A granny and a whiff

Andrew Berry grabbed his bat twice Friday night in rounds two and three of the National Football League college draft with decidedly mixed results in his two swings.

The first swing in the second round was an absolute gem by the Browns' general manager. The second was the total opposite in round three. A big, fat, head-scratching whiff.

On the first, he hit a grand slam with his second-round selection of Notre Dame linebacker/safety Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. It was a move that, for all practical purposes, put a bow on the finishing touches of an almost complete revamping of the club's defense this season.

Berry brilliantly traded up from 59 to 52 with Carolina to grab one of the draft's best all-around talents on defense. He surrendered the first of his two third-round picks in exchange for an early fourth-rounder from the Panthers, ostensibly giving him three picks in that round Saturday.

The fact Owusu-Koramoah lasted as long as he did probably caused Berry to pounce and head off the possibility of Tennessee and Pittsburgh, lurking just ahead of the Browns before the swap, to make his move.

The newest Brown automatically adds speed, quickness, intelligence and toughness to the back seven. His versatility undoubtedly will challenge defensive coordinator Joe Woods' creativity.

He is flat out a playmaker no matter where he plays. He can rush the quarterback, play the slot corner, strong safety and any of the three linebacker positions. He's quick, fast and, most important, an excellent tackler. More than a few would call him the complete package.

Draft pundits wondered why he was still around in the second round. When the Browns picked him at 52, Charles Davis of the NFL Network exclaimed, "This is the pick I thought they'd make at 26 (in the first round)." Berry instead opted for cornerback Greg Newsome II. 

Daniel Jeremiah, sitting next to Davis on the network's set under the dome by the lakefront for the nationally televised  event, went one step further. In fact, he gushed.

"This Jeremiah is pretty fired up about that Jeremiah right there," said the former Browns scout, who is the network lead's draft expert. "Speed, toughness and instincts are what you want in a defensive player and this kid is dripping with all three."

Owusu-Koramoah, who checks in at a half inch higher than 6-1 and 221 pounds, is good enough to be a three-down regular, whether it's outside, on the edge, in the slot or in the run game. His versatility will enable him to play in just about any kind of package Woods devises.

Now the whiff.

It came late in the third round. The 91st overall pick to be exact. It was a palpable stunner. One that had to make most of Browns Nation bellow, "Huh??!!" Who is Anthony Schwartz? And why is he now a Cleveland Brown?

Well, first of all, he's a wide receiver. A fast wide receiver.  A really fast wide receiver. How fast? Olympic fast.  Runs a 4.25 40. No other receiver in the draft runs that fast.

The 6-0, 185-pound Schwartz, a former track standout at Auburn who decided he would rather play football, is more of a track specialist who plays football rather than a football player who occasionally runs track. Checking his college statistics provided all the evidence to advance that notion..

He caught only 117 passes at Auburn for 1,433 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons. He scored seven touchdowns running the football, most likely on reverses, sweeps and end-arounds. Can't imagine how head coach and Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will work him into an already strong offense.

Schwartz is an undisciplined route runner who sometimes has problems holding onto the football, deficiencies that are difficult to correct. He has been called a work in progress. 

Bottom line: You don't draft someone like him, someone who won't see the field that often, in the third round. Maybe the fifth or sixth round. Definitely not the third. For what it's worth, Ourlads Scouting Services projected Schwartz for the sixth round.

For  the record, among those still on the board at 91 was Quinn Meinerz, the portly center/guard from Wisconsin-Whitewater who rocketed up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the lottery. At 6-3 and 320 pounds, his most prominent feature is a rather prodigious belly. Fun to watch him running a 4.99 40, though. Seven picks later, Denver took him off the board.

But Meinerz is also a hell of a football player. Emphasis on football player. Besides, the Browns aren't getting any younger at center and left guard. 

If the Owusu-Koramoah selection is an A+++++, and it is, the Schwartz pick is an D----- because he would have been there well beyond his selection and better players were passed up.

