Shaq

Just reported this evening by Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer, Shaquille O'Neal will have surgery on his injured right thumb and will miss 6-8 weeks. Which would put him out until the playoffs begin.
Obviously this is unfortunate news as Shaq was playing well prior to the injury.But the Cavs acquired him for the playoffs, specifically in a series against the Magic or Lakers. So this isn't the nail in the coffin for the Cavs, no reason to panic yet. Anderson Varejao will play minutes at center, as will Leon Powe, who recently came off the injured reserve. Zydrunas Ilgauskas will more than likely return soon, which will help matters.
Personally, I like the small Cavs lineup ... as long as they are hitting their outside shots, which just became increasingly important. It will be interesting to see how Mike Brown adjusts his lineups, particularly against bigger teams like the Magic and Raptors. Teams like the Hawks, who play with a smaller, more athletic lineup are a better matchup now for the Cavs, in my opinion.
In most of the Cavs' wins this season, they have outrebounded the opposition and won the points in the pain battle. Those numbers may take a hit, but even without Shaq the Cavs are a good rebounding team (LeBron, Varejao, Hickson and even Deltone West are excellent rebounders), especially with the recent addition of Antawn Jamison.
Hopefully Shaq stays in shape if he will indeed be back for the playoffs.

Cavs and Olympics

The Cavs could easily go 4-0 this week. Here's the lineup this week: home vs. Knicks on Monday, at the Nets on Wednesday, home vs. Pistons on Friday and at Milwaukee on Saturday. Those are four winnable games for a Wednesday that sits at 46-14, best record in the NBA. Assume all of those games will be without Shaq, as his hand injury isn't looking too good (as reported by Brian Windhorst of The PD). The only team of those four that concerns me is Milwaukee, as they are playing good ball right now. Yes, the Nets did beat the Celtics on Saturday, but that was a fluke (although truth be told, I am glad I am not a Celtics fan right now).
I still think LeBron is having possibly his best season. His per-game averages: 30 points, 8.5 assists (career high), 7.1 rebounds, 50.3 field goal percentage (career high), 35.0 3-point percentage (career high), 1.6 steals and 1 block. Numbers don't lie. I am curious to see what direction his stats go in now that the Cavs will be playing "small ball" for a while, without Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Speaking of Z....
Z will be back with the Cavs, no doubt. Z was traded the Wizards, who proceeded to buy him out of his contract, making him a free agent. Per NBA rules, Z can resign with the Cavs 30 days after this buyout, which in this case is March 22. He will be back. He's not going to the Hawks, or the Celtics, or the Jazz, or anyone else. I was not upset as some (my brother) were about Z being dealt, partly because I knew he'd be back, but also because I love Antawn Jamison (who put up a nice 20-point, 10-rebound performance against the Raptors the other night). In any case, the Big Baldie will be back before you know it. I look forward to it.
And finally, the Olympics. The Vancouver Games end today, and that is just fine with me. I haven't gotten into the Olympics as much as I probably should...I just have a hard time caring about sports that only matter once every six years. And yes, that includes hockey, which never matters. I did enjoy watching the skeleton event, the luge and the snowboardcross. But I can live without everything else. I realize the Olympics are a significant world event and of course, I enjoy seeing the United States win medals. Just not enough to watch on TV.

Talkin' Mo Williams

Mo Williams is critical to the Cavs' success. Proof of that is last night's win in Toronto, the Cavs' second in as many night, on the road (Read The Plain Dealer's game story)

Williams hit consecutive 3-pointers in overtime that put the Cavs over the top and led to the win. Since coming back from shoulder surgery, Mo has been less than stellar, but he bounced back with 19 points (5 of 9 3-point shooting) against Boston and had 22 points (6 of 11 3-point shooting) against Toronto. With the Cavs playing small lineups for the immediate future without Shaq (and until Z comes back), good outside shooting may make a big difference in each game. If Mo can continue to shoot well, the Cavs could run off another long winning streak. Mo is averaging 16 points and 5 assists per game this season and is shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range (115 of 266). Also, in Cavalier wins Mo shoots almost 47 percent from the field. In losses, he shoots 36 percent. That means that the Cavs' chance of winning games is greatly increased when Mo is on. As the team continues to figure out how to play with Antawn Jamison, and now without Shaq for a while, Mo's impact on the offense is crucial. He is still working his way back from the injury and is definitely a player to watch going into March. 

* Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Sorry I've been slacking

Dear readers:
I apologize for slacking on my blog posts...Things have been pretty crazy at work recently, and I recently spent a few days in Ohio visiting family and friends. Excuses, excuses. Anyway, I am back and there will be some changes around here:
- First, I am going to start concentrating on shorter, more frequent posts. The longer, in-depth posts take me too long and I am not sure how many people really want to read six paragraphs on the Browns 6th round draft choice in 2002. So those are gone. Hope that makes sense.
- I may try and redesign the blog, again. Little cosmetic changes can go a long way.

Thanks for reading, and keep reading and coming back.

Thoughts on Jamison

First let me say I am 100 percent in favor of the Cavs trade for Antawn Jamison (link to Brian Windhorst's Plain Dealer story here
http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2010/02/report_cavaliers_in_3-way_trad.html
I have always been a fan of Jamison's He's a 20-point, 10-rebound guy who can shoot from any range. He will stretch the defense. He is a matchup problem for teams. He plays defense. He's hungry for wins. He's a professional. There is nothing not to like about Jamison. Also, he has two years and $28 million left on his contract. Not bad at all.
If you are an opposing team, how do you defend the Cavs? How do you gameplan against LeBron? Shaq? Jamison? The team's 3-point shooters? All of the above. This team is a the quintessential nightmare for opposing coaches.
This is a great deal for many reasons, one is the price. A first-round pick and Zyrdunas Ilgauskas, who could return in 30 days via buyout by the Wizards? That is a slam dunk for the Cavs, no matter how you look at it. Not to mention the Cavs keep their promising young forward in J.J. Hickson.
Danny Ferry has made several good trades (the one for Mo Williams and the one for Shaq stick out in my mind). This is right up there and could be the best. Dan Gilbert also deserves credit for paying the luxury tax as the Cavs' payroll continues to increase. If that means nothing to you or is confusing, what it means is that that Gilbert will pay money, lots of money, out of his own pocket to win a championship. This move bodes well for the chances of LeBron staying, as this Cavs roster is by far the best in his six seasons.
Thumbs way up.

Looking back at the 2001Browns draft

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The third of my complete, pick-by-pick breakdown of each of the Browns NFL Draft classes since 1999:

So, it's 2001 and change is the name of the game. Miami Hurricanes coach Butch Davis was hired as the team's coach, replacing Chris Palmer, who was fired after two terrible seasons that saw the Browns finish 2-14 and 3-13. Davis, a former Cowboys assistant during the Troy Aikman-Emmitt Smith-Michael Irvin Super Bowl years, had significant success at Miami and was known as a top-notch recruiter. The rosters that Davis accumulated at Miami were incredible from a talent standpoint. Some of the names he recruited at The U: Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Kellen Winslow II, Frank Gore, Antrell Rolle and on and on and on.
As far as the Browns front office, Dwight Clark was still the GM at this point and Carmen Policy continued as the team president. Davis brought in Pete Garcia to help run the team's personnel department.
So, could it get any worse for the Browns than it was in 1999 and 2000? Would the drafts actually become anything more than a punch line? Fans would soon find out.

Here's a look at each of the eight players the Browns picked in the 2001 NFL Draft:

Principles who were choosing these players: Butch Davis (head coach), Dwight Clark (general manager), Carmen Policy (team president), Pete Garcia (personnel official)

Round 1 (3rd overall): Gerrard Warren | Defensive tackle | Florida

Background: At 6-foot-4 and 330 lbs, Gerard Warren was one of the top run-stuffing interior defensive lineman in the NCAA while at Florida. An all-SEC pick in 2000, Warren was a lock to be a top-10 pick in the draft. As I said, he was a run-stuffer with explosive potential, and this Browns front office must have had dreams at night of a defensive line with Warren on the inside and Courtney Brown on the outside. If you've ever read the book False Start by Terry Pluto, you know how this went down. If not, here's a quick summary: the previous regime (Chris Palmer) was in love in TCU running back LaDanian Tomlinson and had their sights on choosing him. Well, when Butch Davis took over, apparently he had three players on his board: Michigan WR David Terrell, Georgia DE Richard Seymour and Warren. Apparently, Davis didn't think much of Tomlinson. According to Pluto, in the days leading up to the draft, Davis, Clark and Garcia decided that if Seymour was on the board at No. 3, the Browns would take him. But at the last minute, on draft day, Davis had a change of heart and went with Warren. Pluto hypothesizes that Davis lost out on Warren at Miami and didn't want to lose him again. Warren, who nicknamed himself "Big Money" at Florida, had questions surrounding him about his work ethic, but the talent was there and that's what sold the Browns (specifically Davis).

