Cleveland Browns (2012 season)

[LitlBuck]

They are looking at Manny Lawson. I hope this happens.

possibly bad info. However, I like what you are doing is the BP mock draft:)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns are not interested in former Bengals linebacker Manny Lawson, a league source said today.

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more
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/03/cleveland_browns_reportedly_pu.html​

 

[Bucklion]

Agree wholeheartedly. I want, really want, Claiborne at #4. The defense is a legitimate top 10 unit with him. With #22, take Floyd if he is still there. Personally, I like Floyd more than Blackmon...he is bigger and I think he has better ability to go up and get the ball. If Floyd is gone, take best available WR.

If the Browns are hellbent on Tannehill, they will take him in Round 2. No way the Dolphins take him with their 1st round pick. I wish they would because that would be a wasted pick and give the Browns another potential player at #22 as well as in Round 2. Personally, I would take the best RT prospect in Round 2.

With the 3 picks in Rounds 3 and 4, I would take RB and OLB.

Rest of draft, get depth at OL, maybe another RB, and call it a draft. Basically, I see the needs of WR, RB, RT(OL) and OLB as biggest and would spend every pick on those spots except for #4 where I take Claiborne.

I wonder some about Holmgren but I do not wonder about Heckert. He has stuck to his guns, followed what he said from Day 1 about building through the draft. He upgraded the DL last year via the draft. It is not sexy doing that during the draft, but it helps lay the foundation for a strong team. It would not be sexy taking Claiborne at #4 and some in the media here in NE Ohio would lose their mind, but it would be a damn good pick.

However, I do not have infinite patience.

Claiborne is the only pick at #4 that makes any sense, which makes me believe the Browns won't take him. The only hope I have is that they did make the right move with Haden at #7. Yes, another defensive player will have the fans grumbling, but they are already grumbling after not getting RGIII...we'll see if they care about building the team or not this draft.

 

[jlb1705]

Claiborne is the only pick at #4 that makes any sense, which makes me believe the Browns won't take him. The only hope I have is that they did make the right move with Haden at #7. Yes, another defensive player will have the fans grumbling, but they are already grumbling after not getting RGIII...we'll see if they care about building the team or not this draft.

I won't grumble about it if it's Claiborne. I've been banging this drum for a couple years, but the Browns first and foremost need to become good at just one thing. Their best shot at that is at DB. Establish a top-5 secondary and that gives you something to build the rest of your team on. You can't have a truly good team without being great in at least one area - that's my belief at least.

 

[Bucklion]

I won't grumble about it if it's Claiborne. I've been banging this drum for a couple years, but the Browns first and foremost need to become good at just one thing. Their best shot at that is at DB. Establish a top-5 secondary and that gives you something to build the rest of your team on. You can't have a truly good team without being great in at least one area - that's my belief at least.

I didn't mean the people here, I meant the drunken dolts they seem to interview on 19 at one of the local dives that always say "WE NEEED PLAYMAKERREZZZZ!!!!1!!111!!" I too have been advocating an elite secondary, especially in this division. With Ward and 2 corners they could have that.

 

[AKAK]

I won't grumble about it if it's Claiborne. I've been banging this drum for a couple years, but the Browns first and foremost need to become good at just one thing. Their best shot at that is at DB. Establish a top-5 secondary and that gives you something to build the rest of your team on. You can't have a truly good team without being great in at least one area - that's my belief at least.

Well, that's the other way to look at it... as much as we (and I mean the crazy drunks on other boards and some here) harp on this idea that you're not going to be good unless you have elite QB play... the flip side of that is that you're probalby not going to be good if you can't stop/slow down elite QB play. If they go with Claiborne (and I think barring a trade, they will), it will be the 3rd 1st pick that we've used on D in a row. It should enhance the pass rush, etc. (even if it leads to coverage sacks, so what?) and it reduces pressure on the offense. You're in Cleveland, on the lake... you gotta play D.

That philosophy at least acknowledges the "truth" of the NFL being a QB first league and that whether or not H and H accept it from their offense, they at least acknowledge the fact that the super high powered Brees/Manning/Rogers/Brady philosophy is the model "du jour" that most are trying to emulate. Or the Newton/Griffin/Vick model(s)

Where they go with their next picks will say more about what they think about offense... you can power run out of WCO too... and I have a feeling they think a "field stretcher" is less important than others do... we'll see. And, I do think they think Colt is, or can be, more than a manager... and I don't know that there's a reason to believe that he can't. Steinbach's injury and Hillis's flakyness set the Browns and Colt back more than anything I think.

So, yeah, Claiborne. Go for it.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

The youngsters here.. never got to experience the bravado Brownie fans used to have when Dixon & Minnifield manned the corners... two, flat out, shut down corners... Haden & Claiborne would also immediately and dramatically improve our pass rush (cover sacks)

I'm still going to bitch and moan till we get a RT ... and WRs (that can start for a D1 school)

 

[AKAK]

The youngsters here.. never got to experience the bravado Brownie fans used to have when Dixon & Minnifield manned the corners... two, flat out, shut down corners... Haden & Claiborne would also immediately and dramatically improve our pass rush (cover sacks)

I'm still going to bitch and moan till we get a RT ... and WRs (that can start for a D1 school)

Woof.

