Red Right 88

Wrapping up the Browns and the 2014 NFL Draft

This man has every reason to smile after the weekend he just had.

Wrapping up a few items relating to the Cleveland Browns while also wondering how Mike Pettine became the second-longest tenured head coach in town before he even coaches his first game.

We went over what we liked about the Browns two first-round picks on Friday, and now that the entire draft is in the books its hard not to like what the Browns did over the weekend. (Of course, we thought we liked the 2012 draft as well, so …) In looking at the players the Browns picked, its clear to see what general manager Ray Farmer and Pettine have in mind for how they want the Browns to look.

Read more…

The Browns, quarterbacks and the draft – what we learned

When we started our series on the quarterbacks the Cleveland Browns have selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since the franchise entered the league in 1950, we thought we knew what we were going to find.

But after working our way through the project, we were surprised to learn a few things.

For starters, we never knew the story of Harry Agganis; he had always just been a name on a piece of paper. We had no idea how good he was, his tragic death or the impact he still has on Boston University.

We knew about Bobby Garrett and his stuttering; it is a part of the team’s history. But it turns out that his speech impediment may have been over-exaggerated by head coach Paul Brown as a way for Brown to save face.

We’ve always associated Mike Phipps with Paul Warfield, and while it was a bad trade and Phipps had a disappointing career, it turns out that it wasn’t his entire fault.

And Tim Couch was better than we remember.

The biggest realization is that, with the exception of Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden, these were draft picks that didn’t work out, rather than ones that were bad picks. Agganis, Garrett, Phipps and Couch all had the credentials coming out of college. They ended up not working out for a variety of reasons, some within their control, some not.

But they were not, essentially, bad picks.

So what does that mean for Browns general manager Ray Farmer, the holder of five selections in the first 85 picks (and 10 overall) as he prepares for this weekend’s NFL Draft?

Mainly, just because the Browns as a franchise have continually swung and missed when it comes to drafting a quarterback, that doesn’t mean that Farmer should not give it another shot this weekend.

As to when he should make that pick … well, that’s a different story.

Read more…

5 Questions – Cleveland Browns NFL Draft edition

The Cleveland Browns have 10 selections in this weekend’s NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday night in New York City.

The Browns hold two picks in the first round, three picks in the first 35 selections and five in the first 85. While there are plenty of holes still to fill on the roster, the draft also provides plenty of opportunities for general manager Ray Farmer to something about that.

We’ve made our way through the NFL Combine, the various Pro Days and mock drafts; it’s now time to get real.

To try and figure out just what the Browns may be cooking this weekend, we’ve pulled together a panel of Browns thinkers worthy of the Algonquin Round Table.

Taking their seat at the table are:

Murray Alexander, a Scotland-based writer at East of Ehlo and The Factory of Sadness. He can be found on Twitter @SadFactory. (He’s also an Arsenal fan, but we’re willing to overlook that.)

Ryan Alton, a writer at DraftBrowns.com who can be round on Twitter @RyInCBus.

Matt Gerber, a member of the History Department at Western Reserve Academy and defensive coordinator for the Pioneer football team.

Mike Burgermeister, the author/proprietor of jimkanicki.com and can be found on Twitter @jimkanicki.

Dave Kolonich, the former writer of Cleveland Reboot. He has also written for The Orange and Brown Report, Scout.com, Fox Sports Ohio and a variety of websites. He can be found on Twitter @DaveKolonich.

Mike Krupka, a writer for Dawgs by Nature and contributor of college scouting pieces to The OBR. He can be found on Twitter @MikeKrupka.

Jeff Rich, a writer at More Than a Fan – Cleveland and co-host of College Football Roundtable and Time & Change. He can be found on Twitter @JRichRadio.

Read more…

Browns gamble on Brandon Weeden does not pay off

The Cleveland Browns hold two first-round draft picks in Thursday night’s NFL Draft.

While many expect the Browns to use one of those picks on a quarterback, history shows that drafting a quarterback – especially one in the first round – has been an exercise in futility for the Browns

Since joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns have drafted six quarterbacks in the first round and none of them have worked out. The list includes:

• Harry Agganis, the team’s first-round selection in 1952;
• Bobby Garrett, the first Stanford quarterback taken No. 1 overall in the draft;
• Mike Phipps, the All-American quarterback from Purdue taken in the first round in 1970;
• Tim Couch, the first No. 1 draft pick of the Browns when they returned to the NFL in 1999; and,
• Brady Quinn, the surprise first-round pick from 2007.

Today we take a look at the old cowboy, Brandon Weeden.

Read more…

“We got him.” Browns select Brady Quinn

The Cleveland Browns hold two first-round draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

While many expect the Browns to use one of those picks on a quarterback, history shows that drafting a quarterback – especially one in the first round – has been an exercise in futility for the Browns

Since joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns have drafted six quarterbacks in the first round and none of them have worked out.

In Part One of our series on those six quarterbacks, we looked at Harry Agganis, the team’s first-round selection in 1952. Part Two featured Bobby Garrett, the first Stanford quarterback taken No. 1 overall in the draft. Part Three highlighted Mike Phipps, the All-American quarterback from Purdue taken in the first round in 1970. Part Four looked at the first No. 1 draft pick of the Browns when they returned to the NFL in 1999: Tim Couch.

Today, we take a look at Brady Quinn, the surprise first-round pick from 2007.

Read more…

Browns select the man with the golden arm: Tim Couch

The Cleveland Browns hold two first-round draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

While many expect the Browns to use one of those picks on a quarterback, history shows that drafting a quarterback – especially one in the first round – has been an exercise in futility for the Browns.

Since joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns have drafted six quarterbacks in the first round and none of them have worked out.

In Part One of our series on those six quarterbacks, we looked at Harry Agganis, the team’s first-round selection in 1952. Part Two featured Bobby Garrett, the first Stanford quarterback taken No. 1 overall in the draft. Part Three highlighted Mike Phipps, the All-American quarterback from Purdue taken in the first round in 1970.

Today we look at the first No. 1 draft pick of the Browns when they returned to the NFL in 1999: Tim Couch.

Read more…

“The greatest trade ever” brings Mike Phipps to the Browns

The Cleveland Browns hold two first-round draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

While many expect the Browns to use one of those picks on a quarterback, history shows that drafting a quarterback – especially one in the first round – has been an exercise in futility for the Browns.

Since joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns have drafted six quarterbacks in the first round and none of them have worked out.

In Part One of our series on those six quarterbacks, we looked at Harry Agganis, the team’s first-round selection in 1952. Part Two featured Bobby Garrett, the first Stanford quarterback taken No. 1 overall in the draft.

Today we focus on Mike Phipps, the All-American quarterback from Purdue taken in the first round in 1970.

Read more…