They could have had...: Where to begin? How about the obvious two: Tomlinson and Seymour. The Chargers took Tomlinson at No. 5 overall and Seymour went to New England at No. 6. Both were perennial Pro Bowlers and Tomlinson will be a Hall of Famer. If the Browns wanted an interior defensive lineman, Casey Hampton out of Texas went to the Steelers at No. 19 overall. The fact that the Browns were so bare at running back and passed on Tomlinson was a huge, massive mistake. How about offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, who went at No. 17 to the Seahawks? This was a loaded draft.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: The afore-mentioned David Terrell, receiver out of Michigan. The Browns had holes everywhere, needed playmakers and taking Terrell would not have been out of the question at all. He was a phenom at Michigan but he had character issues and though he was blazingly fast, his hands weren't the best. The Bears took Terrell at No. 8 overall and he went on to be a massive bust. Plus, as we saw with Braylon Edwards, many Cleveland fans refuse to accept a Michigan player, no matter how talented. 

End result: With Warren and Courtney Brown, the Browns found themselves with the most expensive unspectacular defensive line in the NFL for years. As for Warren, he played four seasons in Cleveland, playing in 60 games (59 starts). He totaled 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Just to compare, in Richard Seymour's first four years in New England, he totaled 21.5 sacks, 118 tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Pretty similar. Seymour got more sacks, partly because he was an edge rusher and Warren was an interior lineman. But, Seymour maintained success for another four years while Warren's career went down the tube after his first four. Warren was traded to the Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Stats-wise, Warren's four years in Cleveland weren't terrible. His best year was his third, 2003, when he recorded 5.5 sacks and recovered two fumbles ... a weak "career" year. Oh yea, he did have one gun arrest after a win in Baltimore in 2001. He was a physical freak and at times during games, he would completely dominate the opposing offensive line. But he also would disappear for chunks of time during games more often than not, which is why the Browns gave up on him after four years. Also a bad locker room guy, which didn't help his cause. Warren played two nondescript seasons in Denver and has spent the last three seasons in Oakland. I am surprised he is still in the league. He does have 32 career sacks.

Grading the pick: D. At the time, these were the starting running backs in the AFC Central (yes, it was the Central back then): Corey Dillon (Bengals), Jerome Bettis (Steelers), Terry Allen (Ravens), Eddie George (Titans), Stacey Mack (Jaguars). Dillon, Bettis and George were All-Pro running backs and Davis and the Browns wanted to draft a beast of a run-stopper to deal with these guys. That is a solid strategy in football and I don't blame the Browns for wanting to work with this strategy. Problem is, the Browns took the wrong guy. Davis, Clark and Garcia should have stuck with their original plan and taken Seymour, who had zero character issues and was just as explosive as Warren. Obviously passing Tomlinson was a blunder. It's easy to make excuses for Tim Couch (no weapons or protection) and Courtney Brown (injures). But it's almost impossible to make excuses for Warren. Simply put, he was a disappointment and a sign of things to come for the Butch Davis regime.

Round 2 (33rd overall): Quincy Morgan | Receiver | Kansas State

Background: Quincy Morgan played two seasons at Kansas State after beginning his career at a JUCO. His senior season at KSU, he caught 64 balls for 1,166 yards (18 yards per catch) and 14 TDs. He finished with over 2,000 receiving yards. At 6-foot-1, he had decent size and he was reasonably fast. The Browns' leading receiver in 2000 was Kevin Johnson, who had 57 catches for 669 yards and zero touchdowns. Tim Couch needed more weapons and Morgan fit that bill. 

They could have had...: If Davis wanted a receiver, he could have had Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) out of Oregon State, who was picked by the Bengals three picks later at No. 36 overall. Later in the second round, Cleveland native Chris Chambers (Wisconsin) was picked 52 overall by Miami. In the third round, Steve Smith (Utah) went No. 74 overall to Carolina. If the Browns wanted to go offensive line here, tackle Matt Light went to the Patriots at No. 48 overall, fifteen picks after Morgan. Also, interestingly enough, the Lions selected DT Shaun Rogers at No. 61 overall, the second to last pick in the second round.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Running back Anthony Thomas out of Michigan, who was selected by Chicago at No. 38 overall. "A-Train" was a complete bust with the Bears and would have been an even bigger bust with the Browns, considering their porous offensive line.

End result: Morgan played three full seasons and Cleveland and was traded mid-season in 2004 to the Cowboys for WR Antonio Bryant. Head case receiver for head case receiver, I guess. In 54 games (45 starts) with the Browns, Morgan totaled 133 catches for 2,056 yards (15.5 ypc) and 15 TDs. His best season was 2002 without question, when he finished with 56 catches for 964 yards and 7 TDs. His 17.2 ypc led the NFL. Pretty good. He played the second half of the 2004 season in Dallas, did nothing, spent the next season in Pittsburgh and the following in Denver. He had two total TDs in his final two and a half years and was out of football after the 2006 season. 

Grading the pick: C-. As I said, the Browns needed weapons for Couch, so taking a receiver with big-play potential was the correct move (if ignoring the offensive line is OK, which it's not). As was the case with the Warren pick, the Browns had the right idea but picked the wrong player. This pick also shows that Butch Davis had no clue how to judge NFL talent, and the picks would only get worse. He valued team speed over everything else, because that worked at Miami. Morgan did have that one pretty good season in 2002, but good NFL organizations get more out of their second-round draft picks than one good season. That is a fact.

Round 3 (65th overall): James Jackson | Running back | Miami

Background: Butch takes his first Miami player!! But it's not Portis, Gore or McGahee. Nope. Cleveland gets ... James Jackson. If you are scratching your head now, imagine what people were doing in 2001. Jackson took over the starting RB job at Miami after Edgerrin James went pro in 2000. In that 2000 season, Jackson had 201 carries for 1,006 yards and 11 TDs with two receiving TDs. Not terrible stats on a good Miami team. Portis got 50 carries that season and he took over the Miami RB job in 2001. Some trivia for you there. Anyway, Davis knew Jackson better than anyone else, having recruiting and coached him. The Browns did need a running back, as Eric Rhett and Travis Prentice weren't going to cut it. 

They could have had...: Aside from Tomlinson and Deuce McAllister, both taken in the first round, this was a weak draft for running backs overall. Travis Henry (No. 58 overall) and Rudi Johnson (No. 100 overall) were the only running backs taken after Jackson that ended up being good NFL players. So this wasn't a horrible RB pick. As far as other positions of needs they passed, if they wanted to go offensive line, the Browns could have had offensive tackle Mike Gandy out of Notre Dame, who went to the Bears at No. 68 overall in that third round. WR Steve Smith was still on the board at this point as well.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Snoop Minnis, WR out of Florida State, who was picked by the Chiefs 12 picks after the Browns selected Jackson. The Browns already took a receiver in Quincy Morgan, and seriously, a player named Snoop was never going to amount to much. Let's be honest here. 

End result: Jackson played four and a half seasons in Cleveland, playing in 43 games (16 starts). He totaled 1,071 rushing yards on 321 carries (3.3 ypc) for five TDs and had 30 receptions for 201 yards. He started 10 games as a rookie in 2001 (Jamel White was also getting carries that season) and 554 yards on 195 carries for a 2.8 yards per carry average. He also scored two TDs. Those are poor numbers, but part of that is the fault of the terrible offensive line. Jackson was backup in 2002 and 2003 and four games into the 2004 season, was traded to the Packers. He played with Arizona in 2005 and was out of football following that season. A short, unproductive career for a third-round pick out of one of the best college programs in the nation. 

