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Photo: John H Reid III/ClevelandBrowns.com
The Cleveland Browns 2009 draft day began with hopes of a big name at the #5 overall pick, but what ensued could not be predicted by anyone. Cleveland started draft day sitting with the #5 pick, waiting to see what the 4 teams did in front of them. After Aaron Curry came off of the board one pick prior to Cleveland, Eric Mangini made a deal with a not-so-old friend, Mike Tannenbaum of the New York Jets. The Browns traded their 5th overall pick to the Jets for their 1st round pick (17th overall), 2nd round pick (52nd overall) and three Jets players that Mangini was fond of having. The Browns proceeded to trade down two more times, from 17th to 19th and 19th to 21st. Finally, Cleveland picked at the 21st overall spot in the draft. The Browns started the draft with only five draft picks and many glaring holes in their roster. Cleveland ended up with eight total picks in the 2009 draft. I am going to analyze what Eric Mangini and George Kokinis (AKA: Mankok) did or did not do with those eight picks to make this roster better.
Round 1:
What Happened?: The Browns traded down out of the 5th pick three times in a move that said Cleveland wasn't enamored with any player's ability to help this franchise at the price they would have to pay with the 5th, 17th or the 19th overall pick. Essentially, Cleveland gave up the 5th overall pick for a 1st round pick (21st overall), 2nd round pick (52nd overall), two 6th round picks (191st and 195th overall), and 3 players previously in Mangini's system.
What Cleveland Got: With the 21st overall pick, Cleveland selected the top rated center in the draft, Alex Mack out of Cal. With that selection, Cleveland has now entered the secret world of Alex Mack. Cleveland also recieved DB Abram Elam, DL Kenyon Coleman and QB Brett Ratliff from the New York Jets.
What Cleveland Gave Up: As I previously stated, the Browns gave up the 5th overall pick and traded down three times to pick at 21. What they effectively gave up was anyone picked between 5 and 20. This list includes players such as DT BJ Raji, WR Michael Crabtree, RB Knowshon Moreno, DE Brian Orakpo, OLB Brian Cushing, DE Robert Ayers and DE Larry English. With the 21st pick, the Browns choose to pass on OLB Clay Matthews, ILB Rey Maualuga, WR Hakeem Nicks, and RB Chris "Beanie" Wells.
Analysis of the 1st Round: I 100% agree with Mangini and Kokinis in their decision to trade down out of the #5 spot. Picking at #5 would have given Cleveland a better player in an area of greater need than center, but with the money the Browns' former staff spent on free agents, getting out of the #5 spot was a good move. I also really like the players Cleveland got from the Jets. Maybe the players do not WOW me, but they are Eric Mangini's guys. We picked up two starters from the Jets. Abram Elam will be starting at strong safety and fills a much needed spot on the roster as Sean Jones left via free agency in the offseason. Kenyon Coleman will also likely start for the Browns (or at least be in the defensive line rotation). Coleman started in Mangini's system for the past two seasons, and while not providing much pass rush, Coleman is a solid run stopper recording 136 tackles over the last two seasons with the Jets. Ratliff is just a guy that Mangini had a man-crush on. Ratliff is a back-up QB project that stole Mangini's heart with his work ethic, strong arm, and size. He will more than likely never see the field for the Browns, but if he has to, he will probably look much better than Ken "noodle-arm" Dorsey.
With two of the three coveted USC linebackers on the board, Cleveland chose to use their first pick in the draft to address the offensive line. By drafting Alex Mack, Cleveland now has a center that will be an anchor on their offensive line for years to come. Mack will more than likely start in place of the diminishing Hank Fraley. Mack is a big strong center that will be a great football player in Cleveland for a long time, but Cleveland could have addressed their pass rushing deficiencies with this pick. In fact, I think all the players I mentioned in the "What Cleveland Gave Up" section above would have been a bigger help in a much more pressing area for the Browns than Mack at center. So, in a move that is probably not going to win over any more of the Dawg Pound faithful, Mankok didn't make the pick for Clay Matthews III or Rey Maualuga and the Browns' pass rush did not improve.
1st Round "What They Got" Grade: A: With the trade, Cleveland got three players that will start next year, and that's tough to do in the entire draft let alone in one round.
1st Round "What They Gave Up" Grade: D+: Cleveland may have missed a golden opportunity by not drafting a LB or DE with any one of the first round spots they could have drafted.
Overall 1st Round Grade: B+: Although Mangini and Kokinis did not address their linebacker situation, the Browns did save a ton of cap space by trading out of the # 5 spot and got three starters in the process. They did not do anything that had the city of Cleveland dancing in the streets, but the Browns did get better in the first round I promise you that. My personal opinion is that I am very disappointed that Cleveland did not grab Clay Matthews III or Rey Maualuga, but that does not change the fact that the Browns got some pretty good football players out of their first round transactions that will contribute next year.
Round 2:
Where Cleveland Picked and Why: Cleveland had the 4th pick in the 2nd round (36th overall); the Browns also received two other 2nd round picks via trades. Cleveland received the 18th pick in the 2nd round (50th overall) from Tampa Bay through the Kellen Winslow Jr. trade and the 20th pick of the 2nd round (52nd overall) in the first round trade with the Jets.
