Round 2, Pick 20 – David Veikune, DE Hawaii
April 25, 2009While We’re Waiting – Walter’s Diary, Browns Grades, Magic Z
April 26, 2009
After a night of sleep and an opportunity to think about it, I have decided that there is nothing to be overly excited about after day 1. The Browns didn’t make a big exciting splash by getting that one big sexy draft pick. Who would have thought that I would have this underwhelmed feeling after the Browns went out and did exactly what I was hoping they would do in the days leading up to the draft? I wanted them to trade out of the top ten desperately, and they did exactly that. Still, it is a bit difficult to get excited by the first day’s picks right off the bat.
In all, the Browns got six players for the #5 pick in the draft. The Browns ended up with the Jets’ second rounder, the Buccaneers 6th rounder, and the Eagles 6th rounder. In addition they got three players who have already saved us the trouble by making an NFL roster before. Yes, there are three more former Jets headed to town. Safety Abram Elam, who the Browns tried to sign this off-season already, backup quarterback Brett Ratliff, and defensive end Kenyon Coleman are all headed to the Browns.
Are Kenyon Coleman and Abram Elam the reasons the Browns felt comfortable picking mostly offense on day one of the draft? Is it part of some larger strategy where the Browns feel like the defensive talent depth is so much greater in this draft that they are going to use later picks to find defensive prospects? Part of being a Browns fan in the Mangini era is that we just don’t know. And while we honestly don’t know how good (or not) these Jets players are, it still represents a good amount of additional depth if nothing else.
Alex Mack was finally picked by the Browns at #21. Center wasn’t exactly on my radar. I knew it was a position of need for the Browns and I knew that the Browns had visited with some players, but I still didn’t believe they would actually pick a center first. Still, it is hard to argue with the gamble. Picking offensive linemen (not named Robert Gallery) is a very safe way to pick. Projecting the position of center to the NFL should be easier than projecting defensive linemen, or linebackers, for example. And the Browns ended up taking the best center available all the way down at #21. Hopefully he turns out to be the guy who can anchor the position for the next decade.
In the second round the Browns picked Brian Robiskie. I can understand why they did it, but I don’t like it. Robiskie is very polished. He will be able to come in and play right away due to his ability to run routes. Even still, it seemed early for the Browns to pick Robiskie. Also Rey Maualuga was still on the board to provide a mean streak to the linebacking corps. I know there are question marks surrounding Rey, and I understand the hilarity of the Bengals drafting him. Still, today the pick of Robiskie feels like a missed opportunity. That doesn’t mean to say that Robiskie won’t contribute early for this Browns team. Look, I am as big a Buckeye fan as the rest of you, but I think only a true homer can defend this pick. That being said, I am rooting hard for him to earn his draft spot.
Finally yesterday, the Browns selected Mohamed Massaquoi and David Veikune to round out the day. I just hope Massaquoi ends up being better than Syndric Steptoe was last year. David Veikune seems like he might have some potential, but it appears the Browns won’t necessarily need him right away. All in all, the Browns added a lot of players with both vets and draft picks. I expect the Browns can still be active today, but I wouldn’t dare predict exactly how. The Braylon Edwards watch definitely isn’t over. Enjoy day 2.
16 Comments
I liked the Mack pick, I liked the Robo pick… but the new crew lost me with the Chaun Thompsonesque reaches to end the 2nd round. I can’t wait to watch Jamal Lewis’s legs fall off with McCoy available for our last two picks.
I guess it should be noted that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Rey, no matter how bad our LBs are.
In all honesty Robo was a reach too. The Browns might have ended up getting exactly what they wanted, but the board would indicate that the second round were all reaches.
While I think Lerner is a joke, I think ManKok did really well Day 1. They traded down, increased value, added picks AND players. They built the offensive line and added to our weakest position (WR). If you really wanted Rey M, I can see your angst.
BUT, is it possible Mangini thinks he can get more out of the defense than Club Romeo? So address the offense (which takes longer for players to develop than on defense) and take a year to assess the D.
Robo was NOT a reach. His draft grade was very equal to his slot. So you prefer burners who drop the ball? Become a Raiders fan then.
For all you “I quit the Browns” types. FINE. ADIOS. I hate Lerner, but this has been a good draft so far.
watching the draft yesterday actually made me proud to be a browns fan, because they smacked the media in the face by not trading braylon, and also traded out of getting another big named guy that would probably fail. good job browns
And honestly the more I read about the Hawaii kid, the more I only *really* dislike the Massaquoi pick… Give me McCoy there and I’m sold on the draft… so I guess it’s not all that bad.
