Your first day draft grade

[JayDub]

Okay so what would you rather have:

Abram Elam
Kenyon Coleman
Brett Ratliff
Alex Mack
Coye Francies
James Davis

OR

B.J. Raji, Michael Crabtree, Eugene Monroe, etc.

Let's clear the air. I wanted us to trade out of that pick.

I think we were trying to get out of the pick and took the 1st good offer.

I think we could have got more out of it. I didn't think any of the players outside of Curry were worthy of the money we would have had to pay.

Maclin yeah I agree to some extent but I'm happy with what we got overall.. I'm fine with Mack and Robo, rather than Maclin and Antoine Caldwell... I'd level with you on Maclin though...

Never liked Ayers much and didn't see him do much... Don't think he's the answer to our problems..

Ayers is capable of playing OLB on 3-4/4-3 and both end positions in either scheme. He was a very good talent. Was 3rd in SEC in TFL's. TFL's=playmakers and that's exactly what we need on that side of the ball.

You're fooling yourself if you think Coleman is just a filler player... Dude has a legit shot at winning the starting job... Go ask Jet fans if they like him...

We'll see how he does.

Yes I am... Jets are better than the Dolphins and Bills and even though Tom Brady is healthy, you never know... Who knew Brady would get hurt last year?

I don't think their defense is strong enough to carry a Rookie QB. I see them on the edge playoffs 8-8 +/- 1.

WR is a much bigger need than RB... We can manage the year with Lewis and Harrison.. We couldn't manage the year with Edwards, Robiskie, Patten, Steptoe, Cribbs and Hubbard...

I saw RB as a more glaring need. J Lew is getting old. Harrison can't pass protect and his role was as a third down back.

I honestly hope Harrison gets a fair shot this year. His explosiveness is a great change of pace. If he can't crack 2 deep or get in a rotation with a new staff I don't know if he ever will.

My point of view is this, running the ball sets the tone for a team and the offense. It also takes pressure off our qb's through play action passing. I felt like we had to address the rb position as statement to the team saying they'll commit to the run game. I think Lewis is getting too soft and old. Also, I don't think Harrison isn't where he needs to be based on last season to help take the load off Lewis.

Management had their take on it by taking Mack. I think pairing Mack with one of the many rbs in the draft would have been better than a 2nd wr in round 2.

You really think I care what Kiper says? Kiper can project where guys go but he can't project what goes, should go to what teams...

You caring about what Kiper says never entered my mind. The point is that he packages players with teams where he thinks they'll fit. I'm not saying what he spews out of his mouth is gospel but he does take into consideration when placing players with teams how they'll fit.

We'll see done the road... Who says any of those guys pan out? Elam is the sure thing...

I'll wait to see how he plays to call him a sure thing. I don't really see starting over Mike Adams as much of statement. He may end up being an upgrade. How much of one is the question. He's from Kent State and hopefully he'll flourish back in NE Ohio.



My initial grade of a c- was a more a reaction for what i felt we missed on through numerous trades. Its probably more a C+, B-. I think oustide of Massaqoui we had a very good 2-6. James Davis will be a instant contributor to the running game this year for us. I doubt you can say that about many other 6th round picks this year. C for the first day. B/B+ second day.

Alex Mack is good player. Do I think we should have drafted him at 21. No. I don't think we should have traded out of 17. I'm NOT saying he's a bad player. I think he'll be good for us. There were other players that I would have much rather had ie. Maclin or Ayers that i think would have had more significant impact this year. My opinion you can agree or disagree.

Changing my opinion is about as likely as me eating pig anytime soon.....


I'm ready to see how all the players acquired end up by the start of the season.

Don't take me being critical as thinking that this was a complete let down. I may have come off that way. I just think we had chances to maximize opportunities in this draft or next years that we missed.

I'm like most Brown fans and I'm tired of mediocrity. I want us to try and get as close to perfection as possible. With that said, I think this is best first draft of any regime since we got the team back.

