"[Rucker is] certainly capable of being a starting tight end in this league."
-Browns GM Phil Savage

In the words of Savage, every player chosen seems to have been a "steal" or associated with "first-round talent". While it's clear that Savage often embellishes the truth, the addition of tight end Martin Rucker nearly completes the team's "all-around backup situation".

What does that mean?

Consider that last year, the Browns were extremely fortunate to have been the healthiest offensive teams in football. After years of seeing quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and offensive linemen miss several weeks of action at a time, the injury bug finally skipped over the Browns in 2007. You can't bank on the same fate this year, though.

• If Derek Anderson goes down, we have Brady Quinn.
• If Braylon Edwards or Joe Jurevicius go down, we have Donte Stallworth.
• If one of our offensive lineman goes down, we've got three-four veterans waiting.
• If Kellen Winslow goes down, we have Martin Rucker.
• If Jamal Lewis goes down...well, we're kind of screwed there, but you can't buy premium insurance all in one sitting.

Without drafting Rucker, we risked the possibility of having a big part of our passing game and running game suffer hits if multiple injuries occurred. Now, if Lewis were to go down, we would at least have extended insurance in our aerial attack. Considering Winslow and Steve Heiden are overcoming offseason surgeries, drafting Rucker was a wise decision, even if he doesn't play a single down this season.

Rucker was the eighth tight end taken in the 2008 draft, something he couldn't have been too pleased with considering he was once hailed as a second-rounder:

 "There's going to be nothing but hard work out of me," stated Rucker. "There's a lot of guys that were taken before me and I'm very eager to prove I belonged in their spot."

The issue that does remain on the Browns' roster is the lack of a strong blocking tight end. Winslow is often poked fun at for his lack of effort on running downs, Heiden isn't anywhere near a mauler, and Rucker was a wide receiver playing the tight end position in college. Three tight ends on a roster seems to be the norm, but it might be worth it for the Browns to keep a guy like Darnell Dinkins for his blocking ability and special teams play. That would then require the Browns parting ways with a guy like backup fullback Charles Ali. Either way you put it though, the situation as a whole shouldn't be looked at as a negative.

In a best case scenario, Rob Chudzinski will have a healthy Winslow in his repertoire all season long. Then, when teams double team him, Rucker will be running up the seam on the opposite side. When teams decide to respect Rucker, Winslow will be single-covered. That doesn't even factor in whether or not teams choose to double team Edwards.

We're set to be one of the best offensive teams in football for the second year in a row.

Beau Bell, ILB - UNLV (Round 4, No. 105 overall)
	Height: Weight: 40-Time:	6-11/4 244 4.75
	Ups:	Sideline-to-sideline range Violent and reliable tackler Defending versus the run
	Downs:	Man-to-man coverage Poor ball skills Relatively average instincts
	Notes:	Projected 2nd/3rd rounder Often played OLB at UNLV Hometown is Tustin, CA
Career Statistics Year GP TKL TFL SACK PBU INT 2004 11 26 1.0 0.0 0 0 2005 11 92 7.5 3.5 2 0 2006 7 76 9.0 4.0 0 0 2007 11 111 7.5 3.0 3 4 Totals 40 305 25.0 10.5 5 4

"Beau runs to the football very well and hustles on every play," said UNLV linebackers coach Dennis Therrell. "He led our team with four interceptions last year, which is impressive for a linebacker. Covering running backs and tight ends is no problem for him. I think he'll make a fine pro."

We knew our first pick would focus on the defensive side of the ball. Most of us thought it would be a cornerback or an outside linebacker. Instead, we got inside linebacker Beau Bell from UNLV. When the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year was still on the board though, the Browns were obviously intrigued enough by his gameplay to trade up and select him.

If you're a team that does not have a single draft pick in the first three rounds, wait hours and hours and then pull a deal off when you're only 20 picks away, that shows there was a serious purpose to the deal: Bell is going to play this year.

With D'Qwell Jackson receiving more favorable reviews from the staff than Andra Davis, it would seem as though Bell will be in a heated race with the veteran linebacker heading into training camp and leading up to the regular season. After all, Davis hasn't exactly done anything (except in the snow bowl versus Buffalo last season) to look like a quality starter with the Browns.

