Reacting to Day 1 of the Cleveland Browns Draft
by Chris Pokorny on Apr 25, 2009 11:56 PM EDT
in General News
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PrintBefore the draft, we were wondering if any of the trade rumors regarding the Cleveland Browns would come true. Would QB Brady Quinn, QB Derek Anderson, or WR Braylon Edwards be on the move? Well, get this folks: the Browns made three trades in the first round alone -- although none of them involved us parting with players.
When the Browns first sat on the clock at No. 5 overall, they had to be disappointed that LB Aaron Curry was selected at No. 4 by the Seattle Seahawks. I just don't see how we could have passed up that potential if he were on the board, which means that we probably wouldn't have made any trades.
Clearly, based on our quick dealings, George Kokinis and Eric Mangini had this "backup plan" in mind all along, especially with the New York Jets. You don't just make a deal that includes three current NFL players in a matter of ten minutes -- there has to be some prior negotiation.
The Jets needed a QB, so they traded up to the No. 5 spot. How ironic is it that Mangini was negotiating with his former team? Business is business, though, and that's all that counts. Yesterday, I took down the tagline that I had on this site for about a month that read "Converting Green to Orange and Brown, Day-by-Day". In hindsight, I should have left that message up.
The Browns dropped down to the No. 17 overall pick and also acquired the Jets' No. 52 pick. That in itself would not have been a very good trade, but here is the part that made it bearable: three quality players from the Jets.
- QB Brett Ratliff - We could have a QB battle between Quinn and Anderson still, and then end up trading Anderson in training camp to a team that needs him. Ratliff at least provides us with a ready backup. His experience is at a minimum, but from what I saw of him in the preseason last year, I'd feel more comfortable with him than Ken Dorsey.
- DE Kenyon Coleman - We can't stress how important it is to have a rotation at the defensive line position. Last year, we seemed set at the start of the season, but the Robaire Smith injury set us back. Coleman has the experience, recording 83 tackles in 2007 and 55 tackles last season.
- S Abram Elam - This is probably the most critical pickup in this trade, because he will probably be the leading candidate to start opposite Brodney Pool at safety. The Browns originally tried to sign Elam as a restricted free agent a few months ago, but the Jets (somewhat surprisingly) matched the offer and kept him, reportedly because they felt he was important to the team.
From there, the Browns did a little more shuffling to move down from the No. 17 spot. First, we traded with Tampa Bay to exchange first-round picks (they had No. 19 overall), and we also acquired their pick at No. 191. When we were on the clock again, we made our final trade of the evening, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles. We again exchanged first round picks (they had No. 21 overall), and we acquired their pick at No. 194.
Finally, after all of that ruckus, the Browns settled on selecting C Alex Mack. I love the idea of having Mack, as I stated a couple of days ago in my draft primer. I'm not excited about having to pick him a little earlier than I would've liked, but I'm not going to curse out Kokinis and Mangini for the pick. Hank Fraley was a liability on the line, and now I feel a lot more secure about the development of Brady Quinn heading into this season. We also are in line to have a better line for RB Jamal Lewis to be in front of.
The Browns' next two picks also addressed positions of need, wide receiver.
I am already salivating over the concept of removing the horrors of our wide receiver position last year, when Donte Stallworth did nothing and Syndric Steptoe was put in a starting situation when he had proved nothing.
- At No. 36 overall, we took Ohio State product Brian Robiskie. He was touted as being the most polished or "ready" wide receiver in the draft. In other words, he should be able to step in and be as productive as he can be without going through the "rookie" learning experiences.
NFL ready? Young player? I guess Quinn and Robiskie will be on the same page in terms of expectations at least. - At No. 50 overall, we took Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia. I certainly didn't expect two receivers in a row, but as I stated above, the concept is intriguing. Part of our team's problem two years ago (when we should have made the playoffs) was that we didn't have a third receiver. Now, we potentially have three receivers who can contribute. Also, if one of them is a bust, at least we can fall back on the other guy.
Now, here is the somewhat controversial part to the picks above. When we were on the clock at No. 36 overall, the following players were still available:
- LB Rey Maualuga (No. 38 overall)
- LB Everette Brown (No. 43 overall)
- LB Connor Barwin (No. 46 overall)
Barwin wasn't the surprise -- seeing Maualuga and Brown in the second round were the shockers. The Browns passed on both of them, but don't neglect the fact that so did "X" number of other teams. Considering that I was emphatic about linebacker being the Browns' biggest need though heading into the draft, I think only time will tell whether this was an "OK" decision for management to make.
