THE DRAFT IS 5 WEEKS FROM TODAY!

With the draft coming in just 5 short weeks, the Cleveland Browns are hard at work scouting both college and pro players. Among the college ranks, the Browns attended several pro days and have been watching certain players. Some of the notables include Florida's Joe Haden, who greatly improved his combine 40 time. At the combine, Haden ran a 4.57, due to a back injury. Many national pundits equated the poor showing to a slide on draft day. On Wednesday, Haden greatly improved his time, running in the high 4.3's and up to about 4.4 according to scouts.

I never doubted that Haden would improve his time at the combine and re-establish himself in the top 10 consideration. If Berry is off the board, I think the Browns pull the trigger on Haden.

Tim Tebow also had a great pro day, displaying his adjusted footwork and throwing motion. By all accounts, Tebows throws were on target all morning while displaying vast improvement since the Senior Bowl six weeks ago. On NFL exec who had a front row seat was our very own Mike Holmgren. The Browns have also set a private workout with the former Heisman winner and two time National Champion QB. I find it interesting that Holmgren signed Delhomme to a 2 year deal and stated, that because of the length of the deal, it was obvious what they were planning (meaning they want to draft a QB and develop him behind Delhomme). It is recognized that Tebow needs some time to learn the game from both physically and mentally. Its possible he could sit behind a great team guy like Delhomme, who said he welcomes the role of mentoring yutes. (Youths). In 5 weeks and a day, we'll know if Tebow or possibly Colt McCoy could be that yute.

One Florida player who did not perform well was MLB Brandon Spikes. While his game film looks great due to his overall production while at Florida, Spikes ran a 5.01 in his 40. This kind of speed is devastating at the LB position. No one ever believed he was a fast linebacker, but teams will be worried if the 5.01 speed is also seen on tape.

Eric Berry, the star Safety from Tennessee also worked out yesterday, but injured a toe early in the workout, and cut the session short. Don't expect for this minor injury to affect Berry's draft status, as he went into the workout not needing to prove himself to anyone.

The Browns also attended Bowling Green's pro day to watch WR Freddie Barnes, who had a monster year in 2009. Barnes displayed incredible hands and had terrific production at BG. He will likely be taken in the mid to late rounds as his speed is average at best.

Ryan Mathews, the second rated RB in this years draft had his pro day at Fresno State and solidified his position in the draft. The Browns attended the pro day, but don't expect Mathews to make it out of the first round, specifically past the Chargers at 28.

Superbowl!!!

Trade Chatter: Donovan McNabb

me: i still have a feeling oooo oooooooo that were gonna end up with mcnabb on draft day

by draft day*

Eric: haha no way jack!

me: don't see us going into this year with wallace and quinn and a rookie

i like wallace as a backup

solid starting experience

Eric: i dont see getting mcnabb

too costly

me: maybe holmgren thinks higher of him

11:33 AM did the same thing taking hasselbeck to sea from gb

Eric: i can see us w quinn wallace and ratliff

me: well that will be fun winning 4 again

Eric: yea but that cost him a 6!!!! hasselbeck was not a multi probowler

me: id rather start wallace then

Eric: we'll see maybe he does

me: Quinn blows

11:34 AM haha

me: if we keep qbs as is id rather start wallace

i dont see us being finished though

Eric: i dont know ill be fine with whoever

11:35 AM me: i wont be fine with quinn

Eric: not ideally but we're not going to mortgage the draft to get a starter for next year

me: hes a joke

Eric: im fine with quinn

me: no

he cant play

Eric: if holmgren thinks quinn is alright then im cool w it

me: he doesnt

Eric: he hasnt thrown a ball yet

me: hes watched his tape

11:36 AM youre dellusional

youve seen his throws

Eric: he watched tape of dabolls **** head offense

me: hes innaccurate, doesnt spin the ball well

Eric: ive seen him make some good throws, ive seen wr drop the ball and ive seen him make some bad ones

me: doesnt matter

youre high

look at his numbers

Eric: right

in a BAD offense with terrible handed WRs

me: only thing brady does a DECENT job of is limiting turnovers

11:37 AM look how many he threw behind too

dont be a fan and be realistic

Eric: yea there were some misses, but im saying if holmgren starts the season with quinn, you have to think hes comfortable with it

me: you really think he can win us a game?

