Sullinger: We Need More Guys to Say ‘Enough is Enough’
January 11, 2012Toledo WR Eric Page to Enter NFL Draft
January 11, 2012Mark Sanchez will always be news in Cleveland because the Browns traded out of that pick in the 2009 NFL draft. The Browns received the 17th and 57th picks in exchange for the 5th pick in the draft. In addition to the picks, the Browns also received quarterback Bret Ratliff, defensive lineman Kenyon Coleman and safety Abe Elam. Now, the player that the Browns traded away from, Sanchez, is having his work ethic questioned.
“We have to bring in another quarterback that will make [Sanchez] work at practice,” said one player, according to the newspaper. “He’s lazy and content because he knows he’s not going to be benched.”
In addition to that there was additional commentary coveting Peyton Manning should he become available in free agency.
The Browns may not have any of the three players that came over in that deal, but there is little doubt that they ended up getting a good player in center Alex Mack. Mack has been to a Pro Bowl and even battled through a bout of appendicitis in the 2011 season, not missing a game.
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The fact that none of the other players acquired in the trade are now with the Browns is actually quite huge, as this just essentially means that we traded the 5th pick for the 17th pick – and the 17th pick alone. Is Alex Mack worth the #5 pick? Maybe, but I’m not so sure in hindsight that this turned out to be a good move at all. (Not saying we should have taken Sanchez, but I’m sure someone better was available.)
An interesting mental exercise, anyway, if futile.
eric mangini did something useful for once…
Yeah – what’s amazing is that we blew that trade pretty badly overall. Mack was a great pick, and we saved a TON of money, but imagine if the other picks were at least decent! The Browns would be much better off.
Just as food for thought, some of the names that jump out at me between pick 5 and pick 17:
B.J. Raji
Michael Crabtree
Brian Orakpo
Malcolm Jenkins
Brian Cushing
Josh Freeman
A lot of defense in that group, so in hindsight I’m not sure that Mack was the bad pick of the litter, particularly when we needed (and still need) so much help on offense.
Ah, who knows . . . It’s late, I’m tired, I’m still working, and I honestly can’t imagine having any of these guys (except maybe Cushing) over Mack.
And before we actually took Mack there was Clay Matthews… remember this place when he was in the draft?
Perhaps the premise that Sanchez is not nearly the dedicated, team oriented, motivated young quarterback the New York media and by extension, global, have made him out to be. Does this really surprise anybody? He was overrated at USC and has benefited from a strong running game and tough defense that helps mask his very ordinary skill set.
He also has the best buffer in the known universe constantly screaming look at me! In head coach Rex Ryan. It’s no wonder Sanchez thinks so highly of himself and is already coasting through practices when he has yet to win anything of significance. I truly fear this just the beginning of a long, ugly slide into the NFL’s abyss of entitlement and I doubt he will ever claw his way out.
I’m no Sanchez fan but what player on the Jets wasn’t lazy this year? A team with that much talent should at least be a wild card team. Rex might have some explaining to do next year.
The Good: We didn’t draft Sanchez and spend a ton of money on him.
The Bad: Those players were rentals.
that’s not really fair though. if we stayed at #5, then it would have likely been because we believed in Sanchez and took him (messing up our cap and giving us a bad QB).
we didn’t get enough in the trade (how did we not get the Jets next year’s 1st rounder?), we screwed up the picks besides Mack that we did get, and we brought over too many mid-level veterans instead of getting more picks.
but, I still think we ended up getting the better end of that deal
Those are excellent points. We should have gotten so much more for dealing that pick.
He went 26th. We certainly could have taken him with the Mack pick – but again, I’m on the fence.
In fairness to my fairness, I think that’s what I’ve concluded after this mental exercise.