Cleveland Browns 2014 NFL Draft Wrap-up

Dec 13, 2013; Charleston, IL, USA; Towson Tigers running back Terrance West (28) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Eastern Illinois Panthers at O

Offensive Additions  QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M University Everyone in Cleveland has waited eagerly for a player like Manziel. The amount of resewn jersey’s to include all of the Browns’ QBs has gotten out of hand. I believe with Manziel, the Browns’ are not getting necessarily a franchise QB, however they are getting relative short-term excitement and production (something that is hard to come by in Cleveland). With such receiving talent such as TE Jordan Cameron (over 900 receiving yards in 2013), Josh Gordon (1,646 yards and 9 touchdowns) and recently acquired Miles Austin, the Browns needed a QB to throw to those receivers. As it stands right now Johnny Manziel is not one player at all. In fact in the grand scheme of this draft Johnny Football is two players: a). an absolute bust with improper mechanics and small frame or b). an unstoppable offensive dynamo. On the boom side, he is fast and incredibly agile. As you have seen in his college days at A&M, Manziel has the ability to start and stop and zoom around defenders with relative ease and composure. Where Manziel is a boom candidate is not only in that he can run, but that he can escape pressure and make plays. Look at the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Duke. Manziel and the Aggies were down by a 21 point half-time deficit and ended up scoring 35 points to win the football game 52-48 over the Blue Devils. Say what you want about the kid; “he is the next Tim Tebow,” “he’ll never be a proper NFL Quarterback,” “he’s got bust written all over him.” The fact of the matter is that he makes plays. You can not deny his play making ability and the ability to make something out of seemingly nothing. From an owner’s standpoint Manziel is a goldmine. Not only will you get added ticket revenue, but you will get jersey sales and people actually watching your games. At the same time though, I have to admit Manziel has some bust tendencies. He is not as big as some of the other QBs, which does have its own downsides, however that shouldn’t necessarily define him as a player. Time and time again people have considered height into the equation of future NFL success and I can say that nobody has truly solved the equation quite yet to be making judgements based on size alone. Often we have seen a bit of inappropriate on and off the field behavior that NFL owners will cringe at. However, that is what fuels his competitive drive and spirit and is exactly what Cleveland needs at a time like this. In the long run, the Browns are perhaps more set up than we actually realize. They already have a solid franchise QB in Brian Hoyer who is waiting to shine. The Browns have already showed that Hoyer is the starter and that Manziel is the automatic backup. What Manziel has to do from here is work extremely hard on his footwork, his throwing mechanics and overall being NFL-tough mentally and physically. What he also must do is be lucky; something that Manziel already has on tap. Regardless of what he does in training camp, Manziel is most likely going to be benched for the first week of the season. What Manziel needs to do is be patient and hope that Hoyer slips up in order to get that starting job. The Browns made a good choice in taking Manziel not only for his scoring potential but also as a good motivator for Hoyer to do better. Look out Cleveland, you may have another messiah on  your hands (fingers crossed). OT Joel Bitonio, University of Nevada Out of the University of Navada, Bitonio was rated one of the best and one of the meanest offensive tackles from the Mountain West. The pickup of Bitonio was absolutely crucial to Cleveland’s success next season. Last season the Browns ranked one of the worst teams in sacks and yards rushing per game (49 sacks allowed, ranked 3rd-worst as well as 86.4 rushing yards per game, ranked 6th-worst in the NFL). The Browns’ top rusher last season was gray-beard Willis McGahee who rushed for a paltry 377 yards on 138 carries (2.7 yards per carry). With that said, the Browns went out and got a solid running back in Houston’s  Ben Tate. With Bitonio on the line blocking for Tate and whomever will be QB next season, the Browns should see a rise in offensive production considering Bitonio is one of the best in the business at what he does. RB Terrance West, Towson University After the atrocious showing of running back talent last season, the Browns are looking to have a massive overhaul of their running game. Other than the addition of former Texan RB Ben Tate, West shouldn’t really have any competition in the backfield. Perhaps the combination of Tate and West could be a lethal one-two punch for the Browns. When you think about it Tate and West could be the name of a famous New York law office or something to that extent. If that is the case, than the Browns mean business in the AFC North this next season. At Towson, West rushed for 4,854 career yards and 84 touchdowns. In his junior season at Towson, West was able to rush for 2,509 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns. With that type of production, it was impossible for the Browns to pass up on West. Perhaps with West’s speedy bursts and Tate’s efficiency, the Browns’ offense could be humming next season.