Cleveland Browns 2011 Super Awesome In-Season Thread

• Commander of Awesome

  

  -- Back in the late 80s I was a big fan of the band Great White. Although now they're best known for the tragic nightclub fire a few years ago, they had a huge hit with a cover of "Once Bitten Twice Shy." That song was ubiquitous in my junior year of high school, so you would think I would take the message to heart ... but I'm swimming in the sharky waters with the top tight end prospect for the second year in a row.
  
  I was wrong on Jermaine Gresham last year. I thought his knee problems would limit his burst and take away from what made him a dynamic, albeit underutilized, presence at Oklahoma. I didn't think his 4.8ish speed and upright gait would translate well. All he did was catch 52 passes, block pretty well and immediately become the best tight end the Bengals have had since Bob Trumpy.
  
  This year the top tight end (for most) is Notre Dame's Kyle Rudolph. Like Gresham, he enters the draft coming off a serious injury, missing most of 2010 with two torn tendons in his hamstring less than a year after tearing up his left shoulder. Gresham's performance should teach me to be more open-minded, but I'm stubborn like bull here. Rudolph's play in 2010 before tearing the hamstring was unremarkable, and this is a more serious long-term injury than Gresham's multiple "CL" tears. He plodded to an upper 4.8 at his pro day, and Rudolph got most of his notoriety for shredding a truly awful Michigan defense two years ago. Yes, he's got very nice hands and a wide catching radius for the position. He's a competent in-space blocker. By all accounts he's a great teammate and a freakishly intense worker.
  
  But he was more reliant on speed and burst off the line to get open than Gresham, whose innate ability to find the hole between the safety and linebacker and present a great target carried over from college. Rudolph was a guy that Jimmy Clausen often had to "throw open," and as he proved in Carolina last year, that turkey doesn't fly in the NFL. He's not as strong of an in-line blocker as Gresham, and he's not fast enough or quick enough to consistently flex him out and dictate matchup mismatches like a Dallas Clark or Jermichael Finley. I liken him to Kevin Boss of the Giants, a solid starter but best served as a third or 4th banana in a diverse passing offense. Boss went in the fifth round and honestly that's about where I would take Rudolph, even though I doubt he lasts until #40 overall. I guess I need to be bitten twice...
  
  Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_encroachment/307/20110413/risdons_draft_notes_(april_13th)/#ixzz1JWraxwTk
• lhslep134

  

  Pick6;741438 wrote:i can see how he would have to be an option just because of the player he is..but the browns have a young secondary as it is that they have used some early draft picks on that i think has some potential.

  
  Sheldon Brown is 32. Surely you can't be referring to him...
  
  If we drafted Peterson at 6 that gives us 2 shutdown corners, which is exactly what you need to blitz the crap out of opposing teams.
  
  I'm just unsure of Bowers and Quinn.
  
  1. Quinn didn't play last year.
  2. Bowers' knee, but more importantly to me, where the fuck was he the past 2 years? He came in as one of the most hyped d-linemen in the past 10 years and had a whopping total of 4 sacks his first 2 years. Maybe a Clemson fan (Tiger?) can fill me in on why he sucked.
  
  I just can't bring myself to take such a risky pick when a sure thing is available (or as close to a sure thing as you're going to get, which is how the majority of scouts feel about Peterson).
• Commander of Awesome

  

  I would have thought you as an SEC guy would be able to answer that.
• royal_k

  

  Sorry guys, but I like Quinn. He is a freak! Peterson would be a great pick, but a legit pass rusher is much more of a need.
• se-alum

  

  I want Peterson if he's there. Closest thing to a "sure thing" as there is in this draft, and he can also help w/ special teams.
• BR1986FB

  NO Bowers and NO wide receiver unless it's a trade down and then Julio Jones. Wouldn't mind a trade down and then grab JJ Watt. If they stand pat, and he's there, Peterson (BPA) should be the pick.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  I would love to get jordan or JJ Watt if Dareus isn't there. A trade down would be ideal but I think a QB has to fall to find a trading partner.
• BR1986FB

  I really wouldn't have issues with Quinn at #6 either but Dareus would be my #1 target for D-Line. Don't want Bowers or Fairley. Hell, it would be a crappy "value" pick but I'd dive on the JJ Watt "grenade" at #6 before I'd take Bowers or Fairley. Wouldn't mind Paea in the 2nd if he's there if they don't go D-Line at 6.
• Art Modell

  

  Would love to see you take Peterson. Some fresh meat for Ben and Ward to Hines to embarrass.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  BR1986FB;741969 wrote:I really wouldn't have issues with Quinn at #6 either but Dareus would be my #1 target for D-Line. Don't want Bowers or Fairley. Hell, it would be a crappy "value" pick but I'd dive on the JJ Watt "grenade" at #6 before I'd take Bowers or Fairley. Wouldn't mind Paea in the 2nd if he's there if they don't go D-Line at 6.