The Browns originally met with Bell on April 3. Teams are allowed to have 20 players visit their facility, and part of the team's interest in Bell certainly came from when the coaching staff evaluated cornerback Eric Wright last season. Wright, whom the Browns also traded up for, played for UNLV too.

"This guy is kind of a hammer type hitter," said Phil Savage, Browns general manager. "If you saw some of his highlights, he knows how to finish. He brings some explosion at the end of plays. We feel like he's a powerful tackler."

Savage also spoke on the "early" plans of working Bell into the mix of things by placing him on special teams and entering him into a rotation between Jackson, Davis, and Leon Williams. That's already more duties than veteran Chaun Thompson seemed to have with the Browns last season.

Initially, I wanted the Browns to find an outside linebacker in the draft. When you look at things from a wider perspective though, Kamerion Wimbley and Jackson already had their linebacker jobs clinched. And, if finally healthy, I don't think there would be too many qualms about starting Antwan Peek. When you look at the final position, I would not have been too confident between Davis or Williams. While Williams still has move to prove, neither player has overly shined during their stay. That doesn't mean Bell is the second coming of Lawrence Taylor compared to them, but the pick certainly seems to be worth the shot without too much investment.

Grade: B-
(Savage gets credit for addressing a need and not making a bone-headed decision for one of the few picks the Browns had in their arsenal. However, I still would've favored drafting a cornerback or using the pick to acquire Fabian Washington instead, as rumored. Also, Savage did have to use a third-round pick in 2009 to get Bell. Remember, the Browns were able to get a proven player, Shaun Rogers, for our 2008 third-round pick.

Video Highlights: Beau Bell

 

 

Please feel free to chat about the 2008 NFL Draft for Day 2 here! I'll update this post throughout the day if there are any rumors regarding the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland Browns' Day 2 Picks
Round 4 (No. 104): Beau Bell, LB - UNLV*
Round 4 (No. 111): Martin Rucker, TE - Missouri*
Round 6 (No. 190): Athyba Rubin, DT - Iowa St.
Round 6 (No. 191): Paul Hubbard, WR - Wisconsin**
Round 7 (No. 231): Alex Hall, DE - St. Augustine

*Picks were acquired through the Dallas Cowboys. In the deal:

Browns to Dallas: No. 122 overall and No. 155 overall in 2008.
Browns to Dallas: 3rd round pick in 2009.
Dallas to Browns: No. 104 overall and No. 111 overall in 2008.

**Pick was acquired through the Philadelphia Eagles.

Browns to Eagles: 5th round pick in 2009.
Eagles to Browns: No. 191 overall in 2008.

Live Updates (Newest at Bottom)

10:38 a.m:  Dan Connor is off the board, as he is drafted by the Carolina Panthers.  So far, Bruce Davis, Shawn Crable, Orlando Scandrick,  Jack Williams, Marcus Harrison,  Frank Okam, and Mario Manningham are all still available. Each of those players have been rumored to be going to the Browns, among others. Of course, we're still in round three here.

 

10:41 a.m: Go Cavs, right? Here's to hoping we don't get blown out again by the Wizards.

10:45 a.m: Sorry Shawn Crable fans: the New England Patriots just took him with the 79th overall pick. Right now, I'm leaning towards wanting either Bruce Davis or Orlando Scandrick, we'll see how things develop.

10:49 a.m: No word yet on the Fabian Washington deal. If something were to happen, I'd expect it to occur right when we're about to pick.

10:53 a.m: My goodness, what a great draft for the Panthers so far. In the third round, they've already drafted Charles Godfrey and Dan Connor. That adds to their Day 1 success.

10:56 a.m: I'm probably going to have to leave between noon and 2:00 p.m, unfortunately. If anything major happen during that time and I'm away, feel free to make a fanpost about it and I'll promote it to the front page when I get back.

