Thursday, April 26, 2007

Final Mock Draft Roundup

Two days.

Two days until the Browns pass on Joe Thomas.

Two days until the Browns draft Brady Quinn.

Two days until the Browns draft another wide receiver on the first day.

Two days until the Browns draft another skill position player from Oklahoma.

Two days until I go insane because the Browns neglect the offensive line yet again,

Two days.

So what do the final mock drafts have the Browns doing?

ESPN has a few mock drafts. Their "interactive" mock draft has the Browns taking Adrian Peterson. I like this but I'm not sure how much stock to put into this, because of the whole "interactive" stuff.

ESPN and Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay has a 7 seven round mock draft (talk about useless... and yet, I'm discussing it) and the Browns picks end up looking like this:
1. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
2. Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
3. Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio State
4. Laurent Robinson WR, Illinois State
5. Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern State
6. Kevin Payne, S, LA. Monroe
7. James Jones, WR, San Jose State
This would be terrible. It also wouldn't surprise me at all. No linemen the first day, two wide receivers and only one lineman and he's taken in the 5th round. Also, it should be noted that he has the Browns passing on both Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson in order to take Brady Quinn. Fantastic!

SI's Don Banks has a new mock draft that includes a trade within the Top 10 (don't get your hopes up, the Browns aren't involved). He has the Browns drafting Quinn as well and he gives us this little blurb:
I've been giving the Browns Quinn for weeks now, but this week a league source told me Cleveland decision-makers are "locked in" on the Notre Dame quarterback. After drafting the rookie quarterback that owner Randy Lerner favors, Browns GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel need time to develop him, right? Quinn might wind up buying them some job security.
Well, job security sure is a good reason to take a player...

John Murphy of Yahoo! Sports
has a two round mock draft and he also has Quinn going to Browns but says if Russell is still on the board, the Browns are taking him:
The Browns would now be sitting pretty if the draft plays out this way or if the Raiders and Bucs make a deal. They might have the choice of picking either a possible franchise quarterback or running back. If JaMarcus Russell is still on the board, I believe he is their top choice.
I'm not happy but Murphy does throw me a bone for the second round: USC OL Ryan Kalil. I know I'm a part of the Joe Thomas mafia but if they don't end up taking the big guy (and if they grab Quinn, Russell or even Peterson) they have to take a lineman somewhere during the first day. I know absolutely nothing about Kalil, but nonetheless I love the pick solely because of those letters OL next to his name.

Finally, we have Fox Sports' Peter Schrager's 7 round mock draft. The first pick should surprise no one:
1. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame (Shrager also drops a Tim Couch reference in there. I'm gonna be sick)
2. Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas
3. Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina
4. Chris Henry, RB, Arizona
5. Kareem Brown, DT, Miami
6. Dallas Sartz, OLB, Southern Cal
7. Brandon Myles, WR/RS, West Virginia

That really isn't too bad of a draft. Am I pleased with the Quinn selection? Of course not. But drafting a tackle in the second round helps ease my pain.

The Sporting News (which no one reads) has all of its multiple mock drafts broken down on one easy page. They have the Browns taking either Quinn (the experts), Thomas (members/public), Peterson (Vinnie Iyer, expert) and OLB Lawrence Tibbons (random, out-of-a-hat pick). I'm not sure what to make of any of this, besides the fact that the public is clamoring for Joe Thomas. Browns fans unite!

And finally, NFL.com. They have two experts doing mock drafts. First is Pat Kirwan and he has the Browns taking (surprise!) Brady Quinn:
The Browns could easily entertain calls for the spot to take Calvin Johnson if Detroit doesn't move out of the No. 2 slot. Could it be possible that Charlie Frye is good enough, especially if the Browns stay at this spot and take Calvin Johnson to team up with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow? Or take OT Joe Thomas and build up the protection? It might be time to take Quinn (95 touchdown passes at Notre Dame).
Kirwan also has the Browns passing on not only Peterson and Thomas, but Calvin Johnson as well. This doesn't please me at all. If Johnson is there they have to trade down, at least with Tampa Bay for a 5th rounder. They pass over Thomas, Peterson AND the prospect of holding Johnson hostage and trading down in order to take Quinn, can they? Would they do that to me? Yes, they would.

