Buckeye Football: Pryor Scares off Boyd, Then Boucher
January 29, 2009Coast To Coast
January 29, 2009With Tony Grossi’s article this morning that gave Browns fans the “What If” about Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, we received a few questions about said expansion draft. Specifically, who was available to the Browns, and who did they end up selecting?
The way that the draft worked was that each team had to make five of their rostered players available to the Browns for their choosing. Only one of the players that went unprotected by each team could was allowed to have been on the injured reserve that previous season; obviously to avoid teams simply putting a slew of disabled players on thier list. Teams could not unprotect punters or kickers, though you will see that back-up centers were not exactly a hot commodity.Â
And a team could not have more than two of their players selected by the Browns. For every player that was drafted, the former team could then protect one of the remaining four at their choosing.Â
Given these rules, the Browns were sent on their voyage of “drafting” at least 32 players that would take up at least 38 percent of their salary cap – leaving the rest for free agents and would-be rookies.
After the jump, you’ll find the 32 players that were chosen by the 1999 Cleveland Browns. Good luck if you recognize many of the names!Â
C –Â Jim Pyne, DET
DE – Hurvin McCormack, DAL
T – Scott Rehberg, NE
WR –Â Damon Gibson, CIN
C – Steve Gordon, SF
LB – Tarek Saleh, CAR
G – Jeff Buckey, MIA
LB – Jason Kyle, SEA
DE – Rod Manuel, PIT
LB –Â Lenoy Jones, TEN
CB – Tim McTyer, PHI
LB – Elijah Alexander, IND
T – Pete Swanson, KC
S – Gerome Williams, SD
S – Marlon Forbes, CHI
WR – Justin Armour, DEN
T – Paul Wiggins, WAS
S –Â Duane Butler, MIN
WR – Fred Brock, ARI
CB – Kory Blackwell, NYG
CB – Kevin Devine, JAX
CB –Â Ray Jackson, BUF
G – Jim Bundren, NYJ
G – Ben Cavil, BAL
RB – Michael Blair, GB
DT – Antonio Anderson, DAL
G – Orlando Bobo, MIN
LB –Â James Williams, SF
QB – Scott Milanovich, TB
S – Eric Stokes, SEA
RB – Ronald Moore, MIA
RB – Clarence Williams, BUF
WR –Â Freddie Solomon, PHI
S – Brandon Sanders, NYG
DT – Mike Thompson, CIN
RB –Â Jerris McPhail, DET
CB –Â Antonio Langham, SF
If drafting a running back with the last name of “McPhail” wasn’t a telling sign ten years ago, I don’t know what was. Obviously, there was something about Scott Milanovich that the team liked a bit more than Kurt Warner. Perhaps it was the same skill set that led Milanovich to the XFL and CFL following his tenure in the NFL?
Pyne actually played for two seasons with the then new Browns. He was elected team captain with the team, but his crowing achievement may be his MVP award, deemed by the Akron Browns Backers. That’s something for the mantle.Â
If you’re curious as to whom the Browns had at their choosing, the list of teams and their unprotected players follows below. Do Enjoy.
ARIZONA CARDINALS Fred Brock, WR J.B. Brown, DB Jerry Drake, DE Jarius Hayes, FB-TE Terry Irving, LB |
ATLANTA FALCONS Chris Bayne, DB Harold Green, RB Ed Smith, TE Ben Talley, LB Dave Widell, G |
BALTIMORE RAVENS Donny Brady, DB Ben Cavil, G Michael Jackson, WR Stevon Moore, DB Tyrell Peters, LB |
BUFFALO BILLS Bill Conaty, C Quinn Early, WR Ray Jackson, DB Alex Van Pelt, QB Clarence Williams, RB |
CAROLINA PANTHERS Mike Fox, DT Corbin Lacina, G Winslow Oliver, RB Tarek Saleh, LB Tony Veland, DB |
CHICAGO BEARS Ricky Bell, DB Andre Collins, LB Marlon Forbes, DB Andy Heck, T Jim Schwantz, LB |
CINCINNATI BENGALS James Francis, LB Damon Gibson, WR Mike Thompson, DT Greg Truitt, C Tom Tumulty, LB |
DALLAS COWBOYS Antonio Anderson, DT Billy Davis, WR Daryl Johnston, FB Hurvin McCormack, DT Clay Shiver, C |
DENVER BRONCOS Justin Armour, WR Darrien Gordon, DB Wille Green, WR Mike Lodish, DT Neil Smith, DE |
DETROIT LIONS Robert Bailey, DB Tommie Boyd, WR Jerris McPhail, RB Jim Pyne, C Marc Spindler, DT |
