Losing out on RG3 is devastating to Browns

[polamalubeast]

The Cleveland Browns were the biggest losers in Saturday's pre-draft blockbuster trade in which the Washington Redskins moved up to the second overall pick by trading three first-rounders and an additional second-round pick to the St. Louis Rams.


The Browns lost out on Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. They lost out on the best franchise quarterback in this draft outside of Stanford's Andrew Luck. They lost out on the dynamic playmaker that would have been the focal point of a rebuilding offense and franchise.

The Browns reportedly made a push for the second overall pick, going so far as to offer at least three No. 1 picks to the Rams and possibly even the second-round pick, one source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. In the end, the Browns were on the losing end like they've been so many times since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

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http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/43621/losing-out-on-rg3-is-devastating-to-browns

[st33lersguy]

It really isn't devastating. Now they can get help for their starting quarterback by landing Trent Richardson or Justin Blackmon and can build with another player at pick no. 22.

[Count Steeler]

Sometimes a team is better off for the deals it doesn't make. I think Cleveland wins this one in the long run. Hoping of course they use their 2 first rounders wisely.

[BigNastyDefense]

It really isn't devastating. Now they can get help for their starting quarterback by landing Trent Richardson or Justin Blackmon and can build with another player at pick no. 22.

Exactly. I think the Browns didn't want to give away that second first rounder this season knowing that they wouldn't have picks to build with the next couple of seasons. So they wanted to be able to get a WR later in the first round.

And now they can take Blackmon which is the player you know that the Rams want...it's a need for the Browns and would hurt the Rams who chose to not trade with them.

I have a feeling they are going to resign Hillis anyhow and they're going to smokescreen a want for Richardson if they truly don't want Blackmon to try to trade back a few spots and stockpile draft picks. I don't think Richardson is a smart pick for the Browns because the offense that Shurmer has installed seems to have less emphasis on running the football, so taking a RB that high isn't something the Browns would do.

[fansince'76]

The Cleveland Browns were the biggest losers in Saturday's pre-draft blockbuster trade in which the Washington Redskins moved up to the second overall pick by trading three first-rounders and an additional second-round pick to the St. Louis Rams.

Mmmm...no, I'd say the Redskins were the biggest losers here. Moves like this is exactly why they have continued to suck. You don't mortgage 3 years worth of first round picks for anyone. This Hensley idiot needs to go back to being a beat writer for the Ravens. Case in point:


RG3 has the arm, speed and charisma that the Browns franchise desperately needed.

Charisma? Are you shitting me? Charisma doesn't win games, dipshit.

[BigNastyDefense]

AMEN!!!!! FS76, I think Colt McCoy has charisma....but he is not good enough to be an NFL starter. It doesn't matter how much charisma a player has if he doesn't win games.

[tube517]

Mmmm...no, I'd say the Redskins were the biggest losers here. Moves like this is exactly why they have continued to suck. You don't mortgage 3 years worth of first round picks for anyone. This Hensley idiot needs to go back to being a beat writer for the Ravens. Case in point:



Charisma? Are you shitting me? Charisma doesn't win games, dipshit.

:rofl2: But Kent Graham had no charisma so he sucked.

[SteelerFanInStl]

And now they can take Blackmon which is the player you know that the Rams want...it's a need for the Browns and would hurt the Rams who chose to not trade with them.

Not necessarily. The Rams do need help at WR but they're not dying to get Blackmon and won't be hurt by him not being there at #6. They'll gladly take Morris Claiborne or Trent Richardson or even trade out if a team is dying to get Tannehill. The Rams have 2 early 2nd round picks so they can easily get a quality WR then.

[polamalubeast]

JH thinks the browns should have traded 10 first round picks for rg3

[BigNastyDefense]

Not necessarily. The Rams do need help at WR but they're not dying to get Blackmon and won't be hurt by him not being there at #6. They'll gladly take Morris Claiborne or Trent Richardson or even trade out if a team is dying to get Tannehill. The Rams have 2 early 2nd round picks so they can easily get a quality WR then.

Word is, they loved his pro day. Word is, they are targeting Blackmon but didn't want to take him at #2.

[ALLD]

49ers will have some competition in two years if the Rams draft well. Just think if every division had two competitive teams.

[86WARD]

Actually...they probably win. Matt Flynn and more so Kevin Kolb are much, much, much better fits for the Browns offense than RGIII.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Word is, they loved his pro day. Word is, they are targeting Blackmon but didn't want to take him at #2.