TMI: The first round of the draft Thursday night was completed in a sluggish three hours and 48 minutes and ended a few minutes after midnight. Friday night's two rounds consumed four hours and 32 minutes and ended at 11;43 p.m.. . . Day 1 was viewed by a near-record 12.6 million viewers, second to last year's 15.3 million. . . . It was great to see NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was not booed. Probably the first time he has been greeted so warmly in this annual event. . . . It was also good to see the return of the Goodell hug with the dozen or so who made the trip to Cleveland and were selected. . . . The Browns own two of the first eight selections in the fourth round Saturday (picks 110 and 113). They also own pick No. 132.

Patience pays off

It was almost as though Andrew Berry knew what was going to happen even before it came time for the Browns' general manager to make the club's initial selection in the National Football League college draft Thursday night.

Picking 26th in the opening round gave him the luxury of letting the draft come to him before having to make command decisions. Looking to further improve a defense that had been dramatically improved through free agency, there was no question he eyed that side of the football.

He obviously didn't expect it to unfold in the manner it did. Thirteen of the first 17 selections targeted the offensive side of the football, including five quarterbacks. It dropped some well-regarded defensive players down to the Browns. It was almost as though it was destined. 

No need to trade up, one of the options Berry had at his command. The lottery was going too well to sacrifice the future. Many of the top defensive players on his board remained. Why make a move that made no sense. As they say, sometimes the best moves you make are the ones you don't make.

Patience was the order of the evening for the GM as the the city of Cleveland played host in prideful fashion to a national television audience. Well thought of edge rushers, linebackers and members of the secondary remained as the draft closed in on 26.

"We fielded calls in both directions, which is pretty typical with any draft" said Berry. "As the board fell, there were a number of players we liked within range we were picking. Ultimately, we felt kind of comfortable sweating it out, so to speak."

When Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Jacksonville opted for offense just ahead of the Browns, 10 players connected to the Browns from a mock-draft standpoint remained. Included were linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, edge rushers Jayson Oweh, Gregory Rousseau, Carlos Basham Jr., Azeem Ojulari and Joe Tryon and cornerbacks Asante Samuel Jr. and Greg Newsome II.

All were at one time or another linked to the Browns in the burgeoning world of mock drafts, which has become a cottage industry in the last several years in the wake of the enormous popularity of the draft. 

As it turned out, Berry wasn't kidding when he suggested the Browns can't have enough cornerbacks when he selected Newsome at No. 26, a quality choice after Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn and Caleb Farley had fallen off the board earlier. 

(Full disclosure: I was rooting for Owusu-Koramoah, whose versatility within the framework of the back seven fits perfectly with what the Browns want to do on defense. But I can't quarrel with the Newsome pick.)

It was an apparent sign Berry was satisfied with the composition of his pass rush, choosing instead to tighten up even more a secondary that suffered mightily through most of the 2020 season, It also provides insurance if Greedy Williams, who missed all last season with a shoulder problem, isn't ready for the season. 

Newsome, a three-year starter at Northwestern, was ranked the third-best cornerback by a number of draft gurus. The six-foot, 195-pounder, who turns 21 in a few weeks, is noted for his ability to play press coverage, disrupting routes. He was labeled a "route magnet" by one guru and is also considered strong at the point of attack in the ground game.

He allowed no touchdown passes in an abbreviated Big Ten season last year, but has intercepted only one pass in his college career despite coming up big in passes defensed. However,  his durability is in question, having missed three games due to injuries in each of his three seasons.

Newsome, who posted a 4.38 40, comes by his talent naturally. His father, Craig, also a cornerback, was selected in the first round of the 1995 draft by Green Bay and was part of the Packers' Super Bowl XXXI victory as a rookie.

"He fits culturally, being smart, tough and accountable" said head coach Kevin Stefanski of Newsome,  citing the club's credo. "He fits schematically. . . . He makes plays on the ball. There are a lot of things about his game we're very excited about."

Added Berry, "He was one of the guys we targeted through the draft process. He fits our profile for the Cleveland Browns." Echoing his coach, he added, "He fits the smart, tough, accountable profile we want out of our players."

And then the kicker: ". . . There was not a major discernible hole within his skill set. He has a high level of competency across all areas we value with the position." He must have not have been paying close attention to Newsome's injury history and lack of interceptions.