Eric: so then i will be too. he knows alot more than me

me: ok ill go out on a limb then and say its only march and quinn will not be starting

11:38 AM Eric: i dont know if he'll go out and win us games, but if no one can for less than a 2nd rd pick thats fine

me: ok but holmgren does not like what he sees in quinn

Eric: if the options are quinn or giving up our 1 or 2 i want quinn for another year

me: why else would we be looking at mcnabb?

Eric: HE WILL DEMAND A F***ING 1!!!!!!!

me: id give up a conditional pick next year for mcnabb

Eric: a 1!!!!

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

me: i wouldnt give a 1 and you know that we wont give it up

11:39 AM Eric: right so that means NO mcnabb

me: its negotiations

theyre not gonna be like well do it for a 3

Eric: which means no clear cut starter, which means quinn is starting which means hes a better option than wallace

which means we look for a qb next year

me: wallace would beat out quinn right now

Eric: u think reid gives up mcnabb for anything less than a 2?

11:40 AM me: quinn couldnt beat out DA DA DA

Eric: hehe

i think we just need to trust in MH

me: id be comfortable giving a conditional 3 or 2 that can move up to a 1 based on production/wins in 2011

Eric: no!

me: i know you keep saying that

but youve read as i have that HE DOESNT LIKE QUINN

Eric: i will not give up a 1 for a qb that can only play a few more years

if we give up a 1 i want a good qb a franchise qb for 10 years

11:41 AM me: ok well id do it for a 2 this year

Eric: he never said he didnt like him, he said hes looking for a better qb

nope

a 2 this year is a 1 any other year

me: alright well agree to disagree

11:42 AM final points: 1. wallace is better than quinn, brady sucks

Eric: haha, im not going to say wallace is better than quinn, thats my point, if quinn is starting i wont go yelling that wallace should be

thats my point

11:43 AM bc whoever is starting, mh thinks hes the best chance and i trust him

me: 2. without QB were going nowhere, and i agree that we dont want to throw away the future for an aging QB, and my point is thats why we havent made a deal yet, bc MH does kno what hes doing and is talking eggles down

11:44 AM Eric: the eagles will NOT take a 3 for mcnabb. if its more than that, im out

which is why a deal will NOT be done and mcnabb will NOT be a brown

me: haha

i still think something will happen

11:45 AM hes old

he cant command a high pick compensation

Eric: hes the eagles best chance to win!

me: plus hes got injury history

Eric: yes i know! haha which is why i wont give a 2

me: they were 2-0 with corn on the kolb last year

Eric: we were 10-6 with DA

11:46 AM me: would you give both 3's?

teams completely different

it was a fluke

Eric: id give a 3 and rogers

me: ok now were talking

Eric: literally maxed out there

me: listen to this deal

11:47 AM

me: they could use DQ

Eric: i dont want to give up dq

me: id give up DQ for a deal involving mcnabb

youre high

haha

whats so good about DQ

Eric: ud give up dq, rogers and a 3?

11:48 AM me: no

i said maybe swap out rogers

maybe dq a 3 and a 5

Eric: and bring back some of those ice cubes

me: we have 4 5s

haha

they have to start at a 1

Eric: yea id do dq and a 3 and a 5

me: thats not gonna happen

id rather give up our 1 for b marshall than D Mac

Eric: ur high, they really will not trade him for less than a 1

11:49 AM me: ok ive never said id give our 1 for him

Eric: i dont give up our 1 for almost anyone

unless its a player who is a probowler and under 25

if nothing else we must commit at least 1 terrorist act!

me: haha

11:50 AM what about this... rogers and swapping 1sts

11:51 AM Eric: where are they?

me: like 20

range

maybe 22

Eric: eh

on draft day id do it if certain people were off the board

id do it at their pick if someone i like alot is still on the board

like graham or spoon

me: maybe ill call MTC today and talk to tim and pat

11:52 AM i think theyre pretty firm it will take a 1 to get mcnabb though

Eric: yea u should, yesterday they were talking about mcnabb and starting with a 1 offer

me: yeah

Eric: they think it takes at least a 1 to get him

me: but if we throw players in there

Eric: but if berry is there at 7 not a chance i trade it

me: maybe?

Eric: eh, u should call

11:53 AM me: one of the funniest faces is al rokers on seinfeld "INTERESTING!"