With our final pick of Day 1, we did get that linebacker I was looking for -- Hawai'i product David Veikune. I'll have to compile a scouting report on him in the next few days, but rufio loved the selection and called him the type of [pass-rushing] linebacker we needed.
In conclusion, the first day for the Browns seemed like a very fair day. It was certainly more eventful than last year, but it wasn't a draft that shattered expectations. We didn't disappoint either, which is all I can ask for from new management.
At least it wasn't like the Oakland Raiders or the Denver Broncos, eh?
(One other note: thanks to everyone for sticking around DBN in the open draft threads! And, a huge thanks to rufio for picking up the slack while I was away, as well as the DBN Big Board he has compiled over the past few weeks.
Be sure to come back tomorrow bright and early at 10:00 AM. We don't have a third round pick, but after three trades today, would you really bet your money on us not having a selection in that round when it's all said and done?)
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Do u think a team that has a mid third round pick would trade that pick for our 4th and 2 of our 6th rounders
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Apr 26, 2009 12:32 AM EDT reply actions
I’d like to see DA get traded for an early 3rd and something else
GO BROWNS!!!
by charliefryfanhaha on Apr 26, 2009 3:46 AM EDT up reply actions
and can someone tell me how to pronouce veikune
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Apr 26, 2009 12:34 AM EDT reply actions
i think its (Vay-Coon-Aye)
GO BROWNS!!!
by charliefryfanhaha on Apr 26, 2009 3:43 AM EDT up reply actions
overall draft score B-
1)Trade to the Jets. With Curry snatched out from under our nose why not get 3 more Jets players and another second rounder? score A
2)Another trade? OK, we only drop 2 spots and get a another pick on day 2. score C-
3)WTF? score F
4)Alright here we go first pick, a Center? i was mildly content with our line as is, I mean i like the guy but we could of done better. score C+
5)YES! Robo is the man! True clutch talent at the WR position, just what we needed. He may not razzle dazzle like some but he gets the job done. I expect big numbers from this guy. Maybe even a sleeper pro bowler. score B+
6)Another WR, hmmm. Well we definitely need them. score C
7)Finally some D. I don’t know anything about this guy except a few vids i just watched. Looks like a deceptively quick good wrap up tackler who showed decent hands. He was also Hawaii’s only guy to thought to go on the first day i do believe (please correct if wrong ). 35 reps and a 4.8something in the “official” 40 time but he was getting 4.7’s “unofficially” score B-
Well Robiskie is my fav pick and I shoot a little high i think, experts will prob give us a C or something overall. I didnt name everybody cause you can just scroll up and see.
GO BROWNS!!!
by charliefryfanhaha on Apr 26, 2009 4:36 AM EDT reply actions
The more I thought about these picks yesterday, the more I really like them. First of all, I’m tired of hearing people whining about the Mack pick because it wasn’t “exciting” enough for them (and I’m looking at the entire PD staff). The ESPN guys compared that pick to the Jets’ taking Nick Mangold a couple years ago, and that has turned out well for them. Maybe we got him a few picks higher than people thought he would go, but as people always say — if you like a player, go ahead and take him. I’m sure the Browns were probably trying to move down again but couldn’t find any takers. If he’s a solid starting center for the next 10 years then that will turn out to be a great pick. I know a RB or LB would have made more “splash”, but that isn’t always good.
I don’t think the selection of Robiskie and Massoquoi means we’re trading Braylon. As I’ve been saying all along, this team is painfully thin at WR and needed depth. These days, you need at least three productive WR to succeed in the NFL. They don’t have to be great but they need to be able to catch the ball and keep the defense honest. Before this weekend, the Browns only had one WR who fit that description and now they have three. This will greatly help our offense this year. If we’re starting a young guy like Quinn at QB then we need to give him weapons who can catch the ball. If both of these guys look good in 2009 then maybe the Browns can look in to trading Braylon next year when he’s a restricted FA. My hope is that Braylon turns it around and plays like he did in ’07, then we can sign him to a long-term deal. That will give us a receiving corps to be feared. I know that many people want the Browns to be a run-first offense, and they still can be, but you also need players who can catch the ball and keep the defense honest.