Grading the pick: C-. I don't have a problem with selecting a running back here. Yes, the Browns passed on LaDanian Tomlinson in the first round. But with that being said, Jackson was basically the best option left in the third round. Any RB the Browns were going to take at this point was going to have a hard time running behind this OL. Don't forget that. That begs the argument that an offensive lineman should have been the pick in this round. Talk about sounding like a broken record. Also, this began the puzzling pattern of Davis selecting Miami players, as often he passed on the top guys (see Clinton Portis in the 2002 draft) when it seemed like an obvious choice to draft one. 

Round 4 (97th overall): Anthony Henry | Cornerback | South Florida

Background: Henry was a three-year starter at South Florida and led the team in INTS in the 1999 and 2000 seasons. At 6-1/205, he had good size for a cornerback. Going into the season, Corey Fuller and Daylon McCutcheon were the Browns starters at cornerback, and not much talent was behind them on the depth chart. Secondary was a position of need this is another instance of Davis drafting a guy he recruited, but Henry chose to attend South Florida over Miami, most likely because he knew he'd get playing time. 

They could have had...: Henry was the second selection of the fourth round. Offensive guard Roberto Garza was taken two picks later by the Falcons, and ended up being a solid NFL pro. Another guard who turned out to be a good NFL player, Ben Hamilton, was taken later in the round by the Broncos. Defensively, linebacker Monty Beisel was selected 107th overall by Kansas City (although LB wasn't that big of a position of need for the Browns). 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: QB Chris Weinke out of Florida State. The 28-year-old was the Heisman Trophy winner that season but turned out to be a bust in the NFL. Imagine that, a Heisman winner being a bust. The Browns had Couch, so it's not like Weinke was on their board. But, this is the Browns we are talking about and you never know. Just be glad Carolina bit on Weinke. Also, luckily the Browns made Henry the first DB chosen in the fourth round. The next DB selected was Jamie Henderson out of Georgia, selected by the Jets four picks after Henry. Henderson turned out to be less than half the player Henry did.

End result: Henry played four seasons in Cleveland, appearing in 61 games (39 starts). He totaled 17 INTs (one returned for a TD), three forced fumbles and 203 tackles. As a rookie in 2001, he was the team's nickel back (third CB) and actually led the NFL in INTs with 10, which was remarkable (though he didn't win Defensive Rookie of the Year; LB Kendrell Bell of the Steelers did). Henry started 10, 13 and 14 games respectively the next three seasons in Cleveland but never duplicated the success of that rookie season. He did have four INTs in 2004. At times, he struggled in man-to-man coverage and was most effective as that nickel back where he could avoid matching up with the opposition's No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. After that 2004 season, Henry left the Browns as a free agent and signed a pretty big contract with Dallas, where he played from 2005 to 2008, most of that time as a starter. He was traded to the Lions before the 2009 season for backup QB Jon Kitna. Henry has 31 career INTs in 129 games. Not too shabby.

Grading the pick: A-. Aside from selecting Kevin Johnson in the second round in 1999, this was the Browns' best draft pick since returning to the NFL, up to this point. Henry was a legit steal in the fourth round. The Browns getting a "steal" in the draft has been a rare occurrence in the last 10 years. Davis knew Henry's talent and the fact that he led the NFL in INTs as a rookie nickel back is proof of that talent. As I said, Henry never duplicated that success again, but he is still in the league. Not many, if any at all, of the Browns' draft picks from 1999 through 2002 are still playing. So that speaks for itself.  

Round 5 (134th overall): Jeremiah Pharms | Linebacker | Washington

Background: The Browns went from making their best draft pick since returning in 1999 (Anthony Henry), to this. You want background on Pharms? Here's his football info: A three-year starter at linebacker for Washington, he put up good tackling stats and had good measurables. OK, now that that's out of the way, here's the rest: In 1999, Pharms was arrested for beating his wife after an argument over a girlfriend he had. In 2000, Pharms was involved in a shooting of a Seattle drug dealer, and his bloody fingerprint and DNA were found at the scene of the murder. Also, the getaway car belonged to one of Pharms' girlfriends. At the time of the NFL Draft, the investigation was still ongoing, hence why a talent like Pharms was available in the fifth round. Also in 2000, Pharms, apparently the inspiration for Michael Vick eight years later, was found keeping abused pitbulls in his home. Another red flag. With all of this lingering, the Browns drafted Pharms, and right after the draft in May, Pharms was formally charged with the shooting of that drug dealer. Needless to say, he was cut before ever stepping on the field, and Butch Davis was quoted as saying he was "shocked' with the developments regarding Pharms going away for murder. Apparently, Butch didn't realize that if someone's bloody fingerprint and DNA are found at the murder scene, that pretty much means you were guilty. Maybe Butch doesn't know what fingerprints and DNA are?

They could have had...: Anyone who didn't commit a murder prior to the NFL Draft. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Not applicable here. This was the worst pick possible. 

End result: As I said, Pharms was cut when he was formally charged with the crime. He went to prison, got out, played in the Arena League and in 2008 went back to prison because of gun possession charges. Talk about a bad apple. 

Grading the pick: F-. You can argue this was the worst pick, ever, in the NFL Draft. Why? This guy was drafted with a murder rap hanging over his head. Let that sink in for a minute. Even if he was found innocent, do you want a guy with a checkered past like that anywhere near your team? Apparently, Butch Davis didn't mind. This is a huge, glaring example of why Butch Davis fell flat on his face in the NFL. For picks like this. The whole Browns' front office is to blame. Seriously, how does your owner (Al Lerner), president (Carmen Policy) and GM (Dwight Clark) sign off on a stupid move like this? How were they planning on selling this to the fans? Clueless, clueless, clueless. Reason No. 676 why this group of men was not capable of running an NFL team. For the record, let's call this officially the worst pick the Browns have made in the NFL Draft since 1999. No doubt, without question, 100 percent. 

Round 6 (165th overall): Michael Jameson | Defensive back | Texas AM

Background: Played safety at Texas AM but was projected to a cornerback in the NFL due to his size (5-11/190s). Led the Aggies in INTs in 1999 and 2000. 

They could have had...: The sixth round of this draft was weak. Nobody notable here.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Another nightmare like Jeremiah Phamrs. 

End result: Jameson played three seasons with the Browns, appearing in 42 games (one start), mostly on special teams. He was never active for a game in the 2001 season. For his career, he totaled one INT and 17 tackles in four seasons. Jameson was cut after the 2004 season and was out of the NFL for good.

Grading the pick: D. The Browns got a decent special teams player for three seasons in the sixth round. That's not horrible (remember, we are talking about the Browns here). Could have been better. Could have been worse (see Jeremiah Pharms).

Round 7 (203rd overall): Paul Zukauskas | Offensive guard | Boston College

Background: Finally!!! An offensive lineman. Too bad it's the seventh round, the third year in a row that the Browns basically ignored the OL, one of the many reasons for their lack of success since 1999. With that being said, this was the Browns second-best pick in this draft, behind Anthony Henry. Zukauskas was listed at 6-5/320, a good size for a guard. At Boston College, he was a three-year starter and an All-Big East player. Good college credentials. 

They could have had...: I liked this pick and find no fault in it. But for conversation's sake, the next pick in the seventh round (No. 204 overall) was a receiver out of Oregon State by the name of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was selected by the Bengals. Now that's good talent evaluation, folks. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Every other player in the round. Seriously this was the best pick the Browns could have made at this point.

End result: Zoukaskas played for the Browns for four seasons and appeared in 43 games (18 starts). He was released after the 2004 season and never played again in the league. Zoukaskas was player that provided offensive line depth and did a good job of doing that.

Grading the pick: B+. If you are going to take a roster-filler in the seventh round, might as well take an offensive lineman. Good drafting here by the Browns, even though they only four seasons out of Zoukaskas.

Round 7 (245th overall): Andre King | Receiver | Miami

Background: With the second-to-last overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Butch David turns to someone he knows: another Hurricane in Andre King. A 5-11/195 speed guy, King caught just 11 balls for 151 yards and TD his senior year at Miami in 2000. He was also a kick returner, a role he would keep with the Browns. 

