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http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=yasinskas_pat&id=3281232
It's early March, and Romeo Crennel is ticking off his haul from April's NFL draft.


"Brady Quinn is my first-round pick,'' the coach of the Cleveland Browns said Thursday. "Brady's going to be a good quarterback for the Browns for a long time to come. My second-round pick is Corey Williams. He played four years up in Green Bay, and he played very well. My third-round pick is Shaun Rogers. He's a tremendous talent, and he's very excited about being in Cleveland.''
Use your imagination just a bit, and you can see Crennel's logic. The draft still is seven weeks away, but Crennel and general manager Phil Savage already have about as much as they're going to get. The Browns won't have a draft pick until the fourth round because they already used them to draft Quinn last year and trade for veterans Williams and Rogers this year. It might be an unconventional plan in a league in which teams are hesitant to part with draft picks, but it might turn out to be exactly what the Browns (10-6 last season) need to take the next step.


With free agency only a week old, the Browns already are emerging as one of those trendy Super Bowl picks that, powered by a promising previous season and some offseason moves, seem to pop up every year. Talk of the Super Bowl is not what Crennel and Savage want to hear in March (think Carolina in 2006 and San Francisco in 2007).


But they're not going to give the standard answer about how you don't win championships on paper because, ultimately, the Browns are shooting for the Super Bowl.

"If there really are people mentioning it, the simple fact on the plus side of that ledger is that it shows how far we've come from where we were,'' Savage said. "In terms of expectations, it adds an element that's new for our team. It's a different pressure to play under. But I feel like our team is ready to take another step and won't shrivel up when it comes time to produce and perform, because guys can look to their left and look to their right and say, 'These guys are pretty good players.'"

That's precisely what Savage and Crennel were looking to do when they decided to scrap their draft picks and take what can only be described as a win-now approach. That attitude might have developed because Savage and Crennel are entering their fourth season together, and the Browns were 6-10 and 4-12 in the first two seasons and haven't been to the playoffs in this era.

"Would we have done something like this two or three years ago? Probably not,'' Savage said. "But now we can because we're in a different spot and it makes sense.''

It makes sense because the Browns might have been only a player away from the playoffs last season and the team might be only a few players away from giving Cleveland its first serious contender in years.

So why not speed up the process?

This year's Cleveland draft actually started last year. With the No. 3 overall pick, the Browns passed over Quinn and selected offensive tackle Joe Thomas. When Quinn unexpectedly slid past the 20th pick, the Browns jumped back up, trading last year's second-round pick and this year's first to Dallas to take the former Notre Dame quarterback at No. 22.
With no first-round pick this year, you might think the Browns would have held tightly to all their other picks. They haven't. They traded their second-round pick to Green Bay for Williams, a defensive end.

"Corey's been a productive guy,'' Crennel said. "Let's face it, there's nobody we could take in the second round of this year's draft that's going to come in and give us the production he can right away.''

Soon after landing Williams, the Browns completed the overhaul of their maligned defensive line by trading their third-round pick and starting cornerback Leigh Bodden to Detroit for Rogers, a defensive tackle who can play inside or outside. The plan is to use Williams and Rogers in a rotation with Robaire Smith and Shaun Smith on the front of the 3-4 defense.

"We knew coming into free agency that our biggest priority was to improve the defensive line,'' Savage said. "But the market for defensive linemen had dried up because so many teams used the franchise tags. We basically had two options: We could wait for the draft, where you don't know if guys are going to work out. Or we could trade for current players, and that's what we did. We decided to go for it.''


But the Browns' busy offseason didn't stop there. Even with Quinn waiting in the wings, they made it a point to sign quarterback Derek Anderson, who came out of nowhere to establish himself as the starter last year, to a contract that runs through 2010. That prevented Anderson from leaving as a restricted free agent, even though the Browns could have picked up first- and third-round picks if he had.

"We wanted Derek under contract because we didn't know when an offer sheet would be waiting right around the corner,'' Savage said. "We really wanted to make sure we had both Derek and Brady under our roof to give ourselves a fallback where, if there was an injury, we just move right on. I don't want to see our season derailed because of an injury at quarterback. Derek's been told he gets first dibs as the starter to build on last season and to really solidify himself as a quality starter. And Brady knows he's as big a part of this franchise as he was the day he was drafted and that he's only one play away.''

Even with wide receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow already in place, the Browns also have been aggressive on offense, signing free-agent receiver Donte' Stallworth from New England.

