The NFL Draft will be held a week from Saturday, and the Cleveland Browns are all over the news. There are many reports that WR Braylon Edwards will be traded either prior to or on draft day. The Browns reportedly will get a couple of draft picks and a veteran wide out in return. If I am trading Edwards to the New York Giants, who are the principal partners, I would want a first round pick because the Giants’ second round pick is virtually a third rounder.
If the deal is made, the speculation is that the Browns would then take Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree with the fifth overall pick. I would disagree with that. I would still go defense, and then use my next pick on one of the plethora of talented wide receivers available in this year’s selection meeting.
There have also been rumors about Brady Quinn being dealt to San Francisco for, you guessed it, more draft picks. Although I would prefer to deal Derek Anderson if I was dealing a quarterback, it would not be surprising if GM George Kokinis added as many as five more picks before or during the draft. The new regime is committed to building this way, so the more selections they get, the quicker the process will be. At least, that’s the plan.
Also, the more picks, the more margin for error. If you only have five picks, you really have to hit on all of them. If you have ten picks, and you miss on four players, you still got six players who will contribute to the roster.
What also strikes me as funny is the observations the new brass have on last year’s draft picks, particularly OLB Alex Hall and NT Ahtyba Rubin. The Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto reported that the coaching staff think they can contribute this season.
This just confirms my suspicions regarding the relationship between former GM Phil Savage and former coach Romeo Crennel. My contention was that Savage thought he brought in some talented players, but the coaching staff didn’t use them. That Eric Mangini thinks both can play just may show that Savage was correct. I wonder what they think of WR Paul Hubbard? To me, this was Crennel’s greatest weakness as a head coach.
By the end of next weekend, the Cleveland Browns could have a completely different look as a football team, with several new players at key positions. This year’s draft is a huge day is how much time a return to the playoffs may take.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 
If they trade Braylon Edwards to the Giants for a first round pick and other draft picks, then maybe Michael Crabtree would be a smart pick, because they can not go into this season without having a legitimate threat at Wide Receiver; he has that kind of potential. Now there may be guys available in the second round but there is no room for this team to be taking those kind of chances after trading away Kellen Winslow and possibly Braylon Edwards; and also losing Jurevicius and Stallworth. They can still load up on defense with the 1st rounder from the Giants and the two picks in round 2, which are in the top 50. Alex Hall is a very talented young player who will be ready to compete for time on the field and Leon Williams is another guy who has shown decent potential and will be given the opportunity to compete for playing time in the middle this year. I don’t think anyone in the draft is overwhelmingly that much better than those two guys. Don’t get me wrong, the Cleveland Browns need help everywhere on defense; having another first round draft pick at linebacker to go along with Kamerion Wimbley and D Qwell Jackson will certainly be an improvement to this team but they can not allow that to keep them from getting the player who they think is the best on their draft board, because this team needs help in just about every position, on both sides of the ball. So whoever they select, they just can not miss!