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Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

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BuckFanAtAkron said:
the jets didn't resign mawae did they? if not, they could be in the market for a center. cleveland using faine for a trade up in round #2 is possible. I don't know who else is in the market for a starting center
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I would trade Faine for a 2nd round pick, but I wouldn't trade him and the second round pick just to move up 8 spots in the second round. Maybe throw in the fourth round pick at most.

I would love to get Hawk more than any player in the draft, but not at the cost of the 1st and 2nd or 3rd round picks and Faine. I would rather see the Browns trade down for more picks and take Carp. I bet a team would jump for a trade for the #12 pick if you offer them a good trade as far as the above mentioned points values go. Heck swap Denver's 1st 1st round pick, their second round pick, and maybe a 4 or 5 for the 12th pick. Then trade Faine for a low 2 or high 3 if there is a player they really want. IMO the first 3 rounds are strong enough that most of the players are going to be good NFL talent. My goal would be to get as many 1st-3rd rounders as I can.
 
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ABJ

3/17/06

A draft made in dawg heaven

Newsome, Matthews celebrate 50th birthdays, standout roles with Browns

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->They had little in common, the earnest Alabaman and the laid-back Southern Californian. But NFL Draft day in 1978 forever linked Ozzie Newsome and Clay Matthews.
The Browns selected Matthews, the USC linebacker, with the 12th overall pick, then nabbed Newsome, the Alabama tight end, at No. 23.
Then-general manager Peter Hadhazy pulled off arguably the best first-round draft in franchise history. Matthews went on to play 19 years, 16 with the Browns. His total of 278 games played ranks 12th in the NFL. Newsome lasted 13 seasons, caught a pass in 150 consecutive games and landed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
``We got lucky. I wish they were all that easy,'' Hadhazy said recently.
Newsome and Matthews became part of an elite group to play three decades in Cleveland, along with offensive linemen Gene Hickerson and Dick Schafrath and kicker Don Cockroft.
The two Browns icons celebrated their 50th birthdays this week. Newsome and Matthews were born one day apart in 1956 -- Matthews on March 15 in Palo Alto, Calif., and Newsome on March 16 in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Newsome, who retired after the 1990 season, serves as general manager and executive vice president of the Baltimore Ravens. In 2005, he marked his 15th year in the personnel department of the Browns/Ravens.
Matthews retired after the 1996 season, his third with Atlanta, and almost immediately began coaching his five children, four of them boys. He lives in Agoura Hills, Calif.
Matthews is now the defensive coordinator at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif., where his son Casey was a junior linebacker in 2005.
Oaks Christian, with an enrollment of about 600, has gone undefeated the past two seasons, largely thanks to Jimmy Clausen, the top quarterback prospect in the nation and the younger brother of Tennessee's Casey and Rick Clausen. At running back is Marc Tyler, son of former Rams star Wendell Tyler.
In 2004, Oaks Christian defeated Santa Fe Christian, a San Diego-area team coached by ex-Browns quarterback Brian Sipe, 49-24.
``He was a trend-setter passing the ball and his offense does nothing but run,'' Matthews said of Sipe. ``When I was offensive coordinator of the youth team, we threw a lot. You've got some mixed-up priorities there.''
In high school and middle school, Clay Matthews also coached Clay III, a freshman linebacker who walked on at Southern Cal. Dad also directed the softball team of his daughter, Jennifer, who sells commercial real estate.
When Casey finishes high school next year, Matthews said he might explore coaching opportunities in college or the NFL. Asked if that meant staying in California, Matthews said, ``I don't know.''
Matthews sees a little bit of himself and his brother Bruce in Casey III, who played on the kickoff and punt teams for the Trojans last season. Bruce Matthews, an offensive lineman, turned in 19 seasons for the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans and will be eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration in 2007.
``(Casey III) was 180 pounds coming out of high school and there are no scholarships for 180-pounders,'' Matthews said. ``But he said, `I'm going to go to USC.' Now he's 6-3 ½ and 240 pounds and can run.
``My brother and I were very late developers. When I first started high school, I was real small. I kept getting bigger, stronger and faster until I was 36.''
Newsome can attest to that. He tried to sign Matthews after he became general manager in Baltimore.
``We looked at him on tape and even talked to (his agent) Marvin Demoff to see if he wanted to play one more year,'' Newsome recalled. ``Clay was a good athlete, a natural knee-bender, and those guys play forever.''
``It wasn't the right time,'' Matthews said. ``They'd just left Cleveland and I didn't think it would be a good fit.''
When they were teammates, Newsome honed his skills against Matthews in practice.
``I was going against one of the best linebackers in the game and he felt the same way,'' Newsome said.
``He was so skilled that he always made the hard plays look easy,'' Matthews told author John Keim in the book Legends by the Lake. ``I was jealous of him because he was so talented.''
While Newsome's best asset was his hands, former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano might not agree. Before the '78 draft, Rutigliano dispatched tight ends coach Rich Kotite to Alabama to see if then-wide receiver Newsome had a big butt.
``If he did, he could weigh 240 and be a willing blocker,'' Rutigliano said.
``I was scrawny,'' Newsome said. ``Now as a GM, I understand. He wanted to see if I could add weight.''
Luck came into play later that spring in the drafting of both Matthews and Newsome.
``We wanted to draft a corner from Notre Dame with the 12th pick,'' Rutigliano recalled. ``Detroit drafted 11th. Lo and behold Detroit picked the corner, so we went with the best available player. Clay was very smart, a great athlete who looked like he'd been carved out of a Greek statue.''
That corner, Luther Bradley, lasted only four seasons with Detroit.
Cleveland got Newsome, because it had an extra pick in the first round after a trade with the Chicago Bears for quarterback Mike Phipps. The Los Angeles Rams called on draft day and wanted to move up three spots to pick running back Elvis Peacock of Oklahoma.
Rutigliano said, ``We rolled the dice,'' and agreed, getting the Rams' fourth-rounder.
``Ozzie was too good to pass up,'' Hadhazy said. ``But it wasn't like we went into the draft saying, `This is the guy we wanted.' ''
Rutigliano said, ``Ozzie was like hitting the lottery.''
Lottery winnings might not last as long as Matthews and Newsome.
Newsome never underwent surgery or missed a game as pro, a string that dated to his sophomore year of high school.
``The year I gave up the 150-catch streak I had an ankle injury and didn't want to go back in because I'd have a better chance of playing the following week,'' Newsome said.
Two years ago, Newsome had replacement surgery on his left hip and said he feels like he's 10 years younger. He works out regularly to cope with stress.
Matthews acknowledges he and his brother Bruce had ``a genetic disposition to withstand the wear and tear.'' Rutigliano joked that one of Matthews' secrets might have been that he always held out during training camp and signed a one-year deal.
``Playing 19 years and missing most of training camp, that's almost two or three years,'' Rutigliano said with a laugh.
Matthews works out four days a week. After suffering an injury last year in a basketball league dominated by 25- to 35-year-olds, he decided he couldn't play back-to-back any more and went to every other day.
That's the only concession he'll make to age.
``I could probably still play a few plays if they ran the other way,'' Matthews said.
Newsome would probably want no part of a second chance, even a brief one. But Matthews likely would agree that if the Browns needed 3 yards for a crucial first down, the ``Wizard of Oz'' could get open, make the catch and hang on.
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ABJ

