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Intereesting comments on Beanie Wells from Mike Lombardi

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In his latest post, Mike Lombardi writes the following about Beanie Wells:

Who is the best player you have played against?

Every time I talk to a player, I always ask who the best player was they played against in their career. I keep a list, and often the names are not the same. But when the same name seems to come up all the time, I make sure I do more work on that player. This year, it seems like Ohio States’ Chris “Beanie” Wells is the winner. His combination of speed, power and size seems to have players in awe.

Wells should be a force in the NFL. I’d love to see the Browns find a way to get him. I’ll throw up if the Steelers or Ravens take him.

Trade Edwards, don’t draft Crabtree

Great news today from Tony Grossi:

The Browns have all but crossed off Michael Crabtree as a candidate for the No. 5 overall pick, said a source.

The Texas Tech receiver brought a diva attitude on his visit to the club facility last week and did not impress coach Eric Mangini and others, the source said. In fact, Crabtree was described by some in the building as “not nice.” After Crabtree left, Mangini secured last-minute workouts with borderline first-round receivers Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, Kenny Britt of Rutgers and Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia.

For weeks I’ve been hearing commentators and bloggers arguing that the Browns had to take Crabtree if they traded Edwards. This thinking made absolutely no sense. Just because a trade would open a need at wide receiver doesn’t mean that you have to burn the #5 pick on a receiver. I was encouraged when news broke that the Browns were working out Hicks and Britt, and now this news suggests Crabtree is off the table.

Joe Smith poised to join Cavs

It’s not a secret. Everyone expects Joe Smith to sign with the Cavs after he clears waivers on Wednesday. Some have speculated that Drew Gooden would be a better option, but TD at WaitingForNextYear sawts away that dumb idea.

Smith gives the Cavs some much-needed help down low. The only downside is that J.J. Hickson will get less playing time. I think Hickson has the potential to make an impact down the stretch, but at least the Cavs now have more experience and plenty of options. By the time Ben Wallace comes back, he may find it hard to get his minutes back.

Derrick Ward signs with Tampa

So much for going after Derrick Ward. Eric Mangini suggested he was interested in pursuing Ward, but that didn’t happen.

Clinging to an NFL-record $61 million under the salary cap at the start of free agency, the Bucs finally handed off some of that loot Monday to Giants running back Derrick Ward.

Part of the Earth, Wind and Fire running back rotation with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, Ward rushed for 1,025 yards and two touchdowns last season. His 5.6-yard rushing average was the best in the NFL, and he caught 41 passes for 384 yards.

Ward, who turns 29 before opening day, agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $17 million. The deal includes $6 million guaranteed in the first year, $9.25 million over two years and $13 million over three.

Ward received strong interest from the Bengals and Broncos in free agency, but his offers might have been tempered because he is at an age when many running backs begin to slip.

In Tampa Bay, Ward will split carries with running back Earnest Graham, who is 29 and coming off a leg injury that sidelined him the final six games of 2008.

This isn’t a huge loss. Given his age, I can see why Ward wasn’t a big priority.

Winslow traded

This trade shouldn’t be a surprise. Winslow is a great talent, and he played harder than anyone, but his injuries and his contract demands made him expendable. They had their best game on offense last season (against the Giants) when Winslow was hurt. He was a serious liability in the running game. Also, if we’re moving to more of a Patrots-style offense, the tight end seems to be less important.

That said, what are the draft picks? Why is this a secret? Hopefully the Browns got at least a #2 pick.

Update: The PD is reporting that the Browns “will receive Tampa Bay’s second-round pick in 2009 and fifth-round pick in 2010.”

Here’s Winslow’s statement:

In Tampa, Winslow said, “Cleveland treated me right. Everything didn’t go as planned there but I had a good time playing there. Cleveland was great to me. I had a great time playing with Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn. I’m going to miss those guys. But it’s a new opportunity and I’ve played with some of the guys on this team — Jeff Faine, Antonio Bryant, Luke McCown.”

Like I said above, Winslow played his heart out. It’s nice to see him leave with class.

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