Cleveland Browns (2009 Season)

[3074326]

Report: Browns To Draft Sanchez or Crabtree

Posted by Aaron Wilson on April 18, 2009, 5:51 p.m. EDT

The Cleveland Browns will either draft USC quarterback Mark Sanchez or Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree with the fifth overall pick of the first round, according to an unconfirmed report from WOIO-TV in Cleveland.

Citing anonymous sources, the station is reporting that the Browns have made up their minds and have identified Sanchez and Crabtree as their top targets in the draft.

Is this an elaborate smokescreen leaked to the local media or does this thing have legs?

We?ll find out the truth in exactly one week.

Crabtree, in particular, could make sense given that the Browns have reportedly been shopping wide receiver Braylon Edwards in trade discussions.

The Browns have quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson on the roster, but don?t appear to be particularly attached to either one of them.
The Brown have been consistently linked to Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo in most mock drafts.

Boston College nose guard B.J. Raji is another strong possibility under a scenario where he would play nose guard in the Browns? 3-4 scheme and Shaun ?Big Baby? Rogers would move to defensive end.

I do like Sanchez, but not as a starter right away.. which he likely would be. I really like what he brings to the table, I just think he needs more experience. If they trade Edwards I really see no other option than Crabtree or Maclin if they trade Edwards.

Should be interesting to see what happens between now and the end of the draft, that's for sure.

EDIT: This could be a smoke screen as the article states.. I have a Bronco fan who is pretty knowledgeable about the inner happenings of that franchise and he thinks that they're going to try to move up and get the Jaguars' pick.. maybe the Browns are trying to get some of Denver's picks.

 

[NFBuck]

I do like Sanchez, but not as a starter right away.. which he likely would be. I really like what he brings to the table, I just think he needs more experience. If they trade Edwards I really see no other option than Crabtree or Maclin if they trade Edwards.

Should be interesting to see what happens between now and the end of the draft, that's for sure.

EDIT: This could be a smoke screen as the article states.. I have a Bronco fan who is pretty knowledgeable about the inner happenings of that franchise and he thinks that they're going to try to move up and get the Jaguars' pick.. maybe the Browns are trying to get some of Denver's picks.

The Sanchez talk has to be a smokescreen. I can't see them going QB. Smart move if they're trying to leverage a trade down at the #5 pick as Sanchez's stock seems to be rising as the draft approaches. Of course it's all moot if Seattle takes him which seems very possible. I'm still not crazy about taking Crabtree. But if they do move Braylon, it becomes a need pick and Crabtree seems like the surest thing WR-wise in the draft. Plus Braylon gives you another 1st to go defense. I do like how Kokanis and Mangini are shaking things up. Needs to happen.

 

[3074326]

The Sanchez talk has to be a smokescreen. I can't see them going QB. Smart move if they're trying to leverage a trade down at the #5 pick as Sanchez's stock seems to be rising as the draft approaches. Of course it's all moot if Seattle takes him which seems very possible. I'm still not crazy about taking Crabtree. But if they do move Braylon, it becomes a need pick and Crabtree seems like the surest thing WR-wise in the draft. Plus Braylon gives you another 1st to go defense. I do like how Kokanis and Mangini are shaking things up. Needs to happen.

Yep, I just hope the Browns don't regret trading Braylon before his contract year.. if he goes out and has another great year, his value goes up and the Browns get a lot of production out of him. But if he has another year like last year, he goes down in value.

 

[NFBuck]

Yep, I just hope the Browns don't regret trading Braylon before his contract year.. if he goes out and has another great year, his value goes up and the Browns get a lot of production out of him. But if he has another year like last year, he goes down in value.

Not really. If he has a big year, his contract demands go up and he ends up walking because the Browns aren't going to give him the kind of money he'll command. Plus you're gambling that he'll actually learn how to catch the ball...not a sure thing. Move him now and you at least get a 1st and probably some more picks. Honestly, given that he's only had one really good year as a pro (against one of the weakest schedules in the NFL), I'm shocked he's still worth a 1st rounder. If they move him, Crabtree likely becomes the pick and it's a good bet he can give you at least as much production as Braylon ever did (save for '06) and likely would this year.

 

[3074326]

Not really. If he has a big year, his contract demands go up and he ends up walking because the Browns aren't going to give him the kind of money he'll command. Plus you're gambling that he'll actually learn how to catch the ball...not a sure thing. Move him now and you at least get a 1st and probably some more picks. Honestly, given that he's only had one really good year as a pro (against one of the weakest schedules in the NFL), I'm shocked he's still worth a 1st rounder. If they move him, Crabtree likely becomes the pick and it's a good bet he can give you at least as much production as Braylon ever did (save for '06) and likely would this year.

I didn't make much sense.. talked about his trade value going up after a contract year. Wouldn't be able to trade him.

I'm with you now. :p

 

[NFBuck]

I didn't make much sense.. talked about his trade value going up after a contract year. Wouldn't be able to trade him.

I'm with you now. :p

Glad to educate you. :p

In all honesty, it sucks that he just cannot catch the ball because he's maybe the most physically gifted WR in the league. Even in his monster 2006 season he had the dropsies, but covered it up with a ton of big time plays thanks to good QB play. Unfortunately, the Browns lacked that last year (with a hefty helping hand from Braylon's stone hands), and may again this year. If he could just catch the damn ball, this wouldn't be an issue and he'd be an all-pro. You'd like to think it's a correctable problem, but it's plagued him since his college days. I won't miss him.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

Crabtree is a good player, maybe the best in the draft before his injury.

