Category: sports

In the ten years of their return to the NFL, the Cleveland Browns have been nothing short of disappointing. The vast majority, if not all, of the blame rests with the front office for poor hirings of head coaches and pitiful drafting. Awhile ago a played retroactive fantasy General Manager and redid the first five years drafts of the returning Cleveland Browns (1999-2003). Now that the 2010 NFL draft is over (and the look of real promise for the first time for the Browns 2.0 version), I got the itch to revisit my redrafts. I decided to start at 2001 this time, thinking that’s when their first head coach, Chris Palmer, was fired after two years on the job and Butch Davis was hired to replace him.

Hiring Davis fit into a long line of mistakes of the Carmen Policy-Dwight Clark regime in Cleveland, and eventually led to Clark’s resignation. Before I even tackle the draft, the head coach situation needs to be addressed first. Back when I redid the 1999 draft, I suggested a list of candidates for the head coaching job over eventual hire Chris Palmer. I think revisiting that list has merit.

Two coaches from my list, Andy Reid and Jim Haslett, are NFL head coaches by 2001. The others, Marvin Lewis, Russ Grimm and Gary Kubiak, are still NFL assistants, and still the top candidates, in my opinion, for the head coaching position for the Browns. In fact, unless he would turn the job down, I would give it to Lewis, hands down.

With a head coach in place, the next step is to look at the roster. Quite frankly, after two years of high multiple draft picks, the Browns only picked one one quality player, wide receiver Kevin Johnson. The only thing Clark did well in two years was bring in some decent free agents early on (Jamir Miller, Corey Fuller, Chris Gardocki, and Phil Dawson). The rest have been a complete waste of roster space. With that in mind, this team is in need of help in just about every key position. Fortunately, there are a handful of quality free agents that will come at a fair price and make an immediate impact. Here’s the three I would go after:

QB Brad Johnson. Johnson spent two years as the Redskins starter after seven years in Minnesota. After a Pro Bowl season in 1999, Johnson’s production dropped off and Washington let him go in lieu of signing Jeff George. Johnson signed with Tampa Bay, where he led them to a Super Bowl victory in 2002.

RB Priest Holmes. Signed by the Ravens after being undrafted in 1997, Holmes lost his starting job to Jamal Lewis in 2000, making him expendable. He signed a modest contract with Kansas City for the 2001 season, and put together three Pro Bowl seasons. A series of injures the next couple of years eventually ended his career.

DE Simeon Rice. Drafted in 1996 by the Arizona Cardinals, Rice never lived up to expectations. He signed with Tampa Bay and produced five straight years of 11-plus sacks, and was a member of the 2002 Super Bowl team. He was a teammate of LB Jamir Miller in Arizona as well.

OLB Mike Vrabel. Vrabel had a decent four-year career with the Steelers, the team that drafted him in 1997. However, he couldn’t crack the starting lineup and signed with New England, where he not only became a key starter, but also won three Super Bowls. Being from Akron, OH and playing at Ohio State, Vrabel would jump at the chance to play for the Browns.

With those four free agents in place, some major holes are filled. There are also a couple of players I would make an attempt to trade for, assuming I would be able to trade existing players and/or low draft picks in exchange for them instead of high draft picks. The two players I think I would have the best shot of gaining are defensive tackle Pat Williams of Buffalo and quarterback Tom Brady of New England. To obtain Brady, I would also offer a swapping of first round picks with the Patriots, allowing them to move up from the sixth spot to the third. This now sets me up for the draft:

2001 Draft

I’m not going to review the actual 2001 picks of the Browns. You can read about that at my previous redraft. What I’m going to focus on is who I would take and when in this draft to rebuild the Browns into a competitive team. My draft-day trades are based on actual 2001 draft trades that were similar, or inferior to what I propose.

Cleveland had eight picks in 2001, one in each of the first six rounds and two in the seventh. The 2001 draft class ended up being a very talented crop of players, so my goal is to amass some additional picks. We’ll break this down round-by-round:

Round 1: Pick 3

If I’m going to gain additional picks this draft, it will have to come about by either trading additional players or by moving down. Not knowing the trade value of the roster at the time, let’s go down the path of sliding back in the draft. Depending if the trade with New England happened, I would slide down from third to sixth in the first round, and also gain my quarterback of the future in Tom Brady.

I would try to slide down even further. San Francisco moved up from nine to seven in  a trade with Seattle. I would offer to swap instead (either from the 3 or 6 spot), gaining a third round pick (number 82) in the process. Because of the big jump, I would also ask for a seventh round pick as well (number 205).

Tampa also moved up from 21 to 14 in a trade with Buffalo. I would swap instead, moving from 9 to 21, and gaining a second round pick in the process (number 51).

Finally, The Giants jumped from 30 to 22 and also giving up third (number 91) and sixth (number 193) round picks. I’ll swap, putting them one spot higher, and gaining third and sixth round picks.

That would put me in the next to last spot in the first round, while gaining five additional picks. Here’s where the trade with New England for Tom Brady plays out. If I do gain Brady, I select DT Kris Jenkins. If not, I pick QB Drew Brees.

Round 2: Picks 33 and 51 (from Tampa)

Round two is where things get complicated depending on what transpired with player trades before the draft. The defensive line is in serious need of help. Signing DE Rice is one part of it. Trading for DT Williams is another. Drafting Jenkins is a third. Where he gets drafted is the question. It all depends if I trade for Brady and select Jenkins with the 30th overall pick. Here are the two scenarios:

1. Trade for Brady and select Jenkins in the first round

This frees me up to move down even further in the second round and still get the players I want. First I trade the 33rd pick to Indianapolis for their 2nd round pick (number 52) and 3rd round pick (number 81). I would trade down further with Miami, giving them the 52nd pick I got from the Colts for the 56th pick in the second round and the 122th pick in the fourth round.

I would also trade down with Denver, giving them the 51th pick I obtained from Tampa for the Bronco’s second round pick (number 58) and fourth round pick (number 110).

With the 56th and 58th picks in the second round, I would select DE Derrick Burgess and SS Adrian Wilson.

2. Select Drew Brees in the first round

Brees solves my long-term quarterback problem the same way trading for Tom Brady would. However, to get Kris Jenkins, I need to use the 33rd pick to select him instead of trading down. That leaves me with only the 51st selection in the second, so I need to choose either Burgess or Wilson, or somehow acquire another second round pick. I would still make the trade with Denver as stated in option one, put I don’t gain the additional third and fourth round selections from the earlier trades with the 33rd pick.

I do, however, have three picks in the third round (76, 82, 91), with the latter two coming in trades from the first round. Detroit moved back into the second round by gaining the Giants pick (61) for their third (78) and fourth (114). I would beat them to the punch in giving up both additional third rounders (82 and 91) for the Giants pick at 61. Then with the 58th and 61st picks, I can still grab Burgess and Wilson.

Round 3: 65 (and possibly 82 and 91)

With the 65th pick, I would select WR Steve Smith.

If I still have the 82nd and 91st picks from the first scenario in round two, I use the 82nd pick on CB Anthony Henry and trade the 91st to the Patriots for their fourth (number 112) and fifth (number 139) round picks.

Round 4: 97 and 110 (from Denver)

Regardless of the two scenarios at the beginning of the draft, I would have at least two picks in the fourth. Those picks would go to rebuild an aging and fragile offensive line. With the 97th pick, I would take OT Ryan Diem, and with the 110th pick, OT/OG Floyd Womack.

If I also have the 112th and 122nd picks from scenario one, I would draft RB Correll Buckhalter and OG Russ Hochstein.

Round 5: 134

I would select OLB Jason Glenn. Simple.

Round 6: 165 and 193 (from San Francisco)

With the 165th pick, I would take WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and with the 193th, ILB/MLB Antonio Pierce.

Round 7: 203, 205 (from Tampa Bay), 235

With three picks in the seventh round, these would all go toward previously undrafted players: CB Nick Harper, OG Stephen Neal, and SS Ifeanyi Ohalete.

