Dawg Pound Lounge ,

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Hey Bud:

"With anticipation of draft day finally here, I keep getting the chills, sweats and sick feeling that the Browns will somehow mess up the No. 4 pick. How about you?" -- Doug, Westlake

Didn't Browns' GM Tom Heckert put that concern to rest in January when he said it would be "tough" to mess up the No. 4 pick? Being a Cleveland fan, I can see where that statement might worry you, that it could seem like tempting the fates.

But have faith. It would be almost impossible to botch what now amounts to the No. 2 pick with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III already spoken for. Let's go to the Spin Draft Day Satisfaction Scale for a closer look at the possibilities.

"0" represents the worst case of the sweats and chills this side of H1N1 or the Browns facing third-and-nine.

"10" represents the best feeling you've had about the Browns since the league deemed the city worthy of more bad football back in 1999.

0: Braintrust gathers in Mike Holmgren's office for pre-draft pep talk, get caught up in watching his Arizona vacation slides. In the ultimate clock management debacle, they do not make it to the draft in time to pick No. 4.

1: Trade out of the Top 20 to take Alex Mack's successor. If this happens and you're in position at a nearby sports bar to order a double shot of amnesia, please use a designated driver.

If this happens and you're at home, please, for safety concerns, fight the urge to put your head in the microwave for a minute on high. Thirty seconds should do it.

2: Draft USC LT Matt Kalil and turn him into RT Matt Kalil. This would be like hiring Placido Domingo -- not to be confused with Plaxico Burress -- for your kid's party, then having him hum "Happy Birthday."

3: Draft Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

The Browns' need to draft guys who find the end zone, so a quarterback shouldn't be out of the question. It's just that you can't take a chance on missing with this pick. Tannehill is a projection, an intriguing one, but a projection along the lines of predicting Spin for a future Pulitzer.

4: Trade down out of Top 15 for extra ammunition. This team needs a big gun on offense, not more peashooters.

View full sizeAP fileSure, Morris Claiborne is an outstanding player and could be a long-time star in the NFL. But his acquisition makes one wonder if the Browns really plan to win games by 7-3 scores.

5: Draft Morris Claiborne, with Alabama running back Trent Richardson still on the board.

You'd expect the reaction to be crickets if this happens. But that's selling crickets short on their football acumen. They would be stunned to silence, too.

6: Trade down out of Top 10.

7: Draft Morris Claiborne, with Trent Richardson already taken.

OK, good player. His standing as the best defender in the draft keeps this from being a "5." But one of the reasons the Browns suffered so much offensively last year is that they passed on a playmaker at the top of the draft.

To pick a corner the next year at No. 4? Why did Randy Lerner hire an offensive-minded president who hired an offensive-minded head coach? After another 4-12 season, he'll be asking that, too.

Then again, if Colt McCoy can complete some passes in practice against Claiborne and Joe Haden, maybe third-and-nine won't seem like Everest.

8: Justin Blackmon. To paraphrase Keyshawn Johnson, just throw him the damn ball.

9: Trent Richardson.

He's 20. He's dynamic. If he's close to Adrian Peterson, I don't think there will be many regrets six or seven years from now when all the pounding takes its toll.

10: In a classic case of Washington gridlock, the Redskins fail to announce RGIII as their selection and the Browns swoop in.

About 11 hours to go.


Oops.  Forgot to put on my Kool-Aid glasses.



Aaahhhhh........Much better!



Bluez, my man, a round for the house if you would.

Browns leadership must persevere through what may be a tumultuous 2012 season.

35 Comments

We can now, realistically, begin to ponder how long Mike Holmgren is going to last as Team President of the Cleveland Browns.

The reboot risk factors are all there: more losing seasons, a roster that remains thin and riddled with holes, lack of confidence in the teams starting quarterback, a rough schedule, a toxic media environment.

While the team argues that "things have changed" in Cleveland, those changes aren't obvious from their won-loss record, where a 5-11 and 4-12 record under Holmgren's leadership are identical to what the team accomplished in five of the seven seasons prior.

Optimistic fans could point to possible parallels to 2007. That squad had gone 4-12 the year before and had a schedule that was heralded as certain doom for team's front office. Somehow, miraculously, the offense clicked and the Browns had their best season since 1994, going 10-6 and barely missing the playoffs.

Barring that sort of reversal, this season already feels more like the 2009 campaign, where fan frustration and media opportunism overflowed into a season of pure misery.