What Cleveland Got: With the 36th overall pick in the draft, Cleveland took WR Brian Robiskie out of THE Ohio State University. With the 50th and 52nd pick, Cleveland took WR Mohamed Massaquoi from Georgia and DE David Veikune out of Hawaii respectively.
What Cleveland Gave Up: At pick 36, ILB Rey Maualuga was still on the board; you might as well get him on the next plane to Cleveland, right? Well, not with Mangini and Kokinis calling the shots. The Browns passed on Rey Maualuga for the second time. Also, Cleveland passed on DE Everette Brown out of Florida State. Maualuga and Brown were the two defensive players left that could have impacted the Browns pass rush right away.
Analysis of Cleveland's 2nd Round: After not addressing our linebackers in the first round, Cleveland was in a prime spot to do just that with the 36th pick; however, the readiness of WR Brian Robiskie sealed the deal for Cleveland and "Robo" went from Scarlet and Gray to Brown and Orange. Besides LB, WR was probably the second greatest position of need. With the Winslow trade, not resigning Joe Jurevicius, the inevitable imprisonment of Donte Stallworth, and the uncertainty of Braylon Edwards's future in Cleveland, the Browns' receiving corps is in shambles. It's in such dire need that Mangini and Kokinis used two of their first three picks in this draft to get receivers. With the 50th overall pick, Cleveland took Mohamed Massaquoi. While Massaquoi and Robiskie are not ready to be #1 receivers for an NFL team, one of them will probably be starting in the #2 receiver spot by the end of the season and the other could see time as a 3rd receiver. I would put money on Robiskie starting alongside Edwards by the end of the season. Robiskie was touted as the most polished and NFL ready receiver in the 2009 draft. Brian is the son of Terry Robiskie, former Cleveland Browns wide receivers coach, and Brian was also a ball boy for the Browns while his father was coaching for Cleveland. It seems that Brian paid attention to his father at practice because he runs some of the best routes and has some of the best hands of any of the receivers coming out of college. The only thing stopping Robiskie from being a #1 receiver in the NFL is he does not possess elite speed and his inability to make defenders miss after the catch. Massaquoi also lacks explosive speed and does not catch with his hands as well as Robiskie; this causes Massaquoi to drop some passes. Both Massaquoi and Robiskie are willing to go over the middle and take a hit to catch the pass, and both receivers are willing blockers.
Finally addressing their defense, Mankok took DE David Veikune with the 52nd overall pick. Early returns are that Cleveland plans to move Veikune to OLB. Veikune will be in competition with many others for a spot in the Browns' linebacker rotation. Right now, starting linebackers are slated to be: Eric Barton (ILB), D'Qwell Jackon (ILB), Kameron Wimbley (OLB) and David Bowens (OLB). Veikune will be competing with Alex Hall, Beau Bell, and Leon Williams for time at LB. Vaikune will more than likely see the majority of his rookie playing time on special teams, but has good size and is dynamic. Veikune played DE for Hawaii; so, he will also be able to get down on the line and bring versatility to the Browns' defense.
2nd Round "What They Got" Grade: C+: The Browns may have very well got two receivers that could contribute next season filling a huge need, but the inability to get a LB that will be ready to rush the passer overshadows these receivers. Veikune shows promise, but moving from DE at Hawaii to NFL OLB may take more than a year or two.
2nd Round "What They Gave Up" Grade: D: Cleveland passed up on Rey Maualuga not once but twice. Looking back through picks 37-49, the only WR taken was Pat White by the Dolphins, and they were not drafting him to be just a WR. The Browns probably could have taken Maualuga at 36 and Robiskie and Massaquoi at 50 and 52. Instead, Cleveland passes on Maualuga, and he ends up in the division with Cincinnati while the Browns end up with a project from Hawaii.
Overall 2nd Round Grade: C-: Even though I do not agree with why Cleveland passed on Maualuga, I know why Cleveland and many other teams decided to shy away from him. Rey draws a red flag when it comes to character; in 2005, Maualuga was arrested on misdemeanor battery charges. In 2006, he was disciplined for his involvement in an incident at a frat party, and in that same year he got demoted to special teams as he overslept for a meeting. He also has had plenty of injuries throughout college including a pulled hamstring that kept him from performing to the best of his ability at the combine. Mankok has chosen to draft high character, disciplined, educated players who love to play football. All three players drafted in the 2nd round fit that description. Cleveland probably picked up a starter of the WR variety in the 2nd round and another WR that could see significant time. Other than that, Mankok passed up on a prime opportunity to improve the linebackers on the roster, and it could be haunting them in Cincinnati for awhile.
Day 2 (Rounds 3 -7):
Where Cleveland Picked and Why: Cleveland had the 4th pick in the 4th round (104 overall) and the 4th pick in the 6th round (177 overall) due to their record in 2008. Cleveland also received the 18th and 22nd picks in the 6th round (191 and 195 overall) via trades with Tampa Bay and Philly. The Browns had no picks in the 3rd, 5th, and 7th rounds of the draft.
