Not sure this needs its own thread but I really couldn't find a better place to put it..
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Kiper: Cleveland Browns should take WR Dez Bryant
By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer
April 07, 2010, 12:26PM
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CLEVELAND -- ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper says the Browns should take Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant with the seventh overall pick in the April 22-24 draft.
"For obvious reasons," Kiper said on a teleconference call on Wednesday. "They need a receiver to help out the quarterback, whoever's playing."
Kiper is the second national draft analyst to pick Bryant in the Browns' first-round slot. About a month ago, Mike Mayock of NFL Network said Bryant is one of his top-five rated players and would be a great pick for the Browns at No. 7.
Bryant had a difficult upbringing and was suspended last year for lying to NCAA investigators about his relationship with former NFL player Deion Sanders.
Bryant is a spectacular athlete, but was less than spectacular at his pro day on March 30. His 40 times were 4.52 and 4.68 seconds. Kiper downplayed the negatives about Bryant.
"It's not something teams I speak to are that concerned with," he said. "He's passionate about the game, likes to study film. I hear he's not going to affected at all (by the negatives)."
Browns President Mike Holmgren has said he wants to add a receiver with top end speed.
Kiper also gave his projections for the Browns' next three picks:
He gives them Texas quarterback Colt McCoy with their second pick, No. 38 overall.
"(He has) leadership, command, presence. I don't buy that he doesn't have the arm. He dinked and dunked because he had to. He's 6-1 1/2 about 215. This notion he's too small or doesn't have an arm, I don't buy it. He's a stronger-armed version of Jake Plummer," Kiper said.
He gives them Miami tight end Jimmy Graham with their first third-round pick, No. 71 overall. He gives them LSU safety Chad Jones at No. 85 ovarll.
• Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle's tour of NFL visits takes him to the Browns this week. Kindle, one of the top-rated 3-4 pass rushers, visited Tennessee earlier in the week and intends to also pass through Miami.
© 2010 cleveland.com. All rights reserved.
I guess this is just more fodder for discussion..
http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2010/04/kiper_cleveland_browns_should.html
Leon soured me on taking WRs high, esp one that barely played this season. We have too many other holes to gamble on him.
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I guess this is just more fodder for discussion
Is that what you call 9 out of 10 posters ripping on Kiper and being jealous he has his job? 
No way I want Bryant. No way it happens.
If he didn't have the reputation for being a major diva / headcase I STILL wouldn't want him at #7.
I really don't know if his reputation is deserved or not, but there does seem to be alot of truth to it.. that's exactly the kinda guy that Mangini doesn't want and heckert seems to have a history of staying away from troubled players as well,
I don't think Kiper has figured that out yet..
From history, to quote a General I forget, from a situation I forget.
" Nuts!"
So Kiper thinks we're using this draft to build the offense some more?
YTownBrownsFan says that Kiper should stop taking illegal drugs from now on .......
I guess we have filled a couple of our defensive holes (Fujita, Gocong, Brown). With that said, I still think it would be hard for us to go offense in the 1st round. We have a pretty good young WR (Massaquoi) and a serviceable RB group. So for me it would be hard to take Bryant (or Spiller) in the 1st round.
The only way I think we go offense in round 1 is if Okung falls or if our Front Office determines one of the other O-Linemen is worth pick #7. (I'm assuming Bradford is the 1st pick.)
no thanks.
Give me Berry. If Berry is not there.. trade down.
IMO, every single draft has WRs, RBs, QBs, etc. Some drafts have stronger classes than others.
Unless you truly feel Bryant is a can't miss kind of guy, you can find a no. 1 WR next year.
For example, you don't pass up a guy like Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. Is Bryant that guy? I have no idea.
I just haven't heard anything that he's THE guy, hence worth passing up some pretty darn good defensive players.
I'd rather have Demaryius Thomas of GA Tech than Bryant.
He said the same thing last year about Crabtree. He might be right, but not at pick #7. Mel is actually pretty good at what he does, but he regularly neglects the philosophy's of the respective teams front offices.
This guy does not match Mangini/Heckert or Holmgren.
Bryant has the talent of Fitzgerald/Johnson. What people are worried about is if he has his he screwed on straight.
I guess my approach is that a guy is only "can't miss" if he has his head on straight. He might have all the talent in the world, but if he's going to be getting in trouble, then he sure ain't "can't miss."
JMHO
Right ...Bryant does have that kind of talent....But I do nt think and many have said that he does not have the "head" of those 2.
Mr.Hair needs to continue his arguments with McShay over QB's and not tell Cleveland who they should select... 
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Mel is actually pretty good at what he does, but he regularly neglects the philosophy's of the respective teams front offices.
that's maybe my biggest gripe about all these so called experts.. they look at a player, then they look at team needs.., and as far as that goes,, nothing wrong with it..
But they rarely if ever match up a teams desired player profile to the player..
If they did, they'd see that it's highly unlikely that we draft a Dez Bryant or any guy that appears to be of questionable character with this regime in place...
