Skip to content

Has Paul Kruger been a disappointment?

The Browns Board
62 21 2.7k
  • @clevfan4life said:

    we have a pass rushing problem overall. Both Kruger and Sheard were getting there if Cutler held the ball too long so they're not completely garbage. They just can't get close in real time.

    so where does the problem lie? bad blitz packages by the DC? overall talent by the LBs? i mean last year in the 4-3 sheard was getting to the QBs a lot more than he is now.

    man i hate bringing in new regimes with new systems after the players have played in a certain one since they became a member of the team.

    can't you go with the 3-4 but based upon your players make adjustments to 'your' scheme to better suit the talent?

    @miktoxic said:

    so where does the problem lie? bad blitz packages by the DC? overall talent by the LBs? i mean last year in the 4-3 sheard was getting to the QBs a lot more than he is now.

    man i hate bringing in new regimes with new systems after the players have played in a certain one since they became a member of the team.

    can't you go with the 3-4 but based upon your players make adjustments to 'your' scheme to better suit the talent?

    Sheard obviously is better with his hand in the ground. Yet it's always Kruger that puts em down on passing downs. I think Sheard only gets to put his hand down when he's playing with Mingo. I dunno...I"m starting to not like our system.

  • @browns149 said:

    Buster skrine has the same amount of passes defended, does that make him as good as Haden?

    That stat just proves that teams like throwing the ball at Joe Haden. Just like they like throwing it at Skrine

    Buster Skrine is also covering team's #2 receivers.

    The fact that we've rarely been gouged by a #1 receiver should be the proof in the pudding. Or we could just go back to the time when we had no corners, if you liked that era so much.

    @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    Buster Skrine is also covering team's #2 receivers.

    The fact that we've rarely been gouged by a #1 receiver should be the proof in the pudding. Or we could just go back to the time when we had no corners, if you liked that era so much.

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

  • @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    Buster Skrine is also covering team's #2 receivers.

    The fact that we've rarely been gouged by a #1 receiver should be the proof in the pudding. Or we could just go back to the time when we had no corners, if you liked that era so much.

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    @browns149 said:

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    Whats your deal with Haden? Did he bang your girlfriend or something? Of all of the problems we have on the defensive side of the ball, Haden is the least of them. I know 31 other teams that would take him in a heartbeat.

  • @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    Buster Skrine is also covering team's #2 receivers.

    The fact that we've rarely been gouged by a #1 receiver should be the proof in the pudding. Or we could just go back to the time when we had no corners, if you liked that era so much.

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    @browns149 said:

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    And... how many of those exist?... in the world?...

    We could create one, like when you're playing Madden, right?? Make him all 99s...

  • @browns149 said:

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    And... how many of those exist?... in the world?...

    We could create one, like when you're playing Madden, right?? Make him all 99s...

    @thenew23 said:

    And... how many of those exist?... in the world?...

    We could create one, like when you're playing Madden, right?? Make him all 99s...

    I'm not sure how many there are? But Joe Haden is NOT one of them

  • @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    Buster Skrine is also covering team's #2 receivers.

    The fact that we've rarely been gouged by a #1 receiver should be the proof in the pudding. Or we could just go back to the time when we had no corners, if you liked that era so much.

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    @browns149 said:

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    It's good to want better, but you also have to balance that with the more pressing overall needs.

    Upgrading from a solid #1 to an elite #1 would be more expensive and yield nearly the same results as just upgrading from a garbage #2 to a good #2.

    Good corners demand some of the highest contracts in the league.

    Having 25% of our cap space eaten up at two positions would be detrimental toward building a perennial championship caliber team.

  • @browns149 said:

    No I don't want to go back to the era, but I do want a better #1 cb then Haden

    It's good to want better, but you also have to balance that with the more pressing overall needs.

    Upgrading from a solid #1 to an elite #1 would be more expensive and yield nearly the same results as just upgrading from a garbage #2 to a good #2.

    Good corners demand some of the highest contracts in the league.

    Having 25% of our cap space eaten up at two positions would be detrimental toward building a perennial championship caliber team.

    @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    It's good to want better, but you also have to balance that with the more pressing overall needs.

    Upgrading from a solid #1 to an elite #1 would be more expensive and yield nearly the same results as just upgrading from a garbage #2 to a good #2.

    Good corners demand some of the highest contracts in the league.

    Having 25% of our cap space eaten up at two positions would be detrimental toward building a perennial championship caliber team.

    They have pressing needs for sure, but corner should be one of them. And it should be about 3rd on the list, behind QB and ILB. Everyone on the planet knows the Browns need a QB and the Lb's have been exposed all year for lack of speed and ability to cover ANYONE. And now everyone knows that our cb's are not as good as was thought.

