The Cavs and 3fficiency
March 10, 2017WFNY’s 2017 NFL Draft Coverage: Joe Gilbert’s Top Five Safeties
March 10, 2017Hey y’all. The Cleveland Browns have tried a great many things in the NFL Draft, but they haven’t ever tried takin’ every single draftee from the great state of Texas. Either high school or college, Texans make great NFL players as can be seen by many facts such as no state produced more starting quarterbacks for the 2016 season. Ain’t no Browns fan complaining about Eric Metcalf or Phil Dawson wearing the brown and orange neither. So, put a can of beans on the open fire, crack open a Lone Star, and pull that brisket from the smoker. It’s time to start talkin’ ’bout takin’ Texans.
The Rules
- No trades unless the strategy is specifically geared around trades.
- Demonstrate multiple options at each pick within the confines of the strategy.
- Use a MSM Big Board to demonstrate feasibility of picks.
- Select picks at the Browns four picks in Round 1 and Round 2.
Note: Using DraftTek as the Big Board for the purposes of this strategy session.
The Draft Strategy
No. 1 Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
This here is an Arlington native son. Shooooot, every’un who saw him ribbing ’bout wanting to play for da ‘Boys already knows it. Now, there some city folk who think a fancy quarterback is the choice here. Thing is, there ain’t no Andrew Luck – Stratford High alum from Houston, Texas himself – in this here draft class. Now, you can put your boots in the oven, but that don’t make them biscuits. Same can be said for forcing a quarterback in a pick where he don’t belong. The Browns found themselves in a 1-15 hole in 2016. Time for them to stop digging and take this strapping Texan.
Other player for consideration
Jamal Adams, S, LSU via Lewisville, Texas / HeBron High School
No. 12 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Mahomes is quick as a chicken, arm’s as strong as a tired mule, and he’s as slippery in the pocket as a greased pig in a rain storm. That there makes him the best athlete of any quarterback in this class. If he had chosen stick ball or round ball instead, then we’d be talkin’ bout his MLB or NBA draft status these days.1 Southern-style quarterback Deshaun Watson might have the pundits thinking the sun comes up just to hear him crow, but Mahomes ain’t lacking swagger. This here guy believes he should be the No. 1 overall pick. He ain’t just full of wind like a rancher with an empty beanpot neither. Mahomes knows where he done need working.2 He is also the grindiest grinder. Tools of a blacksmith and athleticism of horse. Didn’t even have to mention those 700 plus yards against those pesky Oklahomans.
Sure, he might be firing off his six-shooter into the air too often and he might try to fit his diesel pickup into the compact spots at the dance hall, but there’s just something special about this kid. Hue Jackson’s patience be tested. But, if he figurs out when to hold’em, fold’em, walk away, and run, then Mahomes will thrive.
This Texan in’t likely to make it to Day 2, so if the Browns want him any later, then they would be wise to scootch up from No. 33.
Other player for consideration
Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford via Coppell, Texas
No. 33 Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina via Austin High, Austin TX
If the Browns want the speed of a jack rabbit with a fox on his tail, then Jones is their man.3 His Texan family knows the tail from the mane when it comes to football. His daddy, Robert Jones, won three Superbowls with dem Cowboys. His uncle, Jeff Blake, lit up NFL defenses for years with his biggest seasons coming as a Texan transplant playing in Ohio. This ain’t no hawk without claws either. Jones holds the all-time FBS career reception mark with 399. 158 of those catches came this late year making his speed and ability to catch as rare as a rooster with teeth.4
Other player for consideration
Dede Westbrook, WR, Oklahoma via Cameron Yoe High from Cameron Texas
No. 52 Justin Evans, S, Texas A&M
Browns might have missed out on Tony Jefferson as a free agent, but Evans is peskier than a skeeter in June out at the tank. Opposing teams will find his intercepting ways as crooked as a dog’s hind leg as he’s out roaming center. This here guy not only can grab a fly off a calf’s tail, but he isn’t one to back down to a charging bull either. Gregg Williams might be calling out for him to pick a switch when he’s spooking the horses, but ya gotta take the gristle with the burnt ends with him.5
Other players for consideration
Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma via Hendrickson High
Last Word
- No. 1 Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
- No. 12 Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
- No. 33 Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina
- No. 52 Justin Evans, S, Texas A&M
Enough Texans for a cattle drive there. What more needs to be said?