But that's just being picky I guess....
Yeah. And he's a fan of the Ravens. Should we really listen to draft advice from a Raven fan? I say no.
there was another Bryant who was "tagged" a locker room cancer and has jumped from team to team..
So talented.. but...
The hair works hard at what he does. No complaints..he aint perfect.....only DJ would come close to that.
Me personally...i would take Price or Ford with one of our 3rds before taking Bryant.
IMO...Price will be a great pickup for someone. I hope its us!
Kiper is a nit-wit. We've got too many holes in more important spots that we should be able address at #7 to be messing around with a wideout that high. Perhaps if we trade down a few spots and he's the BPA there, but not at #7.
Kiper also had Mike Williams ranked #1 overall the year we drafted Leon.
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Yeah. And he's a fan of the Ravens. Should we really listen to draft advice from a Raven fan? I say no.
i think its fair to say that ravens fans have enjoyed much better drafting than we have. not that it makes their fans any more knowledgeable.....
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He said the same thing last year about Crabtree. He might be right, but not at pick #7. Mel is actually pretty good at what he does, but he regularly neglects the philosophy's of the respective teams front offices.
This guy does not match Mangini/Heckert or Holmgren.
Exactly, he's picking a player HE thinks the Browns should take. Not who he thinks our front office will take. Big difference.
As far as his suggestion, no thanks.
Kiper also has Clausen rated above Bradford.
Not saying I agree or disagree. Just interesting.
At least he'd bring a little excitement to the offense... Still not sure how much our passing game can improve by just banking on Mo Mass, Robiskie, and Moore to improve.
Our offense will be running the wishbone if we can't add any threats
j/k
My biggest question about these guys is, if they were so darn smart and accurate, why hasent a NFL teams hired them, some say becuase they make more on thier own, maybe, but wouldnt their worth be in the millions for a GM & owners.....?????
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From history, to quote a General I forget, from a situation I forget.
" Nuts!"
General Anthony McAuliffe, in a reply to General Heinrich von Luttwitz, when McAuliffe who was surrounded in the town of Bastogne during WWII, received basically a surrender or we'll kill you note from General von Luttwitz.
Sorry it's a bit off topic but I love WWII history.
Maybe I should quit giving this speech, but Kiper has a long history with floating out all kinds of draft picks to all kinds of teams for one very simple reason: Drumming up interest to sell newspapers.
If people were so-inclined to spend the time to track Kiper's quotes over the last decade, they'd see that he floats various players to each team at various times. Right now, it's Bryant. Last week, it was Haden. The previous week, it was Clausen.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
As for me, I've seen too many odds instances of behavioral issues with Bryant to take him at 7.
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He said the same thing last year about Crabtree. He might be right, but not at pick #7. Mel is actually pretty good at what he does, but he regularly neglects the philosophy's of the respective teams front offices.
This guy does not match Mangini/Heckert or Holmgren.
I agree with you 100% BpG!
Another thing I've noticed about Kiper is the closer to the draft he gets, the more accurate he becomes. I notice he doesn't indicate we "will" draft him, but that we "should".
I actually feel that he has sources within war rooms on draft day that give him kind of a heads up on their possible pick or picks.
That or he studies hard on needs and priority between now and the draft to get more accurate. What Kiper can do is evaluate talent. He can evaluate the draft. The closer to the draft the better.
At this point, he's really not all that much more accurate than a fairly good mock. Probably better than mine though!
I've heard it said that it's all from memory too. That he comes in on draft day empty handed. When it gets to the third round and past that point, when it gets to players we really know next to nothing about, he spills all that info out based on memory!
I give the guy kudos for being the very best at what he does.
jmho
I like Kiper just because he's entertaining. Sounds like a motor mouth when he gets talking about players, and it doesn't hurt that they're always showing great highlights to really get you excited about the players.
That said, I think I'll get sick to my stomach if we take Bryant.
I think he sounds that way because he's so excited!
I think the man completely enjoys and loves his job. To me that's something I enjoy seeing. Almost sounds like a teen-ager telling you about thier spring break! The man gets into his job IMO.
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Another thing I've noticed about Kiper is the closer to the draft he gets, the more accura§e he becomes.
That's right...And it's been said it's because he actually TALKS to NFL people...And gets a solid inclination as to where these teams have certain players on respective boards...
It's also why his Top 20 changes CONSTANTLY...
And BTW...He's RIGHT having Clausen #1... 
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Leon soured me on taking WRs high, esp one that barely played this season. We have too many other holes to gamble on him.
Dez Bryant catches the ball though. He's truly the clear-and-away best WR in the draft IMO and definitely a top level NFL talent over all. As one poster mentioned the real concern is his head. I have no idea about that. What I do know is that he's going to make some team a lot better at that position. We do happen to have a ridiculous need at that position. Just sayin'.
I think this is a case where circumstance could dictate a pick like this.
