Posted on Thursday 15 March 2007 by G @ 1:33 pm
Eric Steinbach was the high-profile signing, but the Browns have been busy adding more players that will help fill out their roster. Defensive lineman Robaire Smith should be a starter at right end and can move to the middle on passing downs. Offensive lineman Seth McKinney was injured last season and might be a risk, but he can provided much-needed depth on the offensive line. He has started at center and at guard.
Let’s hope the Bengals don’t match the offer sheet for nose tackle Shaun Smith. If he’s in the fold, the Browns can feel much better about both lines.
They’ll probably address the lines in the draft as well, but at least they won’t be doing so as much out of desperation. There are some good offensive linemen in this draft, so hopefully they’ll snag one in the first three rounds.
If the Browns sign David Carr, I will seriously question the direction of this team and have to reevaluate Phil Savage’s decision making abilities. David Carr is 3 years younger than Tim Couch. He’s been beat up like a rag doll for 5 years in Houston and has never had any legitimate weapons except Andre Johnson. He still would have a suspect line in Cleveland, at best. Throw in question marks at running back, TE’s health, and an inexperienced and inconsistent WR corp, and all I see is a dark haired Tim Couch behind center. And we all know how that turned out. About the only thing we know for sure that differeniates Couch & Carr are Carr has not cried in public. And with our horrible offensive philosophies since 1999, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carr would need boxfuls of Kleenex.
Despite all the negatives I mentioned about Carr, if he comes cheaply, then he would be a short-term fix and improvement over Frye.
Re: the draft, let me first say that I am one of the biggest haters of Notre Dame. Despite my loathing of the Crying Irish, I feel that the Browns should make Quinn their selection. Why? A few reasons: 1) The Browns are going nowhere in 2007, so why not let Quinn sit and watch. 2) The difference between Quinn and Frye is like comparing Donovan McNabb (Quinn) to Luke McCown (Frye). 3) Quinn is the most NFL-ready QB to come out of the draft this year. ND ran a pro-style offense.
4) Quinn is big and smart. 5) QBs have a longer career outlook than RBs. I would love A Peterson, but his injury history is too risky. Look at how highly touted Lee Suggs was before his senior year injury and how far he fell when the Browns got him in 2003. He never stayed healthy in the NFL.
The con against Quinn: 1) ND lost big games with Quinn. However, they didn’t lose these games BECAUSE of Quinn. He was the victim of having his team overvalued in the rankings and getting bowl opponents (OSU in 2006 & LSU this year) that were far & away better teams than ND.
My expectations for 2007: 1) draft Quinn and let him watch. Bring in a veteran QB to teach Quinn. 2) Browns go 5-11 and Romeo is canned. 3) Get a big time coach in here and start turning this thing around in 2008 when LeCharles Bentley teams up with Steinbach and (hopefully) our 2nd round lineman from the 2007 draft.
That sounds good, but I don’t want Quinn, I want Troy Smith. He proved that in college that he could learn the position. So he’s 6′ even, big deal. The guy can play, and he’s a winner. So Quinn’s played in a pro system, so! Taking him with the 3rd pick would prove to be costly, when his career ends up like Couch’s and Carr’s. I also say trade down to pick up more picks. We have too many holes too fill and the draft is deep with QB’s on the first day. Draft A.P., Adrian Peterson, not with the third pick, but with the 8th pick, that is if they can work out a deal with Atlanta. If he’s gone, take A.P., Antonio Pittman. With Jamal Lewis, that can be scary for defenses. just my opinion.
Hello over here…..this is reality speaking….Do you people remember…I mean the season just ended not even 4 months ago…..I have one thing to say:
We need a Freakin TACKLE
Hey Anonymous
I’m a big Buckeye fan, too, but why do you want to draft both Troy Smith & Antonio Pittman? No way would I touch either of those guys until the 3rd round at the earliest. Troy Smith had a horrible last game vs. Florida and was equally unimpressive at the combine. True, he was a better college QB than Quinn last year, but their college careers are over.
And David-
We need the best player available. I don’t think Joe Thomas is the best option at #3. If we trade down, sure he’s worth strong consideration. He’s not anywhere as highly touted as D’Brickshaw Ferguson. I can’t see taking a tackle that high unless he’s being compared to Orlando Pace, Ogden, or Walter Jones. And Thomas is not that kind of player, despite being the best tackle in the draft. The Browns need to address the line on Day 1 of the draft, but not with the 3rd overall pick.
Troy Smith is a winner. So he didn’t win his final game, neither did Quinn. Smith did win the Heisman Trophy, and has gotten better as a QB each year. I would take him in the 3rd round, especially if the ideal plan is to let the QB sit for the first year. Adrian Peterson would be so hard to pass up with the 3rd pick, especially after watching the Texans pass on Reggie Bush. And to set the record straight, Lee Suggs ain’t even in the same league as AP. He missed 6 games last year, and still topped 1,000 yards. If they don’t get Joe Thomas, I’m sure they can pick someone in the 2nd round.
It would be a bigger mistake to pass on Peterson, than it was to take Gerard Warren and not LT, and hire Butch Davis, and to pick Chaun Thompson in the 2nd round, and pick a long snapper in the 5th round, and to pick William Green over Clinton Portis, and trading a 2nd round pick to move up 1 spot to pick K2 multiplied by 10. Adrian Peterson is the guy they should take with the 3rd pick, and Troy Smith is the Franchise QB the Browns are looking for.
I don’t disagree that Troy Smith is a winner. I was arguing with the guy who was inferring the Browns should take Smith in the 1st round. No way would I want the Browns to do that. But, yes, I’d love Smith if he’s there in Round 3. Without taking a single NFL snap, he’s already better as our 3rd rounder than 2005’s 3rd rounder: Frye.
You make some good pts re: Peterson. If the Browns get him, I think he would put a whole new dynamic to the offense, something that has been lacking with this organization since Eric Metcalf was a rookie in 1989. I hope that if we do land AP that he’s healthy and with us for 10-12 yrs.
That was me, I admit that I was on a high when I talked about Troy Smith in the 1st round. Had he stepped up his performance in the Senior Bowl, and at the combine, and at the pro day, maybe. I was wrong, he isn’t deserving of anybody’s 1st round pick. I still would love to see him in a Browns uniform.