Summary

In comparing it to my original 2001 redraft, a lot of the same player show up (Jenkins, Burgess, Smith, Womack, Houshmandzadeh, Pierce, etc.). What is interestingly different is that I don’t stay put to select Tomlinson with the first pick like I did previously. The reason for this is that after the 1999 and 2000 drafts, I had some key pieces in place on the offensive line, quarterback, and defensive front seven. Those needed to be addressed in this draft, especially the offensive line. I was also able to deal with the running game issue by getting Priest Holmes in free agency, which I could likely do in my other draft scenario as well.

Without the luxury of having two solid drafts to build on, this time I’m basically starting with the cupboard bare. I am able to address on offense the quarterback situation, both short-term (Johnson) and long-term (Brady or Brees), the running game (Holmes), receivers (Smith and Houshmandzadeh), and offensive line (Diem, Womack, Neal and possibly Hochstein). That’s a major makeover (and major improvement) to the offense that the Browns fielded in 2001.

One defense, I turned every area from a weakness to a strength. The front line now has Jenkins, Rice and Burgess, and possibly Williams. The linebacking corp gains Vrabel and Pierce, and the secondary gains Wilson and Harper, with some help from Ohalete and possibly Henry.

Its amazing how one draft can completely remake a team from a joke to a potential contender.

After redrafting the Browns from 1999 to 2002, we have a powerhouse club set, in theory, to win multiple championships. We have Pro Bowlers at almost every position, and a good amount of talented depth. Now, our goal is to maintain that level of talent as we continue to reexamine the drafts, while also facing the challenges of salary caps, free agency, and risk of injuries. Here’s what out team looks like at this point (1999 free agent signings in italics, number of Pro Bowl selections for players indicated by number after name):

Position	Player	Position	Player
QB	Kerry Collins (1), Jeff Garcia (4), Jake Delhomme (1), Tom Brady (4)	DT	Kelly Gregg, Rob Meier, Kris Jenkins (3)
FB	Tony Richardson, Dan Kreider	DE	Jevon Kearse (3), Aaron Smith (1), Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (1), Adewale Ogunleye (1), Aaron Kampman (2)
RB	Reuben Droughns, LaDainian Tomlinson (5), Dominic Rhodes, Brian Westbrook (2)	ILB	Eric Barton, Brian Urlacher (6), Antonio Pierce (1), Larry Foote, Bart Scott (1)
WR	Marty Booker (1), Brian Finneran, Donald Driver (3), Laveranues Coles (1), Dante Hall (2), Steve Smith (3), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (1), David Givens	OLB	Jamir Miller (1), Joey Porter (4), Adalius Thomas (1), James Harrison (1)
TE	Desmond Clark (1), Jermaine Wiggins	CB	Corey Fuller, Mike KcKenzie, Nate Clements (1), Nick Harper, Sheldon Brown
C	Jeff Saturday (3), Todd McClure	SS	Mike Green, Ed Reed (5)
OG	Adam Timmerman (1), Randy Thomas, Jamar Nesbit, Brian Walters (3), Floyd Womack, LeCharles Bentley (2)	FS	Mike Brown (1)
OT	Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels (5)	LS	Mike Schneck (1)
K	Phil Dawson	P	Chris Gardocki (1)

I’m assuming at this point we’re losing players. In reality, LB Jamir Miller retired following a serious Achilles injury in 2002, and offensive guard Randy Thomas left as a free agent following the 2002 season. CB Corey Fuller, TE Desmond Clark and OG Jamar Nesbit were either released or left their 2002 teams as free agents. I’ll assume all of those occured as well. That thins our roster a bit. Now let’s look at what picks I have going into the 2003 draft:

Round	Player
1	C Jeff Faine (21)
2	LB Chaun Thompson (52)
3	DB Chris Crocker (84)
4	RB Lee Suggs (115)
5	C Ryan Pontbriand (142)
5	DB Michael Lehan (152)
6	DE Antonio Garay (195)

Cleveland’s draft that year was better than in year’s past, but average at best overall. I would be happy to keep things as they are, but I also have a number of players that are good trade material in positions that are loaded, and could net me some additional draft picks. Looking back at the actual 2003 draft, there was a lot of talent that came out, especially in rounds 2-4. One strong potential trade would be with the Dallas Cowboys, who had one of the worst passing attacks (31 of 32) in the NFL in 2002, still struggling with the retirements of Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin. Dallas is also known to like to wheel-and-deal during the draft. I would offer QB Jeff Garcia and WR Laveranues Coles and my second fifth-round pick for Dallas’ third round pick (69) and sixth round pick (178).

I would also try to work out a deal with the Houston Texans. I would offer ILB Eric Barton, RB Reuben Droughns and WR Marty Booker for their second of three third round picks (75) and a possible conditional pick in 2004. Next, I would trade FB Cecil Martin and C Todd McClure and my last sixth-round pick to Atlanta for their fourth round pick (121) and their sizth-round pick in 2004. Lastly, I would trade WR Brian Finneran or WR Dante Hall and the third round pick from Houston to Arizona for their second round pick (54). That leaves my draft board looking like this:

Round	Player
1	C Jeff Faine (21)
2	(from Arizona)
2	LB Chaun Thompson (52)
3	(from Dallas)
3	DB Chris Crocker (84)
4	(from Atlanta)
4	RB Lee Suggs (115)
5	C Ryan Pontbriand (142)
6	(from Dallas)

That leaves me with nine total picks. Let’s look at what we can (re)do with the 2003 draft:

2003 Redraft

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
1	C Jeff Faine	FS Ken Hamlin

A second round pick, Hamlin made an impact immediately with Seattle, playing in every game during his rookie year and starting 14 games. With the exception of 2005, when he missed ten games due to injury, Hamlinhas played in every game, starting all but two during his rookie year. During his three full years with Seattle (2003, 2004, 2006), he recorded at least 80 tackles a season and and averaged over two picks a season. He signed with Dallas in 2007 and played in every game in his two seasons with the Cowboys, averaging 70 tackles and recording six INTs in those two years.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
2	none	WR Anquan Boldin

Wide receiver is a major strength of my new team, even after trading away a number of players in this position. But Boldin, the Cardinals second-round pick, is so talented, its hard not to take him. He caught 101 receptions his rookie year and was the only rookie elected to the Pro Bowl that year. A three-time Pro Bowl participant, Boldin has set numerous records during his brief career with Arizona. Despite missing 16 games during his career, Boldin has averaged 84 receptions for 1,083 yards and seven TDs. If you remove his 2004 stats, in which he only played in ten games, his averages jump to 89 receptions for 1,175 yards and eight TDs.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
2	LB Chaun Thompson	OLB Lance Briggs

Like Boldin above, Briggs joins an already deep position on my new team, but is too talented to pass on. A third-round pick by Chicago, he is a four-time Pro Bowler (2005-2008), and has missed only two games in his six-year career with the Bears. Briggs averages 109 tackles, one sack and 1.5 interceptions a season.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	none	TE Jason Witten

Taken in the third round by Dallas, Witten caught 35 passes his rookie year, and became the starting tight end in his second year. Since then, he’s been elected to the Pro Bowl every year (five times so far) and averages 79 receptions with 918 yards and five TDs. In 2007, Witten became only the third tight end to catch at least 96 passes in a season. He’s become the favorite target of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	DB Chris Crocker	CB Asante Samuel

A fourth round pick by the Patriots, Samuels worked his way into New England’s starting lineup during the 2004 season, and never gave it up. His best season was 2006 with 64 tackles and ten interceptions. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl the following year with 44 tackles and six INTs. Samuel signed with Philadelphia the following year as a free agent and earned his second straight Pro Bowl trip.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	none	DE Robert Mathis

The Colts fourth round pick, Mathis established himself as a pass rush specialist his rookie year, seeing action in all 16 regular season games and recording 20 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. During the last five seasons, he’s played in all but seven games and averages 47 tackles and ten sacks a season. Mathis was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2008.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	RB Lee Suggs	P Mike Scifres

Picked by the Chargers in the fifth round, Scifres became their primary punter in 2004. During the last five seasons, he’s averaged 44.1 yards per punt and 29 punts inside the 20 yard-line a season. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2006. In the Chargers’ 2009 Wild Card Playoff versus the Colts, Scifres kicked a 67-yard punt and averaged 51.7 yards with six punts. Also, all his punts during the game were inside the Colts’ 20-yard line, with 4 inside their 10-yard line.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
5	C Ryan Pontbriand	G Kris Dielman

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chargers, San Diego converted Dielman from a defensive tackle of offensive lineman. By 2005, he became their starting left guard and missed only two games since. He’s been elected to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2008. Dielman’s teammates referred to him as their “enforcer” and “battering ram”.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
6	none	TE Antonio Gates

Another undrafted free agent signed by the Chargers, Gates has gone to five consecutive Pro Bowls (2004-2008). He’s played in all but three games for the Chargers, and started all but seven. Over the last five seasons, Gates has averaged 75 receptions for 935 yards and tex TDs.

