Browns bounce Brady and Bucs in OT!

  David Njoku's incredible one-handed, over-the-head grab and pull of the ball into his torso while leaping into the air and managing to stay inbounds fourth down catch with thirty-two seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime. 

Nick Chubb scored on a three-yard run with nineteen seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Cleveland Browns to a 23-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and kept any mild heartbeat of a postseason berth alive.

Chubb finished with 116 yards rushing and Amari Cooper caught seven passes for ninety-four yards including a deep catch late in overtime that set up the game-winning score.

Cleveland improved to 4-7 with the win and will travel to Houston next week with some fellow named Watson starting and making his team and season debut at quarterback.

Brownie Bits

1) The catch by David Njoku to allow the Browns to reach overtime is one that has to be seen to be believed.

2) It's the type of play that Njoku has occasionally delivered in his seasons with the Browns and that the team hoped it would see more consistently after signing him to a long-term contract.

Njoku has so much talent and such tremendous physical attributes that he should be among Travis Kelce as the best in the league at his position.

3) And the forgotten man arrived as Anthony Schwartz suddenly appeared in the first half to score on a thirty-one-yard running play and caught a pass for seventeen yards.

Schwartz has been a disappointment since being selected in the third round in 2021 and for all of his vaunted speed, he hasn't been very good as in his kick-returning appearances either.

Perhaps Schwartz's best role may be to stop depending on him as a contributor among the team's top five receivers on the depth chart and use him as a "Swiss Army Knife" to use the current phrase for multi-dimensional contributors.

4) Myles Garrett may have re-injured his shoulder in the Browns win but he was in the Tampa Bay backfield all afternoon and finished with a sack and a half.

Garrett seemed to be pounding Tom Brady on every play in the final period and overtime and that's the type of impact that Garrett can have on a game when properly inspired.

5) Amari Cooper had a topsy-turvy game that began when a wide-open Cooper dropped a well-thrown ball from Jacoby Brissett in the fourth quarter on a fourth down.

The drop was so out of character that I was more than mildly surprised to see Cooper unable to catch the ball.

6) Cooper more than redeemed himself in overtime with a forty-five-yard catch to the Tampa three-yard line that would set up the winning touchdown.

The acquisition of Cooper certainly ranks at the top of the moves that Andrew Berry has made since taking charge.

7) Speaking of high/low, Cade York smacked another fifty-plus yard field goal and yet shanked a 39-yard try about as badly as a weekend duffer could doink a golf ball.

Such are the travails of dealing with a rookie kicker.

8) The Browns continued their pattern of first-drive dominance as they scored a touchdown on that drive and added a field goal on their next drive.

I'm not sure what it means that Kevin Stefanski has such control over the planned drives and struggles on the fly on play calling thereafter but the data on this is building in a particular direction.

9) I was surprised that Kevin Stefanski didn't go for the two-point conversion after David Njoku's touchdown reception,  not that kicking the extra point wasn't the right call but considering Stefanski's reliance on analytical projections that going for two seemed to be more of what I expected from him.

10)  The Browns now will own a unique note in football annuals.

The win was the first time that Tom Brady led by seven points or more with one minute remaining in the game and lost.

11) Jacoby Brissett was better than the Browns could have expected in his eleven games as the starter.

The Browns' 4-7 record under Brissett wasn't what they needed or hoped for when the handover to DeShaun Watson takes place but give the Browns a win that they literally handed to the Jets and 5-6 would have been more in the range hoped for.

Brissett wasn't great and some of his play showed why he has been a career backup but his play never reached the level of awfulness that cost the Browns games, which is more than they could have asked for.

Jacoby Brissett turned out to be what the Browns needed, a steady hand that may not have won as many games as hoped but blended a team with some class and professionalism that badly needed it.

12) And now we start seeing just what the Browns traded three first-round picks for in DeShaun Watson.

Don't expect miracles right away, although I do expect a win in his game against the terrible Texans but this will be a pre- pre-season of sorts to prepare Watson for what is hoped to be an excellent season next year.

Browns extend David Njoku

   The Cleveland Browns continued to attempt to lock up their core players as the team extended the contract of tight end David Njoku with a four-year contract worth over fifty-six million dollars.

Njoku was the final of the Browns three first-rounders in the 2017 draft and even after five seasons in Cleveland, Njoku is still only twenty-five years old.

Njoku caught thirty-six passes for four hundred and seventy-five yards and four touchdowns for the Browns in 2021, playing in sixteen of seventeen games.