  • here's my point about CBs in the league of today. if this is a passing league and you are facing teams with physical 6'5" WRs wouldn't it make sense to draft tall physical corners?

    i love haden to death but watching a replay of him try to 'climb a ladder' to get to the ball that was intentionally thrown high to marshall yesterday made me cringe. overall the dbs and s played pretty fucking well (except for the worse play of the game on that basic hail mary where posey jumped 2 seconds early and the ball landed in the WRs in the endzone) and almost put up as many point as the offense..

  • @tim-couch-pulls-out said:

    It's good to want better, but you also have to balance that with the more pressing overall needs.

    Upgrading from a solid #1 to an elite #1 would be more expensive and yield nearly the same results as just upgrading from a garbage #2 to a good #2.

    Good corners demand some of the highest contracts in the league.

    Having 25% of our cap space eaten up at two positions would be detrimental toward building a perennial championship caliber team.

    They have pressing needs for sure, but corner should be one of them. And it should be about 3rd on the list, behind QB and ILB. Everyone on the planet knows the Browns need a QB and the Lb's have been exposed all year for lack of speed and ability to cover ANYONE. And now everyone knows that our cb's are not as good as was thought.

    @browns149 said:

    They have pressing needs for sure, but corner should be one of them. And it should be about 3rd on the list, behind QB and ILB. Everyone on the planet knows the Browns need a QB and the Lb's have been exposed all year for lack of speed and ability to cover ANYONE. And now everyone knows that our cb's are not as good as was thought.

    you are preaching to the choir brother. been screaming that for four years now.

  • here's my point about CBs in the league of today. if this is a passing league and you are facing teams with physical 6'5" WRs wouldn't it make sense to draft tall physical corners?

    i love haden to death but watching a replay of him try to 'climb a ladder' to get to the ball that was intentionally thrown high to marshall yesterday made me cringe. overall the dbs and s played pretty fucking well (except for the worse play of the game on that basic hail mary where posey jumped 2 seconds early and the ball landed in the WRs in the endzone) and almost put up as many point as the offense..

    @miktoxic said:

    here's my point about CBs in the league of today. if this is a passing league and you are facing teams with physical 6'5" WRs wouldn't it make sense to draft tall physical corners?

    i love haden to death but watching a replay of him try to 'climb a ladder' to get to the ball that was intentionally thrown high to marshall yesterday made me cringe. overall the dbs and s played pretty fucking well (except for the worse play of the game on that basic hail mary where posey jumped 2 seconds early and the ball landed in the WRs in the endzone) and almost put up as many point as the offense..

    I'm not saying Haden is awful and I want him gone, I have never said that, All I'm saying is there needs to be a better option, someone bigger, stronger and taller. A CB that can jam wr's and re-route them. Disrupt the timing of plays, He does not do that.

  • @miktoxic said:

    here's my point about CBs in the league of today. if this is a passing league and you are facing teams with physical 6'5" WRs wouldn't it make sense to draft tall physical corners?

    i love haden to death but watching a replay of him try to 'climb a ladder' to get to the ball that was intentionally thrown high to marshall yesterday made me cringe. overall the dbs and s played pretty fucking well (except for the worse play of the game on that basic hail mary where posey jumped 2 seconds early and the ball landed in the WRs in the endzone) and almost put up as many point as the offense..

    I'm not saying Haden is awful and I want him gone, I have never said that, All I'm saying is there needs to be a better option, someone bigger, stronger and taller. A CB that can jam wr's and re-route them. Disrupt the timing of plays, He does not do that.

    @browns149 said:

    I'm not saying Haden is awful and I want him gone, I have never said that, All I'm saying is there needs to be a better option, someone bigger, stronger and taller. A CB that can jam wr's and re-route them. Disrupt the timing of plays, He does not do that.

    I've been very high on the "tall, physical corners" as of late. It makes sense, as receivers are getting taller by the day.

    If we could take a tall, physical, pressing corner with solid speed in rounds 2-3, say Louchiez Purifoy, I'd be all for slowly phasing Haden out of #1 and into a #2 role. But Haden has played very well in his career at #1. He rarely gives up a big game. His size and speed is an issue on paper, but he normally makes the play.

  • @miktoxic said:

    here's my point about CBs in the league of today. if this is a passing league and you are facing teams with physical 6'5" WRs wouldn't it make sense to draft tall physical corners?

    i love haden to death but watching a replay of him try to 'climb a ladder' to get to the ball that was intentionally thrown high to marshall yesterday made me cringe. overall the dbs and s played pretty fucking well (except for the worse play of the game on that basic hail mary where posey jumped 2 seconds early and the ball landed in the WRs in the endzone) and almost put up as many point as the offense..

    I'm not saying Haden is awful and I want him gone, I have never said that, All I'm saying is there needs to be a better option, someone bigger, stronger and taller. A CB that can jam wr's and re-route them. Disrupt the timing of plays, He does not do that.

