A bunch of NFL draft thoughts, observations, tidbits — complete with the benefit of hindsight and snark.
Draft grades sold separately since the real grades come, well, down the road.
*The more I watch Trent Richardson, the more I think the Browns hit a grand slam. And they may have been negotiating against themselves in the trade with the Vikings, but they really gave up very little to ensure they got the player they had to have. HAD to have. How long has it been since the Browns got one of those? Joe Thomas?
*I like the Brandon Weeden pick, too. Big arm, immediate upgrade and if he can play at a high level, who cares that he’s almost 29? He’s a quarterback, not a running back or a cornerback. I do worry that he’s never been hit, and that he’s not exactly nimble, and that the Browns might be married to this West Coast stuff and didn’t upgrade the receiving corps, but I like Weeden. He has some skills, and he deserves the chance.
*The Bengals have been praised for their draft, and rightfully so. I do wonder if the first pick, Dre Kirkpatrick, was the classic case of choosing need over the best available player, but Kirkpatrick has talent and pedigree and that need at cornerback was certainly pressing.
*All four AFC North teams loaded up on linemen (on both sides of the ball). It’s a passing, point-scoring league more than it’s ever been. It’s also still important to win in the trenches — and to put big bodies on the other team’s quarterback to slow down that heavy-passing, high-scoring stuff. Especially when the teams you have to beat are doing it.
*A choice to trade down in the third round and then strengthen the defensive line led to the Browns’ most controversial pick, the selection of Cincinnati defensive tackle John Hughes. Immediate Twitter reaction ranged from disappointment to (the annual) proclaiming of a portion of the fan base being “done” with the Browns “for good.” It also included the requisite (and annual) name calling. I spoke up on Twitter, asking that people step away from the ledge — mostly because the people doing the actual drafting, even those who do it for the Browns, deserve a little bit of credit — and give the kid a chance.
I thought it was unfair to Hughes, too, to have a bunch of people in his own state declaring him The Worst Pick Ever two weeks before he even goes through an NFL practice. The Browns probably winced when Hughes told reporters after the pick that he had planned to have his family over on Saturday, when he thought he’d get drafted. But the Browns gave him a draft grade, stacked him on the board and selected him. There’s some reason — probably many reasons — they did that.
I don’t want to say I know a whole bunch, because I don’t. But I’ve been very close to the draft — and the ever-growing hype in the months leading up to the draft — for a long time, and to me it’s no longer shocking or earth-shattering when a group of players who were combine stars or media-coverage stars in the eight weeks before the draft end up getting drafted a round (or three) after where they were projected. It’s no huge surprise when less-hyped guys go in the first three rounds since teams are in the business of selecting the best players, not the most-hyped players.
Angry that the Browns passed on the chance to take a wide receiver, tight end or cornerback and drafted Hughes? That’s fine, fair and understandable. But saying “my draft guide says he should be a seventh-round pick” is not a valid argument. It’s just not — never has been, never will be. It’s ridiculous.
The dozens of people the Browns employ to scout and pick these players build a board and make the picks every year without a draft guide. They hit on some picks, they miss on others. Especially given the Browns’ recent record on weekends from Sept. – Dec. it’s perfectly OK to be critical of what they’ve done on the final weekend of April. To imply that the selection of John Hughes is the reason for such misses and missteps, though, is rather ridiculous.
*Again, not to come off as smarter than anybody, but the fact that there are so many “surprise” risers and fallers in every draft, involving almost every team, should tell all of us watching from afar that those who are actually in the draft rooms have access to the most and best information. Browns GM Tom Heckert said a week before the draft that every year brings tons of misinformation and very few prospects who actually make significant moves up or down boards. He didn’t mention that every year we quickly forget that.
Do the Browns have more pressing needs than backup defensive tackle? In my eyes, absolutely yes. In the eyes (apparently) of a big part of their fan base? Yes. But there has to be some reason John Hughes went before Jared Crick and Billy Winn and other more recognizable names. There just has to be. And anybody that enraged by the selection of Hughes should be free to either walk away from the Browns or apply for a job in personnel with any of the other 31 teams.
*To more pressing matters: If the Browns had some idea they were going to replace Colt McCoy via a high draft pick, what would have been wrong with signing a pass-catcher in free agency? Also, it’s hard to believe that the Browns at any point would have said, “Well, if we can’t get Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright, we’re fine with coming out of this draft with one receiver, and that one is Travis Benjamin.”
*That, I know, is not John Hughes’ fault. Place your anger wisely.
*About all the Friday rumors that the Browns either lied to McCoy, were unfair to McCoy or needed to trade McCoy, I have two comments. One, “unfair” in football is Ben Roethlisberger’s high school coach playing his son at quarterback while Ben played receiver. In the National Football League, there is no such thing as unfair. Also, shouldn’t we think that 31 other teams had bigger priorities Friday afternoon than a potential trade for a backup quarterback?
*This website got 82,000 clicks on a short story Saturday about the Browns keeping McCoy. Cleveland, you’re the best.
*The Bengals still need a speed, stretch-the-field receiver to really make defenses pay for devoting too much attention to A.J. Green. Those guys aren’t easy to find, obviously. I still think Mohamed Sanu will be a productive player and end up being known for more than just that draft night prank call.
*The Redskins picking Kirk Cousins in the fourth round after giving up so much to get Robert Griffin III will end up either being a totally brilliant move or a totally stupid, inexcusable move for a team with more needs than draft picks. We won’t know the answer, though, for at least a couple of years.
When it comes to the draft, shouldn’t we know that by now?
