TEAM BY TEAM NEEDS FOR APRIL'S DRAFT (Cleveland & Pittsburgh)
I will analyze each team's gains & losses in free agency, I'll recap their 2008 draft & discuss their overall team needs.
Cleveland Browns:
The Browns were a major disappointment last season, so out with Romeo Crennel & in with former Jet head coach, Eric Mangini. A lot has happened to the Browns' roster since the season ended, some good, some not so good, some even tragic. Oft-injured WR, Joe Jurevicius has retired. Disgruntled TE, Kellen Winslow Jr. was traded to Tampa Bay. WR Donte Stallworth will no longer be catching passes in the NFL, he struck & killed a pedestrian in Miami last month. Since Stallworth had a blood/alcohol level of .12, he was charged with DUI manslaughter, which can carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Stallworth is 31 years old, so it's very doubtful he'll ever play again. They lost starting right tackle, Kevin Shaffer to the Saints & backup G Scott Young was not resigned. Enter Mangini & his ex-Jets, he brought ILB Eric Barton, the Jets' leading tackler in '08 & DT C.J. Mosely, a promising nose tackle, good insurance for the always unpredictable Shaun Rogers. They also made some good pickups along the offensive line signing ex-Bear OT John St. Clair & ex-Seahawk OG/OT Floyd Womack, both longtime starters. Former Buffalo Bill TE Robert Royal was signed in light of the Winslow trade, Steve Heiden's ACL & MCL surgery & Martin Rucker's slow development. Wide receiver David Patten was signed from the Saints, but he's only a 4th receiver at best. Corner Cory Ivy was brought in from the Ravens.
Their 2008 draft was limited by the fact they didn't have a 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick. Linebacker Beau Bell, one of the 4th round picks, injured his knee & never played a defensive down. Martin Rucker, the other 4th round pick, played in only 5 games & caught just 2 passes. His development was predictably slow as starting in a 3-point stance & blocking inline were all new to him as he came from a spread offense. He may need another year as Robert Royal's understudy. Sixth round pick, Ahtyba Rubin, played in the DT rotation making 11 tackles. The other 6th rounder, WR Paul Hubbard spent the year on the practice squad. Alex Hall, a 7th round OLB, made an impact early on but faded quickly.
Mangini has his work cut out for him, he has to decide between QB's Derek Anderson & Brady Quinn. Both know there was an attempt to trade one or the other in a deal for Jay Cutler. There have been informal talks with the Giants about WR Braylon Edwards. Edwards had a monster year in '07, but was awful by comparison in '08. Bottom line on the receiving corp is that Edwards is the only impact player they currently have on the roster. The addition of ILB Barton to team with ILB D'Quell Jackson, the Browns tackle leader with 154, teamed with Rogers or Mosely on the nose, gives the Browns a very formidable interior on defense. The problem is getting to the passer which I think is their #1 need in the upcoming draft. Safety help, a couple of wide receivers & possibly one more DE/OLB hybrid player. I believe the Browns are locked into Texas DE Brian Orapko for their 1st round pick. In the second, I could see Oregon safety, Patrick Chung, being a smart pick & in the 3rd & 4th rounds, think wide receiver. Penn State's Deon Butler, BYU's Austin Collie, Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia or Arizona's Mike Thomas would all be solid choices.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
When 4 Steeler offensive tackles went into free agency, there was almost panic in Pittsburgh, but 3 of them resigned. They lost Marvel Smith, who had been their starting left tackle for 7 years, to back surgery in week five, but Max Starks stepped up in his spot & played well. He was franchised & later resigned. Starting cornerback, Bryant McFadden, signed with Arizona, 3rd receiver Nate Washington signed with Tennessee & both backup QB's, Byron Leftwich & Charlie Batch are still unsigned. The Steelers didn't sign a single free agent from another team, they concentrated on resigning their own players. Linebacker Andre Frazier, guard Chris Kemoeatu & tight end Sean McHugh were all resigned in addition to the 3 tackles.
Pittsburgh's 2008 draft was basically a disappointing 3 round affair. First round pick, RB Rashard Mendenhall, looked very good until week 4 when he suffered a broken shoulder & was lost for the year. Limas Sweed, a 2nd round WR, played some later in the year, catching 17 passes, but he had more than his share of drops. Bruce Davis, a 3rd rounder was learning a new position & didn't play much. I expect him to be a part of the OLB rotation next season.
Even though they resigned 3 of their free agent tackles, I still think upgrading the depth of the O-line with players who will eventually start is a smart idea. Yes, it's a luxury, one that a solid Championship team can indulge in. Pittsburgh lost Nate Washington to the Titans, Hines Ward is 33 & I have questions about Limas Sweed, so picking a WR early on could happen. DE Aaron Smith is playing at a very high level, but he doesn't have that running mate on the other side who is also a difference-maker. I see the Steelers taking a tackle like Arizona's Eben Britton or UConn's William Beatty with their first round pick. Given their history of selecting college QB's to play all over the field (Kordell Stewart, Hines Ward & Antwaan Randle El) would West Virginia's Pat White be a 2nd round shock? I like LSU's Ricky Jean Francois for a 3rd pick at DE.