2003 Redraft Summary

With the 2003 redraft, I addressed the last few weaknesses on my team at tight end (Witten and Gates) and depth at free safety (Hamlin), and also drafted a replacement for punter Chris Gardocki (Scifres), who left the Browns as a free agent following the 2003 season. I also added to already deep positions at outside linebacker (Briggs),wide receiver (Boldin), cornerback (Samuel), defensive end (Mathis), and offensive guard (Dielman). This helps me out over the long term with free agent defections and salary cap issues, enabling me to part with higher-paid players in those positions without losing quality. Overall, the team that I built over the last five years is incredibly talented and deep, and should be a dynasty if their level of play with my team matches what they’ve done in reality.

I think I’ll end my redrafts of the “new” Cleveland Browns here after five seasons (the same length as my ’90s redraft of Cleveland). I could go on through Davis’ last year, and reexamine the Savage/Crennel years, which just ended, but you get the point. Granted, anyone can go back and lament who their favorite team passed over and build almost the exact team I did during the same seasons. And there’s no guarantee that a team with all this talent will actually win a multiple Super Bowls, much less one. But my point is to show just how poorly the Browns have performed in the personnel department over their first five years upon reentering the league. Even if they took half, or even a quarter, of the players I did, the end results could have been much different over this past decade of football futility in northeast Ohio. One can only wish and dream.

In anticipation of the 2008 NFL season, and the high expectations of the Cleveand Browns actually making the playoffs, I’ve been looking into the past, especially the draft, and seeing how I would do things differently during the five years that Bill Belichick was head coach. Why this time period? It is primarily due to a series of articles examining the failure of the Belichick era in Cleveland preceding the team’s move to Baltimore. I guess in the back of my mind I’m thinking if the draft (and overall team management) went the way I’m redoing it, the team may never have left following 1995.

The Brown’s drafts under Belichick were nothing short of failures. Jesse Lamovsky stated it best:

The team’s draft record during Belichick’s tenure, although not as famously bad as that of the expansion Browns in 1999 and 2000, left a great deal to be desired. Of the forty-one players taken in the five drafts of the Belichick era, only one- Eric Turner- ever made it to a Pro Bowl. It’s a matter of talent, and the Browns of the early ‘90s were mediocre largely because they had mediocre talent.

After reworking the previous four years, its time to wrap things up with a rework of the 1995 draft. In reality, 1995 was nothing short of a disaster for the Browns. Belichick continued his trend of dumping productive and popular players that he didn’t draft. This offseason, Michael Dean Perry and Eric Metcalf, both whom went to the 1994 Pro Bowl, were gone. Owner Art Modell, always the meddler, signed WR Andre Rison to a huge free agent contract that turned into a major mistake.

The sorry state of the team was only compounded by the complete mismanagement of the draft that year. Looking to draft TE Kyle Brady, the Browns traded up to the tenth spot. However, when Brady was drafted ninth, Belichick didn’t seem to know what to do, and traded back down to the last pick in the draft (as well as picking up additional picks later in that draft and for 1996). With that pick, Belichick took LB Craig Powell, which stunned everyone. Powell, the second best linebacker on his Ohio State team, never amounted to anything in the NFL. Basically, the pick was forfeited. The Browns also lost their second and sixth round picks due to bad player trades the previous year. With all that said, here’s how their 1995 draft materialized:

Round	Number	Player
1	30	LB Craig Powell
3	84	QB Eric Zeier
3	94	DE Mike Frederick
5	141	DT Pupua Tau
5	171	WR Mike Miller
7	203	WR A.C. Tellison

When I say this draft was a complete waste, here’s my argument. Not one single person made any sort of significant impact for ANY team they played on, much less the Browns. Powell played a total of 14 games in three years, for three different teams. Not what you expect from a first round draft pick. Zeier, although decent, had career stats that equated to a decent single season. In seven years for three teams, Zeier’s career stats are 16 games started, 3,520 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Fredrick amassed two sacks during his five-year career. Tau never saw the field during his one year in the league, and neither Miller nor Tellison could make a roster.

There’s a lot about this year that I would do differently. First off, Perry would still be on the team. He was good and popular, and didn’t deserve the exit he received. Metcalf, on the other hand, was expendible. He wasn’t a featured running back, and there was too much talent on our new team at wide receiver with Keenan McCardell, Robert Brooks, Troy Brown and Rod Smith. However, I would try to trade him for something instead of just releasing him. Also, Rison would never have come to Cleveland except as a member of the Brown’s opponent.

Now let’s look at the draft. I honestly don’t know what I would have done with some of these draft day deals that went on. After four years, there really is no areas of need. All we’re looking for at this point is depth and preparing to replace older players we originally drafted. For certain, I wouldn’t have lost the second and sixth round picks with player trades the previous year. However, the other draft pick deals are harder to judge. All remaining picks involved gaining additional picks for the 1996 draft. Looking at the 1996 draft, it was loaded with talent, and making those deals look good. But also knowing that those picks eventually went to the Baltimore Ravens, not the Cleveland Browns, makes it difficult.

The truth is, no one outside Art Modell knew the financial state of the Browns. His income was the Browns, unlike almost every other NFL owner at the time. The team played in a trash bin called a stadium at the time, Modell lost money by the Indians moving into a new stadium (and hence, not renting out the Browns stadium from Modell) and poor free agent acquisitions, and the team was losing. Hopefully our new team would have been more successful, and hence, generated more income. Maybe the winning Browns would have helped convince Cleveland administration to help build a new stadium for the Browns. Or maybe, the winning Browns would have least had helped convince city and NFL leaders to convince Modell to sell the team to someone who would properly invest in the team.

Regardless, the head coach and other football personnel were supposedly in the dark about a potential move to Baltimore. With that fact, we need to make deals good for the team, even if that assumes it plays in Cleveland in 1996. I then make thetrade with Jacksonville, giving up my fourth round pick for the Jaguars 1995 and 1996 fifth round picks. However, I’m still not sure about what to do with the San Francisco deal. Cleveland originally moved up from 26 to 10 (swapping with Atlanta). When Brady came off the board, the Browns then swapped back down with San Francisco, moving from 10 to 30. They also picked up San Francisco’s third and forth round picks, as well as the Niners first round in 1996. Looking at my team’s situation, I’m thinking the deal with Atlanta never goes through, and doesn’t start the chain reaction that occured. So now our new draft picks look like this:

Round	Player
1	LB Craig Powell
2	???
3	QB Eric Zeier
5	DT Pupua Tau
5	WR Mike Miller
6	???
7	WR A.C. Tellison

That gives us seven picks in the 1995 draft. After four years of stellar redrafting, there really aren’t any holes to fill anywhere, so our philosophy is to grab the best available player and let the chips fall where they may. I also pondered another interesting situation that played out in reality. The Packers had both Brett Favre and Mark Brunell on their team, just like I do. Jacksonville traded their 3rd and 5th round picks to the Packers for Favre. Considering the state of our team, I wouldn’t be interested in that deal. However, I have another deal that I think would work with Jacksonville.