If our top 4 guys are off the board (lets say Berry, Okung, Suh and Bradford) and we're pretty apathetic towards what's left, I think Bryant MAY come in to the picture.
Ideally you trade down (if you don't like who's there at #7) but who's to say anyone is interested in the pick if the Browns are not?
The Browns do need a #1 WR and even more so if they plan to follow that pick up with a QB at #38. An inexperienced signal caller need guys to lean on. The Browns have holes at CB but S. Brown should buy them a year or two if they would prefer to wait (or draft a lower developmental guy).
Not saying I'd be thrilled with Bryant but if other players we like come off the board, I could see him as a possibility. Likely? Not at all but he is talented enough to take that high (if the FO likes him).
I wouldnt have a problem with the selection, if Berry is gone, but Its not going to happen.
If Berry is gone, they will go Haden, RT, D-line, trade down.
A question to those who say Bryant has a screw loose. Outside of him talking to Dion Sanders, what else has he done. IMO, he should have never gotten any kind of suspension. OK, so he talked to Dion, he did nothing wrong. The worst thing he did was be a young man, being put into a corner by the NCAA, and lied because he was scared. He told the truth soon after. If he was aked with a coach or a lawyer in the room, none of this would of happened. The NCAA sent high priced, whoever they sent (lawyers?), and cornered him and I bet he didnt have representation. If he did anything wrong, he should have been notified that they thought he did something wrong and let him get representation. How many of you can honestly say as a youngster that you did something wrong and when asked by your parents, teacher, principle, cops, that right away said you didnt do it? Heck, if a judge is drunk and gets pulled over for swerving and the cop asked him "Did you have anything to drink?" nine out of ten times the judge will say "No". This was by far a lessor of a lie and he didnt hurt nobody. The fact that the NCAA suspends Bryant for a year for something so minor and Calipari hasnt got any kind of suspension, shows that the NCAA is full of crap. The NCAA makes money off of Calipari working, it doesnt matter one bit if a collegiate player gets suspended because that doesnt effect their pockets in any way as it does with top name coaches. The NCAA suspended him because they have these over-priced members that want to do something like this, just to show they are doing something to prove their worth. They maybe should have gave him a one game suspension to show athletes the consequences. I bet anyone involved in Bryants suspension made a bigger lie then Bryant did but they feel they are above everyone else with their powers. That would be like suspending one of them for a year because they told their children there was a Santa Clause.
Kiper does what he does for entertainment. Thats why he changes his mock around so much because so many people pay for ESPN Insider to see things like his new mock. It will probably change 2 or 3 times before the draft. Remember when he said the Browns will take Chris Gamble?
One thing kiper has changed is that if he doesnt have anything good to say, he wont say it at all. When the Browns had horrible drafts in their earlier years, he would say how bad of a pick or how it was a huge reach. Then 75% of Browns fans, who never heard of the Northcutts, Davis' (WR) Chaun Thompsons', Quincy Morgans, didnt want to hear it so they bashed him and said he is a moron and he dont know what he is talking about. Or "Who cares what he has to say, he isnt a GM" Turned out he was right. Then eventually when the Browns continued to make horrible picks, me and my friends would crack up because we were waiting for him to bash yet another bad pick and he would just skip over the recent selection and continue to talk about the pick before.
I highly doubt that if kiper was the GM, he makes that pick. Hes hyping up players for the upcoming draft as part of the ESPN draft coverage hype. If they see one of Kipers drafts and their team is taking a™big name player, it makes them want to tune in. Thats why he has 20 mock drafts.
I like Kiper's shtick. He's fun to listen to when he's got a player he loves or when a team makes what he considers to be a draft mistake. He goes off. Good theater.
But I have a mock. Everyone on this board has a mock. There are thousands of mocks all over the internet. The fact of the matter is that all the build up to the draft is just a guessing game. Do the Browns need an impact WR? Sure. But they need a big hitting safety, a right tackle, a right guard, a QB, and depth at CB, RB, and the front 7. At this point, I doubt that Holmgren and Heckert know exactly what the Browns will be doing in two weeks. Too many variables.
Anyway, Mel will change his mind a few more times between now and April 22nd. Who ya got for us next week, Mel?
IMO he would have done a better job with our drafts over the years than our GMs. But then,so would a monkey throwing darts at a draft board.
I don't want this guy either but our receiving is dead last in the league, it's no surprise that one may feel we should take the top rated receiver in this years draft.
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And BTW...He's RIGHT having Clausen #1...
I would respectfully suggest that you hit the talk show circuit in an attempt to help pad your 15%.
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If Berry is gone, they will go Haden, RT, D-line, trade down.
My only issue with your thinking is I simply don't feel you pick a RT this high. There's a big difference in the talent needed to play LT verses RT.
Otherwise I do agree with your scenario. And I have mentioned this in a few other threads, but we would be picking at #7 with the top rated CB still on the board with Hayden. Actually in my mock, as well as many I have seen, Berry will fall to us.