I have to admit that I'm straddling the fence on this signing.

I love Njoku's talent and downfield ability, he does seem to be coming into his own as a player after some admittedly erratic season, and DeShaun Watson has been noted for using his tight ends often during his time in Houston.

However, I still wonder if Njoku has proven enough to be counted on as much as this contract will count on the former Miami Hurricane, and has he truly matured enough as a player that the spectacular catches remain and the routine catches become routine?

Njoku will be the fifth highest-paid tight end in the league and while this doesn't seem to make sense when you look at pure production, the Browns have leaned on the analytical notation of paying for projected future performance rather than past performance.

While that is sound reasoning, it also can be a far riskier gambit than relying on a player to repeat what they have placed on the stat sheet in the past.

My issue isn't with the payout as the contract is structured that should Njoku disappoint that the Browns could walk away from the deal after the 2023 season and should Njoku play to expectations, Cleveland's agreement with him could prove to be if not a bargain, certainly of excellent value.

In the end, this is all about projection as David Njoku isn't deserving of a contract of this size for what he has done on the field.

However, Njoku has shown just enough tantalizing glimpses of elite talent to make him at least worth considering a contract of this amount and I suppose Njoku couldn't be any worse than Austin Hooper for yards after the catch, so despite the risk, I can see why the Browns decided to make this commitment.

Browns Franchise David Njoku

     I've been a bit busy and fell a bit behind but before NFL free agency starts next week, I wanted to write a little about the decision by the Cleveland Browns to use the franchise tag on tight end David Njoku before the deadline arrived to do so.

The twenty-five-year-old Njoku is a very rare product in the NFL these days- a player with five years in the league that still has plenty of room for improvement.

The 6'4, 248 pound Njoku was one of Cleveland's first-round selections in the 2017 draft, and while on the stat sheet, Njoku's best season was 2018 (56 catches, 639 yards, 4 touchdowns), it was last season that Njoku seemed to be moving closer to fulfilling his potential.

Njoku began to not only make the spectacular catch, but he also began to catch the easier ball as well and that had often been the bugaboo in the former Miami Hurricane's game.

Njoku's game against the Chargers showed that he is capable of when he caught each of the seven passes thrown his way and finished with 149 yards and a touchdown of seventy-one yards.

However, it was the only game all season that the Browns would target Njoku more than five times and on the surface in a tight end heavy offense it isn't unreasonable to wonder why Njoku wasn't targeted more often.

However, when you consider the money being paid to Austin Hooper as the more reliable target it's understandable why Njoku wasn't targeted as often, and with Njoku's talent and athletic ability, I'm not sure the Browns would have been able to retain Njoku had he hit free agency with many suitors interested.

Njoku's tag will cost the Browns 10.9 million dollars for the 2022 season before Njoku is eligible to return to free agency next season and the Browns are still attempting to work out a long-term extension with Njoku.

Still, I would imagine that the Browns are still trying to decide about the future of Austin Hooper as I'd think the plan is for Njoku to get on the field more and be used as the top tight end, and even with the franchise tag activated, Njoku is still going to make 2.3 million dollars less than Hooper will next season.

Hooper catches what's thrown to him generally, but he might be the first player to ever have a Yards After Catch number in the minus column (that's sarcasm, folks) with his tendency to fall down immediately after the catch and he's been a disappointment for the amount of money that he's being paid.

I could see the Browns keeping Hooper and despite the overpay, living with the contract as a solid and unspectacular player but I could also see the Browns deciding to save the cap space and despite taking an eventual hit for the contract down the road and giving Hooper his release.

I would be fine either way really but if the Browns could use the space to address other needs I think that Harrison Bryant could move up to the second tight end slot pretty easily.

Bryant's receiving skills could even add a dimension to the offense that could use it but Bryant (and Njoku as well) isn't nearly the blocker as Hooper, so I would guess the Browns would be likely to sign an inexpensive veteran blocking tight end in that scenario.

The Browns rarely use the franchise tag but I'm okay with this.

David Njoku is still a player that can get better which makes him another rarity in free agency- a player that you sign or retain that a team would be paying for future production rather than for past production.

I will be back later with a possible catchup of the Cavaliers week (although I may wait until tomorrow since they play the Miami Heat tonight) and the boxing challenge.

Browns release Austin Seibert, promote Cody Parkey, Njoku to IR.