The Jaguars held two first round picks that year, the 2 and 19 picks. They used the 19th pcik on running back James Stewart. In exchange for the 19 pick, I would give Jacksonville Mark Brunell, swap my second round pick with their third round pick (71), and also give them my second fifth round pick (and maybe part with RB Gary Brown as well). To gain a new back up quarterback, I would sign Trent Green, who at this time was playing in the CFL. My new draft board would look like this:

Round	Player
1	???
1	LB Craig Powell
3	???
3	QB Eric Zeier
5	DT Pupua Tau
6	???
7	WR A.C. Tellison

I still have seven picks, but with another first round selection, while slightly moving down from the late second to early third round, and giving up a late fifth round pick. Here’s what I would do with those picks:

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
1	none	T Korey Stringer

I’m a mark for Stringer, one since he grew up not far from me (Warren, OH) and played at Ohio State. He was also a stud offensive tackle. Taked with pick 24 by the Vikings, I would get Stringer five picks earlier. This would also enable me to move Larry Allen to his more natural guard position. Stringer became an instant starter for Minnesota, missing only three games, and starting all but two, during his brief six-year career. He was elected to his only Pro Bowl in 2000. Unfortunately he died of heat stroke the following year in training camp.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
1	LB Craig Powell	OLB Derrick Brooks

Picked 28th overall by Tampa Bay, Brooks has been one of the most dominant linebackers in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl ten consecutive times, a streak that ended this past season (2007). Suring his career, Brooks has yet to miss a game due to significant injuries. Recently, an ESPN writer also argued that Brooks is a lock in the Hall of Fame.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	none	RB Curtis Martin

Drafted by New England in the third round, Martin is considered one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL. During his 11 years with New England and the New York Jets, he rushed for over 1,000 yards his first ten years, a feat previously only accomplished by Barry Sanders. He likely would have eclipsed 1,000 yards his eleventh year if not for a knee injury that forced him to miss the final four games of the 2005 season (he ran for 735 yards at that point). During his career, Martin averaged 1,281 yards rushing and eight touchdowns per season. He was also elected to five Pro Bowls.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	QB Eric Zeier	MLB Stephen Boyd

Boyd was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round, and played all seven years in Detroit, and bbecame the starting middle linebacker in his second year. During the next four years (1997-2000), Boyd led the Lions in tackles, averaging over 175 tackles per season during that span. He was elected to two Pro Bowls before retiring in 2001 due to a back injury.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
5	WR Mike Miller	RB Terrell Davis

Playing all seven years with the Broncos, Terrell Davis was a steal in the sixth round. He had n incredible first four years in the NFL before being plagued by injures that eventually ended his career. A three-time Pro Bowler, Davis is only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season (2,008 in 1998), and won the NFL MVP award that year. During those first four years, he averaged over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns a season. He was an essentialpart of the Broncos teams that won consecutive Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. He was elected Super Bowl MVP in 1997 as he rushed for 157 yards, caught 2 passes for 8 yards, and became the first player in Super Bowl history ever to score 3 rushing touchdowns. Along with winning the MV award in 1998, Davis also won his first league rushing title and third consecutive AFC rushing title.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
6	none	G Adam Timmerman

Drafted by the Packers in the seventh round, Timmerman became a key member to the Green Bay offensive line that appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them. He then signed with the Rams in 1999, where he was part of one of the greatest offenses in NFL history, and appeared in two more Super Bowls, winning a second title in 1999. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2001.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
7	WR A.C. Tellison	DT Jason Fisk

Drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round, Fisk played 12 seasons in the NFL, the first four with the Vikings. He signed with Tennessee in 1999 to become a starter, and played in his only Super Bowl with the Titans.

(1991-) 1995 Redraft Summary

With little pressing needs, this draft helped strenghten some areas, most notibly linebacker and offensive line. But the biggest improvement was nabbing two stud running backs that already had a future Pro Bowler from the year before (Jamal Anderson). This year’s group, along with the last four years drafts, has built (at least on paper) one of the most talented teams in the NFL. Here’s a breakdown of the entire five years of redrafts by position with the number of Pro Bowl selections  in ( ):

QB	Brett Favre (9), Mark Brunell (3)
FB	Kimble Anders (3)
RB	Gary Brown, Jamal Anderson (1), Curtis Martin (5), Terrell Davis (3)
WR	Keenan McCardell (2), Robert Brooks, Troy Brown (1), Rod Smith (3)
TE	Ben Coates (5), Frank Wycheck (3)
C	Jay Leeuwenburg, Kevin Mawae (6)
G/T	Erik Williams (4), Kendall Gammon, Will Shields (12), Ron Stone (3), Larry Allen (11), Korey Stringer (1) Adam Timmerman (1)
DT	Chester McGlockton (4), Santana Dotson, Jason Fisk
DE	Michael Sinclair (3), Michael Strahan (7)
MLB	Corey Widmer, Ed McDaniel (1), Stephen Boyd (2)
OLB	Mo Lewis (3), Bryan Cox (3), Jessie Armstead (5), Jason Gildon (3), Derrick Brooks (10)
CB	Aeneas Williams (8), Mark McMillian, Dale Carter (4)
SS	Blaine Bishop (4), Rodney Harrison (2)
FS	Merton Hanks (4), John Lynch (9)
P	Mitch Berger (2)

I think this would be considered one of, if not the best, five-year drafts in NFL history. It’s a group not only loaded with talent (150 Pro Bowl appearances), but longevity (at least ten players still active during the 2008 season). The selections by position are also spaced out fairly well. Only the outside linebacker position has more than four selections over the five years (average of one per draft). I lumped the offensive guard and tackle positions because a couple of players were versatile enough to play either spot. Combined, I drafted seven players to fill four starting positions, with three players in reserve. The only position I didn’t draft was a kicker.

Would this team have won at least one Super Bowl, much less a number of them? Who knows, but with this talent, it was possible. Would Bill Cowher have done a better job coaching than Bill Belichick? Again, who knows, but he at least wouldn’t have alienated the existing veterans and media (and consequently, the fans) the way Belichick did. Would this team, with its potential for winning, have gotten the Browns a new stadium or new owner, or both? Would it at least have kept them from moving to Baltimore? Again, who knows, but I like the chances. In wrapping up this series, it seems appropriate to quote Shakespeare from Hamlet:

“To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there’s the rub.”

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	9	CB Antonio Langham
1	29	WR Derrick Alexander
3	75	DT Romeo Bandison
5	141	DB Issac Booth
6	171	FB Robert Strait
7	203	OL Hamza Hewitt

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:

Offense		Defense
QB	Brett Favre (9)	DT	Chester McGlockton (4)
FB	Kimble Anders (3)	DT	Santana Dotson
RB	Gary Brown	DE	Michael Sinclair (3)
WR	Keenan McCardell (2)	DE	Michael Strahan (7)
WR	Donald Driver	MLB	Ed McDaniel (1)
TE	Ben Coates (5)	OLB	Mo Lewis (3)
C	Jay Leeuwenburg	OLB	Bryan Cox (3)
G	Will Shields (12)	CB	Aeneas Williams (8)
G	Ron Stone (3)	CB	Dale Carter (4)
T	Erik Williams (4)	SS	Blaine Bishop (4)
T	none taken	FS	Merton Hanks (4)

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:

Round	Player
1	CB Antonio Langham
2	???
3	DT Romeo Bandison
4	???
5	DB Issac Booth
6	FB Robert Strait
7	OL Hamza Hewitt

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

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
1	CB Antonio Langham	C Kevin Mawae

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.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
2	none	T/G Larry Allen

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).

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	DT Romeo Bandison	LB Jason Gildon

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.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	none	SS Rodney Harrison

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.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
5	DB Issac Booth	P Mitch Berger

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.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
6	FB Robert Strait	RB Jamal Anderson

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.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
7	OL Hamza Hewitt	WR Rod Smith

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	14	C Steve Everitt
2	42	DE Dan Footman
3	83	LB Mike Caldwell
5	124	T Herman Arvie
6	153	LB Rich McKenzie
7	180	LB Travis Hill

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.