They could have had...: 

Antonio Pierce, who played middle linebacker for the Giants for the last five years (he was cut Thursday), went undrafted. So, technically the Browns passed on him. So did 30 other teams.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: 

The only pick that came after King in this draft was TE Tevita Ofahengaue out of BYU. I guess King was the better pick?

End result: King played four seasons with the Browns, totaling 30 catches for 327 yards and zero TDs. He returned 36 career kicks with a 19-yard average. He was cut after the 2004 season and never played again (the theme of this Browns' draft class, it seems).

Grading the pick: C. King was a good athlete (played minor league baseball) and stuck around for four years, serving as a No. 4-5 wideout and kick returner. Not bad for the second-to-last pick in this draft. 

Final analysis

Best pick: Anthony Henry. No contest.

Worst pick: Jeremiah Pharms. No contest. 

Biggest blunder: Even considering drafting a player who was in the middle of a murder investigation. That's a blunder. Actually drafting that player, in the FIFTH round no less, qualifies as a catastrophe.
* These are the players selected in this draft who were from the 2000 Miami Hurricanes roster, the last Miami team Butch Davis coached before he came to the Browns. Keep in mind, Butch recruited all of these guys and knew them better than anyone in the NFL: Dan Morgan, Damione Lewis, Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, James Jackson, Leonard Myers and Andre King. Some pretty good players there, right? Well, the Browns end up with the worst of the bunch: Jackson and Davis. As I mentioned before, this is a trend that would continue in Davis' subsequent drafts, most notably in 2002 when he passed over Miami RB Clinton Portis in favor of Boston College RB William Green. I am not sure if this qualifies as a "blunder". Maybe it's more of an interesting footnote. 

Final grade: D+. Butch Davis tried to build the Browns around team speed and to do this, tried to select the best athletes he could (see Quincy Morgan, Andre King). It worked in college, but speed is not the magic potion for success in the NFL and it didn't work, and after three years of Butch Davis the Browns underwent another massive rebuilding.
* This draft netted one playmaker, Anthony Henry, and that was basically just one season (2001). Gerard Warren was a disappointment, and the Browns really dropped the ball with that pick, considering who they could have had. Quincy Morgan was a waste of a second-round pick and James Jackson was never a starting-caliber RB in the NFL. The rest of this draft class were all wastes, aside from one decent pick (Zoukasaks). The whole Jeremiah Pharms debacle is a major black eye on this Browns front office. A major one. Somehow, Davis took this 2001 Browns team to a 7-9 record. Just think how much better that 7-9 could have been had he actually had a good draft.

In case you want more info, here's the link to the Pro Football Reference.com page on the 2001 Browns draft class.

Cavs-Magic stuff and ranking the top 5 QBs in the NFL

Cavs-Magic game tonight

* The Cavs can tie a franchise record of 13 straight wins if they can beat the Magic tonight at The Q. This may not be an easy task. Orlando is fully healthy, has won 10 of 12 games and has surpassed the Celtics as the clear No. 2 seed in the East.

* Last week, I wrote on Vince Carter hurting the Magic more than helping. But, I also wrote that he is starting to get comfortable and the wins could start piling up. That has happened, folks. Carter is averaging 24 points per game over his last five, four of which have been wins. He dropped 48 on the Hornets earlier this week. The Cavs will more than likely put Anthony Parker on him tonight. 

* The Cavs beat the Magic 102-93 in the teams' first meeting in November. In that game, Shaquille O'Neal did exactly what the Cavs are paying him for: stop Dwight Howard, who was held to just 11 points and seven rebounds in that game. If Shaq and the Cavs other big men can corral Howard like this again, it will mean a win. 

* Also, the Cavs get their first look at Rashard Lewis this season, as he missed the teams' first game. Lewis killed the Cavs in the playoffs last year and I'll be very curious to see how he plays tonight (too bad I am working and won't get to see it live, thank God in Heaven for the DVR).

* LeBron is playing at a very, very high level right now and I don't see any reason why it won't continue tonight. He knows this significance of this game and will respond accordingly. I'm thinking 38 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, three steals. Just a guess.

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Ranking my top 5 QBs in the NFL

1. Peyton Manning. Despite his costly interceptions in the Pro Bowl, if I had to start an NFL team from scratch I would still take Manning over any other QB. His numbers this season: 4,500 yards, 33 TDs, 99.9 rating, 68.8 completion percentage, 16 INTs. Oh yea, and he won his fourth career MVP. And speaking of the Super Bowl, he put up good numbers, completing 31 of 45 passes for 333 yards and a TD (yes, and two INTs). You could argue that Manning is not only the best current QB in the NFL, but the best of all-time. This will definitely be the case if he wins another Super Bowl ring in his career, which could happen next year as the Colts are going to be loaded even more offensively, with the return of Anthony Gonzalez at receiver. Manning is a 10-time Pro Bowl, a 5-time first team All-Pro, has one Super Bowl ring, nine playoff victories, 50,000-plus career passing yards, 366 career TDs, has played in 192 straight games, and on and on and on and on…..the numbers don't lie. He is durable, reliable, and consistent and showed a remarkable ability this season to bring his team back from deficits late in the game. Easily the best.
   
2. Tom Brady. After having possibly the best season ever for a QB in 2007, Brady missed basically all of 2008, but came back this past season and hardly skipped a beat, throwing for 4,398 yards and 28 TDs while completing 65.7 percent of his passes. The Patriots had a down year as a team, getting bounced in the divisional round of the playoffs by the Ravens, but much of that blame goes to everyone but Brady. He's capable of winning games himself, has all the weapons he needs (aside from a good RB) and his best ability might be how he dissects the defensive schemes thrown at him with amazing precision. He has three Super Bowl rings, is 14-4 in the playoffs, is a five-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro selection, has 30,000-plus career yards and 228 TDs with a career passer rating of 93.3 Like Manning, it's easy to see Brady adding a couple more Super Bowl rings to has Hall of Fame career. One of the best winners the NFL has ever seen and I think he is in store for a monster 2010 season.
   
3. Drew Brees. The Super Bowl MVP last week, Brees cemented his status among the NFL's top QBs this season. Not only with his amazing performance in Miami, but he completed an NFL single-season record 70.6 percent of his passes this season to go along with 4,388 yards, 34 TDs and just 11 INTs. Oh, he also wins games. He threw for over 5,000 yards in 2008 and has accumulated over 4,000 yards and 25 TDs in each of the four seasons. Brees is a four-time Pro Bowler and a first team All-Pro. He also has successfully comeback from major shoulder surgery. Just to show I'm not all stats and numbers, Brees also took the city of New Orleans on his back and was the major reason why the Saints are the champs. That demonstrates his leadership and the respect he has amongst his teammates.
   
4. Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben already has two Super Bowl rings and has the potential to get some more. He is 8-2 in playoff games and has a Pro Bowl appearance. He had a good statistical year in 2009, totaling 4,328 yards, 26 TDs and just 12 INTs. He also completed a career-high 66.6 percent of his passes. He also had a 503-yard, 3 TD game to his credit. Roethlisberger is young, a proven winner and is becoming a precision-accurate passer. He has injury concerns but is poised to have some big seasons in the next few seasons as the Steelers are becoming a pass-first offense.
   
5. 
   
   Philip Rivers. In Rivers' four years as a starting QB for the Chargers, he has already accumulated some impressive stats: a career 95.8 passer rating and a 63.1 completion percentage mark and a 46-18 record. Last season, Rivers threw for 4,524 yards, 28 TDs compared to just nine INTs and completed 65.2 percent of his passes. He's a confident player who is fun to watch. He has huge targets in Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson and the Chargers' offense could get a new weapon this offseason if they select a running back in the first round of the NFL Draft. Rivers is a gamer who plays through injuries, such as a torn ACL in the 2008 AFC title game. His stock is on a continual rise.
   
   
   
   Others considered: Aaron Rogers (who could easily be No. 4 or 5), Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb.
   

My work

In Thursday's editions, The Roanoke Times published a four-page Olympic Viewer's Guide, edited and designed by myself. Here's the cover:

Cavs

Interesting piece from WaitingForNextYear.com on the some moves the Cavaliers could make before the looming trade deadline later this month:
http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/?p=24523

Cavs to the Finals ... a lock?

Some stuff on the Cavaliers...

