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West to Tennessee

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  • Not saying it's the same in coaching, but companies generally don't give comment on former employee's performance or "issues". They merely confirm employment dates if called by a prospective employer. Especially if there is anything negative to say. Why? Liability...

    As for West in particular, it's possible that contacts did not see any issues or thought them too insignificant to mention. "Talented kid who just needs to mature some," could be a reasonable assessment.

    If ability to learn ended up being the issue in CLE, I can easily see why that might not have been an issue at Towson. Complexity levels surely are incomparable. Have to say that he seemed to learn blitz pick ups here.

    I wonder if in the end it was West's running style that did not change with coaching. More of a flowing style that would take a hole if presented, but otherwise seemed to look for the edge... like a change-of-pace back minus the pace change.

    Instead the staff may have been looking to create another decisive, Crow-style, one-cut back... and that was just not in West to bring out.

    Be interesting to see what gives in TN.

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
  • Tour2maT Tour2ma

    Not saying it's the same in coaching, but companies generally don't give comment on former employee's performance or "issues". They merely confirm employment dates if called by a prospective employer. Especially if there is anything negative to say. Why? Liability...

    As for West in particular, it's possible that contacts did not see any issues or thought them too insignificant to mention. "Talented kid who just needs to mature some," could be a reasonable assessment.

    If ability to learn ended up being the issue in CLE, I can easily see why that might not have been an issue at Towson. Complexity levels surely are incomparable. Have to say that he seemed to learn blitz pick ups here.

    I wonder if in the end it was West's running style that did not change with coaching. More of a flowing style that would take a hole if presented, but otherwise seemed to look for the edge... like a change-of-pace back minus the pace change.

    Instead the staff may have been looking to create another decisive, Crow-style, one-cut back... and that was just not in West to bring out.

    Be interesting to see what gives in TN.

    @tour2ma said:

    I wonder if in the end it was West's running style that did not change with coaching. More of a flowing style that would take a hole if presented, but otherwise seemed to look for the edge... like a change-of-pace back minus the pace change.

    I was thinking a similar thing. Some backs can do the east-west running in HS and a small college, but the pros just eat you alive if you don't find the small crease they give you and get the most from it. The more you slide outside, the more they run you down without gaining yardage. The Browns want north-south runners who will take the 3-5 yard gain and control the ball.

  • Mike HM Mike H

    @mudfly said:

    yeah...I gotta wonder how honest and/or forthcoming college coaches(staff) are with NFL guys....

    Id think that a lot of them protect their guys.....or want to see them get picked and succeed in the NFL....and/or have a greater allegiance to their own players than they do to some NFL scouts....

    So, it wouldnt surprise me to find out college coaches back up their guys and avoid bad mouthing them on the way out....

    West and Gilbert were superstars for their perspective college coaches......so, why would their coaches do something to hurt their chances as they walk out the door??....what do they have to gain by doing that?......

    Depends on how good of friends they were with their respective Browns connections, I guess.

    If I was a coach and West was a shithead in the locker room, I wouldn't sugar coat it and lie to my friend whose career is on the line when making draft picks.

    @mike-h said:

    Depends on how good of friends they were with their respective Browns connections, I guess.

    If I was a coach and West was a shithead in the locker room, I wouldn't sugar coat it and lie to my friend whose career is on the line when making draft picks.

    But you're a fan like the rest of us so it's very different what any of us would do. For example, Jameis Winston's last Head Coach (Jimbo Fisher) said he's a great kid. This is a classic example of a College Coach wanting his hand selected QB drafted first overall in the NFL draft. We know why that's important to Jimbo.

    Along the same line, I doubt Brett Favre's college coach at So Miss warned Jerry Glanville - "you're never going to get him out of happy hour."

    For all the excitement Manziel brought to A&M - do you think Kevin Sumlin gave us a full disclosure of what we could expect off the field from our new 21 year old QB last year?

    I welcome the only Defensive Coordinator to earn a Superbowl Ring in New Orleans while understanding Revenge of the Nerds is a sequel. "Come get some!"
    👍

  • I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    FlugelF Tour2maT 2 Replies
  • tiamat63T tiamat63

    I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    @tiamat63 said:

    I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    That is a good question. Is it also a coincidence we stayed in the Pac 12 for 7 of our 12 draft picks in 2015 after gutting the scouting dept?

    Here's the thing though - I really like the last 2 off seasons. They began with a philosophy and specific plans to meet it. We haven't always had that here.

    I welcome the only Defensive Coordinator to earn a Superbowl Ring in New Orleans while understanding Revenge of the Nerds is a sequel. "Come get some!"
    tiamat63T 1 Reply
  • tiamat63T tiamat63

    I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    @tiamat63 said:

    I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    I'd forgotten that, but wasn't much of the change a case of Ray building his own staff?

    Something he simply did not have time to do before the 2014 draft?

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
  • FlugelF Flugel

    @tiamat63 said:

    I feel a good question is - do we believe it to be random coincidence that the scouting department was essentially gutted after the 14' draft?!

    That is a good question. Is it also a coincidence we stayed in the Pac 12 for 7 of our 12 draft picks in 2015 after gutting the scouting dept?

    Here's the thing though - I really like the last 2 off seasons. They began with a philosophy and specific plans to meet it. We haven't always had that here.

    @flugel said:

    That is a good question. Is it also a coincidence we stayed in the Pac 12 for 7 of our 12 draft picks in 2015 after gutting the scouting dept?

    Here's the thing though - I really like the last 2 off seasons. They began with a philosophy and specific plans to meet it. We haven't always had that here.

    I think there is a mindset for players the front office looked for this past draft. The Pac has a lot of east-west and pass happy offenses, I feel

    the coaches and Farmer wanted to bring in players that can rush the passer, push the pocket and play well in space. Not to say players in other conferences can't, but it just so happened the BPA at the time whom fit the mold came from that conference.

    @tour2ma said:

    I'd forgotten that, but wasn't much of the change a case of Ray building his own staff?

    Something he simply did not have time to do before the 2014 draft?

    I'm certain it was the bulk of the reason for the change. However Farmer and Pettine have spoken ad nauseam about character being a big part of their draft evaluations. I'm quite sure that also played into the hands for the personnel change in scouting. Red flags that should have been uncovered were not.

  • Agree.... likely multiple reasons for restaffing. As long as it is fixed, no reason to worry about their order of importance.

    So far so good it would appear...

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196

  • right...my memory has Farmer taking the helm a month or 2 before the draft....so, last year, he would have had to use all Lombardis guys and their opinions for the draft...of course, he was part of this same group prior to being promoted....

    None the less, it only makes sense he would make changes and hire his own guys for this years draft and going forward....

  • Yeah... Farmer got the job like mid-February IIRC... in the great Haslam shake up of 2014.

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196
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