Remember this?  The mere suggestion of taking a wide receiver with the seventh overall pick in the draft created some buzz around Browns Nation – if not outright paranoia – especially considering the skidding halt to the Braylon Edwards era some months ago.  After all, for a team such as the Browns – one that features multiple gaping holes at more than 6-7 different roster positions, the idea of selecting a receiver first is an almost ludicrous idea.

But then again, perhaps I wasn’t that far removed from reality with my Dez Bryant take several days ago. 

Mayock on Dez Bryant

The new name to watch for the Browns’ pick at No. 7 in the first round of the draft: wide receiver Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State.

NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock thinks Bryant should join Florida cornerback Joe Haden in the discussion of the Browns’ first draft choice.

“The way I look at it, I think they’ve got to deal with wide receiver and cornerback,” Mayock said on a national conference call on Tuesday. “Sitting there at No. 7, a Dez Bryant and a Joe Haden, I think, are the two logical guys.

“If Dez Bryant slides down to No. 7, I think you’ve got to take him. Braylon Edwards is gone. (Bryant’s) a big, physical wideout that instantly makes those quarterbacks better. I would look at that position first because cornerback is so deep I think you can come back later and get a quality corner.”

Hey, Mike Mayock – stop stealing my stuff.  Next thing you know, he’s going to name an award after Isaac Sowells. 

Anyway, let’s focus on the word “discussion.”  Certainly, Bryant should be “discussed” as a viable candidate at Number Seven.  However, if the choice comes down to Bryant, Haden or even Rolando McClain, the best way to frame the discussion is within the context of which player can affect the most change among the roster.

Or, in other words, a Haden selection could bring improvement to the entire secondary, strictly by relieving Eric Wright of his Number One option duties.  Also, in a sense, improved corner coverage will no doubt help the team’s beleaguered pass rush. 

In McClain’s case, his arrival could bolster the team’s long-suffering run defense, as well as allow D’Qwell Jackson the freedom to become a roaming type of playmaker.  With McClain around to absorb some of the opponent’s second-level blocking, the Browns’ linebackers can finally take advantage of more favorable matchups.

As for Bryant, his arrival would no doubt enhance the play of Mohammed Massaquoi and could eventually affect the Browns’ play-action and running games.  However, given the steep learning curve of a rookie wideout, at least compared to those of a corner or linebacker, the Browns could be waiting a while on a return….

…which directly coincides with the long awaited arrival of a quality passing game/competent quarterback play. 

Speaking of which, here’s this, which basically speaks for itself.

Or, in other words – with so little quality QB talent available in the upcoming draft, what would be the point of taking a receiver like Bryant?  Wouldn’t his selection be little more than window dressing for a half-built house, such as the one currently under construction during this particular critical point in the franchise’s direction? 

But then again, isn’t the beauty of the draft one of endless idealism?

Meaning that Bryant could be a serious topic of discussion moving forward.

So could this guy…at least not at Number Seven. 

The Case for Dexter McCluster

Let me first state the following.  Much like Brandon Graham, I do not endorse the Browns selecting McCluster at Number Seven overall.  However, if the Browns engage in another carnival of trades similar to last April’s draft, which would assume that they’re comfortable in passing on the likes of Joe Haden or Rolando McClain in the early part of Round One, perhaps a McCluster pick further down the draft board could make sense.

And here’s why.

Speed.

Simply put, McCluster has it.  The rest of the Browns offense does not.

McCluster will likely be the fastest player drafted in April, as well as one of the more versatile.  Playing a college running back/receiver hybrid of sorts, McCluster amassed over 1,500 yards playing against a variety of fast SEC defenses.  And despite his obvious size limitations – after all, McCluster weighs barely more than 165 lbs. – the toughness he showed over the past two seasons is more than impressive. 

Along with comparisons to another former SEC playmaker, Percy Harvin, McCluster will certainly draw some league-wide attention – especially after the sensational season turned in by Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson.  In a league of copycat management, everyone is always looking to repeat other team’s successes. 

As for the Browns, perhaps the new regime of Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert could follow suit, at least by reaching back towards their recent past.  In both Holmgren’s tenure with the Seahawks and Heckert’s time in Philadelphia, an emphasis was placed on building a stable of smaller receivers with speed.  Think DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in Philadelphia, and Deion Branch and Deon Butler in Seattle.

Could this history repeat itself in Cleveland?

While a McCluster pick in any part of the first round would no doubt make a bold statement, it would also come at the expense of the core reconstruction that has been so badly neglected in recent years.  Or, in other words – while adding an offensive playmaker would be great, the more prudent approach would be found in adding a potential defensive cornerstone or another quality offensive lineman.

