Cleveland Browns Mailbag

Taking questions from fans about the Cleveland Browns and upcoming NFL Draft.

I’ve never done one of those so we’ll see how this goes. Mostly, I just write and tell you what I think, so I figured I’d open up to seeing what people want to know about the Browns and the upcoming draft in less than a month that I could answer beyond 140 characters on Twitter.

Related Story: Cleveland Browns: Handicapping the 2nd pick in the NFL Draft

So with that in mind, here are some of the questions I received.

"@_PeteSmith_ What do the Browns do at center and RT in 2016? — Patrick Martin (@patrick__martin) March 28, 2016"

Obviously with the Browns losing both Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack to free agency, they will have to field replacements. The Browns do have a number of options for each spot.

Starting with center, the most obvious answer is Cam Erving, a first-round pick in 2015. Although Erving struggled as a rookie, he did stand up and show some professional pride at the end of the year that gives some hope that he will fight for his NFL career.

The team has told Erving to focus on center, which has made fans feel better about the situation. And if the team is saying it, there is reason to expect that is going to be the case, but the fact that Erving moved around the line last year and ultimately ended up at guard had very little to do with his struggles.

Erving was simply out of shape, would stop his feet on contact and wasn’t ready for the NFL. Moving him over a yard and having him snap the ball wouldn’t have fixed that, so Erving going to center isn’t a magic wand to his issues.

However, if the Browns have a value they simply feel too good to pass up in the draft, they could end up drafting a talented center in a deep class of them. At that point, Erving could move to guard or even tackle. He is athletic enough to play tackle but struggled with his landmarks and the geometry of the position in college.

The last possibility for center is John Greco. The team’s right guard from last year, he has played the pivot before and could do it now. Greco is a poor fit in a gap scheme and there is reason to believe that he could be moved before the season rolls around to a team that needs a better zone scheme offensive lineman.

If a team is going to sacrifice power, center is usually the way to go, opting for technique and intelligence to make up some of the difference as well as having guards on either side to help carry the load. Greco can do that.

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As for right tackle, the answer is far less clear right now, but again, they have a number of options.

Joel Bitonio is more than capable from an athletic standpoint to play tackle and coming out of Nevada where he played left tackle, it seemed more likely a team would draft him to play tackle than guard. The Browns plugged him in at left guard where he has flourished and while he didn’t have the same level of success he did as a rookie, he was still quite good.

As a result, Bitonio could move to right tackle, but this front office may come to the conclusion that they’d rather he just continue to be a force at left guard, have he and Joe Thomas form a dominant left side and not mess with what he’s done to this point in his career.

Another option would be Austin Pasztor. A good waiver pick up from the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, Pasztor filled in at guard when Greco and Bitonio both suffered injuries at the end of the year. Pasztor was inconsistent, but he really thrived as a pulling guard on power style runs, which is what Hue Jackson will want to utilize in his offense.

Before Pasztor moved to guard, he did play right tackle for the Jaguars. He is the length to do the job and while he may not be ideal from an athletic standpoint, the Browns coaching staff may think they can get by with Pasztor there at least in the short term.

The last option on the current roster is Michael Bowie. Bowie hasn’t actually played a regular season down for the team after the Browns grabbed him off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks. He was injured when they got him and the team hoped he could come back healthy and contribute. It’s not clear where he is now but he is an enormous body that gives them an option at the spot. If he can’t contribute now, the team may simply cut him.

The final option is this year’s draft where a number of talented offensive lineman could fit the bill and potentially contribute right away. A few that stand out to me are Joe Haeg from North Dakota State, Jason Spriggs from Indiana and Cole Toner from Harvard.

An opening day offensive line like this could look really good with a great deal of potential going forward:

Left Tackle: Joe Thomas

Left Guard: Joel Bitonio

Center: Cam Erving

Right Guard: Austin Pasztor

Right Tackle: Joe Haeg

"@_PeteSmith_ what would you rank as the top three needs for this team? (By position)— Matt Mramer (@SportsMattCLE) March 28, 2016"

1. Defensive End

The Browns desperately need an impact player on the defensive line and a 5-technique defensive end. Getting both in the same player would be ideal, giving them what should be a talented young unit that can actually move the line of scrimmage.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans are great examples of teams without top talent throughout their defense, but having 2 of the best 5-tech defensive ends in the NFL in Cameron Heyward and J.J. Watt. Impacting the run game and contributing as pass rushers, both not only make plays for themselves but create opportunities for teammates.

The Browns still have Desmond Bryant and he is a good pass rusher. In fact, the team’s pass rush as a whole can largely be attributed to when he’s creating it. The problem with Bryant is he is a mediocre run defender and tends to miss time with injury. When he’s worn down or hurt, the Browns simply have not had another body that could effectively fill that role.

Not only would drafting a big body for that position take some pressure off of Bryant and hopefully give them a much better run defense, it should allow Xavier Cooper to focus entirely on playing inside as an interior pass rusher where he is at his best.

The Browns desperately need a game changer at this position and along with improvement from Danny Shelton and consistency from John Hughes, could give them a really good defensive line rotation when adding in players such as Cooper, Bryant and Jamie Meder.