"In New England, Randy Moss and Wes Welker got a lot of balls thrown their way, and Donte' handled that situation very well and contributed,'' Crennel said. "Braylon and Kellen are going to get a lot of balls here, but Donte' is a speed receiver who can make things happen after the catch and there's room for that in our offense.''

With the reworked defensive line and Stallworth joining an offense that became very good last season, the Browns -- at least on paper -- don't have a lot of holes. That's a good thing, because they plan to use the rest of free agency to add only a handful of role players. Obviously, they can't rely on the draft for players who will make a fast impact.

If they were playing poker, there would be no room to bluff. Crennel and Savage have gone all in. They already have had their draft, and that will either take them to another level or put their jobs on the line.

"We now have seven weeks to get ready for the fourth round of the draft,'' Savage said. "Our scouts are kind of energized by that, because they know they're going to have to work hard to find good players late in the draft. But they're going to have time to find them. Basically, we had our first three rounds of the draft in March, instead of April.''


Pat Yasinskas covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

The Real Deal?
With Cleveland taking an aggressive approach to the offseason, experts and fans are calling the Browns a team on the rise, maybe even a Super Bowl contender. But that doesn't always mean much in March. A look back at two teams that were trendy Super Bowl contenders the previous two offseasons shows that the best-laid plans don't always work out:

2007 San Francisco 49ers: Signing defensive backs Nate Clements and Michael Lewis to big contracts and drafting linebacker Patrick Willis were supposed to put the 49ers over the top. They didn't. Other holes appeared on defense. Quarterback Alex Smith and running back Frank Gore battled injuries, and the 49ers finished 5-11.

2006 Carolina Panthers: Coming off an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, it looked like all the Panthers needed was a complement to receiver Steve Smith. Their fans and the national media bought into the Super Bowl hype when the Panthers signed aging receiver Keyshawn Johnson. He produced decent numbers, but it didn't matter because the running game disappeared and the defense was vastly overrated.
-- Pat Yasinskas


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In our case, I don't think it's an either/or proposition -- we can win and build/grow at the same time.

We're:
1) focused on winning with our young, talented group of recent draft picks
2) adding guys in the prime of their careers who, for all intents and purposes, represent the first and second round draft picks we screwed up since 1999, and
3) developing the young draft picks, developmental talent and diamonds in the rough Savage has added. Many of us keep forgetting Thomas, Edwards, Quinn, Wimbley, DA and even Winslow are yet to be in what is traditionally thought of as the "prime" of their careers.

One year with no 2nd or 3rd round pick is not going to hurt us one bit. After all, we took Quinn with our 1st rounder this year -- and by most rankings, he'd be the #1 QB available this year.

We're doing just fine.


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We can justify it all we want, but in the end, we've spent a ton of money and now draft picks on guys who can play today, not in a few years. That makes this more of a make-or-break type of thing.

I applaud the moves, but they are risky. Stallworth is gifted but erratic, oft-injured, and has questionable hands. He'll drop a few. Considering he's on his 4th team in just a few years, that should tell people that there are flags there. The good news is that he isn't THAT expensive. Rogers is a huge gamble (figuritively as well as literally) because he cost us a starting corner, a first day pick, AND some huge dollars. Williams is a big investment because of the 2nd round selection.

We've either drastically improved our defense, or crippled our ability to sign guys in the future.

If all the guys play to the level that they have in the past, which includes time missed with injuries and other consistencies, we'll still be a much better team. However, if some of these players falter, not only are we right back where we started (which is with a bad defense) but we don't have any developing talent, and our salary cap is stressed. It's a calculated gamble.


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Quote:

If all the guys play to the level that they have in the past, which includes time missed with injuries and other consistencies, we'll still be a much better team. However, if some of these players falter, not only are we right back where we started (which is with a bad defense) but we don't have any developing talent, and our salary cap is stressed. It's a calculated gamble.




To add. If all the guys play above the level they have in the past, we will be a vastly improved team capable of winning it all.

To note: Our 2nd and 3rd round draft picks throughout the Savage era include: Brodney Pool, Charlie Frye; D'Qwell Jackson, Travis Wilson; Eric Wright -

I would take Williams and Rogers over any of these pairs. Especially if you were to forecast the BPA for the Browns for this season's draft. (granted Quinn and Wright if you call that a 2nd and 3rd was exceptional and rare (wasn't 2007 awesome?))

