Jeffrey Whatley, Defensive Tackle, South Alabama
Nate Wieting, Tight End, Iowa

Going Forward:
You will have a hard time finding a Browns fan who did not love this draft. They filled all of their pressing needs without reaching, were savvy navigating the board with trades, and acquired 2021 draft picks. The Browns earned one of only four A+ grades from PFF. While the roster is not without some holes, particularly at linebacker, this is a team that is built to compete. With improvements on the offense that will hopefully come with better coaching and a brand new O-line, the Browns are absolutely in a better position this year than last

Projected 53 Man Roster (starters in bold):
OFFENSE:
QB - Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum (2)
RB - Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Dontrelle Hilliard, (5)
FB - Andy Janovich (6)
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Taywan Taylor, Donovan Peoples-Jones, JoJo Natson (12)
TE - Austin Hooper, David Njoku, Harrison Bryant (15)
OT - Jedrick Wills Jr. (LT), Jack Conklin (RT), Chris Hubbard, Drew Forbes (19)
OG - Joel Bitonio (LG), Wyatt Teller (RG), Colby Gossett (22)
C - JC Tretter, Nick Harris (24)

DEFENSE:
DE - Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Adrian Clayborn, Chad Thomas (28)
DT - Sheldon Richardson, Larry Ogunjobi, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliot, Daniel Ekuale (33)
LB - Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, BJ Goodson, Jacob Phillips, Jermaine Grace, Tae Davis (39)
CB - Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Kevin Johnson, Terrance Mitchell, Donnie Lewis Jr., Tavierre Thomas (45)
SS - Karl Joseph, J.T. Hassell (47)
FS - Grant Delpit, Andrew Sandejo, Sheldrick Redwine (50)
SPECIALISTS
K - Austin Seibert (51)
P - Jamie "Scottish Hammer" Gillan (52)
LS - Charley Hughlett (53)

What to expect in 2020

QB Grade: Incomplete
Baker Mayfield - This is the wildcard for the entire team. There is arguably not a better supporting cast in the league for a Quarterback. Assuming at minimum competent coaching there is no excuse for Mayfield going into year 3. There will be a long leash I am sure but Keenum is waiting in the wings if Mayfield looks like he did last year as opposed to the record setter he was in year 1.
As goes the arm of Mayfield so goes the Browns Playoff hopes.

RB Grade: A+++
Nick Chubb - Quiet, professional, will run you over and laugh at your pitiful tackle attempts. Nick Chubb is a beast, lead the league in yards after contact and nearly won the rushing title. In this new RB friendly system with an improved O-Line and an actual fullback Chubb is going to eat.

Kareem Hunt - It's not often that your backup running back is also a league rushing champion. Last year after serving his suspension he came in and made quite a few spectacular plays in the passing game and showed he still had that spark in the running game. This one Two punch is going to be fun to watch!

Pass Catchers WTE Grade: A
Goodness where to start... This might be an unpopular take but Jarvis Landry is the Best WR on this team and a top 5 pass catcher in the league. He has the most catches ALL TIME in a players first 6 seasons in the league. No longer relegated to slot duties as he was in Miami he had is best year in 2019.

Both Landry and OBJ went over 1000 yards last year which is stunning to me because it felt like both were under utilized all year long. With an increased emphasis on the running game and a deceptive scheme there should be a lot of wide open receivers for the Browns this year

Adding in a third down catch machine in Austin Hooper oh my.. The room is stacked.

Offensive Line Grade: B Minus
The OL has been a major issue at the tackle spot since Joe Thomas retired. It now feels like we have the complete package assuming Wills can make the transition to LT in this super strange offseason. The interior is still super solid. There will be a lot riding on the rookie.

Defensive Line A Minus
Oh noooooo MYLES!!!! How different would 2019 have been had Myles Garrett kept his cool. Fresh off signing a new mega deal Myles Garrett needs to be the great pass rusher he has been in his first few seasons. He was averaging a sack per game before the suspension and should easily go into double digit sacks this season as well.
Olivier Vernon when healthy is a QB pressure machine but he has problems staying on the field. When he is playing though He and Myles make a great bookend.
The interior is solid with Sheldon Richardson and Larry O, in the middle. This will probably be Richardson's last year with the Browns so I expect him to show out to push for that one last contract.

