Acquiring Young Talent through Trades—Part 2: The Position Players
January 20, 2011Byron Scott Introduced to Cleveland- a Rewind
January 20, 2011
Everyone’s favorite hair gel-laden draftnik is back for another go’round. With the conference championship games looming, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has published his first mock draft of the draft season and has pegged the Cleveland Browns with a much-needed offensive weapon.
6) AJ Green – WR, Georgia
The Browns need a No.1 wideout and Green has fit the profile since he landed between the hedges at Georgia. Green is a complete package, with size, speed and solid route-running skills, and he will be the best friend of a young quarterback as a player that’s able to go up and take the ball away. Cleveland has some good pieces, and Green is exactly what Colt McCoy needs.
With Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck staying in college, the top of nearly every mock draft board is littered with defensive players. In fact, three of the first four players drafted – per Kiper – are defensive lineman. The impact of players like Ndomukong Suh and Gerald McCoy have apparently opened up the floodgates for impact defensive linemen and this year’s crop will benefit from those that entered the draft before them.
Kiper has the Arizona Cardinals addressing their quarterback situation by selecting Missouri’s Blane Gabbert, allowing the top wide receiver in the draft to fall to the sixth spot overall. Green has been given a Scouts Inc. score of 97, knocked only for his durability, blocking in the run game, and tendency to get overmatched by physical defensive backs. These matters aside, Green is largely considered to be one of the best talents in the draft and has been compared to Detroit’s Calvin Johnson in terms of being that much better than his draft day peers.
It is worth mentioning that Kiper’s colleague Todd McShay has Green being taken fourth overall by the Cincinnatti Bengals with the Browns settling for Robert Quinn out of North Carolina. Quinn missed all of the 2010 season with off-field issues, but fills a major need for the Browns on their defensive line.
33 Comments
Lets use Christian Eyenga as the deep ball threat
Great selection in Green but I still think we need to sign/trade for a WR with experience also.
Really? Blane Gabbert? HE’s the top QB in the draft? Guess I’m not paying to read enough Kiper.
Really, I’d be ok with Green. Or any of the top defensive linemen or linebackers. We need all of them.
I feel like were stuck on the outside looking in at guys we really want (again). Green may or may not be available at 6 and I agree with McShay, Cincy has a real shot at grabbing him at four. Luckily this is a pretty deep WR class and there should be guys available in the second round if Green is gone and we select a defensive player.
Either strategy (DE/WR or WR/DE) works for me but I think we need to make those two selections first as they’re the most pressing needs at this point. I’m not sure what is better…Christmas or the NFL draft. Seriously.
Nothing would make me happier than landing Green. The Browns won’t seriously compete until they acquire offensive playmakers. Our defensive line can wait.
1- WR Green
2- DE Kerrigan/Watt/Heyward
3- DT Austin
I’m really starting to come around to the idea of finding a way to take Green no matter what (via pick or trade for a higher pick).
You can’t be great at everything, and the Browns are mediocre in all phases. If they put Green with Hillis, McCoy, maaaaaaayyyyybeee a healthy Hardesty, Watson, Moore and MoMass, this team could be alright. As for Cribbs…it’s time to use hime sparingly in the offense in favor of seeing more flash on special teams.
It’s time for the Browns to pick an identity. Young and speedy on offense with lots of guys that can catch would be great. It’s like many others have said on this site before…if you put a true #1 receiver on this roster, all of the other receivers get better.
@6, Brian
J.J. Watt and/ Cameron Heyward may be gone by the time we select again the second round. If Heyward falls, absolutely take him. But given recent history, you can’t go wrong drafting a stud defensive players 1st. There will be receiver talent later, such as Jonathon Baldwin and Torrey Smith as possibilities in the second, but that will also require signing another vet WR to help.
Like the draft suggestions though, hopefully one will be available!
Kiper was the same guy who said Jimmy Clausen was surefire going top 10 last year too, right? Yea I don’t really put a lot of stock in what the helmet head has to say. He’s basically taking shots in the dark.
Robert Quinn didn’t play a down in 2010 for character issues? pass.
@Gordo- I agree. We need 2 WRs. Let Robo and Mo Mass fight for the #3 spot. I will never forgive Mangini for drafting both of those guys.
If you don’t take Green with a top pick then I think you must find a premier wide out through trade or free agency. Otherwise, you’re better off taking undrafted free agents as wideouts.
Green seems like the only premier wide out in the draft. I’d hate to see the Browns try to convince themselves that some of the lesser guys are good picks when they could just as easily try out undrafted wide outs, possibly even from college division 2 and 3, and pay them the league minimum to play second, third or fourth fiddle to a top wide out taken in free agency.
In short, with wideouts in this draft, in my opinion, it’s Green or bust. Don’t waste picks on more MoMasses when you already have that guy.
Where do they have Julio Jones being taken? He could be a plan B if Cincy takes Green.
Anyone want to guess how many 1st round wide receivers are still around in the Playoffs? Two: Braylon and Santonio Holmes. And neither of them were drafted by the Jets.
Why anyone would think that drafting a WR in the first round leads to success is beyond me. I’m more worried that the desire to draft a WR is just evidence that your QB isn’t very good.
