Browns Should Keep #2, Trade Down Later

Many people think the Los Angeles Rams threw a wrench in the NFL draft plans of many teams when they moved up 14 spots to the first overall selection.

Now, there are many Browns’ fans and media alike advocating trading down to gain more picks, just like the Tennessee Titans did.

We are not in that category.

This is not to say the Browns have an awful lot of holes on the roster, and need plenty of help. However, we would not trade down from the second selection in the process.

Cleveland earned getting the second pick by virtue of their terrible 2015 season, and they should not forfeit the choice.

While we aren’t draft experts or scouts, there does seem to be some talented players, Pro Bowl type players in the top five guys coming into the league.

If the front office and coaching staff still want a quarterback after signing Robert Griffin III as a free agent, then they can still select whomever is left between Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.

If they want to add to the other areas of the team, most of which need help for sure, they can choose between DT DeForest Buckner of Oregon, CB/S Jalen Ramsey of Florida State, DE Joey Bosa of Ohio State, and LB Myles Jack of UCLA.

Notice all four of those guys are defensive players, and if you can recall last season (or still want to for that matter), the Browns defense resembled a sieve.

Whether it is on offense or defense, the Browns need a star, someone to build the unit around. That’s why we would keep the pick.

Don’t forget that the brown and orange have the first pick in the second round too. Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta will likely be inundated with teams wanting that pick from the end of the first round on Thursday to the time the second round starts on Friday.

If Cleveland wants to deal that choice to get more picks, then so be it. It is sound strategy. We aren’t disputing the Browns need a large influx of talent.

But they need great players to start the building process, and more often than not you get great players early in the first round.

Granted, Tennessee got a haul for moving down to #15, they should have. There is a big difference between picking first and in the middle of the round. The Browns would probably have to go down that many spots to get that type of bounty.

Dropping out of the top five or even the top ten choices, won’t get you as much as the Titans received. And is it really worth an extra pick or two this year to remove yourself from having the chance to pick one of the top five players in this year’s draft?

Besides, we feel the Browns will wind up with more picks this year anyway. It would not be surprising if Cleveland dealt players like Paul Kruger, Trammon Williams, Desmond Bryant, and yes, even Joe Thomas for more picks during the draft.

Remember, all of those guys are over 30 years old, and we believe the front office doesn’t want aging players on this roster.

The gutsy move is to make a decision at #2, and not defer it until later in the draft. Take the best player on your draft board, whether it’s a QB or not.

The Browns needs players, yes. However, they also need great players.

Browns Fill Needs, Nothing Wrong With That.

The Cleveland Browns seem to have had a very good draft. Just let that sink in for a minute.

It wasn’t sexy like some people in the media wanted, they didn’t draft a quarterback early, nor did they take a wide receiver. However, what they did do was address a major weakness.

For all the moaning and hand-wringing about the quarterback play in 2014, the Browns ranked 20th in the league in passing yards. Granted, that is in the lower half of the league, but it is not the worst, which is where their defense against the running game was in 2014.

So, in their first five choices in the first three rounds, they picked three defensive players, two of them specifically picked to help against the run.

Washington NT Danny Shelton was the pick at #12, and at 6’1″ and 343 pounds will play in the middle of the defensive line for Cleveland. He, along with a healthy Phil Taylor, will occupy blockers and make plays against the run.

In the third round, GM Ray Farmer traded back in to pick another interior defender, DT Xavier Cooper from Washington State who weighs 293 pounds. Cooper is said to need more strength, but is very fast for a tackle, which should help him rush the passer as well.

Farmer didn’t ignore the pass rush either, selecting OLB Nate Orchard in the second round. Orchard, from Utah had 17.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss last season, and was said to give first round pick Andrus Peat from Stanford fits when they played the Cardinal in ’14.

The Browns needed play makers in the front seven and they may have added three in this year’s draft. You really can’t complain about that.