3/17/06

BROWNS MEMORIES

<!-- begin body-content -->A look at the NFL playing careers of former Browns Clay Matthews and Ozzie Newsome, who both have 50th birthdays this week:
Clay Matthews
Browns linebacker: 1978-1993
First-round draft choice, 1978, from Southern California
Most games played with Browns (232)
Pro Bowl selection four times (1985, '87, '88, '89)
All-time team sack leader (76 ½)
Ozzie Newsome
Browns tight end: 1978-1990
First-round draft choice, 1978, from Alabama
Pro Bowl selection four times (1981, '84, '85)
Browns' all-time receptions leader (662)
Browns' all-time receiving yards leader (7,980)
Single-season receptions leader (89 catches in 1983 and '84)
Single-game receptions leader (14 vs. New York Jets, 1984)
Single-game reception yards leader (191 vs. New York Jets, 1984)
Team record consecutive games with at least one reception (150)
Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999)
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Canton

3/17/06

Browns remain busy preparing for draft

Friday, March 17, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]



Today wraps up a three-day run of college Pro Days with special interest to the Browns’ braintrust.

On Wednesday, Head Coach Romeo Crennel got a look at Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans, forming his own opinion of why the No. 12 overall candidate’s stock has slipped.

Ryans, seen as a guy who can help a team right away, ran 40-yard dashes in the mid-4.6 range.

