The Browns traded excess picks in the fourth, fifth, and seventh rounds to move up one spot to land Alabama's Trent Richardson to be the workhorse running back that the team badly needed.
If Richardson pans out, you could make a real case that Richardson would give the Browns the best running back in his prime in the last 25 years as I don't count the one-year blips of Jamal Lewis and Peyton Hillis.Backs that can catch the ball and play all three downs are rare indeed and if Richardson is able to do that, the small price that the Browns paid to move up will be well worth the cost.
My only small concern about Richardson is this-If Richardson was such a dominant back, why could he not beat out Mark Ingram for Ingram's term with the Crimson Tide?
All and all I believe Richardson has a good chance to be exactly the type of back that is going to thrive in the cold weather climate of the AFC North and he has the low to the ground body type that I think is going to dish out as much punishment as he takes.
Brandon Weeden was taken with the 22nd pick and even though I think that I would have passed and hoped that he would make it through to the Browns' second-rounder on day two.
However, three very good receivers are still on the board at the end of day one, and considering that the Browns hold the fifth pick in the round and two very good offensive linemen have slid out of the first round that was expected to be first-rounders (Stanford's Jonathan Martin and Georgia's Cordy Glenn), one of the three pass catchers should be Cleveland bound.
If one of the three (Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, South Carolina's Alshon Jeffrey, who would be my choice, and LSU's Reuben Randle) is selected by the Browns, then the Weeden selection will not bother me as much as I would have picked one of those players possibly anyway, although I seriously winced when Iowa's powerhouse tackle Riley Reiff was available to be selected.
Reiff went to Detroit with the following pick and would have been a perfect fit at the gaping hole that is right tackle.
On one hand, Weeden is quite a gamble considering his age, but considering his strong arm and ability to make all the throws, if Weeden was 24 instead of 29, he never would have fallen to the 22nd spot in the first round.
The Browns did not draft a 29-year-old quarterback in the first round for him to sit behind Colt McCoy, so I would bet that Weeden will be the starting quarterback when the season starts.
I might even wager a nickel or two that Colt McCoy might not even be a Brown by the end of this draft.
Considering the lack of confidence that the Browns seem to have in McCoy at this time, I'd bet that if a team offered the Browns a day three draft pick that team just might land McCoy for a backup job elsewhere.
My biggest concern with Weeden is the age and that relates to the former baseball player issue.
So many of these types have entered the league and only Jay Schroeder had any kind of success at all and Schroeder was not exactly Johnny Unitas.
Chris Weinke, Josh Booty, Chad Hutchinson, Drew Henson, etc all came from similar backgrounds and none hit it big in the league, so Weeden would be the first to have real success after all the time spent elsewhere.
As noted, if the Browns can grab a needed player at 37 at wide receiver or tackle, then all is forgiven, and looking at the players on the board, I think that is a pretty safe bet to make.....
So looking at day two, Cleveland has their own second and third to use and I would be stunned if those two picks were not used on a receiver and a tackle.
But in the event that they pass on one of those two positions, I would love to see a linebacker, especially if that backer was Demario Davis of Arkansas State.
I listed three pass catchers above that all would look very nice opposite Greg Little and if the Browns are not able to land someone to take the pressure off Little,I believe that it will be difficult for Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy, or anyone else to move the football effectively.
There are a few tackles that slipped from beyond round one and would be instant starters, but to take one of them means that none of the wide receivers could be taken and I think that the receiver would be a better pick in round two.
Jonathan Martin, Cordy Glenn, and Bobby Massie will likely be taken by the time round three rolls around, although if one of them does last that long then the decision would be pretty easy for the Browns.
Ohio State's massive Mike Adams has similar talents to the mentioned players, but failed a drug test at the combine and could slide to round three because of that reason alone.
Adams could provide the value that the Browns need if they are willing to take a chance.
The Browns could have a chance to have a vastly improved offense depending on the results on day two of the draft.
Brandon Weeden is under center, a durable, a high floor back in Trent Richardson, another receiver to add to Greg Little, and the only weak spot of the line addressed-now I am not saying the Browns become a playoff team, but they could take a large leap forward.
That is the optimistic view.
If Brandon Weedon is unable to make the transition, if the Browns miss on the second-round receiver etc, the Browns could be in a further hole as they will have spent a first-round pick on a passer that did not pan out.
Time will tell.
Back tomorrow with a look at day two.
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