Offense		Defense
QB	Brett Favre (9)	DT	Chester McGlockton (4)
FB	Kimble Anders (3)	DT	Santana Dotson
RB	Gary Brown	DE	Michael Sinclair (3)
WR	Keenan McCardell (2)	DE	none taken
WR	Robert Brooks	MLB	Ed McDaniel (1)
TE	Ben Coates (5)	OLB	Mo Lewis (3)
C	Jay Leeuwenburg	OLB	Bryan Cox (3)
G	Kendall Gammon	CB	Aeneas Williams (8)
G	none taken	CB	Dale Carter (4)
T	Erik Williams (4)	SS	none taken
T	none taken	FS	Merton Hanks (4)

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	14	C Steve Everitt
2	42	DE Dan Footman
3	68	???
3	83	LB Mike Caldwell
4	100	???
5	124	T Herman Arvie
6	153	LB Rich McKenzie
7	180	LB Travis Hill
8	209	???

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

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	14	C Steve Everitt	DE Michael Strahan

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
2	42	DE Dan Footman	FS John Lynch

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	68	none	G Will Shields

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	83	LB Mike Caldwell	G Ron Stone

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
4	100	none	QB Mark Brunell

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	124	T Herman Arvie	LB Jessie Armstead

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
6	153	LB Rich McKenzie	TE Frank Wycheck

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
7	180	LB Travis Hill	WR Troy Brown

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
8	209	none	SS Blaine Bishop

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:

Offense		Defense
QB	Brett Favre (9)	DT	Chester McGlockton (4)
FB	Kimble Anders (3)	DT	Santana Dotson
RB	Gary Brown	DE	Michael Sinclair (3)
WR	Keenan McCardell (2)	DE	Michael Strahan (7)
WR	Robert Brooks	MLB	Ed McDaniel (1)
TE	Ben Coates (5)	OLB	Mo Lewis (3)
C	Jay Leeuwenburg	OLB	Bryan Cox (3)
G	Will Shields (12)	CB	Aeneas Williams (8)
G	Ron Stone (3)	CB	Dale Carter (4)
T	Erik Williams (4)	SS	Blaine Bishop (4)
T	none taken	FS	Merton Hanks (4)

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:

Round	Number	Player
2	29	QB Brett Favre
3	57	CB Aeneas Williams
3	62	OLB Mo Lewis
3	70	T Erik Williams
4	85	OLB Bryan Cox
5	112	TE Ben Coates
5	122	FS Merton Hanks
5	127	DE Michael Sinclair
8	197	RB Gary Brown
11	280	WR Keenan McCardell
12	308	FB Kimble Anders

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	9	FB Tommy Vardell
2	52	WR Patrick Rowe
3	65	DT Bill Johnson
3	78	LB Gerald Dixon
6	143	WR Rico Smith
6	163	DT George Williams
7	177	DB Sewlyn Jones
9	233	DB Tim Hill
10	260	DT Marcus Lowe
11	289	WR Augustin Olobia
12	316	QB Keithen McCant
12	329	OL Tim Simpson

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	9	FB Tommy Vardell
2	52	WR Patrick Rowe
3	65	DT Bill Johnson
3	78	LB Gerald Dixon
6	143	WR Rico Smith
6	163	DT George Williams
7	177	DB Sewlyn Jones
8	205	???
9	233	DB Tim Hill
10	260	DT Marcus Lowe
11	289	WR Augustin Olobia
12	316	QB Keithen McCant
12	329	OL Tim Simpson

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:

Round	Number	Player
1	9	FB Tommy Vardell
1	19	???
2	52	WR Patrick Rowe
5	119	???
5	130	???
7	177	DB Sewlyn Jones
9	240	???
10	260	DT Marcus Lowe
11	289	WR Augustin Olobia

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

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	9	FB Tommy Vardell	DT Chester McGlockton

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	19	none	CB Dale Carter

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
2	52	WR Patrick Rowe	WR Robert Brooks

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.)

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	119	none	ILB Ed McDaniel

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

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	130	none	DT Santana Dotson

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
7	177	DB Sewlyn Jones	ILB Corey Widmer

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
9	240	none	C Jay Leeuwenburg

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
10	260	DT Marcus Lowe	CB Mark McMillian

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.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
11	289	WR Augustin Olobia	G Kendall Gammon

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.

The start of the 2008 NFL season is a few weeks away, and I find myself in an unfamiliar place … high expectations for the Cleveland Browns. A few months ago, I began to reexamine the drafts of the “expansion” Browns, starting with the 1999 draft. But a couple of things motivated me to go back even further and reexamine the Browns drafts before the infamous move to Baltimore. They were:

• A series of articles revisiting Bill Belichick’s five-year tenure as Browns head coach
• The success said coach has had at New England (four Super Bowl appearances, three NFL championships)
• The Brett Favre situation with Green Bay this summer (you’ll see why)
• I’m a glutton for punishment when it comes to the Browns

The Browns were coming off a disastrous season (3-13, second worst record in the league), after five straight playoff appearances, four division titles during that stretch, and playing in three of the last four AFC Championship games (losing all three to Denver). Their quick collapse was due to a number of factors:

• poor drafting under head coach Marty Schottenheimer (anyone remember Mike Junkin? Nope, didn’t think so.)
• the team got old, especially along the offensive line, defensive backfield and linebackers
• the trading of Ernest Byner, scapegoat for the 1988 playoff loss
• the Plan B fiasco of 1989-1990, which led to a number of players leaving due to contract disputes

This led to head coach Bud Carson getting canned after only two years on the job, and opened the door for Bill Belichick, defensive genius of the New York Giants. Here’s where I step in as fantasy General Manager with hindsight as my ally. First off, I don’t hire Belichick. Not because he’s not a good coach, but because he was horrible with the local media, was at odds almost from the beginning from existing team leaders, and completely disenfranchised the Browns fan base. When you do things like that, you gain no grace when the team struggles. Instead, I hire another candidate who was in the running for the job as well, Bill Cowher. He played for the Browns and was an assistant coach under Marty when he was Cleveland’s head coach. He served as defensive coordinator in Kansas City under Marty as well. Also, with hindsight, look what he did with Cleveland’s biggest rivals, the Steelers. Not only would the Browns get a great head coach, but screw Pittsburgh as well.

My next move would be to pick up some extra draft picks in the draft, since there are some major holes to fill, and the 1991 draft class was one of the richest in history. The Browns had the following picks:

Round	Number	Player
1	2	FS Eric Turner
2	29	G Ed King
3	57	DT James Jones
4	85	DE Pio Sagapolutele
6	141	WR Michael Jackson
8	197	DT Frank Conover
9	225	CB Ray Irvin
9	239	Shawn Wiggins
10	252	P Brian Greenfield
11	280	G Todd Jones
12	308	Elijah Austin

Originally, not a bad draft at all. Eric Turner and Michael Jackson became stars for the Browns, Ed King was a starter, and James Jones and Pio Sagapolutele were good defenders. However, every pick after Jackson was a waste. We need a more productive draft to get the Browns back on track.

My first task would be to pick up some additional picks in rounds 2-5. First I work out a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, who were stuffed with picks due to the raping of the Vikings over the Hershel Walker trade. I would swap first round picks (my #2 pick for their #20 pick), and give up my 9th round (239) pick for the Cowboys’ 3rd round (62) and 4th round (110) picks. As much as I liked Turner, this team needs too much help, and there’s too much talent in the draft not to make this deal.

Next I would work out a deal with Minnesota. I would trade the 20th overall pick (acquired from Dallas) and my 6th round pick (141) and 9th round pick (225) for the Vikings’ 3rd (68) and 5th (119) round picks, and WR Cris Carter. (Carter was acquired via waivers the following season from Philadelphia and had a very unimpressive year in 1990.)

