The Cleveland Browns made their typical First Round move on Thursday and traded down in the first round rather than draft a playmaker. What isn't typical is that I liked the trade, and that they still got a playmaker.
Actually, I like the trade better than I like the pick.
The trade from 8 went to Tennessee, along with another pick. In the end, the Browns got the 15th pick overall, and they have two first round picks and two second round picks for next year. I'm always the one making fun of fans for loving draft picks, but they obviously have a lot of value.
Most people evaluating the Browns accumulation of draft picks say, "This team needs players badly, and so they need all the picks they can get." Good point, but also, I love the draft trade possibilities that they have.
We saw two teams trade away a lot of their present and future to get the first two picks in the draft. It would worry me if this team did that, say, next year because the quarterback they want is sitting and waiting. This team's roster is so thin, that it could be crippling.
But that is less of a concern when they have so many picks.
Speaking of the thin roster, (Bleep) you, Ray Farmer. You were a terrible GM.
As for the pick they actually made last night.....ehhhhh. The Browns used the 15th pick to select Corey Coleman, wide receiver. Okay.
Supposedly the guy is a playmaker, a fast guy who got a lot of yards after the catch when he was at Baylor where their playbook consisted of: Bubble-Screen Left and Bubble-Screen Right. If he really is a playmaker, then I feel like we just drafted Travis Benjamin. Who we already had on the roster. Fans will wonder why the Browns didn't just keep Benjamin, but I don't think he had any intentions on staying.
He went to San Diego. I can't help but drool at the idea as I sit here on a gray, cold, rainy morning in late April.
Back to Coleman, I don't like his size and I don't like that he comes from Baylor. (I know, I know, so does our "not-guaranteed-the-starting-position" starting quarterback Robert Griffin III. We fantasize that this equals automatic chemistry. We're really desperate here in Northeast Ohio.) And I hate his size.
Coleman stretches the tape measure at 5'11". He weighs 190 lbs. Damn, we really did draft Travis Benjamin! And I liked Benjamin, but he was probably a #3 receiver, a slot receiver. He was only on the outside here because, well, who else was going to line up out there? (Again...Ray Farmer....middle finger.)
I would have liked a big receiver. They had their choice of any wide receiver in the draft. I wanted a #1. I don't think Coleman will be that, but that's our Browns.
I know that sounds incredibly negative, and I apologize. I don't hate the pick, either. This team really does need playmakers, and if this guy is able to do that, well, take him. Maybe they felt he was the best at that. If so, then god bless that pick. Keep doing what you're doing.
I'm watching the draft on ESPN last night, and after the Browns selected Coleman, the consensus on the stage was, "Ehhh, the Browns have a ton of needs." Mel Kiper, supposed draft guru, called the Browns, based on roster strength, a glorified expansion team. And I was like, "HHHHHEEEEEEeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-he's kinda got a point."
Leading up to the draft, I was think of position needs. And the answer was: All of them. The one area I felt most comfortable with was Running Back. Yeah, it's really that bad. The dynamic tandem of Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell inspires me with confidence more than any other group.
I hope right now, Ray Farmer has food poisoning. Nothing fatal, just enough to have him glued to his toilet.
I really don't hate the pick of Coleman. It's their vision, not mine, that will determine this team's fate. Maybe Coleman will play a prominent role. I'll be pulling for him to do well, both for my team and for him as an individual.
But definitely, I feel better about the way the front office maneuvered their draft positions to get quality picks for next year's draft. Trading away the #2 pick overall is questionable, but dropping from 8 to 15 was a smart move.
I'm actually excited to see how this draft unfolds for the Browns. I want to see what this roster looks like going in to 2016. Obviously, they are going to be thin, but I want to see some titanium exoskeleton that can have flesh added to it in 2017.
So, Corey Coleman, welcome to Cleveland! We'll be counting on you.
And to Ray Farmer, you can go (The rest of this thought has been censored by Everybody Hates Cleveland due to it's SEVERE profanity. While we certainly salute Mr. Primo's creative use of the F word and his ideas involving Mr. Farmer and a prison shower, this material may be too sensitive for some readers)
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