After pondering the immense failure of Bill Belichick as head coach of the Cleveland Browns during the 1990s, I’ve gone back and looked at one aspect of that five-year tenure, the draft. Being the football nerd I am, I’m playing the role of fantasy general manager and redoing their 1991-1995 draft picks. Wishful thinking, yes, but I wonder if the draft played out the way I redid it, maybe the Browns would have never left in 1996. And maybe the long-eluded Super Bowl championship would have finally found a home in northeastern Ohio.

I’m up to 1994, the only winning season under Belichick in Cleveland. The Browns finished 11-5 that year, one game behind the Steelers in the Central Divison, and a wildcard entry in the playoffs. Cleveland fielded one of the strongest defenses in the league that year. Vinny Testaverde was the starting quarterback after the ugy divorce between fan-favorite Bernie Kosar and the head coach the previous season. After beating the Patriots in the Wildcard game, Cleveland faced their long-time nemesis in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for the Browns, the results were the same as the regular season (Pittsburgh won both contests) with a sound tumping by the Steelers.

Cleveland’s draft before the 1994 season was average at best. First off, Cleveland traded away their second round picks in 1994 and 1995 to Philadelphia in order to move up into the last spot of the first round. They had also lost their fourth round pick to Miami in a trade the previous year for OL Gene Williams (I don’t remember him either). That left them with six picks in the 1994 draft. Here’s what they did with them:

Langham and Alexander both has good careers, although neither will see the Hall of Fame unless they buy a ticket. Bandison and Booth barely played during their short careers, and Strait and Hewitt never made it on the roster.

Now let’s take over. First off, the two draft trades that cost the Browns their two second round picks and their fourth round pick would never have happened. That gives us a pick in each of the seven rounds of the draft. So let’s look at our needs coming into the 1994 draft. Here’s our starting roster, based on draft picks only, at this point:

The numbers in ( ) indicate how many Pro Bowls each player has appeared in during their actual NFL careers. We also have depth at wide receiver (Troy Brown), tight end (Frank Wycheck), linebacker (Corey Widmer, Jesse Armstead), cornerback (Mark McMillan) and free safety (John Lynch). Our areas of biggest need are running back and offensive line, especially tackle and center. Here’s our new draft board. I’m omitting round numbers at this point because I’m assuming our new, Pro Bowl-laiden roster would have performed better than the original 1993 team (7-9). Hence, we would end up picking later in the rounds:

Let’s go at it and complete our rebuilding of the Browns:

Drafted in the second round by Seattle, Mawae is considered one of the top centers in the past decade. He was elected to the Pro Bowl on six consecutive occasions (1999-2004) while playing for the Seahawks and Jets. In 2006, he signed a free agent contract with the Titans, where he continues to play today.

Originally drafted by the Cowboys in the middle of the second round, Larry Allen (along with tackle Erik Williams) became the cornerstone of the great offensive line for Dallas during their three Super Bowl Championships during the 1990s. Able to play both guard and tackle, Allen played 13 years, 11 with the Cowboys, and made the Pro Bowl 11 consecutive years (1995-2006).

Jason Gildon was picked by the Steelers in the third round, and is versatile enough to play both defensive end and outside linebacker. He is Pittsburgh’s all-time leader in sacks with 77, and went to the Pro Bowl three times (2000, 2001, 2002). He averaged nearly 11 sacks a season from 1998-2002. Although not a need, Gildon is a defensive terror that can’t be passed up. Bonus points for hurting the Steelers.

Again, another position of strength, but I’m a believer in taking the best talent available unless there is a serious need, and Harrison is too good of a player to not take. Drafed by San Diego in the fifth round, Harrison became a starter in 1997 and made the Pro Bowl twice (1998, 2001). He was cut by the Chargers following the 2002 season in a salary cap move, and signed with the Patriots, where he won two Super Bowls. Harrison is the only player in NFL history with 30 INTs and 30 sacks.

I haven’t really paid much attention to special teams in these drafts, so this is a good spot to address them. Mitch Berger was taken by the Eagles in the late sixth round, but really came into prominence when he signed with Minnesota following the 1995 season. He played with the Vikings for five years, and made the Pro Bowl in 1999. He spent one year with the Rams before signing with New Orleans, where he played for another five years and made his second Pro Bowl in 2004. He is currently playing with the Steelers.