I don’t know much about the guy from Hawaii but the Browns really seem to like him. I know many people are surprised that the Browns didn’t take defensive players earlier, but most of their free agent signings were defensive players and they got two potential starters in the Sanchez trade. I think Mangini is happy with the guys they brought in on defense from the Jets and wanted to focus on offense for the draft. As far as passing on Maualuga, there must be something about him that teams didn’t like because every team passed on him at least once. I know many fans wanted him because he was a big-name player at USC, but there must be holes in his game that don’t translate to the NFL. And I know some people said they wanted the Browns to take him to bring some “attitude” to the defense, but I don’t really care about seeing a player yell and scream and act like an idiot on the field to bring the team attitude — I want a guy who can make plays and I don’t care if he does that quietly. That kind of stuff is overrated.
Overall, I’m willing to give these guys the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing. Mangini and Kokinis know much, much more about all of these players than any of us do, so I find it humorous when I see fans saying these guys are “idiots” for not picking a certain player who they like. Let’s see these players on the field before we make judgements about the picks.
Maualuga’s holes were clear, I thought. He isn’t good in space. Isn’t great in coverage. Has off the field flags. Undisciplined on the field.
by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 26, 2009 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
personally, i was disappointed by the first 4 selections, and i’m actually moving in the opposite direction of brad the more that i think about them. while i thought we could have gotten a player of more impact than mack at 21, i really have no major issue with selecting him there. joe t., steinbach, mack makes the entire offense better.
i actually think it’s borderline insane to have taken 2 receivers as early as we did, but, as brad points out, i’m willing to concede that ManKok knows much more than i, and give the management the benefit of the doubt before decrying them as “idiots”. it’s not as though we’re so deep and so set in so many other places as to have the luxury of taking 2 players at the same position (and receiver, no less) in the first 50 pics.
i hope they know something about veikune, b/c a 1 year starter on defense for hawaii doesn’t excite me.
i guess the message from the team is that they like kam and hall, and that they can coach up the defense, but need much more talent on offense. clearly, they see coleman and elam as near-term starters/impact players if they didn’t see the need to draft much early defensive talent.
i think maiava and james davis were the best picks we made.
by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 27, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Im always interested to hear what ur opinion is DCMJ. I dont mean this as offensive but u usually have different opinions than most people
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Apr 27, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Great on first trade down but.....
I was actually happy we didn’t get Curry. Last thing we need is sensitivity on defense. This team needs toughness and discipline. The Jets tradedown answered many questions about this team, including QB. It was smart……. but then Kokinis and Mangini started to get cute with the trades to the Bucs and Philly. Then they blew the pick! Cmon, there were quality centers in the second round that would have been just fine. In sure Mack will be great and a pro bowler as well but there were too many studs left on the board at that point. Though I completely agree with Mangini when he stated that Crabtree is a “Diva” I also warn this coach o be careful. You are acting more and more like Phil Savage…and you see where he is. NO arrogance needed right now, just wins.
Who did you want at 17? I though Beanie Wells was the only guy worth considering as far as huge upside. I would have been fine with Oher (I’m sure you would have complained about any OL though). I would have been ok with Vontae Davis. I think Clay Matthews would have been a bit of a reach there.
Kiper had Mack as his #1 Center and #21 overall, I believe. I’ve seen his rank anywhere from #20 to #33.
by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 26, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Right. If you liked Mack, you can’t complain about taking him at 21. Maybe he would have been available later in the first round, but the Browns didn’t have a pick later in the first round. If you like a guy and think he’s going to be a great player, then you take him and don’t worry about if it’s a few picks too high. If he becomes a Pro Bowl player then nobody is going to be complaining about the pick. So I think it’s waaaay too early to say the Browns “blew the pick.” I would have been happy with Beanie, Matthews, or Davis, but this looks like a solid pick.
by Buckeye Brad on Apr 26, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't forget the Steelers...
I think Mack had a dual purpose of both solidifying the O-Line against the solid nose tackles in the division, and denying the Steelers one of their most wanted upgrades. Their starting center is free agent acquisition Justin Hartwig born in 1978. Not much of a solution to their long term stability, and just barely acceptable in the short term (again, in a division that is predominantly 3-4). I can’t imagine that the Steelers weren’t at least a little influential in where Mack was drafted.
