2007 DRAFT NEEDS:

CLEVELAND BROWNS

presented by

by PFT Editor Mike Florio, with Matt Miller of NewEraScouting.com

There are plenty of rumors flying regarding the Browns' intentions with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.  Adam Schefter of NFL Network has suggested that owner Randy Lerner is pushing the front office to draft a quarterback.  But the acquisition of aging running back Jamal Lewis via a one-year deal and the trade of Reuben Droughns to the Giants suggests that the Browns could still pounce on talented and versatile tailback Adrian Peterson. 

And if tight end Kellen Winslow never makes it back from microfracture surgery aimed at growing cartilage in a knee that hasn't been the same since it was injured in a motorcycle accident in May 2005, the Browns could justify adding receiver Calvin Johnson to a pass-catching corps that already includes Braylon Edwards, the No. 3 overall pick two years ago.

Still, the drafting of a quarterback could provide some job short-term security for coach Romeo Crennel and G.M. Phil Savage, since passing on an impact player like Peterson or Johnson in favor of a project like JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn will naturally reduce expectations for 2007.  So if the guy who writes the checks is pushing for a quarterback, we wouldn't be surprised -- at all -- if the Browns end up spending the pick on either of the top two signal-callers on the board.

Though the roster has plenty of holes, quarterback is one of the most glaring weaknesses.  Charlie Frye, a third-round pick in 2005, arguably has been eclipsed by Derek Anderson, who looked good in spot duty late last season.  Scout.com reported a couple of weeks ago that the Browns quietly have been shopping Frye, which suggests that a quarterback will strongly be considered with the team's first-round pick.

But there's also a clear need at running back, both in the short term and beyond.  Even if Jamal Lewis has anything left (which is open for debate), he's not the answer for the balance of the decade.  The challenge for the Browns is to decide whether they can get more overall value by taking Peterson at No. 3 and drafting a quarterback later, or by drafting a passer first and then looking for help in the running game in deeper rounds.

We believe that running backs are, for the most part, interchangeable.  With the exception of the short list of all-time greats at the position, guys who can push the pile and/or hit the hole are available from the top to the bottom of the draft.  Unless the Browns think that Peterson is the next Tomlinson, it might make more sense to take a chance on a franchise quarterback in round one -- and pick up a tailback later.

With that said, we continue to be leery about the notion of drafting a quarterback early, given that whether the guy works out is a crapshoot, at best.  The Browns learned this lesson the hard way in 1999, after Tim Couch became the No. 1 overall pick in the year that the franchise rejoined the NFL after a three-season hiatus.

And that leads to the next question that the team might face.  Just as they picked Couch over Donovan McNabb in 1999, there's a chance that the Browns will have to choose between Russell and Quinn, if the Raiders take Calvin Johnson and if the Lions draft left tackle Joe Thomas.  Guessing right could end years of suffering; guessing wrong would grease the skids to more years of misery for the denizens of the Dawg Pound.

Elsewhere on offense, it might make sense to pick up another tight end, in the event that Winslow can't go.  The offensive line is stacked with veterans of questionable value and ability; though the line might not be as good as it could be, the influx of free agents over the past couple of seasons makes the line a low priority on draft weekend.

On the other side of the ball, Savage and Crennel need more guys who fit within the 3-4 system that Romeo carried from New England.  Defensive end has not yet been a focal point, and age is catching up with Orpheus Roye.  Even if Roye and Alvin McKinley, an unrestricted free agent who has yet to re-sign as of this posting, both return, the Browns at a minimum need more depth. 

Ideally, they'd find a Richard Seymour-type lineman who can play inside and outside and tie up enough blockers to allow the quartet of linebackers to run free to the ball.

At the nose tackle position, Ted Washington is the prototypical line (and toilet) clogger who, if healthy and effective, can make the rest of the defense play a lot better.  But Washington will turn 39 in a few weeks, and the team needs a reliable No. 2 who can be groomed to succeed the aging veteran.  (Maybe Shaun Smith, recently signed from the Bengals, is the answer.  But we still think they should look to the draft for more help.)

Injuries have ravaged the cornerback position.  Gary Baxter tore both patellar tendons last year, and Daylon McCutcheon was recently cut after undergoing microfracture surgery.  Leigh Bodden and Daven Holly will likely be the starters at the outset of 2007, and help is needed to push both of them -- and to provide support in the nickel and dime packages.

In all, there remains much work to be done in Cleveland.  And the best strategy for buying more time could be to take another chance on a quarterback who possibly will be the cornerstone of the franchise for the next 10 years, or longer.