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From Tony Grossi's recent article ...

QB - Key players: Trent Dilfer, Luke McCown, Josh Harris.

Analysis: Savage has hinted that another veteran won't be added. That almost guarantees the team will draft a quarterback. The only question is how high.

Drafting another quarterback, IMO, signals that the franchise (i.e. Savage and Crennel) sees neither McCown nor Harris as the quarterback of the future. Not that it's a death knell for either or both, but certainly not a vote of confidence.

1987alum wrote:
Drafting another quarterback, IMO, signals that the franchise (i.e. Savage and Crennel) sees neither McCown nor Harris as the quarterback of the future. Not that it's a death knell for either or both, but certainly not a vote of confidence.

I really expect the Browns to draft a QB on the first day of the draft this year. Probably not in the first round, but names like McPherson, Frye, Campbell, and Walter have been coming up a LOT in Browns forums for picks in the 2nd or 3rd round.

As I have said many times, Josh has "It" going for him. He's a great competitor and seems to put his team on his back when need be. Unfortunately he does NOT have a strong NFL skillset. A strong, but not overly strong arm. He's short. He has accuracy troubles at times. He played in our offense which does very little to prepare a QB for the NFL.

I'd love to see him to succeed but he was a longshot from the get go. He'll get a shot in training camp to show something, and will likely get some PT in the early preseason (even if they do draft a QB). Even if things don't end up working out for him in Cleveland if he shows some promise in this offseason he will get a look somewhere else. QBs generally get every chance to prove themselves as valuable since they're so important to a football team...about like a lefty pitcher in baseball

Agree..Who do you think the Browns take in the first round if not a QB?

ffejfalcon wrote:Agree..Who do you think the Browns take in the first round if not a QB?

Hammb certainly deconstructed the thought of taking the LB from Texas. At the risk of getting hammered again, I'd submit that Pac-Man might be the best choice at #3; after that, I'd say Williams.

OK, hammb, hit me with your best shot!

Since we are discussing the Brown's draft pick, Len Pasquarelli of ESPN just chronicled the "new" Browns draft woes here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/s ... id=2012773

FWIW, I think Crennel is a defense first kind of guy. I think he picks a defender at #3. Be it Pac-Man, Rolle, or Johnson, I think he goes for that side of the ball. Then an offensive tackle in Round 2.

How about Dan Cody of OU?

He's a monster..........

1987alum wrote:

ffejfalcon wrote:Agree..Who do you think the Browns take in the first round if not a QB?

Hammb certainly deconstructed the thought of taking the LB from Texas. At the risk of getting hammered again, I'd submit that Pac-Man might be the best choice at #3; after that, I'd say Williams.

OK, hammb, hit me with your best shot!

Let me preface it by saying that I am no expert. Remember I said that I didn't think Big Ben stacked up with the likes of Leftwich as a prospect, because I didn't think he was ready to play yet. He had "Bust Potential" in my eyes, because he struggled to throw a tight spiral. Obviously I was wrong there (and if you compare film from Miami to Pittsburgh you'll see a drastic difference in the ball he throws).

Well a week or two ago I was on the PacMan train. I think he has the potential to be a light's out corner. Whenever I saw WVU the past season(s) he was making plays. Whether it be an INT or Punt Return it seemed like the guy was always a threat for a TD. Then the Browns put pretty good money into Baxter, which was a good signing, IMO. I still salivate at the thought of Baxter & PacMan in the same backfield, but I'm not sure that the Browns FO will really like the idea of putting that much $$$ into the CBs. I still like PacMan, but I'm not sure he'll be the Browns pick. When they let Henry walk at first I thought CB was a lock, but now...who knows.

I LOVE Cadillac. In fact I LOVE all 3 RBs. In Cadillac you get a good, instinctual runner who has proven he can gain yards. In Ronnie Brown you get a slasher with great size & speed who is versatile enough to line up at FB or WR as well RB. In Benson you get the ultimate workhorse. This guy will just go between the tackles, find the seam, find some daylight and fall forward for 6-7 yards. I read a stat that over half of his yards this season came after first contact! RB is where the real value of this draft is. Those 3 guys all stack up as great prospects, on another level from the other guys in this draft.

