Draft Recap

Wow. They pulled out all the stops. Finally. I couldn't have been happier with the draft. With Russell and Johnson off the board, I sat in front of the television yelling at the Browns to draft Joe Thomas. My friend Matt called to tell me that a family friend, and 1st Round pick in this year's draft, said, "Joe Thomas, done deal." I still couldn't believe the Browns would make the pick that seemed so obvious to the common fan. 'They' say drafting tackles so high can be risky and Tony Mandarich and Robert Gallery are often cited as examples. Joe Thomas seems to be cut from a different mold. He was an excellent basketball player in high school and, not surprisingly, his footwork as a lineman reflects that. He's humble, see Peter King's piece. He just doesn't seem like some steroid-induced combine freak (Mandarich), or a possible head-case who seems like he could ride with the Hell's Angels and probably carries a blade (Gallery). Anyway, the Browns now have Thomas and Steinbach on the left side of the line to protect the blindside and open some holes. Can you imagine if LeChuck Bentley hadn't been injured? I'm a little disappointed Kevin Schaeffer doesn't seem interested in trying to fit in somewhere. He doesn't want to play on the right side apparently. I would think that if he could win the starting job at right guard, just being on the field and his fat, bloated contract from last summer might be reason enough to shut his mouth. For the first time in a long time, the OL could be a strength for this team and could have some depth.

Trading up for Brady Quinn was a great move for the Browns. I might be alone here, but I never thought Tim Couch was a bad quarterback. I think that he wasn't the type of QB who could, with his arm or athleticism, single-handedly carry an offense. I'm not sure there are many of those out there. Maybe Vince Young, Tom Brady in certain ways. Had they put real weapons around Couch, ie an OL that didn't nearly cause his death, a real RB, not Terry Kirby, Jamel White, William Green and Ben Gay, a real WR, nothing against Kevin Johnson, but the others, Quincy Morgan, Dennis Northcutt, Andre Davis, I mean come on. Anyway, Brady Quinn has what appears to be a solid OL, a WR in Braylon Edwards who has shown some signs that he is ready to be a 1st option wide-out, a great pass catching TE in Kellen Winslow, a back with a real track record of success in the NFL, Pablo Escobar, I mean Jamal Lewis. Also, don't discount the fact that the Browns might not have to start Brady from day 1, which could alleviate some pressure. Charlie Frye is not an all-pro, but don't forget the optimism that surrounded him two years ago. Didn't Jim Brown say after the Cincy loss his rookie year, that Charlie Frye was good enough to be the starting QB on a contender or champion?

Eric Wright was supposed to be a 1st round talent, going somewhere between 15-20 if he hadn't had enough ecstasy in his dorm at USC to keep Ibiza running for a weekend. The kids got NFL genes from his dad, good speed, and a knack for big plays. He was USC's most talented DB his redshirt freshman year. We paid a price for this kid, but let's hope having Leigh Bodden opposite him can really help him blossom. Imagine if Gary Baxter could stay healthy. Baxter, Bodden, Sean Jones and Brodney Pool, with Eric Wright as a nickel back.

We needed DB's, OL, QB, DL desperately. For added depth the Browns added Memphis DB Brandon McDonald, DL Chase Pittman (LSU) and Melila Purcell (Hawaii) and return specialist with a great name Syndric Steptoe from Arizona. Hopefully a couple of these guys can develop into contributors. Savage hasn't really hit any HR's in the later rounds as of yet.

Alright, I think we can all be excited again about the Browns, dare I say optimistic about their future.