So I think that ManKok had the idea going into the draft (most likely with the Jets trade prenegotiated) that Alex Mack was the guy they wanted. He sets the standard with his exceptional academic achievement and hard-nosed football for the rest of the Browns draft picks. This is even more important with Mack’s position, as the Center has to be one of the most intelligent players on the field.
there is just no possible way that the steelers thing entered the equation here. the browns need to much to start messing around with jamming up other teams’ drafts.
by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 27, 2009 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I gave the Browns an “A”.
I wanted Curry and Mack and the best available LB or WR or RB at 50.
We ended up with Mack, 2 WR, a big upside OLB, AND a starting Safety, a depth DLineman AND a backup QB!!! That is outrageous!! That trade is a huge coup for a team in our situation at 5. We don’t have to overpay someone like Orakpo or Raji, who have a huge boom/bust risk.
I love Mack. And I think he can play C or RG depending on our need and eventually will be our starting C for 8-12 years. I think Fraley MIGHT have a little left in the tank.
I wasn’t high on Robiskie. As an OSU fan, I thought he simply failed to get open his Senior year, especially against good corners. Now, part of that was Boekman and Pryor having to run for their life against those good teams, and the fact that the Buckeyes had such a good running game, they didn’t need to throw as much. His 40 time tells me he might have more speed than he showed at OSU. Regardless, he has great hands, runs good routes, great ball skills, has good size, and probably can be a possession receiver in the NFL right now.
Massaquoi was a shock. My first reaction was: isn’t he just a lesser version of Robiskie? He has worse hands, isn’t as big, also isn’t outrageously fast. But on the upside, we solved a position of great need. Even with Edwards, a good team needs 3-4 solid WRs, and the Browns had 1.
I like Veikune the more I read about him. Mixing him with Wimbley and Hall and Bowens gives us a solid rotation at the OLB spots. I was really hopoing Maualuga would fall to one of our mid 2nd round picks. I didn’t want him in the first round, and I wasn’t crazy about him at 36. But at 50 would have been amazing.
Going into today we have 4 picks. I want: 1 RB, 1 ILB, 1 Saftey, and J’Nathan Bullock
Massaquoi is more physical than Robiskie, and I would guess that he has just a little more natural quickness/athleticism. It’s just that Robo knows how to use what he has better.
Terry Robo thinks Brian can be a #1 wideout in the NFL…take that as you will…
Is he more physical than…anything? Most scouting reports I’ve read on Massaquoi is that he is think and goes down at the touch of a finger. Doesn’t break tackles, is weak and plays slow.
“Willing to go across the middle and has shown ability to hold onto ball after taking a big hit. A physical blocker that works hard to sustain. Does a good job of throwing blocks for other receivers and flashes ability to deliver a knockout blow on crack-back blocks.”
“Runs through arms tackles, fights for yards after contact and does a nice job of falling forward. Fairly elusive and can make first defender miss. Lacks breakaway speed.”
That’s what I was going on. That Georgia fan also said downfield blocking might be the best part about him. We’ll see in August.
my concern is that these are both low-ceiling WRs, and there were other, higher ceiling players at other positions of need available.
by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 27, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I loved the trade down. It saved money, got an additional second round pick, and got three NFL contributors. Nothing not to like about it. The picks that were made were, to me, questionable. Alex Mack is an okay pick. He’s a good center. I’m not sure how big of a hole that really was on the team, and with the other backers there, he would not have been my pick. Robiskie is one of the few WRs I did like in this draft. I think he’s a solid #2 WR. Again, I would have probably gone elsewhere with the pick, but it is the pick I object least to, probably. Massaquoi was a horrid pick. Absolutely horrid. It didn’t really fit need, in my mind. Furthermore, the best thing to say about him is that he is “projectable”. In other words, he is a WR who has trouble catching. Great. I can’t comment, logically, on Veikune. He wasn’t a player that I was really looking at, but he at least fills a need. Finally. I gave the draft a D. I loved the trade, but I really feel like with four of the top 52 picks, you have to fill some holes. I don’t have a lot of confidence in any of these guys. If we are counting the three Jets as part of it, I probably bump it up to a B-/C+.
First, you absolutely have to count the three former Jets as part of the day.
