ESPN Power Rankings - Post Draft

D Bone

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/draft-2014-afc-draft-grades-025200887--nfl.html

Cleveland Browns

8. Justin Gilbert, cornerback, Oklahoma State.

22. Johnny Manziel, quarterback, Texas A&M.

35. Joel Bitonio, guard/tackle, Nevada.

71. Christian Kirksey, inside linebacker, Iowa.

94. Terrance West, running back, Towson.

127. Pierre Desir, cornerback, Lindenwood.

Overview: Rookie GM Ray Farmer opened his first-ever draft with a bang, robbing the Bills of 2015 first- and fourth-round picks in just a five-spot first-round drop. Farmer pulled off two trades back up the board, securing Gilbert and Manziel at positions of glaring need. He added a 2015 sixth-rounder in a day-three trade with Baltimore. Throughout this draft, Farmer consistently matched value with needs. Gilbert's elite ball skills will come in handy opposite lock-down LCB Joe Haden. The Browns' quarterback hole was obvious. Bitonio is Cleveland's likely day-one starter at left guard, solidifying an impressive O-Line. Kirksey upgrades on Craig Robertson next to Karlos Dansby. West is a 225-pound workhorse with Alfred Morris-like open-field jump cuts. Gilbert has some boom or bust to him, so the Browns found fourth-round insurance in Desir, an intriguing press-corner prospect. The lack of wide receivers concerns me less because OC Kyle Shanahan will orchestrate a heavily run-based offense as he eases in Johnny Football. All in all, the Browns not only came away with six impressive players; they stockpiled 2015 picks as well.

Grade: A-

The Gipper

Probably just a reaction to several things that they view as negative, that really may not be:

1. The front office debacle, firing of Chud/Banner/Lombardi

2. An anti-Johnny reaction.

3. Josh Gordon's problem. They assume he will be gone and that no one on the Browns can catch.

What they didn't bother to pay attention to, apparently, is the actual talent on the field, nor the potential quality of the coaching staff with Mike Pettine. The latter I understand. He is not a garish enough personality for ESPN to have glommed onto. They like their coaches to be brash like Rex Ryan, coaching capability aside.

The former, however, is a product of pure laziness.

If you take the AFCN just and compare positions/units the Browns may win more of those comparisons than any other team in the division.

The one glaring point of course is QB.

But, is the Browns QB situation any worse than many, many other places?

Do they think that Bortles in Jax will make more difference that JFF here?

What does Tampa have? Mike Glennon?

Tennessee has Jake Locker?

Minnesota has gobbledy gook.

Vick and Geno Smith?

EJ Manuel?

These guys dis Andy Dalton some here.

Sam Bradford?

Houston has what? Ryan Fitzpatrick?

Denver, honestly is one hit on a 40 year old QB from being mediocre.

Arizona? Carson Palmer?

Soju

lol last? complete bs

Canton Mike

Who gives a damn what ANY of the media thinks (ESPECIALLY ESPN)? I sure don't!!

Let's wait & see what happens, but you can bet Pettine will use that ranking to his advantage.

Mike

Bummie

@jcam222 said:
Thats what I like to see a good supportive fan. Seriously? This was a damn good draft. The trade down was nothing short of brilliant. We screwed Buffalo almost as hard as we screwed Indy with the Trich trade.

I'd backtrack on that and read my posts in other threads. Not only did I LOVE the Gilbert pick, I also called it well in advance. "Trade down anyone?" Is referring to next year if we held 1 and 6. You know how many future picks we could accumulate with 2 starting picks in the top 6?

Now I'll follow with this (I had no interest in getting involved in the media shit storm that has followed since the draft). The analyst that put this out is shit, as is most every analyst on ESPN and every other analyst paid to shovel shit. This was done for a reaction. You take the team that just got a bunch of new fans and that had a SOLID draft and boost your rating by projecting them as finishing in last place. It's very simple.

Did you want my "expert opinion" on the situation? If you were to remove the WR position from consideration, I believe that we have a top 5 ranked 18 man starting roster by week 8. Depending on how our WR situation pans out, we may very well stay top 5 with them. Does that mean im predicting playoffs? Yeah pretty much.

I guess my initial response should have said just what I said in this one, but at some point you get tired of saying the same thing over and over.

TexasAg1969

"Playoffs!? You talkin' about playoffs!?"

slimdawg

I think 32nd is complete bs, and is irrelevant really. I noticed on S.I. 2015 mock draft they have us picking at #4 ( Buffalo) and at # 12. Irrelevant also, just thought I'd throw that out there......

paul warfield

espn doesnot do homework before publishing opinions.

Thusly no need to value their spewings

Westside Steve

Every year the Browns get piccked near the bottom. Every year we feel insulted and get pissed off. Every year, so far, they've been right. As for the power ranking? Well that changes game by game and probably isn't going to change until we have played and won a few.

WSS

The Gipper

The only power rankings I put any credence in are called: The Standings.

Harry Buffalo

@westside-steve said:

Every year the Browns get piccked near the bottom. Every year we feel insulted and get pissed off. Every year, so far, they've been right. As for the power ranking? Well that changes game by game and probably isn't going to change until we have played and won a few.

WSS

I would aurgue a bit differently. Every year they have us ranked 31st, or 32nd, and every year we finish 28th or higher. We NEVER finish below 28, regardless of how bad our team has been. Why keep betting towards something that refuses to happen.