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.