10:58 a.m: With Dan Connor gone, I hear some chatter on other Browns boards that fans would like to see Beau Bell in a Cleveland uniform. I don't think our inside linebackers are a strong point of our defense, but I don't know if Bell would necessarily make a significant difference either.

11:14 a.m: With the 88th overall pick, the Steelers just grabbed Bruce Davis. The player a few of us wanted is now despised beyond belief. Right now, I'd definitely ditch the 4th rounder for Washington, if the deal is still on the table.

11:22 a.m: Marcus Harrison is gone.

11:40 a.m: The Giants just took Mario Manningham near the end of round three. It would've been intriguing to have him, but defense is still our priority.

11:51 a.m: Round four is underway! The Browns' first pick should be 22 picks away. Jack Williams, Trae Williams, and Orlando Scandrick all still remain on the board at the cornerback position.

11:55 a.m: Yikes! Cornerbacks Tyvon Branch and Justin King are taken with the first two picks in round two. The next three best cornerbacks are now the ones we were interested in, and we're still 20 picks away.

11:57 a.m: I just realized: the Raiders traded up to get cornerback Tyvon Branch. Could that be an indicator that Washington is leaving soon?

2:15 p.m: I left when the Cowboys were on the clock in the fourth round with the fifth pick. I come back now to see that the Browns traded up at that pick. That just burns me, sitting through hours yesterday and this morning, and the very PICK I leave, we made our move.

2:18 p.m: So, here's what happened with the 104th overall pick. The Browns traded their 122nd pick and 155th pick to the Cowboys to move up. Then, the Browns selected inside linebacker Beau Bell. As I pointed out earlier, many of you were interested in Bell.

2:20 p.m: It's official that the Browns and Cowboys are in love with each other when it comes to dealing on draft day. We actually got the Cowboys' 111th overall pick in the draft as well, but we also gave Dallas our third-round draft pick in 2009.

With the 111th overall pick, the Browns selected tight end Martin Rucker out of Missouri. I had an eerie feeling that we'd be drafting a tight end. Savage says that this was a value pick, and he'd better think that considering what he gave up. On the same note, I keep hearing from Savage and ESPN that Rucker is first-round talent. While we like Steve Heiden, I'm guessing this is a pick that's supposed to make opposing teams really pay if they double-team Winslow with linebackers or safeties.

2:34 p.m: As DBN user talonk mentioned earlier, Fabian Washington was shipped to the Baltimore Ravens. It cost the Ravens a late fourth-round pick. Based on Savage's deal, he probably preferred the thought of getting Bell and Rucker over getting Washington only.

2:38 p.m: Some statistical data from last season for TE Martin Rucker:

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Not too bad for a fourth rounder, eh?

2:42 p.m: Cornerback Trae Williams is still up there. The Browns have a ways to go though until they pick again.

2:53 p.m: Williams goes to Jacksonville at No. 159 overall. By the time you get to 6th and 7th round talent, it truly is hit or miss (mostly miss) in terms of projecting who we'll get. Cornerback may be more of a need, but we could take a wide receiver, or heck, another tight end.

4:14 p.m: In the sixth round, the Browns took DT Athyba Rubin from Iowa State at No. 190. Then, the Browns worked out a trade to acquire the VERY next pick, No. 191. With that pick, the Browns took WR Paul Hubbard from Wisconsin. I'm guessing we gave up a pick in 2009 to acquire Hubbard, more to follow on that though.

4:21 p.m: Looks like in order to get Hubbard, we gave the Eagles our 5th round pick in 2009.

4:48 p.m: Michigan's Mike Hart is off the board, as he went late in round six to the Colts. I'm sure a few 'experts' in the media will question why the Browns didn't take a flier on him. I can't imagine Savage coveting anyone else too much, but I'll still keep my eyes open for a trade possibility.

5:07 p.m: Lack of faith in Aaron Rodgers, or simply having as many options as possible? After Favre's retirement, the Packers have drafted Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn.

5:40 p.m: The Browns are up in about three picks here. My money is on us taking Kenny Mayne.

5:48 p.m: With our final pick, the Browns selected DE Alex Hall. ESPN lists his college as null, so I'll try and look him up quickly.

