Funny. They must teach that post-game smack talk from the QBs in the meeting room. After y'all got beat in Cleveland, Myles Garrett went up to Mason Rudolph to shake his hand and he got called the N-word.
What? He called him a cheap whore not the n-word. Garret was upset that Rudolph didn’t pay him afterwards. That’s how you make it hormone.
We're four days out from the show. Time for the rumor mill to really start churning them out. One that keeps surfacing now is that the Browns are trying to trade down and one of the likely dance partners is Denver, sitting at #15 overall and likely climbing up with Cleveland to get WR1. And per Ian Rappaport, the target for the Browns in a trade-down scenario is Boise State's Ezra Cleveland (lots of smoke around that rumor).
Per the trusty "Draft Value Trade Chart", #10 is valued at 1,300 points with #15 valued at 1,050. That delta (250) would be made up pretty quickly with Denver's second third (#83 - 175), fourth (#118 - 58), and their sixth (#181 - 17.8). Not exactly a "haul", but certainly more at-bats for the team. Would give the Browns: 1-15 2-41 3-74 3-83 3-97 4-115 4-118 6-181 6-187 7-244
And as a "fun" little anecdote... The last time the Browns traded down to #15 was also with an analytics-leaning front office with Andrew Berry in the building. They selected Corey Coleman out of Baylor.
One thing that I noticed including Jim Brown on this list? The players with the name of the city didn’t help the teams ever become good, the players with the teams mascot name helped make their teams great. You guys should be looking for a player named brown not Cleveland Wait Ken Houston was great
My Browns Mock Draft 2.0 | One Week Out - Trade Down Still expecting the Top 9 picks to shake out something like: Joe Burrow, QB Louisiana State Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama Justin Herbert, QB Oregon Mekhi Becton, OT Louisville Tristian Wirfs, OT Iowa Chase Young, EDGE Ohio State Derrick Brown, DL Auburn Jeff Okudah, CB Ohio State Isaiah Simmons, S/LB Clemson TRADE w/Denver: 1.10: Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama Denver moves up to get ahead of Las Vegas, who also look to be targeting the top receiver. In return, Cleveland gets #15, #83, #118, and #181. 1.11 New York Jets: Jedric Wills, OT Alabama 1.12 Las Vegas Raiders: CeeDee Lamb, WR Oklahoma 1.13 San Francisco 49ers: Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama 1.14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Andrew Thomas, OT Georgia 1.15: Patrick Queen, LB Louisiana State Imagine the worst-possible scenario in a trade-down where teams -- knowing Cleveland is looking at offensive line -- make a run on tackles and the move back-fires. What do the Browns do next? Take an immediate starter at arguably the biggest position of need. Yes, the goal was to pick up a tackle here but c'est la vie. Queen is a fast, sideline-to-sideline player who looks good in coverage (a huge area of concern at a position group that's barely scraping by). He's a little undersized for the middle (6'0" 229 pounds) but new defensive coordinator Joe Woods comes from a San Francisco defense that topped the league with an equally-size middle linebacker who also happened to be from LSU (small world), in Kwon Alexander. Queen can start immediately and if he adds a little size, or the Browns defensive front can protect him from guards, he should be an impact defender immediately. TRADE w/Detroit: 2.35: Josh Jones, OT Browns bundle their thirds (#74, #83, and #97) plus Denver's fourth (#118) to get ahead of their own second round pick but grab their offensive tackle before New York (who in R1 took Simmons) gets back around. Josh Jones is a development prospect but he's also the last guy available on the board. I'm not mocking Ezra Cleveland here (since I already did that earlier). Jones has work to do, but the Browns have a great offensive line coach to help with that and Jones has an athletic profile that very few - if any - true LT prospects in this class boast. Again, would likely battle with the displaced Chris Hubbard in training camp (if we have it this year) and start on his own timeline. 2.41: Grant Delpit, FS Louisiana State Browns come back and grab another Tiger and teammate of first round pick Patrick Queen. Folks seemed to have soured on Delpit after the 2019 season (several games of which he played with an ankle injury), but he posted a better 2018 season than fellow Tiger Jamal Adams who ended up a Top 10 pick in 2017 and put together a better overall career than Adams as well. Betting on his 2018 form, this would be a steal far greater than picking up Greedy Williams in 2019. Deplit is a hyper-athletic safety who can play the true range position that is lacking with the departure of Damarious Randall to Las Vegas. 