Cleveland Browns Update

I am a Cleveland sports fan. Although it would sometimes seem hard to admit, I have always been a fan of the local teams, through thick and thin. I love the Browns, Cavs, Indians, and Buckeyes. Out of all of these teams, it seems hardest to get excited each season for the Browns. They are always capable of letting you down. Through it all, I continue to hope that they can turn things around every year.

So far, this offseason seems to be a disappointment for the Browns. The only major move they have made in free agency is trading away Kellen Winslow for a second round draft pick. Let's take a second to explore the positives and negatives of this deal. First, Winslow has been a constant problem with his injury issues and his attitude. Second, we did pick up a mid-2nd round selection. Third, if Martin Rucker, the tight-end drafted last year out of Missouri, is as good as the Browns organization has been raving about, he should be able to step into Winslow's shoes in the next couple seasons. The major negative is that we lost the only guy who has proven he could hang onto the ball. Unless Braylon starts holding onto all those passes that hit him in the hands, I'm not sure who our young quarterbacks are going to be able to throw the ball to.

Additionally, the Browns have major holes to fill on both sides of the ball. In my mind, the biggest problem is on the offensive side. We have a pretty good line, but Jamal Lewis is possibly the slowest RB in the NFL. He is now over-the-hill for an NFL player and the Browns seriously need to address this issue immediately. Second, with Donte' Stallworth constantly hurt and now facing legal issues, we don't have a 2nd wide reciever (Joe Jurevicious released). Thus, on offense, it would be nice to get a running back, wide receiver, and offensive lineman. On defense, we have had trouble defending the pass. We can blame our corners, but the fact of the matter is we have no pressure on the quarterback. We need to find a quality OLB or DE to get to the quarterback. Thus, on defense we could use an upgrade at OLB or DE and CB.

Right now, we have 3 picks in the Top 50 in this years draft. My advice to the Browns would be to trade out of the 5 spot. Try to find someone who wants Michael Crabtree before the Raiders get to him and trade out of that spot for their 1st-rounder and an additional 2nd rounder. Having four picks in the first 2 rounds would help the Browns more than keeping the #5 and stretching on a DE/OLB at that position. Just my thoughts for now.