GREEN BAY PACKERS Michael Blair, RB Robert Brooks, WR Roell Preston, KR-WR Reggie White, DE Matt Willig, T |
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Elijah Alexander, LB Aaron Bailey, WR Robert Blackmon, DB Al Fontenot, DE Tom Myslinski, G |
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Kevin Devine, DB Deon Figures, DB James Hamilton, LB Will Moore, WR Jose White, DT |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Jeff Criswell, T Ron George, LB Danan Hughes, WR Ted Popson, TE Pete Swanson, G |
MIAMI DOLPHINS Jeff Buckey, T Larry Izzo, LB Henry Lusk, TE Ronald Moore, RB Danny Stubbs, DE |
MINNESOTA VIKINGS Todd Bouman, QB Orlando Bobo, G Duane Butler, DB Dixon Edwards, LB Jay Fiedler, QB |
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Vincent Brisby, WR Ferric Collons, DE Scott Rehberg, T Todd Rucci, G Sedrick Shaw, RB |
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Ink Aleaga, LB Brett Bech, WR Chris Hewitt, DB Qadry Ismail, WR Heath Shuler, QB |
NEW YORK GIANTS Kory Blackwell, DB Derek Engler, C Jerry Reynolds, G Brandon Sanders, DB Tito Wooten, DB |
NEW YORK JETS Jim Bundren, G Glenn Foley, QB Mike Gisler, C-G Jerome Henderson, DB John Hudson, C |
OAKLAND RAIDERS Aundray Bruce, DE Perry Carter, DB Rick Cunningham, T Desmond Howard, KR-WR Terry Wooden, LB |
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Jeff Graham, WR Tim McTyer, DB Freddie Solomon, WR Morris Unutoa, C James Willis, LB |
PITTSBURGH STEELERS Jahine Arnold, WR Harold Bishop, TE Rod Manuel, DE Jason Simmons, DB Will Wolford, T |
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS James Burgess, LB John Burke, TE Frank Hartley, TE Marcus Price, T Gerome Williams, DB |
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Steve Gordon, C Randy Kirk, C-LB Antonio Langham, DB Chuck Levy, RB James Williams, LB |
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Steve Broussard, RB-KR Kevin Glover, C Jason Kyle, LB Deems May, TE Eric Stokes, DB |
ST LOUIS RAMS John Flannery, C Jerald Moore, RB Tom Nutten, C Joe Phillips, DT Kurt Warner, QB |
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Marcus Jones, DT Scott Milanovich, QB Charles Mincy, DB Mitch Palmer, LB Anthony Parker, DB |
TENNESSEE TITANS Mike Archie, RB Willie Davis, WR Lenoy Jones, LB George McCullough, DB Erik Norgard, C |
WASHINGTON REDSKINS Terry Allen, RB Jesse Campbell, DB Cris Dishman, DB Gus Frerotte, QB Paul Wiggins, T |
30 Comments
WHAT??? No one still has their Kevin Devine or Damon Gibson jerseys???
I cut them slack for the expansion draft, these were by and large stiffs. The biggest mistake was not trading with Ditka for all those NO draft picks (not that they would have drafted anybody good).
The NFL needs to come out with DVD’s for each NFL draft. I could put in the 2003 DVD, go to the 5th round.. see who we took and what wide receivers were available… these’d be great. Here what Kiper’s saying… See if who Kiper said would be better than who we took… Man…..
Actually, there were a few OK QB options then, it seems like the Browns wanted to be pathetic. Frerotte and Fielder come to mind.
It doesn’t matter if they’d had Joe Montana in his prime. They had no blockers, no running backs, and no wide receivers.
This was all part of the NFL’s plan to screw the Browns by giving them garbage to choose from. I seem to recall the Panthers and Jaguars having much higher quality available to them. Let’s also not forget that the ownership group was named at the last possible second wheras the Texans had their coaching staff over a year ahead of time. I hold Paul Tagliabue right up there with Art Modell for the screw job the NFL gave Browns fans.
Forget Kurt Warner! The most important story here is that the Browns had a chance to bring back Michael Jackson. Maybe we could have reunited him with Andre Rison.
For me, it’s that the had a chance to bring in a guy named “Jim Schwantz” and they passed on it.
MAY THE SCHWANTZ BE WITH YOU!!
