The Cleveland Browns are mENtal DeFiciENts
- Fred
- Apr 27
- 5 min read
We are going to limit this article to only the 2025 Draft. Even though I could back date this mess all the way back to November 9, 1993.
Editor's Note: The Working Title of the article was The Curse of Bernie Kosar.
Since that season, over 30 years ago, the Browns are 2-4 in the playoffs and have had FORTY starting quarterbacks since 1999.
Going into the the Draft, the Cleveland Browns had 3 quarterbacks under contract for 2025
Deshaun Watson - Injured, signed to a unmovable contract
Joe Flacco - Just signed for second stint with the Browns
Kenny Pickett - Traded for in the off-season from the Philadelphia Eagles
Not a great quarterback room, but the Browns could have reasonably drafted a "project" quarterback without any controversy. As a matter of fact, I read multiple articles asking for that vision from management.
Thursday:
The Browns traded out of the their first pick, the Number 2 pick in the entire NFL Draft. I was mad because... From our article The Cleveland Browns Can't Get it Right:
So with the # 2 pick, they chose.... to trade it for an extra pick NEXT YEAR. With their new slot at # 5, they chose Michigan Defensive Tackle Mason Graham. Graham averaged 3 sacks a year at his position. In the biggest game for Michigan in 2024, Graham had ZERO SACKS, ZERO TURNOVERS, ZERO TACKLES FOR LOSS in their upset win of Ohio State.
Now don't get me wrong, Mason Graham is a nice end-of-first round talent.
Where did the USA TODAY see him going?13th
Where did Yahoo! Sports see him going? 11th
Where did CBS Sports see him going? 13th
Let's delve a little deeper in that CBS Sports Rating:
"He isn't a big player for the position, but he is technically sound."
The Browns had the number 2 pick in the draft and picked someone "technically sound?"
At draft position 2, you either pick a DT that's an oversized monster, or someone with a pile of sacks. Graham is neither. Another draft analysis praised his "motor."
Now you're arguing I'm just an idiot blogger? I will listen to that argument.
The best, living sportswriter in Cleveland is cleveland.com's Terry Pluto. Here's his quote on the trade: 'I had my football heart set on Travis Hunter. That’s why it’s hard for me not to hate this trade sending the Colorado star to Jacksonville.....but right now, from a very emotional standpoint, it’s hard to accept'."
Instead of picking the best player on the board. They chose to draft value and extra picks. Not what I would have done, but at least they had a plan.
Friday:
Round 2 (1) Carson Schwesinger - UCLA: "His reaction time, motor and closing burst make him a sideline-to-sideline run defender, but he's an instinctive interior run defender, too" -ESPN
Round 2 (4) Quinshon Judkins - Ohio State: "Judkins doesn't have elite speed, but he's more than fast enough to break long runs with a 4.48 40-yard dash. He also tracks and catches the ball well, with the ability to step up and meet defenders in pass protection." -ESPN
Round 3 (3) Harold Fannin Jr. - Bowling Green: "He tracks the ball well and makes plays down the seam. When defenders are closing over the middle, Fannin shows good focus and toughness." - ESPN
I watched a few more picks and went to bed, the Browns didn't have any more picks on Friday. Each pick, according to ESPN, was a solid pick, but maybe 30 to 50 slots too early. Apparently that draft value crap is out the window, but, hey, they got the guys they wanted. I am not such a draft expert, that I could say any of the picks were bad. They seemed fine.
Saturday AM:
After I went to bed, the Browns traded back into the very end of the third round.
Round 3 (30) Dillon Gabriel - Oregon: "He's a small left-handed quarterback who makes quick decisions and gets the ball out. He has good poise in the pocket, his feet are married to his eyes, and he gets to his second read when his first option isn't there." - ESPN
Cleveland Browns' team mouthpiece, Mary Kay Cabot, who correctly predicted the trade-down in the first round, was right again. On Friday, she had predicted a quarterback would be chosen later on in the day. She gleefully let the public know, after the fact, that the Browns had secretly wined and dined Dillon. He was their guy all along. "Then, the day before they headed to Colorado for the NFL showcase of Sanders and Hunter, they flew Air Haslam out to Eugene, Oregon, for a private workout and dinner with Gabriel, owner Jimmy Haslam included. The private sessions never leaked out."
Okay, I guess Dillon Gabriel is the quarterback of the future. The Browns traded away some of their extra picks to move up to get Gabriel because they were afraid he wouldn't fall to their spot in the fourth round. Apparently that draft value crap is out the window, but, hey, they got the guy they wanted. (Yes, I cut and pasted that sentence}.
Saturday:
I woke up in the morning and posted this meme:
Round 4 (24) Dylan Sampson - Tennessee: "He has the skill set to develop as a route runner, and he is dangerous after the catch." - ESPN
Dylan is a good player and had good draft value. No complaints. I'm probably just a jerk picking on poor Jimmy Haslam's management team. The time to do something inexplicable had basically run out. I wouldn't have traded out of the number 2 spot, but the rest of the Browns picks were, at minimum, professional picks.
Round 5 (6) Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
Are you kidding me? According to GM Andrew Berry himself: “We felt like it got to a point where (Sanders) was probably mispriced relative to the draft."
Editor's Note II: Yeah, no shit.
"Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.”
Did Mary Kay write this article too? No, she was stunned. The first two days, she was like Bagdad Bob. Every Browns decision was genius. Another one of cleveland.com's draft team coverage got that magical quote.
Now the GM is talking about outproducing draft slots?
Listen, I would have listened to that argument if you didn't just pick a quarterback that you loved 12 HOURS EARLIER! Oh, and they traded away their other 2025 draft picks that they accumulated on Thursday. Draft over.
Now they've got 5 quarterbacks, 4 signed since January 1st. If Sanders was simply chosen in the third round instead of the Bowling Green tight end, no questions asked. But now you have a mess. The Browns didn't know Sanders would fall to the 5th round? NO ONE DID. If the plan was to draft 2 quarterbacks, they could have drafted Sanders at the top of the 2nd and Gabriel at the top of the 4th without all that other wiggling around. Just a side note, in the NFL, teams still only play 1 quarterback at a time. Most Sundays, they only dress 2. I don't even know if the Browns own 5 chairs in the Quarterbacks Room.
You say that in 2027, Sanders will be the Browns starter and Gabriel will be the backup? That's 2 1/2 years away. The Browns don't know what they're doing from day to day.
Having chosen 2 running backs in the draft, look for the Browns to not sign free agent Nick Chubb. That saddens me.
Look for the Browns to cut Deshaun Watson as soon as Monday. At least that error will be corrected.
All the Browns have to do is eat about $100 million of his guaranteed contract.
<gulp>
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