A Round 2 candidate to watch is Alabama’s Mark Anderson, a fast defensive end who fared well against D’Brickashaw Ferguson at the Senior Bowl. He would be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, and his 40 times are as good as Ryan’s.

On Thursday, a day after 34-year-old linebacker Willie McGinest agreed to terms with Cleveland, a Browns contingent scoured Florida State’s workouts featuring several top defensive prospects.

Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (6-foot-2¾, 306 pounds), end Kamerion Wimbley (6-4, 248) and linebacker Ernie Sims Jr. (5-11, 231) top the Seminole list.

Today, 340-pound nose tackle prospect Gabe Watson and other Michigan players will show their wares in Ann Arbor. Braylon Edwards’ former sidekick, wideout Jason Avant, is among players of interest.

Asked how his recent run through free agency shapes draft plans, General Manager Phil Savage said: “I think it leaves the door open for us to go in any direction. We’re sitting at No. 12, No. 43 and No. 78 in the first three rounds. We’ll see what combination of players we can put together.”

For what it’s worth, Watson is ranked to be the No. 43 player taken in the draft by

nfldraftscout.com.

Crennel was part of a Browns contingent at Ohio State’s recent Pro Day. The three linebacker prospects did about what was expected in 40-yard dashes, with A.J. Hawk running sub-4.5s, Bobby Carpenter hitting the mid-4.6s and Anthony Schlegel landing in the mid- to upper-4.7s.

Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher also was among the handful of head coaches in Columbus.

The Browns were represented Monday at Fresno State’s Pro Day. Six-foot-2½ wideout Jermaine Jamison opened some eyes with good speed and agility. His vertical jump was nearly 40 inches.

Cleveland might have a Round 2-3 interest in a cornerback, partly because veteran Daylon McCutcheon will turn 30 this year. They got a close look at Fresno State’s Richard Marshall and Florida State’s Antonio Cromartie.

Cromartie is a mystery candidate, having been viewed as a very hot prospect before he sat out 2005 with a torn ACL. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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Dispatch

3/17/06

​
The Browns ’ spending spree of signing five players in the first two days of free agency created positive vibes about the team throughout the NFL. One agent said it shows the Browns are committed to winning and said he would have no problem recommending future clients to Cleveland, which can be a tough sell compared with some of the more glamorous NFL markets.
​
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​
 
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CPD

3/17/06

Browns' sunny view has rays of truth this time


Friday, March 17, 2006

Bud Shaw
Plain Dealer Columnist

An era of good feeling sprouts from charred earth in Berea.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage showed in the last week why he was the people's choice against former team President John Collins. When free agency finally arrived after the false starts caused by labor pains, Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel didn't waste any time.

Collins isn't around to question whether Savage wasted any of Randy Lerner's money. Some of the happy fallout around town is tied to that.

Where, oh where, would the Browns be if March found the front office in disarray?

Savage smartly recognizes the excitement as an early spring blossoming that could wither by October if a season of hope goes dry.

But there's more reason than ever to believe that won't happen. And for once the reason isn't a bunch of promising words delivered with a pound of sugar.

It's a handful of free-agent signings who've mostly fulfilled their potential -- some of them landing in Pro Bowls and Super Bowls along the way.

The story of the Browns since expansion is one of too many grand proclamations and too little planning and legwork in talent evaluation.

We were asked to believe that the San Francisco connection of Dwight Clark and Carmen Policy would heal all of our separation wounds. One problem was it depended on a 49ers pipeline that sputtered on the field, and on other parts mismatched for the ever-changing mission.

Other than questionable free-agent signings and terrible drafts, there wasn't much to criticize about Clark and head coach Chris Palmer. Well, if you leave out the part where Clark sold vets on signing on to win now, while Palmer benched them in favor of growing young talent.

The Miami connection, otherwise known as "Miami Vice" starring Butch Davis and Pete Garcia, followed. They drafted better than their predecessors, if only slightly. But the soundtrack to everything they did in player evaluation was "It's a Small World After All." They focused on players they recruited in college or had played for Davis. And unlike the players Crennel knows from New England, those guys hadn't accomplished anything

Crennel and Savage have brought a wider vision. It might not look that way with the signing of former Patriots Ted Washington and Willie McGinest, and the free agents who grew up cheering the Browns.