The teams picking above us have huge holes that must be addressed other than safety. However it's not a given by any means.
My thinking is that if Berry is gone, you still draft Hayden.
Brown is getting older and I don't see him playing CB over two or three more years. But man Brown is one helluva hard hitter with good coverage skills.
I feel drafting Hayden would give us that long term answer at the CB position and you would just slide Brown over to S solidifying our entire secondary making it a strength on our O rather than the glaring weakness it was going into the off-season.
There are so many possibilities to trade down that may arise it's hard to tell where we may end up drafting, but at #7 I would be very comfortable taking Hayden if Berry doesn't fall to us.
jmho
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Another thing I've noticed about Kiper is the closer to the draft he gets, the more accurate he becomes.
That's right...And it's been said it's because he actually TALKS to NFL people...And gets a solid inclination as to where these teams have certain players on respective boards...
It's also why his Top 20 changes CONSTANTLY...
And BTW...He's RIGHT having Clausen #1...
Knowing that he is being quoted and listened to by tons of people.. NFL big mouths aren't going to give him any real info about what they want..
I agree that most anyone here would have done a better job than our GMs since The Return. The baton was totally fumbled by Clark and dropped like a greased pig by Garcia, fumbled like a bar of soap by Savage, blubbed by Kokinis( really it was Mangenioues) and now the new Regime. So hairdo thiks Dez Bryant should be the guy? I like berry but hey I did not see Tennessee play that much but know a top safety is a position of need, will berry be the best one is anyone's guess. A top WR, whom none of our Qbs had last year would make our cast of complementary parts, Momass, Robo, Cribbs, Watson even more dangerous.
So If he truly is the very best WR in the draft and the very best safety is taken why not? We have not had an elite wr in Cleveland since Webster Slaughter and that is a LOOOOONG time. I could live with that.
I think we could do a lot worse than Bryant at 7. Some analysts have been saying he's got skills similar to Randy "Ratio" Moss. I think putting Massaquoi in the slot with Robo at SE would improve our passing game a lot. Many of MM's catches were on a slant route anyway.
Only question is, "When that bawl is in the ayer, does Dez get... emotionally crazy?"
I read one site saying the 49ers might draft Bryant with one of their 1st rounders. Imagine an offense with Gore and Coffee at RB, Crabtree and Bryant at WR, and Vernon Davis at TE. Scary. Now if only they had a QB.
Also, I agree with you. While I would rather have other players (Berry) or situations (trade down), we can do much worse than Dez Bryant. Having him and Massaquoi is very intriguing. Especially if we found a QB later in the draft.
I can probably put up identical 2007 DA numbers with a supporting cast like that, a truly good QB could probably put up 4500 to 5000 yards...scary thought.
If the Browns pass on Dez Bryant,then theirs a good possibilty that he falls to the Bengals or Ravens....
then the Browns would have to end up trying to defend him 2 times a year....and given the recent play of the Browns CB's....that may not be good.
I'd be pretty surprised if bryant got past buffalo, Miami, AND seattle's 14. I don't think falling to the bengals or ravens is a significant possibility barring a trade up by one of the teams.
j/c
IMO when it comes to Seattle and Miami I have it figured this way..........
Seattle needs and can still get a legit LT at the #6 spot. With Walter Jones gone they certainly can't come back at #14 and get that OT. Reason being, both the Raiders at #8 and the Niners at #13 will both possibly be in the market for an OT as well.
Then at #14, they need secondary help. With Pete Carroll's former S in Taylor mays being available, I see them selecting him at #14.
That leaves us with getting Berry. I see either one of the top 4 or five OT's falling to San Fran, be it Williams or Campbell. (Haven't broken down the OT position in depth enough to say which one I think will fall as of yet so the names may change there)
So I think they will go DB and OT with these two picks. According to my line of thinking, with us taking Berry and Carroll favoring Mays, I believe either Earl Thomas or Hayden may fall to them at #14. Have no idea as to which one though as of yet.
So if my scenario plays out, I don't see the 49'ers going with Dez Bryant. I'm actually favoring Brant going to the dolphins at #12 at this juncture as someone mentioned.
The first team I have actually taking a look at C.J. Spiller would be the Giants. They need a smaller, quicker RB to address something that as of yet they totally lack in their RB stable. A faster, smaller back who has hands and can take it to the house at any given moment.
Spiller isn't an every down back but he would fit well with the Giants an add a deminsion they are sorely lacking in.
jmho
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Bryant has the talent of Fitzgerald/Johnson. What people are worried about is if he has his he screwed on straight.
And thats EXACTLY what we dont need in a first round pick! Pick somebody safe like we did with Joe Thomas-that worked out pretty well, didnt it? Forget sexy picks-get workhorses.
A Joe Thomas Talent doesn't come around very often. Normally these picks aren't as easy to make, case in point this year.
If the powers that be pick him...I would have no problem with it at all.
Yeah we need help in other areas...but don't act like WR isn't a glaring weakness on this team. Our offense last year was the worst I've seen in quite some time.