5:51 p.m: Hall is from St. Augustine.

5:52 p.m: The Browns 2008 Draft should be officially over. I'll have scouting reports on the players we picked throughout the week.

Please feel free to chat about the 2008 NFL Draft for Day 1 here! I'll update this post throughout the day if there are any rumors regarding the Cleveland Browns.

1st Round
1. Miami = Jake Long, OT - Michigan
2. St. Louis = Chris Lone, DE - Virginia
3. Atlanta = Matt Ryan, QB - Boston College
4. Oakland = Darren McFadden, RB - Arkansas
5. Kansas City = Glenn Dorsey, DT - LSU
6. New York Jets = Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
7. New Orleans* = Sedrick Ellis, DT - USC
8. Jacksonville* = Derrick Harvey, DE - Florida
9. Cincinnati = Keith Rivers, LB - USC
10. New England* = Jared Mayo, LB - Tennessee
11. Buffalo = Leodis McKelvin, CB - Troy
12. Denver = Ryan Clady, OT - Boise State
13. Carolina = Jonathon Stewart, RB - Oregon
14. Chicago = Chris Williams, OT - Vanderbilt
15. Kansas City = Branden Albert, OG - Virginia
16. Arizona = Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB - Tennessee State
17. Detroit = Gosder Cherilus, OT - Boston College
18. Baltimore* = Joe Flacco, QB
19. Carolina* = Jeff Otah, OT - Pittsburgh
20. Tampa Bay = Aqib Talib, CB - Kansas
21. Atlanta* = Sam Baker, OL
22. Dallas = Felix Jones, RB - Arkansas
23. Pittsburgh = Rashard Mendenhall, RB - Illinois
24. Tennessee = Chris Johnson, RB - East Carolina
25. Dallas* = Mike Jenkins, CB - South Carolina
26. Houston = Duane Brown, OT - Virginia Tech
27. San Diego = Antoine Cason, CB - Arizona
28. Seattle = Lawrence Jackson, DE - USC
29. San Francisco = Kentwan Balmer, DT - North Carolina
30. New York Jets* = Dustin Keller, TE - Purdue
31. New York Giants = Kenny Phillips, S - Miami

*Indicates a trade was made as a team was on the clock.

 

No 1st round pick.
No 2nd round pick.
No 3rd round pick.
No...5th round pick?

According to Evan Silva or RotoWorld, the Browns could be working a trade with the Oakland Raiders. The Browns would send their 5th round pick to the Raiders in exchange for cornerback Fabian Washington. On ESPN this morning, when asked about what to expect from the Cleveland Browns this weekend, analyst Jeremy Green said to expect another trade for the Browns, this time for CB Fabian Washington.

Acquiring Washington would be another steal for the Browns, especially if all it costs us if a fifth-round pick.

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Washington was the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft. Because the Raiders were able to acquire DeAngelo Hall in the offseason, and since Nnamdi Asomugha will play in the other starting cornerback position, the Raiders have made it clear that Washington is expendable. Whether or not Washington gets dealt to the Browns, as rumored, or to another team, is up in the air.

On March 31, 2008, Tony Grossi wrote that Washington wasn't on the Browns' radar:

OAKLAND CORNER NOT ON BROWNS RADAR: Although the Raiders and Browns have exchanged e-mails about a possible trade for Oakland cornerback Fabian Washington, it doesn't sound as if a deal is in the works. The Browns were told that Oakland has an offer of a second-round pick on the table for the former No. 1 draft pick. The Browns, of course, do not have a pick available higher than the fourth-round and they are not even sure they would give that up for Washington.

Whether or not things have changed since then remains to be seen, considering the two rumors we've heard about today. Washington did have an arrest of domestic battery back in February that could certainly lower his value. Also, remember that Pacman Jones was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys for just a fourth-round draft pick (although his controversies were much more severe than Washington's).

At 3 p.m. EST today, the St. Louis Rams will be on the clock as the first two rounds will go into the books. For those of you who are curious, I posted my final first-round mock draft over at PFCritics yesterday.