 Give Kevin Stefanski this- he's not going to tolerate players that cannot handle the basics of their job.
The basic job of the kicking position to kick the football between the uprights on field goals and extra points.
Austin Seibert failed at that job yesterday in the Browns 38-6 loss at Baltimore and Kevin Stefanski wasn't going to tolerate any further struggles as the Browns released Seibert and replaced him with veteran Cody Parkey from the practice squad.


Siebert was selected by the John Dorsey regime in the fifth round in 2019 out of Oklahoma and Seibert did make 25 of 29 field-goal attempts in 2019 after beating out Greg Joseph for the job, but he missed four of five attempts over forty yards and five extra points and once Dorsey was gone after last season, Seibert was going to be watched carefully.
When Seibert missed both of his kicks in Baltimore, the only question was would the Browns pull the trigger on a short week and release him now or give him one week to turn things around?

Cody Parkey was on the enlarged practice squad as each team is keeping a kicker on their squad in the event their kicker would fail the Covid test on a Saturday before a game.
The twenty-eight-year-old veteran has kicked for six years in the league for five different teams, including the Browns in 2016, where he kicked 20 of 25 field-goal tries.
Parkey kicked for Tennessee in three games last season, connecting on all three attempts.

The Browns were in a tough spot with Austin Seibert.
Do you tolerate the errant kicks and limited range because releasing him would be yet another wasted draft pick and give him more time to develop?
Or do you let him go and set a precedent that you won't tolerate basic problems, even if it means players are always looking over their shoulder?
I think they made the right call here, inconsistency from the kicking game is often a hallmark of bad teams and the Browns hope to be at least average, so keeping Seibert around was more likely than not to eventually cost the Browns a game.
Better to cut those ties now.

David Njoku must have taken the compliments paid to rookie Harrison Bryant in camp personally as in the loss to the Ravens, Njoku was one of the few bright spots in catching all three passes thrown to him for fifty yards, including the only Cleveland touchdown and a spectacular leaping grab along the sideline for a 28 yard gain, which was the longest gain of the day for the Browns passing game.
Njoku sprained an MCL in the defeat and will miss at least three weeks under the NFL's newer relaxed version of the injured reserve list.
The Browns may not add a tight end to replace Njoku since they have three on the roster without Njoku in Austin Hooper, Harrison Bryant, and Stephen Carlson.

The team has not announced a replacement for Cody Parkey as the practice squad kicker or the player to replace Njoku on the roster either from the free agency pool or promotion from the practice squad.

Browns sign Austin Hooper

With Covid 19 in full swing, I decided to give each of the new Cleveland Browns additions their own post and write a bit more about the new arrival's past and how they will affect the roster at their position.
After all, there is not exactly a plethora of live sports to write about, is there?

Last night, Cleveland addressed the defense with the signing of two veterans in linebacker B.J. Goodson  (Packers) and safety Karl Joseph (Raiders).
I'll have more on those two newcomers and how they fit in with the defense later in the week.

The signing of Austin Hooper was a mild, but very pleasant surprise by Andrew Berry and the Browns to add to a key weak spot on the Browns offense after a disappointing 2019.
Hooper wasn't signed cheaply as the Browns were forced to make Hooper the highest-paid tight end in football as the former Atlanta Falcon signed a four-year contract worth 42 million dollars with 23 million of that total guaranteed.

The twenty-five-year-old was selected by Atlanta in the third round of the 2016 draft from Stanford and has made the Pro Bowl in both of the two most recent seasons with Hooper combining for 146 catches, 1,347 yards and ten touchdowns which are impressive numbers on a team that featured Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley and makes you think Hooper could have similar, if not improved production with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry surrounding him.
Hooper isn't noted as a great blocker, but he's not a sieve either and is noted as being better as a pass blocker than in the running game.
That makes sense as most of the better receiving tight ends aren't usually among the more physical players, but if Hooper isn't a liability as a blocker, I can't ask for more than that with his pass-catching skills.

Hooper definitely gives the Browns the type of athletic tight end that can gain yardage after the catch that the Browns haven't since Jordan Cameron left for Miami and what Cleveland hasn't received from David Njoku, despite the physical attributes for the position that Njoku brings.
At 6'4, Hooper will also be that leaping red zone threat that it seems that almost every playoff team has at tight end and that the Browns have lacked since Jordan Cameron.
Other than the occasional slice of potential from Njoku or even Ricky Seals-Jones, the Browns have stubbornly stuck with rock-handed players at the position that were used more often as essentially an extra blocker rather than a real threat since the departure of Cameron in 2015.

