@orion said:

All along I felt that we would be drafting Concepcion at 24. But my thinking was that Boston would be gone by then. When he was sitting there for us at #24 I was elated. And then disappointed when we didn't pick him. And then elated again when we got him.

From what I've read from multiple sources is that he was the player that impressed them most through the offseason camps. He has things to work on but he ran crisp routes, caught the ball well with his hands, and never got the ol' Yell At for not being lined up correctly. Of course I have to temper my enthusiasm because Donovan Peoples-Jones was All World in the offseason also. We're always Lookin' Good at this time of year....and then when another team occupies the other sideline, we come crashing back to earth.

I understand. I join you in being elated because I had a feeling he was going to be drafted before #39 (like anywhere between #33-38 which is close enough to make the tease of it all feel/hurt like getting a tooth drilled without novocaine).

I do that with the enthusiasm too. My wishful thinking tends to be a bad influence on my overcaffeinated evaluations of the Browns in where they are at before training camp. Even if by accident, I can't wait until I'm finally right...

@flugel said:

A lot of us LIKED Boston especially knowing we didn't need to use our 1st pick on him (or possibly even the 24th pick)

All along I felt that we would be drafting Concepcion at 24. But my thinking was that Boston would be gone by then. When he was sitting there for us at #24 I was elated. And then disappointed when we didn't pick him. And then elated again when we got him.

From what I've read from multiple sources is that he was the player that impressed them most through the offseason camps. He has things to work on but he ran crisp routes, caught the ball well with his hands, and never got the ol' Yell At for not being lined up correctly. Of course I have to temper my enthusiasm because Donovan Peoples-Jones was All World in the offseason also. We're always Lookin' Good at this time of year....and then when another team occupies the other sideline, we come crashing back to earth.

@orion said:

It seems I can't fling a dead cat without it landing on an article praising our Concepcion pick.  I wanted Boston with that pick....and was like, Oh well, OK, it's a WR...that's what we need.  But it seems everyone likes him more than Boston.  -  Of course, we ended up with both, which is incredible, but all of the pundits love Concepcion.  I was never a big fan of KC and the Sunshine Band....but I'm looking forward to KC and Sunshine Browns.    

A lot of us LIKED Boston especially knowing we didn't need to use our 1st pick on him (or possibly even the 24th pick) even before hindsight 20/20 reminded us of that. How many times did ANY of us actually watch him/his team play last year? Boston wasn't drafted until #39 overall, which is still an ideal slot for a very talented WR even though he wasn't quite as in demand as many of us thought he'd be. I know I was part of our group that pleasantly shocked he was still there for the BIG steal.

With Concepcion, you mentioned Wes Welker which was a great comparison IMO, due to how many ways he can help his team. In particular, the Return Game can also really use his speed/talent (ie; his 2 TD returns last year). If people/teams would have known Texas Tech's Wes Welker was also going to be a gem in the return game and/or he was more of a stop watch heart throb - he probably would have at least been drafted (my guess is the stop watch would have determined how high). About that stop watch, I don't think Boston ran a 40 at the Combine or the Pro Day - which might end up being the biggest blessing/reason behind how he became possible at #39.

But hey, it's awesome have both Concepcion & Boston today - while there's a commercial on tv right now advising viewers: "Stay thirsty my friend."

kc Concepcion draft night 

@dutch-oven said:

That entire draft class stunk.

Bill Johnson was a good D lineman but we traded him to Miami... Other than that... Yeah... That draft sucked ass.. I used to call "Touchdown" Tommy Vardell "first down Tommy"... He was putrid...

@nickers said:

Okay here the Wiki bio on Rico Smith Jr.... Uneventful career with Browns and Jets.. He was selected in the 6th round of the 92 draft. We drafted a lot of sucky WR's that year...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rico_Smith

That entire draft class stunk.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rico_Smith

How about Robiskie and Massaquoi, both in the 2nd round the same year.  Willis Adams, 1st rounder in the mid 70's.  There are a bunch more.

I like Boston, but he does remind me of David Bell.

@nick-garrett said:

I remember Rico suave, was he from Texas?  