  
  Paea in the 2nd is a dream scenario for me.
• Laley23

  

  Art Modell;742003 wrote:Some fresh meat for Ben and Ward to Hines to embarrass.

  
  Huh?
• royal_k

  

  Laley23;742020 wrote:Huh?

  
  He's brilliant
• BR1986FB

  Laley23;742020 wrote:Huh?

  
  I wouldn't worry about Whines Hard. They have another receiver I'd be more worried about that they'll soon pair with Wallace. They will be phasing the Cry Baby (Ward) out soon.
• BR1986FB

  royal_k;742032 wrote:He's brilliant

  
  Gots ta come up with what you can when all of your vCash has been stolen and you can't afford to buy new material....
• Commander of Awesome

  

  BR1986FB;742034 wrote:I wouldn't worry about Whines Hard. They have another receiver I'd be more worried about that they'll soon pair with Wallace. They will be phasing the Cry Baby (Ward) out soon.

  
  Considering their track record with drafting scumbags at WR (Plaxico and Santonio lol lol lol) and Limas Sweed (lol) I'm not worried about them finding a WR anytime soon.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  BR1986FB;742037 wrote:Gots ta come up with what you can when all of your vCash has been stolen and you can't afford to buy new material....

  
  pwned.
• BR1986FB

  Commander of Awesome;742040 wrote:Considering their track record with drafting scumbags at WR (Plaxico and Santonio lol lol lol) and Limas Sweed (lol) I'm not worried about them finding a WR anytime soon.

  
  The guy I was referring to, Antonio Brown, is already on their roster. He's fast and if they put him out there with Wallace's speed they could stretch the field.
• Art Modell

  

  Commander of Awesome;742040 wrote:Considering their track record with drafting scumbags at WR (Plaxico and Santonio lol lol lol) and Limas Sweed (lol) I'm not worried about them finding a WR anytime soon.

  
  Cleveland fans have no business getting on other fans about their draft record. Couch Quinn Thomas etc.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Art Modell;742062 wrote:Cleveland fans have no business getting on other fans about their draft record. Couch Quinn Thomas etc.

  
  Couch always beat the Steelers Quinn brought us Hillis and Thomas is a 3 time all pro/pro bowler and the best LT in the game. Nice FAIL.
• BR1986FB

  Commander of Awesome;742071 wrote:Couch always beat the Steelers Quinn brought us Hillis and Thomas is a 3 time all pro/pro bowler and the best LT in the game. Nice FAIL.

  
  Considering Thomas usually owns James "Cheapshot" Harrison including him with those 3 wasn't very smart on Capone's part. Then again, I don't think he's Mensa material.
• Art Modell

  

  BR1986FB;742103 wrote:Considering Thomas usually holds James "Cheapshot" Harrison on every play including him with those 3 wasn't very smart on Capone's part. Then again, I don't think he's Mensa material.

  
  You speak the truth brother.
• Heretic

  

  You might be right on the MENSA part, man. He did the "quote-n-fix" deal, but only changed "owns" to "holds", while missing the dig on his intelligence.
• Raw Dawgin' it

  

  BR1986FB;742103 wrote:Considering Thomas usually owns James "Cheapshot" Harrison including him with those 3 wasn't very smart on Capone's part. Then again, I don't think he's Mensa material.

  
  He also use to be a browns fan until he jumped on the steeler bandwagon. Once the steelers suck again he'll be singing a different tune
• Art Modell

  

  BR1986FB;742103 wrote:Considering Thomas usually owns James "Cheapshot" Harrison including him with those 3 wasn't very smart on Capone's part. Then again, I don't think he's Mensa material.

  
  You must not have seen the segment by Howie Long saying that Thomas gets away with more holds than anyone in the league. factfail
• BR1986FB

  Art Modell;742122 wrote:You must not have seen the segment by Howie Long saying that Thomas gets away with more holds than anyone in the league. factfail

  
  And James Harrison gets away with the most cheapshots. Guess things even out, ehh?