<![CDATA[Rookies]]>It struck me when someone said something like "The young guys have really stepped up" and so I went and had a look at all the first year players on the roster. The list of rookies, drafted and not so drafted, looks like this:

Bitonio
Crowell
Desir
Gabriel
Gilbert
Kirksey
Manziel
Nelson
Small
West
Williams
Winston
There are a few that haven't seen the field - most notably Manziel, but also Desir & Winston. So it's too early to tell what we have with them.
Others have played in limited roles, and some, like Bitonio, West, Kirksey, Crowell & Gabriel, have played major roles, and look like they'll be around this franchise for at least a few years to come.
Gilbert has been 'tepid' at best, but he's not going anywhere. K'Waun Williams has looked a very solid UDFA pickup - beating out Gilbert for playing time as slot corner (yes I know Gilbert's an outside man, but Skrine could play inside if Gilbert was better than Williams).
Small has only just started here.
But really, even if Gilbert's a bust, Manziel never sees the field and Desir fades in to obscurity, we've still got 5 rookies that have come in from day 1 and contributed, along with a few others that can be depth/role players for a few years. Never mind where they were drafted (if at all), when was the last time we got that much immediate production from our first year players?
Another few years of picking up 4/5 starters through rookies, plus 1/2 from FA, and we're looking very good.
]]>https://brownsboard.com/topic/30773/rookiesRSS for NodeThu, 01 Oct 2026 01:49:38 GMTMon, 03 Nov 2014 14:31:56 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:43:12 GMT]]>

@roycerolls said:

2011 was Sheard instead of Ward. Ward was 2010 when Haden came out, Heckert's first draft. The 2010 draft started out so well....oh what could've been.

Sorry, yeah, my bad.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446471https://brownsboard.com/post/446471Wed, 05 Nov 2014 07:43:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Wed, 05 Nov 2014 05:29:23 GMT]]>

@gftchris said:

Yeah, hitting on the 1s would be nice. But imagine you skip Manziel, put everyone else up a pick, so you get something like this:

1a - Gilbert

1b - Bitonio

2 - West

3a - Kirksey

We're probably looking at that - Gilbert progress continuing... - as an extremely good draft. Add in Manziel and the lesser-spotted Desir, and you've got to give credit to Farmer for finding starting players in the lower rounds.

Still, Heckert had a very good year giving us Taylor, Ward, Cameron & Skrine in 2011, then gave us Richardson & Weeden in 2012, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

2011 was Sheard instead of Ward. Ward was 2010 when Haden came out, Heckert's first draft. The 2010 draft started out so well....oh what could've been.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446456https://brownsboard.com/post/446456Wed, 05 Nov 2014 05:29:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Tue, 04 Nov 2014 08:44:42 GMT]]>

@tour2ma said:

Agree, Chris... but ya gotta hit on those 1's. If you do not, then it makes the road so much longer...

Yeah, hitting on the 1s would be nice. But imagine you skip Manziel, put everyone else up a pick, so you get something like this:

1a - Gilbert

1b - Bitonio

2 - West

3a - Kirksey

We're probably looking at that - Gilbert progress continuing... - as an extremely good draft. Add in Manziel and the lesser-spotted Desir, and you've got to give credit to Farmer for finding starting players in the lower rounds.

Still, Heckert had a very good year giving us Taylor, Ward, Cameron & Skrine in 2011, then gave us Richardson & Weeden in 2012, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446172https://brownsboard.com/post/446172Tue, 04 Nov 2014 08:44:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:24:45 GMT]]>But Farmer didn't get sammy watkins. Fire the guy.

No seriously, looks like we had a good job this offseason as far as draft and UDFA signings.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446141https://brownsboard.com/post/446141Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:24:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:20:42 GMT]]>all i got to say is one word.................clowney.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446139https://brownsboard.com/post/446139Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:20:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:18:46 GMT]]>Agree, Chris... but ya gotta hit on those 1's. If you do not, then it makes the road so much longer...

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/446138https://brownsboard.com/post/446138Tue, 04 Nov 2014 03:18:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Rookies on Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:36:26 GMT]]>I don't know that I would call Crowell's role "major". He hasn't carried the ball at all I believe in the last 2 weeks. And I don't see him out there on special teams either.

]]>https://brownsboard.com/post/445967https://brownsboard.com/post/445967Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:36:26 GMT