On Monday we looked into the Browns' current receiver situation and why an explosive playmaker is needed. If you missed it,
here it is. Today we'll be looking more closely at one of the most exciting players in the draft, the much-discussed and much-hyped A.J. Green, receiver from Georgia. Does he deserve the hype and the attention? Let's see.
For the sake of the discussion, let's start with the simple stuff. He stands 6'4" tall and weighs approximately 208 lbs. The combine (starting tomorrow) will provide more measurements that will help us quantify his talents even better. His size is prototypical for a receiver, and it gives him a wide range for a quarterback to throw a pass into. However, he could easily afford to add a few more pounds to his lean frame to better absorb the big hits that NFL defensive backs and linebackers like to dish out.
I'm sure Cleveland fans, who were forced to put up with Braylon Edwards for several years, will be ecstatic to see that A.J. Green's most outstanding talent is his hands. He just catches everything. In the Youtube clip I posted on Monday, his coach at Georgia mentioned that it was highly irregular to see him drop a single pass throughout the course of practice. In his (lengthy) highlight reel of catches, we see that he catches the easy passes as well as the ridiculously difficult passes. Potentially coming into a West Coast offense, it's important for him to catch every ball that comes his way, and I think he can do that. His ability to make tough catches while tightly covered also foretells his ability to be a reliable, go-to guy for young quarterback Colt McCoy.
When watching Youtube clips (my best resource for game film) of his highlights, one aspect of his game that really stood out to me was his ability to slip tackles. He doesn't have an overpowering stiff arm or the leg power of a running back to break tackles, but he seems to have a slippery quality that allows him to slip out of a lot of tackles. With so much poor tackling in the NFL he should have ample opportunities to catch a short pass, slip a tackle from a corner and scamper into the end zone. Right now Josh Cribbs is the only football player in Cleveland with that ability, but his skills as a receiver do not allow him to have as many of these opportunities as A.J. Green.
Some aspects of a player that are hard to quantify are the most important when drafting a player, especially with such a high pick as the Browns have. Attitude, work ethic, focus, injury history, and football intelligence are some that scouts will try to keep track of. Personally, I believe that a football player's intangibles are more important than any of his other attributes. While some have characterized him as a diva, I don't see his attitude as harmful. Interviews with Green himself, as well as family, teammates, and coaches would be very useful in divining his attitude towards football, but I can only go on what I see in the media. What I see is a hard working, focused football player. From looking back at his stats from high school and college, he never seemed to have much of a down year. His receptions from his freshman year of high school to his junior year of college are as follows: 57, 75, 60, 87, 56, 53, 57. I believe that this shows he maintains his focus and continues to work hard every season. The quote I mentioned earlier about how he practices also shows that he has a good attitude. He was suspended for four games at the beginning of his junior season for selling a game-worn jersey. I don't think that indicates anything a professional team has to worry about. It's worth noting that Green missed 3 games in his sophomore season due to a shoulder injury. He did, however, return for the Independence Bowl that year and recorded six catches for 57 yards. I don't think he has any significant health questions, and I believe his intangibles will take him far in the NFL.
On the downside of all of this discussion, our friends down south in Cincinatti could easily take him at the fourth overall pick and steal him away from us. I sincerely hope that they don't do that, and I've been trying to rationalize reasons that they won't. Cincinatti's coaching staff was the staff that coached the North team in this year's Senior Bowl. They got to see first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of the seniors going into this year's draft. However, since he declared as a junior A.J. Green was not a participant. It's not inconceivable that the Bengals will stick with drafting players they are more familiar with, especially considering that they are well known for not having a conventional scouting department.
However, it's not all roses and butterflies around here. There is always an inherent risk with drafting a wide receiver high in the draft. This position is often seen as a luxury position that should be strengthened when a team has a more solid foundation. The Browns have many holes to fill on their roster and those may take priority, especially considering the depth of defensive talent in this year's draft. The Bengals are in a very similar position.
As James Walker of ESPN writes, "I am strongly against taking receivers in the top 10, no matter how talented they are. Teams picking that high usually have a bevy of needs," and I usually agree with this philosophy. However, Walker continues, "this year might be the exception for my theory of drafting receivers in the top 10." This is also how I feel, but there are more concerns, as well. Green has a very lanky, thin body and he might not be able to hold up to the pounding that occurs over 16 (or even more) games in the NFL season. Youtube clips do not give the best perspective on route running, and I have seen some report that his is not as crisp as it could be while others praise his route running. I think his routes are adequate, but it's very possible that with his outstanding physical talents he has never developed the crisp route running that characterizes great West Coast receivers. The NFL Combine will tell us more, and we might be nitpicking here, but he might not have top-end speed like DeSean Jackson or Mike Wallace. I think 40 times are vastly overvalued and I think Green's open-field speed is good enough to allow him to break away from defenders and score on long runs.
Overall, I think if he is available at #6 for the Browns he is the best option. He is a playmaker, he can find the endzone in many ways, and he has a very low "bust factor." His size, leaping, timing, and hands will quickly make him one of the best jump-ball receivers in the league and his ability to slip tackles also makes him a home-run threat on any given play. These skills would open up the Browns' offense and give Colt McCoy a reliable target to throw to in pressure-packed situation. Hopefully the dice will roll our way on draft day this year and we can add this high-octane talent to our otherwise dreadfully boring offense.
As I've been writing this "argument", much has gone on in the world of the NFL and the Browns. On Friday we'll have a roundup of the relevant news that has been going on. As always, stay tuned.