However, if the Browns could somehow land McCluster in the second round, the entire narrative could be different.  Let’s assume that Joe Haden, Rolando McClain or some O-line help is drafted at Number Seven.  After filling one need – which in the case of the above mentioned players would bolster the overall positions – the Browns could solve some serious offensive issues by adding a playmaker such as McCluster.

While certainly the learning curve would be steep for McCluster – at least in terms of learning how to become an NFL wide receiver – he could become an instant third-down contributor, or at least make opposing defenses accountable. 

But then again – this is assuming that we have a 2010 QB who is able to get him the ball.

Speaking of which…some great early comments regarding my 2010 prospects take from yesterday.   

Draft Watch 2010: Quarterbacks

Naturally, I expected nothing less considering the topic of potential quarterbacks.  Anyway, my whole point was that none of the 2010 QB candidates are worthy of a high draft pick, especially considering the staggering number of needs found within the Browns. 

Having said that, the 2010 prospects become even more underwhelming.

Anyway, this reader’s response is a great avenue towards clarification.

Or, “allow me to retort.” 

Bradford and Clausen are both overrated. And you justify this conclusion with false premises like “[Bradford has] and underdeveloped and brittle body]” (6’4” 223 lbs. is underdeveloped?) and “[Clausen’s] not a very accurate passer” (68% accuracy, only 4 INTs).

I justify this conclusion based on the idea that neither is truly NFL-ready, yet each are considered top-ten candidates, which I contend is based on the prestige of the position they play more than their actual talent.  I would even go so far as to suggest that had both QB’s stayed in college, the next two ranked prospects would assume their position at the top of the draft boards.

In addition, you basically state that McCoy and Tebow both suck. While I agree that neither has tremendous NFL upside, they must have some talent, or else they wouldn’t have ended up as 2 of the most winning QBs in CFB history.

I can truly care less how many wins a college quarterback has under his belt.  There’s a reason the likes of Ty Detmer, Tommie Frazier, or more recently, David Greene’s college success don’t translate to the NFL level.  Simply put, it’s a different game.  One that both McCoy and Tebow are not built to succeed in for different reasons.

And while you tell us these big names will bust in the NFL, you love the prospects of John Skelton, a guy who played I-AA, whose team went 5-6 this year in the always difficult “Patriot League” (before you go “Steve McNair” on me, just remember how rare it is to find a NFL starting QB from I-AA).

I’m not sure I uttered the word “love.”  If anything, I called him a “project.”  Consider the following –

However, playing in an abyss of a college conference, it’s obvious that Skelton would have to take a giant leap forward in order to make an NFL roster.  However, unlike McCoy being taken in the 3rd round, a 5th or 6th round flier on Skelton could prove to be a quality investment.

The only thing I would “love” about Skelton is the idea of the Browns drafting him in the 6^th round, compared to a McCoy pick in the third or Clausen pick in the first.  Ask yourself, which is a safer pick?

And once again – the whole purpose of the article was not to show which players will “bust”, but rather how overvalued the top prospects are.

This is an honest question: What methods do you use to formulate your opinions on quarterbacks? Do you actually watch these guys play? Is it statistics based? I can’t tell, because the analysis seems so haphazard and random. My guess is that you scour the internet reading mock draft sites and then regurgitate some of the more lesser known names to try to sound like you are smarter than everyone else.

Longtime readers of the site already know my disdain for statistics.  Basically, like any other analyst who is not employed by the industry (my little euphemism for bloggers), I rely on my eyes…meaning if I can find Patriot League video or the 1 a.m. Fox Sports Net feed, I will devour it.  Unlike others, I have a keen radar for media hype, which currently explains why some players are projected much higher than they should be.

In my view, Bradford is brittle and part of his elevation to an elite draft prospect is based on tearing apart a litany of pathetic Big-12 defenses from the safety of a shotgun spread offense attack.  Clausen looks like he’s about to separate his shoulder on each pass and plays the kind of “small” ball that we’ve already experienced from Brady Quinn. 

Part of Clausen’s mystique is based on the historical importance of Notre Dame – which I’m completely ambivalent towards.    In my view, Notre Dame is as relevant as any other mid-tier Big East team.  However, the allure of the university – along with Charlie Weis’ NFL connections has kept Notre Dame in the limelight for the past several seasons.  Clausen has no doubt benefitted from this.

Finally, as for the mock drafts…thanks for reminding me. 

In the coming weeks, look for the 2010 Historical and Pop Culture Mock Draft.  Until then, here’s last year’s version.

In which everyone is classically overhyped…