Eric: hahahaha

yup

11:54 AM me: i like our approach though

11:55 AM starting qb aside i like the addition of wallace

pretty risk free acquisition

at worst much better #2 than weve had

11:59 AM Eric: yea

and someone who knows the system

12:00 PM hes ken dorsey but can play

me: ok so youre gonna say you trust in MH, if he gives up our 2 for mcnabb, youre out on him?

12:01 PM Eric: i just think its too much

considering the type of player we can get at 2

me: look at kurt warner and brett farve

they played til 40s

Eric: uh huh

me: no reason d macs gonna only play 3 years

12:02 PM Eric: i dont see mcnabb being as good as late

me: i think it could be a steal

Eric: for a 2?

i dont know

12:03 PM me: http://www.nfl.com/players/donovanmcnabb/careerstats?id=MCN017517

stop undervaluing this guy

he can play

hes big time

BIG TYMEEEEEE!

slappa da baise

12:04 PM Eric: haha, im not saying he cant play but i think the player we could get at 2 is better long term, for building a team, id take spikes over mcnabb

there are some GREAT qbs in next years draft

me: i agree but draft is a crap shoot

you draft potential

dmac is proven

12:05 PM Eric: right but potential of a young player weights heavy against the injury potential of a proven old man

me: no way

youre so wrong!

hahahha

12:06 PM Eric: i didnt say outweighs, just something u need to think about

me: how many of our 2nds have not panned out

i thought about it

still would take dmac in a second for our 2nd rd pick

Eric: and again this year is not like most years, this years 2nd is a first in most other years

me: still doesnt matter

Eric: does to me

12:07 PM me: what team do you work for?

easy!

guarantee you this

Eric: mike eruzione i play for... ...the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

me: i ask any host on sirius they make d mac for browns second rd pick trade

no brainer

12:08 PM Eric: probably they would

me: we still have 11 other picks

Eric: is florio on, he has no insight, he just posts news from other people

me: so you think long term brandon spikes for example would do more for us than mcnabb for say 5 years

lol

12:09 PM he plagiarizes

Eric: im saying you cant assume we have mcnabb in his present state for 5 years

me: of course hes probably a drooling vegetable but I think thats only common sense

12:10 PM eric, avg nfl career is 3 years

our second rounder might be gone anyways

Eric: for 1st round picks?

u think the avg 1st round pick spends 3 years in the nfl?

me: why are you back on 1st rounders

i said 2nd

i would not give up our 1st for mcnabb

12:11 PM Eric: haha because thats what the browns 2nd round pick is this year

me: ive consistently said that

Eric: this is a deep draft

me: no

Eric: yes

me: youre high

Eric: your low

me: overvaluing this draft

Eric: haha

me: wow

Eric: 38, you think that spikes in last years draft makes it to round 2?

me: no

Eric: thank you

me: he dropped this year bc he didnt play as well

plus everyone else is better

12:12 PM Eric: im saying that the guys who are going in the top 10 in round 2 are first round talents

not knocked down bc of character issues or anything

me: you could say that most years

Eric: but true 1st rounders

no you cant

so you're saying this years draft is not better and deeper than last years

12:13 PM me: ill tell you this, i would be stoked if we trade our 1st, 3rd and next years 1st for don mcnabb

oh my god

mike florio is an idiot

12:14 PM Eric: THERE YOU GO GIVING UP A 1 AGAIN!!!!!

me: wildcat? thats your best breakdown of seneca wallace [florio]?

im joking

Eric: Charles: ive consistently said that

ur nuts

Second Round Prospect To Keep Your Eye On

ProFootballTalk is reporting the Browns have scheduled a private workout with Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes. Spikes was projected as a top prospect and a first round lock in last year's draft until he decided to return to Gainesville for his senior season. The former Gator's production steadily declined from his sophomore season, some due to opponents scheming away from him, some due to injury, but Spikes is in the ideal mold of a thumper (not the cute bunny from Bambi) at MLB. Because the 2010 draft class is so deep, Spikes is now practically a lock to NOT be picked in the first round, but presents solid value in the second, should he be fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

We like what Spikes brings to the table. He hits hard and plays dirty. Last year he intentionally guaged the eyes of an opposing player at the bottom of a pile. Unfortunately for Spikes, it was caught on camera and he was suspended for a game. While we at SBS do not condone personal fouls and unnecessary roughness, the bottom line is that he brings a warrior's mentality and will do whatever it takes to win. On a team that has gained a reputation for being increasingly soft, Spikes would be a welcomed addition.