Draft Review

Did anyone hear the announcement over the weekend? The one Tomlin and Colbert made? The one where they announced that they're full of shit when they say they're going to keep the 3-4 defense around? Nobody heard it?

That's okay, it was a little more subtle than a formal announcement. It was really just the guys they took in the first two rounds. A 4-3 linebacker and a 4-3 end.

I think Timmons is more hype than anything. I would have been happier with a lineman in the first round or trading down and getting Anthony Spencer (who really could be a 4-3 end if they needed him to). Then again, we've had a lot of luck with guys from Florida State, so maybe it'll prove to be the best decision we ever made.

And, of course, that decision is to move to the 4-3. Lamar Woodley kinda cemented that. There are people out there that think he can make the transition to linebacker. These people are dumb. And I don't even want to think about it.

In the third round, I have a feeling that they may have announced more than a change on defense. A change on offense looks to be in the works as well.

They took a freakin' tight end. I would have to assume that they're going to try to use him. However, we already have two tight ends and one of them is a first rounder and we barely use either of them between the 20s. Tomlin claims to know him better than anyone because they were both in the state of Minnesota last year. He's excited about having Matt Spaeth on the team. Good for him. That makes one of us. Well, there's at least two in there somewhere. I'm sure Spaeth is happy and I'd assume Colbert is glad about it as well. But that's it.

Basically, they announced on the first day that the team as a whole is going to be completely overhauled. They aren't in a position to have a re-building year with this fan base and the amount of talent they have on the roster, so they're going to overhaul it. Kinda like driving your car when you're still re-building the carbeurator. With similar results (at least this season) I would imagine.

In three years, this will be a completely different team. We'll run two tight ends, two receivers, and one back almost exclusively (that means we'll run that when we don't have three to five receivers on the field) and it'll be all Cover 2 all the time on offense.

On the second day, I'm not exactly sure what the fuck they did.

They traded up to get a punter (the guy's supposed to be awesome and Gardocki was not long for this world, so I guess it's good news - I just think you can pick one of these dudes off the scrap heap).

Then they drafted a guy that would fit better as a 3-4 end, but probably would suck balls as 4-3 tackle.

Then a guard. Yay. Where was this guy on day one? I don't know if anyone bothered to tell Tomlin and Colbert, but Faneca, Simmons, and Max Starks could all be playing their last season as Pittsburgh Steelers. Ya think, maybe, you could've grabbed a couple? Maybe, one on the first day, one on the second? Or... is that something that's going to happen next year when you draft someone that's all hype too early out of need?

Then I heard that they were going to take offensive linemen for the rest of the draft and was okay with it.

Then they took a guy named Gay and a guy named Dallas. I guess Cliff Fagg and Cleveland Davis were off the board at that point.

Although I do hope that William Gay ends up being a star. Seriously. Who would buy his jersey? They have to put the W. on there, right? There's no way someone would wear a jersey that just said, "Gay" on the back, right? But, "W. Gay" is a little more respectable, even if there's no one else on the team named Gay. Unless they sign New England's Randall Gay (also doesn't sell a lot of jerseys).

Draft Grade: C

Now I'm going to explain that grade.

I actually think that they picked up some good guys (at least on the first day, which is really the only way they seem to find decent starters anymore), but the good guys they picked up are for the new team that's going to exist in three years. During the transitional period, we're going to see a lot of these dudes doing their best Duce Staley impression on the sidelines. And that pisses me off.

I'd really like to give the draft a D, but I trust Colbert too much. A reach in the first round (which kinda felt like a reacharound), a guy that won't start for a couple years in the second round, and... a freakin' tight end in the third. Not only did they draft this year for two years from now, but they set themselves up to get fucked (having to reach on a LOT of offensive linemen on the first day next year) in the future.

The Browns may have completely mortgaged their future, but at least they got something out of it today. They got hope.

I got a big, steaming pile of impending doom. Great.