His addition to a crowded secondary allows defensive coordinator Joe Woods the opportunity to mix and match, playing as many as six defensive backs against teams that favor the pass, including division foes Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona and Green Bay. 

Several of the other shunned top-rated defenders remain on the board entering day two's two-round extravaganza Friday night. It wouldn't surprise if Berry, whose next pick is No, 59 in the second round, eschews his patience in round two if another of his targets continues to fall and moves up to snatch him..

The best fit

When it comes to choosing the next generation of Cleveland Browns this weekend, one aspect trumps all others.

There is no question General Manager Andrew Berry's front office has done its job with regard to making certain those chosen in the National Football League college draft will fit. And by that, I mean making certain the scheme, the profile they have align with the coaching philosophies.

Talents in all players are unique to the point where solid judgment can avoid the square-peg-in-a-round-hole situation. Attempting to take the particular talents of a player and make them fit a different scheme usually winds up disastrously.

Talent scouts try to marry those talents with the those philosophies. They don't always hit because the draft, by and large, is a seven-round gamble. The deeper it goes, the more scouts and general managers cross their fingers in hopes of unearthing a gem.

How many late-round selections and undrafted free agents have risen to the level of Pro Football Hall of Fame? More than you think.

The nine -- mostly likely fewer -- players the Browns select will be chosen because they fit that profile, that scheme regardless of position. A few picked over the course of the three days might even engender a what-were-they-thinking response. But know they are made with considerable aforethought. 

As for the opening round of the draft Thursday night, a lot depends on Berry's thinking as it unfolds. If he and his minions honestly believe the club's pass-rushing problems have been solved with the addition of Jadeveon Clowney and Takkarist McKinley, then edge rusher is a no-go in round one

The thinking then is probably cornerback, reflecting the NFL notion that "you can never have enough cornerbacks." And this is a rich cornerback class. It all fits defensive coordinator Joe Woods' philosophy where nickel and dime schemes take up a lot of space in his playbook.

But if Berry and his guys surprise and take, say, Miami defensive end Jaelan Phillips (or the best pass rusher available) with that pick at No. 26, that speaks volumes. You can never have enough pass rushers to harass opposing quarterbacks perhaps?

At the same time, while it is thought by many who religiously follow the draft that Berry will continue to target the defensive side of the football, a few selections favoring the other side of the ball should not surprise.

Even though the offense is considered in many quarters as one of the best in the league, if not the best, it can  grow old in a hurry and the future must be considered in the lottery on an annual basis. So don't be surprised if Berry makes at least a couple of moves in that direction.

Flushed with the success of his first full season as the GM and the strong offseason season that has improved the defense dramatically, Berry very well could be laying the groundwork for not just this season, but well beyond.

The secret to any team's sustained success lies in the ability of a front office to recognize the weaknesses in the roster and strengthen them over the course of a few seasons. It's a slow process, but one that ultimately pays dividends.

Right now, Berry is in the early stages of that process. How he selects this weekend will go a long way in insuring continued success for a franchise that more than deserves it after suffering through a generation of embarrassing football.

Getting draftier

The Thinking Man's Guide to What Browns General Manager Andrew Berry Will Do in the First Round of the National Football League Draft and Beyond . . . 

Just kidding because there is no way -- absolute or otherwise -- to crawl into that man's thought processes and determine how he will eventually act as he launches the final stages of revitalizing this erstwhile woebegone franchise. 

The guess is the ebb and flow of the first dozen selections in the opening round a week from tonight down by the Cleveland Lakefront will dictate his strategy as the lottery unfolds. Right now -- and probably right up until Roger Goodell starts the big event -- he is pondering at least a couple of dozen names for round one.

The draft board undoubtedly will be massaged a few times between now and then, but not on top. All that remains is determining strategy in order to place himself in the best position to get the player he wants.

Drafting 26th -- and that's not chiseled because there is room for movement in either direction -- is foreign to the Browns, the reward of the franchise's best season since reentering the NFL in 1999. Even so, there is plenty of first-round talent to land a starter.