Some have thought that the signing of Hooper means the end of David Njoku in Cleveland.
I'm not sure of that, although I could see a team trading a day three draft pick for Njoku, should the Browns decide to shop the former first rounder.
However, Kevin Stefanski used two tight ends often during his tenure with the Vikings, Njoku still has tremendous physical potential, and inserting Hooper and Njoku with Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry would create many matchup problems for defenses.
Nick Chubb ( or Kareem Hunt) might lose a bit in run blocking in that lineup, but he could also rip off some huge gains with defenses having to pay so much attention to the various threats in the passing game.
The Browns will tip their hand soon with Njoku as they have a decision to make in picking up his option for 2021.
Should the Browns keep Njoku, they will likely allow Ricky Seals-Jones or Stephen Carlson to go elsewhere as the Browns will keep Pharoah Brown as the blocking specialist and while four tight ends might be a luxury that a few teams carry, five is out of the question.

This is a very intriguing signing and one that the Browns should be given credit for.
Cleveland's skill weapons rank with the best in football and the signing of Jack Conklin to pair with returning veterans Joel Bitonio and J.C. Tretter along with a left tackle that will likely be the Browns first-round pick or no later than their second-rounder will give Baker Mayfield plenty of choices to throw to and time to make those choices.
There won't be anyone for Mayfield or his supporters to blame this season other than himself, should his regression continue.

I'll try to be back later with a post on Jack Conklin, who may prove to be the most important signing in free agency, if not the flashiest, and how his addition upgrades the offensive line.

Cleveland Browns Draft Recap

Time for the look back at the Browns draft and finally wrap things up for the 2017 draft.
I hope to have Scott Dryden on the podcast soon for his thoughts on the draft.

Some of these thoughts may come as redundant after my in-draft posts,but others will be new as picks have time to sink in a bit.

Many people disagreed with me before the draft about my take on the quarterback position (more on that below),which was not forcing an early round quarterback because you needed one because it "was so important".
It is very important and clearly the most important on any football team,but the Browns had so many needs that I felt that the team needed players that could make an larger and faster impact than a quarterback that was questionable,just to say that you tried.
That's why I loved the Browns sticking with Myles Garrett as the best player in the draft.
Garrett gives the Browns an elite pass rusher that they have lacked for years and his speed and talent should bring even more production out of Emmanuel Ogbah.
Kudos to the Browns for picking the best player and not reaching for a quarterback,especially when (at least looking at it from a year out) there are three legitimate players that could be top level quarterbacks (Josh Allen of Wyoming,Sam D'Arnold of USC and Josh Rosen of UCLA) available for a team that even with a good draft will be unlikely to be drafting outside the top 10,and maybe not even the top 5.

I was less than thrilled with the Browns trade down with Houston from 12 to 25.
Mainly because the Browns had a chance to choose a huge playmaker at safety in Malik Hooker of Ohio State and passed to get a first rounder in 2018.
Now,to be very fair,that pick may help the Browns maneuver to move up,if needed,to get the quarterback of their choice next season,so it could prove helpful,but this so smacks of the old Browns-trading for a following years number one,passing on an impact player and watching that pick rest in the lower third of the first round.

I was even less thrilled with the pick of Jabril Peppers at 25.
Peppers is touted as a playmaker that didn't make many big plays on defense (unlike Hooker) and as a player that you can do many things with the ball in his hands,except on defense,he doesn't see the ball that much.
Peppers strikes me as too small to play linebacker,lacking instincts at safety,but that doesn't mean he won't have his uses as a returner and gimmick offensive plays.
In other words,a Devin Hester type-except those types usually aren't first rounders.

I do like the talent of the third first rounder-tight end David Njoku of Miami.
Big,agile and talented,Njoku is still learning this game,but has the physical talent to be a difference maker at tight end.
Njoku's blocking needs work,but he's not being picked to block,he's being brought in to be seam breaker and receiver..

The Browns did attempt to address the quarterback position in round two with Notre Dame's Deshone Kizer.
Kizer was thought to be a possible high pick entering the draft,but slipped some.
Kizer has some questions (accuracy,field vision and decision making),but has a strong arm and by picking him here,the Browns won't feel "all in" on him and should the team have the chance to pick one of those three passers next season,it won't be a setback to do so..

