Since reentering the league in 1999 the Cleveland Browns franchise has been nothing short of a disaster. From poor personnel decisions to bad coaching hires and everything in between the Browns have in many ways provided the rest of the NFL with a playbook on how not to run a team. In 2007 Cleveland posted a 10-6 record and their young, high-powered offensive attack finally provided one of the best fanbases in the game with a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately the Browns reverted to their old ways in 2008 and finished with just four wins. Yet another new regime was brought in – this time led by General Manager George Kokinis and Head Coach Eric Mangini – and the 2009 NFL Draft represented the first real opportunity for them to put their stamp on the team.
The Browns began Draft Day with the #5 overall pick but after a series of three trades they didn’t wind up turning in a card for themselves until much later in round one. I am a big fan of the player they eventually chose, California C Alex Mack, but I have some issues with the trade they made with the New York Jets. All the Browns received in exchange for moving down thirteen spots was a second round pick, a journeyman defensive end (Kenyon Coleman), a backup safety (Abram Elam) and a third-string quarterback (Brett Ratliff). This appears to be a classic case of Mangini overrating his former players. Some might argue that the Browns wanted to move down and the Jets offer was the best out there or that the deal was merely a reflection of the trade value chart becoming outdated but those are not good excuses. What Cleveland essentially did was trade a premium Top 5 pick, which should be a cornerstone player, for a bunch of spare parts. The Browns could have landed the stud wideout (Michael Crabtree) or dynamic pass rusher (Brian Orakpo) they were looking for at #5 but instead they opted for quantity over quality, making a significant drop down the draft board for 75 cents on the dollar. At best. Mack will undoubtedly step right into the starting lineup in Cleveland and be a fixture there for the next decade but at the end of the day the Browns took the quick-fix approach. Instead of building a long-term foundation with a potential impact player they attempted to haphazardly fill as many holes as fast as possible and that is a shortsighted strategy.
Cleveland owned three second round picks thanks to their trade with the Jets and the deal that sent Kellen Winslow to the Buccaneers but how well they utilized that bounty is up for debate. Since Braylon Edwards future with the franchise was in doubt the Browns opted to snag a couple of wide receivers, selecting Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie and Georgia’s Mohamed Massaquoi. A solid, albeit unspectacular, all-around wideout, Robiskie was a good value at #36 overall as there was even talk of him sneaking into the latter portion of round one. Robiskie is never going to be a true #1 receiver in the NFL but he has all the makings of a terrific #2 target. Whereas Robiskie maintained a steady grade throughout most of the draft process Massaquoi’s stock seemed to go up and down like a roller coaster. After beginning his senior season as a potential Day One pick Massaquoi appeared to have fallen into the middle rounds but ultimately his blend of size, athleticism and intangibles provoked a late surge in the weeks leading up to the draft. Massaquoi has drawn comparisons to Reggie Brown, another Georgia alum, and he probably possesses a similar upside in the pros. Dontè Stallworth has been suspended indefinitely following a tragic car accident that killed an innocent man and he may not play at all in 2009 so there should be an opportunity for Robiskie and Massaquoi to compete for the starting job opposite Braylon Edwards. The winner of that contest could be in store for a big rookie season but the loser risks potentially dropping all the way down behind David Patten and Joshua Cribbs on the depth chart.
With their fourth pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the Browns finally nabbed a pass rusher, selecting Hawaii’s David Veikune. It was a bit of a surprise to see Veikune come off the board that early, especially when you consider his rather average workout numbers (6-23/8 | 257 | 4.87), but his stock had soared after a senior season in which he racked up 16.5 TFL and 9.0 Sacks. Veikune played defensive end in college but he will be making the move to outside linebacker in the Browns 3-4 scheme and there is some question as to how well equipped he is to handle that transition. The disappointing Kamerion Wimbley is slated to start on one side but Veikune should compete for playing time with David Bowens and Alex Hall opposite him. In round three the Browns surprised everyone when they chose USC LB Kaluka Maiava, who played outside in college but projects inside in Cleveland’s 3-4 front. Despite being overshadowed by Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga with the Trojans the undersized but speedy Maiava quietly actually had an impressive senior campaign and emerged as a legitimate pro prospect in his own right. However, with D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton locked in atop the depth chart Maiava will be limited to a backup / nickel role and the Browns had way too many other needs to be selecting a situational player that early in the draft.
Despite the criticisms of some of their earlier picks the Browns actually did extremely well with their final three choices, all of which came in the sixth round. Two of those selections were used to bolster their depth at cornerback and they got excellent value with both Don Carey of Nicholls St. and Coye Francies of San Jose St. Carey is a small school sleeper who didn’t really emerge as a prospect until late in the process but his combination of size and speed intrigued scouts and he also earned high marks for his intelligence. Francies is a player who had been on the prospect radar for a while, dating back to his days at Oregon St., and at one point after the Senior Bowl it looked like he was destined to become a Day One pick. Disappointing workouts and off-the-field issues led to a Draft Day freefall but Francies could turn out to be a steal for the Browns because even though he doesn’t have great timed speed (4.56) he is very smooth, fluid and athletic. Look for both Carey and Francies to compete for roster spots as backups. With their final pick the Browns chose Clemson RB James Davis, who many had rated as the top senior prospect at his position last summer. A natural runner with great vision and instincts, Davis lacks elite speed and didn’t have the big senior year most were expecting but he has the ability to at the very least be a solid backup in the pros. Davis stands a very good chance to win the #3 job behind Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison as a rookie.
Whether or not Cleveland’s new braintrust will finally get the franchise on the right track remains to be seen but their performance on Draft Day was not very encouraging. There is no question that the Browns bolstered their roster with a bunch of quality players but none of the guys they brought in offer much in the way of upside or impact potential. The Browns best shot at improving in 2009 likely rests with their veterans rebounding from a down year because this rookie class isn’t going to provide much. When you consider that the AFC North is one of the tougher divisions in the league the Browns may have their work cut out for them just to stay out of last place.