For today, the question is this: will the Browns find a way to work a trade that would allow us to move into one of the first two rounds? Ignoring the possibility that we could trade one of our quarterbacks, I don't think there is anybody else on our team that we would (or could, barring our Pro Bowlers) trade in order to move up. That means the only possibility of us obtainining a first- or second-round pick would be to sacrifice picks in the 2009 draft.

This is what it would cost the Browns to move up into the first-round of this years' draft:
 

Browns Acquire	Browns Give Up
2008 1st Round Pick	2009 1st Round Pick 2009 2nd Round Pick (or 3rd Round)

We would have to give up a first-round pick next season, as well as a choice between a second- and third-round pick. On top of that, the first round pick that we would receive would probably be somewhere above the 25th selection. Below that, it just wouldn't be worth the wait for a team, considering that they wouldn't be getting any extra picks in this year's draft. Here are the teams that pick between the 25th and 31st positions, and whether we could work a deal with them:

• Seattle Seahawks (No. 25)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 26)
• San Diego Chargers (No. 27)
• Dallas Cowboys (No. 28)
• San Francisco 49ers (No. 29)
• Green Bay Packers (No. 30)
• New York Giants (No. 31)

Everybody wants a first-round pick, but not everyone needs them as much as other teams do. Originally, I wasn't very high on the Seahawks needing a first-rounder, but after they released Shaun Alexander, they have more options to seek out with their pick. The Jaguars usually find their defensive linemen in the draft. The Chargers are a team that can't make it to the Super Bowl, and yet they have some of the least holes in football. They'll be aiming for someone in the secondary, but if safety Kenny Phillips is gone, they are a candidate to make a trade. Then, there comes the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys have two picks in this year's first-round, thanks to the Browns. Originally, I pegged the Cowboys taking a cornerback with one pick, and a running back with the other pick. Assuming the deal for Pacman Jones goes through smoothly, they may not need to draft a cornerback. And, in fear that the Seahawks would grab a running back at No. 25 after releasing Alexander, Felix Jones could be the player they take with the 22nd overall pick. Then, would they need the 28th overall pick necessarily? Or would a first-rounder from the Browns next year, with an additional pick next season, be tempting enough? If the Browns expect to be contenders this season too, it's not like we would be giving up a top-ten pick in 2009 (although you never know).

The Browns' decision on a trade ultimately boils down to whether or not an intriguing player is still on the board at that point. While I may have let him slip very far on my board, I still have cornerback Mike Jenkins available for the taking. Would Jenkins, or some other player that catches the Browns' eye, be worth it to screw up our drafting process in 2009 though? The answer should be a big fat NO. What was the purpose of me wasting time outlining the possibility then? Because we never truly know what Phil Savage has up his sleeve. Savage has hinted towards the fact that the Browns will not be moving up into the first two rounds, but then again, I never saw the deals for Corey Williams or Shaun Rodgers coming.

If there is someone on the board that Savage really likes and sees an opportunity to grab though, a deal is 100 times more likely to occur in the second round than it would in the first round.

Browns Acquire	Browns Give Up
2008 2nd Round Pick	2009 2nd Round Pick 2008 4th Round Pick 2009 4th Round Pick

Again, in order for a deal like this to go down, it would probably have to come from a team with a winning record last season or a team with a lot of draft picks. The Packers have two second-round picks, but one of those were through the Corey Williams deal, so there'd be no sense in them working another deal with us. If the Patriots decide to trade away the 7th overall pick in the draft in order to acquire a different first-round pick and an additional second-round pick, then the Browns acquiring the 62nd overall pick from the Patriots would become a possibility. That would mean that we would have the second-to-last pick on Day 1.

Do I see either scenario panning out? No.

So I see the Browns trading one of our quarterbacks for a first-round pick? In some people's minds, we'd probably be crazy not to accept a deal for one of our quarterbacks. Not only would we re-establish position in this year's draft, we wouldn't affect next year's draft. And, if Derek Anderson is horrible this season, he'll lose all of that value heading into the 2009 draft. That's the big decision the Browns would have to make though: which quarterback do they have more faith in? Anderson had he best season of any Browns quarterback since returning to the league, and a little bit beyond that too. Brady Quinn has not been battle-tested in the regular season yet, but our team would probably be good enough to win some games even if he did struggle. There is too much variability between the quarterbacks, that having both of them as a luxury this season has its benefits and consequences in the long run.

