Bad News from the Combine

There was some bad news over the weekend for the Browns. Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas, who seemed like a possible steal at the top of the 2nd round for the Browns absolutely dazzled at the Combine with his combination of strongest and fastest CB. This likely pushes him squarely into the middle of the 1st round. Joe Staley, LT, Central Michigan, though limited with a leg injury, might have played himself into the 1st round as well with an impressive showing, making him likely unavailable when the Browns pick.

One good note however was that Daymeion Hughes, CB, Cal, ran poor 40 times in the 4.7 range, likely meaning a drop into the middle of the 2nd round or even the 4th round. Hughes absolutely dominated every WR he was matched up with this season, regardless of how much faster they were than him. He has exceptional ball skills and QBs were very fearful of throwing his way. He seems to me to be a classic example of a guy slipping due to poor times and scouts forgetting what a dominating player he was in college. He would be the steal of the draft if he fell into the 4th round.

Browns win coin toss for 3rd pick

The Browns officially have the 3rd pick in the draft which is not necessarily a good thing given our track record with our last few, Gerard "Big Money" Warren and Braylon "Big Ego" Edwards.
Candidates that the Browns are looking at with this pick include Jamarcus Russell, Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn, Calvin Johnson, and Alan Branch. The Browns could go for any of these guys as they all fill a serious deficiency on the team. I would still prefer a trade down, preferably to a team that has its eye on a WR like Calvin Johnson. Minnesota, San Fransisco, and Tennessee fit this bill.

Possible UFAs

Some possible Undrafted Free Agents that the Browns should look at closely:

Roy Hall, WR/TE, Ohio State - Reminiscent of David Boston with his massive size (240) and speed (4.4) but was never able to consistently find playing time behind Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn, and Anthony Gonzalez. Hands are biggest concern but would make a great mismatch as a WR or a TE.

Nate Ilaoa, RB, Hawaii - Former WR that really, really bulked up to his present 240+lbs. He still has his great feet and has powerful enough thighs to run through arm tackles. He also has maintained his WR's hands. His negative might be his 40 speed but that will be sorted out at the Combine. Additionally he does not always lower his shoulder into contact.

Early 7th

In the 7th round, the Browns need to take a hard look at John Bowie, CB, Cincinnati, who was a Big East track champion last year. Bowie has the speed and size (5'10", 190lbs) to be successful at the NFL level. He simply needs a year or two to refine his technique since he is very raw, alternately flashing brilliance with flubs, especially in zone coverage. Bowie is worth the risk at this point, possibly even in the 6th and then hoping that Harline drops to the 7th.

Early 6th round

In the 6th round the Browns should take a hard look at Jonny Harline, TE, BYU. Harline has the best hands of any TE in this draft, however he does not have the requisite size to be considered prototypical since he is only 6'4", 240lb, as well as having very marginal speed. What Harline does have is an awesome ability to get open by finding spots in zones and positioning his body. Harline would make an ideal 3rd down option for the Browns, with his great hands, when Kellen Winslow splits wide, or to give the illusion of a running play by lining up double TE on third and three or closer situations.

Early 5th round

With their first 5th rounder, the Browns should seriously consider taking John Beck, QB, BYU, who is very undervalued and has much better pro potential than some of the QBs ranked ahead of him (ie Kevin Kolb, Jordan Palmer, Jeff Rowe, etc.). Beck has a very strong arm and can make all of the throws, even with a heavy wind. He is very experienced, makes his checkdowns, and doesn't usually tip his passes with his eyes. What he lacks in general athleticism, he makes up for in clutch play and accuracy (69% completion percentage). Critics point out that he is simply a product of his offensive system like David Klingler or Ty Detmer. I strongly disagree. His accuracy is not a product of a dink-and-dunk offense. Originally I thought the same, but after watching five of his games this year, concluded that Beck was much better than perceived. Beck can be successful in most any offense as long as he is protected adequately.

With their second 5th rounder, the Browns should take a flyer on Danny Ware, RB, Georgia. Ware is an immense physical talent who never really got the chance to showcase himself fully at Georgia with the constant shuffling of RBs by the coaching staff. Ware has the size and speed to be an instant success in the NFL with the additional benefit of not having a lot of mileage on his tires due to the rotation in college.

Early 4th round

With the second 3rd rounder, the Browns should take Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida. Thomas played DT in a 4-3 scheme at Florida, but with his quickness off the ball and athleticism would make a great 3-4 DE and could probably take over later this year or next year for an aging Orpheus Roye or push Baraka Atkins for starting time. Thomas did have some discipline problems in college but that is the reason he has 1st round talent and is still available in the 3rd round. There is enough veteran leadership on the defense with McGinest, Washington, Roye, and Russell to keep him in line. He is more than worth the gamble at this point.