Indians Rally for 5-4 Extra Inning Victory over Twins
May 2, 2010Akron Welcomes LeBron James, MVP with Open Arms
May 2, 2010
As the Browns were on the clock in the first round, multiple NFL outlets began reporting that Mike Holmgren was about to break a tie. GM Tom Heckert wanted cornerback Joe Haden out of Florida. Head Coach Eric Mangini wanted cornerback Kyle Wilson out of Boise State. With Eric Berry off the board to KC at 5, the Browns were still committed to addressing the defensive backfield and apparently had Haden and Wilson as their top two corners. In the end, we all know that Holmgren broke the tie in favor of Haden. Wilson fell all the way to the bottom of the first round to the New York Jets at 29. Jets head coach Rex Ryan dropped some not-so-subtle hints yesterday that his brother Rob, Browns defensive coordinator, wanted Wilson on the Browns:
“There is somebody that I really know well for a long time that basically said that he was their guy and they picked a lot earlier than us,” Rex Ryan said. “You can probably figure it out. That’s who he wanted and then after practice, I’m like ‘Yep. I guarantee you were right because this guy is the real deal.'”
Rex obviously never directly refers to his brother by name but it was well known that Browns coaches really liked Wilson and his first sentence seems a pretty clear allusion to his brother. I saw a number of Boise State games last year and Wilson consistently stood out as the most dominant player on the field. He was always around the ball and constantly making plays both on D and in special teams. He should be a valuable addition to the Jets.
The fact that one coach had a preference for Wilson should not be a comment on the ability of Haden. Wilson dropped all the way to the bottom of the first round and Haden was consistently ranked in the top 10-12 prospects of the draft. Haden was a dominant player at CB since his freshman year at the top program in the country. He will make an instant impact for the Browns.
While Wilson may have been Rob’s “guy,” Haden is no slouch and because he is one man’s alternative does not mean he is a lesser player. I imagine Browns fans may now compare these two throughout the season. Scott already warned us to avoid the Mays-Ward comparisons and nitpicking. There is never a draft where a coach does not get a guy he covets. But rarely does Rex Ryan make it a fairly public matter that his brother was in love with a guy that was a available to the Browns.
GM Tom Heckert consistently said that there was no debate between the two CBs as they were on the clock. Rob has not commented on the insinuation made by his brother. As for Joe Haden, the Florida product has been having a good first weekend in Berea as Terry Pluto detailed this morning:
The cornerback made an immediate impact when he was given some blitz formations to study, and the next day, he was called to the blackboard to diagram them. He was correct on every X and O.
We are one rookie camp into the 2010 season so let’s avoid the panicky judgments based on soundbites from a press conference in New York.
8 Comments
It’s also important to remember that Wilson will have Revis anchoring the other side of the field, and thus will have a little less slack to pick up than will Haden. It will be impossible to look at the two in a vacuum. Revis immediately makes Wilson better simply by taking so much of the burden himself.
I don’t think we want assistant coaches making the 7th pick in the draft.
As for Rex Ryan, his big mouth, immaturity, and lack of self-discipline is going to get him fired before long. Book it.
Rex Ryan = Jerry Glanville.
It’s also important to remember that Rex Ryan has made a big habit of talking up his own players. There’s a chance he’s just talking out of his you-know-where, too.
DP,
I kind of disagree with your point of view (#1). I think that having Revis on the other corner means that Wilson will see a lot more balls coming his way in man coverage. of course, if the Jets zone off to the non-Revis side, I guess the point is moot.
The way i see it is that if Wilson was really THAT good, he’d have gone before the Jets picked him at 29. The Patriots picked Devin McCourty 2 spots earlier at #27. Yeah, they’re idiots. They never win anything.
Personally, I love how USC’s Joe McKnight is so out of shape that he’s thrown up every day since Jets rookie camp started.
“There is never a draft where a coach does not get a guy he covets.”
— Butch Davis disagrees, just ask him.
I think the fact that Joe Haden walked on as a freshman cb in one of the nation’s toughest conferences at that conference’s top program and played a starting role in his whole college career as a top player, he will work out okay at the next level. Even if he doesn’t become a superstar, he will become a team leader and a justified first-round selection.