Cleveland Browns NFL Draft 2012: Overreaching for Over-Age

Let's be honest. As a Browns fan, I'm used to disappointment in all aspects of a football team. And building through the draft is no different. Cleveland is a team that has made troubling picks over the past, well, forever. Only twice over the past decade have I breathed a sigh of relief after a Browns first-round pick, following the selection of Braylon Edwards (what a tease) and the highlight package for Joe Thomas. I'm no Mel Kiper, but I follow college football pretty closely, and I'd like to think I have a decent understanding of talent, value, and NFL projection. I can usually be impartial (except when it comes to former Alabama players) and I always want what is best for the team. Trading up or taking a blue chip is exciting, and trading down for depth is a bit of a bummer. But the latter is necessary for a successful, sustainable franchise.

That said, I entered this year's NFL Draft with three wishes:

• Take Trent Richardson with the 4th overall pick
• Find a lot of help for the offensive line
• Do not, under any circumstances, select Brandon Weeden

We'll score that as a 1.5 out of 3.

"HURR DURR"

More after the jump...

First thing's first, let's just revel in how awesome Trent Richardson is for a moment. He's an absolute horse -- the rare explosive, three-down running back who is a game changer. The guy has multiple posts on my favorite animated .gif site. And to top it all off, he's a two-time national champion from the University of Alabama. I think if I made a rookie in Madden that would fit everything I wanted in a football player, that fictitious entity would still fall short of Richardson. Now, I know that Minnesota had Cleveland by the gonads a little bit with rumors of other teams jumping up to the 3rd pick. So at the cost of their fourth, fifth, and seventh round picks, Cleveland bought in big time on Richardson, thus ensuring I would be purchasing a new Browns jersey come September.

Now that's more like it!

With the 22nd pick, their second in the first round, the Browns were in position to get another quality starter for years to come. In my opinion, the greatest team needs were, in no particular order: wide receiver, right tackle, and linebacker. As to the quarterback position, I don't think anyone is kidding themselves by thinking Colt McCoy is a future elite player. Comparisons to Drew Brees are apt when talking about height only. And although McCoy may not be the solution in Cleveland, he certainly isn't the problem. The team made the playoffs with a Tim Couch/Kelly Holcomb platoon in 2002. Five years later they finished 10-6 but just missed the playoffs with Derek Anderson under center, and he even made the Pro Bowl for his career year performance. Does anyone think those three players are out of McCoy's league? He wouldn't have to sustain success immediately, in my opinion. But he should be given time to develop, or at least buy the team a few years to draft a quarterback with a much higher ceiling. And who knows, with a proper offensive line and receivers who can actually get separation, the Browns offense could click and they just might win a few more games than they did last year with no change at quarterback.

Franchise quarterback, or extra on Hee Haw?

Clearly, team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert didn't share my team analysis. With that pick, they selected none other than Brandon Weeden, a literal man among boys, the "rookie" quarterback who will be 29 years old (three older than McCoy) by the Browns' sixth game of the season. Weeden was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school to pitch in their farm system. His biggest accomplishment during his four years in baseball was being a piece of the deal that brought Kevin Brown to the Bronx. Needless to say, giving up on football didn't work out so well for him personally or for the Yankees. He red-shirted at Oklahoma State in 2007, and was a backup for two years after. But in his two seasons as a starter, he amassed some gaudy numbers in their spread offense. During the NFL Combine and Okie State's pro day, he performed well and had all the measurables you look for in an NFL talent. I understand why he's attractive, he has the tools and the experience, and I hate to harp on the guy just for his age. But two questions are crucial in discussing if this is a good move going forward. First, how quickly can he learn the Browns offense, a West Coast, under center style with quick reads where accuracy is at a premium? For this pick to work, he needs to come out of the gate with at least a serviceable ability to run the offense. Cleveland was 30th in scoring offense and 29th in yards per game, so this will be a tall order. And second, if he doesn't flourish right away, how much leeway will he get before Cleveland has to decide on the next franchise quarterback? A couple of years of mediocrity, and you go from a 1st-round talent to a 31-year-old journeyman pretty quickly. Considering this was the major piece the Browns got from Atlanta for their 6th overall pick last year (which they used to select Julio Jones, who would solve a lot of the problems at receiver and look damn good in brown, orange, and white) they really need Weeden to take the reigns and get the offense going right away.

After seeing the fist pump, my fiancée asked, "God, who is this douche?"

