Nate Evans, AB did it again at DB

Flugel

@syd said:
The Browns struck gold with an undrafted rookie: 'Unbelievable skillset'
dawgpounddaily.com2h

Perfect timing for this news El Syd. I was really concerned about the depth at Corner as well as reliability with WHO's gonna cover the slots/emerge as the 3rd corner. Nate Evans-ville from Delaware sounds very promising. There's 2 other undrafted rookie free-agents competing at Corner as well: USC's DeCarlos Nicholson and West Virginia's Michael Coats Jr... Getting closer to Training Camp...

Orion

@flugel said:
Perfect timing

We usually draft a corner every year. Which is wise as it's a passing league. But we absolutely had to focus on OL & WR. And they obviously felt that TE#2 was in dire need of upgrading. And when the draft ended and we immediately signed a CB I immediately thought, Ahh, there's Berry CB fix medication to stop the cold sweats. Hopefully he's a good one.

Flugel

@orion said:
We usually draft a corner every year. Which is wise as it's a passing league. But we absolutely had to focus on OL & WR. And they obviously felt that TE#2 was in dire need of upgrading. And when the draft ended and we immediately signed a CB I immediately thought, Ahh, there's Berry CB fix medication to stop the cold sweats. Hopefully he's a good one.

All true - thanks! Adding meatball on spaghetti, could there have been a better pick than Toledo Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with our 2nd of 2-2nd round picks?

Orion

@flugel said:
could there have been a better pick than Toledo Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with our 2nd of 2-2nd round picks?

Everything points to that being a stellar pick. We'll see. Like all of our other picks, it's only July.

Flugel

@orion said:
Everything points to that being a stellar pick. We'll see. Like all of our other picks, it's only July.

Nothing says "Welcome to Training Camp" like the last week/few days of July. Within the 1st 2-3 weeks, they're gonna see who's winning and losing in those Okie Drills that give them a better idea of who the serious candidates are for securing roster spots and starting jobs. Same holds true for specific drills for other positions.

I still remember the 1st day of football as a sophomore in high school when the varsity team had 100 kids trying out and the JVs had 82 kids (in a class that had close to 600 students). Both teams practiced together during the 1st 5 days of conditioning. At the beginning of the very 1st practice the Varsity Coach sits us down at the bottom of a hill we'd learn to hate. During his motivational speech, he manages to tell us "Give your soul to God because your ass belongs to me!" At that moment, the seemingly unwaivered confidence I showed up with was taken hostage by a feeling of WHAT am I getting myself into? By the time I was a senior, it was the 3rd time hearing that speech and seeing the turnout. It still always boiled down to nothing is going to stop me from getting to my 1st live Okie Drill on day #6 thinking the amout of off-season work and prayer equipped me with the confidence I needed. High school football was a blast with lifelasting memories; so I can't even imagine what it feels like for our hand selected young guys coming to Berea for their 1st Cleveland Browns Training Camp.

Dutch Oven

@flugel said:
All true - thanks! Adding meatball on spaghetti, could there have been a better pick than Toledo Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with our 2nd of 2-2nd round picks?

I'm not going to complain for one second about taking EMW there.

I don't think you will either.

I'm still salty about using a third rounder the year before on Gabriel instead of an OLineman, though.

ballpeen

The thing about DBs is that their skills are measurable an observable no matter their level of competition, and Delaware isn't bottom of the barrel.

If the guy has requisite speed, has fluid hips, and shows good instincts, all of that translates to a NFL skill set, it doesn't matter a whole lot if the guy didn't play at Alabama or Ohio State. I am not saying the guy is a lock by any means but he stands a good chance

tiamat63

Boys, he's an UDFA from a small school.

Let's pump the brakes a little bit.

Flugel

@dutch-oven said:
I'm not going to complain for one second about taking EMW there.
I don't think you will either.
I'm still salty about using a third rounder the year before on Gabriel instead of an OLineman, though.

That pick was a gift! In the 2 draft magazines I bought, there was only 1 Safety rated higher (Caleb Downs) so getting EMW after we aleady had Fano, Concepcion, and Boston on board was tremendous value.