I finally address my last glaring weakness, running back. In hindsight, Jamal Anderson was the second best running back to come out of the 1994 draft (Marshall Faulk was the best and picked second overall). The only reason I waited until the sixth round to take him is because he originally wasn’t selected until the last round (7th) by Atlanta, so I had almost the whole draft to wait for him. Anderson played eight years for the Falcons before retiring following the 2001 season after an ACL tear, amassing 5,336 rushing yards, 156 receptions for 1,645 yards, and 41 touchdowns. Inventor of the Dirty Bird touchdown celebration, Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 1998 when he ran for an NFL single-season record 410 times for 1,846 yards and 14 touchdowns. That year, the Falcons made their only Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Broncos. He ran for 96 yards for a 5.3 average in the Super Bowl.

Undrafted, Rod Smith signed with the Broncos in 1994, where he played 13 years and became a favorite target of Elway and Plummer. Becoming a starter in 1997, Smith averaged 75 receptions for 1,000 yards and six touchdowns during his last 11 years, and only missed three games during his career. He’s had two seasons of at least 100 receptions (2000: 100; 2001: 113), and his reception total in 2001 led the league. In Super Bowl XXXIII, Smith had 5 receptions for 152 yards, the fourth highest total in Super Bowl history. He also was elected to three Pro Bowls.

1994 Redraft Summary

Coming into this draft, I identified two areas of need: offensive line and running back. With three of our seven picks, I’ve more than adequately addressed those. Kevin Mawae and Larry Allen bring a combined 17 Pro Bowls to a line that already has 19 Pro Bowl appearances, giving us 36 Pro Bowls among center Mawae, guards Ron Stone and Will Shields, and tackles Allen and Erik Williams. That is a loaded offensive line. Jamal Anderson also gives us another Pro Bowl running back in the backfield (along with FB Anders). Add another Pro Bowl wide receiver (Smith) to a fine collection of pass catchers (Donald Driver, Keenan McCardell, Troy Brown, TE Ben Coates, TE Frank Wycheck) and a future Hall of Fame quarterback iin Brett Favre, and we have one of the most talented offenses in the history of the league.

We strengthened an already dominating defense with depth at linebacker and strong safety, and added a future Pro Bowl punter in Berger. Although with this team, Berger may never get in a game. If you can come up with a better championship-contending team, I would like to see it. There is no reason this team shouldn’t have won at least three or four Super Bowls, and we still have one more year to go.

I’m continuing my series of reworking the drafts of the Cleveland Browns under Bill Belichick. Having completed a redo of thefirst two years, I now move on to 1993 and see what the team did originally.

Originally, the Browns made a few draft pick trades in 1993.  The first was moving down three spots in the first round (from 11 to 14) by swapping picks with Denver, and also picking up the Broncos third round pick. They also gave up their original third round pick to Detroit (for DT Jerry Ball), 4th rounder to Chicago (for C Jay Hilgenberg), and 8th rounder to the Rams (for LB Frank Stams).That left the team with six picks total. Here’s how it played out:

Overall,the original draft by Cleveland in 1993 probably would get a C grade. Everitt was a good player, as was Footman and Caldwell. However, none we spectacular. Arvie also had a decent career, mainly playing as a backup. McKenzie and Hill never did much with their short careers. However, looking back on the players available in 1993, this could have been a much more productive draft. Let’s now take this draft with what I’ve accomplished with the last two.

First off, let’s look at where the team stands based on our new 1991 and 1992 drafts, and see what positions are filled, and what’s still needed. I’ve included the number of Pro Bowls each player was actually elected to after their names.

I think that’s a pretty impressive team after only two drafts. Also, the Browns still had a few Pro Bowl players that were a part of the team before 1991: DT Michael Dean Perry, DE Rob Burnett, WR Webster Slaughter (remember I didn’t cut him), RB Eric Metcalf, QB Bernie Kosar and T Tony Jones. Both Kosar’s and Slaughter’s careers are winding down at this point, but we’ve effectively replaced those two positions. We also have drafted some depth at CB (Mark McMillian) and MLB/ILB (Corey Widmer).

Looking back withwhat we’ve done over the last two years, there’s some holes we still need to fill. We don’t have a stud strong safety and still have holes along the offensive line (mainly guard). I would also like to improve our running back situation and gain some additional depth at wide receiver. I also think the three draft trades mentioned above to pick up players is now unnecessary, since the three player positions that were traded for (DT, C, LB) were effectively filled via the draft. So our draft picks now look like this:

We are now left with nine picks in the draft. Here’s what I would do with them:

Even though defensive end isn’t a pressing need at this point, you just cannot pass on Strahan. If every team had a doever this year, he would easily be one of the top three picks in that draft instead of sliding to the mid-second round. A seven time Pro Bowler, Strahan just ended his career this past season as the NFL’s all-time sack leader.