* This week, the Cavs host the god-awful Nets on Tuesday and the Magic come to Cleveland on Thursday in what will be a crazed atmosphere at The Q, no doubt. The way the Cavs are playing right now, both are winnable. Hopefully, the Cavs can beat the Nets handily and LeBron and Shaq can get some rest so they enter the game against the Magic fresh.

* I continue to be impressed, but not shocked, that the Cavs are racking up the wins without some key personnel. The streak is up to 11 straight now, nine of which have come out the injured Mo Williams. Deltone West has also missed some games. I am particularly impressed at the Cavs' level of play without Mo. I have always thought it's hard for the Cavs to win without Mo. Example: he played very poorly against Orlando in the playoffs last season and the Cavs were defeated. Without Mo, Daniel Gibson has been more than satisfactory. In the past eight games, Gibson is averaging aroune 13 points and is shooting around 46 percent, 44 percent from the 3-point line. Those are great numbers and one of the main reasons the Cavs are putting so much distance between themselves and the rest of the league. 

* What will Gibson's role be once Williams and West are healthy? I have no idea, but don't be surprised if his minutes become sporadic again. A possible trade could impact this logjam at guard. But in the NBA, depth is never a bad thing and the Cavs have it, no doubt.

*One item on LeBron: In February's three games (wins over the Knicks, Heat and Grizzlies), LeBron is averaging 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds per game. In those three games, LeBron is shooting 54 percent from the floor and has made eight of 20 3-point attempts. Throw in an average of three steals per game and you have the making of one of the finest months of LeBron's career. And there have been a lot of them, obviously. He is playing at such a high level right now, whether it is as a shooter, point guard, post player, defender ... anything the team needs on any given night. I think LeBron has gotten better exponentially this season in so many different aspects. He is getting Shaq more involved in games and I think LeBron is also making J.J. Hickson better.

* The Cavs lead the NBA in scoring inside the paint and points against in the paint. Both of those are a direct result of Shaq. Championship teams score inside and defend inside. Look it up. This stat, courtesy of Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer, proves this point: Last season, the Cavs were outscored, 104-52, in the paint in their two losses to the Lakers. With O'Neal, the Cavs outscored the Lakers, 88-74, inside, winning both games.

* In Boston, the Celtics are just 9-11 since Christmas and are dealing with the distraction of a possible Ray Allen trade, the rapid decline of Kevin Garnett (due to injures, mostly) and apparent trouble in the locker room, according to Rajon Rondo last week.  Age could simply be catching up to this team, which was bound to happen when this current team was put together. They do have a championship to their credit, but nobody can outrun time and this year may be the last for this current Celtics core of players.

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The rest of the East ...

* As far as the Magic, Vince Carter averaged less than 10 points per game in January and in that time, is shooting around 35 percent from the floor. As I previously wrote in this space, Carter has taken away minutes and shots from Rashard Lewis, and now, people in Orlando are starting to debate whether or not J.J Redick should start in place of Carter. On Tuesday against the Bucks, Dwight Howard got into early foul trouble and Carter put the team on his back, getting nearly a triple-double in a win. Maybe Carter is starting to find his place. But as the article in the link I just posted above says, Redick plays fantastic ball whenever he sees significant minutes, as he is a serious threat from the 3-point line and averaged 11 points per game in January. This whole situation seems like a mess to me. It could come together toward the end of the season for the Magic and they could make a long playoff run. But this team is nothing close to the team that took out the Cavs last season.

* On Sunday, the Celtics and the Magic completed their four-game season series, with the Magic winning 96-89 and taking three of the four games. In the game, the Magic went on a 19-0 third quarter run, led by Vince Carter who scored 20 in the game. Boston couldn't hold an 11-point halftime lead. Good win for the Magic and this was a game where Carter was a positive. It'll be interesting to see how this team plays down the stretch, as I discussed in the previous item on this post.

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* I read in The Plain Dealer Sunday that Zydrunas Ilgauskas has made $130 million from the Cavaliers since he was drafted in 1996. That is pretty incredible, for some reason I was in awe of that number when I saw it. Not that he doesn't deserve it. Just pointing it out.

* Photo courtesy of Getty Images

My Super Bowl pick

For what it's worth, I am picking the Colts to win Super Bowl XLIV, 38-24. I am not going to bet against Peyton Manning in a game like this. Yes, he has lost big playoff games before, but the way he is playing this season I don't see how he is not at his very best tonight.
It will be an offensive battle, but I think if the Colts defensive line can pressure Drew Brees, he may make a mistake and if the Colts can get a couple turnovers in their territory and capitalize with points, that may be the difference in the game.
On the other side of my argument, don't forget the Saints passing defense is not as bad as its ranking (26th in the NFL, 235 yards per game). Most of the yards came against teams playing from behind and passing a lot. That secondary (Sharper, Harper, Greer, Porter) are ballhawks and if Manning has to force a throw or two, the Saints secondary could make him pay.
One other reasons for picking the Colts: Reggie Wayne,, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark. No disrespect to Marques Colston, Devery Henderson and Jermey Shockey, but thee Colts receivers are at the top of the league and one of those three guys is going to have a monster game. That's the problem: they are all capable. I'd lean towards Dallas Clark, who could have one of his 10 catch, 120 yard, 2 TD games. He can tear up the middle of the field as the Saints linebackers are weak.

Off the sports topic for a second...

I know it's not sports, but I just wanted to recommend The Black Keys to any music lovers out there, like myself. If you know them already, pick out on album and rediscover it. If you haven't heard of The Black Keys, they are a blues-rock-garage duo from Akron, and they have some really incredible albums. Highly, highly, highly recommended. Trust me, you'll be thanking me later.
Here's a link to their second album (my personal favorite): Thickfreakness on Amazon

Memory lane and the Super Bowl

My three favorite Super Bowl memories

DISCLAIMER: I was born in 1982, the year of Super Bowl XVI. The first Super Bowl I have a conscious memory of watching was Super Bowl XXIII in 1989, when the 49ers defeated the Bengals. This is in no way a list ranking the five best Super Bowl games. This is a personal list of favorite memories.

Super Bowl XXIX, Jan. 29, 1995. 49ers def. Chargers, 49-26

Though this was a nondescript Super Bowl and a blowout, it has significance for me. My family and I had just moved to Youngstown that fall and we were living in a modest condo/townhouse while our new home was being constructed. Often times, at least for the first few months there, it was just the five of us (six, counting our dog Sandy) and though it didn't register at the time, I can look back now and see that we forced to bond together and we spent some real "quality time" in that condo. We didn't have a choice, we didn't know many people, our relatives in friends were in Cleveland and it was literally just us. One example of this was watching Super Bowl XXIX. I remember sitting in front of our TV, the five of us, and playing a board game (sadly, can't recall which one), eating good food my mom made and watching this Super Bowl. It was very enjoyable for me, being with my family, and also because I was a huge Steve Young fan and at that point I was really getting into football and really starting to understand the game. So, for those (cheesy) reasons, this Super Bowl was significant for me. As far as the game goes, Steve Young won his only Super Bowl here, and was the MVP. The Chargers were overmatched and fell victim to a very good 49ers team ... the last "great" 49ers team to date, actually.

Super Bowl XLII, Feb. 3, 2008. Giants def. Patriots, 17-14

This one is more for the actual game than anything else. I rank this as the most entertaining Super Bowl I have watched, even ahead of Super Bowl XXXIV, where the Rams stopped the Titans one yard short of winning the game. Aside from the Browns, the Giants are my other team of choice to follow, so obviously I was very into this game. The week leading up to the game, I knew I would be off work and would be able to watch it, so I really got into it. I read probably hundreds of articles and stories and analyses about the game, watched interviews on TV, studied the matchups, etc...I was into it, and the game didn't disappoint. I watched it, alone, in my apartment here in Roanoke. It was glorious. I ordered a ton of food, purchased some good beer, sat down and watched every second of the game. The finish was well worth it, as the Giants beat arguably one of the best offensive juggernauts ever in the NFL. Though I believe if those same teams played nine more times on a neutral field, the Patriots would have won seven. By the way, the Giants won that game because they pressured the quarterback ... the key to success in any game, especially a playoff game.