On a side note. Will practicing against a legitimate defensive line improve our already very good offensive line? Will playing against a good offensive line bring out even more skill from our new defensive players? How will defenses cover Winslow and Edwards, while watching Stallworth deep, and keep 8 in the box against Lewis?

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that side note of yours gives me the tinglies


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Quote:

One year with no 2nd or 3rd round pick is not going to hurt us one bit. After all, we took Quinn with our 1st rounder this year -- and by most rankings, he'd be the #1 QB available this year.

We're doing just fine.




I agree BB...I don't think going this route maybe once every 4-5 years puts a strain on your ability to protect the future. In some ways it maximizes your ability to put more players in their prime on the field at the same time...and those are the teams that win.

With the nature of the NFL as it is, you really can't look at players as more then a 5 year fix anyway. Too much movement. The only guys who usually stick with a team are the 2-3 really good players and the marginal players. The middle of the road guys seek that one mid career big paycheck.

I think we also have to consider Savage feels he has some sort of decent pick in the bank with one of the two qbs. Probably for next year. I doubt both qbs remain on this team after this year.

One other thing...Savage tends to draft BPA. Many times he has said the middle rounds are good rounds to find starting guards and centers. I suspect that statement is true and also suspect that is what we will draft....that BPA thing.

I like what we did. We bolstered the here and now and IMO haven't mortgaged the future.

To Toads point.....yes, I suppose those guys could flop, and that would hurt.

But, seeing they are proven, it is reasonable we will see the same type of production out of them as they have produced in the past.

Injury should be more of a concern, but even then injury is a random happening. Not something we can worry about to any large degree. If it happens, it can happen to anyone.


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Quote:

One other thing...Savage tends to draft BPA.




I think that is a misconception that Savage himself explained when he said, "Best player available...for the Browns."

When he drafted Wimbley he asked RAC if he wanted the D-lineman or the pass rusher. RAC said the pass rusher. So Savage picked the BPA pass rusher. Wimbley may not have been the actual BPA at that slot, but he was according to the Browns needs.

In the next round he took LB's. Not because they were the BPA's in their respective slots. Rather because they were the BPA's according to the Browns needs at that time.

He wanted a pass rusher and inside LB'ers and that's what he got.

Joe Thomas was not necessarily the BPA, but he sure was for us. We could have taken Peterson or one of the QB's. But we desparately needed O-line help, LT in particular, so he went with that pick.

Later, in the same draft, desparately needing a franchise QB, he traded back into the first round to get Quinn. He didn't take Quinn 3rd overall because we needed the LT even more than the QB.

I think the only draft he actually went with virtually all BPA's is his first draft, (with the possible exception of Frye when he had Ellis Hobbs rated higher but took Frye instead as we needed a young QB to develop behind Dilfer). And I believe that's where the misconception started.

Since then he's targeted positions of need. Of course, once you've arrived at the position of need, certainly you take the BPA at that position.

From the 4th round on I believe he has a history of taking BPAs. In the first three rounds he has a definite history of drafting for need.

As Savage said, "Best Player Available...for the Browns."


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Quote:

I don't think going this route maybe once every 4-5 years puts a strain on your ability to protect the future. In some ways it maximizes your ability to put more players in their prime on the field at the same time...and those are the teams that win.




Man these boneheads screamin' "Future" and "Cap Hell" need to get a grip...

The one thing that WOULD justify those comments would be if these guys were in the 32-35 year old range...THEN u have a problem if for nothing else deteriorated skills from the get-go...NOT THE CASE...

None of us can see all these contracts and their parameters...But from what we have seen with this Guaranteed monies...Especially Rogers is MOSTLY in the 1st 3 years...This is good...I'd imagine Williams's is done the same way but need to see it first...

What's that do???

Savage has come out and said himself that we will be 20-30M UNDER the cap in 09...And that is WITH Williams and Rogers contracts on the books...Why the 10M gap???...Because certain guys including Anderson have Roster Bonuses that may or may not be picked up...

The cap increases yearly...That helps everyone...

Then comes the "Uncapped" year...IF we run into this uncapped year alot of these deals with this XXXX amount Guaranteed the 1st 3 years will be done thru 08/09/10...It won't hurt us one bit...

We're in good shape...And we HAVE built thru the draft...All these bozos gotta do is look up and down the roster and what we've got at KEY positions...Especially at those 5 so called Franchise positions...The same 5 that get teams in serious cap problems when filling those spots with UFA's...