One last deal would be with San Francisco. I would trade my 4th (85), 5th (119) and 10th (252) round picks in exchange for the 49ers’ 4th (95) and two 5th round picks (122, 127). Our draft board now looks like this:

Round	Number	Player
2	29	G Ed King
3	57	DT James Jones
3	62	(via Dallas)
3	68	(via Minnesota)
4	95	(via San Francisco)
4	110	(via Dallas)
5	122	(via San Francisco)
5	127	(via San Francisco)
8	197	DT Frank Conover
11	280	G Todd Jones
12	308	Elijah Austin

We end up with the same number of draft picks that we started with (11), lose out on FS Eric Turner (Round 1) and WR Michael Jackson (Round 6) by giving up those picks, but losing nothing else of significance. In exchange we add two additional picks in the 3rd round, pick up and additional pick in the 4th, and pick up two picks in the 5th round, while we shed our two 9th round picks and 10th round pick. We also steal away a potential Hall-of-Famer in WR Cris Carter. Now let’s examine our new draft pick-by-pick:

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
2	29	G Ed King	QB Brett Favre

Let me make two points before you read the rest of this. First, I’m a realistic Browns fan, willing to see the faults in the team and players, and also willing to see the team improve itself for the long term. Secondly, I liked Bernie Kosar. He had talent, he wanted to play for the Browns, and we’re both from the Youngstown area. With that said, Bernie was never going to take this team to the Super Bowl at this point. He was becoming injury-prone due to his lack of mobility and the bad offensive line he had in front of him. This would have been the perfect pick in getting his replacement. I’m not going to list all of Favre’s accomplishments and records to justify this pick, because I don’t need to.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	57	DT James Jones	CB Aeneas Williams

The defenisve backfield was a mess in 1991. Starting Safety Felix Wright left after a contract dispute, Minnifield was getting old, and Blaylock and Hilliard weren’t much. Williams was an 8-time Pro Bowler for the Cardinals. Enough said.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	62	(from Dallas)	OLB Mo Lewis

The linebackers was another area in trouble. Eddie Johnson retired, Clay Matthews was starting to run out of gas. David Grayson and Mike Johnson were good, but not great. Van Waiters, well, he was better than Mike Junkin, which isn’t saying much at all. Mo Lewis was a 3-time Pro Bowler.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	70	(from Minnesota)	T Erik Williams

Originally taken by Dallas with this pick, Williams, a 4-time Pro Bowler, became the anchor for the offensive line for a Cowboys team that won three Super Bowls in the 1990s and saw Emmitt Smith become the league’s all-time leading rusher.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
4	95	(from San Francisco)	OLB Bryan Cox

Bryan Cox made an immediate impact for the Dolphins, making the first of three Pro Bowl trips in his second year.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
4	110	(from Dallas)	TE Ben Coates

It’s amazing that a team that drafted one of the best tight ends in history in Ozzie Newsome completely missed out on a quality tight end three years in a row. They drafted Scott Galbreath in 1990 over Shannon Sharpe. Coates could arguably be considered the next best tight end during the 1990s. Five Pro Bowl appearances will do that for you. He would be a necessary offensive weapon that struggled with an offensive identity since Lindy Infante left to coach the Packers in 1988.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	122	(from San Francisco)	FS Merton Hanks

As noted above, the defensive backfield was a mess in 1991. Along with Williams, Hanks would have added a second future Pro Bowler (four times) in one draft.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	127	(from San Francisco)	DE Michael Sinclair

The defensive line was one of the only strong points of the Cleveland team in 1991 with future Pro Bowlers Michael Dean Perry and Rob Burnett. Sinclair, a 3-time Pro Bowler, would have made this one of the best lines in the league.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
8	197	DT Frank Conover	RB Gary Brown

The running game was also a major problem. Byner was continuing to play at a Pro Bowl level in Washington, Mack was getting beat up too much (and soon to get into legal trouble), and Metcalf was not a featured back. Brown, the only player in our redraft to never make the Pro Bowl, was a good running back for both Houston and the Giants. His two best years were 1993 (Houston) with 1,002 yards and six TDs, and 1998 (NY Giants) with 1,063 yards and five TDs.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
11	280	G Todd Jones	WR Keenan McCardell

Originally drafted by Washington, McCardell spent four good, but unspectacular, years in Cleveland before becoming the 2-time Pro Bowler in Jacksonville. His presence becomes more important with not drafting Michael Jackson.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
12	308	Elijah Austin	FB Kimble Anders

Another important piece to repair a broken running game. Originally undrafted, Anders was a 3-time Pro Bowler and a devistating blocker for the Chiefs.

1991 Redraft Summary

The 1991 redraft adds some important pieces to a team that is aging quickly. Only one of the 11 picks have at least two Pro Bowl appearances in the career. Favre (9), Aeneas Williams (8), Lewis (3), Erik Williams (4), Cox (3), Coates (5), Hanks (4), Sinclair (3), McCardell (2), and Anders (3) have a whopping 44 Pro Bowls combined. Add in the eight from Cris Carter and our Pro Bowl total climbs to 52. The defense would have quickly been rebuilt with five key players at CB, FS, DE and LB. The offense would be on its way back with a repaired running game with Brown and Anders, a major piece to the line with Williams, some receiving playmakers in Coates, Carter and McCardell, and the QB of the future in Favre.

Discouraged by the lack of success that my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, have had since their return to the NFL in 1999, I’m deciding to be a fantasy GM and redo their drafts. After redrafting in1999, 2000, and 2001, we’ve built quite an impressive team through the draft alone. Along with redoing those three year’s drafts, I also collected a number of free agents that first year, some whom Cleveland did sign, some others they didn’t but should have. Let’s look at the team that I’ve built. The free agents from 1999 are indicated in italics, and actual Pro Bowl selections of a player are represented by the number after their name:

Position	Player	Position	Player
QB	Kerry Collins (1), Jeff Garcia (4), Jake Delhomme (1), Tom Brady (4)	DT	Kelly Gregg, Rob Meier, Kris Jenkins (3)
FB	Tony Richardson, Dan Kreider	DE	Jevon Kearse (3), Aaron Smith (1), Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (1), Adewale Ogunleye (1)
RB	Reuben Droughns, LaDainian Tomlinson (5), Dominic Rhodes	ILB	Eric Barton, Brian Urlacher (6), Antonio Pierce (1)
WR	Marty Booker (1), Sean Morey (1), Donald Driver (3), Laveranues Coles (1), Dante Hall (2), Steve Smith (3), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (1)	OLB	Jamir Miller (1), Joey Porter (4), Adalius Thomas (1)
TE	Desmond Clark (1), Jermaine Wiggins	CB	Corey Fuller, Mike McKenzie, Nate Clements (1), Nick Harper
C	Jeff Saturday (3), Todd McClure	SS	Mike Green
OG	Adam Timmerman (1), Randy Thomas, Jamar Nesbit, Brian Walters (3), Floyd Womack	FS	Mike Brown (1)
OT	Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels (5), Matt Light (2)	LS	Mike Schneck (1)
K	Phil Dawson	P	Chris Gardocki (1)

I’m  in a good position to move some players via trades, especially from the wide receiver position. Marty Booker and Laveranues Coles are tradable with the drafting of both Steve Smith and T.J. Housmandzadeh in 2001. We could also potentially part with QBs Jeff Garcia or Jake Delhomme and RB Reuben Droughns for draft picks, or at least moving up in this draft. And, due to the New Orleans trade way back in 1999, I have the last pick from that deal in the second round this year. My prospects of strenghtening this team even further is great.