Does it really matter anyway though? Either Mangini is able to coach these guys up or they’ll all be busts or divas anyway.
Bridgecrosser, I think the Browns did OK and maybe even great assuming Elam plays well at safety. I like them picking Mack and I like how much money they saved on the cap because there was no dominant player at #5 worthy of all that cash.
I don’t prefer burners who drop the ball, but some of the places I was looking had Robiskie rated much lower overall than where he was drafted. That doesn’t mean it won’t work, but that does mean it is a stretch. I don’t think they are DEFINITELY WRONG, but I am slightly concerned that the Browns think they are smarter than everyone else.
Likes: Trading out of #5, obviously, and getting a player you tried to sign once (Elam) and by all accounts a guy Mangini thinks can be an asset (Coleman). I don’t dislike the Mack pick; though I had a shiver remembering when they picked Faine in the first round over Steinbach. Though, of course, Faine did end up going to the Pro Bowl. I digress….
I like the DE from Hawaii. Sounds like he might project as a solid hybrid DE/OLB for this defense, and I’m actually a little more confident in Mangini’s ability to coach up the defense than I am Romeo’s.
Dislikes: two WRs in the second round?? Really?? I don’t dislike Robo as a player, but why not take defense there (I was pro-Rey, FWIW) if you know you’re taking another WR a few picks later? Robo strikes me as a Steve Smith-type (the Giants’ SSmith, not the Panthers’) who can come in and have success because of his pedigree, but Massequoi I’m not so sold on.
Hopes for Day 2: Package some of those sixth rounders to get back into the third.
I think I would be more OK with the Robiskie pick if we didn’t grab masaquoi later in the same round. Seems like we would have been ok with one or the other, especially since Braylon has yet to be dealt. I heard rumor of trading Braylon striaght up for Ronnie Brown, don’t know if there’s any truth to that but I think that would at least make me feel better about not taking one of the pretty good RBs in the second round. Especially since the Jets just traded up and got shonn green to start day 2.
Just basing yesterday on our actual selections doesn’t tell the whole story. We nabbed a starting safety and a starting defensive end as well. Sure, that Ratliff kid may be a throw-in, but we walked away with a starting C, DE, SS, and WR with Massaquoi being the largest question mark. The kid from Hawaii apparently tested very well. Without a third-round pick, if they really liked him – then take him.
Sure, Clay Matthews at 21 would have made fans happy. And perhaps we could have taken one of the other Cs in the middle of the second. But Mack was a target of theirs all along. A lot of scouts actually have Robo ahead of Malaluga on their boards, so it wasn’t just “their guys.”
I would have liked to see more defense drafted, but with the added players in the Jets trade, I can’t be too unhappy…
I’m actually surprised to see most people are giving ManKok a good grade on this. I was just frustrated to see what looked like a ‘quantity over quality’ binge. Yes I do realize that we came into the draft with a serious lack of picks. But what do I know? Maybe Mangini really can pick late-round gems like Belichick. I reserve final judgment until later.
The Browns managed to get out of the draft without being possibly laden with another big contract guy who will be a huge bust either this season or the following season. This makes this year head and shoulders above many previous years.
I don’t know if Massaquoi is going to be any good, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with taking a second WR. Do you really want to really on Steptoe and David Patton?
Trading for vets instead of future picks tells me they are trying to win now. As a fan, I like that, but it puts more pressure on Mangini to win this year.
Its like the Browns went shopping at Costco and loaded up on all the cheap bulk items. Laundry detergent? Check. Center? Check. Hamburger patties? Check. Wide receiver? Check. Hey, those look good. Better get two.
And they got all the Jets on sale. Better check the expiration dates on those.
The thing with Massaquoi, he was the #1 guy for Stafford. He was being talked about in that range of mid to late second round. I like this, because they know Edwards is gone next year, so they get 2 guys who should be able to help a lot. As for the trading for vets, the oldest one in Coleman, and he has been HEALTHY for 3 straight years (ya, we’ll probably jinx that, but its nice to see). I am wondering what exactly the browns are thinking though with the DL. We have Rogers, Williams, R Smith, S Smith, Mosley, Coleman, Rubin and im sure a few other im missing. We got depth now, but these are all guys around 30 years old. I think itll be interesting if one of them get packaged today with a 6th rounder to move up.
well said Craig. I hope Robiskie isn’t another Craig Powell-type mediocre buckeye reach pick.
As I was predicting what the Browns did all day in round 1 yesterday, the Seattle Seahawks were busy cutting their franchise tagged LB LeRoy Hill. Now the Browns saved a TON of money moving down to #21. Maybe they can sign this guy and he helps outside in our 3-4 D and all the sudden we have one hell of an offseason.