As for OT I was getting addicted to bellyaching about the lack of urgency to draft an OT - and this year we drafted 2 by the time round 3 concluded (after adding a couple vets that could play OG or OT in FA/Trade). If that's not enough, Dawand Jones finally had an off-season conditioning program where he could see his toes from a standing position afte getting his weight down to 350 lbs...

The only other thing I previously mentioned prior to the 2025 draft/last year beside OT & QB was Safety.

syd

@tiamat63 said:
Boys, he's an UDFA from a small school.
Let's pump the brakes a little bit.

Plenty of players come from small schools, why in the hell should i pump they brakes

Bob806

@dutch-oven said:
I'm not going to complain for one second about taking EMW there.
I don't think you will either.
I'm still salty about using a third rounder the year before on Gabriel instead of an OLineman, though.

I'm still salty Don Cockroft's punt got blocked in Miami in 1972?

Yeah DG didn't look the part, but who knows. New regime, so maybe he has some value.

TexasAg1969

@tiamat63 said:
Boys, he's an UDFA from a small school.
Let's pump the brakes a little bit.

At least until August when we win the Superbowl up until game one.?

Flugel

@tiamat63 said:
Boys, he's an UDFA from a small school.
Let's pump the brakes a little bit.

Fan isn't just a prefix of "Fantastic" or "Fanny" so let's have a little fun with this eh? The altenative (when supply and demand forces different strategy) is to give guys like Wayne Chrebet (undafted FA) or Marques Colston (7th round 252 overall) opportunities despite the fact that both were from a D3 football program on Long Island that no longer existed after 2009). There's also a former Tour fave Ali Marpet that played his college football as a standout OL for a D3 program at Hobart in Geneva, NY (Upstate) on a hill with a picturesque view overlooking Seneca Lake.

Leigh Bodden was a D1-AA Corner from Duquesne that became an Undrafted Rookie FA for the Browns in 2003. He contributed immediately as a 3rd Corner in the Nickel and on STs covering punts and kickoffs. This guy was very reliable for the Browns especially in areas they thought he had a great chance to be IMO. I'm sure there's more pleasant surprises like those I thought of off the top of my head; albeit we can agree they probably fall under a "pleasant surprise" category even if their NFL founders that put in the research will disagree.

r

tiamat63

Guys, I know we've found some late round, along with a couple UDFAs who outplayed their stock.

Not saying this kid can't come in and contribute. But declaring a gold strike with an UDFA rookie before his first training camp is a little too bold for any fanatic.

Flugel

@tiamat63 said:
Guys, I know we've found some late round, along with a couple UDFAs who outplayed their stock.
Not saying this kid can't come in and contribute. But declaring a gold strike with an UDFA rookie before his first training camp is a little too bold for any fanatic.

Thanks! I understand where you are coming from. Having said that, in just 1 draft with 10 selections made - the Browns were up against replacing 4-5 departed/starting OL (drafted 3 OL) as well as finding 1-2 early impact/playmaking WRs (drafted 2). Aside from all that, they needed more dual purpose at TE (that could add reliable blocking as well as reliable hands - drafted 2). Another important addition was Safety EMW with our 2nd of two 2nd round picks. Then they added a QB tall enough to see over his OL in round 6 (but his gears and athleticism might have him being used like other college QBs that were better NFL WRs that they would have ever been as NFL QBs). LB Justin Jefferson was added in round 5 for depth on LB Corps and early impact on kick/punt coverage units.

Unfortunately, Cornerback was the position that got neglected most when we see what areas of the team received the draft picks. Then again, who is to say that ANY of these last 4 picks (Justin Jefferson, Joe Royer, Taylen Green, or Carsen Ryan) have a much easier chance of making the Browns than Nate Evans? We need an upgrade over Myles Harden (7th rd pick in 2024) for the 3rd Corner spot so I don't mind joining in on enthusiastic responses for signing UFA - Nate Evans. If I'm wrong, it wouldn't be the 1st time. You get paid for your opinions because you deserve it; so you can't just carelessly take off your talent evaluation hat to say something like I just said in the previous sentence.