I think you are right about that... But that was 30 some years ago...

@dutch-oven said:

I vaguely remember the name, but nothing regarding him playing. Didn’t we have a WR around that time from TTUN named Derrick Alexander?

I see why you vaguely remember him. He was drafted 31st overall in 89 when the NFL only had 28 teams; so that was an 2nd round selection.  They drafted Derrick Alexander in 94 which was near the end of Tillman's injury marred career and only 2 years from wearing an ugly purple uniform for Baltimore...

@dutch-oven said:

I don't even remember the name Rico Smith... 

Rico wasn't around long...

@nickers said:

Yeah that was during the Bud Carson/Belichic era.... Tillman was in the Carson era... I believe Alexander was one of Bills pics along with Rico Smith and Keenan McArdell.. McArdell turned out pretty good.. the other 2 Alexander and Smith were horrible.

I don't even remember the name Rico Smith... 

@dutch-oven said:

I vaguely remember the name, but nothing regarding him playing. Didn’t we have a WR around that time from TTUN named Derrick Alexander?

Yeah that was during the Bud Carson/Belichic era.... Tillman was in the Carson era... I believe Alexander was one of Bills pics along with Rico Smith and Keenan McArdell.. McArdell turned out pretty good.. the other 2 Alexander and Smith were horrible.

@flugel said:

Agreed Nicks!  Back then, I thought we were going to be saying/hearing a lotta "Bernie to the Attorney TOUCHDOWN CLEVELAND."   I wuz wrong...

I vaguely remember the name, but nothing regarding him playing. Didn’t we have a WR around that time from TTUN named Derrick Alexander?

@nickers said:

Lawyer Tillmans problems were injuries... He wasn't that bad honestly. Just never got to develop his skills.. he was one heck of a big physical specimen... unfortunate..

Agreed Nicks!  Back then, I thought we were going to be saying/hearing a lotta "Bernie to the Attorney TOUCHDOWN CLEVELAND."   I wuz wrong...

@dutch-oven said:

Concepcion is potentially the more exciting WR, I'm guessing that's why he's getting more love.

I liked KCC during the season and might have been the first on here to mention him as a potential second round prospect (early in the season I also suggested Notre Dame's Jeremiah Love as a second round pick. That take became very cold when it became obvious he was going to be a top 5 pick) but as the draft process intensified I ended up liking Boston or Cooper Jr better, which is why I was kind of 'meh' when they used the #24 pick on KCC. 

Then they got Boston, and I LOVE the idea of KCC and Boston together. Perfect compliments, if Boston can get open on a regular basis. As much as we talk about KCC and his drop rate, there's a bit of apprehension from me about Boston - I hope he doesn't end up being another Cedric Tillman. Injuries have hampered Tillman, and that's what we focus on - but even when healthy I get the impression that he struggles to get open, and that's his biggest obstacle. 

I'm thinking exposure to national audiences was in favor of Concepcion because of how high A&M got in the rankings. That being the case, there's probably far more fans that have seen Concepcion enough to have an opinion on what they've seen.  In fact, of the 2 Draft Magazines I buy every year - Lindy's didn't even include Denzel Boston at all. 

We can look up the stats for both. In order to have really strong opinions about either guy over the other though - isn't important to at least see them play a few games apiece to gain enough insight to explain why 1 is more preferable for the Browns?  

@nick-garrett said:

Hopefully, not Lawyer Tillman either…. Browns seem to draft in certain patterns…… KC’s agents crafted a great letter, much like Nick Chubb’s. Hopefully, we got a great player……..

and as long as the NFL and it’s front offices have to say we got an even better person, you know it’s trouble time.

edited to say in general drafting not KC in particular, who doesn’t like a good steak on a Friday night?

Lawyer Tillmans problems were injuries... He wasn't that bad honestly. Just never got to develop his skills.. he was one heck of a big physical specimen... unfortunate..

and as long as the NFL and it’s front offices have to say we got an even better person, you know it’s trouble time.

edited to say in general drafting not KC in particular, who doesn’t like a good steak on a Friday night?