The biggest risk factor heading into 2012 is that that Holmgren's image in Cleveland has gone from savior to savaged in just three seasons. Justified or not, the image that Holmgren is currently being promulgated in Cleveland is that of a somewhat uninvolved, vacation-happy chief executive resting his feet on a large desk in his corner office while he talks to radio shows in Seattle.

This image is likely unfair to the Team President. Fans and the local media focus entirely on the football side of the organization, and expect Holmgren to have a similar focus. But that doesn't map to his role in the organization: Holmgren's responsibilities supposedly encompass both the less-visible business side of the organization in addition to being Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur's boss. Being the lead "football man" in the organization actually IS a part-time job for Holmgren.

The developing negative perception of Holmgren, plus the selection of the low-key Shurmur as head coach and the go-slow approach of building through the draft, has provided a wide target for ratings-frantic sportstalkers and page-view-hungry websites to go on the attack during this off-season. That will only heat up when the team is playing games that matter.

The most recent broadside levelled at Holmgren is that he was not present during a rescheduled visit by QB prospect Ryan Tannehill. Speculating endlessly and without the benefit of any of the relevant facts, the local media has filled airtime with continually reinforced images of Holmgren as a do-nothing Team President.

The greatest irony is that the Browns are finally doing things in a way that makes sense for the long term, delaying gratification in order to try to build the team around a consistent philosophy. Resisting the urge to duct tape the roster by overpaying for free agents, the Holmgren team has the misfortune of having adopted a philosophy in 2012 that should have been in place in 1999.

The football moves largely make sense, even if they've been immediately unsatisfying on the field. Last year's trade-down in the draft was a textbook example of what to do when you have roster riddled with holes. Knowing that the rebuild was going to be a multi-year process, the Browns accumulated future picks while trading into an area of the draft that allowed for the more cost-effective reconstruction of their defensive line.

While Shurmur still has a lot to prove, his hire and the Browns personnel moves revolve around Holmgren's preferred West Coast Offense, giving the team a nascent offensive identity for the first time since their return in 1999.

But Holmgren and crew are being asked to pay back a debt to Browns fans that has been amassing since 1999 and before. The Browns faithful are the most put-upon fans on the planet, and are well aware of their status. Patience disappeared years ago.

But patience is what is needed now.

It will be up to the team's owner, Randy Lerner, to determine if this is yet another abortive experiment, or whether a long-term winning culture is being established.

Lerner, despite his carefully maintained low profile, is very sensitive to criticism of his team, and is particularly aware of criticism by passionate fans. He soaks it all in, and responds in some situations where he feels he can make his case fairly.

It is incumbent upon Lerner to ignore what is likely to be a firestorm of vitriol directed at his franchise throughout the 2012 season. Holmgren and Heckert need to have at least through 2013 to show progress with the franchise, given draft-oriented approach they've taken to building it.

The validity of the team's draft orientation won't matter if it loses the first five games. The airwaves will be full of nothing but negativity, and no excuses for poor performance will be tolerated. Local sports personalities will jockey for attention, attempting to out-do each other's over-the-top rants as the team struggles.

The Cleveland Browns post-expansion history of pre-ordained failure has been well-documented. It's up to the team's leaders to determine whether they are currently writing just another repetitive chapter of that book, or are whether they are finally bringing it to a conclusion.

It won't be easy to put in the blinders, keep a sense of humor, and get through what may be another tough season. In fact, it may be the hardest thing that Lerner and Holmgren have ever done.

But it's the best hope we have.

only beverage i want this morning is a very very LARGE coffee

Too much of of a good time last night Bluez?

But Holmgren and crew are being asked to pay back a debt to Browns fans that has been amassing since 1999 and before. The Browns faithful are the most put-upon fans on the planet, and are well aware of their status. Patience disappeared years ago.

But patience is what is needed now.

It will be up to the team's owner, Randy Lerner, to determine if this is yet another abortive experiment, or whether a long-term winning culture is being established.

Lerner, despite his carefully maintained low profile, is very sensitive to criticism of his team, and is particularly aware of criticism by passionate fans. He soaks it all in, and responds in some situations where he feels he can make his case fairly.