Second, I think you are underrating our dire need for bodies at the WR position. Before the draft, we had Edwards, David Patten and Steptoe as our top 3? That is horrific. Now its Edwards, Robiskie, Patten and Massaquoi. That’s a big upgrade.
I also don’t know how you give us a “D” when you seem to recognize how great the trade was from a financial and capspace saving it gave us.
I talked about Mack above. I don’t understand anyone’s objection to him. I really don’t.
by Ryan Kelsey on Apr 26, 2009 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m glad to hear someone else pointing out our huge need for recievers coming in to the draft. That’s why I was surprised by so many people wanting to trade Braylon. You just cannot win in the NFL without at least three quality recievers, and the Browns only had one. Now they have three, maybe four if Patten can contribute something. I don’t think taking two WR in the second round was questionable at all because that was an area of huge need. The Browns added a lot to the defense through free agency and the trade — they might not be young guys, but they can play in ’09 and then we can focus on defense in the draft next year.
by Buckeye Brad on Apr 26, 2009 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
I think what I took away from them drafting the 2 WR and not trading Braylon is that they’re not looking at next year as a completely rebuilding year. If they had traded braylon and/or focused solely on defense, it would have meant that we added some large pieces, but really wouldn’t be competitive in 09.
Also, I think the front office was sending a message that some of the guys on the team really need to step it up this year. They’re putting a lot of faith in guys like Wimbley, Hall, etc. to be solid players, along with some of the free agents that we signed this offseason. Personally, I’d much rather have a legitimate team of talented players on both sides of the ball than 2-3 “superstars” with 8-9 “fill-ins” to pick up the scraps. The AFC North is a serious grind-it-out division and any glaring holes we might have will be taken advantage of by opposing teams.
Overall, I’m optimistic and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
I can separate the two. Like I said, I love the trade. I got to watch Elam play in college and loved watching him. The players that they received in the trade are different than maximizing on the players that they could have taken in the draft. My draft, after the trade, would have been Matthews, Robiskie, Morris, and Shonn Greene. Those picks aren’t vastly different talent-wise, in my mind, but fill LB, WR, S, and RB.
I’m not saying that Mack isn’t a fine player. I’m sure he is. I have a problem taking a center in the first round unless he is so clearly dominant that there is no question. Mack was clearly the top center, I thought, but I wouldn’t have called him dominant. I would have been willing to look at him at 36. I just don’t feel that a center was a top priority.
I’m also not arguing that a WR was needed and the group is vastly improved. However, I’m not sure that those picks maximized their value. We’re not contending next year, anyhow. Is Massaquoi so dominant that there wouldn’t be a comparable receiver in the 2/3 spot next year? The biggest asset this draft had, while it was weak at the top, was that it had pretty good depth to pick 65-70, I would say (Later, if the Raiders had more picks…). I think in a deep draft you plug holes. In a draft where talent is more at a premium, you look more at best available.
by Fundamentals on Apr 26, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions
While I would have preferred Ramses Barden to Massaquoi, maybe they thought Barden was a reach in round 2.
My best guess is that they took 2 WR this year as opposed to one this year and one next, is they are still probably leaning towards trading BE next offseason. But that’s just one man’s guess.
Yeah, I think a lot depends on how Braylon performs this year. These two picks give them flexibility — if Robo and Mass show they can be average/good WR then they could look at trading Braylon. As you said, this gives them a year to evaluate these two players to see what we have going in to next year’s draft.
by Buckeye Brad on Apr 26, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I take issue with you saying center was not a glaring need. I like Hank Fraley the teammate, but he got abused last year in a number of game, and I think center was a massive position of need
i agree with this. i have no major issue w/ taking mack, even though i do think there were other areas of need that could have been filled in the first round. clearly, the management thinks that center was more of a need than, say, OLB…and i’m willing to stipulate that they know more than i…it just makes me nervous to go into the season with kam wimbley as our best OLB…
by DontCallMeJoey on Apr 27, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
This was a pretty decent day by the browns but it didnt have the flash that the average fans want.
1) by moving down they got 2 starters in coleman & elam for a much cheaper price than #5 would have cost them. instead of a hope he pans out pick we get we know they can play pick. elam wouldnt have been targeted if mangini didnt know he couldnt play.