In case you didn't notice, I live in St. Louis. The Rams aren't stuck on any one player. They know that they need help at multiple positions. They wanted to maximize what they could get out of the #2 pick and that's what they did. They wanted to stay within the top 10 picks and they did that too. If Blackmon is there at #6, I'm sure that they'll take him but if he's not, they won't be devastated.

[steelreserve]

Are you kidding? The Browns were a big-time winner in this. They narrowly missed being locked into sucking for at least 5-6 more years. They might suck anyway just because they're the Browns, but at least now they don't have a crippling trade forcing it to happen.

This is me if I'm a Browns fan:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/3049264018_47287cdfb5_o.gif

[SteelGhost]

Actually...they probably win. Matt Flynn and more so Kevin Kolb are much, much, much better fits for the Browns offense than RGIII.

Flynn could be a great addition to the Stains imo.

[tube517]

Maybe the Browns can get RG3INTs :Rex Grossman

[KeiselPower99]

Every mock I've seen has them taking Richardson or Claiborne first and Kendell Wright second. That would be an amazing first round for them and it would help Colt out alot. But seeing how it's Cleveland they have to impress the fans so I'm sure they will trade both picks for rights to Bernie Kosars testicles.

[suitanim]

I agree with much of the above. Flynn can run the WCO...maybe even McCoy, if he has some real weapons. RGIII is PROBABLY going to be great, but who knows? They may even opt for Ryan Tannehill, who knows? They have lots of options now that they would NOT have had if they'd have traded away their present and future on Griffin.

[polamalubeast]

The browns will never be a threat in this division as long as they will not have a elite QB.

Mccoy is terrible and Flynn is not the solution.The Browns are awful since 1999 because of their QB.

[SteelMember]

As the GM saying goes, "sometimes the best deal is the one you don't make".

[suitanim]

The browns will never be a threat in this division as long as they will not have a elite QB.

Mccoy is terrible and Flynn is not the solution.The Browns are awful since 1999 because of their QB.McCoy has no weapons and Flynn is a WCO QB. How can you possibly know what can't actually be known?

Back to the OP...there is a LOT of sentiment around here that the Browns did indeed lose something big here. The only way that idea has any veracity is if the organization themselves felt like he was worth trading away all those picks. Who knows, maybe they did...but this deal could just as easily be another Herschel Walker-type deal as it could be another Eli one.

[polamalubeast]

McCoy has no weapons and Flynn is a WCO QB. How can you possibly know what can't actually be known?

Back to the OP...there is a LOT of sentiment around here that the Browns did indeed lose something big here. The only way that idea has any veracity is if the organization themselves felt like he was worth trading away all those picks. Who knows, maybe they did...but this deal could just as easily be another Herschel Walker-type deal as it could be another Eli one.

The NFL is a QB league.

The browns will eventually find a elite QB or they are always bad.McCoy has one of the weakest arm in the NFL, you win anything with him.

[suitanim]

Chad Pennington had a noodle-arm, and he was surprisingly successful. Some of the biggest busts in NFL history had rocket arms. That's another benefit of the WCO...accuracy and timing can trump arm-strength.

Fact is, with a shaky oline, no consistency at RB, and virtually nothing at WR, who knows WHAT the Browns have in McCoy? Even the guys playing with him and coaching him every day aren't exactly sure. One thing IS for sure, this obvious move to reach out for RGIII sure ain't gonna shoot the kid full of confidence.

[polamalubeast]

Chad Pennington had a noodle-arm, and he was surprisingly successful. Some of the biggest busts in NFL history had rocket arms. That's another benefit of the WCO...accuracy and timing can trump arm-strength.

Fact is, with a shaky oline, no consistency at RB, and virtually nothing at WR, who knows WHAT the Browns have in McCoy? Even the guys playing with him and coaching him every day aren't exactly sure. One thing IS for sure, this obvious move to reach out for RGIII sure ain't gonna shoot the kid full of confidence.


Pennington has never been dominant.A QB does not need to have a rocket arm, but they need to have a very good arm.

[polamalubeast]

If RGIII becomes as good as Cam Newton, I think the redskins will have made ​​the right decision.