What Cleveland Got: With the 4th pick in the 4th round, Cleveland chose OLB Kaluka Maiava from USC. In the the 6th round, Cleveland took DB Don Carey from Norfolk State, DB Coye Francies from San Jose State, and RB James Davis from Clemson.
What Cleveland Gave Up: It's hard to determine what Cleveland gave up when choosing from the 4th round on because most of the picks are a guess. A couple guys I thought the Browns could have gone after in the 4th round are RB Andre Brown out of North Carolina State and RB Javon Ringer from Michigan State. With Jamal Lewis starting to lose effectiveness, Cleveland could have used their 4th round pick to grab a RB.
Analysis of Cleveland's Day 2 Draft: Cleveland started off day two of the draft with the 4th pick in the 4th round and chose OLB Kaluka Maiava out of USC. Maiava was the first true linebacker the Browns picked up in the draft, and he is no stranger to NFL talent. Maiava was the 4th starter in the USC linebacking core. All the other USC linebackers were drafted within the first 38 picks of the draft. Maiava is a guy that will be like 2nd round pick David Veikune; both Maiava and Veikune will be competing for a shot to backup the starting LBs, but Maiava will see the majority of his time at special teams. Don't be surprised if Maiava or Veikune get some time at LB by the end of the season because we all know Wimbley has had some difficulties in the last two seasons getting to the QB.
With the first two picks in the 6th round, Mankok went for DBs. Both Don Carey and Coye Francies are cornerbacks with a little more height than Wright and McDonald can offer. Time will tell if either of these 2 DBs will have an impact on the Browns' roster. I doubt either will get any run this season seeing that Cleveland has Wright, McDonald, Hank Poteat, and Corey Ivy in front of the rookie cornerbacks. These two players need to hit the weight room and put on some muscle and will be projects for Cleveland, but if one of them pans out, it will be a good couple of 6th round picks for the Browns.
After passing on a running back with their first seven picks of the draft, Cleveland finally took RB James Davis of Clemson. Davis could be a steal at the 195th overall pick in the draft. Many think if Davis chose to forego his senior season at Clemson, he could have been selected within the first three rounds last year. Davis's numbers fell off his senior season, but his speed and upside are still there. Davis graduated from the same high school as Jamal Lewis and has worked out with him in the past. Hopefully, the arrival of the young RB will light a fire under the veteran Lewis. Lewis has an opportunity to take Davis under his wing and help his fellow alumni of Douglass High School become an effective NFL RB. I expect Davis to get some touches in his rookie season with the departure of third down back Jason Wright. I also expect Jerome Harrison to get more touches as an effective change of pace back. Expect Harrison and Davis to relieve starter Jamal Lewis more often than not.
Day 2 "What They Got" Grade: B+: Cleveland got two cornerbacks that have better size than Wright and McDonald. They also got an OLB in Kaluka Maiava that could compete to be a backup as a rookie in the 4th round. The big pick here was James Davis with the 195th pick in the draft. Davis scored 47 touchdowns in his career at Clemson and could be a steal at the 195th pick.
Day 2 "What They Gave Up" Grade: B: I don't really think there was much that the Browns passed up on during the 2nd day of the draft. The only thing I think the Browns could have done was to take RB Javon Ringer or RB Andre Brown with their 4th round pick.
Day 2 Overall Grade: B: On the final day of the draft, the Browns drafted in areas of need. The picks of Maiava and Davis were solid choices, I question taking two cornerbacks in the 6th round seeing that we already have two young corners starting for us, but we could use some youth to learn the nickleback position.
OVERALL DRAFT GRADE: B-: Going into the draft, the Browns had areas in which they needed to get better or younger including: OLB, DE, S, OL, WR, and RB. I feel like the Browns addressed four of those five areas. Cleveland got four probable starters out of their trades and picks. The only area I was disappointed with was OLB, and Cleveland had an opportunity to get better there in the first and second rounds, but they chose not to do that. However, Mankok got strong, smart, and disciplined players. The Browns got players that know Mangini's system, and that will help speed the rebuilding process. The Browns got better during the draft, and they did it without paying a #5 pick a ton of money.
Burn On!
-J. V.
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As for my assessment of the draft, I agree with you in the respect that it's not as much what we got but what we left on the table. We've been haunted by the ghosts of draft days past by passing on the likes of Donovan McNabb, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Lavar Arrington, Richard Seymour, etc. Alex Mack should anchor the line along with Joe Thomas for the next ten years (hopefully). But, especially when Maualuga dropped to 36, the Browns should have taken him and gambled on Robiskie dropping to 50. They still could have got Massaquoi either way and maybe addressed another position of need with 52 if another quality receiver wasn't there.
I'd say your overall grade is fair, but I would go with a B myself. They upgraded the defense with Abram Elam big time. The defensive line rotation is now strong, if not star-studded, but the linebackers will be the real question. If we cannot get pressure from Wimbley, Hall, Veikune, whoever, we'll suffer.
TRADE DOWN!