As good as my redraft is, the actual drafting by the Browns during those three years was just as bad, which is a big reason for the firing of Dwight Clark, who was mainly responsible for the three-year train wreck. Now we’re fully into the Butch Davis era. Although he was head coach in 2001, he gained power of personnel decisions in 2002, and mainly the draft. So now I reexamine the 2002 draft and see how my picks (granted in hindsight) stack up to what Davis did. At this point, there aren’t very many holes to fill on the team. I still need to deepen the safety and offensive tackle positions, and also improve the tight end position. Also, if history would repeat itself, I lose Jamir Miller in training camp, where he suffered a career-ending Achilles injury, so outside linebacker becomes an area that would need improved, but that isn’t evident during the draft. Cleveland originally picked around the middle of the draft (16), but I’m assuming the team was more successful in 2001 with the new crop of players, so I’m choosing around picks 22-23. Here’s my draft board, with only the Saints second round pick indicating a selection number in the round. I did indicate where the actual Cleveland picks went with the number after their names:

Round	Number	Player
1	?	RB William Green (16)
2	44	(from New Orleans)
2	?	WR Andre Davis (47)
3	?	C Melvin Fowler (76)
4	?	LB Kevin Bentley (101)
4	?	LB Ben Taylor (111)
4	?	TE Darnell Sanders (122)
5	?	LB Andra Davis (141)
7	?	OT Joaquin Gonzalez (227)

With eight picks in 2002, Cleveland originally drafted the following:

• one running back (1)
• one wide receiver (2)
• two offensive linemen (4)
• one tight end (5)
• three linebackers (8)

Out of those eight, at least four are still in the league, and two have had fairly good careers (Fowler and Andra Davis). A better draft than in previous years, but no stars in this group either. As in the previous years, the high round picks are busts for their draft positions. Let’s see how I do in comparison:

2002 Redraft

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
1	RB William Green	SS Ed Reed

Taken eight picks after William Green, Ed Reed has been nothing short of a terror in the defensive backfield for the Ravens, making it to the Pro Bowl five times (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008). He probably would have made it in 2005 as well if he didn’t miss six games with an ankle injury. He is the Ravens all-time INT leader with 34, has blocked four punts and returned three for touchdowns. He is also the first person in NFL history to return an interception, punt, blocked punt, and fumble for a touchdown. Did I mention he plays for the Ravens? It would be great to screw them out of a player of this caliber.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
2	none	G/C LeCharles Bentley

Taken by the Saints in this very spot, Bentley excelled at the guard position and started in 14 games. He was named Sports Illustrated ‘s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team. He was selected to two Pro Bowls with the Saints (2003, 2005). He left New Orleans as a free agent following the 2005 season and signed with the Browns. He suffered a serious knee injury during his FIRST play in training camp. Attempting to make a come back in 2008, he brokered his release from Cleveland, but failed to catch on with another team that year.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
2	WR Andre Davis	CB Sheldon Brown

Picked in the second round, Brown is a fixture in the Eagles defensive backfield, playing in every game during his six-year career, and starting every game since late in 2003. Since becoming a full-time starter, Brown is averaging over 66 tackles and nearly 3 INTs a season.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
3	C Melvin Fowler	RB Brian Westbrook

A a third-round pick and two-time Pro Bowl selection (2004, 2007), Westbrook is a key part of the Eagles offense. He became the featured back midway through his second year, when he rushed for 613 yards, caught 37 passes for 332 yards, and scored 11 TDs. The following year, he ran for 812 yards, caught 73 passes for 703 yards, and scored nine TDs, and still missed three games. The next year, he missed four games and still put up 1,233 yards rushing and receiving, and scored seven times. He’s been fairly healthy the last two years, missing only three games total. During those two years, he averaged 1,275 yards rushing, 84 receptions for 735 yards, and 12 TDs. Imagine the damage an offense can do with he and LT in the backfield together.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	LB Kevin Bentley	ILB Larry Foote

A late fourth-round pick by Pittsburgh, Foote played very little during his first two years. In 2004, he became a starter and hasn’t missed a game yet. During the last four years, he’s averaging 85.5 tackles, three sacks and one interception a season.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	LB Ben Taylor	DE Aaron Kampman

A fifth round draft pick, Kampman made his mark during the 2003 playoffs by recording three sacks in two playoff games for the Packers. The following year, he’s become a steady defender, playing every game the last four seasons, and averaging 75 tackles and 9.5 sacks a season. He was elected to the Pro Bowl the last two years while recording 27.5 sacks during that span.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
4	TE Darnell Sanders	ILB Bart Scott

Scott was undrafted and signed with Baltimore. He made his mark on special teams during his first three years in the league. Scott came into his own filling in for the injured Ray Lewis in 2005, starting ten games and recording 92 tackles and four sacks. In 2006 he was second on the team in tackles with 103, he has also recorded 9.5 sacks and two interceptions. He was elected to the Pro Bowl that year as an injury replacement for Lewis. This past season, he made 93 tackles.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
5	LB Andra Davis	WR David Givens

Another Ohio-bred player (he was born in Youngstown), Givens has had a productive, if unremarkable, career. Drafted late in the 7th round, he played four seasons for New England, winning two Super Bowls. In 2007, he signed with Tennessee, but tore his ACL after five games. He’s currently a free agent.

Round	Original Pick	New Pick
7	OT Joaquin Gonzalez	OLB James Harrison

Also from Ohio, Harrison went undrafted out of Kent State, and signed with the Steelers. Harrison saw limited playing time (mostly on special teams) during his first four years with Pittsburgh. He broke out in 2007, starting in all 16 games, and recording 98 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He was elected to the Pro Bowl that year.

2002 Redraft Summary

Let’s look how I did with the nine picks:

• two defensive backs (2)
• one running back (3)
• three linebackers (6)
• one defensive end (7)
• one wide receiver (8)
• one offensive lineman (9)

Out of my group, there are four multi-time Pro Bowlers, and a couple with one trip to Hawaii. I address a couple of need areas, depth in the secondary and running back. Reed adds a dominant defender in the backfield with Mike Brown, and Sheldon Brown adds strength to the cornerback position. Westbrook also adds another stellar back to pair, or split time, with LT. Givens is a lesser receiver in a crowd of Pro Bowlers, but adds depth there as well. Bentley and Kampman can’t be passed up despite  glut of studs in those positions on the team. But this could be a blessing, considering Randy Thomas left as a free agent after 2002, and Kearse and Ogunleye both left their teams as free agents after 2003, and may do the same here. Timmerman or could be potentially traded, lowering the salary cap significantly, or McClure as well. I’m also crowding the linebacking corp, but consider that most of these guys played a couple of years on special teams before breaking into the lineup, and again if/when free agency plays a factor, the position is loaded with talent.

Here’s the challenge in today’s NFL, with a salary cap, whom do you give raises to in order to keep them, and whom do you let go to free up cap space and give their spot to younger (and cheaper) talent? In the old days (pre-1990s), cap space and free agency was never an issue. Now, teams need to let popular and talented players go elsewhere for the sole reason of financials. Now with a solid team in place, those factors will help determine some decisions in the next couple of drafts. Next, we revisit 2003.

After redoing the 1999 and 2000 drafts for the Cleveland Browns, this team would have most of the key pieces to being a powerhouse for the next several years. Let’s look at what I did over the last two years. Actual number of Pro Bowl selections is represented in parentheses. All players shown were draft picks except those in italics, which were potential free agent signings (or trades in the case of Ahman Green and Tony Richardson) in 1999:

Position	Player	Position	Player
QB	Kerry Collins (1), Jeff Garcia (4), Jake Delhomme (1), Tom Brady (4)	DT	Kelly Gregg, Rob Meier
FB	Tony Richardson, Dan Kreider	DE	Jevon Kearse (3), Aaron Smith (1), Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (1), Adewale Ogunleye (1)
RB	Ahman Green, Reuben Droughns	ILB	Eric Barton, Brian Urlacher (6)
WR	Marty Booker (1), Sean Morey (1), Donald Driver (3), Laveranues Coles (1), Dante Hall (2)	OLB	Jamir Miller (1), Joey Porter (4), Adalius Thomas (1)
TE	Desmond Clark (1), Jermaine Wiggins	CB	Corey Fuller, Mike McKenzie
C	Jeff Saturday (3), Todd McClure	SS	Mike Green
OG	Adam Timmerman (1), Randy Thomas, Jamar Nesbit, Brian Walters (3)	FS	Mike Brown (1)
OT	Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels (5)	P	Chris Gardocki (1)
LS	Mike Schneck (1)	K	Phil Dawson