It is incumbent upon Lerner to ignore what is likely to be a firestorm of vitriol directed at his franchise throughout the 2012 season. Holmgren and Heckert need to have at least through 2013 to show progress with the franchise, given draft-oriented approach they've taken to building it.

morning Duff ...yup we had a blast last night . a few friends showed last night that we hadnt seen in awhile . needless to say we had fun catching up . left Despoes headed to the lake ..short ride hopped on a very well stocked pontoon boat cruised the lake stopping at a couple other watrerfront bars ..the Lake has 14 of them.  needless to say i crashed at a buddys house last night . there was no way in hell i was making back to get my car . we all crashed there last night .

we need to stay put at #4 take the BPA ..Hopefuly its Richardson .

the most important weekend since 99 ..

make it happen Heckert .make it happen

i must be a dinasour as i still believe that you can win a championship with a punishing ground game coupled with a stout defense solid special teams and a adequate middle of the pack passing attack .

i must be a dinasour as i still believe that you can win a championship with a punishing ground game coupled with a stout defense solid special teams and a adequate middle of the pack passing attack .

This is just it, bluez...that isn't realistic anymore.  You can win games, no doubt.  You could have good regular seasons, preying on the weaker teams in the league, but come playoff time, if you can't throw the ball effectively, you aren't going to win.  We haven't seen a team win the Superbowl that way since...well...probably the Steelers in 2005.  But even they won the first 3 playoff games largely on the arm of Ben Roethlisberger.  Since that Superbowl, it has been all franchise QBs winning the big game and I don't see it changing anytime soon.  The league wants it that way, it gets better ratings.

Again, I'm okay with Richardson at #4.  I think he makes the team better and gets them closer to contending, but he doesn't make them a Superbowl contender unless you get a quarterback that scares people. 


I'd love to see the Browns become competitive again, and Richardson will help accomplish that. 

Again, I'm okay with Richardson at #4.  I think he makes the team better and gets them closer to contending, but he doesn't make them a Superbowl contender unless you get a quarterback that scares people. 

morning Mano ..agreed you must have a passing attack that teams have to respect .or else they stack the line and play man on the outside . the Browns saw lots of that last season with no WR on the roster that could beat man coverage . that will continue untill they prove otherwise . yes a QB that teams respect with a couple WR yes the Browns need more than just one to losen things  up .

i look back at the 86-90 Browns they were very well balanced with the passing attack that could strike from anywhere coupled with the two headed monster that was Mack / Byner at RB .

Marty Ball . i still love Power O !

nothing cures the old 'next morning blues' like full-strength Coke, 2 aspirin & a grilled cheese sandwich 

..no grilled cheese ..nothing that resembles food ..more than two aspirin for sure ..Coke i agree with

no worries i will be back to being my normal abby normal self by noon time

after a Wendys double greasy cheeseburger ..thats my remedy .Wendys burgers

does anybody else play ESPN beat the streak ? if so wahts your longest strak been ?

i hit 10 last Month before going on a 7 losing streak to finish the month

even if Heckert strikes gold with this draft and he has to . the reality is that this team is still two years away from making any noise . espcially with the way this regime is choosing to rebuild it . its a long painstaking process when you do nothing in free agency to speed it up .

i look at how quickly the Lions turned things around after going 0 - 16 just a few seasons ago.the drafted well & used free agency wisely . 

i look at the Texans who have drafted very very well . they went 8-8 in back to back seasons before taking off last season .if they hadnt started there third string QB during the playoffs they might have made the Super Bowl .


i look down I75 to Cinncinatti who have dare i say this have drafted well the last couple seasons . some say they will go back to there losing ways this season . i dont think so . i hope so but they have turned the corner IMHO .

where does that leave the Browns ? with hope for the future just not the imediate future . they will be better this season . they cant be any worse on offense ..can they .

give me a 500 record this season . this old dawg will be wagging his tail

Listening to ESPN 1st Take...interesting convos going on...Jets interest in Richardson real or a smokescreen...

General consensus: real, b/c he 'perfectly compliments Tebow'...  Huh? Seems they got plans to make Tebow the starter. G/l with that. Hes overrated & 2 dimensional at best. Cant for the life of me figure why the entire media thinks hes the 2nd Coming... 

Going to be a real interesting night...