As for how all this applies to the Browns? I cannot figure it out. With Cleveland you're looking at a team that has a hole EVERYWHERE. The lone exception is TE where you're still counting on a guy who has only played 2 games and is coming off a broken leg. I'm sure he'll be a star in the future, but you cannot be 100%.

At RB the Browns have Suggs who cannot stay healthy & when he does cannot hold onto the ball. I HATE Lee Suggs. Why? Because he flashes me brilliance only to drop the ball or miss 3 weeks. The guy has all the talent of an NFL RB, but you just cannot rely on him for 16 games. The same could be said for William Green. The guy goes through stretches where he explodes through the hole, and he goes through stretches where's he's suspended for smokin' weed. Another guy with talent you just cannot count on. I would not be shocked to see the Browns take any of the 3 RBs. Benson has been #1 on most boards forever, but Ronnie Brown had a good combine and may leapfrog him. It is quite possible (probable?) that one of them will be gone to Miami @ #2, so I could very easily see the Browns taking one of the remaining 2. I'm not positive they'd go that route, but there is a hole there and these three are likely 3 of the best 5 players in this draft.

Defense is still a possibility. As I eluded to, I like PacMan a lot. However, just because I'm not sold on him, don't be surprised if its Derrick Johnson from Texas. The kid is, without a doubt, a fantastic athlete. My qualms are mostly that he doesn't shed blocks well enough to be the prototype for the 3-4. If you look at Crennel's defenses in the past you'll see guys like LT & Vrabel at OLB that are really tweeners between DE/LB. DJ is a fantastic LB prospect, but if they truly want to go to a 3-4 I don't think he's a great fit, but I wouldn't be shocked if they went with him either. Another guy who has been getting some pub lately is Shawne Merriman from Maryland. The guy fits that tweener body type and was a fantastic player at Maryland. Still he was slotted in the 15-20 range until recently, and I'm always wary of guys who skyrocket up boards after the season has ended. I really think he'd be a reach at #3.

The other position that hasn't gotten as much pub until recently is WR. There are two top notch WRs in this draft, although I'm afraid of Braylon big time. First of all there is a stigma with UM WRs, they generally are horrible in the NFL. Secondly, the guy showed a penchant for dropping easy balls in college. That scares me in the NFL, because there will be a lot of those easy balls that are now not so easy. Of course plenty of WRs have become stars overcoming the occasional drop (Andre Johnson, TO, Moss). Braylon has the athletic ability to be a big time playmaker. Conversely, Mike Williams doesn't drop a thing. He doesn't have the speed of Braylon, but this kid will go over the middle and is so big he's nearly uncoverable by a DB. He's got the size of a LB, and the speed of a safety. With his ability to get the ball at its highest point and some of the best hands I've seen in college he should be a star as well.

That takes us back to conventional wisdom. Conventional Wisdom in the draft always says that if there is a franchise QB available and you don't already have one you don't have a decision to make. You take the QB. I'm not big on drafting QBs so high, because you pay them a ton of $$ off your cap, and they should usually be sitting the bench at least one season. Either way if the Browns FO believes Rogers/Smith (I expect one to be gone before hte Browns pick) is a true franchise QB, they could jump on them at that slot.

Right now I'm not really ready to make a prediction as to who I think the Browns will take as I think the RBs, WRs, QBs, and DJ/PacMan are all viable options. What's probably best for the Browns is a trade down scenario to add an additional 1st or 2nd round pick. There has been talk that Minnesota is in love with one of the WRs and may be willing to move up. If some teams fall in love with the RBs or WRs I could see a trade down as a viable move for the Browns. If they stay put, I really cannot yet say who I think they'll take.

Funny thing is with this draft and where the Browns are picking, I find the 2nd round INFINITELY more interesting and exciting than the first rounder.

ffejfalcon wrote:How about Dan Cody of OU?

He's a monster..........

He's a very fine player, no doubt. Right now he's slotted between 15-25. Taking him at #3 would be a big reach. If they were to trade into that area of the draft and pick up extra picks I think Cody would be an excellent pick.

hammb:

Agreed that Pac-Man would be a calculated risk - RE: Investing so much into CB. You can't help but draw the Dixon-Minnifield parallel there, of course. Having two "shut-down" corners must get a former DC like Crennel salivating because it creates so many options.

