Browns Make a Statement

[YtownBacker]

The Cleveland Browns made a big statement in round one of the draft. They admitted that one impact player wasn't going to get this team over the hump. They admitted taht this team is lacking in talent and depth. They admitted that we are rebuilding and need to get younger. They admitted hat it is more then a one year process.

Holmgren and Heckert are old school, build though the draft type guys. That's how Holmgren learned it from Bill Walsh and that's what him and Ron Wolf did in GB. that's what Heckert and Reid did in Philly.

The Browns played reasonably well for a 5-11 team last year. But, they did it with smoke and mirrors and a lot of guys that had seen their best days. Adding a Julio Jones might have improved our offense but the team as a whole is lacking depth at almost all priority positions. They are old and slow.

I believe Heckert pulled off a coup. He put the team in a position to add youth and upgrade the talent. It's just that the Browns needed so much and now they have 8 picks left in this draft and 10 picks stocked for next year. They also have put themselves in positin in case Colt McCoy falters and they have to go after a QB next year.

The last thing they have to do is use the picks well. It puts pressure on Heckert to weave some sort of magic. This team should come out of this year with 3 very good starters and some depth and complimentary or developmental players. That should be the minimum. There's enough picks to add a DE or two, a DB and a developmental OT and a developmental QB.

Then they get to add some FAs in a few days. Hopefully they won't be the stopgap type but maybe some young FAs. Next year they are in a position to add 3 or 4 more excellent football players and additional depth, youth and developmental prospects.

That's how winners are built, not by picking over-the-hill FAs looking for one last big payday. this is how the Cowboys built their winners. This is how San Fran built all those super bowl winners. This is how NE built it's team.

I'm rooting for Heckert to be successful drafting because this is the right way to do it. It isn't sexy but Holmgren seems to be a wise old fox guiding the ship in the right direction.

[YtownBacker]

Now, let's go get some kick ass, hard nosed football players and rebuild this once storied franchise.

[hammertime]

I thought the statement they made was that they would like to stock up on picks for next year so they can draft Andrew Luck.

[YtownBacker]

If you don't have the quality of players to even field a defense that can keep you in a game Luck isn't the answer.

Old, tired big money FAs isn't how you build a team.

That said, if McCoy flops then you got the ammo to go get Luck. If you take Julio Jones you don't have a chance of getting Luck or the picks necessary to get younger, faster, stronger and meaner on defense. Old, fat and slow don't win in the NFL even with Andrew Luck.

[mole644]

NFL network was showing an interesting stat last night for each team while they were on the clock: number of players on the current roster, drafted by the team. I think it was Green Bay who had the most, at 39 players. How many did the Browns have? 21. To me, thats all the proof right there of why we made a good move yesterday. Of course, oddly enough the Bengals had 34, so I guess you still have to draft well..

[Brown Warrior]

This year, the Browns went from three picks to three picks (prior to round 4). We'll have a low one and a pair of twos instead of 1/2/3.

It's really, really tough to judge now, as Heck has said. If I judged it now, though? I'd hate it a lot, I admit.

[YtownBacker]

Originally Posted by Brown Warrior

This year, the Browns went from three picks to three picks (prior to round 4). We'll have a low one and a pair of twos instead of 1/2/3.

It's really, really tough to judge now, as Heck has said. If I judged it now, though? I'd hate it a lot, I admit.

You hate it because we let Jones get away. Just like you hated it last year because we let Clausen and Dez get away. You are trying to spin this into a loss and it isn't.

It's a 1, a 2 and two 4's, a 5, two 6s and a 7 this year and two 1s a two and a 3 and two 4's plus 5, 6 and 7 and what we get in 2012 for Quinn.

That's what it is. Is as much about two 1s and an extra 4 next year as it is about a 1, two 2s and two 4s this year vs a 1, 2 and 3.

Especially if you are picking #6 and don't like the choice of players you have to give millions of guaranteed money to.

It's not about scoring more points as the only answer. It's about building a team so when we score more points it will amount to wins because we have a defense to stop other teams.