In two years, the only area that I’m not settled in is tight end, and depth at running back, offensive and defensive tackles, and the secondary. Due to the New Orleans and St. Louis Rams trades back in 1999, I pick up two additional first round picks. So, here’s the draft picks I have to work with in 2001 (actual Browns selections shown):

Round	Number	Player
1	3	DT Gerard Warren
1	20	(from St. Louis)
1	23	(from New Orleans)
2	33	WR Quincy Morgan
3	65	RB James Jackson
4	97	CB Anthony Henry
5	134	LB Jeremiah Pharms
6	165	CB Michael Jameson
7	203	G Paul Zukaukas
7	245	WR Andre King

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing draft for the Browns. Outside of Pharms, every player stayed in the league at least four years, but Henry is the only one that’s developed into a quality player. Warren is considered one of the biggest busts of the decade, never living up to his first round potential. But what was new with any of Cleveland’s draft picks during this regime. With three picks in the first 33 of the draft (and hindsight in my corner), I’m sure I can do better. Here are my 2001 draft selections:

2001 Redraft

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	3	none	RB LaDainian Tomlinson

The fifth overall pick, Tomlinson has missed only one game during his seven-year career. He’s averaging 1,521 yards rushing, 482 yards receiving, and 16 TDs. He’s made the Pro Bowl every year except his rookie year, when he rushed for “only” 1,236 yards and 10 TDs. In 2003, he became the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards and record 100 receptions in the same season. For the record, I was begging Cleveland to draft him, and pissed when they took Warren.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	20	none	CB Nate Clements

This pick would be a major coup for the Browns, with Clements having grown up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights and played collegiately at The Ohio State University. Clements was an immediate star in the NFL, starting 11 games his rookie year. He recorded at least 62 tackles every year, and was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2004 season.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
1	23	none	DT Kris Jenkins

A second round pick by the Panthers, Jenkins would fill the need for a stud defensive tackle on a team loaded with talented ends. Outside his two injury-plagued seasons of 2004 and 2005, Jenkins has been the anchor of the Panthers defense. When healthy, he averages over 40 tackles and 4 sacks a season. His best single season in sacks was 2002 with seven. He’s made the Pro Bowl three times (2002, 2003, 2006).

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
2	33	none	OT Matt Light

A second round pick by the Patriots, Light would give me another stud tackle to go along an already-talented offensive line. He’s made the Pro Bowl twice (2006, 2007).

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
3	65	none	WR Steve Smith

Another great pick by Carolina, this time in the third round, Smith made a mark his rookie year as a dangerous kick returner. He led all rookies in net yardage with a 1,994 yard, and finished fourth in the NFL in that category in 2001. This performance earned him a Pro Bowl berth as a kick returner. The next year, he became a starting wide receiver, making 54 receptions for 872 yards. In 2005, Smith lead the league in receptions (103), yards (1563), and TDs (12). With the exception of 2004, where he was out all but one game with an injury, Smith has averaged 90 receptions, 1,210 yards, and 9 TDs the last four years despite being the only deep threat on the Panthers. In addition to going his rookie year as a returner, Smith returned to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2006.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
4	97	none	G/T Floyd Womack

Nicknamed “Pork Chop,” Floyd Womack was drafted late in the fourth round by the Seahawks, and has played in 75 games over the last seven years, starting 33 of them. He can play both guard and tackle. He too would have been the local pick of this draft, having played high school football at Cleveland East.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
5	134	none	CB Nick Harper

Nick Harper went undrafted, but signed with the Colts. His best year was in 2003, his first as a starter, with 98 tackles and four interceptions. He’s recorded at least 66 tackles and three INTs every year since. He joined the Tennessee Titans as a free agent in 2007.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
6	165	none	WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Slipping to the seventh round, Housmandzadeh played sparingly during his first three years with the Bengals. He broke out in 2004 with 73 catches for 978 yards and four TDs. During the last four seasons, he’s averaged 88 receptions, 1,040 yards and eight TDs a season. Housmandzadeh made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2007 with 112 catches for 1,143 yards and 12 TDs.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
7	203	none	RB Dominic Rhodes

Rhodes signed with the Colts after going undrafted in 2001. He played in 15 games his rookie year, starting 10 in place of the injured Edgerrin James. That year, Rhodes rushed for 1,104 yards and nine TDs. He was out for all of 2002, and touched the ball sparringly the next three years behind James. After James left via free agency, Rhodes split time with rookie Joseph Addia, rushing for 641 yards and five TDs. He left as a free agent the following year for Oakland, but at out the first four games due to violating the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy, and never did much on the field once he returned. He was then released, and resigned with the Colts for 2008.

Round	Number	Original Pick	New Pick
7	245	none	MLB Antonio Pierce

Undrafted, Pierce signed with Washngton and had a decent rookie year (52 tackles). He didn’t see the field much the next two years, but broke out in 2004 replacing the injured Michael Barrow. He recorded 112 tackles (85 solo) and two interceptions. He then signed with the Giants, recording 99 tackles in only 13 games, and 137 the following year (107 solo). His 2006 season earned him a Pro Bowl berth. In 2007, he recorded 103 tackles (77 solo).

2001 Redraft Summary

The original 2001 draft breaks down like this over eight picks:

• one defensive tackle (1)
• two wide receivers (3)
• one running back (4)
• two cornerbacks (6)
• one linebacker (7)
• one offensive lineman (8)

Now let’s compare it to the redraft (two extra picks this year):

• two running backs (2)
• one defensive tackle (3)
• two wide receivers (5)
• two offensive lineman (7)
• two cornerbacks (9)
• one linebacker (10)

Just about the same picks, with an extra running back. In fact, if you omit the extra picks from the Saints and Rams, the first three picks in both drafts addressed the exact same positions, just in a different orders. The new draft picked up four multi-time Pro Bowl selections (four of the first five picks I might add), and three other Pro Bowl selections. Plus, every player is still in the league, and only two aren’t starting for their current teams. The redraft is definitely a major improvement over what the Browns actually selected that year.

Review of the Three Redrafts

Here’s where it gets painful to look. Here’s what the Browns would have with three years of draft picks (free agents omitted):

Position	Player	Position	Player
QB	Tom Brady (4)	DT	Kelly Gregg, Rob Meier, Kris Jenkins (3)
FB	Tony Richardson, Dan Kreider	DE	Jevon Kearse (3), Aaron Smith (1), Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (1), Adewale Ogunleye (1)
RB	Reuben Droughns, LaDainian Tomlinson (5), Dominic Rhodes	ILB	Eric Barton, Brian Urlacher (6), Antonio Pierce (1)
WR	Marty Booker (1), Brian Finneran, Donald Driver (3), Laveranues Coles (1), Dante Hall (2), Steve Smith (3), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (1)	OLB	Joey Porter (4), Adalius Thomas (1)
TE	Desmond Clark (1), Jermaine Wiggins	CB	Mike KcKenzie, Nate Clements (1), Nick Harper
C	Todd McClure	SS	Mike Green
OG	Randy Thomas, Jamar Nesbit, Brian Walters (3), Floyd Womack	FS	Mike Brown (1)
OT	Jon Jansen, Chris Samuels (5), Matt Light (2)	LS	Mike Schneck (1)

Assuming these guys would play at the level that they currently do, the new Cleveland Browns would likely be the elite team in the league and be in a position to win multiple Super Bowls. Compare this to their actual picks, which produced one decent starter in Anthony Henry. It’s no surprise the Browns struggled like they did out of the gate, and just now showing signs of being a playoff contender. It’s worth noting that this was the last draft run by Dwight Clark before he was forced to resign. Looking back, he had absolutely no eye for talent. Next I’ll look at the 2002 draft and see if Butch Davis did any better.