Yes...QB and an old ass Jamal was part of the problem...but not having a big physical receiver was also part of the problem.
I don't know if he will be a Fitz/Moss type receiver...but if he is...we will all be pretty happy.
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If Berry is gone, they will go Haden, RT, D-line, trade down.
My only issue with your thinking is I simply don't feel you pick a RT this high. There's a big difference in the talent needed to play LT verses RT.
I brought this up in another thread but don't remember if anyone else had read or heard the same thing. I read somewhere awhile back that Joe Thomas might want to play for the Greenbay Packers at some point in the future,probably when this contract was finished. I believe his father may have made these statements but I am not sure. Anyway, my thinking was drafting a right tackle at seven would indeed be using a high pick but looking to the future would it make sense to overspend now for long term security? I mean the options are Thomas leaves and we have a quality substitute ready to take over or he stays with the Browns and we have Thomas, Mack and Okung ( as an example) anchoring the line for years to come.
No way we let Thomas walk, not happening. Franchise tag him until he's done.
I've read that the Patriots with their surplus of picks might want to trade up and take Dez Bryant.
But who knows this time of the year if anything we read about the draft is true.
The only thing I know for sure. Sam Bradford to the Rams at #1.
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No way we let Thomas walk, not happening. Franchise tag him until he's done.
I agree, but how will the whole franchise tag issue be affected next year? Is there a possibility that that system might go away?
I understand what you're saying, but I simply don't see us going OT at #7.
And certainly haven't seen anythig in the media concerning JT wanting to leave Cleveland that I consider to be "credable".
Seems like kind of a leap imo. Just want you to know I'm not trying to flame on you or anything at all.
Just from my perspective I see that as one helluva long shot.
jmho
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If Berry is gone, they will go Haden, RT, D-line, trade down.
My only issue with your thinking is I simply don't feel you pick a RT this high. There's a big difference in the talent needed to play LT verses RT.
Oh I agree with you. But when I made that statement, I should have clarified, I was thinking about Trent Williams. He is an LT that can come in and be a run blocking RT right away.
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I understand what you're saying, but I simply don't see us going OT at #7.
With our current front office's history I don't think any of us should be surprised if we go OT at #7.
I know this may sound strange, but if the Hawks go with Berry, I could see us looking in several directions none of which I could see as the OT position.
Derrick Morgan
Jason Pierre-Paul
Earl Thomas
Joe Hayden
In no particular order. We could use any and all of these guys and have no idea as to how MH has them rated on his big board.
But they all fill the role as talent and need at the #7 position.
Nothing is written in srone but even if the Hawks go Berry, I still can't see us picking the third rated OT in this draft and leaving us a huge hole at OLB. I mean a real, big impact OLB.
I would prefer trading down if Berry is gone but we'd have to find a trading partner to do that.
JMHO
Pit, I hope we don't take any of those guys at 7. The only guy on that list I think is worth the top 7 pick is Haden and we don't need a new starter at that position this year now. I wouldn't mind trading down a few if Haden or Thomas were our guy, but I don't want Morgan or JPP. If we're taking an OLB I want Graham on the team before eithr of those guys.
But, he's from Michigan we will hate him.
J/C
Did anyone forget the best LBer in the draft. We talking about another Patrick Willis type but meaner!!!!
Alabama's ILB Rolando McClain.
If Berry is gone take McClain,
IMO he is as a sure fire pick as Suh and McCoy.
If Berry is gone, McClain is who I want.
patrick willis?
lol...i love how we already know this guy is an all-pro.
perhaps, we should look at upgrading a position that we dont have ample depth...like DB's or DL. we're on an empty cupboard at FS.....age on the DL is coming to the forefront, and with rogers troubles, another rookie ILB isn't gonna do jack when guards are eating him up.
we're going BPA....and he's not BPA at 7...maybe 15.
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patrick willis?
lol...i love how we already know this guy is an all-pro.
3 x Pro Bowler
2 x 1st team All Pro
1 x 2nd team All Pro
He was talking about McClain.
I think McClain is very overrated on here. I don' t think he will ever be an elite player.
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He was talking about McClain.
I think McClain is very overrated on here. I don' t think he will ever be an elite player.
Kind of like how you overate JPP? 
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He was talking about McClain.
I think McClain is very overrated on here. I don' t think he will ever be an elite player.
I agree. I see McClain as more of a free roaming Arrington more of an elite take over the ga,e OLB like Ray Ray or Patrick Willis. But thats just my opinion.
I dont want the Browns to have anything to do with McClain with the 7th pick. They have too many holes to fill to draft a player that would be behind Fujita and DeQuell Jackson on the depth chart. If certain players are taken, I would rather the Browns trade down 10 spots even if it meant them only getting a 3rd rounder out of it. They would get a player with a cheaper contract and draft a player that will be in a position of need that will have a better chance of starting then McClain.
