Friday, February 23, 2007
No Dodging Importance of This Draft
By John Chandler
Phil Savage is on the clock.
The Browns GM is facing the most important draft in his short term in Berea; if he fails to make the right picks, short term will take on a whole new meaning for Savage.
If his job is not at stake here, it certainly has to be under review this offseason. Savage came to Cleveland with an advertised specialty in drafting abd, so far, his campaign is falling short of selling anyone.
But today's coin flip victory was a good start (I'll spare you any of the cliche "first victory" jokes here... because that's just shooting fish in a barrel). The Browns will draft 3rd overall, after Tampa Bay's GM Bruce Allen called for heads and Savage watched the coin land tails-up.
That was the easy part.
What to do with the 3rd overall pick? That's why Savage earns the big bucks.
Here are a few suggestions:
JaMarcus Russell: Too bad the Browns don't pick first, overall. That's the only way they'd land the LSU quarterback. Savage salivates over Russell's skills--he, and the rest of the NFL. The Raiders will take Russell, barring some collassel lapse in judgement and reason.
Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame: Stay away. Stay far away. Not because Quinn isn't capable of becoming a star, but because Browns quarterbacks don't have a chance at starring. Not with the current state of the offensive line.
Joe Thomas, OL, Wisconsin: The smart pick? More like the safe pick. Some scouts believe you can take Thomas, plug him in at left tackle, and worry about other things for the next decade. But a few--including one Big Ten coach--are a little more skeptical. There's a feeling Thomas would not be as highly ranked in a deeper draft. Of course, the Browns are in no position to get picky with lineman. The Help Wanted sign means what it says.
Phil Savage is on the clock.
The Browns GM is facing the most important draft in his short term in Berea; if he fails to make the right picks, short term will take on a whole new meaning for Savage.
If his job is not at stake here, it certainly has to be under review this offseason. Savage came to Cleveland with an advertised specialty in drafting abd, so far, his campaign is falling short of selling anyone.
But today's coin flip victory was a good start (I'll spare you any of the cliche "first victory" jokes here... because that's just shooting fish in a barrel). The Browns will draft 3rd overall, after Tampa Bay's GM Bruce Allen called for heads and Savage watched the coin land tails-up.
That was the easy part.
What to do with the 3rd overall pick? That's why Savage earns the big bucks.
Here are a few suggestions:
JaMarcus Russell: Too bad the Browns don't pick first, overall. That's the only way they'd land the LSU quarterback. Savage salivates over Russell's skills--he, and the rest of the NFL. The Raiders will take Russell, barring some collassel lapse in judgement and reason.
Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame: Stay away. Stay far away. Not because Quinn isn't capable of becoming a star, but because Browns quarterbacks don't have a chance at starring. Not with the current state of the offensive line.
Joe Thomas, OL, Wisconsin: The smart pick? More like the safe pick. Some scouts believe you can take Thomas, plug him in at left tackle, and worry about other things for the next decade. But a few--including one Big Ten coach--are a little more skeptical. There's a feeling Thomas would not be as highly ranked in a deeper draft. Of course, the Browns are in no position to get picky with lineman. The Help Wanted sign means what it says.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma: Hmm. This could be a trap pick. The talent is there. The durability might not be. Peterson has proven to be injury prone, but... what if you're passing on a potential star? He's that good.Ted Ginn, WR/KR, Ohio State: Worth the 3rd pick? A potential game breaker who will put people in seats, or, more to the Browns point, keep people in seats. Oh, and he also wants to play cornerback.
Alan Branch, DT, Michigan: What is it about this dude that has stud written all over him? Could it be the 23 tackles he tallied against Ohio State in November? Probably not this high of a pick, but the Browns do need to fill an aging hole (see: Washington, Ted) in that 3-4 defense.
Trade The Pick: Trading down for extra picks always seems to make sense, especially for a 4-12 football team with more holes than E. 30th street. But it's always easier said than done.
Draft Order:
First Round
1. Oakland (2-14)
2. Detroit (3-13)
3. Cleveland (4-12)
4. Tampa Bay (4-12)
5. Arizona (5-11)
6. Washington (5-11)
7. Minnesota (6-10)
8. Houston (6-10)
9. Miami (6-10)
10. Atlanta (7-9)
11. San Francisco (7-9)
12. Buffalo (7-9)
13. St. Louis (8-8)
14. Carolina (8-8)
15. Pittsburgh (8-8)
16. Green Bay (8-8)
17. Jacksonville (8-8)
18. Cincinnati (8-8)
19. Tennessee (8-8)
20. New York Giants (8-8)
21. Denver (9-7)
22. Dallas (9-7)
23. Kansas City (9-7)
24. New England (from Seattle) (9-7)
25. New York Jets (10-6)
26. Philadelphia (10-6)
27. New Orleans (10-6)
28. New England (12-4)
29. Baltimore (13-3)
30. San Diego (14-2)
31. Chicago (13-3)
32. Indianapolis (12-4)
This year's draft is deep, if not necessary dynamic in it's talent pool. But there are good players to be picked. It's Phil Savage's job to find them.
Browns fans, who would you like to see your team pick? Cast your votes in our web poll. We'll show the results Sunday night on NewsChannel 5 at 11 (after the Oscars, of course).
Posted at 2:00 PM
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