But while the past two regimes overreached in word and deed, Savage got out over his skis only when he likened the impact of McGinest to the missed signing of Reggie White a decade ago. McGinest isn't White, but that's harmless enough.

Savage signed players who block and tackle and rush the passer and catch the ball on third down. The over-30s among them -- McGinest, Washington and Joe Jurevicius -- all bring good credentials to dire needs and are coming off productive seasons.

The Cleveland connection actually is broader than it might appear. Savage managed to enhance understanding of the Pittsburgh rivalry, but he did so in a functional way. He made good talent acquisitions first and foremost -- especially LeCharles Bentley. He signed improvements, no matter where they were born or raised.

Savage conducted a wide, exhaustive search. He did exceptionally well.
Just a few months after he survived criticism that he was a super scout allergic to working in the office, he shuffled all the necessary papers and got them signed on the dotted line.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

[email protected], 216-999-5639
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Ok, ENOUGH!!!!!!

WE ARE NOT GOING TO TRADE UP!!!! Hawk is but a dream unless he drops to the 8-10 range. Then maybe we can move up 2-3 spots to grab him. But that is UNLIKELY!!!

Geez, I wonder if we can find a team stupid enough to take Faine to drop down 6-8 spots in the draft??? IF we are able to trade Faine it will be for a 3rd or 4th round pick if WE are lucky.

Savage needs to build depth and get young players that can develop to replace the aging starters we just signed in free agency. More importantly we need more talent!

Once again I am in the camp to trade down get more picks and get the players we really want but just seem like reaches at #12. if the Browns moved back to #22 and picked up a 2nd or 3rd rounder and was able to pick Bobby Carpenter how happy would Browns fans be?
 
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I agree 100%. However, with the track record of Cleveland on draft day....would they really be missing much? Granted, Phil will only be conducting his 2nd draft with the Browns, but draft #1 wasn't anything to write home about......

Piney said:
Ok, ENOUGH!!!!!!

WE ARE NOT GOING TO TRADE UP!!!! Hawk is but a dream unless he drops to the 8-10 range. Then maybe we can move up 2-3 spots to grab him. But that is UNLIKELY!!!

Geez, I wonder if we can find a team stupid enough to take Faine to drop down 6-8 spots in the draft??? IF we are able to trade Faine it will be for a 3rd or 4th round pick if WE are lucky.

Savage needs to build depth and get young players that can develop to replace the aging starters we just signed in free agency. More importantly we need more talent!

Once again I am in the camp to trade down get more picks and get the players we really want but just seem like reaches at #12. if the Browns moved back to #22 and picked up a 2nd or 3rd rounder and was able to pick Bobby Carpenter how happy would Browns fans be?
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JCOSU86 said:
I agree 100%. However, with the track record of Cleveland on draft day....would they really be missing much? Granted, Phil will only be conducting his 2nd draft with the Browns draft, but draft #1 wasn't anything to write home about......
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it's a little early to make that declaration about draft #1. The day one picks seem to be turning out well, the day 2 picks, not so much.
 
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I don't wanna bust anyone's bubble... but some of the older guys may remember MIKE JUNKIN... "a mad dog in a meat market".. or some crap like that
 
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JCOSU86 said:
True, you can't really judge a draft until 4-5 years later. However, I don't see any difference makers from day 1 last year. Yes, Edwards showed flashes, but it didn't change games.
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how many rookie wr's are game changers in their 1st year? how many of those held out, then missed half the season due to injury?

you say you can't evaluate classes until 4 years later, then state that no rookies were game changers in their 1st year.

that's like saying carson palmer was a mediocre draft choice because he wasnt a game changer in his rookie year.
 
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I agree with you and am not arguing. But you have to admit, the Browns drafts since they came back have to rank among the worst in the league. And it's not all their fault (who could have foreseen the injury problems suffered by Courtney Brown and Winslow?). And once in a while, not often, but once in a while, a rookie makes a serious impact on a team, right? Have the Browns had any of that since 99? How many of their picks have been even average at their positions? They do have All-Rookie teams and Rookie of the Year awards, how many Browns' picks have made/won those? Been voted on? Even mentioned?

That being said, I don't advocate throwing away the draft. Great teams are built on the draft. Simply, the Browns must draft better (easy for me to say, lol). But I couldn't argue if someone wanted a proven NFL player for draft picks given the Browns' latest draft success. We can't say "Hey, we can't trade our #1 pick for Joe Allpro and miss out on Gerard Warren".
 
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