[The Duke]

If RGIII becomes as good as Cam Newton, I think the redskins will have made ​​the right decision.

for the price of 3 first round picks I think the redskins have to be aiming higher than Newton

he had a nice rookie season, but it was just that, a rookie year. He still relies way too much on his athleticism, which apparently Griffin does not which is a plus for him

[polamalubeast]

for the price of 3 first round picks I think the redskins have to be aiming higher than Newton

he had a nice rookie season, but it was just that, a rookie year. He still relies way too much on his athleticism, which apparently Griffin does not which is a plus for him


Newton has completed 60% of his passes, which is great for a QB rookie. He has a rocket arm, he's big and he is a very good passer.The Panthers have finished 5th in points scored in 2011, Newton was really special.He must only make fewer turnovers.


A team needs a QB franchise to win, I think the redskins will have made ​​a very good decision if RGIII is special. They pay a lot, but if you want to win, you must have an elite QB.

[suitanim]

McCoy has a much better arm than Pennington. My point was you can literally only be able to throw 35 yards and still be effective.

I also disagree that a team MUST have a franchise QB to win. The Jets have an average Sanchez, and have been within one game of the Super Bowl a couple times in the last few years. Dilfer won it all not all that long ago. Rex Grossman took the Bears to the SB in 2006. We beat the Squaks the year before that and they had Hassleback at the helm. Jake Delhomme lost to the Pats two years prior to that, and Brad freakin' Johnson won it all the year before that.

If you don't have an elite QB, you need a good running game and a great defense. Hell, the Browns could pick-up a FA WR, draft an OL or two, and draft Richardson at #4 and be a far, far better team this year with McCoy at the the helm.

[polamalubeast]

McCoy has a much better arm than Pennington. My point was you can literally only be able to throw 35 yards and still be effective.

I also disagree that a team MUST have a franchise QB to win. The Jets have an average Sanchez, and have been within one game of the Super Bowl a couple times in the last few years. Dilfer won it all not all that long ago. Rex Grossman took the Bears to the SB in 2006. We beat the Squaks the year before that and they had Hassleback at the helm. Jake Delhomme lost to the Pats two years prior to that, and Brad freakin' Johnson won it all the year before that.

If you don't have an elite QB, you need a good running game and a great defense. Hell, the Browns could pick-up a FA WR, draft an OL or two, and draft Richardson at #4 and be a far, far better team this year with McCoy at the the helm.


since 1992 he has only the ravens and the buccaners they have won a SB without a great/very good QB.The buccaners and Ravens had two of the three best defense in the NFL since 1980.

He has a reason why that Cowher had not won a super bowl before 2004. Because he had no elite QB on his team before the arrival of Roethlisberger!

[suitanim]

Elite, franchise QB's are the rarest of the rare. There are about 5 at any given time, give or take. I'm pretty convinced Luck will be one, not at all convinced that Griffin will be. It was too big of a gamble. We don't KNOW what Flynn is yet, as he set behind, IMO, the best QB playing right now, who ALSO sat behind Favre. But there is a pedigree there that belies possible greatness...RGIII is just another great college QB in a long line of great college QB's. As I pointed out elsewhere, there were 20 of them that passed for 3500 yards or more just last year.

You can win, and win it all, without an elite franchise QB. And it's not worth gutting your future to roll the dice on one if you don't absolutely have to...

[BigNastyDefense]

The browns will never be a threat in this division as long as they will not have a elite QB.

Mccoy is terrible and Flynn is not the solution.The Browns are awful since 1999 because of their QB.

It's not like the Browns haven't tried.

In 1999 they used the first overall pick in the draft to select Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch. However, they never put even a decent offensive line around him and he was constantly injured. They did go to the playoffs with him on the roster, though that one playoff appearance the starter was Kelly Holcombe who turned out to be a super sub instead of a legitimate starting quarterback.

They signed Jeff Garcia who has had success in the CFL and then with the the San Francisco 49ers. He didn't do much for the Browns or Lions. He went to the Eagles from there and lead them to the playoffs after McNabb was injured. He then went to the Buccaneers and lead them to the playoffs. So it's not like he couldn't have done it, but the Browns overall were bad.

All of the above was with the combo of Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark running the football operations.

Then after Butch Davis resigned, they brought in Savage and Crennel to run the football team. They drafted Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn. Most people thought their search for a QB was over and it was smart to pair the QB with a franchise left tackle. JT has been a success, but Quinn was a bust and it didn't help that he didn't have anyone else around him.

After the Davis/Crennel regime was fired, the Browns quickly hired fired Jets head coach Eric Mangini and then hired George Kokinis to be the GM. It's widely believed that Mangini ran the show and Kokinis was more of a yes man. They traded away the 5th overall pick to the Jets so they could take USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. After one season Kokinis was gone.