Super Bowl XXV, Jan. 27, 1991.  Giants def. Bills, 20-19

Another one where the excitement of the game is the main reason it makes the list. For some reason, around this time I began to really follow the Buffalo Bills, as much as a 9-year-old can follow a sports team. Looking back, I think it was because good family friends of ours, the Packs, lived in Buffalo. Anyway, when the Bills' Scott Norwood missed the would-be game winning field goal, I remember crying and also remember all of my relatives going crazy, as we were at a party held at my Uncle Rick's house. During this time period (late 80s, early 90s) my extended family always had a Super Bowl party, and I loved watching the games with all of my cousins and relatives and such. This is the first family Super Bowl party I really remember. As far as the Bills go ...I'd get three more chances to get redemption. Yea....that went well. 

Shaq and Shaq and Shaq and Shaq

If there was any doubt that the Cavs' acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal was a good one, there isn't anymore. Over the past 10 games or so, Shaq has proven just how valuable he is, stepping up his game in a major way, especially since Mo Williams went down with an injury. Shaq and LeBron have really started to exploit teams as far as the pick and roll, which is evident by the increase in LeBron'a assist numbers as of late (15 assists against Memphis on Tuesday). When the Cavs face the Heat tonight, Shaq's impact on the game figures to be significant. In the Cavs win in Miami on Jan. 25, Shaq totaled 19 points, four rebounds and was 9 of 13 from the floor. In January, Shaq shot 64.8 percent from the floor. In December, he shot 50.7 percent. Quite a difference. He is getting more shots per game now and is starting to get his legs, after all he is pretty old (in NBA terms, of course). I was 100 percent behind this trade and Danny Ferry is starting to look like a genius. The Cavs are playing their best ball of the season right now and figure to get even better once they are healthy.
Will Ferry make a trade before the deadline later this month? I'm not sure, and honestly I am not sure if I think it's a good idea. Unless it's a slam-dunk type of salary dump deal like the Shaq one was (Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic), I don't think I want to see this team change dramatically. Closer to the trade deadline, I'll have some posts discussing this further.

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Coming tomorrow: The aftermath of the Cavs-Heat game, and my five favorite Super Bowl memories.

Good piece on SI.com

Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker is a pretty good writer/commentator on the NFL. Today on SI.com, he wrote a piece (which I agree with) that argues if Peyton Manning wins the Super Bowl on Sunday, he'll be the best QB over the past 30 years. Good, short read.
Peyton Manning best ever?

Looking back at the 2000 Browns draft

The second of my complete, pick-by-pick breakdown of each of the Browns NFL Draft classes since 1999:

So, it's 2000 and the "new" Browns are coming off of a miserable 2-14 first season. Not that anyone should have expected much different, considering they were an expansion team and how bad they fared in the previous NFL Draft. But, with that first rocky season behind them, it's time to start a new, fresh one and hopefully some talent has been improved, some lessons have been learned and what a better way to start then doing what couldn't be done the first time around: pick good players in the draft.
Here's a look at each of the 13 players the Browns picked in the 2000 NFL Draft:

Principles who were choosing these players: Chris Palmer (head coach), Carmen Policy (president, CEO) and Dwight Clark (general manager).

Round 1 (1st overall): Courtney Brown | Defensive end | Penn State

Background: An extremely talented athlete and highly-decorated player in college, one of the best of all-time actually. In his senior year in 1999, was a first-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten (for the second time) and Big Ten defensive player of the year. He finished his college career with an NCAA-record 33 sacks and 70 tackles for loss. At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds he was a physical specimen and was incredibly fast for a man of his size, running a 4.5 40-yard dash at the combine. That is faster than a lot of NFL running backs. Amazing.  In college, had a remarkable ability to get to the quarterback, evident by his numbers. Pretty much the consensus No. 1 pick.

They could have had...: Not an easy topic here. Very convoluted. One could argue they should have taken linebacker LaVarArrington, Brown's teammate at Penn State. Arrington was just as explosive as Brown and some said he was the next Lawrence Taylor. The Browns needed both a linebacker and a defensive end, so that part is a win-win. At the time, I wanted them to choose Arrington, although I didn't know much (I proved to be right, though). They also could have had left tackle Chris Samuels, who was one of the top 5 players at his position for ten years. Other notable guys they passed on: Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander, Thomas Jones, Plaxico Burress, Brian Urlacher, Shaun Ellis, John Abraham. Also, how about trading down to get more draft picks?

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Peter Warrick, receiver out of Florida State. If memory serves me correctly, the Browns apparently did consider taking Warrick, who was being billed as the next great receiver, and rightfully so based on his college resume and production. The Browns did need a big-play receiver. But thankfully, they passed as Warrick never came close to living up to his hype and Cincinnati got stuck with him for five below-average seasons.

End result: Courtney Brown ended up being a bigger bust then Tim Couch, and is in any conversation about biggest draft busts of all time. Let's start with the numbers: Five seasons with the Browns, 47 games played (47 starts), 17 sacks, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries. No, folks, that's not one season. That is his entire five-year stint with the Browns (actually four seasons, he played just two games in 2004). How underwhelming and terrible. His best season as a Brown came in 2003, when he totaled six sacks and four forced fumbles in 13 games. After the Browns cut him in 2004, he went to Denver and played 14 games in the 2005 season, totaling just two sacks. Then he called it quits.
So, those are the numbers. Now let's talk injuries, which honestly, where responsible for probably 85 percent of Brown's downfall and abrupt career. He played just one 16-game season, his rookie year (when he did have a three-sack game against the Steelers, easily his career game). Before the 2001 season, Brown suffered an ankle injury and missed the first six games. He returned after a bye week and had a monster late-season flurry. But in one of the final games of the season, Brown suffered a devastating knee injury and was never the same.  He had many surgeries and was actually one of the first pro athletes to have the risky and complicated microfracture surgery. Actually he had two of these major surgeries and three total on that left knee.  He suffered many more injuries in his career, including a torn bicep, a broken foot and his career actually ended after a torn ACL with the Broncos.
Blaming injuries on Brown's downfall is fair. But he also never showed a passion for the game and people say he "thought too much" on the field, especially after his injuries. Whatever. He'll go down as nothing more than a "what-if".

Grading the pick: B. Despite maybe toying with the idea of selecting LaVar Arrington or even Peter Warrick, Courtney Brown was as close to an automatic No. 1 pick as you can get. As I said, the Browns needed defensive line help, as the basically ignored the position in the previous draft. Brown's potential was limitless, and there was no way to know just how cursed he would be as far as injures. Chris Samuels would have been nice. But hindsight is 20/20 and the Browns, and virtually all of the media and experts at the time, thought this was a winner.

Round 2 (32nd overall): Dennis Northcutt | Receiver/returner | Arizona

Background: Northcutt was a stud at Arizona from 1996-99, catching 223 passes for 3,252 yards. Only two other Pac-10 players have more career receptions and receiving yards. Northcutt also caught one or more passes in 43 straight games, a conference record. In his senior year, he caught 88 balls for 1,422 yards and posted a 19-yard average on punt returns (second in the NCAA). One of the top receivers on the board that year and one of the fastest players available. The Browns took a receiver in the second round of the previous draft as well, Kevin Johnson. They were attempting to provide Tim Couch with more weapons, but still did not give him any stout blockers.
They could have had...:Defensive ends Darren Howard, John Engleberger or Cornelius Griffin; offensive tackles Marvel Smith, Chad Clifton and Todd Wade. As far as other receivers, Jerry Porter was the only notable one taken in this round, after Northcutt. Let's give this one to Marvel Smith, who was picked by ... who else, the Steelers. He started eight years at the left and right tackle spots and went to a Pro Bowl. Once again, the Browns ignore the "unsexy" picks and the Steelers scoop them up, build their team from the inside out and win Super Bowls.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Round Two of this draft was very strong in terms of talented players from top to bottom. Let's go with Porter, who caught more career touchdowns than Northcutt, but less yards and proved to be a major headcase.