On the offensive side of the ball, perhaps no team in the NFL has a better threesome on the left side than Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio and Alex Mack. However, as good as they are, the right side had problems. So, Farmer addressed that by taking Cameron Erving from Florida State, who can play any position on the line.

He will no doubt move in here at either right guard or right tackle.

And the offense also lacked a change of pace running back, which the Browns addressed in the third round by taking Duke Johnson from Miami. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, which is not a strength or Terence West or Isaiah Crowell. This gives the offense an added dimension.

It seems when the Browns draft skill position players, they are criticized for not addressing the offensive and defensive lines. And when they take care of the infrastructure and take care of the basic needs of the team, then they get heat for not making a splash.

We don’t know if the players they have taken so far will be Pro Bowl talents, but it does appear that both Shelton and Erving should start in Week 1, which first round picks should do.

That’s why you draft them there.

You have to give Ray Farmer credit for addressing the weaknesses of his football team. Are there still more to fill? Yes, we undoubtedly need a play making wide receiver. But, it’s not like he took a left tackle instead of one.

The Browns can’t be a contender until they can run the ball and stop the run. That’s basic football.

Last year, they showed big improvement in the running game, and this year they are taking strides to stop the opponents.

That seems like a plan, which they are usually mocked for not having one.

Browns Have Other Needs Than QB, Take Care of Them

Just think, a week from now, it will all be over.

You might think we are talking about the Cavs’ first round series against the Boston Celtics, which may be over later this afternoon.

No, we are talking about the NFL Draft and the northeastern Ohio football fan’s annual rite of passage, trying to figure out what quarterback the Browns should go after so they can start qualifying for the playoffs.

We get so absorbed into this and the perceived need for a QB, that people lose sight that you need a complete team to win the Lombardi Trophy.

What do these quarterbacks have in common: Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, Colin Kaepernick, and Alex Smith.

All would probably be considered in the top half of signal callers in the game, but none of them played in the playoff after last season.

This is not to say the Browns don’t need help at the QB spot, but first, they need to see what Johnny Manziel can do, because six quarters isn’t enough evaluation time, and second, they have other needs to fill.

That’s why it is ludicrous to us to consider trading both first round picks for another rookie quarterback.

You probably will wind up with a player who can’t start in the first game of the season, but you also lose the opportunity to add two players who could.

The conversation on sports talk shows regarding getting a passer border on desperation.

In the past week, we heard hosts excited by a scout saying the basement for Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota is Smith, the former first overall pick, who has turned into a serviceable player in Kansas City.

However, if that draft were held today, Smith wouldn’t be the first player chosen, because he’s not a great player.

There is also continued talk about dealing one of the Browns’ first round selections for Sam Bradford, a guy who has played seven games in the past two seasons. While we would be interested in Bradford, that kind of price is simply too high.

We realize it is the silly season.

Rumors about the Browns trading for a quarterback appear daily, because the national perception is that the franchise will do anything to get one.

And there is no question that Cleveland needs a great QB, a lot of teams do. Unfortunately, wanting Jameis Winston and Mariota to be one, doesn’t make them one.

We were asked earlier this week what we want the Browns to do this Thursday night. Our reply was to stay right where they are at #12 and #19, and pick two players who can start and help this football team in 2015.

That said, if you could move a first round pick for a proven top ten quarterback in Philip Rivers, we would consider that, because he’s proven to be quality player.

But we don’t think San Diego will move him, so it’s a moot point.

GM Ray Farmer needs to get help to defend the run, a huge weakness for the Browns in 2014, and they need a difference maker in the front seven. Someone the offense needs to account for.

And although Paul Kruger had a good season last year, Cleveland still needs a dominant pass rusher.

They also need offensive line help, a tight end, and wide receivers. Players who could help the Browns in those area will likely be there when Farmer picks on Thursday night.

Let’s hope the Browns’ front office understands this and doesn’t let their quarterback envy show.

Just be smart, not spectacular.