Monday, April 2, 2018

What to do, what to do


Here we are 23 days from the National Football League’s college draft and the Browns still don’t know what they are going to do with the first overall selection.

Or do they?

Well, if they are, they aren’t saying.

But the guess here is no, they do not know yet what name they will put on that initial card Commissioner Roger Goodell will read as a nation anxiously holds its breath.

The poobahs who will run this draft for the Browns say it’s too early to make that determination. And they are correct.

There is still a lot of work to be done before the critical decision is made as to which of the top four quarterbacks will be the Browns’ franchise quarterback of the near future and the face of the team.

General Manager John Dorsey and his cadre of lieutenants know who those quarterbacks are and enough about them to know how they can have an impact on the club.

Until Dorsey & Co. put together their final boards in the final week or so leading up to the lottery, everything fans see and hear should be taken with sizable grains of salt because they are nothing more than pre-draft pabulum.

The run-up to this draft has taken on such a significant importance to the starved fans of this franchise, it can’t arrive soon enough. They are weighed down by the nonsense spilling out from all corners of the media.

This guy who knows Dorsey tells a writer exactly what the Cleveland GM is going to do with his first choice and it becomes public. Dorsey, someone reported, is reportedly fascinated by quarterbacks who have extraordinary arm and most likely will draft Josh Allen.

You’ve got to be pretty gullible – or naïve – to swallow all that. Why? Because the draft is still 23 days away. That’s why. Too many factors between now and April 26 can ultimately determine those final decisions.

It’s nothing more than a guessing game at this point, anyway. And anyone who says he knows definitely what will take place in Arlington, Texas on the final Thursday of the month is blowing smoke.

What we do know almost for certain is Dorsey will take a quarterback with the initial pick. Almost certain because there are one or two possibilities remaining that could affect that decision. Like, for example, possibly trading out of the slot.

That’s almost certainly unlikely unless Dorsey has big enough shoulders to feel the wrath of Browns Nation if he has a massive brain cramp and chooses to move in that direction. The likelihood is minimal.

First things first, though. Dorsey and his men (including the owner) are meeting with the four quarterbacks this week and next in Berea to further evaluate them and hopefully narrow the reasons they should or should not take one of them.

They probably will go in with an open mind in hopes the candidates will do or say something along the way that will either eliminate them or enhance their chances.

In the meantime, find something else to do for the next three weeks or so and trust that the best front office this franchise has had since the resurrection nearly 20 years ago knows what it is doing.

There is reason to believe this is the case and we will all watch it unveil deep in the heart of Texas in just 23 days.
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5 comments:

  1. Hi Rich - personally I would hope they know which of those QBs they're going to draft by now, and all that guy has to do is not blow it in his team visit. Meanwhile, since I haven't posted here in a while, here's a good chance to vehemently disagree with one of your long-standing points - I believe the Browns would be completely out of their minds to draft Barkley at four. A guy like Fitzpatrick or Ward would make a MASSIVE difference on the defense; they could get any of three or four RBs at 33 or 35 who would not be much of a drop in production from what they'd get from Barkley at 4. There won't be any DBs within a country mile of the max quality of the two mentioned above in the second round, but the drop in RB production just isn't that big. There are reasons the RB position has been devalued over the years, don't blow the #4 pick in the draft on one when you can get a major impact player for the defense.

    DW

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  2. The Browns already have 17 defensive backs on the roster, DW, and 11 are cornerbacks. I will be stunned if they draft a DB with the fourth pick.

    As for the RB, I want the best one and Barkley is clearly the best one. But I would rather have the best edge rusher (B. Chubb) if he is available. He is easily the best defensive player. If he's not there at 4, go for Barkley.

    Will be writing about that soon.

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  3. That 4th Pick May Be The Most Interesting Pick In The Draft. Some Team May Try To Offer The Browns A King's Ransom To Draft A QB Or Barkley If Available.

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  4. Look for Buffalo or Arizona to make that kind of move. Personally, I'd stay put and take a terrific player rather than gamble on the future.

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  5. Rich, I Believe That Quality Over Quantity Is The Way To Go.

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