    @browns149 said:

    I'm not saying Haden is awful and I want him gone, I have never said that, All I'm saying is there needs to be a better option, someone bigger, stronger and taller. A CB that can jam wr's and re-route them. Disrupt the timing of plays, He does not do that.

    Insane... Look who Haden has covered this year, mostly man coverage. Sure, he has given up 2 ugly TDs (Shorts & Brown) and has had 1 bad game (Chicago, who has 2 of the top 10 WRs), but he has completely shut down Wallace, Jennings, AJ Green (twice), S.Johnson, Megatron, and Bowe. We got beat by T.Smith, Nelson, and J.Edelman when they ran crossing routes mostly getting them away from Haden...

    He has been exposed against taller WRs, especially in the red zone. But, honestly he forces the opposing QBs to make damn-near-perfect throws to beat him... There is no better #1 corner that we will find any time soon... Getting a taller and disruptive #2 would be helpful, especially as we saw our little guys get exposed against those giants that Chicago has...

  • I know a little bit about pass rushing since I used to play on the line. Obviously I never played near this guys level but I do notice technique, especially when I go to the games and get a good look at how our trench guys try to beat their man. From the very beginning of the season I wasn't seeing stellar stuff from kruger. I didn't really notice him when he played in Blt so I don't know what he was doing differently there if at all. But here his pass rush is anemic. He's an "awesome" bull rusher. The first couple games of the season he had all kinds of tackles pushed back into the qb. Problem was that the qb's were able to get rid of the ball way too quick. Ok, so you can say he sets the timer low...so the ability of the qb's to make completions in 2-3 seconds can't really be put on the pass rush..that's on our secondary and LB'ers. What I saw though was that when he tried to anything else other than bullrushing, he was "terrible". His edge rush was so bad at the beginning of the season that the tackles could just basically take that play off and lean on him right out off the edge. It didn't require alot of effort. By about the 4th or 5th game the O line coaches were on to Kruger and the tackles just stuck their butts out behind em and that stifled his bullrush. He absolutely cannot keep tackles honest on that now. They sit on the bullrush and if he goes outside it's with so little leverage that they're not worried about it. When Kruger does get around the edge now he went out too wide. He doesn't dig in "whatsoever". When I talk about digging in, I'm talking about what Matthews does out in GB. He's one of the best in the NFL at carving off the edge. He goes horizontal when he's coming around the corner, this reduces the angle to the qb. And Matthews is faster but smaller than Kruger so he should be the one taking the wider arcs to the QB. Not the 6'5 275lb monster. Kruger should be way better at that which would make his bullrush that much better. Matthews is one of the best bullrushing OLB'ers in the league because tackles have to respect his outside rush. I want Kruger to work out here but so far, I dunno. He's cleaned up his run support for sure, it will be interesting to see where he's rated at the end of the year when those rankings come out. I don't think I ever saw him get sealed inside the whole season but I could be wrong.

    In the end though we didn't pay 8m for a guy just to stop the run. He needs to be "at least" a 10 sack guy for that money. Honestly he should be getting 15 sacks easy with his physical abilities. It is possible though that if our secondary gets better next year, which it should....that the qb's will have to hold the ball a split second longer and that allows our outside guys to get home. It would be interesting to compare tape with say, the KC pass rush. If the qb's take the same amount of time on average to get rid of the ball against KC as they do with Cleveland, than there really is no excuse for the fact that the 240lb undersized rookie is leading the LB'ers in sacks. When we played KC, their two outside guys combined had 20 sacks and our whole defense had 19. That was just ludicrous. I know that Hali and Houston have cooled off since then a bit....but still.

    nice analysis

    @clevfan4life said:

    I know a little bit about pass rushing since I used to play on the line. Obviously I never played near this guys level but I do notice technique, especially when I go to the games and get a good look at how our trench guys try to beat their man. From the very beginning of the season I wasn't seeing stellar stuff from kruger. I didn't really notice him when he played in Blt so I don't know what he was doing differently there if at all. But here his pass rush is anemic. He's an "awesome" bull rusher. The first couple games of the season he had all kinds of tackles pushed back into the qb. Problem was that the qb's were able to get rid of the ball way too quick. Ok, so you can say he sets the timer low...so the ability of the qb's to make completions in 2-3 seconds can't really be put on the pass rush..that's on our secondary and LB'ers. What I saw though was that when he tried to anything else other than bullrushing, he was "terrible". His edge rush was so bad at the beginning of the season that the tackles could just basically take that play off and lean on him right out off the edge. It didn't require alot of effort. By about the 4th or 5th game the O line coaches were on to Kruger and the tackles just stuck their butts out behind em and that stifled his bullrush. He absolutely cannot keep tackles honest on that now. They sit on the bullrush and if he goes outside it's with so little leverage that they're not worried about it. When Kruger does get around the edge now he went out too wide. He doesn't dig in "whatsoever". When I talk about digging in, I'm talking about what Matthews does out in GB. He's one of the best in the NFL at carving off the edge. He goes horizontal when he's coming around the corner, this reduces the angle to the qb. And Matthews is faster but smaller than Kruger so he should be the one taking the wider arcs to the QB. Not the 6'5 275lb monster. Kruger should be way better at that which would make his bullrush that much better. Matthews is one of the best bullrushing OLB'ers in the league because tackles have to respect his outside rush. I want Kruger to work out here but so far, I dunno. He's cleaned up his run support for sure, it will be interesting to see where he's rated at the end of the year when those rankings come out. I don't think I ever saw him get sealed inside the whole season but I could be wrong.