Other mock draft strategy sessions from WFNY
- Fixing the defense
- Fixing the line of scrimmage
- How the Browns will blow it
- Playmakers all over the field
- All Buckeyes
- Talkin’ Quarterbacks
- Freak Show
- He played both through high school and baseball for Texas Tech. [↩]
- Mahomes has admitted and has been working on his footwork from under center since he played in an Air Raid system. [↩]
- 4.45 in the 40, top five in the broad jump and shuttle runs. [↩]
- Watched quite a bit of tape on Zay Jones now and he reminds me of Sammy Watkins. [↩]
- In lamen terms, Evans gambles too much on defense trying to create turnovers. [↩]
62 Comments
My personal favorite was the one about the Browns blowing it.
Thank you. I should have saved that one for last. I’m not sure there is a way to top it.
man i am freakin’ stoked !!! i know most (MG & RGB) were always looking ahead to the draft , which is cool … i was looking at free-agency for a tell-tale sign of how aggressive & smart we might be & i saw that yesterday … and i’ll bet they’re not done yet.
I need to know if Mahomes is just a good ol’ boy out there, slinging it, chucking it around, havin’ fun.
some of the skeptical & negative posters are going to have to learn something new … how to be happy & enjoy the Browns again. now , you have to ease back into this … it has been a while.
and remember , i am here for you to help you ease back into this transition … congrats & good luck !!!!
Yeah maybe the Manziel/Gilbert draft was the Browns’ Desognia Diop/Dujuan Wagner time. Gotta bottom out before you draft a Lebron.
If Manziel stays sober he’s out there being average and Ray Farmer is still drafting. YIIKES
/stockholm syndrome’d
Yes, but how many Texans did we sign?
Quick as a chicken! LOL
I honestly think the Browns can wait a while on a QB now, esp Mahomes.
1. Browns: Not QB
2. Niners: Could QB, but “committed” to Hoyer.
3. Bears: Could QB, but just gave Glennon a ton of money.
4. Jags: I doubt they bail on Bortles with the 4th overall.
5. Titans: Obviously won’t QB.
6. Jets. This one is a real possibility. Probably the first QB off the board.
7. Chargers: Possible, but pretty unlikely this high.
8. Panthers: Obviously won’t QB.
9. Bengals: Almost as obviously won’t QB.
10. Bills: Retained Taylor when they could have let him walk. Probably not.
11. Saints. A need for an heir to Brees, but probably not this high.
12. Browns: Choice of almost all the QBs. Or continue to wait.
13. Cardinals. A need, but seems unlikely this high.
14. Eagles. Obviously not.
15. Colts. Ditto.
16. Ravens. Ditto.
17. Redskins. Depends on what happens with Cousins. Maybe???
18. Titans. Again, no.
19. Bucs. Nope.
20. Broncos. Nope.
21. Lions. Nope.
22. Dolphins. Nope.
23. Giants. Nope.
24. Raiders. Nope.
25. Texans. Seems likely.
26. Seahawks. Nope.
27. Chiefs. Nope.
28. Cowboys. Nope.
29. Packers. Nope.
30. Steelers. Possible, not probable.
31. Falcons. Nope.
32. Pats. Nope.
(A lot of that was for my own benefit…sorry.) So in the first round, assuming no trade-ups, and ignoring the Browns, it only looks like 2 teams are likely to draft a QB…the Jets and the Texans. (In particular the Jets because they are almost as good as the Browns at failing to draft QB’s well.)
A few teams have a need in a few years. But (1) That’s usually a pretty bad way to use a first round draft pick; see Cam Erving, and (2) I don’t think with this maligned class, they would do it anyway.
I think it’s totally realistic that the Browns can wait until 33 and get one of the top 3 guys (again, absent trades).
I think it boils down to who has a high valuation AND burns a pick before 51.
Getting past the first with zero QBs drafted wouldnt take much. Does SF, NYJ, BUF, ARI all pass before we use our 2nd second-round pick?
Quick as a chicken! LOL
You get me. Glad I know somebody laughed at one of the terrible jokes in there.
Agreed there could be QBs dropping. I’d think most teams will know that the Browns are likely to take one at 12 if that happens and could jump ahead, but there’s no reason to force the issue in this draft. I do think that one or two QBs go ahead of 12, but that’s fine.
I think I’m going to hold in the HBT won’t pull the trigger before 52.