Bluez: nothing cures the old 'next morning blues' like full-strength Coke, 2 aspirin & a grilled cheese sandwich 

bluez, I completely understand where you and duff are going with your lastest blogs.  H&H and Lerner for that matter are building through the draft and that is the way to do it, LONG TERM.  This gives you, guys that grow with the organization and at some point all mesh together and give the Browns that winning edge.  At #4 the Browns are in the best spot outside the Vikings to upgrade their team from a top tier guy perspective or trade down for even more then the already 13 picks they have.  Those picks will often take a team back up to get guys that will be able to start on day 1 next season.  My only problem with this approach is not the TOP FAs but the lower case FAs that cost less but do have a couple few years in them to understand the NFL level.  This is how Jeff Fisher and the Rams approached this off season, fill as many holes with lower tier FAs with the exception of CB Finnegan and OC Wells, sign guys in the 26 to 27 year old range and draft (HOPEFULLY)for need.  Beer and a pizzais my course for tonight and through round 7.  It is the Rams and Browns best chance to get back in the game of the NFL.

Again, I'm okay with Richardson at #4.  I think he makes the team better and gets them closer to contending, but he doesn't make them a Superbowl contender unless you get a quarterback that scares people. 

C'mon Mano!!!!!  Getting Luck or RG3 in this draft won't make them a SB contender.  One draft ain't gonna do it.  This year may add some pieces but they'll need more next year.  Now weteher or not the Browns get the QB this or or next is just plain dumb to argue about.  The top 2 guys are off the board and Tannehill and Weeden aren't worth the #22 pick.  The Browns need 2 players with their first two picks who will contribute immediately.  Not a player who may learned the system in a year or two or three longer.  Can't guarantee any draft pick is "can't miss" but I hold more stock in Richardson and any non-QB (other than Luck or RG3) they might grab at #4 and #22.

And if they stink this year, especially Colt McCoy, the Browns will be drafting early enough and won't have the Redskins to out-bid them in an attempt to move up and grab next year's QB who will "get them to a Super Bowl" as you put it. 

Now weteher whether or not the Browns

http://youtu.be/cn358RJZuPU


to funny



please feel free to correct my spelling anytime you guys / gals feel like it .


i honestly could give a chit less as its ovverated anyway . i know total idiots that can spell . it doesnt change the fact that there idiots . it just means there somewhat edumacated idiots ..far to many of those running around free . maybe there should be open season them you know like there is for deer .

karry on now .i am taking my fat hungover ass to Wendys

As the draft approaches, some teams will need to find a feature back to help them pound the rock and improve their running game.

Essentially, running the football and working down the clock translate into winning football games for most teams, so in this year's draft a few teams will be looking to add talent to their backfield and hopefully improve their rushing attack.

1. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama, First Round (4)
Unfortunately for the Browns, after being put on top of the list for needing a wide receiver, they also find themselves at the top for needing a running back. With Peyton Hillis departing for Kansas City, they needed to add a back in the draft, but it's time for them to add an elite one to their roster.
For them to be successful, especially in a tough AFC North, running back by committee isn't going to work. Neither Montario Hardesty, Brandon Jackson nor Chris Ogbonnaya are the solution to the Browns becoming successful. Richardson is the best prospect since Adrian Peterson. He is "can't miss" for the Brownies.
2. Indianapolis Colts - Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M, Fourth Round (97)
When you have the first overall pick in a draft, obviously you have a lot of needs to fill. This is exactly the case for the Colts. With Joseph Addai's return highly unlikely, guys like Donald Brown and Delone Carter will need to step up.
With their inexperience, the Colts can look to add a solid back in Gray in a later round of the draft. He isn't the best prospect coming out of the draft, but can bring a lot to Bruce Arians' rushing offense.
3. Washington Redskins - Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State, Fourth Round (109)
Everyone knows Mike Shanahan loves having a strong rushing attack. With the 'Skins projected to draft Robert Griffin III, it only makes more sense for them to bulk up their rushing attack to help the rookie quarterback grow.
Turbin is a big, bang between the tackles back that can make an immediate impact bruising defenders in short-yardage situations. He would be a nice complement to Roy Helu in Shanahan's run game.
4. Cincinnati Bengals - Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati, Second Round (53)
As the Bengals grow as an offense behind last year's top draft picks A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, they will need to add a running back to the mix that can make their offense one of the most dynamic in the game.
Although the Bengals have brought in BenJarvus Green-Ellis and have Bernard Scott as a solid backup, bringing in the hometown kid, Pead, can give the Bengals a dominant rush attack to pair up with their aerial assault.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State, Fifth Round (140)
The Bucs would love to get their hands on Richardson, but who wouldn't? Instead they're going to have to find complements for their bulldozer, LeGarrette Blount. A perfect fit for the Buccaneers could be Ronnie Hillman, a speedy back that broke all of Marshall Faulk's freshman records at San Diego State.


Follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority & @Seth_Austin
For more NFL coverage, follow @NFA_NFL

C'mon Mano!!!!!  Getting Luck or RG3 in this draft won't make them a SB contender.  One draft ain't gonna do it.

Hey Duff!  I'm not saying it would, but it gets you MUCH closer than drafting Richardson does.

The most important position on the field is QB.  Without a great one, you aren't winning a Superbowl.  Not anymore.  Period.
There is no point in harping on the RGIII thing anymore, that ship has sailed. 

And if they stink this year, especially Colt McCoy, the Browns will be drafting early enough and won't have the Redskins to out-bid them in an attempt to move up and grab next year's QB who will "get them to a Super Bowl" as you put it. 

The future is uncertain.  That's why I was such a big advocate for taking one of the top guys this year while you had the chance.  If the Browns go out and win 7 or 8 games this year, the top QBs in next year's draft are likely out as well.  McCoy, Richardson and, say, Stephen Hill might make this offense just good enough to be a middle of the pack group, making finding that elite QB more difficult.

Then again, maybe the Browns get lucky in the next couple of years and find that guy.  Who knows?

All I know, without reservation, is that as long as the Browns don't have a franchise quality QB, they will not be a factor in the championship race.

The most important position on the field is QB.  Without a great one, you aren't winning a Superbowl.

Not if you don't have a RT an RB (and Hardesty, Oingo-boingo, and Brandon Jackson aren't collectively worth one good RB) and a bona fide #1 WR, it isn't.  You could put Brees, Brady, or Rodgers in at QB and they might win us 3-4 more games but that's it.

The future is uncertain.  That's why I was such a big advocate for taking one of the top guys this year

After Luck and RG3, there are no more Top Guys.  The rest are more likely to be considered projects. just as Colt McCoy still is.

Then again, maybe the Browns get lucky in the next couple of years and find that guy.  Who knows?

Then again, maybe McCoy just needed some pieces and parts to give him a real chance.  I'm not saying he's our guy.  I'm saying, who the heck can tell, if he has nothing better than the sub-par supporting cast he plays with now.

All I know, without reservation, is that as long as the Browns don't have a franchise quality QB, they will not be a factor in the championship race.

I agree.  But there isn't one left in this year's draft who "the experts" would deem to be our franchise's saviour.  And without a viable supporting cast, it wouldn't matter if there was.  Who knows if one of the later round QB's doesn't turn out to be another Tom Brady?  Better to stock the pantry, go for broke next year in hopes of getting the "franchise" QB and grab Cousins, Osweiler or Foles later on this year.

The first 3 or 4 rounds of this draft, if Heckert hits on his picks, should more than likely be starters who will have an instant impact.  If you take a QB at #22 (cause Tannehill at #4 is just insane), you now downgrade the next 2 or 3 players the Browns select to fill immediate needs like LB, RB, WR, RT, and DB.  The "QB of our dreams" can wait another season.  And then if the Browns are still in need, the Redskins won't outbid us and we'll be a better team overall and in more positions, for the new QB to come in and start.  And who's to say that Colt won't prosper if he has some weapons?  If he does, great.  If not, we only have one (and I stress, just one) priority next year......getting one of the top QB's.  And they should be more able to give up a large part of the draft to get him, if all goes well this year.

Not if you don't have a RT an RB (and Hardesty, Oingo-boingo, and Brandon Jackson aren't collectively worth one good RB) and a bona fide #1 WR, it isn't.

Not true. An undrafted free agent RB (who didnt even play in college) and a 4th round pick from the big bad football school Hofstra won a SB in 2008.

I'm not saying he's our guy.  I'm saying, who the heck can tell, if he has nothing better than the sub-par supporting cast he plays with now.

His current coaches and personnel guys can tell. They tried to give up (3) 1sts and a 2nd for his replacement. Who does that if your current guy has the tools necessary to lead your team?

It is so obvious and you guys just have blinders on.

Not true. An undrafted free agent RB (who didnt even play in college) and a 4th round pick from the big bad football school Hofstra won a SB in 2008.

And Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th.  What's your point?  And you forgot to address the RT we need and the upgrade at WR.  With our first three picks (if we take Richardson and ignore QB) we get the top RB in the draft, possibly one of the top 3 WR's and one of the top 2 or 3 RT's.  If they trade up, they'll have a good shot at Wright or Floyd at WR and if they keep the 2nd rounder, a good shot at Sanders, Massie, or Adams at RT.  And then you can throw in your possible later round finds that you keep touting.