Linebackers Grade: I was told there would be no math
Do I believe in Mack Wilson? Ask me on a day he writes a fired up hype tweet and I will say he is going to be a stud. In the quiet times though I think to myself boy I hope the opposing team does not have a decent tight end because our LB core is going to get burned. I don't know what to think of the rest of the room as it is totally shuffled. Maybe Takitaki is something more than a special teamer? Was B.J. Goodson a diamond waiting to be polished?
The Browns need Takitaki, Wilson, and Phillips to grow up fast in this defense. Goodson has been a part-time player in his career and should have the opportunity to get more playing time than he has had to date in his career. With a one-year prove-it deal, Goodson has the motivation to show that he deserves a multi-year deal.
This is by far on paper the weak point of this team.

Cornerback Grade: B
This is the Ward and Greedy Show. Ward is occasionally dinged up but most of the time he is a shut down corner. Super young and is a willing tackler if a bit reckless in his form. Ward has the potential to be a top 5 CB in the league.
Greedy Williams had a decent season on the other side when he got into the game but it is his spot full time now and he needs to step up. The talk when he was drafted was he could not tackle. (Much like Delpit this year) but he showed he was more than willing to tackle and even come up and rush the passer and play the run when needed. With Ward on the other side he is going to be targeted a LOT.

Safety Grade: D
Who the hell knows.. Really. I know I said that Linebacker was the weak point but man Safety is as much of a question. Karl Joseph is a Thumper and with that he ends up injured a bit. Delpit has huge potential but is a rookie at FS and but supposedly has tackling issues. Outside of those two you have Sendejo in his 11th year in the league and Sheldrick Redwine who was a beast in college but has yet to really prove himself in the league.
Here is hoping Delpit lives up to his potential because man this is a thin group.

Specialists Grade: B
Scottish Hammer That is all... The Punter might be the best form tackler on the team hopefully he does not have to do that this season. Or we can stick him in at Linebacker.
But seriously things stabilized with two rookie kickers last year and they both look serviceable. Jojo Natson was brought in to do one thing and that is to return kicks.

Training Camp Battles

On Offense there is very little up for grabs maybe who wins the 3rd WR spot but given Higgins relationship with Mayfield it is his job to lose.
On Defense a lot of the battle is going to be who shows up at LB and Safety as discussed above. there are slim pickings at both positions and really the only people who seem to be safe are Mack Wilson just due to the playing time he got last season and Karl Joseph just based upon his experience in the league.

Scheme Descriptions

Offense: Kevin Stefanski as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in 2019 produced an offense determined to run the ball and crush teams with play-action. Under the watchful eye of consultant Gary Kubiak he installed a Wide Zone blocking scheme that is time tested and very OL and RB friendly. It is considered a Run first offense which should play right into the Browns strengths. If Mayfield can tighten up the play action fake game the Wide outs should feast as well.

Defense - Who knows? I am not even sure Joe Woods knows yet what type of Defense the Browns will run. During his tenure as the Denver Broncos defensive coordinator he ran a Base 3-4 Under defense. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings the team ran a base 4-3 which is also the case for the San Francisco 49ers defense this past season.
When asked Woods usually replies with something along the lines of "it's a secret"
Based on the Browns current roster,the preference would be an attacking 4-3 scheme given the strength on the defensive line and questionable linebacker core.

Season Predictions
It is an impossible task to predict a Browns season. Typically you could say 3 - 5 wins and chances are you would be right. This season with a new head coach, no preseason, maybe no training camp who the hell knows.
So instead of going game by game I am going to make some bold predictions.

The Browns will make the playoffs
Nick Chubb will win the rushing title
Jarvis Landry and OBJ will both go over 1000 yards again
The Browns will split all of the division games
The Steelers, Ravens, and Art Modell still suck
Final Record 10-6 with a Wild Card game win

I did not hear from the non fan for the post so maybe we can add it later.

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