Farmer - Year One upgrades.....

RoyceRolls

I'd be very happy going defense in the first round. My pipe dream first round would be Shelton and Ray

gumby73

So Ray the story was we gave up the S. Watkins pick and got the extra first round pick this year for your love of Mariota. Do you stick with the Plan or Do you do it again for Cardell Jones.. Tick Tock Tick Tock. Friday maybe a good Day Off for all of us before we jump to Round 2 Saturday..

Flugel

@mudfly said:

I think the Browns will EXPLODE over the next few years......am I optimistic?....hell yes!

I know they all wont be great...but the numbers say at least a couple of these young guys will break out with a really big season...

Who's your pick?

Mingo?...Gilbert?...Manziel?...Crowell?...West?...Gabriel?...Armonty?...Housler?...Bowie?...Kwan?...Desir?.....Kirksey?....

My moneys on Mingo, Gilbert and Desir to be the big winners......

My "prayer pick" is Johnny.......

This is far from full-proof/fool-proof; BUT when it comes to a young QB prospect I like to see some evidence of them beating far more talented opponents than the team they're playing on. I say that because if they are going to NFL teams that don't have a lot of talent - the Matt Leinarts (or others similar) from great teams have experienced culture shock when they have far less tools to work with at the more complex game commanding expedited decisions. AGAIN, there's gonna be exceptions to this.

Having said that, I think back to Bernie Kosar before Miami was the program to be at. His WRs were Stanley Shakespeare and JC Penny while very few teammates would end up finding a long term home in the NFL after upsetting a much more talented Nebraska team overall. There was also John Elway erasing something like a 20 point halftime deficit to a much more talented OSU team to knot a final score in a matchup many didn't give them much of a chance with. Later on, Aaron Rodgers was able to lead a lesser talented Cal team over USC.

As much as Manziel has his inner demons and intangibles that worry people - how many QBs could have taken their team into Bama's home turf vrs a team on their way to a National Championship against the mind/strategy of Nick Saban and BEAT it. One of the most impressive QB performances I've seen in college football considering how much Bama's DBs were getting away with grabbing and holding throughout the game. I've often heard Manziel wouldn't have been squat without Mike Evans; BUT I'm sure Nick Saban would be real quick to remind them Manziel to Ryan Swope was a pretty freakin lethal combination. As recently as 2014, Winston's first crack at beating an opponent with as much overall talent as his team ended up looking like a short bus fire drill. It was a disaster and he needed a Heimlich or 2 or 3. In a game somebody had to win, Mariota looked good vrs FSU. I don't even think he looked horrible vrs Ohio State if a couple guys held onto to some really good throws. That said, the better the opponent - the less the margin of error he had to work with and the final game got away from Oregon. I don't see enough for us to consider trading up for in either guy. Winston is a punk and anyone that researched character should have found the disturbing reason a guy that was lucky to evade a rape conviction doesn't belong as the face of our franchise. Mariota's best throws often seemed like a timing pattern to an area of the field off a particular drop or play-action sequence. The change from college to pros for this type of QB is often easy.

Love em or hate em, we're only about 1 paragraph into Manziel's first chapter heading into a QB draft class that doesn't thrill many of us. I don't see any reason to detour off the Farmer/Pettine plan to build this team the right way especially considering the current supply of projected first round QBs available. That said, it wouldn't kill us or Manziel to draft Bryce Petty where he's projected in lieu of reaching up into round one. Manziel's rookie year wasn't any different than Brett Favre's. When Favre got to Green Bay for a 2nd chance, he said he asked Ty Detmer "what's a nickle?" My guess is if he wasn't over-partying and sleeping through team meetings all week as a rookie - he knows this before season #2? Lucky for him, he went to the right setting and was able to reach a second chapter which ultimately became a great career/story. He threw a ton of INTs early on and got called "Wild Thing" but he improved his TD to INT ratios with time and experience. Favre said it constantly - that the QB that reminded him the most of himself was Manziel. I'm sure that includes the inner frat boy as much as the improvise behind center. I don't think this challenge for Manziel is impossible. The reality he is the one Cleveland drafted; and there isn't a big enough body of work for final conclusions. Maybe that bedroom gymnastics partner of his keeps him from missing the bar scene.