End result: Northcutt played seven seasons with the Browns, totaling 276 receptions for 3,438 yards and caught 11 touchdown passes. He returned three punts for touchdowns. He had a decent rookie year, catching 40 balls. He missed most of the 2001 season with an injury. As for 2002, it was the good and the bad, both to extremes. That season, he led the Browns with eight total TDs (five receiving, two punt returns and one kick return). But he earned the nickname "Dropcutt" after dropping that key pass late in the playoff loss to the Steelers, the only postseason appearance the Browns have made since 1999. He came back and had the the team in catches each of the next two seasons (62 in 2003 and 55 in 2004). The Browns did not resign Northcutt after his contract ended in 2006, and he signed with the Jaguars for the 2007 season. He played there for two years and had fairly good seasons before being traded to Detroit prior to the start of this past season.
Grading the pick: B-. The Browns should have taken an offensive lineman here. But this was the guy to select if they wanted a receiver. He was arguably the Browns best deep-play threat during his tenure and was a favorite target of all the QBs from 1999 to 2006. A weapon on special teams, he basically maximized his potential with the Browns, considering who was throwing him the ball and the total lack of a running game. To get seven fairly good and productive seasons out of a second-round pick, for the Browns, is something of an accomplishment. They needed better team speed and Northcutt provided that. But ignoring the trenches hurt the Browns again here, long-term speaking.

Round 3 (63rd overall): Travis Prentice | Running back | Miami (Ohio)

Background: "Touchdown" Travis Prentice was nothing short of a historically-great running back at Miami. When he left Miami after four years as a starter, he was the all-time NCAA record holder in rushing touchdowns (73), total career TDS (78), point scored (468), games with at least one TD (35), games with two or more TDs (25), consecutive career carries without a fumble (862) and on and on and on. There are several more. He ended his Miami career with a whopping 5,596 rushing yards on 1,138 carries. A great college running back that probably didn't get the recognition he deserved, at the time, because of where he played.

They could have had...: The Browns needed a running back, so selecting one was probably the right idea. If they wanted to go a different direction,like defense, Mark Simoneau, linebacker from Kansas State, went four picks later and was a solid NFL player.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Receiver JaJuan Dawson from Tulane ...wait a second ...the Browns took him later in this round. Damn.

End result: Good thing 'Touchdown' Travis had so much success in college, because he never had any in the NFL. As in none, he was a total bust in every way. He played just one season with the Browns, starting 11 games (playing in 16) and totaling 512 yards on 173 carries for a robust 3.0 yards per carry. He did score seven rushing touchdowns and caught one TD pass. He was cut after the 2000 season and played the 2001 season with the Vikings as a backup. They cut him following the season and he never played in the NFL again. Whew. What a career. Hard to believe a guy could set that many records in college, even playing in the Mid-American Conference, and be out of the NFL after two years, just one as a starter. But it happened. Maybe it was inferior competition in the MAC. Maybe he couldn't adjust to the speed of the pro game, which happens often. Maybe it was the Browns' porous offensive line. Probably all of the above contributed to Prentice's lack of success. In this 2000 season, the Browns other running back was Eric Rhett, who got 71 carries (as opposed to Prentice's 173). 

Grading the pick: C. This was a tough one to grade. A B-minus would also be appropriate. The Browns needed a running back as Eric Rhett was not going to cut it as a feature back. But would it really have mattered with that offensive line? (LT- Roman Oben, LG - Jim Bundren/Steve Zahursky, C- Dave Wohlobaugh, RG - Everett Lindsay, RT- James Brown/Zahursky). What a Who's-Who of great offensive linemen there. How pathetic, it's no surprise Prentice could only muster three yards a carry. I don't blame the Browns for taking a running back here, but any back was doomed to failure playing on this offense. They could have made this pick a little more appealing had they taken an offensive lineman with their second pick in the third round. But they took another receiver. Which brings me to ...

Round 3 (79th overall): JaJuan Dawson | Receiver | Tulane

Background: Dawson was a speed guy and played on some high-octane offensives teams at Tulane with quarterback Patrick Ramsey, a future first-round draft pick. His senior year, he caught 96 balls for 1,061 yards and eight TDs. 

They could have had...: How about any offensive lineman, defensive lineman or any defensive back? Seriously. Forced to pick one player picked in the third round after Dawson, I'll choose Damion McIntosh, a 6-4, 325-pound offensive tackle from Kansas State, a starter for eight years in the NFL with the Chargers and Dolphins. Also, as usual for this time period, the Browns not only chose the wrong position, but the wrong player at the position of choice. With the very next pick after Dawson, the Seahawks selected Darrell Jackson, who had seven very good years in Seattle. Jackson was about six times the receiver Dawson was. More bad player evaluation by this Browns front office.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Believe it or not, there were worse receivers selected around the time Dawson was.

End result: Dawson spent two seasons in Cleveland, playing in 16 games and starting two games. He totaled 31 catches for 378 yards and two TDs. He was cut after the 2001 season and spent 2002 with Houston, where he was a reserve. After that season, he was out of football, which means that the Browns ' two third-round selections were both completely out of the NFL by 2002. Remarkable, and just another indicator that these guys (Carmen Policy, Dwight Clark) had no business running an NFL team.

Grading the pick: F. Here is where the bad grades start coming. Instead of taking a lineman (offense or defense) the Browns go with yet another receiver and he turned out to be a bad one. He may have been a product of that pass-happy offense at Tulane. The front office was obviously trying to give Tim Couch some weapons to work with. Too bad they had no idea how to do it.

Round 4 (95th overall): Lewis Sanders | Cornerback | Maryland

Background: At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Sanders was a good-sized cornerback and went into the draft as a junior. He was an All-ACC pick in 1999, totaled 10 career INTS and returned two kicks for touchdowns. Apparently, according to the research I've done, some scouts and personnel people could not decide if he was a big corner or a small safety, hence his slip into the fourth round.

They could have had...: How about offensive guard Cooper Carlisle, who went later in the fourth round to Denver? As far as other defensive backs go, cornerback David Barrett out of Arkansas was a better college player than Sanders and had a better pro career (yes, that may be a stretch).

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Any receiver. Please, no more.

End result: Sanders played four seasons in Cleveland, playing in 52 games and starting nine. He totaled 79 tackles, four INTs and three fumble recoveries. Not bad for a roster-filler. After he and the Browns parted ways following the 2004 season, he played two seasons in Houston, one in Atlanta and one in New England and was out of football in 2009. Not a bad pro career. Not a great one, either.

Grading the pick: C. The Browns starting secondary in 2000 was Corey Fuller and Daylon McCutcheon at cornerback and Marquis Smith and Percy Ellsworth at the safeties. Not a Pro-Bowl caliber secondary, to say the least. They did some talent infused into this group, so this was not a horrible pick by any means.

Round 4 (110th overall): Aaron Shea | Tight end | Michigan

Background: Shea was a blocking fullback/tight end at Michigan, where he did have some success.

They could have had...: Let's go with offensive guard Cooper Carlisle again.  

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Nobody really notable, but again, thank God no receiver was taken with this pick.

End result: Shea played six seasons in Cleveland, playing in 65 games and starting 30. He totaled 97 career catches for 851 yards and seven TDs. His best season was his rookie campaign, when he split time with incumbent tight end Mark Campbell and posted 30 catches for 302 yards and two TDs. The 2001, '02 and '03 seasons were basically washes because of injures. Before the start of the 2004 season, the Browns drafted Kellen Winslow II to be their every-down tight end, making Shea expendable. He did sell his No. 80 to Winslow for $30,000. That is pretty cool, what a deal for him. He was out of football after the 2005 season and, apparently, has spent the last few years selling suites at Browns Stadium.

Grading the pick: D. Not much to say about this one. Tight end wasn't a high position of need for the Browns, and Shea and Mark Campbell were almost identical as players (good blocking tight ends, decent pass-catching tight ends). I hate to sound like a broken record, but this pick needed to be a lineman. No question about it. Shea wasn't a bad NFL player, which is why this grade isn't an "F".

Round 5 (130th overall): Anthony Malbrough | Cornerback | Texas Tech

Background: I have no recollection of this guy, and I could not find much about him on the internet. I did find out, according to a similar piece like this done on the respectable Browns' fan blog www.dawgsbynature.com, that Malbrough wasn't even considered an NFL Draft talent by most teams.