The other NFL.com mock draft comes from Vic Carucci and he has the Browns taking..... Adrian Peterson! Well that's one expert who has the Browns not taking Brady Quinn. Still two short of Joel's three. But one isn't too bad... right?

Anyways, for those of you who'd like to see me melt down as the Browns make Brady Quinn the face of their franchise, come down to Swerb's Draft Party
at Panini's by the Jake in Cleveland this Saturday. I personally guarantee at least one angry outburst. However, if we stay for the Cavs game there's gonna be more than one outburst (I don't have a good feeling for game 3)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The most frustrating thing about Banks' recent mock draft is that he has the Browns passing on Thomas. A lot of the other mock drafts has Thomas off the board when the Browns draft (I think he'll still be there) and the Browns setting for Brady Quinn (that's how I, optimistically, read it). But not Banks. Passing on Thomas is idiotic.

Ben said...

Lord help me if they pass Thomas, Peterson and the chance to dangle Calvin Johnson for a trade just to take Brady effing Quinn.

Anonymous said...

Ben,

They're gonna pass on Thomas, sorry dude. I don't think Savage should take Thomas, either...we need a lineman but no one is saying he's a franchise left-tackle like a Pace or Ogden. We can't afford to draft Robert Gallery 2.0. They've neglected the line in every round (except maybe the 6th or 7th rounds) since the expansion year, and that's the problem, not that they've ignored lineman in first 5 picks.

Thomas simply isn't the caliber of player you take with the third overall pick. That being said, I'm not sure anyone else is, except maybe Russell or Johnson

Quinn - no way, not worthy of top 3. Can't throw a deep ball if his life depended on it.
Thomas - see above.
Peterson - maybe, but teams really can get great backs in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Reports say he reinjured his collarbone in the bowl game. Yikes
Johnson - not gonna be there most likely, and he's a wide receiver who touches the ball maybe 9 times a game. We just took Edwards.
Russell - not gonna be there.

This is the problem as I see it: The 3rd spot is a terrible place to be in. We're gonna overpay for a player that isn't worthy of the money. The best option by far is to trade down.

Hate to say it, but we are screwed.

Ben said...

see, this is what I don't get: how come Thomas is always Gallery 2.0 but Russell is never Akili Smith 2.0. All of these guys have risks and Thomas seems to be safest pick (at least in my opinion).

Anonymous said...

I don't know if he's the next Gallery obviously, rather that I think it's too high to pick a lineman, especially if he's not the next coming of Orlando Pace, and I've never seen anything rating Thomas that high.

I'm not sure Russell will be great, but he certainly has more skills than Akili Smith ever did. Russell is no safe be though.

I'd like to take Peterson, but this injury-prone talk scares me, and Pittman or that Henry guy from Arizona could be had in the second round.

It just seems there is going to be no one available at no. 3 who is worth the money we're about to give him.

Ben said...

Ideally, they'd trade down for more picks. That's what I want to see. Badly.

However, offensive line is just as big of a problem as quarterback, runningback or any other position that the Browns have.

(Take this as you will) but Mel Kiper has consistently had Thomas ranked as the second overall prospect behind Calvin Johnson. I know he's not as highly touted as Pace and Ogden. But he wouldn't be a bad choice.

Would he cost too much? Ya, but like you said, there is no one here that is really a 'wow' prospect for them (or someone who will actually be 'worth' the money).

And I'm well aware they're going to pass on Thomas and take Quinn. I'm just not happy about it.

Anonymous said...

Rumour Alert: Todd McShay said on Mike and Mike's podcast that heard Browns were deciding on Quinn or Thomas, and he said he's heard lately the Browns were leaning towards Joe Thomas.

Perhaps, your dream will come true after all.

I will say I'd rather see Savage take Thomas over Quinn, that is for sure.