With this edition of “Getting to Know,” we turn to Chris Brown of Smart Football fame. Chris covers football at all levels — history, philosophy, Xs and Os — and was the author of several poignant Alabama-related pieces over at Grantland. Today, we are pleased to provide his take on the Browns’ seventh-round pick, Brad Smelley.

How would you characterize Brad’s college career?

He was a team first guy at Alabama and carved out a very important role on a star-studded offense. As I wrote in January, even if he’s not a crushing blocker or a Aaron Hernandez vertical threat as a receiver, he’s extremely versatile and, having originally committed to Alabama as a quarterback, very smart and understands the game.

What are the Browns getting with Smelley?

I do think Brad’s game translates to the NFL, which is why the Browns picked up a guy who maybe doesn’t jump off the charts athletically. If nothing else, he’s a good team guy and should contribute on special teams right away. He’s an interesting project. I didn’t analyze enough to know whether he’d be picked, but was happy to see that he was.

Brad isn’t a true-to-mold fullback, nor is he of the Jimmy Graham, pass-catching ilk. Nick Saban isn’t walking through that door. Essentially, where can dp you see Smelley fitting in with the Browns’ West Coast style of offense? [Read more...]