3.74: TRADED 3.83 f/Denver: TRADED 3.97: TRADED 4.115: Khalid Kareem, EDGE Notre Dame EDGE still is one of the biggest areas of concern, at least in my opinion. Kareem doesn't have the profile of a guy who's going to change that from worry into confidence, but he is a very solid rotational player. Based on some of the reports I've read, he fares better against the run than offering pass rush ability which is (and has always been) an Achilles' heel for this team. He's a guy who can sub in early and develop into a starter down the road, depending on how Olivier Vernon's 2020 season pans out. 4.118 f/Denver: TRADED 6.181 f/Denver: Trajan Bandy, CB Miami Browns use the first of two sixth round picks to get a nickle cornerback. There's a gap there with T.J. Carrie's departure and the group was already a little thin in that spot. Nickle is probably the ceiling for Trajan who isn't particularly large or fast. 6.187: Tyrie Cleveland, WR Florida Per @gidion72's post, the Browns can grab a team-named player here. Cleveland projects as a possession type receiver at the next level, which works well with Stefanski's offense. Again, I view receiver as a position to bolster the depth but doesn't need top-tier talent with Landry and Beckham Jr. already on the team. Cleveland's a two year starter with marginal production but a solid athletic profile. 7.244: Benito Jones, DT Ole Miss A big body to put into the defensive line rotation and bolster the defense as a whole where the cupboard is pretty bare. Jones is likely not a three-down player (rare at this point anyway) but could be a solid addition on early downs against the run. Overall... Browns turn a trade down into a bigger trade up and solidify those positions of need. I can't see a world where linebacker, safety, cornerback, and edge aren't addressed somewhere. The offense really doesn't need a lot of pieces - just a left tackle and time. Still buying the thought that the team isn't going to invest super-early (that is, with its first round pick) in a development OT prospect. We'll see in two days...
My Browns Mock Draft 3.0 | One Week Out - Trade Up Let's do it. Let's get nuts. Let's also be clear... Cincinnati has to take Joe Burrow or be laughed out of NFL status. A move to #2 overall by *any* team is done so to select Chase Young, the best player in this year's draft. Cleveland Washington have been having trade talks dating all the way back to mid-year 2019 when Dorsey's regime was in charge. Those lines of communication are no doubt still open, so let's roll... 1.1 Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow, QB Louisiana State TRADE 1.2 (f/Washington) Cleveland Browns: Chase Young, EDGE Ohio State Washington gets: #10, #74, #97, 2021 second round pick, 2022 first round pick, Olivier Vernon, EDGE Cleveland gets: #2 overall, Trent Williams, LT Andrew Berry told y'all he was going to be aggressive. In 2016, the analytics said trade down from #2 to #8 with Philadelphia. The Browns picked up a third and fourth in the current year, a future first the following, and a future second two years out. That was a for a quarterback prospect - and really, the second-best prospect in a pretty weak class overall. In this scenario, Browns are giving up a lot to get the best player and a potential starter at left tackle. Unlike Washington, Cleveland really is just a player or two away. and Chase Young could be one of those players. He's the best player in the draft, he's a top-tier EDGE prospect, and he immediately makes the Browns' defensive line the best in the NFL. We saw just how weak this unit was when Garrett got hit with his suspension. There's no chance this pick doesn't payoff huge. With teams double-teaming the edges and holding on every play, at least one other defensive player has to come free. Bonus: they pick up Trent Williams who, if healthy, can be installed Week 1 as the starting left tackle. 2.41: Antoine Winfield Jr., S Minnesota Maybe a bit early draft position wise, but we're being aggressive about getting our needs filled and getting the guys they want. Winfield is a heady player much more than a physical profile but has the NFL bloodlines and is a name folks have consistently been falling in love with. In fact, his stock has climbed so much it was probably not unrealistic for the Browns to target (and get him) with the third round pick and now have to resort to using a second on him. Health has been a concern for him, but safety is likely too big of a need to ignore. 3.74: TRADED 3.97: TRADED 4.115: Joe Bachie Jr., ILB Michigan State Opting for production and processing over physical prowess (dig that alliteration). Bachie is a low-ceiling athlete but high-level processor and reactor. A three-year starter and team captian, the Berea native can come home and man the inside of the linebacker corp. Just don't ask him to cover tight ends. 6.187: Bravvion Roy, IDL Baylor Trending like the last few options, a big, rotational body in the middle of the defensive line. 7.244: Joe Reed, WR/ST Virginia We can't very well go the whole draft with only defensive players! Reed was a utility player for the Cavaliers but offers some good value in the return game where we haven't been able to find a steady body to lock the returner positions down since really Josh Cribbs. Overall, the Browns are aggressive to get Chase Young and add pieces to their defense. Young, Winfield, and Bachie are all likely Day 1 starters for this team. Roy is a rotational piece and Reeds gives us some special teams value with legitimate speed. The gamble here is asking Trent Williams to prove he can still play - and play at a high level - as we aren't replacing him anywhere in the draft. This would be a high-risk, high-reward type of draft. So which one... Mock 1.0, 2.0., or 3.0?