95% of all WRs take two to three to develop into reliable starters. So drafting Green makes sense because it also takes a team usually two years to convert the West Coast style. Another rebuild!
@ Cooley-
One area where Jones may be better than Green is on the short slip screens and quick hitches. Judging solely based on youtube highlight films, it looks like Green is more of a deep threat while Jones gets alot of YAC. If our offense is going to consist of dinking and dunking, maybe Jones is a better fit for the WCO.
Just food for thought.
“Anyone want to guess how many 1st round wide receivers are still around in the Playoffs?”
All four teams have 1st round QBs. Does that mean we should draft a QB in the 1st round this year?
If you are not very good and you have multiple needs, you draft the best player available that also fills a need.
Quinn was out for taking about 5k in benefits from an agent. It had nothing to do with his ability on the field or his coachability.
I’m kinda hoping Green goes before us in which case we take Patrick Peterson from LSU. Imagine him opposite Haden-kinda scary. We could leave them to their own devices and concentrate on stuffing the run after that. Plus he’s electric as a kick returner. I can’t believe everybodys forgetting about him.
The Browns just don’t need a WR, they need a whole new corps of receivers. Because of that, I’d prefer the 6th pick used on a front seven guy, grab some second day WRs, and then sign some free agents WRs. IMO, one guy isn’t going to change the unit or improve the team over night.
Re:Kiper – Dude puts out dozens and dozens of mock drafts leading up to April and then when one of those thousand picks end up right, he goes on about how smart his is.
I remember reading an article a few years ago how Kiper was so proud of himself because he predicted in one mock draft that such-and-such a team would take a certain punter in the fourth round, which they did. What he didn’t say – that was the only pick he predicted correctly for that round. 1 out of 32… nice.
Disagree with the WR selection idea. Who are the WR’s for the Steelers and when were they selected? You don’t select a WR this high unless his potential is off the charts. We need help on the lines and with good talent evaluation can pick up a quality WR later (not Robiske/MoMass type). My order is DE, LB, OT, WR
I’m not too interested in the 1st round pick, as I think it’ll be another year where the player we want get’s drafted before we can snag him.
However, we NEED Matthews III in the 2nd round. I will preach and preach about it but, every great defense has a leader. It’s usually a Linebacker, or occasionally a safety (ex. Polamalu) but, you won’t have an elite defense until you have someone they can rally around.
Is Matthews III a sure thing ? No. But he’s really the best shot I can think of.
I love the idea of having TWO University of Georgia WRs starting at the same time. It has worked so well for the University of Georgia.
Green or Peterson whichever one is there. These are the top 2 in the draft.
Can’t believe no one’s mentioning Jake Locker.
I agree with C-Bus about Green or bust at WR. Will other WRs turn out to be good from this draft? definitely, but its almost as much of a shot in the dark as QBs. I think If Green isnt there or isnt our guy, I would be fine bringing in a vet and getting speedy UDFA.
As for Quinn, since he did not play I do not know more then I have read from the likes of Kiper or McShay. Apparently he is a terrific talent, but it would scare me to get a guy and have a lockout to where Quinn wont play competitive football in 2 years. If thats not a concern for the FO, then Im on board.
Outside of those 2, Marcell Dareus, Peterson, Amukarmara, or if Bowers falls are all players that would fit nice.
Lastly, Matthews for the 2nd round is my choice as well. Maybe if they like someone else more (like if Heyward is there- currently at 26 in Mcshays and in the 2nd round for Kiper) then I can see them going for that player, but I would hope they trade back into the second for Matthews like they did with Hardesty.
Alex Henery, K, Nebraska. Don’t care what round, but he’s the only “must get” on my list.
” I can’t believe everybodys forgetting about him.”
Kiper has him going second overall – I don’t think anyone is sleeping on him. I will agree that some are passing him off because the team drafted a CB first last year. I, personally, am not.
@Gren did you notice that the defense already has a LB that is the heart and sole of the defense? when Fujita went down the defense suffered after that. He is the heart of the defense. But I still want us to draft Matthews III and let him learn from Fujita and eventually take over the role of heart of the defense.
Mel Kiper’s a fool. This is the worst time of the year.
Casey Matthews is not Matthews III.
@10 Can’t discount a guy just for “bad character” when your team is a bad as we are. From what I understand, the UNC was a team wide academic scandal, I’m not ready to give up on the guy. I sure wish we didn’t cross Dez Bryant and Tampa Mike Williams off our draft board. Passed on Percy Harvin too. But hey at least Robiskie, Massaquoi, Veikune are good people.
That said, I think we need help on the d the most, especially the line. Dareus, Bowers, Quinn, whomever.
If Peterson is there, I’d look at throwing him back to FS so we can have our ed reed/polamalu. He’s 6’1 222.
For a pass rusher, at least from what I’ve seen of him JJ Watt from Wisconsin could be an impact player off the edge. Personally I think he’s a similar player to Cam Wake down in Miami. Would he still be available in the early second round?
-On a side note: Is it just me, or does Kiper kinda look like Jim Jones? The cult leader, not the terrible rapper.