Savage doesn’t determine who plays, that’s Crennel’s fault. There was no reason not to play Rucker and Bell the last two months of the season.

The Browns do have the fifth pick.

As for the pick, I simply don’t know enough at this point. Offense or defense doesn’t matter to me.

Agreed, with the caveat of eliminating QBs from discussion. As much as I’d like to avoid the type of contract a player like Crabtree will require, even a WR would have a clear path to a starter’s spot on the 2009 Browns. Probably a moot point with him though. I am glad, however, that the other players being discussed at that level of the draft are largely defensive. That’ll help from two standpoints: finally finding a defensive playmaker (hopefully) and a slightly smaller contract.

Well, it’s a question of talent. Would you rather have Brian Bosworth or Larry Fitzgerald?

I love Crabtree. In almost every game he has played in he has been the best player on the field. WIth him and Edwards we could be looking at a Fitz/Boldin situation.

It is worth thinking about.

We need some new blood. Simple as that.

We should get someone to replace Jason Wright. He is terrible. I wouldn’t mind sacrificing another roster spot if we could get a 4th talented back.

I’ll take one of the 4th round variety, like a Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs who were picked back to back in the 4th in 2005. That should be easy, right?

Wait, “Joe Thomas, Eric Stienbech and Rex Hadnot” are your cornerstones on the OL? How is Hadnot clearly a level beyond Tucker, Shaffer, and Fraley?

Also,

So I think the Browns will be looking at WR, DE, OLB (if we stay at a 3-4), and CB.

Didn’t you just make the argument against taking a LB?

Anyway, not sure who would be around for DE at that spot in the draft… but I would certainly support spending the pick/cash at DE if one shows up at that spot on the draft board. I wouldn’t mind spending the pick on a LB, or a CB, or even as discussed before a WR.

I agree with what you’re saying, and I think pretty much the only offensive player we’d consider taking at 5 is Crabtree (because we don’t need a QB, it’s too high to take a RB, we’re not taking a OL that high because the need isn’t there, and the only WR worth taking that high is Crabtree). So the choice is basically Crabtree or defense.

If we went defense, I wouldn’t mind taking Malcolm Jenkins. I know we need help with our front 7, but if you put him and Wright in the secondary teams are going to have a lot of trouble throwing against us. And that would make MacDonald a nickel which I think would be better for him. The argument will be that if you can’t get pressure on the QB then it doesn’t matter how great your secondary is, so we should pick a pass rusher. I could go either way. But if we want to pick defense and there’s not a stud DE there, then you gotta go with Jenkins. He’s a playmaker.

I don’t want a wide receiver either. Even if Crabtree is available, and he is a stud, I don’t think it would be what is best for the future of the team.

The amount of RB’s taken late in the draft that have had success in the NFL far outnumber WR’s taken late. For every Colston or Brandon Marshall is a pile of Steve Slaton’s, Willie Parkers, LeRon McClain’s Terrell Davis’, Michael Turner’s and Maurice Jones-Drew’s.

It is my belief that if a team has a strong OL (and we do, it was just an injury filled, mistake prone year for us), it doesn’t matter who the RB is. There is 1 true difference making RB in the NFL. Maybe Westbrook. Peterson is the only RB that I would like the Browns to spend 50 million on.

I really don’t see what will be available at #5 that will make anyone want to give us something for that spot.

Boone improved his stock dramatically last night. He handled Orakpo alone for most of the night.

Are you kidding me? Orakpo had a very good game.

Texas didn’t even throw at Jenkins all night because they were so scared of him (expect the one pass on the crossing route where he may have been picked or something; I couldn’t see on the replay). That’s what Deion Sanders would do to a passing game; take away half of the field. I’m not saying that Jenkins will be Deion in the pros, because that’s a very high standard, but he’ll be good.

Curry would fit right in at ILB in Mangini’s scheme and he could be the impact guy that DQ needs to play next to. If he runs good times (particularly in the first 10 yards of the 40, the shuttles, and the 3 cone drill) I would certainly not mind getting him.

Nnamdi will cost a ridiculous amount of money. Nate Clements money. I don’t think we should go after him. If his price is not that high I would love him on the Browns because he is a big, physical corner who would compliment McDonald/Wright well. I would take Thomas Howard or Derrick Burgess too if Oakland is giving players away.

Just trading down to the 11th pick could get you another 2nd, maybe even a low first

Where do you get that?

Except it’s not that easy to trade down. Every year, fans say their GM needs to trade down to get more picks. The problem is finding someone willing to trade up and give away those picks. Many teams don’t want high picks because they don’t want to pay the big contracts those picks demand. If we could get a good deal to trade down to 10 or 12 and get a 2nd rounds like you said, I’d be all for it, but we need to find a team to trade with. And a team that wants a guy at 5 and is willing to pay that price.

Good for him. It would likely have been a colossal mistake for him to stay. Say what you will about Leinart sliding for #1 to #10, but RBs have much shorter careers and much higher injury risks. It’s impossible to fault him for taking the money as a first round pick.

A lot of those kids are not going to be picked where they hope/think they will be picked.

The more the market is flooded with guys who could go late in the 1st round, the better our 2nd rounder looks. We might have a bigger chance to trade that pick down for more picks than our first.

That number will grow immensely in the next few weeks. That is when the people who should not go, but feel they are ready, are sick of their current situation, or have another reason, will declare.

Lets wait until the combine or at least pro days before quoting 40 times. I just don’t trust peoples’ listed times.

As for Hardy, we need all the pass rush we can get. Injuries=scary, though. I think there will be enough of those DE —> OLB guys where we pick in the 2nd to be able to choose between 2 or 3 of them. Maybin, Orakpo, E. Brown, Cushing, Maualuga, Hardy, and Hughes are all those types of guys who can get to the QB, and are all rated in the Scouts Inc top 32. Selvie out of USF is another guy who was slowed by injury this year but has a history of getting to the passer. Tons of these guys out there, I would be surprised if we don’t get one or even two of them.

Yeah!! Either we can draft him or trade the pick to another team who wants him (provided Seattle doesn’t take him first).

I agree, but we need to get a 3rd rounder first.

Damn — Bradford staying makes the 5th pick a little less valuable. He would have been a top 3 pick, probably, so that moves all the rest of the players up one spot in the draft.

He gone.

Spikes changed his mind. He’s staying.

You stay classy Pete.

just saw the highlights on espnews…he sounded completely ridiculous. if i’m sanchez, i’m pretty pissed at the way pete conducted himself. feel free to voice all that stuff to sanchez privately, but don’t you have to just smile and say “we’re thrilled for mark and can’t wait to see him succeed” at the presser?

that said, i think sanchez will be palmer-quality good in the pros. so, not only did pete sound like a crochety old man, but i think he was flat out-wrong, too.

carroll did the full rounds on the radio in LA today, stressing how much he loves mark sanchez, and how his concern stems solely from wanting the absolute best for sanchez, and that his point was that the risk is high but that they’re going to do everything they can to support him. nice attempt at a save…he was getting shellacked in LA for most of the day.

Here is another mock draft, this one from SI.com’s Don Banks. He has the Browns taking Jenkins, with Brian Orakpo from Texas going the next pick to the Bengals (I know he’s another guy that has been mentioned with the Browns). Interestingly, he has the Lions passing on a QB and selecting Andre Smith first overall. Both drafts, and many others, have Crabtree going to the Seahawks, so it looks like the Browns will miss out on him unless something unexpected happens.