This was probably the most difficuly repick I’ve come across, not because of Lynch’s talent, but because free safety is not a pressing need with Merton Hanks being taken two years earlier. I debated about drafting LB Chad Brown for a number of reasons. One being his versatility playing both as inside and outside linebacker during his career. It would also be a good ball-kicker to the division rival Steelers, who drafted Brown originally. But with taking Jesse Armstead later, and Lynch’s nine Pro Bowl selections, I just couldn’t pass him up.

A stud out of Nebraska, Shields is probably the best offensive lineman during the 1990s. After becoming a starter early on in his rookie year, he started 230 consecutive games for the Chiefs, a team record and second in the league only to Favre. During his 14-year career, he failed to start in only one game, his very first, and was elected to 12 straight Pro Bowls from 1995-2006.

Originally taken by the Cowboys, Stone was on the line with Erik Williams for two Super Bowl championship teams. However, he went to three Pro Bowls after leaving the Cowboys for the Giants and 49ers. He played 12 years with four different teams, and could also play tackle.

With Kosar becoming more fragile and Favre asserting himself as the new starting quarterback, it’s not a bad idea to find a capable backup. Its rather ironic that this is the exact same scenario that played out for real, but with the team being the Packers, and Don Majikowski playing the role of injured incumbent. Brunell also made the Pro Bowl three times after being traded to Jacksonville.

Another late draft steal (taken in the eight round by the Giants), Armstead was a terror on defense for 11 years, going to the Pro Bowl five times. Armstead had 752 career tackles with 40 sacks and 12 interceptions for 175 yards.

Originally drafted by the Redskins, Wycheck came into prominence during his second year in the league as a member of the Oilers (and later the Titans). During his 11-year career, he amassed 505 receptions for 5,126 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is one of only five tight ends to surpass 500 receptions in NFL history, and led the Titans in receiving for three consecutive years. He also went to three Pro Bowls. He would be a great compliment to Ben Coates.

Another late-round gem, Brown has played the last 15 years with the Patriots, playing a key role in their three Super Bowl championships. Although he’s only made one Pro Bowl during his career, following the 2001 season where he recorded 101 catches for 1199 yards and 5 touchdowns, Brown is know for his overall talent and versatility. He has on occassion played defensive back, has been an exceptional kick returner, and also played quarterback in emergency situations. He’s an overall talent that any team can use.

Bishop had a stellar ten-year career with the Oilers, and was a steal in the eight round. Know as one of the hardest hitting safeties in the league, Bishop was elected to four Pro Bowls.

1993 Redraft Summary

Out of our four areas of focus, I think I’ve effectively addressed three of them. I loaded up the offensive line with Shields and Stone, drafted a stud SS with Bishop, and added receiver depth with not only Troy Brown, but Wycheck as well. I also turned a strong defense into one of the best with Strahan, Lynch and Armstead, and got some quarterback insurance with Brunell. With nine picks, I took players that amassed a combined 47 Pro Bowls. And this is still passing on players such as LB Chad Brown (3 Pro Bowls), FS Brock Marion (3 Pro Bowls) and MLB Barry Minter. This was a draft class that was second to only the 1991 class with quality and depth. Updating our chart from the beginning, the Browns would now look like this:

That would give us 38 Pro Bowl appearances on offense, and another four if you count Frank Wycheck and Troy Brown. We would also have 41 on defense, and another 14 with Lynch and Armstead. At this point, the new 1990s Browns should be developing into one of the best teams in the league, with only right tackle and running back as weak areas. We’ll see if I can do anything about that in 1994.

Recently, I’ve been revisiting the Cleveland Browns draft picks during the last 20 years and, with hindsight as my tool, thinking how I would have done things differently. Most recently, I’m redoing the  Browns drafts in the early 1990s under Bill Belichick. Below is the result of the 1991 redraft:

Now let’s move on to year 2 of the Belichick regime, 1992. The season began on a sour note, when the head coach jettisoned longtime Browns receivers Reggie Langhorne and Webster Slaughter that summer, a move not appreciated by the fans. Although the season was respectible (7-9 finish) and the defense improved, the offense was horrible. The line was still sub-standard, Kosar- sacked eleven times in an ugly opening-day loss to the Colts- was oft-injured, the running game was among the league’s worst, and the receiver corps lacked quality depth, even as Slaughter and Langhorne played well for their new teams. Belichick also misused running back Eric Metcalf, regularly trying to run him up the middle, to little avail. The conflict with quarterback Bernie Kosar would also begin to show during this season, as Kosar sat out most of the year with injuries, and the head coach developed an unhealthy fascination with third-stringer Todd Philcox.
Another area that came into question was the Brown’s 1992 draft, and especially the first round pick of Tommy Vardell. Overall, the 1992 draft by the Browns was nothing to write home about:

Cleveland did some draft-day dealing that year, moving down in the 2nd round and giving up their 5th round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for Dallas’ late 2nd round, 3rd, 6th, 8th and 12th round picks. The Browns also gave up an 8th round pick to the Patriots for OL Freddie Childress, which was a complete bust. As new GM, I wouldn’t make the trade with New England, but go ahead with Dallas. Here’s what our draft board would look like:

That gives us 13 picks total. Based on our highly-successful draft of 1991, our areas of need are wide receiver, offensive line, running back, inside/middle linebacker, cornerback, strong safety, and depth along the defensive line. Unfortunately, the 1992 class is nowhere near as deep and the previous, but still had some talent. However, I would like to move up higher to better players. My fantasy deal would be with the Atlanta Falcons, owners of the 8 and 19 picks in the draft. I would ask for the 19th pick in exchange for my 3rd (65), 6th (143), 8th (205), and 9th (233) round picks. I would then trade my 3rd (78), 6th (163) and both 12th (316, 329) draft picks to the Green Bay Packers for their two 5th (119, 130) and 9th (240) round picks. Our revised draft board now looks like this:

That gives us nine picks to work with. Here’s what I would do with them:

McGlockton made four straight Pro Bowls with the Raiders during his ten-year career. During those Pro Bowl years, he averaged eight sacks a season. He would have been the final piece in an all-pro defensive line with Perry, Burnett and Sinclair.

Dale Carter was spectacular from the beginning, chosen as the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. A vital part of the Chiefs’ defense in the 1990s, Carter was elected to four Pro Bowls, and would have given the Browns two of the best shut-down corners in the league with Aeneas Williams.

Brooks was a key weapon for Brett Favre during the Packers success during the 1990s. He started off as a talented kick returner, leading the league kickoff returns in 1993 with a 26.6-yard average. In 1995, he set a franchise record with 1,497 receiving yards on 102 receptions, and scored 13 touchdowns. After missing half the 1996 season with a torn ACL, he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 1997, catching 60 passes for 1,010 yards and 7 touchdowns. He would have been the next wave of a solid receiving corps. (I would not have released Slaughter and Langhorne.)

McDaniel played ten years with the Minnesota Vikings, anchoring their defense. He made the Pro Bowl in 1998.

Dotson won the 1992 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played ten years for the Bucs and Packers. He averaged five sacks a season, and recorded ten his rookie year. He would have added solid depth behind Perry and McClockton.

Widmer played eight years with the New York Giants. Along with McDaniel, Cox and Lewis, Widmer would have helped drastically remake an aging linebacker corps in two years.

Leeuwenburg played nine seasons with five different teams during his career. He was the starting center for both the Bears and Colts before winding up his career with the Bengals and Redskins. He and Erik Williams (drafted in 1991) would have been the start of repairing a pourous offensive line.

McMillian was a solid cornerback during his eight-year career. He led the league in INT return yards in 1997 with the Chiefs. He would have worked as a nice nickelback and backup corner behind Pro Bowlers Williams and Carter.

Gammon played 15 years with the Steelers, Saints and Chiefs. He was an everything lineman, playing in multiple positions. He became most adept as long snapper, being named to the Pro Bowl in 2005 as a special teams player.

1992 Redraft Summary

Although not the class of 1991, the 1992 redraft class was still pretty good, especially after making some additional draft pick trades. Out of the needs mentioned earlier that needed to be addressed, we addressed all except Strong Safety and definitely built one of the best defenses in the league (at least on paper). We have revamped cornerbacks and linebackers, and a strong and deep defensive line after two drafts. We helped our receiving corps with Robert Brooks (and not dumping veterans Slaughter and Langhorne), and helped the offensive line with Leeuwenburg and Gammon.

After two drafts, we would have a lot of key pieces in place for a championship-contending team for a long time. Also, if Kosar struggled with the injuries that he did in 1992, Brett Favre would have had his chance to show that he was the quarterback to take them to the Super Bowl. If fact, considering the 1992 Browns flirted with a .500 record despite their lack of talent, this team would have had a great shot at the playoffs.

Next we’ll redo the 1993 draft. We’ll look to strengthen a still average offensive line (despite Erik Williams), find a strong safety, and continue to improve the running backs and receivers.