It gives Berry, no stranger to maneuvering up and down the order. the opportunity to move up grab a player he covets. Chances of one of his top choices dropping into his lap if he stands still are slim. He is too low at 26 for that to happen unless, of course, his talent evaluation is so radically different than his fellow general managers.

He also has draft capital -- two third-rounders and two fourth-rounders could be used as bargaining chips -- with which to barter. If he chooses to go that route and move up, there are players on both sides of the football who will help, although defense commands a higher priority.

So will the first selection be for need? Or for the best player available? I come from the BPA school, especially if you want to build a strong roster top to bottom. Get the best regardless of position. That's how you build winning teams.

As for the names on Berry's list for round one, a majority perform on defense.

Need a cornerback? Of course. The Browns, it appears, cannot have enough of them. Seven reside on the current roster. Why not add Greg Newsome II or Asante Samuel Jr. to the list? One will be there.

Edge rusher? Yeah, I know Jadeveon Clowney and Takkarist McKinley are now on board. But let's face it. That's not enough help for Myles Garrett. How about Jaelan Phillips or Greggory Rousseau? They'll be there, too.

Thinking linebacker? Yeah, me, too. That's where I'd like to see Berry go. I really like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but he'll probably be gone unless Berry trades up. But big Zaven Collins and Jamin Davis, who has zoomed up the board in the last few weeks, have a chance to drop to the Browns. 

Berry could stun -- he is quite capable -- and grab a wide receiver in the opening round. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. might not be around much longer and drafting for the future is not out of the question even that high.

Don't even think about Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith or Ja'Marr Chase, though. They'll be gone real early. But Rashid Bateman and Kadarius Toney won't and should be available.

And don't think for a minute he won't try to fortify the offensive line in one of the lower rounds. Age is creeping up on a couple of members of that unit. Remember the names Jalen Mayfield, Jackson Carman and Quinn Meinerz.

The chances are good Berry will emerge with seven players -- he doesn't need all nine for this formidable roster -- and a couple of future high-round picks next year. Always have to be thinking ahead. 

Another blunder

So why did the Browns say sayonara to Sheldon Richardson Friday? They are not going to say so, but you would not be incorrect if you suspected money was the root cause.

The Browns signed the veteran defensive tackle as a free agent a couple of years ago to a three-year contract worth $37 million ($21 million guaranteed). They expected him to plug a sizable hole in the middle of the defensive line.

And he did, playing in all 33 games (including the playoffs), averaging 63 tackles a season and anchoring a line that improved against the run both seasons. He was easily the club's best interior lineman. Consistency was his main calling card. 

And now he is on the street (but not for long) after the Browns signed Jadeveon Clowney, the antithesis of Richardson, a couple of days ago. The guess here -- and that's exactly what it is, a guess -- is the Browns attempted to restructure the last season of Richardson's contract and he balked.

In cutting him, the Browns avoided a $13.7 million salary cap hit and added roughly $11 million back on the cap. Money coming back with little or no regard for the quality of play he gave them for those two seasons. An unjust reward.

So just like that, one achiever who often times overachieved, departs and a known underachiever, whose biggest liability is just being available to play a full season, arrives and is lustily welcomed by the club's general manager.

"We love his relentless style of play . . . love his versatility . . . . he impacts the game regardless of his alignment," lavished Andrew Berry of his newest acquisition. He chose to ignore the fact Clowney is not nearly as reliable or available as Richardson was.

It also means the GM almost certainly will take an interior defensive lineman -- maybe even an edge rusher -- in the college draft in a couple of weeks as he methodically attempts to duplicate the success he achieved last season with molding a top offense.

Cutting Richardson, however, is not even close to being addition by subtraction. Like the Clowney signing, it is a step in the wrong direction. 

Of the four defensive tackles left on the roster, only rookie Jordan Elliott played with the Browns last season. Andrews Billings chose to sit out the season because of COVID-19, Malik Jackson played with the Philadelphia Eagles and Sheldon Day played for Indianapolis.

Elliott was used sparingly, starting only one game with 15 total tackles, six solo. Gone are the inconsistent Larry Ogunjobi and Vincent Taylor.