The defensive line was addressed in rounds three and six as the Browns took two players roughly rated the same,but off the field reasons made the difference.
Third rounder Larry Ogunjobi of Charlotte needs to get stronger,but should plug into the rotation as an all around defensive tackle,while sixth rounder Florida's Caleb Brantley needs to get legal issues solved or he'll never make camp as a Brown.
If Brantley actually plays,he brings a pass rushing element to the defensive tackle rotation that the Browns currently lack.
Ogunjobi was one of a bunch of players that I would have been fine with in the third round on the line,although I did like Chris Wormley of michigan a little better,while Brantley is a second round talent when motivated and without his off the field issues.
I was fine with gambling on Brantley in the sixth,with the caveat that the Browns release him if his legal case proves wrong doing.
The Browns claim to want to build things the "right way",here is a chance to show the other teams in the division that talent doesn't always come first.

I really liked the tradeup into round four for cornerback Howard Wilson of Houston.
I also liked Desmond King of Iowa,but I saw a lot of Houston games last season and I think Wilson should see plenty of action as a third or fourth corner.
I like the ball skills that Wilson brings to the table and I can see Wilson having the potential to eventually start..

Offensive tackle Roderick Johnson is athletically talented,but needs lots of strength work and technique work as well.
Johnson's size and athleticism made him a worthwhile project in the fifth round and he does have big time experience from his time at Florida State...

I also liked both seventh round picks.
Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez holds NCAA records and won the Lou Groza award last season.
Gonzalez has a big leg and will make a move to unseat Cody Parkey as the Browns kicker.
No matter how good your kicker is,I'm of the mindset that your kicker needs to be challenged in camp every year,even if you don't spend a draft pick on a challenger.

I remember seeing Matthew Dayes,the N.C.State running back against Clemson this year and being impressed.
He's a little small at 5'8,but catches the ball very well and I can see him possibly sticking as a third round back.

I give the Browns a high grade for this draft.
I'm always hesitant for grading because you just don't know,but just for fun,let's go A-,missing an A only because the questions that I have with Jabril Peppers and the dislike for trading down from 12.
Pretty good work for the most part-I have to say I'm mildly surprised and reasonably pleased..

2017 Draft-Cleveland Browns Day One

The Cleveland Browns excited some people on day one of the NFL Draft,disappointed others and yet some more looked at the first day as a mixed bag.

I liked the Browns sticking to their plan and taking the best player on the board with their first pick with Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett.
The big,rangy Garrett is the type of pass rusher that enters the league once every few years and in my opinion,was the unchallenged choice for the top pick.
At 6'5 270 and with the speed that teams drool over off the edge,Garrett is the disruptive presence that a Von Miller brings to the pass rush that not only will see Garrett be productive,but will see an increase in the pressure brought by Emanuel Ogbah and others.
I love the Garrett pick and even though many wanted Mitch Trubisky here,I wasn't convinced that Trubisky is an elite value quarterback and it appears that despite the Browns interest in the North Carolina passer,they weren't sold on him at number one.


With the manner that the draft fell into place,I was excited at 12.
I was hoping for Pat Mahomes there,but the Chiefs traded up to 10 and drafted the Texas Tech quarterback.
Still with several picks that I would have thought to be unlikely to be top ten choices,the Browns had several top notch players (especially on defense) available at the choice acquired from Philadelphia.
I was rooting for Ohio State safety Malik Hooker,but Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen would make the Browns defensive line a monster instantly with Miles Garrett.
Tight end O.J. Howard of Alabama would have given the Browns the top player there in a deep crop and Alabama linebacker Rueben Foster had appeal as the intense linebacker that the Browns have lacked for years.
I wouldn't have scoffed at DeShaun Watson,the Clemson quarterback that broiled Ohio State in the playoffs,despite some concerns about his style of play being caught up to the defenses today.
A player such as Watson falling to the Browns was far different that trading assets to move up for him.
All of those options on the board-what to do?
Exactly what you would think the Browns would do-trade down.
Blah and the Browns dropped 13 spots to 25 and got the Houston Texans 2018 first round pick in return.
Always nice to have two number one's,but the Texans pick is likely to be in the 20's next year,which means the Browns could have a less desirable pair of picks than the current draft showed.
I would wished that the Browns could gotten something else added,such as a 3 or 4 in this draft.
That pick would prove handy by the end of the night...