I don't know about that. Everyone talks about Crabtree like it's a forgone conclusion he'll be great in the NFL and I can't get the fact that he played for Texas Tech out of my head. I know Wes Welker has gone on to have a nice career(playing for the Pats doesn't hurt) but I see a lot of bust potential for Crabtree.

 

[NFBuck]

I don't know about that. Everyone talks about Crabtree like it's a forgone conclusion he'll be great in the NFL and I can't get the fact that he played for Texas Tech out of my head. I know Wes Welker has gone on to have a nice career(playing for the Pats doesn't hurt) but I see a lot of bust potential for Crabtree.

While it is true he played in a system that inflated his numbers, having seen many of those games, you can see his gifts. He runs precise routes, has good enough speed to get seperation and has terrific hands. Plus he stepped up against the best competition. He's about 6'2-6'3 and 210 lbs, so he has good size. He'll be a very good pro, I'd bet good money on it.

 

[Piney]

The Sanchez talk has to be a smokescreen. I can't see them going QB. Smart move if they're trying to leverage a trade down at the #5 pick as Sanchez's stock seems to be rising as the draft approaches. Of course it's all moot if Seattle takes him which seems very possible. I'm still not crazy about taking Crabtree. But if they do move Braylon, it becomes a need pick and Crabtree seems like the surest thing WR-wise in the draft. Plus Braylon gives you another 1st to go defense. I do like how Kokanis and Mangini are shaking things up. Needs to happen.

Why do people think Sanchez is a smokescreen? IF the rumors of trading Quinn is true, they kinda make sense (if the Browns like Sanchez alot better than Quinn) In that scenario you start Anderson and you let Sanchez learn behind him.

I don't know about that. Everyone talks about Crabtree like it's a forgone conclusion he'll be great in the NFL and I can't get the fact that he played for Texas Tech out of my head. I know Wes Welker has gone on to have a nice career(playing for the Pats doesn't hurt) but I see a lot of bust potential for Crabtree.

The big thing with WRs out of college is alot of times it takes then 2-3 years to fully develop into studs. Only rarely does a WR as a rookie make an impact. So just overall, ALL WRs have bust potential. They are the hardest position to scout. But I can say one thing about Crabtree... he won't drop passes like Braylon

 

[LitlBuck]

Why do people think Sanchez is a smokescreen? IF the rumors of trading Quinn is true, they kinda make sense (if the Browns like Sanchez alot better than Quinn) In that scenario you start Anderson and you let Sanchez learn behind him.

I would agree to a certain extent about the possibility of Sanchez not being a smokescreen if in fact the Browns are going to trade Quinn but I almost would rather use those draft picks for defense and some of the skilled offense positions where we need help. If they are willing to go with Anderson and I assume that would be the case if they traded Quinn, I would rather have them sign a veteran QB who is wandering around somewhere to backup Anderson and wait until next year to draft a QB. I guess the only way I would draft Sanchez is if we traded both Quinn and Anderson

 

[buckiprof]

...according to an unconfirmed report from WOIO-TV in Cleveland..

FWIW, having lived in NE Ohio for 15 years, I believe that WOIO is quite possibly the worst "news" channel in Cleveland, all of Ohio, or even the continental US.

This "news" channel is nothing more than a tabloid type channel with sensationalized reporting. In all seriousness, their "anonymous sources" could easily have been me simply calling the station and saying that I "know someone in the front office".

If I were to send out a smokescreen, WOIO would be the main channel I would target as I would know that there level of "journalism" is barely above that of a high school journalist working for the school paper.

 

[LitlBuck]

In reading Pluto's column this morning, his "sources" given every indication that the Browns will go defense with their #5 pick and try to get Nicks with the #29 pick or second round pick if the Edwards deal goes through. I would go along with this because I think our #1 need is on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[3074326]

The Eagles' Sheldon Brown has asked to be traded according to ESPN (no link). We have a team that is looking to trade a WR and needs secondary, and a team with a CB to give who needs a WR. I could see a potential fit here.

That being said, I think the Browns want draft picks.

 

[tsteele316]

Why do people think Sanchez is a smokescreen? IF the rumors of trading Quinn is true, they kinda make sense (if the Browns like Sanchez alot better than Quinn) In that scenario you start Anderson and you let Sanchez learn behind him.




The big thing with WRs out of college is alot of times it takes then 2-3 years to fully develop into studs. Only rarely does a WR as a rookie make an impact. So just overall, ALL WRs have bust potential. They are the hardest position to scout. But I can say one thing about Crabtree... he won't drop passes like Braylon

well, the sanchez smokescreen wouldn't be very effective if there weren't strong rumors about trading quinn. I could also see cleveland trading edwards, taking curry at #5, if he's there, then drafting a few day 2 wr's and signing a cap casualty in June.

 

[itownbuckeye]

The Eagles' Sheldon Brown has asked to be traded according to ESPN (no link). We have a team that is looking to trade a WR and needs secondary, and a team with a CB to give who needs a WR. I could see a potential fit here.

That being said, I think the Browns want draft picks.

I don't really see this as a fit. The Browns have a much greater need at safety than corner. I think, if the pass rush is improved, Wright & McDonald will be okay at corner. Plus there is some decent veteran depth with Ivy and Poteat.

If the Browns are going to trade Edwards then they either have to get a WR or picks to be used on WR's back. Trading Edwards without getting some type of receiving talent back would leave the Browns with one of the worst groups of WR's that I can recall. Patten, Cribbs, Steptoe, Hubbard - at this point you can't argue that any of those guys is anything better than a #3 WR and that might even be stretching it.