Im not a big fan of the fujita signing either. When I was watching him in NO and saw that he was a FA at a position of need for the Browns, I paid closer attention to him. IMO, I thought he was undersized for the Browns 3-4 and he isnt a game changer. However, I do think he will be the Browns best coverage LB. Something that was a weak spot at the LB position. Wimbley was horrible in coverage, Jackson was average at best, and Bowens seem to be the best one but he wasnt that fast as he use to be.
I doubt the Browns even draft an ILB this year. Like I said earlier, this year there is too many other holes to fill. Bowens will probably be coming off the bench but IMO makes the biggest impact blitzing the passer at ILB and in the running game. They also still have Barton, Trusnik, and Veikune at ILB on the roster. No way they pay McClain 7th pick money with all those players on the roster. Next year though, I think drafting an impact ILB will be a bigger necessity.
I know there is a drop off after McClain at ILB in this draft but I still like the ILB from Penn St. and Spikes out of Florida better. Spikes didnt have good combine numbers but I thought he did better then McClain as far as being a differance maker. I think he is a better blitzer and way better in coverage. McClain is slightly better from sideline to sideline but thats DeQuells strength and he isnt a game changer either. McClain also had better defenders around him then Spikes.
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Im not a big fan of the fujita signing either. When I was watching him in NO and saw that he was a FA at a position of need for the Browns, I paid closer attention to him. IMO, I thought he was undersized for the Browns 3-4
Legalized, you saw what you saw while watching Fujita, but for the record he is listed at 6'5", 250Ibs. link
to compare, Ray Lewis is listed as 6'1", 250Ibs.
link
He's not too small.
LOL Any minute now, someone is going to crop up and say,, "are you nuts,, you can't compare Lewis to Fujita"
Are you nuts,, you can't compare Lewis to Fujita
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/04/11/bryant/1.html Cleveland was scheduled to host Bryant Wednesday morning, before he flew to Denver to meet with Broncos officials. But a source close to the Browns told me last night, "He's no longer on our list. He's not visiting us.''
WHAT?! Oh man, what a waste. If Berry and Clausen are gone at #7, we're screwed. We're going to have to reach or trade down now.
Either that or they're dead-set on trading up.
theres alot of other talent at 7 besides berry and clausen, so we're hardly screwed.
this simply reaffirms the fact that we're not interested in head cases anymore.
The CB @ Florida would be the next option if a trade down is not available.
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The CB @ Florida would be the next option if a trade down is not available.
Yes, Haden's worth the #7 overall pick but I'd rather have someone who was expected to start this year.
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The CB @ Florida would be the next option if a trade down is not available.
Yes, Haden's worth the #7 overall pick but I'd rather have someone who was expected to start this year.
Eric Wright started his first year as a 2nd round pick, and did well... but you don't think a CB worthy of #7 overall will?
Kinda... odd.
he's referring to the trade for Shelden Brown I am sure.
and yeah, it'd be tough to make Sheldon make the switch to FS this late in his career. some can do it well, others not so much.
if Haden is deemed the best player there though, I think it's worth the chance.
And, while we'd all love our first day picks to come in and start day one, I'd have no problem with them easing their way in if they shine through in the near future.
And, the way DBs can get injured, and the fact that teams use a ton of DBs on different packages, it isn't like he'd be riding the pine the whole season.
I'm telling you now. If Berry is gone, the Browns will trade back.
Who then would be willing to trade up and for who? The most obvious would be for Clausen but what says a team doesn't trade with Washington to Seattle for him? Also if we trade back who would be our target? Dan Williams/Odrick?
I'd say Trent Williams or Clausen would be the target. Possibly C.J. Spiller or Dez as well.
I think we'd trade back to the 15-20 range to take Odrick.
Certainly a possiblity. However, if we like Haden, I'd rather stay put and take him at #7. CB is a tough position to fill and I don't think signing Brown should preclude us from taking the best one in the draft if he's there (again, assuming we've done our homework and really like the guy). Brown isn't getting any younger and we're still thin at corner.
I would be ok with that. Dline is something you can never have enough of.
I agree. If Berry is gone we trade back. Get more picks. Draft Odrick, Charles Brown, Pouncey, or Iupati. Then possibly trade back into the end of the 1st for our QB.
Confirmed...Good move...
A source close to the Browns confirmed to SI's Peter King that Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant is "no longer on our list."
This second an earlier report from Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Browns have been trying to rid their locker room of any cancers (they're the anti-Jets) and questions about Bryant's character have apparently ruled him out. The Browns also have a ton of holes on defense to fill with the No. 7 overall pick.
Source: SI.com
I think our targets would be Odrick, Earl Thomas, Ryan Mathews, Brandon Graham, or Sergio Kindle. Odrick and Thomas are most likely IMO.
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I think our targets would be Odrick, Earl Thomas, Ryan Mathews, Brandon Graham, or Sergio Kindle. Odrick and Thomas are most likely IMO.