    In the end though we didn't pay 8m for a guy just to stop the run. He needs to be "at least" a 10 sack guy for that money. Honestly he should be getting 15 sacks easy with his physical abilities. It is possible though that if our secondary gets better next year, which it should....that the qb's will have to hold the ball a split second longer and that allows our outside guys to get home. It would be interesting to compare tape with say, the KC pass rush. If the qb's take the same amount of time on average to get rid of the ball against KC as they do with Cleveland, than there really is no excuse for the fact that the 240lb undersized rookie is leading the LB'ers in sacks. When we played KC, their two outside guys combined had 20 sacks and our whole defense had 19. That was just ludicrous. I know that Hali and Houston have cooled off since then a bit....but still.

  • Haden prowess on the field is Pro Bowl caliber, IMO. But the downside is opponents forcing "second tier" CB's, i.e McFadden and Skrine, to make plays which has exposed a significant weakness in Browns secondary when they fall short as seen recently in New England and Sunday in Cleveland when Jeffrey made the "circus" TD catch. The interference call in the New England end zone was chickenshit. Boyce, however, had a couple of steps on McFadden as evidenced when Mcfad puckered and horsecollared Boyce at the seven yard line. Common replays don't show that part and refs totally whiffed. Brady/Bellichick are masters at identifying and exposing weak links.

    I agree with you MIK on the idea that bigger cornerbacks are going to be needed to counter the new 6'3 to 6'5 mega receivers. For example, check out Alshon Jeffreys' catches in the recent Minny and Dallas games. he plays a lot bigger than 6'3"

  • We need to draft a CB this year. Find a stud/lockdown back. Our scouts have to do their homework. Shermer from the Seahawks is getting paid like below 200k a year right now. He is average or above average. Screw getting an overpaid FA CB.

  • Whoever is saying Haden isn't elite hasn't watched much football the last few years. Not much them guys can do with the rules nowadays. Hes as good as they come. If we were getting pressure on the QB, his name would be called a lot less. He has been toasted on some double moves this year but he's aggreaive which I like and no one guesses right every time.

  • We need to draft a CB this year. Find a stud/lockdown back. Our scouts have to do their homework. Shermer from the Seahawks is getting paid like below 200k a year right now. He is average or above average. Screw getting an overpaid FA CB.

    @lbc-mike said:

    We need to draft a CB this year. Find a stud/lockdown back. Our scouts have to do their homework. Shermer from the Seahawks is getting paid like below 200k a year right now. He is average or above average. Screw getting an overpaid FA CB.

    I'm assuming you are referring to Richard Sherman here. I wouldn't call having 18 interceptions in his first 3 years (most in the NFL in that time period) being average... Also, he is on a rookie contract so obviously he isn't going to make a lot right now (although it's closer to 560k, not 200k), but I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest paid CB in the league after next season when his contract is up.

  • @lbc-mike said:

    We need to draft a CB this year. Find a stud/lockdown back. Our scouts have to do their homework. Shermer from the Seahawks is getting paid like below 200k a year right now. He is average or above average. Screw getting an overpaid FA CB.

    I'm assuming you are referring to Richard Sherman here. I wouldn't call having 18 interceptions in his first 3 years (most in the NFL in that time period) being average... Also, he is on a rookie contract so obviously he isn't going to make a lot right now (although it's closer to 560k, not 200k), but I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest paid CB in the league after next season when his contract is up.

    @utzie said:

    I'm assuming you are referring to Richard Sherman here. I wouldn't call having 18 interceptions in his first 3 years (most in the NFL in that time period) being average... Also, he is on a rookie contract so obviously he isn't going to make a lot right now (although it's closer to 560k, not 200k), but I wouldn't be surprised if he is the highest paid CB in the league after next season when his contract is up.

    All true. The Seahawks owe a lot of their success to finding studs in the later rounds of the draft. Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman are playing on rookie minimums which opens their cap space up so they could go sign guys like Harvin and Avril.
  • True the seahawks will have to pay up in the next few years for these guys but are set at these positions. We have a bunch of picks but would love us find gems with our picks.