CB Dimitri Patterson Seeing Significant Action Early

by Chris Pokorny on Aug 5, 2011 10:43 AM EDT in General News

Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns signed free agent cornerback Dimitri Patterson of the Philadelphia Eagles. I didn't think much of the signing, because I thought he was just going to end up being camp fodder or a special teams player at best. As it turns out, defensive coordinator Dick Jauron might have bigger plans in store for Patterson.

Everyone should read this article from the Plain Dealer yesterday, in which Mary Kay Cabot talks about Patterson. The seventh-year player certainly sounded confident that he will have a role on the team this year. His tone conveys to me that the front office made it clear that he was not brought here to be camp fodder, but rather to fulfill the void left after Eric Wright decided to sign a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions instead of the Browns.

"If they need me to play inside, play outside, play safety, they know my skill set," said Patterson. "I can play all four positions and I did that in Philly. I'm just here to do whatever I can do to help this team come back."

You can add Patterson to my post on Thursday about eradicating Mangini's players. Patterson played for Jauron last year in Philly as a starter for part of the season. Obviously the Eagles decided to make some major upgrades at cornerback this offseason, but I am always in favor of taking underachieving starters and thrusting them back into a lesser role. I think the experience that they gained can only help them be a better player.

The Browns didn't waste any time moving Patterson ahead of Coye Francies and Buster Skrine on the thin depth chart. On Thursday, he saw action at nickel back with the first-team defense, while Francies and Skrine played with the second unit. According to Daniel Wolf's tweets from Friday morning's practice, with Joe Haden sidelined, Patterson is playing cornerback with the first-team defense:

Live at #Browns camp: With Haden out (or resting or whatever), Patterson is starting CB w 1st team D. U Young starting too.less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet ReplyDaniel Wolf
DanielWolfNFL

It's not a guarantee that Patterson will make the final roster, but given the lack of experience after Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown, it sounds likely that he will. He'll be one of the players to watch on Saturday as fans fill Cleveland Browns Stadium for an afternoon practice session.

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Comments

I don’t like this.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 11:04 AM EDT reply actions

i dont like haden being out.

but i think im beginning to like patterson.

Smile big, hug bigger. Talk big, act bigger. Stop judging do something, shut the fck up do something.

by pwndabear on Aug 5, 2011 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions

He sounds ok in this short interview.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice there is. -- Yogi Berra

by JustPlainBrowns on Aug 5, 2011 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions

Why not? He’s better than Wright.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

I highly doubt that.

cautiously realistic

by North Coast Flea on Aug 5, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions

Last year he was slightly better than Wright by some metrics. FO also named him one of the 25 worst players in football.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions

“worst” is far different than “least valuable.” i highly doubt he is one of the worst.

Smile big, hug bigger. Talk big, act bigger. Stop judging do something, shut the fck up do something.

by pwndabear on Aug 5, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions

was Delhomme on that list?

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Aug 5, 2011 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions

because he was deemed as the least valuable player…

Smile big, hug bigger. Talk big, act bigger. Stop judging do something, shut the fck up do something.

by pwndabear on Aug 5, 2011 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions

You have to take into account that last year was the worst year in EW’s career.

cautiously realistic

by North Coast Flea on Aug 5, 2011 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Right. I would much rather have EW. Last year was his worst year and this guys best. The likelihood of either one of them continuing at that level is small.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions

“worse… or better?”

Alcohol abuse and Cleveland sports fans: hand-in-hand since 1955.

by Clevsports on Aug 5, 2011 8:41 PM EDT up reply actions

http://artisticdoom.com/ui/comics/2009-09-15-invader-zim-tribute.png

Alcohol abuse and Cleveland sports fans: hand-in-hand since 1955.

by Clevsports on Aug 5, 2011 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions

sorry meant to do this….

Alcohol abuse and Cleveland sports fans: hand-in-hand since 1955.

by Clevsports on Aug 5, 2011 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

checking stats alone, here is how they compare…

Eric Wright (2007-Present)
GS/GP: 55/59, Sacks: 1.0, INTs: 9, FF: 2, FR: 4, TDs: 1, Tackles: 221, Asst: 23

Dimitri Patterson (2005-Present)*
GS/GP: 9/49, Sacks: 1.0, INTs: 5, FF: 1, FR: 0, TDs: 1, Tackles: 73, Asst: 7
*didn’t play in 2006

i was in favor of keeping Wright. unfortunately that didn’t happen. even without looking at these numbers i feel like Wright was better, but this kind of solidifies it. Heckert seems to like him then so be it. also i just saw Mike Mayock on NFL Net covering our training camp today where he mentions Patterson as one of the new guys that will help contribute in our talented, young D. but i’m not all that excited about him. we’ll just have to wait and see.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Aug 5, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Wright had 46 more starts than Patterson. Also it seems to me that anything that Patterson did happened last year.