They could have had...: I've got two here for you. No. 1: Linebacker Clark Haggans out of Colorado State, who went seven picks later to ... you guessed it: the Steelers. Hagans started six years for the Steelers at LB, won a Super Bowl ring, then went to Arizona, where he got back to the Super Bowl. No. 2: Defensive tackle Brian Young out of UTEP, who was taken by the Saints at the 139th pick and totaled 22.5 career sacks. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Michael Wiley, running back, Ohio State. He was taken 144th overall by the Cowboys. One fast, undersized, future bust at running back (see Travis Prentice) was enough in one draft for me.

End result: One season in Cleveland, nine games played and one start. No stats worthy of me typing up. Out of football in 2001. A wasted pick and nothing else.

Grading the pick: F. Click on the link I have at the end of this analysis and check out some of the players taken by teams in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds of the draft. Not all are practice-squad players, journeyman and two years-and-out of the NFL players. Look at the draft history of teams like the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Packers, Vikings, Ravens and Eagles and see who they picked in late rounds. Yes, each one of those teams has several "Anthony Malbroughs". But each one of those teams also has several "Clark Haggans." The Browns' player evaluation was so incredibly poor, what more evidence do you need aside from Anthony Malbrough?

Round 5 (146th overall): Lamar Chapman | Cornerback | Kansas State

Background: Made the All-Big 12 team in 1998. That's all I could find (or bothered to find, one of the two).

They could have had...: I've got two juicy names here for you. No. 1: Defensive tackle Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila out of San Diego State. A 6-foot-4, 250 pound mammoth, "KGB" was scooped up the Packers 149th overall and started nine seasons in Green Bay, totaling 74.5 sacks and went to a Pro Bowl. In fariness, 29 other teams passed on him, not just the Browns. But the Browns needed defensive lineman and he would have satisfied that need. The other name is running back Sammy Morris out of Texas Tech, who was taken by Buffalo at No. 156 overall and is still in the NFL, playing a key role on the Patriots for the last three seasons. A solid NFL role player. If the Browns could have seen this guy's talent, maybe they would have taken an offensive lineman instead of Travis Prentice earlier in the draft, and taken Morris in this round. Woulda, coulda, shoulda I guess.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Tee Martin, QB from Tennesssee, who was selected by the Steelers at No. 163 overall.  Yes, he won a national title at UT. But he was not an NFL quarterback. And the Browns already had a QB in mind for this draft (read on to see who it was. Prepare to be underwhelmed).

End result: Anthony Malbrough, Part II. Actually Chapman made Malbrough look like Rod Woodson. Chapman played two seasons, playing in eight games and actually did intercept one pass. He was out of football by 2002. Another wasted draft pick and nothing else.

Grading the pick: F. So in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, the Browns apparently decided they needed to bolster their secondary and drafted Malbrough and Chapman. Both were out of the league in two years and one INT between the two of them. I'd say the Browns failed in their task. How about you?

Round 6 (183rd overall): Spergon Wynn | Quarterback | SW Texas St.

Background: Wynn played quarterback for two seasons at the Southland Conference school, Southwest Texas State. He totaled 3,497 yards passing and 24 TDs in two seasons. But ... he completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw 13 INTs his senior year to go along with 14 TD passes.

They could have had...:This is rich. Really rich. If the Browns wanted to select quarterback, why not take the QB from Michigan who was taken by the Patriots 16 picks later? A guy by the name of Tom Brady. In case that wasn't bad enough; future Pro Bowl and All-Pro linebacker Adalius Thomas was selected by the Ravens at pick No. 186 overall. I could list about 100 other players that would have been a better selection than Spergon Wynn. Literally 100 players.

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Not applicable here, as this was possibly the worst draft pick the Browns have made since 1999..

End result: In one season with the Browns, Wynn appeared in seven games and made one start in place of an injured Tim Couch. He compiled 167 yards, one TD and completed 22 of 54 passes. But he didn't throw an INT! He was cut after the 2000 season and went on to be backup in the NFL, the CFL and other bottom-feeder leagues. As if the record wasn't broken already: Another wasted pick.

Grading the pick: F-. This is about as low is it gets, no joke. With so many positions of need, with so many holes to fill on both sides of the ball, the Browns use a draft pick, even a sixth-rounder, on a quarterback??? A quarterback who couldn't even complete half of his passes in college? If this was a joke by Policy and Smith, it was a bad one. It's not like the team needed a young QB to develop, Tim Couch was the starter. If they wanted a backup, why not sign a veteran? Doug Pederson was already on the roster as a backup. What a joke, this front office was either just guessing at this point, or trying to be too cute and take a player that they thought was some kind of "diamond in the rough." More like "crap in the toilet." As I said, this is about as low is it gets. The fact they wanted a QB, yet overlooked Tom Brady, is just icing on the proverbial crap cake.

Round 6 (206th overall): Brad Bedell | Offensive tackle | Colorado

Background: Bedell played offensive tackle and guard at Colorado. Decent size (6-4, 306).

They could have had...: Finally an offensive lineman!! The Browns went the entire 1999 draft and the first six rounds of the 2000 draft before talking one, but they finally took one ... Brad Bedell!. Too bad he was garbage and they passed up Mark Tauscher out of Wisconsin, who was selected by the Packers 18 picks after the Browns selected Bedell. Tauscher started for the Packers for nine years. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Bedell was the last pick in the sixth round. Be thankful the Browns passed on another QB, like Jarious Jackson out of Notre Dame, who went to Denver in the seventh road.

End result: Bedell spent two seasons as a backup in Cleveland, playing in 27 games with four starts. He was cut after the 2001 season and bounced around various teams' practice squads until 2006.

Grading the pick: D-. That is is the closest D- I can get to an F, only because an offensive lineman was finally taken. Too bad Bedell was a flier and the Browns again fail to recognize talent. But, hey, a light finally went of somewhere and someone realized, "Hey, we may want to get some offensive lineman." Too little, too late, Cleveland.

Round 7 (207th overall): Manuia Savea | Offensive guard | Arizona

Background: Ummm..played at Arizona. Have no idea. He was 6-2, 308. That's all I got, folks.

They could have had...: What'd ya know, another offensive lineman!!! They finally got it. Again, too bad the Browns took the guy who had no talent. Tauscher was still on the board. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: How about another QB? Be glad they didn't take Joe Hamilton, QB from Georgia Tech, who was selected by Buccaneers near the end of the draft. Hamilton was a Heisman finalist in 1999, but was not an NFL-caliber QB. But, better than Spergon Wynn? You bet.

End result: Savea didn't make the team. He was cut before the season. He must have been awful, considering the pathetic offensive line this Browns team had.

Grading the pick: F. G-a-r-b-a-ge.

Round 7 (225th overall): Rashidi Barnes | Defensive back | Colorado

Background: None that I can find.

They could have had...: This was near the end of this draft. How about Patrick Pass, fullback from Georgia. He went to be a valuable piece on the Patriots' offense from 2000 to 2007. Now that, folks, is the reason why the Patriots had a dynasty and the Browns had nothing. They used their seventh-round picks and turned them into contributors. What a beautiful example. 

Thankfully they passed on this guy in that round: Nobody notable.

End result: Barnes played in 14 games as a special-teamer, was cut after the 2000 season and that was his career.

Grading the pick: F. G-a-r-b-a-ge.

Final analysis
Best pick: Do I have to pick one? If so, I'd go with Dennis Northcutt, he at least was a valuable weapon on offense and actually contributed on the field. Lewis Sanders would be second.
Worst pick: Too many choice. But I'll go with Spergon Wynn.
Biggest blunder: This entire draft class was a blunder, from Northcutt down (excluding Sanders). Pathetic and wretched.
Final grade: F. I don't blame the Browns for selecting Courtney Brown. All of the indicators said that he would be a great NFL player. Nobody could have predicted how star-crossed he'd become, as it relates to injuries. So, the Browns get a pass on that. As for the rest ... awful.
Whether it was picking the wrong position, or picking the right position, this front office could not get it right. Thankfully,for Browns fans, this would be the last draft Carmen Policy, Dwight Clark and Chris Palmer would foul up, as Butch Davis came to town in 2001 and did some good fouling up on his own.
Of these 13 players drafted by the Browns, eight were out of the league by 2002. Eight of 13. That is an incredible stat that sums up everything I have written in this lengthy analysis.

In case you want more info, here's the link to the Pro Football Reference.com page on the 2000 Browns draft: 2000 Browns draft page