Finally,at 25,Cleveland was up and all of those players were gone except Reuben Foster and I was hoping Foster or Washington safety Budda Baker.
Instead,the Browns again for all of the "analytics" and all the "new wave thinking" were the same old Browns as they bit on the most polarizing players in the draft in michigan safety Jabrill Peppers.
I didn't like Peppers,not for his michigan roots,but for the lack of steak behind the sizzle.
The hype says Peppers is a playmaker,yet ignore his one career interception,his lack of instincts at safety are blamed on michigan moving him around too much,yet that decision to move him around made him "versatile" and he'll enter the league after a recent issue at the combine as a member of the Substance Abuse Program!
Not having the instincts to play safety nor the size to play linebacker,Peppers is the epitome of a "tweener'.
I can see the Browns trying to involve him on offense and he is a dazzling punt returner,but other than a few gimmick plays,they aren't going to make him a regular part of the offensive game plan.
I just don't like this pick,although he could make it work as he has terrific athletic ability,but he's going to have learn how to play a set position and improve his weaknesses in order to do that.
It's possible,but I'd rather have a safety that played safety in Budda Baker than someone learning on the job.
One thing that never changes-the Browns asking players to do something at the highest level that they've never done before-Sigh....


One would have thought the Browns were finished as I moaned about Peppers to Ryan on Facebook as he prepared for his Packers to select and he hoped for Wisconsin's T.J. Watt.
Instead,the Browns swung a trade with Green Bay and Twitter was on fire thinking that perhaps the Browns were going after quarterback Deshone Kizer of Notre Dame or even another quarterback Davis Webb of California.
I was rooting for Reuben Foster again,but mentioned a chance of Miami tight end David Njoku as a secondary possibility.
The choice was Njoku,who brings a big target (6'4 246) with unusual speed and leaping ability for a tight end.
The upside is high for Njoku,who reminds me a little of Antonio Gates and if he can be that good-this is an excellent choice.
He may never be more than an average blocker,but physically,Njoku looks the part.
He'll need some refining,but this could be a standout with some polishing work.
Here's the issue for me-to move up just four spots from 29 to 33,the Browns,the team that values picks so much,traded the 33rd pick (1st in round 2) and 108 (the first in round 4 and the third day of the draft).
You had to figure 33 was gone,if the Browns wanted back into round one,but the Browns having to move 108 meant the Browns were out of the 4th round not only with the valuable first pick of the day (teams often love to trade for that pick as they have all night to try land a player that slipped and shouldn't be there),but completely.
The Browns preach quantity of picks and then deal themselves right out of quantity.
This is where getting a middle rounder in the trade with Houston would have went a long way.
The Browns do have three 5's and two 6's,so they could move up for the right player,but it could have been much easier.
I do like Njoku and think he could be the best tight end in the draft with development,but they paid a steep price to move up so little,especially in a stacked tight end class..


Wrapping up-
A-For Myles Garrett and managing to hold off the horde to force feed a quarterback that they really didn't think was proper value at 1.
D-For another trade down.With several elite defenders and possibly their quarterback of the future available,the Browns punted for a first rounder next year that might be lucky to be lower than 20th.
C Minus-For Jabrill Peppers,Unless the Browns have plans to use him as a Devin Hester type multi-tool player,I'm not a fan.
There was a reason that michigan moved him around so much-they didn't want to expose him at the same spot every play over the course of a game.
B-David Njoku-The price was high,but so is the talent of Njoku. A gamble,but one that could pay off.

Browns trade down and up-Draft Peppers and Njoku

The Cleveland Browns do what the Cleveland Browns do in the first round-pass over elite talent to make head scratching moves.

Cleveland traded the 12th overall pick to Houston,who would select DeShaun Watson of Clemson in return for the 25th pick and the Texans first rounder in 2018.
I like getting a one,but that's all?
Buffalo traded a higher pick (10 to 12) to Kansas City to drop 17 spots and got much more in return.

When 25 rolled around,the Browns had chances to select two hard hitting linebackers in Reuben Foster and T.J.Watt,pass rush Takkarist McKinley and corner Tre'Davious White and instead bought into the most overhyped and overrated player in the draft in Jabril Peppers of michigan.
I'll write about Peppers more in a few hours when I review day one in its entirety,but I'm not happy and whether you agree or not,I hope I'll make you think...

Cleveland then traded up with Green Bay to move to the 29th pick to nab the big and athletic David Njoku,a tight end from Miami.
Njoku is a great athlete and I love his tools and size,but he's a bit raw albeit with big upside.
My issue here is the price that the Browns paid (33 and 108) ,the first picks in the second and fourth rounds-picks that usually can fetch a nice return from teams that have hours to decide on players that slide further than expected.
This trade is more along being disappointed in the cost and not the player.
I'm at the road office,so I'll have a post looking back at all three players that the Browns picked as the morning goes on.