 

[-KingofKings23-]

Jason Cole grades the Browns draft

Picks: C Alex Mack, WR Brian Robiskie, WR Mohamed Massaquoi, DE David Veikune, LB Kaluka Maiava, CB Don Carey, CB Coye Francies, RB James Davis.
Positives: Got out of the No. 5 spot, depth at wide receiver.
Negative: No great athletes.
Bottom line: C+. New Browns coach Eric Mangini has this penchant for getting guys who are in his image: quiet, hard-working and industrious. But there’s a point at which you need to get great athletes and this draft just doesn’t have it. Mack was the best center in the draft, but they went after him a little high after making three trades down from the No. 5 spot. Also, the fact they got so little for the No. 5 pick isn’t good, but this is the direction the NFL is going because of the cost of signing top draft picks. All of that said, Mack is a good player and Robiskie and Massaquoi are really good value players as complementary receivers. Assuming the Browns keep top wide receiver Braylon Edwards, this could be a good group. That’s a big assumption.

To be honest I thought we did better than a C+.

 

[MoFlo]

Re: Jason Cole grades the Browns draft

To be honest I thought we did better than a C+.

So did I

It's ridiculous that the majority of these "experts" only look at athletic ability

Guess what, in the AFC North, athleticism isn't going to get you very far.. It's a power division, power running, in the trenches football

some of these guys just don't get that

Great draft, IMO.. every draft pick was an area of need, and I LOVE that!

Not many teams can say they came out of the draft with 11 players, 4 of which will probably start (Elam, Robo, Mack, Coleman)

Not to mention, 10 of those players fit an area of need (only one that didn't, Ratliff, looks like he could be the steal of the trade)

We came into the draft with so many areas of need & we weren't going to address them all in this draft..

But, especially with this trade, we came pretty damn close..

Only thing I have a question about coming out of the draft is OLB..

And we've already heard Ryan say he can work with Wimbley & get him back to how he was his rookie season & we've heard Ryan say he likes Alex Hall a lot.. Maybe when Mangini & the coaching staff looked at the defense, they didn't feel like it was the biggest area of need..

Don't forget, 2 of the reasons our defense was so bad:

-Our offense sucked, which means the defense is out there more often & consequently, longer periods of time

-Coaching.. Our defensive coordinator was terrible and our head coach was a pushover.

 

[Chris]

Re: Jason Cole grades the Browns draft

I originally gave it a C- and have since upped it to a B- but that's just my opinion from the picks.

I agree on the whole "athlete" thing. We want football players not athletes playing football. Kamerion Wimbley is an "athlete" where did that get him?

 

[zunerock]

Re: Jason Cole grades the Browns draft

A-

 

[-KingofKings23-]

I say B

 

[Smooth]

I don't like draft grades but I found this kind of funny since we graded out as one of the best teams, according to a real credible site (PFW)

Cleveland Browns — No team may have orchestrated trades and acquired more overall value better than the Browns, who traded back three times in the first round before landing their prize, Alex Mack, in front of a team (Vikings) that was considering selecting the draft’s first center. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi both have starter potential at receiver and could allow for a Braylon Edwards trade. David Veikune is a projected outside linebacker who has a great motor and fits the scheme. Kaluka Maiava could fill a nickel linebacker role. CBs Don Carey and Coye Francies could make the roster. DE Kenyon Coleman and DB Abram Elam, acquired from the Jets for the fifth pick, along with QB Brett Ratliff, could both be starters. Overall, the Browns may come away with six starters from this draft, while also adding character to the locker room and potentially replacing a fifth of the 53-man roster through the draft. GM George Kokinis and head coach Eric Mangini have received a fair share of criticism in their short tenure together, but they may have had the best draft of any AFC team.
Grade: Outstanding

 

[cdt]

I like the draft in the sense that we helped out the QB's...if somehow someway Derek Anderson wins the starting job, at least he has a better Center in front of him calling things out since he can't seem to adapt to different defenses. He has two new targets to throw to as well as 2nd year TE Martin Rucker.