I probably like Odrick the least of those options (and Earl the most), but they are all solid options and Odrick plays a premium position to have talented youth at.
Hopefully, we are able to trade back and garner a couple more top100 draft picks. Should be a fun weekend of draft.
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I think our targets would be Odrick, Earl Thomas, Ryan Mathews, Brandon Graham, or Sergio Kindle. Odrick and Thomas are most likely IMO.
While I could see those options as what the Browns are considering, the ones I'd be looking at are:
Graham
Thomas
Iupati
McClain
Maybe Odrick?
Maybe Anthony Davis?
I don't think we go McClain with how many linebackers we have. I see o-line purely as a last resort for us. And Odrick isn't a question mark. It wouldn't surprise me if we took him at 7. The Browns love him.
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I don't think we go McClain with how many linebackers we have. I see o-line purely as a last resort for us. And Odrick isn't a question mark. It wouldn't surprise me if we took him at 7. The Browns love him.
Yeah I read that article too. But like I said, that's just the list I'd be using.
*edit* and we have a lot of linebackers, but we still need a really good one for the inside.
If the richard seymour comparisons hold true than I wouldn't have any issues with that pick.
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I'm telling you now. If Berry is gone, the Browns will trade back.
So U know there are/is team(s) waiting to move in to # 7....
we wont know until AFTER the draft. lol.
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I'm telling you now. If Berry is gone, the Browns will trade back.
So U known there are/is team(s) waiting to move in to # 7....
I think that's important for us to remember. We'd like to trade down/up, but you need a partner to dance.
Billy Idol doesn't need a partner to dance. Neither does Madonna.
Someone will be willing to move up for an OT, Clausen, Spiller or Dez.
If the Browns can trade back and take Earl Thomas, I'll throw a party. I have been advocating that move for a long time.
Another option is to just pass on our pick and work your way down, # 7 we pass we than pick 8th, no takers we pass & draft at # 9, on down, but common some GM's ego is gonna get in the way & he's gonna pull the plug on a trade, Yes we dont get additional picks like we want, but we do save $$$$ when we sign the guy. always an option.....
I hear quite a few things..what I haven't heard or got a whiff of is who wants to move up..
Question, If we cant trade down a few spots, what's the big problem with taking E.Thomas at # 7, I mean isnt it smarter to take a player at a need postion early than not pick him at all, I mean common he wont be there come the 2nd round.
Earls not rated a top 10 pick.....by Who and so what, is he a player the CLEVELAND BROWNS Defense needs to compete this coming year ?
We will over pay him at # 7 .....Ok 3/4 of the NFL is already over paid, whats one more guy....and common we had Gerrald Warren on our team...talk about over paying...
... OR, why not take the top CB in the draft (Haden)? Sheldon Brown is not a long-term answer at corner and this is a tough position to fill (tougher than safety). If we llike Haden, I'd take him at #7 and, hopefully, solidify the position for a long time going forward. I think we can probably find a good safety later in the draft.
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Question, If we cant trade down a few spots, what's the big problem with taking E.Thomas at # 7, I mean isnt it smarter to take a player at a need postion early than not pick him at all, I mean common he wont be there come the 2nd round.
Earls not rated a top 10 pick.....by Who and so what, is he a player the CLEVELAND BROWNS Defense needs to compete this coming year ?
We will over pay him at # 7 .....Ok 3/4 of the NFL is already over paid, whats one more guy....and common we had Gerrald Warren on our team...talk about over paying...
Clay, I don't have any problem taking a guy at 7 who is an impact player. I'm not convinced that Thomas is that same impact player along the lines of Berry, Suh, Haden, Bryant, or even Spiller.
Basically if we pick at 7 and we take someone whose ceiling is "a solid starter at a non-premium position" and leave an impact player on the board I'll be upset. The reason I'm not trumpeting to get Haden or Spiller in this scenario is that I'm satisfied with the starters we have at those positions this year.
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Berry, Suh, Haden, Bryant, or even Spiller.
Why is Haden included in this group?
Isn't there some debate on whether or not Haden is even the best corner in the draft? (Kyle Wilson.)
I don't think there are a whole lot of people who think that. It might be true, but if that were the case I'd expect to see some mocks where Haden went lower than 13 or Wilson went higher than 18, and I haven't yet.
I haven't heard of any debate there.
Earl Thomas in the top 10 would make me want to puke.
there's debate on every player. haden's body of work is solid against much better competition than wilsons...
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there's debate on every player. haden's body of work is solid against much better competition than wilsons...
i like Ghee better than Wilson.
there I said it, i know i am in the minority, but Wilson gambles way too much for my liking (yes, part of that was their defensive scheme).
I don't like Wilson very much, but I have Ghee in the 2nd/3rd round. I have Wilson as a 1st rounder.
Kareem Jackson isn't being talked about enough.
i know you do, it's one of the things i've been meaning on debating you on your rankings but haven't had enough time to put together my thoughts. maybe tomorrow (always tomorrow
)
Wasn't his running mate at CB Javier Arenas the one who got all the accolades - All SEC in '08 and '09? I know the big issue with Arenas is his height.
