NFL News: Seneca Wallace signs with Saints for one year
April 15, 2013NFL Draft Rumors: Browns a “wild card” for QB Geno Smith
April 15, 2013ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi speculates that the Cleveland Browns could deal either converted linebacker Jabaal Sheard or converted defensive end Athyba Rubin on the day of the NFL Draft.
Sheard, a 6-foot-3-inch, 264-pound defensive end, was the 37th pick in the 2011 NFL draft for the Browns. He has 15 1/2 sacks in two seasons, leading the team in sacks the past two years. There is some concern as to whether or not Sheard will be able to transition to an outside linebacker in Ray Horton’s 3-4 scheme. Sheard is reportedly confident in his ability to make the switch, stating that, at the end of the day, he is an “athlete.”
Rubin has played five years in the NFL, all with Cleveland, after a college career at Iowa State. The 6-foot-2-inch, 321-pound nose tackle started 13 games last season after starting each game for Cleveland from 2009 through 2011. He had 30 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in 2012. In Horton’s 3-4, he is expected to slot over to a three- or five-technique defensive end. He is currently the second-highest paid player on the Browns.
The Browns have added multiple linebackers as well as a defensive lineman via free agency. Thinking is that the team would be dealing from a position of strength in order to add additional draft picks to address key areas of concern.
[Related: As the highest-paid player on the Browns, is Joe Thomas’ value diminishing?]
20 Comments
if the Browns trade Sheard to trade up into the 2nd round (makes it sound like we are giving our 3rd to do it), then it is a failure. how would Sheard not be worth a 2nd rounder on his own? and, if he’s not, why trade him?
My nightmare scenario is Milliner being available at #6 only to see the Browns trade down and then select Geno Smith.
As far as this story goes I’d obviously prefer to retain Rubin over Sheard being that the defense has gone back to the 3-4 but honestly if they got anything decent back I wouldn’t care.
I wonder if Grossi has some actual inside information or if he’s just making up stuff that “could” happen.
If this does happen, it signifies the never-ending continuation of the dysfunctional chaos that drives this organization. Switch systems, get rid of good players, start all over again. Two years later, switch systems, get rid of good players, start all over again. Rinse and repeat. On and on and on.
God, I hate “systems.” A football coach should know how to coach the talent he has.
This is so Cleveland
Tony Grossi is such a troll.
I still like him.
Appears to be straight speculation, but Grossi was answering a speculative twitter question about possibility of a trade rather than disseminating unfounded rumors as he has previously done. I have no problem with this; he isn’t insinuating he has knowledge. Many of us here have suggested a similar trade might happen.
Frankly, I expect this. Sheard does not fit on this team anymore. He’s just not a linebacker in the 3-4. I’d be perturbed, although not entirely surprised, if Rubin was moved.
All of that said, I agree w/ the guy who said Grossi is a troll.
Sheard is a player. He’ll go somewhere else and make 3 pro-bowls.
WTH! Why would they do that? Makes me wonder if it is the reporter or is the New Brass not to smart EITHER!!!
We have to get the right people for Horton’s system so when he leaves to take a head coaching position somewhere else in a season or two we can get rid of his guys to get the right people for the new guy’s system.
Browns getting rid of good proven players, and replacing them with bad rookies. Yeah this is going to end well.
If they do trade sheard i’m going to be very upset, not that I know one way or the other if Sheard can make the transition….but the Browns let the Ravens re-up their pass rush with Dumervil. As soon as the whole Dumervil contract thing came out I “knew” he was either going to Baltimore or Pittsburgh. Baltimore still has a lot of holes in that defense now but not their pass rush, that’s for sure. Suggs and Dumervil may make the Ravens the best pass rushers in the NFL, we shall see. If Sheard was expendable this whole time, I have to question why you don’t make a run at Dumervil. And then what does that mean for the draft? If they trade Sheard away they kind of have to stay at the 6 spot. I would “love” for them to take Werner and convert him, he did standup this year at FS. At 255 lbs he can stonewall gigantic offensive lineman, he might stop the run better than Kruger already. And we know he can edge rush cause that’s all he did and was one of the top sack leaders in the country as well as ACC POTY. Or that kid from BYU, Ansah. He’s not as polished as Werner is though. I dunno. I was kind of ok with seeing this year how SHeard/Kruger do on the edges and draft Milliner. I don’t know what I’m going to do if they draft Geno Smith. Some inanimate object is getting punched.
“ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi speculates…:”
It was there I moved on to the next story.
Well if Grossi says it then it MUST be true!
What successful organization gets rid of quality talented young players? I hope these are smoke screens and we draft Millner or Ansah and not ANOTHER Qb who can’t play.
was thinking the same thing. It’s going to be incredibly hard to get equal value back in a trade…especially as we communicate to the league: this is a guy we no longer have use for
trading back and drafting Rhodes plus an additional 2nd rd S or G is the smart move, Rhodes will be as good or better than Milliner. Milliner has avg hands and had the benifit of Alabama’s front 7, they made his job easy, If he plays in Cleveland he will have to cover longer than he’s used to in college. Rhodes is taller and just about as fast, plus he can catch too. Any pick can be a bust
If you have 2 lower picks you have double the chance of finding a premier type of player.
I hope they wait to deal either of these guys. When Sheard was in the draft a lot of teams had him as a 3~4 OLB, lets at least see how he does this season before they trade away good young talent. Rubin is a great lineman in the prime of his career , every team has injuries every year. our luck would be trading him and 2 guys will go down with injuries. Plus we don’t even know how the other guys will transition into the new defense, why trade a guy who has a little experience