Overall we improved the offense tremendously via the draft which allows either QB a much easier job than the one they faced last year. Would I have preferred L-Mac over Massaquoi? Yeah...but you can't fill every hole, maybe with the extra receiving help it'll enable Jamal to receive less attention and be even slightly more effective...3ypc???

Next year we have to be looking at RB LB and a Tackle

 

[Chris]

Wow PFW was just gushing in that little blurb. Surprising. Most people think we just had a solid/average draft.

 

[fudd]

Also, the fact they got so little for the No. 5 pick isn’t good, but this is the direction the NFL is going because of the cost of signing top draft picks.

I believe this sentence alone adds value to the quality of our draft. These "experts" just like exciting drafts. Why do you think we always had A+++ drafts when Savage was here? The quality draft analysts are the ones that give an in depth explanation of why they feel a team underperformed in the draft, unlike this guy, who thinks we did bad because we didn't draft any athletes.

Give me a break.

Alex Mack is a monster. I'd rather have a monster than an athlete. Too many times the athlete draft pick is over paid and never pans out. Just look at those teams that consistently draft really high each year; they over pay for flashy players. You don't see the Pittsburg's or the New England's of the world drafting athletes. They draft solid contributors, guys that are willing to play for a team.

 

[Chris]

I believe this sentence alone adds value to the quality of our draft. These "experts" just like exciting drafts. Why do you think we always had A+++ drafts when Savage was here? The quality draft analysts are the ones that give an in depth explanation of why they feel a team underperformed in the draft, unlike this guy, who thinks we did bad because we didn't draft any athletes.

Give me a break.

Alex Mack is a monster. I'd rather have a monster than an athlete. Too many times the athlete draft pick is over paid and never pans out. Just look at those teams that consistently draft really high each year; they over pay for flashy players. You don't see the Pittsburg's or the New England's of the world drafting athletes. They draft solid contributors, guys that are willing to play for a team.

Great post. The Kipers and McShays and Mike n Mikes are all about the flashiness and sexiness.

 

[CBBI]

Next year we have to be looking at RB LB and a Tackle

Obviously its far too early to tell which young players are going to progress/regress and which older guys are going to fall off/have a resurgence of course, but just looking at the roster right now here is what I think are the biggest holes.

1. Running Back (starter)
2. Inside Linebacker (1 starter/depth)
3. Outside Linebacker (1 starter/depth)
4. Right Tackle (depth/future starter)
5. Right Guard (depth/future starter)

All things considered, I think Mangini and Kokinis have address most of the glaring holes on the roster pretty well. There is legitimate depth at the CB and DL spots for the first time in what seems like forever.

 

[KIisKing]

Whats the likley hood of some of the players we drafted getting cut?Which ones would? I really dont want to see any of these guys get cut, they have worked really hard to get here and I feel like the bums that Savage drafted should be the first to go.

 

[Smooth]

I think we were trying to get out of the pick and took the 1st good offer.

I don't believe that's true at all.. There'd been stuff out in the media saying the Browns were in discussions with multiple teams for more than a week or so, discussing possibilities of trading the pick... And it isn't also like the team traded the pick right when they got on the clock...

BTW--this might be a better version of the draft chart (updated but still not perfect), to show you what we got was pretty good value: link...

Ayers is capable of playing OLB on 3-4/4-3 and both end positions in either scheme. He was a very good talent. Was 3rd in SEC in TFL's. TFL's=playmakers and that's exactly what we need on that side of the ball.

He also 9 sacks in 4 years at Tennessee... Ayers is a solid player but I don't think he has the hips, the explosion or the burst to be an effective 34 OLB... We'll see though, with Denver playing the 34...

I saw RB as a more glaring need. J Lew is getting old. Harrison can't pass protect and his role was as a third down back.

We see what good offensive lines can do for decent backs and we've also seen what bad offensive lines can do for good backs... It's more often than not that good lines produce good runners, no matter who is back there (perfect example is Denver and Mike Shanahan)...