That would be him. Kareem Jackson played opposite of Arenas.
Another reason to not like Dez Bryant, he speaks in 3rd person.
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"I just made a mistake," Bryant said. "Dez Bryant's a great person to be around. He loves the game of football. He can't wait to get back on the field and do whatever to help the team."
web page
Looks like we aren't the only ones to take him off our draft board:
www.KFFL.comJaguars | Dez Bryant removed from draft board
Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:01:16 -0700
The Jacksonville Jaguars are likely to add a wide receiver in the NFL Draft, according to Michael C. Wright, of The Florida Times Union, but it isn't likely to happen with their 10th overall pick in the draft. The Jaguars have had several bust wide receivers taken in the first round previously. According to multiple NFL sources, the Jaguars have eliminated Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant from their draft board because of character concerns.
If you ask me, that's a reason to like him.
His press conferences would be great.
On that note...........Quote:
More than 10 teams have taken Dez Bryant off their draft boards
Posted by Mike Florio on April 13, 2010 9:12 PM ET
As former Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant generates an increasing amount of interest in the days leading up to the draft, a league source tells us that more than 10 teams have removed Bryant from their draft boards.
One such team, we're told, is the Seahawks. The Browns and the Jaguars reportedly have removed him from their boards, too.
Per the source, the concern is that, once he gets paid, it's unknown whether he'll show up for work on a consistent basis. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported several weeks ago that Bryant was late for multiple practices, and even games.
Of course, one way around this concern would be to insist upon inclusion of the same "diva clause" into Bryant's contract that the 49ers placed into receiver Michael Crabtree's deal, which hinges $15 million in escalators to participation in 90 percent of all activities, voluntary and mandatory. It would be hard for Bryant's agent to balk at such a move. After all, he's the same agent who agreed to the inclusion of that term in Crabtree's contract.
And as to those team who don't plan to consider drafting Bryant? The reality is that 31 teams can take him off their draft boards -- and he can still be a first-round pick.
As Peter King of SI.com told us tonight, Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz was removed from the draft boards of more than 10 teams; 14, to be exact. And yet the knee injury that caused half the league to run in the other direction didn't keep him from becoming one of the best offensive linemen of all time.
Of course that's PFT. I don't always believe when someone says their "sources" told them anything, but the stories about Dez are so scary that it doesn't surprise me whatsoever that teams are yanking him off their boards completely.
There's being a "diva," such as what Crab was supposed to be last year, then there's being a potential problem-child, such as what Dez is now. I would emphasize "potential" because it's all speculation right now, but when a team is about to invest a 1st round pick as well as some $15 million dollars, well, speculation becomes critical.
I've said I want no part of Bryant after what i've heard. What will this guy be doing when that first $5 million dollars hits his bank? He could be Pacman 2.0.
He has great talent, but he's also runs a big risk of being a complete loser. No thanks, not for a receiver this early in the draft.
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I've said I want no part of Bryant after what i've heard. What will this guy be doing when that first $5 million dollars hits his bank?
Boats N Whores....Boats N whoes......gotta get me some boats N Whoes
Not taking him in the first isn't removing him from the draft board...just the first round.
Right, but people have said we have removed him from our draft board. Meaning if he was there in the 7th we still wouldn't take him. He will be gone by the mid-first though.
haha I highly doubt we wouldn't take him if he was there in the 7th. But I agree...he will most likely be gone in the first.
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Confirmed...Good move...
A source close to the Browns confirmed to SI's Peter King that Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant is "no longer on our list."
I never thought the Browns would take Bryant at #7 but reading this doesnt make it a possibility of the Browns not selecting Bryant what-so-ever. The way GMs and coaches lie before the draft I dont put any stock into this. Last year, everyone was reporting on how the Browns brass were in love with Sanchez. Sanchez was their for the taking with the 5th pick and they just traded it away. Teams expressing interest or lack-there-of should mean nothing to anyone. Nobody wants to show their cards and everyone is bluffing.
I wouldnt think the Browns are doing their job if they say they have "no interest" in a potential top 10 pick. Even with character concerns and even if they wanted nothing to do with Bryant, they should be hyping him up. Especially if the select players they deem worthy of the selection are already picked, then they could use the buzz created around Bryant to trade the pick and move down and get more picks.
If it is 100% true that the Browns took him off their board, I would think that its because they dont want to take a WR at 7 and they dont think he will be there with their 2nd round pick. With the way Mangini ran things last year about letting info get to reporters (he even checked cell phone records), even with Holmgren in charge, I seriously doubt they would let any of their draft board info get to Grossi.
I would believe it if I read this after the draft.
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they should be hyping him up
I don't think anyteam is going to trade up to get Bryant. If he falls to someone then they will pull the trigger but it doesn't look like many teams would be willing to part with extra to get him. a high 1st rounder is gamble enough.