First of all Brady Quinn is going NOWHERE. He is and will be the starting QB of the Browns next year.... all rumors to the contrary are unfounded and/or based on uninformed whispers from around the NFL that have repeatedly been proven false by common sense and minimal research... easily the biggest non-story of the offseason.
Best case scenario concerning the draft really is the Browns pick Mark Sanchez setting up a bidding war between Denver, Washington and the Jets.... then between the two losers starts the red hot DA sweepstakes (crosses fingers) and the loser of that can have Jason Campbell from Washington, who according to ESPN today will demand a trade if DC picks up another QB.
I just don't like the options for the Browns at #5. Their real need is OLB and no one there is worth the pick or the money. Curry and Crabtree are by far the top 2 players in the draft but Crabtree has too many question marks and taking a WR that high is criminal and negligent.
Curry is a player that, if he drops to the Browns, Cleveland can't pass on. That being said ILB on the Browns already has 2 starters that they like, D'Qwell Jackson; supposedly along with Joe Thomas the only untouchable players on the team (although I don't know why concerning Jackson); and Eric Barton brought over as a starter from the Jets. To go along with this you have Beau Bell coming into his 2nd year as a pro and Leon Williams as young backup ILBs. The point being that you're putting grade-A talent at a somewhat crowded (although admittedly not top shelf) ILB position when you still need starting and backup OLBs.
The OLB situation you pretty much have Kamerion Wimbley, Alex Hall and David Bowens which would probably take care of one side at OLB of the defense. As of right now Wimbley's inability to develop more than one pass rushing move (dip and speed to the outside) has him as a bust or very close to that status... Alex Hall is showing promise as a pass rushing specialist and Bowens is strictly there as a special teams/emergency backup/veteran leader familiar with Mangini- role on the team.
That leaves the hole at OLB being a starter and a backup that would need to get a lot of PT. A 3-4 with a lack of LBs let alone TALENT at LB is not going to be the best idea, let alone a good D.
Braylon needs to be traded and moved but if the only thing the Giants are offering is a 2nd and 5th then keeping him for a year and possibly franchising him is the better way to go. The 2nd and 5th however is mostly wishful thinking on the part of Giants fans and New York media as there has also been talks of a 1st and 3rd being turned down by Cleveland as well... so who knows.
Browns are supposedly very enamored with Mathias Kiwanuka to play OLB and demanding he be part of any deal for Braylon. The problem is that with trading Braylon and the Stallworth situation the Browns would have NOTHING at WR AT ALL. Now generally I think WR is an overrated position in the NFL but a 35 year old David Patten as your #1 is asking for trouble, especially with a young QB.
Best case scenario is probably a 2nd, Kiwanuka and Dominek Hixon or Mario Manningham for Edwards (and MAYBE a later round pick this or next year.) Keep in mind that Giants fans think that trade would be ridiculous and no way in hell of that happening.... but then again they are the ones who think trading Kiwanuka STRAIGHT UP for Braylon is a questionable move and think a very late 2nd and extremely late 5th is what they should give up for Edwards.... so I am trying to be conservative on what my Browns fan head thinks we could actually get for #17. The Browns, according to the national media today, are also holding fast for the #29 as well, so maybe that and a player is a good possibility.
All that being said the deal is probably most likely already in place and they are just keeping a lid on it until draft day.
DRAFT/OFFSEASON NEEDS:
Ranked in order of need and importance....
1. Starting + backup OLBs: covered this above. Kiwanuka (trade); Everette Brown, FSU (mid-1st); Clay Matthews III, USC (late-ish 1st) are all good possibilities and a Kiwanuka + Brown or Matthews combo would be perfect but would also probably require two trades to get there: Braylon/Giants and a trade down from the 5 spot in the 1st. Brian Orakpo at #5 is another very good possibility as well that I do not want to happen as I think he's got bust written all over him. Stryker Sulak out of Missouri is a player with ties to the Browns that has a good shot being one of the Browns last picks.
2. Starting SS: You can pretty much put money on the Browns drafting a SS in the 2nd or 3rd (if they get one in a trade.) I personally like Patrick Chung out of Oregon but there are a handful of possible choices that could happen. This is a position that HAS to be filled in the first 3 rounds of the draft... and will be.
3. Starting C: Another lock for a late 1st (#29 if they get it from the Giants) or early 2nd round pick. Hank Fraley is just too old and a solid, young center will upgrade the play of the Browns anemic offense. All signs, rumblings and the situation point to this.
4. 2-3 WRs: You have to figure Edwards and Stallworth won't be with the team by the start of the year, it's pretty much a lock. That leaves you with David Patten, Syndric Steptoe, Josh Cribbs, Paul Hubbard as your receiving corps. HOPEFULLY you get a starting caliber WR back from the Giants in any Braylon trade... be it Steve Smith in a best case scenario or seeing if Dominek Hixon has what it takes to start.
That being said you can't really ever depend on any rookie WR to start in the NFL right away ever, no matter how high they are drafted. So you figure that no matter how anything works out the Browns will probably (or should) pick up a starting caliber free agent WR, be it one that is available now or one that gets cut in the near future. I don't think you can count on Patten to start either furthering the need for this to happen even if you get a starter back for Edwards.
The Draft-- I would put it as another lock that the Browns pick a WR in one the first two rounds as well. However if all my guarantees come true (OLB, SS, C, WR) the Browns currently do not have enough picks to make it happen... this is where any of the many trades that they can make come in. Just figure they will have enough picks to make it happen when the time comes. Mohamed Massaquoi out of Georgia or Brian Robiskie out of THE Ohio State University in the mid-to-late 2nd are two I would keep my eye on that the Browns have shown interest in. Crabtree also at #5 is a real possibility as well that I think would be a huge mistake.
5. Backup RB: It unfortunately looks like the Browns will trudge along with Jamal Lewis as their starting RB this season. My only hope is that Jerome Harrison also gets countless opportunities to show just what he can do with the ball. Not a huge hole or need but with the amount of moves the Browns will most likely make and picks they will hopefully have the talent that will be available at the position end of the first/early second day will be a place for the Browns to take a RB. I'd love for it to be Shonn Greene out of MSU.
6. Young nickel/dime CB: A lock for a mid-to-late round pick. Most likely a raw, talented CB in the mold of Coye Francies, SJSU or Donald Washington, OSU. Either of the starting CBs out of Oregon State are a good possibility as well (Keenan Lewis or Brandon Hughes.)
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The Browns WILL BE making trades on draft day and probably MULTIPLE ones. I can only hope and pray getting something halfway decent for Derek Anderson is among them.
***EDITED TO ADD THE NEXT DAY***--
I think I may be shorting David Bowens and what he brings to the table for this team.
Also Aaron Curry is far from the kiss of death I made it sound like he was... long term he is best pick for the Browns but if they are talking about winning next year right away then they have more pressing needs... Still he is the best and most talented player the Browns could end up drafting.