QB---PS Player and a Pick
LT---A Pick
#1 WR---A Pick
CB---A Pick
NT/DE---Young Prime FA Signed Long-Term


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I'm tired of reading these articles now... lol..


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I agree and said this in the CB thread...

"I don't agree with or buy into the scenario that since Savage used this season's early draft on FA's to indicate that he's changed course from long-term success to a "Win Now" mentality. That would be Daniel Snyder they are confusing him with.

What Savage and RAC had done was to set lofty goals on what they wanted to improve for the '08 season and used the only means at their disposal to accomplish that. Had they simply saved their picks and used them, that act would have actually set the team back a year or two since there was nothing in the draft, in the 2nd or 3rd round, that would have helped to improve the team in '08 in the areas it needed improvement. And the team needed improvement.

We are at the cusp where we couldn't just stand pat and hope for continuing improvement of the status quo. That wasn't realistically going to happen. We couldn't risk stalling for a season. We needed a DL just to be an average team.

Yeah, we won 10 games in '07, but that kind of success was not about to continue without at least an average defense. We couldn't expect the offense to bail the team out as it did last season. The cat's outta the bag. Teams know now that they have to play us hard. We needed a defense to compete. We would not have competed in '08 as we did in '07 by drafting BPA this year or for development-type players.

Next season the Browns will have their full compliment of draft picks plus an extra first or second round pick for whichever QB they wish to move. If they keep both QB's for another yet another season, that extra pick will happen the following year. At any rate, the Browns are in a great position draft-wise starting in '09 and have done nothing out of the ordinary than to have traded what would have been a usless draft for immediate impact improvement. It is, like RAC and Savage have said, a very successful '08 draft.

Next season, with what should be a vastly improved team over this past season's, we are in great shape to continue the long-term philosophy that has been RAC and Savage's goal all along.

When we have finally won that superbowl, Savage will be applauded as one of the better GM's in the league, if not it's history, by virtue of the way wheeled-and-dealed in the '07 draft and the '08 FA period as he built the team to sustain their '07 success on into the future."


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Check this quote out...From ME...lol...

"Unconventional ways of doing things sometimes brings out negativity"...

Daaaaaammmmnnnnnnnnn.........


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Sure the Browns want to win now..
I know it's a tad risky because of Rodgers..
Otherwise if you know they were going to look for Dlinemen early then it is logical..
The counterpoint is , well if there are young guys to groom you get them..or you look in the draft for LB's..but we needed a IMMEDIATE upgrade on the line and got it.
Savage hasn't done this since he's been here , so I'm not worried this is a trend..
Like it's been stated, these guys will PLAY day 1...and start..DAY 1...
And no team can come in and look to exploit them because they're not rookies...
They're young..so even if the SB doesn't come instantly(it won't) they've got several years to use them...
Next years draft can be used to groom young guys..

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We need an immediate upgrade b/c of our schedule.. Its simple as that...


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I meant to put that in there...I did on another thread..it is true..
To compete it was something that needed to be done..

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Quote:

I think that is a misconception that Savage himself explained when he said, "Best player available...for the Browns."




Every time I say that, you say that

Trust me, I understand what you are saying. We aren't going to draft a 4-3 tackle since we run a 3-4. Of course it isn't a static statement that doesn't have some room to modify things that make sense for your team.

I still think they rank players(those 4-3 guys as an example won't even make the board) then go from there.

Why do you get so uptight when I mention this??......No doubt needs play a part in the process. They always have and I have never suggested we keep drafting O-linemen if every time we picked, a O-lineman was the highest rated player.

I don't know who or what position we will draft, but as the larger percentage, he will take the better player.


Really man...do you read diams stuff and really think I am a dumbass??


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I know we lost our 1st 3 rds of the draft. These guys are now in their 2nd contract right. How many guys do we have pre Savage who are on their 2nd or 3rd contracts.

First you have to be competive. You can do that by draft, FA, or trades, or a combination of all 3. We were so devode of talent when Phil took over we knew we had a work in progress.

Now once your competive you can use the draft to restock, and get a key FA when needed, but the key is you have to be competive first. jmo

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The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

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I agree. Once you are to a point, you use a balance of the two.

Better teams may go a bit more towards FA since they have lower picks. Add in the fact that teams tend to lean towards BPA, there is no guarantee they will be able to draft a player who can help them.

As you get better, you try to address needs...and FA is all about needs, and this is probably why we took this route. Savage started looking at the board where we were going to draft and didn't feel he could draft for needs without totally abandoning his position that BPA is the guiding factor he follows.