The RB position is also one of the easiest to fill as you do down throughout the draft, while finding very skilled offensive lineman is not so easy to find...

I agree the RB position was, and still is a glaring need, but the offensive line is not only more important, but much harder to find rookies to plug and play...

I honestly hope Harrison gets a fair shot this year. His explosiveness is a great change of pace. If he can't crack 2 deep or get in a rotation with a new staff I don't know if he ever will.

Yeah... The problem right now is that Harrison has trouble in pass-pro and struggled a bit with the playbook... But it also seems he was more of Phil's guy, than Romeo's guy which could have been part of the problem...

My point of view is this, running the ball sets the tone for a team and the offense. It also takes pressure off our qb's through play action passing. I felt like we had to address the rb position as statement to the team saying they'll commit to the run game. I think Lewis is getting too soft and old. Also, I don't think Harrison isn't where he needs to be based on last season to help take the load off Lewis.

I'm not disagreeing... I'm just disagreeing with how and when you go about addressing the RB and OL spots...

Management had their take on it by taking Mack. I think pairing Mack with one of the many rbs in the draft would have been better than a 2nd wr in round 2.

We lost JJ, Kellen Winslow, and Donte' Stallworth in the off-season, while only gaining Robert Royal and David Patten.. We lost Jason Wright in the off-season and replaced him with Noah Herron... There's a much bigger disparity of where the needs are at when looking at what we lost and who we lost where... We needed a WR much more so than a RB...

You caring about what Kiper says never entered my mind. The point is that he packages players with teams where he thinks they'll fit. I'm not saying what he spews out of his mouth is gospel but he does take into consideration when placing players with teams how they'll fit.

I know you don't care but my point is that Kiper really doesn't have a good understanding of how certain players can fit into certain schemes....

I'll wait to see how he plays to call him a sure thing. I don't really see starting over Mike Adams as much of statement. He may end up being an upgrade. How much of one is the question. He's from Kent State and hopefully he'll flourish back in NE Ohio.

That's your opinion but we'll see...

My initial grade of a c- was a more a reaction for what i felt we missed on through numerous trades. Its probably more a C+, B-. I think oustide of Massaqoui we had a very good 2-6. James Davis will be a instant contributor to the running game this year for us. I doubt you can say that about many other 6th round picks this year. C for the first day. B/B+ second day.

What's wrong with Qwa? More so the position than the player?

Alex Mack is good player. Do I think we should have drafted him at 21. No. I don't think we should have traded out of 17. I'm NOT saying he's a bad player. I think he'll be good for us. There were other players that I would have much rather had ie. Maclin or Ayers that i think would have had more significant impact this year. My opinion you can agree or disagree.

I had the same feeling too initially...

 

[Smooth]

Obviously its far too early to tell which young players are going to progress/regress and which older guys are going to fall off/have a resurgence of course, but just looking at the roster right now here is what I think are the biggest holes.

1. Running Back (starter)
2. Inside Linebacker (1 starter/depth)
3. Outside Linebacker (1 starter/depth)
4. Right Tackle (depth/future starter)
5. Right Guard (depth/future starter)

All things considered, I think Mangini and Kokinis have address most of the glaring holes on the roster pretty well. There is legitimate depth at the CB and DL spots for the first time in what seems like forever.

It's really too early to tell what the holes are for next year... It really depends upon some many different things and so many different variables, it's impossible to see until the end of next season..

@ 4everfan

I think everyone has a pretty good chance of making it..

Our top 4 picks will definitely make it..

Our two CB's have a very good chance with us only having three legit CBs (not including Poteat)... One could get cut but I doubt it...

Davis has a good chance to beat out Herron, but they may keep Herron..

Maiava is a guy that I see has the most chance of being cut since ILB is a pretty stocked position but we'll see...

If any of these guys were cut, they'd be cut simply due to them being placed on the PS rather than the roster.. I don't see them outright releasing them and not re-signing them to some capacity on the team...