It is so obvious and you guys just have blinders on.

I was thinking the same of you.  It's different when you have a team stocked with depth and some quality starters to begin with.  We don't have that.  Half our starters wouldn't be a starter anywhere else on any other NFL team.  And the rest of our Junior Varsity players suck eggs.   You have an actual real team in the Steelers.  You add new players every year to learn the ropes behind the starters with the occasional starter to boot.  We still need quality starters and depth.  The Steelers are re-stocking the pantry.  The Browns are still filling it the first time.  Big difference.

And Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th.  What's your point?

I don't really have a point. You said ...

Not if you don't have a RT an RB (and Hardesty, Oingo-boingo, and Brandon Jackson aren't collectively worth one good RB) and a bona fide #1 WR, it isn't.

... and it's simply not true. And I can give you many more examples. Ahmad Bradshaw was taken in the 7th round and the Giants RT (McKenzie) is available if you want him. They don't.

And you forgot to address the RT we need and the upgrade at WR

Maybe I wasn't clear but the 4th round pick from Hofstra was the RT. I love Hines Ward but he's never been a #1 WR by anyone's definition. He was a very nice possession receiver (think Little) who also blocked very well. The other two WRs on that team were Randle El and Cedrick Wilson.

The key to that team was obviously defense and a great QB who could make it happen when the opposing team shut the run down (which happens in the playoffs).

I was thinking the same of you.  It's different when you have a team stocked with depth and some quality starters to begin with.  We don't have that.  Half our starters wouldn't be a starter anywhere else on any other NFL team.

Says who? This is the argument you guys always make that is born out of nothing. Your o-line is as good as any in the AFC North. Your defense has nice players at every level. Little has the making of a stud. You guys throw him under the bus because it helps your argument for Colt McCoy.

Joe Haden
T.J. Ward
Dqwell Jackson
Scott Fujita
Jabaal Sheard
Phil Taylor
Ahtaya Rubin
Joe Thomas
Alex Mack
Jason Pinkston
Greg Little
Ben Watson

All those guys would be playing on other teams - or did play on other teams.

Says who? This is the argument you guys always make that is born out of nothing. Your o-line is as good as any in the AFC North. Your defense has nice players at every level. Little has the making of a stud. You guys throw him under the bus because it helps your argument for Colt McCoy.

who throws Little under the bus ? he missed one year of football due to suspension . he is a converted runningback so some growing pains were expected out of him . yes the drops got on my last nerve last season but so did the whole offense all the way down from the clueless crappy OC  to the drops to the missed blocks .Jebus must i go about the offensive offense .


he will only get better .much like i hope  the playcalling game day preperation and intensity does  all of which was lacking last season .


make it happen Heckert ..make it happen

heres one .


If McCoy was in this years draft where would you all have him ranked ?


best QB available

late first

second or third round

fourth round down to undrafted

this ought to be interesting

If McCoy was in this years draft where would you all have him ranked ?

I'll answer with players ...

Kirk Cousins projected 2nd-3rd round
Brock Osweiler projected 2nd-3rd round
Russell Wilson projected 3rd-4th round

I think he'd be in that group.

The Cleveland Browns have two first-round picks tonight, their own (No. 4 overall) and the Falcons’ (No. 22). But by the end of the night they may end up drafting three players.

That’s a scenario envisioned by Jason La Canfora of NFL Network, who thinks that the Browns would like to draft Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden but view No. 22 as a little bit too high to take him. So the plan for the Browns could be to bolster other positions at No. 4 and No. 22 and then trying to trade back up into the end of the first-round to draft Weeden before the night ends.

The Browns’ second-round pick is No. 37 overall, and Cleveland would be ecstatic if Weeden lasted that long. But if they decide they don’t want to chance that, trading the 37th pick and another pick to move somewhere in the 25-32 range could be the move for the Browns to make. The Patriots, who have the 31st pick in the first round, might be open to moving back six spots and getting an extra pick for their trouble.

Cleveland has a major need for offensive playmakers tonight. It’s possible that with the right moves, they could end up with a trio like Alabama running back Trent Richardson at 4, Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill at 22 and Weeden with a trade near the end of the first round. That would radically transform the future of the Browns’ offense.