The best news of the entire draft process was the help the Browns got in the trenches. Drafting Richardson alone won't help improve and balance the offense unless someone can create a few holes for him inside. With their second round pick (37th overall) they selected offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz from the University of California-Berkeley. Schwartz was not considered an elite prospect by most because he's not an ideal blindside protector. But the Browns have Joe Thomas locked up for that role. They needed a solid, run-blocking right tackle to solidify their zone blocking scheme, and all the scouting reports say Schwartz has the skill set to do so. This is a win in my book. They also added another offensive lineman, Colorado tackle Ryan Miller. Projected as a guard in the NFL, Miller has the size, strength, and experience to start right away. In fact, he is a very similar prospect to Jason Pinkston, who Cleveland took in the fifth round last year and who started all 16 games in 2011.

Whoa doctor! The big uglies take the field!

On the other front, the Browns got two more big bodies with defensive tackles John Hughes from Cincinnati and Billy Winn from Boise State. It was a bit of a reach in the third round for Hughes, who has limited upside but should be a decent two-down run stuffer and rotational player. Winn, selected in the sixth round, has a bit more upside. He has shown bursts of explosiveness and the ability to get to the quarterback. However, motivation and concentration are an issue, as he sometimes failed to finish a play strong, or simply take plays off altogether. It will be up to head coach Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron to keep him focused and productive when he's on the field. If so, then the Browns will have a very good defensive tackle rotation with Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor, Hughes, and Winn.

Depth via girth.

The rest of the draft is a mixed bag of projects. Travis Benjamin, a fourth round pick from the University of Miami, is a small, lightning-fast receiver who can work in the slot or be a primary returner. This might signal a sign that the coaching staff feels Josh Cribbs is ready to cede some of the return game for a legitimate shot at starting opposite Greg Little. Cleveland took two inside linebackers, James-Michael Johnson from Nevada and Emmanuel Acho from Texas, in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively. Both were very productive throughout their college careers, and have the ability to move outside. In fact Ourlads already lists Acho at the Sam position. In the seventh round, Cleveland selected cornerback Trevin Wade from Arizona and tight end Brad Smelley from Alabama. Neither will impact the depth charts too much and are likely special teamers if they make the team.

Benjamin and Richardson can swap hair care tips.

Finally, the pundits weigh in:

Mel Kiper, ESPN: B- (Needs: B+, Value: C)
Jason Cole, Yahoo!: C+
Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: C+
Pete Prisco, CBS: C-
John Czarnecki, FOX: C
Joel Thorman, SB Nation: B

Most of the criticisms focus on three points. First, the Browns "lost out" on the hyper-elite quarterback prospects, Andrew Luck of Stanford and Robert Griffin III from Baylor. Now everyone knows the Colts were not going to trade out of the 1st overall pick, so only one of the two was truly available. The package the Redskins gave up to get the 2nd overall pick was incredibly steep -- the 6th and 39th overall picks, 2013's first round pick, and 2014's first round pick. Those picks should amount to four quality starters, and my individual opinions on Luck and RGIII aside, I don't think any one player is worth that much value. The second criticism of Cleveland's draft is that they had to take who they wanted too early. They gave Minnesota three later picks just to swap 4th overall for 3rd. But given the picks they got from Denver in two separate trades (one left over from Brady Quinn!) as well as compensatory picks, they had plenty to spare. Many thought if they wanted Weeden, Cleveland could take him at 37th overall, but they chose not to risk letting him fall and took him 22nd. While I don't particularly like Weeden, it wouldn't have bothered me any more or less depending on where they got him. Bottom line is, if he's a good starter, he's a steal. If not, it's a wasted pick. Finally, the Browns didn't get enough help at the skill positions. Richardson obviously fills a huge need, but Benjamin isn't the type of impact receiver many think they desperately need. And while that's true to a certain extent, in my opinion I didn't see that receiver in this draft. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, who the Jaguars selected 5th overall after trading up, has a very Michael Crabtree feel to me. And if that's the type of impact he'll have year one, I'd rather have Richardson. There were two receivers drafted between Weeden and Schwartz, A.J. Jenkins from Illinois and Brian Quick from Appalachian State, and both were poor value for that area of the draft. Any other receivers in that area won't be immediate starters, which Weeden and Schwartz should be, so I won't say it's a negative that they didn't focus on the receiver position.

"I always give my hair an A+."

My draft grade for Cleveland this year is a B+. Sure, there are a few problems I have with it. But they secured three likely immediate starters, possibly a fourth, and addressed their huge needs at running back and offensive line. Looking forward to the rest of the off-season and free agency, they still need an impact wide receiver, as well as depth at outside linebacker, safety, and guard/center. But as the balance of power in the NFL shifts from the AFC to the NFC, playoff spots are getting slightly easier to come by. I don't expect any major leaps and bounds this year, but seven or eight wins seems reasonable enough for a Cleveland team on the rise.