2) by trading down so far in the draft the browns basically took the big bonuses to stallworth, rogers, corey williams off the books. just compare the contracts on the bonus aspects
3) taking mack means that they browns are very serious about countering ngata, hampton & tank johnson in the division. weak centers get mauled by 3-4 teams. just look at what happened to buffalo when they played a 3-4 team last year. the bills reinforced that by taking wood in the 1st round also. (who plays LT for them is a question though)
4) mack to me means that the browns are set on building a long term relationship with quinn. look at manning & jeff saturday…they know the play & the audibles so well its seamless.
5) robiskie will be tabbed to start from day 1. the other kid will be the #3. this also shows that they know not ot burn out josh cribbs like KC did with dante hall or chi is doing with devin hester
6) dunno about the hawaii kid. when was the last time a hawaii player was worth a dang in the NFL. i’m NOT hating i’m just skeptical. i am probably really underestimating ryans ability as a teacher at this point.
7) i would have never made it thru dora the explorer live yesterday without having the 1st round texted to me……sigh
Hawaii products currently in the NFL
Jason Elam—ok, he is a kicker.
Ashlie Lelie—ok, he had maybe one good season and then became a headcase. Still NFL talent, though.
Ikaika Alama-Francis—You would know about him, but he plays for Detroit. Good DE.
Davonne Bess—Undrafted last year, put up decent #s for Miami.
Travis LaBoy—see the theme of good Hawaii pass rushers here?
Vince Manuwai—Baller.
Samson Satele—decent Center
Isaac Sopoaga—solid 3-4 lineman
Pisa Tinoisamoa—104 Tackles last year
Jeff Ulbrich—once pretty good for te 49ers, now over the hill.
Colt Brennan—jury still very much out
Alex Mack – nice to see another Mack in Browns uniform but would have loved to see another Matthews in a Browns uniform instead. Not a sexy pick but a need pick. Just not a priority need like the one Matthews could have filled at 21st pick. But he definitely already upgrades the O-Line, which is nice I guess. Good not great. Let’s hope his career with the Browns lasts longer than our other 21st pick center (Jeff Faine).
Brian Robisikie – love it…but could we have taken him with the 50th pick in the 2nd round and taken Maualuga here instead? Between the 36th pick and the 50th pick no WRs were taken except by the Browns.
Mohammed Massaquoi – hate it….he is better suited as a 3rd/4th receiver on a team and to use first day pick/2nd round pick on that type of receiver is a wasted pick. Especially after using a first day/2nd round pick for WR to be your #2 guy. Ok great Mangini he can block, but with 4.6 speed and questionable hands, we could have used this pick on a bigger need. Austin Collie round 4 woud have looked better to me. Bigger and faster and better value.
Davie Viekune – was so under the radar, I believe he could have been had 4th round or at worst package up 4th and 6th and move up to 3rd and get him. Another reach pick. Love the intensity, love the motor and I love the thump factor. He’s just not a 2nd round talent in my book or kiper’s book or mcshay’s book or brandt’s book…..etc.
Now if we are counting the Jets players we got:
Brett Ratliff – I am hoping we only have to count 2 of the 3 Jets. Because to me Brett Ratliff should be nothing more than a clip holding back up. Anything more than that and it could mean trouble. It could be potentially a huge distraction if Mangini thinks his “boy” could really compete with Quinn.
Kenyon Coleman – He’s ok. Obviously he’s a run stopping 3-4 DE which is what we need as evidenced by leading DE in tackles. But he bring absolutely no pass rush skills having had zero (0) sacks last year. Finally at 30 he’s beginning the downside of his career IMO. But gives us good depth and a stop gap until we can get younger at DE position. I would have like to seen us get Jarron Gilbert with 50 or 52 pick instead.
Abram Elam – immediate starter at SS and a need position but again I woud have rather used 50 or 52 pick on a William Moore who is a true thumper and could have conjured up memories of E-Rock and Don Rogers. Moore would knock Hines Ward head off coming over the middle and who here wouldn’t love to see that. Elam isn’t that type of player.
I think though my biggest problem I have with our draft is we didn’t get enough for trading down from 17 and 19. That’s what bothers me more than any of the picks. The Patriots move down 3 spots with the Ravens and pick up an extra 5th round pick. We moved 2 spots twice from higher draft positions and only have 2 6th round picks to show for it. That’s it?? Really?? This is why the Patriots continue to be one of the best in the league and the Browns…are still the Browns.