Next up: The Houston Texans & Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns:
The Browns were a major disappointment last season, so out with Romeo Crennel & in with former Jet head coach, Eric Mangini. A lot has happened to the Browns' roster since the season ended, some good, some not so good, some even tragic. Oft-injured WR, Joe Jurevicius has retired. Disgruntled TE, Kellen Winslow Jr. was traded to Tampa Bay. WR Donte Stallworth will no longer be catching passes in the NFL, he struck & killed a pedestrian in Miami last month. Since Stallworth had a blood/alcohol level of .12, he was charged with DUI manslaughter, which can carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Stallworth is 31 years old, so it's very doubtful he'll ever play again. They lost starting right tackle, Kevin Shaffer to the Saints & backup G Scott Young was not resigned. Enter Mangini & his ex-Jets, he brought ILB Eric Barton, the Jets' leading tackler in '08 & DT C.J. Mosely, a promising nose tackle, good insurance for the always unpredictable Shaun Rogers. They also made some good pickups along the offensive line signing ex-Bear OT John St. Clair & ex-Seahawk OG/OT Floyd Womack, both longtime starters. Former Buffalo Bill TE Robert Royal was signed in light of the Winslow trade, Steve Heiden's ACL & MCL surgery & Martin Rucker's slow development. Wide receiver David Patten was signed from the Saints, but he's only a 4th receiver at best. Corner Cory Ivy was brought in from the Ravens.
Their 2008 draft was limited by the fact they didn't have a 1st, 2nd or 3rd round pick. Linebacker Beau Bell, one of the 4th round picks, injured his knee & never played a defensive down. Martin Rucker, the other 4th round pick, played in only 5 games & caught just 2 passes. His development was predictably slow as starting in a 3-point stance & blocking inline were all new to him as he came from a spread offense. He may need another year as Robert Royal's understudy. Sixth round pick, Ahtyba Rubin, played in the DT rotation making 11 tackles. The other 6th rounder, WR Paul Hubbard spent the year on the practice squad. Alex Hall, a 7th round OLB, made an impact early on but faded quickly.
Mangini has his work cut out for him, he has to decide between QB's Derek Anderson & Brady Quinn. Both know there was an attempt to trade one or the other in a deal for Jay Cutler. There have been informal talks with the Giants about WR Braylon Edwards. Edwards had a monster year in '07, but was awful by comparison in '08. Bottom line on the receiving corp is that Edwards is the only impact player they currently have on the roster. The addition of ILB Barton to team with ILB D'Quell Jackson, the Browns tackle leader with 154, teamed with Rogers or Mosely on the nose, gives the Browns a very formidable interior on defense. The problem is getting to the passer which I think is their #1 need in the upcoming draft. Safety help, a couple of wide receivers & possibly one more DE/OLB hybrid player. I believe the Browns are locked into Texas DE Brian Orapko for their 1st round pick. In the second, I could see Oregon safety, Patrick Chung, being a smart pick & in the 3rd & 4th rounds, think wide receiver. Penn State's Deon Butler, BYU's Austin Collie, Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia or Arizona's Mike Thomas would all be solid choices.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
When 4 Steeler offensive tackles went into free agency, there was almost panic in Pittsburgh, but 3 of them resigned. They lost Marvel Smith, who had been their starting left tackle for 7 years, to back surgery in week five, but Max Starks stepped up in his spot & played well. He was franchised & later resigned. Starting cornerback, Bryant McFadden, signed with Arizona, 3rd receiver Nate Washington signed with Tennessee & both backup QB's, Byron Leftwich & Charlie Batch are still unsigned. The Steelers didn't sign a single free agent from another team, they concentrated on resigning their own players. Linebacker Andre Frazier, guard Chris Kemoeatu & tight end Sean McHugh were all resigned in addition to the 3 tackles.
Pittsburgh's 2008 draft was basically a disappointing 3 round affair. First round pick, RB Rashard Mendenhall, looked very good until week 4 when he suffered a broken shoulder & was lost for the year. Limas Sweed, a 2nd round WR, played some later in the year, catching 17 passes, but he had more than his share of drops. Bruce Davis, a 3rd rounder was learning a new position & didn't play much. I expect him to be a part of the OLB rotation next season.
Even though they resigned 3 of their free agent tackles, I still think upgrading the depth of the O-line with players who will eventually start is a smart idea. Yes, it's a luxury, one that a solid Championship team can indulge in. Pittsburgh lost Nate Washington to the Titans, Hines Ward is 33 & I have questions about Limas Sweed, so picking a WR early on could happen. DE Aaron Smith is playing at a very high level, but he doesn't have that running mate on the other side who is also a difference-maker. I see the Steelers taking a tackle like Arizona's Eben Britton or UConn's William Beatty with their first round pick. Given their history of selecting college QB's to play all over the field (Kordell Stewart, Hines Ward & Antwaan Randle El) would West Virginia's Pat White be a 2nd round shock? I like LSU's Ricky Jean Francois for a 3rd pick at DE.
Next up: The Houston Texans & Indianapolis Colts
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