The first day should be a quiet one for the Browns, but I'll certainly be glued to what's going on. Several of our SB Nation bloggers will be attending the draft this weekend too, so if there are any exclusives or rumors throughout the day, be sure to check in and I'll be blogging all about it.

Here are various mock drafts from around the web, showing who people think the Browns will take in the fourth round:

Cleveland Browns 4th Round Mock Projections (No. 122)
Website	Pos	Player	H	W	School	Round*
NFL Draft Specialists	DT	Marcus Harrison	6-3	317	Arkansas	2-3
The Football Expert	OLB	Bruce Davis	6-2	252	UCLA	3-5
Comment: Trading for quarterback Brady Quinn bounced them out of the first round. Acquiring defensive tackle Corey Williams put them out of day one, and now the Shaun Rogers deal has them out of the top 100. They have all sorts of other problems on defense and aren’t likely going to solve them in this draft considering this is their first pick, but probably will try. They want a pass rushing linebacker, but when you don’t pick until #122 it makes things a little difficult. Shantee Orr signed on, but he’s not much help. This would be a great option if he is still on the board. Davis is active with the ability to sack the quarterback, which he did nearly once per game over his final two seasons for the Bruins although some question him as the dreaded ‘tweener, too small for defensive end and not quick enough for linebacker. However, it isn’t easy to find players who can generate a pass rush.
Sports Fury	OLB	Bruce Davis	6-2	252	UCLA	3-5
Comment: Undersized DE can play 3-4 OLB. Finds the QB and appears athletic enough to play in space.
Walter Football	OLB	Shawn Crable	6-5	245	Michigan	2-3
Comment: This is Cleveland's first draft pick, as the team dealt all of its choices away. It actually did a great job filling most of its needs. One thing it didn't address, however, is the rush linebacker position.
NFL Draft Blitz	OLB	Shawn Crable	6-5	245	Michigan	2-3
Draft Season	OLB	Orlando Scandrick	5-10	192	Boise St.	3-5
Comment: The Browns finally get to play and add a fast rising prospect to their thin secondary.
Sports News SW	DE	Marcus Howard	6-0	237	Georgia	3-5
Draft Tek	DE	Marcus Howard	6-0	237	Georgia	3-5
Football Dialogue	ILB	Phillip Wheeler	6-2	248	Georgia Tech	2-3
Comment: Finally a pick and Wheeler is a steal at this point.
FB Draft Analysis	CB	Jack Williams	5-9	180	Kent State	3-5
Sporting News	DT	Frank Okam	6-4	347	Texas	3-5

*Round projections come from NFLDraftCountdown.com.

I found it interesting that on three occasions, two websites chose the same player with our fourth-round selection. Linebackers Bruce Davis and Shawn Crable, and defensive end Marcus Howard, were taken twice.

I'm still fond of the possibility that we'll get a solid cornerback this Sunday in the fourth round, though we did get an apparent solid cornerback in Brandon McDonald last year in the fifth round.

Usually I'm a little hesitant to believe people can accurately project mocks after three rounds (in reality, two rounds only is probably still the best). One mock that you have to look at interestingly is the Sporting News', in which they selected defensive tackle Frank Okam in the fourth round. What I didn't show is that they have us selecting cornerback Orlando Scandrick in the fifth round (Draft Season had us taking him in round four), and Shawn Crable (two websites have us taking him in round four) in the sixth round. Canton Repository writer Steve Doerschuk has also suggested that the Browns might bring Crable in.

So that I'm not throwing what little there is to talk about all out there at once, I'll be discussing more of my personal opinions on the draft, as well as whether or not the Browns can/will move up, in the coming days. Until then, please feel free to discuss if you are interested in any of the players listed in the table above (and, whether or not you think the pick would be a reach, a steal, or just right).