Often overlooked in Jim Johnson's elaborate blitz packages is his reliance on man coverage on the corners. Vincent & Taylor and now Brown and Sheppard provide him with the ability to send folks from all angles to keep the offense on its heels. That would have to appeal to Crennel at some level.

The RB pick would be tough to argue with, though. Let's face it, this is not a very deep draft, but there are a number of good backs available.

1987alum wrote: The RB pick would be tough to argue with, though. Let's face it, this is not a very deep draft, but there are a number of good backs available.

Actually, I think it IS a deep draft. What it is not is a top heavy draft. There are no elite prospects. Not one. Picks 1-10 could all net you about the same level of player, IMO. Looking back at last year's I think you could make a case that Winslow, Taylor, Gallery, Manning, Rivers, and Fitzgerald would all be the #1 prospect in this year's draft (although not necessarily the #1 pick).

However, the draft is deep, especially at RB where its considered the deepest in years (a big reason why D'Angelo Williams went back to Memphis). You will find starters in this draft throughout the 2nd & possibly 3rd rounds.

Given the Brown's needs EVERYWHERE, I agree that they could pick almost anyone. But I have my doubts about picking a QB at #3. Crennel came from NE where they had a seventh rounder lead them to three Super Bowls. My feeling is that Crennell will try to go that same route. And Baltimore traded up a few years back to pick a QB. While Savage may not have agreed with doing that, he was still there and part of the process. Boller hasn't exactly set the world on fire. Given those two facts, I think the Browns will NOT pick a QB in round #1.

I agree hammb that things are more interesting, and more important, what they do after the first round. Picking so high, they are almost obligated to pick from just a handful of players. Like you said, Cody would work well in a 3-4, but there is no way they could pick him so high. All the players are graded and picking at # 3 you almost have to take the guy with the top grade, no matter the position. Given the RBs seeming to start standing out at the top of the draft, I wouldn't be surprised to see either of the Auburn guys getting picked by Cleveland.

hammb wrote:

1987alum wrote: The RB pick would be tough to argue with, though. Let's face it, this is not a very deep draft, but there are a number of good backs available.

Actually, I think it IS a deep draft. What it is not is a top heavy draft. There are no elite prospects. Not one. Picks 1-10 could all net you about the same level of player, IMO. Looking back at last year's I think you could make a case that Winslow, Taylor, Gallery, Manning, Rivers, and Fitzgerald would all be the #1 prospect in this year's draft (although not necessarily the #1 pick).

However, the draft is deep, especially at RB where its considered the deepest in years (a big reason why D'Angelo Williams went back to Memphis). You will find starters in this draft throughout the 2nd & possibly 3rd rounds.

Think I'll take a wait and see on that.

hammb wrote:

1987alum wrote:
Drafting another quarterback, IMO, signals that the franchise (i.e. Savage and Crennel) sees neither McCown nor Harris as the quarterback of the future. Not that it's a death knell for either or both, but certainly not a vote of confidence.

I really expect the Browns to draft a QB on the first day of the draft this year. Probably not in the first round, but names like McPherson, Frye, Campbell, and Walter have been coming up a LOT in Browns forums for picks in the 2nd or 3rd round.

As I have said many times, Josh has "It" going for him. He's a great competitor and seems to put his team on his back when need be. Unfortunately he does NOT have a strong NFL skillset. A strong, but not overly strong arm. He's short. He has accuracy troubles at times. He played in our offense which does very little to prepare a QB for the NFL.

I'd love to see him to succeed but he was a longshot from the get go. He'll get a shot in training camp to show something, and will likely get some PT in the early preseason (even if they do draft a QB). Even if things don't end up working out for him in Cleveland if he shows some promise in this offseason he will get a look somewhere else. QBs generally get every chance to prove themselves as valuable since they're so important to a football team...about like a lefty pitcher in baseball

After getting Dilfer? No way they draft a QB, they need an O-Line.

golfertk:

No way, absolutely NO WAY, the Browns draft O-line with the #3 pick. There's no Pace or Gallery on the board this year. As little sense as many of us here think it makes, the Browns may, in fact, tab Smith or Rogers with their top pick. They'd love to trade down, but that is appearing less and less likely.

If the Browns can't trade down, I'd love to see them draft defense.

We'll see...

You bring up a good point, our defense was horrible last year. I'll ask you, with our 3rd pick, which defender do you draft? And do you also trade and sign free agents for their offensive line?