Here's my final Browns mock, from the main one here on this site: CLEVELAND BROWNS 1.10 Mecki Becton, OT - Louisville 2.10 Malik Harrison, LB - Ohio State 3.5 Ashtyn Davis, FS - California 3.33 Davon Hamilton, DT - Ohio State 4.9 Logan Stenberg, G - Kentucky 5.19 Josh Metellus, SS - Michigan 6.8 Kindle Vildor, CB - Georgia Southern UDFA- Austin Mack, WR - Ohio State UDFA- Luq Barcoo, CB - San Diego St.
"An OL". Does that mean a new starting five? A single position? A swing-lineman position? By my estimation, we're set at: LG, C, RT and have solid competition at the right guard spot. Right now, the *only* question mark on offense is what to do at left tackle where maybe Chris Hubbard can play if he loses out to Wyatt Teller in the preseason. I don't love the idea of a guy who loses the guard battle - and who was abysmal at right tackle- taking over on the left side to protect our franchise QB, which is why I (like most) think they'll be taking a left tackle in either the first or second round in a day or two.
Plan B could be to move Conklin to LT, Hubbard to RG and then draft a RT on day 2 (or 3). Certainly not optimal but possible if they go with something other than LT at pick 1-10.
FWIW... I think there are three possibilities for the team tomorrow: 1. Trade up and select an impact defensive player (#2 for Chase Young, or #4 for Isaiah Simmons). I think this outcome is highly unlikely due to price tags being too high for what you're getting. Although the Browns are only a couple pieces away, it sure seems like they're setting up for 2021 to be "the run". 2. Stay at #10 and take Andrew Thomas from Georgia. The team's been rumored to be okay with moving back, so have the Jets directly behind him. Best offer for a team moving up is probably to go with New York (pick costs less). The target would be a wide receiver. 3. Trade back from #1 and take Ezra Cleveland. The guy is probably a second-round prospect because he's not likely a Day 1 starter. That said, there's been more and more buzz that he'll go in the first round and it's a risky proposition to wait for #41 to get him. It's also risky to move back and hope your guy is still there -- Browns have done this countless times. If you like the player, take them, and worry about perceived "value" later. Personally, I'd like to see them move up with New York and get Simmons. I love the fact that Dave Gettleman would have been responsible for trading them Odell Beckham Jr. and the pick used to take Isaiah Simmons (who's an All Pro if he stays healthy). It would easily rank Gettleman as the best GM in the expansion era Browns and he never even worked for the team. Likely, they stay put at #10 and take Andrew Thomas as a plug-and-play Day 1 starter.
The nice thing about Thomas is that him and Chubb know each other from Georgia and could have conversations about how they can’t wait to get the hell out of Cleveland
Gideon, you're like the obnoxious little kid that continuously interrupts grown ups trying to have an adult conversation.
Of course... young players hate to play with other talented young players on an up-and-coming roster. Although, in spite of your trying to harsh our vibe, there is an inconvenient truth to what you say. The trend around the NFL is such that Nick Chubb may not see that second contract from Cleveland and if he does there's an extremely thin chance he plays it out here. To channel the Dolan's: enjoy him.