Rather then draft some 2nd rate D-lineman(our biggest need) he decided to get experienced players.

When teams stink, you go young(the draft) and just start stocking the best players you can since you get to select near the top of a round....at that point, everything is a need.

Ddub.....that is the proof I present that savage tends to go BPA in a draft.


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Quote:

The one thing that WOULD justify those comments would be if these guys were in the 32-35 year old range...THEN u have a problem if for nothing else deteriorated skills from the get-go




You've hit the nail on the head.

All these players have four years of "prime" left in them. Anyone we drafted rounds 2-5 would only sign a 4-year contract anyway. (and most of them couldn't contribute squat their rookie year).

The media has gotten skittish about trading for experienced players because of some teams trading for antiques like Testeverde, or Junior Seau type players- guys that will be retired in 2-3 years from the time they were acquired.

This just isn't the case with Phil's trades.

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Just clickin'
I think the thing that everyone should remember as far as I am concerned is this.
If we were a team that already had abundant talent then you stay within the draft.
If you were a team that had capable starters at almost every position, then you stay within the draft.
We were a team that was almost void of defensive line talent.
Look what we have done in the last two years.
EVERY STARTER on the defensive line is GONE.
That influx of talent was not what was necessarily wanted, IT WAS NECESSARY.
The defensive line could not have been fixed with one draft, especially this year.
I think Savage did what he had to do.
There were arguably only 3 or 4 players that MIGHT be better than what we acquired in the whole draft.
Even if these players don't live up to the expectations that we have, they are still 100 times better than what we had.
It may take the players a game or two to mesh together on the DL, but when they do I think it could be scary, especially if the linebackers step up as they should be able to.
Right now I am very excited about the coming season.
I still think Phil is going to surprise in the draft, because he can concentrate the picks on what he wants to get and he always seems to find someone in the later rounds that can help.
I think this is going to be quite a year for Browns fans.
GO BROWNS


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We need an immediate upgrade b/c of our schedule.. Its simple as that...




Amen.

I see us going 10-6 this year. But we'll be a much better 10-6...if that makes any sense.

Hell, 9-7 might even win the division this year...

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We could go 10-6 or 6-10. Last season we received allot of luck to win allot of the games we did, even with the moves that we made there is no guarantee that they will pan out.

I don't expect J Lewis to put up the numbers he did last season, I expect Stallworth to miss at least 4 games since he can't and never really has stayed healthy, Rodgers is overrated, and Williams isn't a bonafide stud, then add the fact we overpaid DA we could actually have a terrible year, and it wouldn't shock me.

We were lucky to finish with the record we had last season, and we should be happy with that, but to start calling us playoff or even super bowl contenders right now is ridiculous, until this teams proves that they can play consistantly were average at best, and if we finish 8-8 or below, last season will be considered nothing more then a fluke year..

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Quote:

Really man...do you read diams stuff and really think I am a dumbass??




No, He reads your stuff and comes to that conclusion without my help .. his football IQ is over 10 after all so he don't need my help in figuring that one out ...

U do a fine job all by your lonesome with your daily posts proving beyond a shadow of a doubt U are truely a dumbass when it comes to football ...




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sigh



If it wasn't you, I might say touche', but since it is you and are so predictable, I just yawn.


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U did leave yourself wide open for that ..

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I understand it, and I accept it for what it is,, Win Now thinking. And given that it appears that Savage didn't think he could do better than Williams and Rodgers in the draft, then I'm happy he pulled the trigger..

Still, in the back of my mind, I get this thought that maybe we mortgaged our future a bit.. Not 3 or 4 years out, but 6 to 8 years out.

I can live with it however.. If we do indeed win now... it will be worth the gamble.


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U did leave yourself wide open for that ..





Yes....and I knew it when I typed it and I also knew that would be his reply...or something close to that anyway.


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Quote:

Still, in the back of my mind, I get this thought that maybe we mortgaged our future a bit.. Not 3 or 4 years out, but 6 to 8 years out.




I don't understand what your saying. Don't most 2nd or 3rd rd picks only sign a 4 yr contract. At the end of their contract you either try to resign them or cut ties with them if they make the end of their contract.

So you either already have someone in the wings waiting for their chance you draft someone or go FA and pickup a replacement. I just don't understand the 6-8 yr thing.

nordawg


The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.

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And to add to your comments......if you can't cover a 2nd, 3rd. and 5th round pick 6-8 years down the road, that means you had a bunch of other problems drafting players.