It isn't Arena football. Just score more points and that's the answer. You need defense in the NFL. 20 or 32 picks went for linemen. It isn't about skilled players only.

[Brown Warrior]

Y, go back and read your post. You just spent several paragraphs telling me what I think... and it's not what I think. You boiled it down to something not as smart as what I think so you could say it wasn't very smart. You're better than that.

I was not locked in on Green or Jones... although I would've taken one or the other. We were the 30th rated passing team and 31st in scoring. We need to be way better, way more explosive on offense. There's really no opposing argument to that. It's incredibly important to this franchise, to McCoy, to Hillis... it's HUGE.

So somebody wanting a #1 WR in this draft is being very, very logical. It would've made a ton of sense.

However... it wasn't the only way to go, as I said repeatedly. We could've gone pass rusher in one, like Quinn. We could've taken Fairley, as BPP wanted. We could've gone WR, then DE, then 3-tech, my favorite draft.

What we did was go from 6/37/70 to 21/37/59. That's what we did. If you wanna know what I think, stop asking yourself and ask me. I know it's harder than simply twisting my opinion but I honestly think you're up to it.

I don't like what we did. You do. That's just fine. But let's be adults about it.

Originally Posted by YtownBacker

You hate it because we let Jones get away. Just like you hated it last year because we let Clausen and Dez get away. You are trying to spin this into a loss and it isn't.

It's a 1, a 2 and two 4's, a 5, two 6s and a 7 this year and two 1s a two and a 3 and two 4's plus 5, 6 and 7 and what we get in 2012 for Quinn.

That's what it is. Is as much about two 1s and an extra 4 next year as it is about a 1, two 2s and two 4s this year vs a 1, 2 and 3.

Especially if you are picking #6 and don't like the choice of players you have to give millions of guaranteed money to.

It's not about scoring more points as the only answer. It's about building a team so when we score more points it will amount to wins because we have a defense to stop other teams.

It isn't Arena football. Just score more points and that's the answer. You need defense in the NFL. 20 or 32 picks went for linemen. It isn't about skilled players only.

[Solon16]

"Holmgren and Heckert are old school, build though the draft type guys."

you say we are building through the draft y-town(old school)...yet we gave away a very early 3rd rounder.... is somehow good? Trying hard to follow the justification you present.

[Brown Warrior]

Look, everybody builds through the draft. We wouldn't have been LESS building through the draft if we didn't make that trade. Still three picks in the top three rounds, just different ones. If you're suggesting we're building by having more fourth round picks? Uhhhhh... okay?

"Building through the draft" is like "trenches." It sounds kinda tough and gritty... but it doesn't mean shit. Everybody has players in the trenches. Everybody builds through the draft.

Are we still slow on both sides of the ball? Yes. Have we done anything yet to score a lot more points? No.

No disagreement on either of those.

[Bronx Cheer]

Originally Posted by Solon16

you say we are building through the draft y-town(old school)...yet we gave away a very early 3rd rounder.... is somehow good? Trying hard to follow the justification you present.

Don't let consistency or logic get in the way of a good argument.

[YtownBacker]

Originally Posted by Solon16

"Holmgren and Heckert are old school, build though the draft type guys."

you say we are building through the draft y-town(old school)...yet we gave away a very early 3rd rounder.... is somehow good? Trying hard to follow the justification you present.

What's wrong with trading up if the guy you want is there and you don't thin he will get to you. I think it's obvious they wanted Taylor and didn't think he would be there at #27.

Sorry man but I don't know where you are going with this before they even take their second pick. At the end of the draft is a time to critique it. Not after one pick. I don't think they traded up because they had dinner reservations and wanted to get out of there.

I think they were a little closer to the action and a little more plugged in then any of us were. They wanted him and they went and got him. I'm sure they would have stayed still if they thought he would fall to them.

Moving up to get the guy you want is building through the draft. they thought he was a better fit for the Browns then anybody else left on the board. Obviously they liked him better then Austin, Heyward or others. And, I'm sure they looked at their board and have players in mind for round two when they moved up to pick.