Some podcast takes from Cleveland Browns Daily commenting on the first wave of mock drafts that have come out.
http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-center/audio/Cleveland-Browns-Daily---71/f500ca50-aa2e-44e1-a5e8-d73805e42f11#/media-center/audio/Cleveland_Browns_Daily_115_Part_2_Pluto/f0fbfc77-80db-4cb0-9ef2-12d775f4953d
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part 2 around the 9:40 point.
Longtime Plain Dealer sports writer
Terry Pluto was asked about the mocks that were projecting a QB to go with the Browns top pick. Pluto said he liked
QB Teddy Bridgewater and that he did not like
QB Johnny Manziel.
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part 5 they talk the recent mocks
Nate Zegura says he does not think they will take a RB with the 26th pick of the first round. He says he thinks the Browns will take a QB with the top pick and he loves
QB Johnny Manziel but will go
cornerback with the 26th pick. Zegura's list for the first round is:
1. 1st round pick #4
Quarterback (he loves
Johnny Manziel)
2. 1st round 26th pick he thinks we will look to take a
Cornerback but did not name any specific player
Vic Carucci Says he thinks the Browns will take a QB with the top pick and he likes QB Blake Bortles and he does not like any mocks that show a RB with the top pick and goes so-far as to say the Browns will NOT take a running back in the first round. He think the 26th pick will address a different need. He said he would prioritize the Browns needs in the following order:
1. First round #4 selection
Quarterback (he said that he likes
QB Blake Bortles)
2. Firstt round #26 pick
WR,
O-Line,
CB. (Vics order of preference for the 26fh selection)
Both say the Browns won't take a RB in the first round and Browns would be looking RB 3rd round at earliest..
part 8 with Jeroud Cherry around the 5:30
They asked if
Jeround Cherry thought the Browns would take a
RB in the first round? Cherry said
no. He said
you can find a guy in the, 3rd, 4th, 5th, round and Vic agreed.
Cherry feels the team needs to find another WR. He mentioned that as good as WR Josh Gordon has been that he's one slip-up away from not being on the team. Cherry didn't mention who he wanted the team to take in the first round.
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http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-center/audio/Cleveland-Browns-Daily---71/f500ca50-aa2e-44e1-a5e8-d73805e42f11#/media-center/audio/Cleveland_Browns_Daily_116_Part_6/a5a9ba35-154d-4fd1-9521-2046817aca43
Cleveland Browns Daily 1/16 Part 6
Another segment of interest was guest, former OLT and current color commentator on Browns broudcasts,
Doug Deiken give his take on
grading the Browns offensive line. He said the issue was with the guards.
He thinks that free agent OT Chris Faulk is a guy who could take over at right tackle allowing ORT Mitchell Schwartz to move inside. Schwartz was injured, foot, so Dieken felt his struggles last year was due to the injury but he feels Mtichell needs more strength but he can move so he felt moving him inside would really help runs to the perimeter but he added we need to get a RB who can make those perimeter runs.
Dieken's bottom line, get some athletic guards. He feels that is the biggest missing piece on the offensive line. He sounds very-eager to see what Chris Faulk can do.
Both Zegura and Carucci feel we need to replace OG Shawn Lavaua and that Mitchell Schartz struggled and that Grecco at the other OG position was average at best. I didn't realize Schartz was injured and he was injured early in the year and Zegura rattled off a ton of stats to show Schartz really improved later in the season when he would have gotten healthier. So it sounds like we definitely need at least one O-Lineman and quite possibly two unless Faulk is healthy and blows up and/or if Mitchell Schartz vastly improves or can move inside so that gives more options as we can get the best ORT or OG but
it sounds like we will be taking at least one O-Linemen early in the draft.
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http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/media-center/audio/Cleveland-Browns-Daily---71/f500ca50-aa2e-44e1-a5e8-d73805e42f11#/media-center/audio/Cleveland_Browns_Daily_114_Part_3_Williamson/135ff61c-5219-439c-ab3a-0a729c79ec85
Cleveland Browns Daily 1/14 Part 3 - Williamson
Guest ESPN football guy and former NFL scout Matt Williamson
He was asked about the draft and his take was QB Brian Hoyer could be a really good stop-gap guy that allows any rookie QB we take time to develop.
Good quality draft and WR may be the best of the group so you can get a quality WR in the 3rd round that would normally be drafted high in the second round. Williamson
thinks we need a RB. He
thinks we can sign an OG in free agency but unlike Dieken he feels we need a big run blocking masher to open holes. Thinks
we could one more LB. Maybe another corner with size and says we can't fill all needs but we are in good shape with draft picks and cap room.
He likes a big strong-armed QB who can play in poor weather conditions of the AFCN.
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Bottom line for the draft:
- We
won't be drafting any RBs in the 1st or 2nd rounds but RB will be addressed, likely from the 3rd round or later.
- We will add
at least one O-Lineman with a high pick.
- Draft is deep at WR,
we can find a quality WR in the 3rd round
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Cornerback is mentioned and could be a high pick or filled in free agency.
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Linebacker is a need but likely won't be taken high in the draft.