Bitch.

 

[jlb1705]

And, I do think they think Colt is, or can be, more than a manager... and I don't know that there's a reason to believe that he can't.

Thru 21 games:

Drew Brees:

• 8 wins
• 422/703 passing (59.7%)
• 25 TD : 23 INT
• 4346 yds. (10.30 yds. per completion)

Colt McCoy:

• 6 wins
• 400/685 passing (58.3%)
• 20 TD : 20 INT
• 4309 yds. (10.77 yds. per completion)

Slight edge to Brees overall, but pretty darn similar. McCoy has had to do his work without a LaDanian Tomlinson around to take some of the pressure off. Give him some time, put some pieces around him and let's see if he can take the next step.

 

[OneBuckeye]

possibly bad info. However, I like what you are doing is the BP mock draft:)

more
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/03/cleveland_browns_reportedly_pu.html[/LEFT]

Damn

I got my info here, with two links.
http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/44381/wake-up-call-browns-interested-lb-lawson

Then the Plain Dealer disputes it SMH.

 

[AKAK]

Thru 21 games:

Drew Brees:

• 8 wins
• 422/703 passing (59.7%)
• 25 TD : 23 INT
• 4346 yds. (10.30 yds. per completion)

Colt McCoy:

• 6 wins
• 400/685 passing (58.3%)
• 20 TD : 20 INT
• 4309 yds. (10.77 yds. per completion)

Slight edge to Brees overall, but pretty darn similar. McCoy has had to do his work without a LaDanian Tomlinson around to take some of the pressure off. Give him some time, put some pieces around him and let's see if he can take the next step.

To be fair, I'm not sure there's much to indicate that Brees would be the QB he is today, back then, either. I'm sure we can find plenty of chumps with similar or better stats.

Regardless... most of the time, experience is the most important thing. (Chronologically, where were Alex Smith and Aaron Rogers two years in? Sucking and Riding pine IIRC.)

So, regardless, the reality is that you need to make the team better, either for Colt's development, or to be successful if you have to plug someone in, and Defense is the way to do that (Think ROFLberger, Brady, whoever)

 

[LitlBuck]

The youngsters here.. never got to experience the bravado Brownie fans used to have when Dixon & Minnifield manned the corners... two, flat out, shut down corners... Haden & Claiborne would also immediately and dramatically improve our pass rush (cover sacks)

I'm still going to bitch and moan till we get a RT ... and WRs (that can start for a D1 school)

I am in agreement with the Claiborne pick for 2 reasons. One is that he will get us another shutdown corner and secondly the Browns will not draft Minnifield's son who I think is rated too high and I think the Browns might select him just to appease the fan base. Unfortunately, they did not do that for Clay Matthews.

 

[AKAK]

I am in agreement with the Claiborne pick for 2 reasons. One is that he will get us another shutdown corner and secondly the Browns will not draft Minnifield's son who I think is rated too high and I think the Browns might select him just to appease the fan base. Unfortunately, they did not do that for Clay Matthews.

Where is it that Minnifield is rated too high in your opinion?

And, do you really think they'd take him to appease the Browns fanbase, and even if they did and say, took him in the 2nd, I'm not sure that's too high.

 

[LitlBuck]

Where is it that Minnifield is rated too high in your opinion?

And, do you really think they'd take him to appease the Browns fanbase, and even if they did and say, took him in the 2nd, I'm not sure that's too high.

I just don't think he is tall enough to be a shutdown corner in the NFL IMO. With regards to the front office, I really have no idea why Holmgren as in mind but he has to know that the Cleveland fan base is not very happy with him.

 

[LitlBuck]

I don't know much about this guy but it looks like he could provide some depth at the position of need.

CLEVELAND -- Former Giants middle linebacker Jonathan Goff visited the Browns on Tuesday, a league source confirmed.

Adam Caplan of the thesidelineview.com first reported the visit.

It's not yet known if the Browns will sign Goff, who sat out all last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Giants are also trying to re-sign him.

The last season Goff was healthy, in 2010, he made 80 tackles a sack and a forced fumble. He tore the ACL last year in practice the week before the opener.

Goff (6-2, 241) was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in 2008 out of Vanderbilt. He's started 20 of his 32 games with the Giants, including all 16 in 2010. Goff would provide depth behind D'Qwell Jackson.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/03/former_giants_middle_linebacke.html

 

[AKAK]

I just don't think he is tall enough to be a shutdown corner in the NFL IMO. With regards to the front office, I really have no idea why Holmgren as in mind but he has to know that the Cleveland fan base is not very happy with him.

5102 at the combine, I mean, he's not huge, but, he's not 5'7 either.

If Holmgren starts giving a fuck what the fanbase thinks, he should move on. That's Lerner's problem, not his.