I don’t know who in the hell Zay Jones is but he could have the coolest nickname Zay J…the opposite of Jay Z. Almost as cool as Tomax and Xamot.
Also no to Mahomes. Sorry. That’s final.
Is it wrong that I think this is one of the best things you’ve written? I only wish you could have typed it in true Texas accent and diction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwT5kuCjDX0
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Why are the Chiefs a nope? Reid’s comments about Alex Smith were not exactly showing the highest of confidence in him being their best option moving forward. Also, why nope to Broncos? I mean, if they love Lynch and just haven’t unleashed him yet, OK. But, “nope” seems strong for a team desperately pushing for Romo.
Thank you sir.
That’s more Western Texan there. I’m not familiar enough with the nuances of that dialect and thought I’d butcher it something awful.
Where’s RGB? I likened Zay Jones to Sammy Watkins and I need him to watch some film on him to see if I am completely crazy, which I won’t rule out.
Note: he’s not “as good” as Sammy. But, he looks really similar to me with how he catches the ball, how he glides in and out of his breaks. Sammy-lite.
Knew a guy in Dallas while I was stationed in Texas that talked EXACTLY like that. It was surreal.
Rumor is, RGB only has one thing on his mind these days, and that thing is MYLES.
Didn’t the Chiefs’ Owner/GM just come out backing Smith though? I suppose you’re right, though. Maybe not a hard nope. But I would still be surprised.
RE: the Broncos, do you think they’d use a first 2 years in a row on a QB? That seems unlikely to me. Even if they get Romo or another vet, Lynch is their project QB…which I think every QB in this draft is as well.
There is only MYLES.
I like Zay.
You know my thoughts on Mahomes.
I don’t know about Zay Jones, but E. Carolina has one great helmet logo!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c889942d1fc14bcf0280198513d1cb3790707be4309629834d90727932359e2d.png
Speaking of Texans, Robert the Third is now officially gone.
Yeah – Once one team makes a move to come back into the first (or move up) I think the run on QBs starts, just like fantasy football.
I’ve run into a few folks who can turn it on & off, which is nutso to me.
Ok, good. I’m not completely crazy. Even near complete there is OK.
with news about Allen’s shoulder I am firmly in the Miles camp at #1. But, if Allen is still there at #12 you take him. In fact, I take another defensive player at #12 and then wait on a QB for either Round-2 or trade back up into the end of Round-1. But not to #22.
It depends on what none of us know. How bad did Lynch look?
The Jets are considered “almost definitely” to draft a QB (at some point) despite taking Hackenburg just 25 picks later than Lynch.
Way to close the loophole on my automatic No. 22 joke.
Cobra! love it. those guys were cool back then but would be portrayed by the Winklevoss twins today. So….not that cool.
hard to be worse than a guy who never plays.
Your inside information is no longer pertinent to the Browns.
See, I hear a lot of that in Houston, but it’s often from Louisiana transplants. Like they’ve anglicized a cliched French accent or something.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JREkqCvLzSo
“peskier than a skeeter in June out at the tank” … is this high-tech draft jargon ??
Which means I’m no longer pertinent.
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view2/1112154/sad-baby-o.gif
There it is!! Where did that come from??
Dropping a Dallas connection proves otherwise. Plus, there’s always some armed forces reference waiting around the corner that will need to be explained.
Crazy thought: what if the Browns really believe Kessler is our QB of the future?
“dang ol’ hot damn”
Rural Cajun, right?
Translation:
More annoying than mosquitoes in June at the lake.
Hue has had some interesting quotes this offseason if that is the case.
Yes. Is there any other kind?
But the Broncos gave up a 3rd and 1st that year to acquire Lynch. That seems like a lot of investment to bail on. The Jets drafted Hackenburg straight up with a lower pick.
Also, I took into consideration that the Jets are a bad organization and the Broncos aren’t.
I’m all aboard the “1 & 12 BPA (non-QB) and either trading up or using 33 on a QB” train.
That train was poorly named.
BPA Railroad is on the new Monopoly sets.
Nawlins Cajun is a different breed from what I have heard.
SMOKESCREEN
Hue, post draft: “Trust me on this one.”
Much like that liar guy on the TV who sold me a suit back in 1998 and said, “Trust me. You’re going to like the way you look. I guarantee it.”
Clearly you are unaware at how low my self esteem really is.