If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.

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Quote:

Why do you get so uptight when I mention this??......




I don't feel that I'm getting uptight about it at all. But Savage's history with the Browns, the only history he has as a GM, is that he does not draft BPA. He targets needs and goes after players to fill them.

The reason I say this after you say that is because when you say that you're wrong.

The only way Savage picks BPA in the first three rounds is by taking the Best Player Available at the postition he's targeted, which would only be common sense.


Quote:

I don't know who or what position we will draft, but as the larger percentage, he will take the better player.




According to his targeted need. That's been his history on day one except for Edwards in the first draft. He's been drafting for need ever since.

Now, once he gets the talent level where he's satisfied with it he will likely then draft BPA a lot more since the needs aren't so critical as they have been.


And if you're a dumbass it's news to me.


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That's why that comment didn't make any sense to me. 6-8 yrs is plenty of time to make a change or 2 or hell almost a whole team like we've done in the last 4.

nordawg


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Well my friend....as I said earlier, if what you say is correct, we would have kept the picks and drafted 2nd tier D lineman.


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Oh contrare, if what I say is correct he would have targeted a need and spent his draft picks on that need.

Which is exactly what he did.

Again.


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Oh contrare, if what I say is correct he would have targeted a need and spent his draft picks on that need.

Which is exactly what he did.

Again.






Oh boy!


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We are certainly doing what the article says. But man have we spent some cash and really burned some future talent potential by giving up picks. If it works with Shaun Rodgers then we'll be a contender BUT if Rodgers busts back into a lazy out-of-shape NT, our D won't be much improved.

I still question the Stallworth pick-up, he's a top 5 pick that was a disapointment and now is an NFL journeyman. The eagles, who were desperate for a WR, let him walk. Then NE who doesn't make personel mistakes didn't think he was worth the $6 million bonus.

I think alot of fans are going to be disapointed with Stallworth. They are expecting a #2 WR that catches 70 for 900yds and in reality he's probably a #3 that will catch 40-50 passes for maybe 500-600yds. He's blazing fast for sure but thats about it from what I've seen of him he's pretty average everywhere else.

The Corey Williams move should be pretty bullet proof. He's young, perfect for a 3-4 DE. He should only get better and, in my opinion watching him 3 times last year played like a top 10 pick.

How this off-season will be remebered is how well Shaun Rodgers pans out. I think it can only go 2 ways...Pro Bowl or another Big Money.

I like the gamble, I personally think it will work and pay off huge. I just hope our haste to win 2-3 more games this year doesn't cost us dozens of future wins.

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I just have to say that I disagree with the title of this thread. I seem to be seeing Phil draft and select FA's that are younger with each season that passes. So, I come to the conclusion that it's both, the Browns want to win now and have consistancy for the future. JMO.


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Quote:

the Browns want to win now and have consistancy for the future. JMO.






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The title says to me that the browns aren't in the "building for future" mode anymore...rather they want to win now and to do that they went nuts in FA...that is what i got from it...it's not really a knock on the future


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This thread could also be titled

"Browns finally rejoin the NFL again"

This is the first year that I remember that we actually are going into a season where we are supposed to be good. Thank God, I was got pretty sick and tired of "wanting" to go 7-9.


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I LOVE to see that our Browns are finally doing something about 'winning' that the rest of the league notices. We've know the Browns have been on an up swing since Phil and Romeo joined ranks and with last years performance people are taking notice. If they want to think we've mortgaged our future, so be it but look out NFL - Brownies are for real.


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How this off-season will be remebered is how well Shaun Rodgers pans out. I think it can only go 2 ways...Pro Bowl or another Big Money.

This is what everyone is seeing...remember when we had 3 of 4 first round Dlinemen with Brown, Lang and Eckuban and Warren and were not really that good. Of course we had no offense but does talent potential really payoff or is it finding the players that want to play for us? If we can find talented players that want to play for us we can win more games.

I can say that Rodgers will probably not be a problem like Warren and WIlliams probably won't get injured. We will be better there. I don't feel that Stallworth will add that much although he was a starter and should be worth some important catches.

The real talent in now our GM who has started to make the team better. We arn't just shuffling players in and out but we are getting better!!!

It started with Wimbley and Edwards then Lewis and then Quinn, Thomas and Steinbach and now we have a better Dline...we are getting better without losing our talent. The Oline is there and the RB is there and the QB now has time to use our WRs so we are really building and I think the turning point was the addition of our Oline in 07.

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