The Browns hired Mike Holmgren to become the President of Football Operations. He retained Mangini for a season to give him a chance to prove that he could be the head coach of the Browns under the new management. He was fired after that one season and replaced with Pat Shurmer.

Under Holmgren, the Browns brought in Jake Delhomme who turned out to be Mr. Turnover, the reason why he was cut by the Panthers. He also brought in his former backup QB Seneca Wallace from his time in Seattle and drafted Colt McCoy in the third round of the draft.

The Browns problem since 1999 has been more bad management than anything else. If they would have tried to put an offensive line in front of Tim Couch, there's a good chance he would have worked out. It was the same problem Garcia had in Cleveland and Detroit. Quinn just happened to be a bust.

Word is the Browns were trying to trade up to the #2 spot to select whichever QB that the Colts didn't take. But the ball was never in their court. It was always in the Rams court, and they jumped at the Redskins offer in the middle of negotiations with the Browns. Nobody knows what the Browns exact offer was, if it included the #22 pick in the draft this year, or if they even got the chance to sweeten the deal before the Rams accepted the Redskins offer.

And Colt McCoy isn't the worst QB in the world. Look at what he has to work with. Mohamed Massaquoi, Greg Little, and Josh Cribbs were his three top receivers. His completion percentage dropped from just over 60% in the 8 games he played his rookie year to the 57.2% in the 13 games he played last season. But Little was a drop machine, and so was Massaquoi and drops kill completion percentages. Give McCoy a reliable receiver or two and he can probably run the West Coast Offense which doesn't rely on having a rocket arm but instead accuracy and timing on short and intermediate passing routes.

And who knows if Flynn is a franchise QB or not? He was taken in 2008, the same season Aaron Rodgers became the starter in Green Bay. He was a 7th round pick and has only started two games in his career but was very impressive in both games.

And don't forget, Tom Brady was a 6th round pick out of Michigan. He wasn't a first round pick like so many people think he was. Hell, if Bledsoe never gets his chest cavity blown up, Brady is probably selling insurance in California right now instead of being married to a super model and making millions playing football.

Other quarterbacks of note who weren't first round picks:

Matt Hasselbeck (6th round) - Started for the Seahawks from 2001-2010 setting many franchise passing records and taking them to their only Super Bowl, lost to Steelers
Matt Schaub (3rd round) - Been a starter for the Texans since 2007, one time Pro Bowler, 2009 Passing Yards leader, very good TD-INT ratio
Andy Dalton (2nd round) - Helped turn around the Bengals in 2011 leading them to the playoffs as a Wild Card
Tony Romo (undrafted) - Yes, we make fun of him for being a choker, but he is successful on the stat sheet and was never drafted

You don't have to be a first round pick, or even a high first round pick, to be successful in the NFL. And with the Browns, they could sign Peyton Manning right now and only go 8-8 because there is nothing around him.

[suitanim]

Whoever wrote that basically was saying the same things I have been.

[SteelerFanInStl]

And Colt McCoy isn't the worst QB in the world. Look at what he has to work with. Mohamed Massaquoi, Greg Little, and Josh Cribbs were his three top receivers. His completion percentage dropped from just over 60% in the 8 games he played his rookie year to the 57.2% in the 13 games he played last season. But Little was a drop machine, and so was Massaquoi and drops kill completion percentages. Give McCoy a reliable receiver or two and he can probably run the West Coast Offense which doesn't rely on having a rocket arm but instead accuracy and timing on short and intermediate passing routes.

Massaquoi, Little and Brian Robiskie were all taken in the 2nd round in the last 3 drafts so it's not like as if they haven't tried to acquire WRs too. They just suck at evaluating talent. :) None of the Steeler WRs were drafted that high and they're all better than what the Browns have.

[silver & black]

I have mad respect for Browns fans. It's only a matter of time before they get rewarded for their loyalty. It's been a longer road than even I expected, but I truly think they will be back with a solid team in the not too distant future.

[suitanim]

Massaquoi, Little and Brian Robiskie were all taken in the 2nd round in the last 3 drafts so it's not like as if they haven't tried to acquire WRs too. They just suck at evaluating talent. :) None of the Steeler WRs were drafted that high and they're all better than what the Browns have.

Massaquoi may be a serviceable #3. Little may pan out...he showed flashes. Robiskie was a bust, but his dad was also a coach, so....nepotism.