Random Thoughts:
With the draft just a few days away, I can’t help but wonder what the local teams will do; namely, the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions. This year’s draft, as with previous incarnations, features plenty of intriguing storylines, despite the clear lack of any clear standout first overall choice. Since the Brownies don’t have any picks on day one, I’ll start with the Lion Cubs.
Detroit holds the 15th pick, a situation they haven’t been in for quite some time. Does this mean that the Lions are finally beginning to show progress as an organization, finishing the season with a record that moves them further away from the bottom of the NFL pack? Not necessarily. A collapse of historic proportions during the second half of the season left Rod Marinelli’s squad in a panicked state of disarray, finishing 7-9 and drafting outside of the top 10 for the first time in seven years. What went wrong? How about what didn’t? Mike Martz proved many doubters correct when he was given way too much autonomy over draft choices and offensive procedures, and promptly dug a hole for the franchise that was ultimately too deep to get out of. He refused to run the ball consistently, which led to opponents waiting for the aerial attack to commence. And commence it did. Jon Kitna threw for an astonishing 4,068 yards, and as a result both Roy Williams and Mike Furrey concluded the season with over 1,000 yards apiece. But while those numbers look impressive, consider that Kitna threw 20 interceptions to his 18 touchdowns and was sacked 51 times. And his passing yardage ranks 6th among NFL quarterbacks, with the top 5 players throwing for more touchdowns than picks. In fact, Kitna was tied with two other players for the most INTs thrown last season (though one of those other players was Eli Manning, who won a Super Bowl without his top tight end). Much of Kitna’s failure to put the ball in the end zone can be attributed to Martz’s abandoning the running game and making a complicated offensive strategy very predictable, in addition to poor play by the offensive line.
Recently there has been thought that perhaps Drew Stanton, selected in the second round on the recommendation of the since-fired Mike Martz, isn’t the answer as the successor to Kitna, who is just a temporary fix anyway. Speculation has the Lions eyeing Boston College QB Matt Ryan in the first round, which is an interesting scenario. Baltimore has been keeping Ryan in their sights, but have also remaining heavily interested Michigan’s Chad Henne. Would Baltimore be willing to swap picks with Detroit in an attempt to move down and take Henne? If Ryan is still available when the 8th pick comes up on the board (a big if, since Kansas City at #5 seems to be the most logical home for him), could Matt Millen put together a package quick enough to meet league approval and land the franchise QB that the Lions have been coveting? I don’t see it happening. I think Baltimore will stay at #8 and select an O-lineman (Boise State’s Clady perhaps?) and Detroit gets stuck deciding which of their needs should be addressed first: RB or defense. Rashard Mendenhall will not slip past the Bears, who have the 14th pick. So if the Lions want him, they’ll have to move ahead of Chicago. My bet is on a DB to accompany Leigh Bodden, who was acquired in a trade with Cleveland: Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie or Mike Jenkins are the likely candidates. It’s also possible that the Lions satisfy the D-line hunger that embodies Marinelli by taking Florida’s Derrick Harvey.
Mike Williams, Charles Rogers, Kevin Jones, Joey Harrington, Shaun Rogers, Kalimba Edwards, Boss Bailey, Teddy Lehman…too many misses in the first two rounds by Millen and Company. If it were my choice, I’d say deal Roy Williams to Philadelphia for a 1st round pick and whatever else I could get (3rd or 4th) and then use the 15th pick on Derrick Harvey and the 19th on a quality linebacker or defensive back. But whatever they do, Detroit won’t do much to improve their chances as long as they keep hemorrhaging draft picks and showing injuries and a lack of talent as a result. And that is why I’m no longer a Lions fan.
Over in Cleveland the situation is sunnier, with clouds threatening in the distance. Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel have done a magnificent job assembling a Browns team that barely missed the playoffs last season. Lineman Joe Thomas (1st round pick) provided an immediate presence and did a great job during his first season, starting every game and eventually being named as a first alternate in the Pro Bowl, thanks to the Browns’ O-Line only allowing 19 sacks and helping Jamal Lewis put up 1,304 yards rushing yards. Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards emerged as quality targets for Derek Anderson, who stepped up to claim the starting QB role after Cleveland dealt Charlie Frye and began preparations to move Brady Quinn into the spotlight. But a word of caution concerning Anderson’s 29 TDs and 3,787 passing yards: he hasn’t duplicated those stats yet, as that was his first time putting up numbers like that. Up until the 2007 season, opposing defenses had not yet seen much footage of the former 6th round draft pick (Baltimore, 2005). While I’m eager to see what he can do with a better defense to hold opponents in check and less pressure to come from behind, I’ll wait to see if he can outwit opposing teams now that the talented cat is out of the bag, especially now that Cleveland has yet to address the issue of acquiring a backup running back to help out Jamal Lewis with ball carrying duties.
But when I say better defense, I still remain skeptical about it. Corey Williams was brought in from Green Bay’s D-line at the cost of a 2nd round pick; Shaun Rogers, a frequent target of criticism while he was in Detroit because of his eating habits and questionable work ethic, came with a price tag of a 3rd rounder and Leigh Bodden. Add those two acquisitions to the 2008 1st round pick that Cleveland gave up to move up and draft Brady Quinn last season, and the Browns don’t get to participate in the Draft Day fun until the 4th round. While building a team through free agency and trades is not necessarily the best way to advance into the playoffs, there is still hope: Cleveland will be well-educated when it comes to late-round talent, having been focusing exclusively on those prospects for months now. More than likely the choice will be either a linebacker or cornerback, but if a 2nd or 3rd round running back slips to the 4th round, then Savage won’t hesitate to pounce. This will be his chance to add depth to the offensive line and possibly even at tight end, which is a sign that the Browns are definitely moving in the right direction…assuming Shaun Rogers new contract doesn’t become a problem down the road.
