@the-gipper said:

QB - trade both 1sts for Mariota, or try drafting Petty or Hundley in the 3rd

NT - 1st - Shelton or Brown or 2nd round pick Goldman, Phillips, or Davis

WR - 1st - Cooper, White, or Parker, 2nd - BPA, or 4th round Dezmin Smith, Tony Lippett, Kenny Bell

Pass-rusher - 1st or 2nd round - whoever is BPA at this position or 3rd round pick Kikaha, Trey Flowers or Z'Darius Smith

O-lineman - versatile G/T - 3rd round BPA or wait for 5th round - Sean HIckey, Jeremiah Poutasi, Robert Myers

TE, FB or H-back - 4th round pick Ben Koyak, Nick O'leary, Tyler Kroft, Jalston Fowler

ILB - 4th to 6th round - Ramik Wilson, Taiwan Jones, Hayes Pullard, Kyle Emanuel, Alani Fua, Trey DePriest

An ideal draft would look like:

1 - Mariota, 2 - Goldman, 3 - Kikaha, 4 - Lippett, 4 - Koyak, 5 - Poutasi, 6 - Myers.... then whoever else

Without a trade, it would look like:

1 - Shelton, 1 - Dupree, 2 - Coates, 3 - Petty, 4 - Koyak, 4 - Wilson, 5 - Myers... then whoever else

The 2015 free agency period started off with a bang, as multiple teams made trades and signings. Strangely missing from these rapid fire transactions were the Cleveland Browns. Many felt the Browns would be big players in free agency because they had the second most cap space in the league, as well as a roster that could use talent at most positions and depth at all positions. Those expectations existed despite GM Ray Farmer and owner Jimmy Haslam saying they wouldn’t be major players in free agency.

Some moves the Browns have made so far are signing veteran quarterbacks Josh McCown and Thaddeus Lewis, as well as veterans Randy Starks, Tramon Williams and Brian Hartline. The team also extended defensive lineman John Hughes to a team friendly four-year deal.

Cleveland lost linebacker Jabaal Sheard to the New England Patriots, cornerback Buster Skrine to the New York Jets, Jordan Cameron to the Miami Dolphins, and quarterback Brian Hoyer to the Houston Texans.

The Browns were 7–9 last year with those players as starters. Skrine was tied for second in the league for most penalties. Sheard played with an injured foot, but seemed out of place in the Browns’ version of the 3–4 defense, and was better at run stopping than pass rushing. Jordan Cameron played 10 games, and quite honestly, you couldn’t tell. While besieged by injuries he wasn’t the weapon he was a season ago. And Brian Hoyer’s ineffectiveness was a key part of the collapse that took the Browns from 6–3 to 7–9. Here’s the truth, as awful as Johnny Manziel looked last year, the Browns chose him to start over Hoyer. No revisionist history or beer-goggled hindsight saying he played like a Pro Bowler. At Hoyer’s best he was average.

All of these players were good, and have the potential to get better depending on how they are used. But, it wasn’t happening here. They were not the Browns core players, so let’s not pretend that these guys were even difference makers last year.

By comparison, here’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done in free agency:

Signings:

• Ben Roethlisberger contract extension: 4-years with $60.75 million guaranteed
• Running back DeAngelo Williams
• Re-signed: linebacker Arthur Moats and tight end Matt Spaeth

Lost:

• Retired: Brett Keisel and Jason Worilds

The Browns don’t have a quarterback on the roster worth $60.75 total, let alone in guarantees. Keisel and Worilds have been keys to the Steelers defense, Worilds the last few seasons and Keisel since 2006.

Here’s a look at the Baltimore Ravens moves in free agency:

Signings:

• Safety Kendrick Lewis

Lost:

• WR Torrey Smith: 5 years, $40 million
• Traded Haloti Ngata for fourth and fifth-round picks
• OLB Pernell McPhee: 5 years, $38.75 million
• TE Owen Daniels: 3 years, $12.25 million

Daniels had 48 receptions for 527 yards and 4 touchdowns last season. Jordan Cameron had 24 receptions for 424 yards and 2 touchdowns. Similar production, yet no one is predicting the Ravens will collapse with the loss of Owen Daniels or calling the organization dysfunctional for not re-signing him. And the Ravens traded Haloti Ngata because they viewed his contract as over-priced. But, the Browns should make it rain for a two-down nose tackle?

Here’s a question, who would you rather have on your team Pernell McPhee, who last year had 7.5 sacks without starting a game, or Jabaal Sheard who had 2 sacks in 5 starts? Yet again, the Ravens lose a player who made a major impact that they will most likely replace in the draft. Yet, the Browns didn’t try to re-sign Sheard because of his fit into their scheme and they don’t know what they’re doing?