Oh, and Rock, if you read my last comment, that’s another Spaceballs joke you won’t get because for some reason YOU’VE NEVER SEEN SPACEBALLS.
Tom Nutten, Kurt Warner, Gus Frerotte[sic], Qadry Ismail, REGGIE WHITE!!!, Desmond Howard, Larry Izzo, Robert Brooks. Those are the only decent players on that list.
They probably didn’t want White cause he was towards the end of his career at the time, but i think it would have been good to pick him to give us a face of the franchise type thing. Tom Nutten should have been a no brainer, Howard would have been a decent player for us. Other than that, that list was garbage. We got screwed. I’d like to see what the FA list looked like that year!!!
@DP: Upsie Dahsie…Upsie Mahsie…Upsie DAISY!
Rock hasnt seen Spaceballs? I actually watched it yesterday since I was snowed in. As for the expansion draft, I have always been a little bitter that we got to make a team from everyone’s backups. Not that I really knew what was going on back then.
Let us not forget Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money!
I think when CAR and JAX came, teams had to leave 7-8 players unrprotected, and only 5 for the Browns… Also, teams really wised up on who to leave unprotected after CAR and JAX did things so well.
CAR and JAX also didn’t do too bad in the following drafts, where the Browns were dreadful.
The Panthers added Collins in 95. 96 was amazing for the Jags drafting future pro bowlers in the first (Hardy) and second (Brackens). Adding free agents like Kevin Greene, Sam Mills and Jimmy Smith didn’t hurt either…
Kurt Warner would have faired no better than Couch, the Browns had possibly the worst offensive line ever, no running back, and no receivers. Its amazing Couch did as well as he did, with a 77 career passer rating or something like that
Warner had some pretty nice receivers in St. Louis too
With options like those, I’m surprised we didn’t make it to the playoffs right away
I remember Jeff Buckley. He sang “Hallelujah,” right?
Meh, Jeff Buckey. Never mind.
Wait. This is confusing. You mean Craig didn’t go through this and prepare a mock-super-hindsight-retrodraft?
I don’t understand.
Rock I will forgive you for not writing previews recently if it’s because you’ve been watching Spaceballs, while eating Pizza the Hut.
Oddly enough Steve Gordon was my father’s first player to go pro, I never knew we technically took him in the exspansion draft. 98 was his first and last year actually being in the NFL and not on a practice squad. If memory serves he retired after the Browns took him.
Screw the NFL for what they did to us….this post exemplifies the entire ordeal. To make us pick from that trash is/was pathetic.
Didn’t Great Lakes Brewery make a beer called “Expansion Draft”? Was it as bad as the players? …. I had a Conway’s last night
Great job guys, this was what was sorely lacking in the Grossi article – which I found completely pointless as 30 other teams also *passed* on Warner and the Rams had guys on that team by the names of Mashall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Issac Bruce, Tory Holt, etc.
And having read this list of practice squad guys and no names, read Pluto’s book, and knowing that we had only a few short months to try and cobble together a team out of this heap of players, the Browns were indeed set up to fail and we still haven’t dug out of this hole – although after about year three the onus falls directly on the Davis-Garcia brain trust that blew way too many first round draft picks on guys that don’t even play football anymore.
I never could figure out why we actually used all those high draft picks and didn’t (and still don’t) use them to acquire multiple picks in rounds 2-5 where most of the core players come from anyway…
Again, great job of writing the real story here…
Hey Ricky Bell on da bears, wasn’t he in New Edition and Bell Biv Devoe?
@ deebo – great call….. from Wiki
Ricky Bell, nicknamed “Slick” (born Ricardo Bell, September 18, 1967, Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American R&B singer best known as one of the founding members of New Edition and the lead singer of Bell Biv DeVoe. He has been referred to as the music industry’s “best kept secret.” As a solo artist, his 2000 album entitled Ricardo Campana received favorable reviews, but is not well known due to limited promotion.
“That draft was POISON!”
@bridgecrosser
I actually have a bottle of “Expansion Draught” still. Unopened. In my office. Constant staring at me. I told someone once that I’d drink it if the Browns ever won the Super Bowl. It should be fermented to about 175 proof by then, so at least I’ll die happy.
I also just finished my first six pack of the year of Conways. Quality, quality stuff.
@DP:
One beer every five days? Slow down there, champ! 🙂
[…] the center position for the Cleveland Browns can be defined by two specific moments:  The team selecting Jim Pyne as the first player overall in the expansion draft, and the first play of the 2006 minicamp that […]