Richardson's presence enabled the Browns to shed the label of one of the worst run defenses in the National Football League and achieve some measure of respectability. Most of last season's embarrassing defensive statistics were attributable to the club's awful, awful AWFUL pass defense.

Errors in personnel judgment, especially in dealing with the defensive side of the football, must be avoided. It says here Berry has made two misjudgments in a row. Coming up big in the draft would be a huge step in stopping the current streak at two.

Good news/bad news

From the good news/bad news department at 76 Lou Groza Blvd in Berea . . . 

The good news: The Browns signed a new pass-rushing specialist Wednesday.

The bad news: It was Jadeveon Clowney.

Clowney, who entered the National Football League seven years ago as a heralded No. 1 overall draft choice of the Houston Texans, signed with his third team in three years. That screams JOURNEYMAN.

And a boastful one at that. To wit:

"I'm here to prove I can still dominate in this league," he said while introducing himself to the Cleveland media via ZOOM. "That's what I'm here to prove this year. I want to show I'm still an elite player. You're going to see this season."

Then hyperbole took over. "I'm capable of NFL defensive player of the year," he said. "All Pro for sure." Yes, he really said that. Honest.

Chisel that one in something hard and reference it from time to time throughout the 2021 season when Clowney is either on the sidelines in street clothes or on the injured list on game days.

If he is as good as he says (thinks?) he is, he would still be with the Texans and not scrounging around the NFL on an annual basis looking for the best possible contract. He couldn't even make it last season in Tennessee, where he played for Titans coach Mike Vrabel, his former defensive coordinator in Houston.

First of all, Clowney hasn't been an elite player in the NFL for the last four seasons. He has become a career-long injury waiting to happen at just about any time. He has played all 16 games in a season just once.

His latest physical hurdle was successfully rehabbing a major knee injury. When he passed his physical, the Browns signed him to a reported one-year, $10 million deal ($8 million base, $2 million in incentives), recklessly spending Jimmy Haslam III's money.

Just for shiggles, Google the list of his injuries and surgeries -- it's very long -- over his career. Numerous surgeries on both knees, multiple hernia procedures, not to mention ankle, elbow and back woes. It's one injury after another. 

Prepare yourself to at least wonder why this 6-5, 260-pound man is so brittle. He isn't anywhere near being the young phenom who entered the NFL in 2014. If Andrew Berry believes that, he is only fooling himself.

From a physical standpoint, Clowney is 28 years old going on 45. 

He has marginal pass-rushing skills. (And isn't that the reason Berry sought his services?) It has become abundantly clear Clowney's main strength lies in his ability to stop the run. Is that worth $10 million? Rhetorical question.

Besides, the Browns are well set at defensive tackle with Sheldon Richardson, Andrew Billings, Jordan Elliott and Malik Jackson. Run stopping is taken care of. That's not what the Brown are looking for. Disturbing and disrupting opposing quarterbacks from the edge is. The Browns are no better off there now than they were last season.

Clowney is not better than Olivier Vernon, who at least posed an honest-to-goodness threat from Myles Garrett's opposite flank last season. That will not be the case this season with Clowney and Takkarist McKinley alternating on the other side.

But this contract is for only one season, some will argue. Maybe so, but during that season, how many of the 17 games will Clowney suit up for? And how many sacks? The over/under on games is 10.5; sacks check in at 6.5. 

Clowney's stats pale in comparison with Garrett, who has racked up more sacks, quarterback hits and hurries in 51 career games than Clowney in his 83-game career. He did so with marginal help, while Clowney played with J. J. Watt in Houston for five seasons. And yet he has never had a double-digit sack season.

The newest Brown said he looks forward to teaming up with Garrett. "I've been double-teamed a lot in my career," he said. "I'd like them to focus on (Garrett). It might take some pressure off myself." He needn't worry about that. The peerless Garrett is routinely double- and sometimes triple-teamed. 

Berry, who deservedly is credited with smartly crafting a winning team in Cleveland for the first time in a generation, missed the mark on this one. It is clearly a step in the wrong direction.

It took the Cleveland general manager  part of two offseasons to finally land Clowney after failing last offseason to convince him Cleveland is where he belongs. He watched as Clowney accepted far less money (reportedly) from Tennessee and failed miserably.