Curious, last year when the Browns were heading to Cincinnati at 5–3 in Week 10, did anyone say “the Browns are so close, if they only had Ndamukong Suh.” No one said that, because the Cleveland Browns are not one overpriced free agent away from the Super Bowl, no matter what the position. As for the Browns trading for Drew Brees rumors, if you hated the McCown signing, why would you want another 36 year-old quarterback on the team? If Brees can’t succeed with Jimmy Graham, Mark Ingram, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston how will he do it with Brian Hartline, Jim Dray, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and Isaiah Crowell?

The Browns need a quarterback, but for those of you saying Hoyer didn’t have any weapons last year can’t say that Brees would make those guys better. You can’t have it both ways. Either the Browns were right to let Hoyer leave because he’s a backup or Brees wouldn’t make a difference on this roster. Pick your poison.

The Browns currently still need a nose tackle, defensive line depth, an outside linebacker, a pass catching tight end or h-back, and wide receiver. Free agency can be frustrating, but calling the Browns a joke for not outbidding for a player in free agency is hardly bad business. This is the NFL, not Madden.

And the Browns don’t look bad for what Cameron and his agent did, they do. Bush league negotiations and lies, a reporter completely manipulated and the Browns are at fault without ever having said anything about even negotiating?

@mudfly said:

A. You know what happens when you assume.....and until or unless Bowe is signed I see no reason for assumption.

B. Does this team really even want an actual traditional "Fullback"? I thought they were looking for that H-back type TE/FB hybrid.

@the-gipper said:

With FA starting to wind down and now knowing some of the Browns signings(and I'll assume we sign Bowe for this)....I have a little better idea of where Farmer "has" to go(OLB, OL, NT).....and where he has flexibility(WR,ILB)....and with Bowe/Hartline joining in, I gotta assume WR slides down the list again.........

And, with the increase with talent, I gotta tap needed starters early, which(for me) would be NT and OLB.....and add to my depth later.....so with that....

Defensive Linemen 1st round.....Im getting a NT early.....Leonard/Brown/Shelton

Linebacker....1st round......Then Im getting an edge rusher to replace Sheard(BPA)....

Tight End/Wide Receiver 2nd/3rd/4th....might tap the BPA for these 2 positions in the second

or....

Offensive Line 2nd/3rd/4th........might tap an OT here also......

Full back...mid/late round.....some good FB's available here.....like Varga in the 4th/5th

Defensive back...3rd-5th.....Want some depth at both Safety positions....prefer SS though....Sample, Geathers would do well here

So, if my first 4 picks bring me a .....NT....OLB....OT.....WR/TE.....im good.....

My last 6 can be BPA, with an eye on need.......SS....FB....OG/C......TE/WR......FS.....K......

Id rather use my late picks on a high quality Kicker and/or FB, who are both likely to crack the roster, then taking a waiver on position players who will end up cut or on PS//////

@mld-woody said:

@the-gipper said:

OK, but know this: the Browns would be getting a better player by getting Grant than by getting Ryan. Grant will probably be a 2d/3rd round pick. Ryan is end of the draft, 6-7.

But yea, I would be fine getting Ryan there somewhere.

Well then, know this, based on that logic, the browns would be getting a better player than either of those two if they drafted Funchess...

... But I wasn't really commenting on the OSU guy's ability. Just saying i was mainly commenting on Ryan.

Oh, and i don't think I've seen one place project him in the 6th or 7th. Most are 5th or earlier, like Walter Football

@mld-woody said:

OK, but know this: the Browns would be getting a better player by getting Grant than by getting Ryan. Grant will probably be a 2d/3rd round pick. Ryan is end of the draft, 6-7.

But yea, I would be fine getting Ryan there somewhere.

@calfoxwc said:

Same Old News MKC. She loves to report are failures at trying to get better. Along with Text gate to League. This women has Head Drama..

@the-gipper said:

Oh, I don't really care about the Buckeye because I do not know a lot about him. I've watched every game Jake Ryan has ever played though, that's why I commented on him. I believe he'll be gone by the 6th though, based on all of the projections I've seen.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/16/report-browns-attempted-to-deal-for-larry-fitzgerald/

@mld-woody said:

Browns need either OLB or MLB. And I chose him for the same reason I choose my Kentucky Derby horses.....I just liked his name and figured he would bring Molly Ringwald along....and I figured he was as good a risk as any for a 6th round LB.

( I see however you were not excited about Doran Grant...an Akron SVSM /Buckeye).

I'm not sure if you're looking for OLB or MLB, but he originally played inside at Michigan. This is where he was pretty dominant, and looked like a sure star. Then he tore his ACL but came back from it very quickly. Finally, do to lack of depth, injuries and desperation, he was moved inside last year. He played well (he'll be a mid round pick), but not at the trajectory he was projecting early on. I'm not sure where an NFL team will want to use him. Or more importantly, where we would.

@the-gipper said:

@the-gipper said:

Whether we sign Bowe or not, I strongly recommend we sign a WR (particularly Devonte Parker from Louisville) witht the 12th pick. I recommend getting a kicker with the 3rd round pick.