VoF: For Better Or Worse, Browns’ Draft Yields 12 New Rookies
By Ric McElroy
(Editor’s Note: The Voice of the Fan is back, trying to make sense of the a Cleveland Browns’ Draft that saw GM Ray Farmer pay a lot of attention to defense for the second straight season.)
After all the hype, all the speculation, all the rumors, all the hoop-la…the NFL Draft is over and the Cleveland Browns have 12 new rookies to welcome to the Dawg Pound.
Danny Shelton was a big need and possibily their best pick. Cameron Erving is a good pick, but I still think he could have come in the next round. If not, there were others available! I don’t have a beef with the player, just the round he was chosen.
As for the later rounds…it’s wait and see. I’m still disillusioned that a major need such as wide receiver was ignored again–until the second pick in the forth round! I know what Ray Farmer has said about drafting one in the early rounds. But think about this, the Ravens, who killed this draft, and the Steelers (yuck on both teams), don’t operate with that philosophy.
Ozzie Newsome had another big draft. The Ravens GM doesn’t wait until the forth round for a need pick. Therefore, we’re going to Breshad Permian twice a year.
And to make matters worse, Pittsburgh continues to balance out their drafts between offense and defense.They seem to be in the playoffs almost every year!
Defensive end Nate Orchard will likely be converted to outside linebacker. Defensive end Xavier Cooper and safety Ibrahim Campbell were OK picks. I understand the need for each player, but too much attention was paid to defense. The offense is the side of the ball that needs the most help!
Now they finally get a receiver in Vince Mayle. He’s big, which is a plus, but he’s slow. The Washington State product posted 40 times of 4.65, 4.52 and 4.56 at March’s NFL combine. I also question his hands as he led the country in drops two years ago. Bring back any memories? He did have a better year last year.
Toward the end of the draft, Ray Farmer went for two tight ends, Malcom Johnson and Randall Telfer. Neither one will make you forget Jordan Camereon, although Johnson can catch some balls. Telfer is more of an inline blocker.
Mike Pettine–renown lover of cornerbacks– picked up two more cornerbacks and the Browns now have enough of them on roster to start a village! Charles Gaines and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. He may turn out to be the best of the bunch. Taken as their last draft choice, many had him going earlier, much earlier, but a torn ACL caused his stock to plummet.
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Linebacker Hayes Pullard was taken just ahead of Olomu. He’s an OK pick for the final round, but I wish they would have taken a place kicker. The Browns really need one and it cost us games last year! I have hope they find one they start rummaging through the undrafted free-agent pool.
With the draft over, the start of Training Camp will be here before you know it. Cleveland is going to have the same troubles on offense as last year. They really only got Duke Johnson as a playmaker on offense. Hopefully, Mayle will become one.
I’m surprised they didn’t draft a secondary quarterback to hedge their bets. Someone in the middle-to-late rounds.
I’m afraid it’s going to be another long year with not much offense. I was hoping Farmer learned his lesson last year? As my brother would say: “It’s Farmer’s job to lose and there has been enough turnover here to last until the next century. But let’s wait and see? What do you think?