So after reading what I woud have like have seen, would you, like me be more excited this am if our draft looked like this:
1-#21. Alex Mack
2-#36. Rey Maualuga
2-#50. Brian Robiskie
2-#52. Jarron Gilbert or William Moore
But he bring absolutely no pass rush skills having had zero (0) sacks last year.
This just does not work logically. A 3-4 DE could be decent or even above-average at rushing the passer and end up with 0 sacks in a year.
I don’t think Moore will be as good as you think he will be. I certainly don’t think it’s a lock that he is such a great player: this class was so weak at S if NFL scouts thought he would turn into a pro bowler, he would have been long gone at 50.
I’m sorry rufio, we will just have to disagree. I understand that the position of DE in a 3-4 isn’t primarily a pass rusher, but rather a space eater who stacks the line and supports the run, allowing the LB’s to rush the passer. Regardless how can anyone in the NFL be considered a “decent or even above-average at rushing the passer and end up with 0 sacks in a year.” Now that defies any sense of logic.
I stand corrected. Apparently their were no WR’s taken between Robiskie and Massaquoi, not because no one wanted Robiskie but rather no one wanted Massaquoi. According to Brad Biggs, of The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Bears hoped to snag Ohio State WR Brian Robiskie at No. 49, since he wasn’t there they traded out of the second round.
So getting Brian Robiskie at 36 turned out to be a blessing. Although SOME draftniks felt it was a bit of a reach, it was a reach necessitated by need so I have no problems with it.
Pleased. When Curry went off the board, I thought a trade was going to take place.
Browns needed depth everywhere, and they succeded. Mack was a solid pick, his versitility is huge.
The Browns get a B. The only thing I question is Robiske, but they obviously have done there homework better than me.
"Have You heard of the Boom on Mizar 5?"
One thing I like that we did was draft some high character/ hard working players.
-Alex Mack was an Academic All American or something like that.
-Brian Robiskie and David Veikune seem hard working
- Dom Carey selected to the NSU and MEAC Commissioner’s All-Academic Teams three times and was Selected as NSU’s recipient of the Army Strong Award
It really contrasts to the bengals who took a thug in mauluga and guys who dont play as good as they can because they are lazy(johnson and Smith)
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Apr 26, 2009 9:17 PM EDT reply actions
Early Draft Grades
some draft grades are out already.
_______________
Sporting News
Grade: A-
They improved their talent base by making trades and moving around in the draft. Center Alex Mack should be good, and linebacker Kaluka Maiava never stops hustling. Wideouts Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie provide depth in case Braylon Edwards is traded.
Rotoworld
Grade: B+
Eric Mangini hasn’t made many fans in Cleveland, but this weekend should help win them over. They brilliantly moved down the draft board, grabbing three extra picks and three veterans. This was the perfect strategy for a thin roster in a deep draft without stars. Center Alex Mack, wideout Brian Robiskie, and OLB David Veikune all should help right away. Fourth-rounder Kaluka Maiava could be a steal out of USC.
They didn’t get an A for two reasons: They may regret passing on Mark Sanchez and they didn’t improve their pass rush enough.
_________________
since these guys are the “professionals” who have way more knowledge and credentials than me, I’ll just go with it and hope these are players that will turn us around.
Go Browns!
C from CBS Sports
CBS Sports
Grade: C
Best pick: I love the pick of receiver Brian Robiskie in the second round. He will be a starter as a rookie.
Questionable move: Trading down as much as they did and not quite getting the value they deserved. The Jets got the better of them in that deal for the fifth pick.
Second-day gem: Sixth-round pick James Davis was a highly rated back a year ago, but he struggled as a senior. There is talent there.
I like some of their picks, but they didn’t get enough in their trade downs.
-—————
This is my main problem with our draft, just not getting enough value from the trade downs.
I agree that based on past examples of trade downs we didn’t get a lot. However, we can’t go 3 months saying that “no team wants to be in the top 5” and then turn around and treat the #5 pick like it has enourmous value. Trading down was always going to bring back less than what it would have 5 years ago.
My regret as far as not getting enough value is that we got players, not future picks. I’m not excited about either defensive player we got, and I can’t believe an extra pick from 2010 wasn’t included.
www.lowbrowsophisticate.com
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