2010: 16 games 9 starts 52 total tackles (50+ 2 assists) 1 sack and 4 interceptions

I get the feeling he is on his way up and with more playing time his stats won’t be all that different than Wright’s.

by crazyL80 on Aug 5, 2011 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions

it’s really not that big of a deal, but pro football reference has Dimitri with 42 tackles and 2 assists. that’s the site i use for all my players/coaching stats. i don’t really doubt Dimitri’s ability to become our nickel CB, but i just hope he doesn’t have to sub in as our 2nd CB. i don’t think he could handle it.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Aug 5, 2011 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t give Wright a break ever, but he’s probably better than Patterson.

"I want my unwarranted optimism back." -Dilbert

by Simmsinns on Aug 5, 2011 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

I really don’t care about DB stats. But if you want to look at them, who would you rather have as a backup? Last year’s Wright or last year’s Patterson? Plus those stats you presented don’t show Wright is a better player. Patterson didn’t play much on a far more superior defense. But when he did, he put up similar numbers to a starting Wright.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

damn it. meant for BB488

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions

when comparing the two side by side with only last year Dimitri does have a little better stats: 4/1 interceptions and 42/36 tackles over Wright. Dimitri started in one less game but played in all 16 compared to Wright’s 13. either way i’d say they’re both pretty equal, although i still would prefer Wright over Patterson just because he has better overall experience. and i know stats don’t tell the whole story, but who wants a defender with low tackle and interception totals? typically that means the player isn’t that great.

by the way i forgot to post their passes defensed stats. Wright has 45 career PDs with 9 of them from last season. Patterson has 13 PDs with 11 of them from last season. that’s another very important stat when referring to DBs.

and if i knew where to find stats on how often each of these players were targeted during total defensive plays by game and how their success/failure rate compared i would do so, but i don’t know where to find those stats. i mention that because i know guys like Revis and Asomugha initially had terrible stats, but only because they weren’t targeted too often because QBs were scared of them. the CB that played opposite of Asomugha last season was targeted 3 times as often as he was simply because he’s that good.

with all that said i know exactly what you mean about not caring about these stats, but most DBs in the league don’t play at the same level as Revis and Asomugha so the stats still matter.

Yvan Eht Nioj.

by Brownsbacker488 on Aug 5, 2011 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t care about Ints/tackles.

A great place to go is Football Outsiders. On there, they rank similar and they do it more on a per-play basis. I would still rather have Wright because last year was a down year.

I teach good life choices. That’s why I almost didn’t graduate High School.
Intensive Purposes? I could care less...
your whole argument is a fallacy!

by bross09 on Aug 5, 2011 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m more interested in if Patterson did stuff like give up 3 tds to wide open receivers in the same game

by HenryDawg on Aug 5, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Baltimore game… sigh.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions

He did. A lot.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Proof?

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Patterson was a last resort at cornerback forced into action by injuries; teams avoided Asante Samuel and spent the second half throwing at the guy who the Philadelphia Inquirer politely noted " … is better suited to special teams."

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/player/16657/dimitri-patterson

He was targeted on 13% of opposing team’s pass plays, and those plays averaged 14.2 yards. Wright wasn’t any better, but this guy is bad too. There’s also what the Eagles fans said when we signed him, but that’s just fan assessment.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

That quote is from the article that ranked him one of the 25 least valuable players in football.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions

THANK you

Smile big, hug bigger. Talk big, act bigger. Stop judging do something, shut the fck up do something.

by pwndabear on Aug 5, 2011 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks. I’ll keep an eye out then.

My dog is a badass. His name is Kosar.

by Brownie's Year on Aug 5, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

It doesn’t say how many TDs he was burned on does it? I know what half those stats mean.

by HenryDawg on Aug 5, 2011 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions

That’s a counting stat, which in most cases are worthless in player evaluation without context. It’s also dependent on a lot of factors outside the player’s control.

Look up what those stats mean, it’s on the site. They account for game situation and compare to league average in order to take out as many uncontrollable variables as possible. This means they try to be an accurate measure of the player’s skill, rather than that of his team.

"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools" -Hemingway

by notthatnoise on Aug 5, 2011 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions

I would love for the Browns to trade for Taylor Mays. He is still raw, but is extremely athletic and could end up being a beast. With the entire league knowing that he is available his trade value could be as low as a 4th rounder or role player.

by MDBrownie on Aug 5, 2011 1:49 PM EDT reply actions

Agree!!!

by KnowledgeInfinite7 on Aug 6, 2011 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Don’t have a huge issue with this, yet.