He is no longer a playmaker. He is no longer a major threat. He can boast and bloviate all he wants. Talking doesn't make it so.

"It's a great feeling knowing you can come to a team already on the up," he said about the upcoming season. "I can help them get over the hump to the Super Bowl."

Right now, Jadeveon Clowney is a 28-year-old journeyman who will hang on long enough to collect a decent pension with a legacy of classic underachievement. Cleveland is merely his next stop.

Pass rush first

Because Andrew Berry did such a terrific job last season to help make the Browns relevant again in the National Football League, the job this season won't be nearly as difficult.

Last season, it was the offense, which ultimately became one of the most dangerous in the league. This season, the general manager addressed the defense in free agency and hit the jackpot with safety John Johnson III, slot cornerback Troy Hill and inside linebacker Anthony Walker.

Right there, the Browns are better on that side of the football than last season's gift-giving team. Only fiscal common sense prevented them from completing the job with a must-have, game-changing presence on the edge.

Only the spectacularly mediocre Takkarist McKinley said yes to what amounted to peanuts as all the good ones hit their monetary jackpots with other teams. And that bring us to phase two of molding a championship team by the lakefront.

(Sure feels strange to type that after all those years of futility, teeth-gnashing and next-yearing -- as in wait 'til -- about professional football in Cleveland. Feels nice, too.)

With the NFL college draft three weeks away down by the shores of Lake Erie and the entire NFL universe tuning into arguably the most anticipated sports event on the sports landscape, Berry will get his next shots at completing the job.

And it's a good bet he won't take all nine shots he has with a roster that doesn't need restructuring. He'll be in a swapping mood with the likelihood of a seven- or eight-player haul.

The raging question is which way will he go when the Browns' turn at 26 in the first sound rolls around? Edge rusher to pair with Myles Garrett? Linebacker that will improve the quality at the position? Cornerback in the event injury-prone Greedy Williams remains injury-prone? Safety if rookie Grant Delpit isn't completely healthy?

Also raging is whether the Browns will vacate that spot by trading up if a targeted player and a team willing to deal can be pieced together without sacrificing the immediate future. 

Top priority from this viewpoint must be finding the complement to Garrett on the other side of the defensive line. McKinley is not the answer and there are a few in the draft who might be available like Azeez Ojulari, Kwity Paye, Jaelan Phillips, Jayson Oweh and Gregory Rousseau. Maybe not at 26, but who might drop low enough to pitch a trade.

Why edge? Why not cornerback, especially in a division that loves to throw the football? Because strong pass defense is born up front. Members of the secondary love lines that make opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable. It makes the secondary's job that much easier.

Why do you think Johnson and Hill, who played so well for the Los Angeles Rams last season, were highly sought in free agency? Because they flourished with the help of the Rams' front seven, most notably the defensive line.

Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, Morgan Fox, Michael Brockers and Samson Ekuban had 43.5 of the club's 53 sacks. The Browns had 38 sacks, 12 of them by Garrett. The Browns need help in the defensive trenches. 

Hill allowed just one touchdown pass last season in L.A. If the Browns cannot produce significant pressure up front, wanna bet Hill will get burned more than once? The domino effect of a good pass rush  flows back to the secondary. It is the prime beneficiary of a strong pass rush.

An average pass rush that gives quarterbacks time to throw the ball and receivers enough time to work their way open generally results in negative plays. But make the quarterback throw before he wants or blow up plays that rely on perfect rhythm and timing and positive plays generally follow. 

Offense is all about timing. Defense is all about aggression. The Cleveland defense pretty much played last season on its heels. Granted defensive coordinator Joe Woods was not exactly blessed with what could be generally called talent with perhaps the exception of Garrett and Denzel Ward. 

Another X-factor is what the Browns' final draft board looks like. Plugging in to Berry's mind in that regard is futile. Just when you think he surely will go in one direction, he is quite capable of doing the exact opposite. 

But one outcome is certain. He is smart enough to avoid falling into a trap and mortgaging the future for the wrong reason. The fervent hope here is he targets the pass rush first and makes that the missing piece of the championship puzzle.