What I hope happens

My wish list for the Browns first pick in order of preference:

1. Trade down (1 to 10 spots) and pick up a couple extra first day picks
2. Draft Joe Thomas
3. Draft Calvin Johnson (and possibly trade him)
4. Draft Adrian Peterson
5. Draft Brady Quinn
6. Draft Jamarcus Russell
   

If the Browns do trade down a few spots, they still may be able to get one of the players above. If they trade down 6 or more spots, I think they might draft OT Levi Brown or a defensive lineman or cornerback.

If the Browns take anyone other than Joe Thomas in the 1st, they should definitely take an offensive lineman in the second, possibly G Ben Grubbs of Auburn, and then take a CB or D-lineman in the 3rd.

If the Browns do take Thomas in the 1st, they should take a CB or D-lineman in the 2nd, and RB Michael Bush of Louisville in the 3rd.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

Wide receiver is one of the few positions that the Browns probably don't need to fill with a first rounder. Still, he wouldn't be a bad pick for Cleveland, simply because he is thought by many to be the best player in the draft and the least likely to be a bust. In case you haven't noticed, I'm worried about busts.

Calvin Johnson has incredible size, speeds, and hands, and by all accounts is not a jackass like most "elite" wideouts. While Johnson could help the Browns by giving them another threat opposite Braylon Edwards and by opening up the running game, his best value to the Browns may be his trade value. Several teams are thought to be very interested in Johnson, especially Tampa Bay and Atlanta, however Detroit at #2 might take advantage of this before the Browns get the chance. If the Browns have a shot at him, Phil Savage and company should do everything in their power to trade down a few spots and get some extra picks.

Draft needs

Looking at the team following the recent free-agent acquisitions, I think the biggest team needs, in order are:

1. Offensive line--free agency made it better, but still no stars.
2. Defensive line--same story. Could use a young end and dominate nose tackle.
3. Cornerback--what seemed to be the strongest spot a year ago has been devastated by injury.
4. Running back--Jamal Lewis is a big question mark and is only signed for 1 season.
5. Quarterback--Neither Charlie Frye or Derek Anderson looked like the answer last season, but between the awful line and change in offensive coordinator even Peyton Manning would have looked bad.
6. Wide receiver--Braylon Edwards is talented, but a distraction last year. Joe Jurevicius is solid but probably only has a few years left. Travis Wilson barely saw the field last year and Tim Carter has yet to live up to his billing.

At CB & DL there are no players worthy of being drafted #3, so unless the Browns trade down, its likely they will take one of the "fab five": QB JaMarcus Russell, QB Brady Quinn, RB Adrian Peterson, OT Joe Thomas, and WR Calvin Johnson.

NFL Draft Speculation

This time of year is absolutely crazy with speculation and rumor about who teams are going to draft. And 99% of the time the speculation is nothing more than a wrong guess. It's the NFL's own version of March Madness.

For some time, the consensus among NFL draft "experts" (often anyone with a website or blog), was that the Browns were leaning toward drafting RB Adrian Peterson. This compilation of mock drafts, the "Mock Draft Muncher" shows as much. However, this was compiled 2 weeks ago, and a lot has changed in two weeks.

One persistent rumor is that the Oakland Raiders, who own the #1 pick, plan to trade WR Randy Moss (possibly to Green Bay). If this were to happen, Oakland would have a need for WR Calvin Johnson, thought to be the best player in the draft by many. This could possibly drop QB JeMarcus Russell into the Browns lap at #3, assuming Detroit takes OT Joe Thomas, as predicted.

I have also read that some teams think that decent running backs can be found throughout the draft, and that unless a RB projects as the next LaDanian Tomlinson, its not worth the money to take a RB in the top 10 of the draft. Based on this, there has been speculation that the Browns will take Russell or QB Brady Quinn at #3.

Finally, there are numerous rumors about the Lions or Browns trading down, with the possible teams looking to move up including the Vikings (#7), Falcons (#8), or Texans (#10).

Rumors: Good news & Bad news

I heard & read a couple of rumors today. Keep in mind, these are just rumors and haven't been verified by the players or by the Browns.

First the good news: A friend told me that The Orange & Brown Report (Scout.com) reported that LeCharles Bentley won't need another surgery and should be ready to play by October. I looked all over the site and couldn't find a word about this, so I am skeptical. This would be great news if true!

Now the bad news: Profootballtalk.com is reporting that the Browns have concerns about whether Kellen Winslow will be able to play in 2007 or ever again for that matter. While this is a possiblility, as the microfracture surgery is a major one, it seems to me that it is too early to determine Winslow's availability next season and especially beyond. One small possibility is that this information is erroneous, but was intentionally leaked to increase the speculation that the Browns would draft play-maker WR Calvin Johnson. Some mock drafts have Johnson falling to 4 or 5, but if teams thought the Browns might take him, there might be interest in trading up for the pick.