I’m okay with guys getting time with the ones, because we all know that injuries mount as the season goes along. If Patterson is as bad as some people believe (I think he is probably better than “the worst 25 players”) then it won’t take long to figure it out.

I fully agree with Chris, I like having guys with starting experience. I wish we could have kept Wright, but I am hoping that Patterson will be able to play the nickel/dime role (I think Mike Adams is our best bet for nickel DB).

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 5, 2011 2:15 PM EDT reply actions

the ~~worst~~ least valuable 25 players

Smile big, hug bigger. Talk big, act bigger. Stop judging do something, shut the fck up do something.

by pwndabear on Aug 5, 2011 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he is probably better than "the worst 25 players

why do you believe that?

by The Licensed Pessimist on Aug 5, 2011 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

1. Because he was better than any CB on his team not named Asante Samuel. Otherwise, they would have been starting.

2. He started on a team that was middle of the road against the pass. If he was so bad, I think the numbers would be a bit more ugly.

3. His former GM and DC had no qualms with bringing him in.

Does that sound like a guy that is one of the 25 least valuable players? Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think he is the walking target that Eagles fans make him out to be.

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 5, 2011 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Pretty sure he also had 3 INTs and one for a TD. One of the 25th worst doesn’t do that.

Pittsburgh is just jealous. We got Cudi and they have Wiz.

by SpecialBrownie on Aug 5, 2011 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Because he was better than any CB on his team not named Asante Samuel.

Patterson was a last resort at cornerback forced into action by injuries

cautiously realistic

by North Coast Flea on Aug 5, 2011 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Two Philly CB’s went on IR last season. Hobbs (the starter) and Jorrick Calvin who was nothing more than a kick returner.

I don’t see how beating about everyone else is a “last resort”.

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 5, 2011 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Excellent points. Also that 25 least valuable players article was more opinion than fact.

by HenryDawg on Aug 5, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Your excuses are pretty bad

Because he was better than any CB on his team not named Asante Samuel. Otherwise, they would have been starting.

The two players before him went on IR. He was so bad that he only played because everyone ahead of him got injured.

He started on a team that was middle of the road against the pass. If he was so bad, I think the numbers would be a bit more ugly.

He played across from a probowler. If you have one of the best with one of the worst, then what do you get?

middle of the road

You answered your own question

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think he is the walking target that Eagles fans make him out to be.

You think you know more than the people who watched him every game, and football analyst, by pulling three excuses out of the air?

by The Licensed Pessimist on Aug 5, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

So Steeler fans can coherently say that Rapey is the best qb ever because those jack holes watch him everyday?

Pittsburgh is just jealous. We got Cudi and they have Wiz.

by SpecialBrownie on Aug 5, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions

He was so bad that he only played because everyone ahead of him got injured.

This is what drives me crazy about you. Ellis Hobbs was the starter who landed on IR. The only other CB to land on IR was primarily a KR and didn’t play on defense.

But instead of understanding what you are talking about, or even reading my entire post (because I did make that distinction) you just try and “stir the pot”.

I have no problem with taking the opposing view, just quit making things up.

by Bernie19Kosar on Aug 6, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

You are a joke.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by rufio on Aug 6, 2011 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I can’t wait for the day that we cut our trash and they get starting consideration with other teams. Their message boards light up talking about our depth and the guy would have been a starter other than our awesomeness.

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Aug 5, 2011 4:54 PM EDT reply actions

The 25 LEAST valuable was for last year on a different team. It is a different team and a different year. So let’s see how he plays before we say he is better than or worse than EW. Eric may do great in Detroit that is why he signed a 1 year deal and not a multi year deal. 1 year can make alot of people forgot about past failures espaecially if he does well.

The same goes for Patterson.

And if I am not mistaken we already had some of the least valuable players on that list. So if we only have 1 and we are not paying him a ridiculous amount (ie. Delhomme) then we are ahead of where we were last year.

by SBP on Aug 5, 2011 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

After reviewing the article the Browns have at some point had 4 of those least valuable. Delhomme was 1 and Picatelli was 2, DA was on the list at 12 and probably would have been higher if he was still with the Browns. And rounding it out was John St. Clair was at #17.

by SBP on Aug 5, 2011 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions

OT – headed to Tribe game 109 degrees. Hope that new pitcher gives us a spark.

Change isn't good or bad it just "is". Don Draper of Madmen

by realmccoy on Aug 5, 2011 6:05 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs

Via MKC:

“D” wins two-minute: The defense won a spirited two-minute drill at the end of practice. On third-and-goal with five seconds remaining, Dimitri Patterson deflected a Colt McCoy pass intended for Greg Little at the goal line.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/08/browns_training_camp_log_day_7.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

by HenryDawg on Aug 5, 2011 8:51 PM EDT reply actions