Pluto isn't a fan of drafting Quinn at number 3 (or anywhere):
I'd rather have Peterson than Quinn. I'd rather have Thomas than Quinn. I'd rather have Russell than Quinn. I'd rather have Johnson than Quinn. I'd rather trade down than take Quinn. Are we clear on this?But it's not just his dislike for Quinn, it's this pestering tendency for Browns quarterbacks to get hurt:
Honestly, I can't believe we're even having this conversation. Again.• I wonder how many fans who have been writing me demanding that the Browns take Quinn really like Quinn. I bet it's that they don't believe in Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson. They believe one good quarterback will fix what ails the Browns. It's thinking, ``Hey, he's gotta be better than Charlie Frye.''
• Here's what should be obvious by now: Unless the Browns fix the line, no quarterback will stay healthy enough for long enough to become effective. Put a rookie such as Quinn into this mess right now, and you'll see Frye or Anderson -- a kid struggling not to get killed out there.
• Jeff Garcia played here and broke a leg. He played for Detroit in 2005, took another beating. He went to a good Philadelphia team in 2006 and played well behind a solid line. Is this lesson that hard to figure out?
• OK, here's another: Trent Dilfer played 11 games in 2005 for the Browns. When the season was over, he needed surgery on both knees. Kelly Holcomb broke an ankle, a leg, assorted ribs and other bones that I can't remember, and couldn't stay healthy for more than a few games in a row. Frye suffered a concussion and a broken thumb (or a sprain, or something) last year. Anderson played a few games, then broke a collarbone!
• Only once in the eight-year history of the new Browns has a quarterback played all 16 games. That was Tim Couch in 2001, but he was hurt by opening day of 2002 and has been out of football since 2004 because of injuries.• If the Browns trade up (I can't believe that rumor is true), I'll scream. JaMarcus Russell is intriguing, because he's huge (6 feet 6, 256 pounds), quick and athletic. The LSU quarterback might be able to withstand some of the physical pounding a Browns QB receives. But I would not trade up for him, period.
The Browns offensive line has been absolutely horrid over the last 8 years. It's been awful. No matter what quarterback was behind center, something would go wrong. There'd be no time to throw the ball (or hand it off), there'd be holding miscues at exactly the wrong time and, like Pluto subtly mentions, the QB inevitably gets hurt.
The Browns sign one guard (ONE!) in free agency and what do fans want the Browns to draft? A quarterback. And if they trade up for Russell, I'm pretty sure I'll go insane (Patrick McManamon
Look, I like the Steinbach signing as much as the next guy, but if anyone believes that he solves the Browns line problems, they are very mistaken. Is he going to help? Sure. But its not like everything is hunky dory. They still need a tackle (Joe Thomas!!!!!!!!) but I have a sneaking suspicion we'll be seeing Steinbach at tackle before the year is out.
I've come to expect that the fans will get distracted by the latest shiny object of a skill position player, but I just hope the Browns brass won't.
6 comments:
Ben,
Here's the thing about the #3 pick. You need to get an impact player with that pick. You don't take an offensive lineman at that pick just because you need one, you've got to take the best player at that point, and it ain't Thomas. Also, to have a great line you need to draft lineman, but not necessarily that high.
The problem with the Brown is not that they haven't taken a lineman in the top 5 in years past, it's that they haven't focused on lineman in first FEW rounds. I don't care if they draft a lineman from rounds 2 through 7, just not that high.
The vast majority of playoff and Super Bowl teams do not have a lineman that was taken in the top 10. You can solidify your line with good drafting and free agency without picking a lineman in the top 3.
Also, no scouting report says Thomas is as good as Pace or Ogden, and I doubt I need to remind you he tore his ACL. No way in hell Savage takes this guy, this high.
In a perfect world, the Browns trade down for multiple picks. That'd be my 'best case scenario'.
However, if that doesn't happen and Joe Thomas 'falls' to 3 (if the Lions don't take him) I say do it.
I'm OK with drafting Peterson (or one of the DLs who's names I'm drawing a blank on), I'm not OK with round one QB (and I'm extremely against trading up). Thomas seems to be a safe pick (if not as good as past top tackles) and the Browns need linemen.
I know you don't always draft for need, but if we're going 'best player available' then we're discussing Calvin Johnson and I have yet to hear his name mentioned by anyone in the Cleveland media or blogosphere.
And I more than agree with you that this current problem stems from the fact that the Browns haven't addressed the lines on the first day AT ALL (besides Fowler and Faine, both centers).
But throwing a young QB back there accomplishes nothing. And maybe I haven't given up on Frye, all I know is that I'd rather make sure Frye sucks (with a decent line) before starting over with yet another young QB.
I'd have to agree with the whole notion of trading down. I think to take a guy third overall, especially as desperate as this town is for a winner in football, is to place a burden on him that he might never be able to live up to.
We're looking for a franchise savior, a LeBron James for the Browns. But players like that are extremely rare. I don't think there is one in this draft.
Top-five picks are busts if they are average, or even just above-average. The Browns need quantity as much as they need quality. Give me three solid picks in the first two rounds over trying to find a future hall of famer with the third overall pick. It's less of a gamble.
I'd love for them to trade down and get more picks, they have way too many holes so it makes sense. I also don't want a QB, esp. Brady Quinn, but I also don't want Thomas.
I say trade down or draft Peterson or Calvin Johnson. The problem is that Frye sucks and isn't a starting NFL QB, and that's Savage's fault for thinking that. I can't believe they'll go into another season with Chucky at QB. Our offensive line sucks, but Frye can barely throw a 10 yard out, and definitely can't throw a 15-20 yarder. But, I digress.......I just feel bad about this draft for some reason.
You feel bad about this draft because the Browns are concentrating on offense.
I have much confidence in Savage's ability to accurately scout and draft on the defensive side of the ball. That's what he did in Baltimore, and I think time will show that Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson were both excellent pickups last year.
But as to his drafting of offensive players ... well, two words: Kyle Boller.
I'd still rather have Thomas, but I am A-OK with drafting Peterson. Get a running game, a line and some receivers and THEN draft a QB. An offense built around Peterson, Edwards and Winslow can't be too bad, right? Right?
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