Word out of Berea is ....

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

Your Cleveland Browns will be hoping Claiborne is there at 4, and if he is will happily draft him.

Inside sources say the brass is enamored with with guy.


If true, that means another year of 6 wins or less which I guess could be a positive because you could still grab your franchise QB next year. Originally I was thinking this would be the year that we MUST grab our blue chip QB because we would improve enough next season that we might not have another chance at a blue chip guy at the QB position and we would be stuck in mediocrity for the next 10 years.

But alas, the Browns give me renewed hope that we might be able to snag that franchise QB in next years draft. HOORAH!

[Greythan]

What blue chip QB is going to be available at 4? Did I miss a memo?

If Blackmon is gone and we can't get value in a trade-down, we may end up NOT drafting an offensive playmaker much to my chagrin. However, if there isn't one available that is worthy of a number 4 and you can't trade down, what would you have them do?

[jblackmon81]

If we got Claiborne with our #4 pick, I would not be mad one bit. We would now have hands down (TJ Ward returns) the best defensive secondary in the NFL. If we would continue that way I would hope the Browns go for Luke Kuechley or Vontaze Burflict for our #22 pick. If we use our top picks this year for defense that would mark the 3rd year in a row of mainly defensive drafts. What would be the result? THE #1 Defense in the League.

If Claiborne is NOT available, then most likely Blackmon or someone else big would be left on the table..

[hiwaygal]

Originally Posted by jblackmon81

THE #1 Defense in the League.

yay.

all our games will be tied 0-0


(sorry, I'm being hyper cynical today)

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

Originally Posted by Greythan

What blue chip QB is going to be available at 4? Did I miss a memo?

Well some believe RG3 will still be there at 4. (I don't) But if he is, or if you can't move up to grab luck then you obviously grab RG3 he's a stud, regardless of some of the absolutes I have seen thrown around on this forum.

If RG3 isn't there, and you weren't successful in moving up, you trade down if possible ....if not take Blackmon.

It'll be another depressing year next year if we stay status quo @ QB and still can't get over the 6 win mark. (imo we will not win more than 6 games)

I wouldn't be surprised one bit to see Wallace starting next year if we don't draft our franchise QB.

[lemosley01]

Originally Posted by TheBestPlayersPlay

Your Cleveland Browns will be hoping Claiborne is there at 4, and if he is will happily draft him.

Inside sources say the brass is enamored with with guy.


If true, that means another year of 6 wins or less which I guess could be a positive because you could still grab your franchise QB next year. Originally I was thinking this would be the year that we MUST grab our blue chip QB because we would improve enough next season that we might not have another chance at a blue chip guy at the QB position and we would be stuck in mediocrity for the next 10 years.

But alas, the Browns give me renewed hope that we might be able to snag that franchise QB in next years draft. HOORAH!

Six wins means you are in position to draft the QB leftovers, not THE guy. We would have been better off going 1-15 this year instead of 'trying' to win games and ending up 4-12.

So, if THE QB is there, six wins means you have to trade up to get him. Which will set off some who think you should never trade picks to get your franchise QB, and instead trade down and draft more OL while trying to find your QB gem in the 3-6 rounds (after all, that is where Tom Brady came from).

The way I see it: Playoffs or 0-16...

[Thaid_Up]

We'll get a chance to see him tonight so if there is genuine interest (I believe all of these rumors as far as I can throw Shaun Rodgers) I hope he shows something. Didn't find much video on him yet but found 1 I liked.

You Tube

[NW Ohio Brownie]

I have no problem with this...unless Blackmon is still there.

Blackmon is the best player at a clear position of need, but so is Claiborne. A defense can never have too many cover corners and lets face it Sheldon Brown is deteriorating.

But I still say Blackmon gives us an instant playmaker at a greater position of need.

No question my fear is Luck, Blackmon, and Claiborne being the first 3 off the board. Any of these 3 are decade-long plug-and-plays for our team.

[damajuki]

Since shep's not here to say it, I will:

ANOTHER CB in the TOP TEN!??!?! Are we CRAZY?!?! How can we even discuss such a thing?!?!?

Okay, I'm being a little sarcastic, but only a little. It truly would be mostly nutty to take a CB at #4, I don't care how good he is.

Shep may have been repetitive but he wasn't totally wrong; taking CBs in the top 10 is not a proven formula for success. In fact, taking CBs in the top ten has proven to win you...nothing at all.

So Claiborne talk should be taken with an iceberg-sized grain of salt. It's fun to think about but makes no sense in reality.

Reality dictates you take the best player at the premium positions in the top 10. If it's a real position of need, so much the better.

Based on this seriously, painfully, prematurely early date, that would mean, for us, in order, QB-WR-DE-LB.

If Kalil is that good, he likely goes 2 or 3 because that's where the top LT should go; STL probably should take him, but who knows. Then it's a matter of Blackmon or RGIII, if he holds up to scrutiny, to MIN at 3. If there's no Blackmon and the Browns agree with KoK, we take whichever DE/LB rises that high (like Von Miller did last year).

And if there isn't a DE/LB worth the #4, we better be moving the hell down after PRETENDING to love Claiborne that much. Given the huge holes on our O and needs at DE/LB, to take another CB two years after Haden is really, really hard to imagine.

Right, shep?

[Sez.EJ]

Just remember guys.. it's the silly season.. teams say any and everything so no one knows who they really like. They have to do due dilligence on all of the top players cuz you never know what will happen. Luck could trip on his scrutum and have massive brain trauma. RG# could fall out of a window and Blackmon could get captured by aliens. Yeah, I'm being silly/stupid..the point is you cannot believe a word from any GM, Coach, or anyone related to any team from now until draft time.

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

Originally Posted by damajuki

fact, taking CBs in the top ten has proven to win you...nothing at all.

What do you mean? Look at Philly & the Jets! Oh ....

[Flugel]

Originally Posted by damajuki

Since shep's not here to say it, I will:

ANOTHER CB in the TOP TEN!??!?! Are we CRAZY?!?! How can we even discuss such a thing?!?!?

LOL! Who was wasting time throwing on us when they could average about 5 yards a carry? To know where we are going don't we have to know where we have been and where we are right now?

The liabilities in our pass defense weren't at cornerback. They were ALL of the LBers.

I wish we have the playmaker thinking about the offense or in the front 7 of the defense. I could go a JJ Watt gamechanger type to play the side opposite of Sheard or a LBer that's reads pass better than the current 3 right now or BLITZES like a Von Miller.

How MANY INTs has Haden made or scored on to date? I would share Damajuki's concern when the object is to outscore the opponent and fare better than the usual 30th or 31st vrs the run.

If Blackmon is gone we can trade back, stockpile and pepper the omnipresent needs. I'm kind of excited that there's a gap between Blackmon and the rest of the WRs in the sense we can get a REALLY good gem in a location where Pittsburgh always gets their WR gems. Wallace was round 2 BUT look at the ideal matchups he sets the table with for that passing game. Defensive Coordinators are on prozac over matching up with Wallace so now we're learning how many #2 corners can cover Antonio Brown. And Brown was even a later round pick than Mike Wallace as was Emaneulle Sanders so the WRs are out there if are scouts are out there.

I know a RT isn't football sexy but it's just about time to pull an early trigger there as well so a trade down enables us to land more needs on our doorstep.

IMO, teams that are already GREAT can do that best player available thing. If the ONLY thing we were good at was makign defenses load the box to stop our running game - I CANNOT get excited abut chasing Hillis away to let some smaller framed RB take on 9-10 men in the box all year. The key to unlock that door is a fear gear outside to yank those Safeties away from cheating up into run support.