2. Free Safety

The Browns let Tashaun Gipson walk and while the numbers to his contract look pretty daunting, the structure is a great contract for the Jaguars. Gipson was a horrific run defender but he was effective making plays on the football, which is how he ended up going to the Pro Bowl in 2015.

In response to that loss, the team signed former Houston Texans safety Rahim Moore, who is not a bad player but is more of a stopgap option.

Behind Moore, the Browns have Jordan Poyer. Poyer is actually a valuable role player that can help at safety or in the slot. The problem is that outside of maybe a spot start here or there, Poyer hasn’t shown capable of handling the load as a starting free safety, which is why the Browns opted to sign Moore.

In other words, the Browns do have some relative youth at the position, but at this point, do not have what appears to be a viable candidate for the free safety position over the long term. If Horton intends to play a lot of single high coverage, that could be an issue.

3. Quarterback

I like the Robert Griffin III signing as long as the move wasn’t made in a vacuum. Yes, he can be a good starting quarterback, provided he stays healthy and fixes the issues that dogged him in Washington after his injuries. Unfortunately, those are pretty big if’s and the quarterback position may look okay, it’s still not certain.

Until the position is certain, the Browns aren’t going anywhere since they would still have the worst starting quarterback in the division and that’s an extremely difficult hill to climb to be competitive and make the playoffs. I guess one can argue that quarterback no longer being the #1 need is progress, but barely.

All indications are Hue Jackson feels the same way. He will likely have his chance to take who he feels is the best quarterback in the draft (likely Carson Wentz) and if the Browns get him, a quarterback room of Griffin, Wentz and hopefully Josh McCown would be the most talented group the team has had since the team came back in 1999.

Feel free to comment about how criminal it is that I left wide receiver out of this list.

"@_PeteSmith_ thoughts on Ifo and Telfer for next season. #browns — TonyBordeus (@Goodbyebluskies) March 28, 2016"

Everything depends on them being healthy enough to contribute. The indications are that Ifo Ekpre-Olomu might actually be ahead of schedule coming off his significant knee injury but still unclear when he will be ready to contribute. There has been even less said regarding Randall Telfer, though it is assumed he is past the foot injury that held him out his rookie year.

Assuming they are healthy, Olomu most naturally competes at corner. He is short but has terrific feet and man coverage skills. A great weak side corner at Oregon, Olomu could also slide inside and contribute as a slot corner.

K’Waun Williams is fantastic in the slot but has had injuries with concussions that caused him to miss time. Olomu could step in there while contributing as the other slot in dime with an eye towards trying to take an outside corner job.

There are those that argue that Olomu would actually be better as a free safety. This is more theoretical than anything but the Browns have so many corners that Olomu could conceivably have a quicker path to contributing as a safety if the team wants to give him a look there.

With Telfer, he plays a position the Browns really need; an inline tight end. Telfer was used as more of a blocking tight end at USC but does have some upside athletically to do more.

Last year in particular, the Browns were pathetic when it came to blocking from the tight end and fullback positions. It was a major reason the Browns running game struggled so much last year. Gary Barnidge doesn’t offer much as a blocker and the team already got rid of Jim Dray, who was signed for that exact job and struggled.

The only other 2 tight ends on the roster currently are E.J. Bibbs, who never offered much as a blocker at Iowa State and Connor Hamlett, a tight end from Oregon State with the size to help as a blocking option there. But if people are honest, they didn’t know that Hamlett was on the team or who he was (I didn’t until I looked it up).

With the lack of options the Browns currently have at that position, it’s difficult to imagine Telfer won’t get every opportunity to see if he can contribute in that capacity, but it’s something the Browns should continue to look to upgrade to try to improve this position and add depth.

"@_PeteSmith_ most likely spot for a trade down? #2 or #32? — Anton Golden (@Antonimal) March 28, 2016"

Much to the chagrin of fans, neither seems likely as a spot to trade down. That said, if I’m forced to handicap which scenario is more likely, it’s 32nd pick.

So many want the Browns to trade down from 2nd pick, because they are desperate to avoid picking a quarterback. In the event the Browns don’t take Carson Wentz, which is unlikely, it’s still not prudent for them to trade down from that spot. Whichever player they love, they should just take them there and move onto the next pick.

The 32nd pick is far more likely to have a trade involved because it’s the top pick of the 2nd day of the draft. Teams have almost an entire day to reorganize their board and if they have someone they love, they can make a play for them to get the 1st pick of Friday’s festivities and get their target.

The problem is if the Browns are moving off of 32nd pick, it’s probably because they want to move back into the 1st round to secure a player they are targeting rather than moving down to add more assets. The team already has 10 picks this year and are likely to have 10 next year, so they can use some of them to make sure they get the players they truly covet rather than risk losing them.

I’m all set to be wrong, but it would be pretty stunning that the Browns trade down from either 2nd or 32nd pick.

"@_PeteSmith_ if you’re Sashi, who are you eyeing at #32? #Browns — Dan Gatta (@dangatta) March 28, 2016"

It all depends on how the board plays out and who is there to be picked, but the guy I’m hoping the Browns can land at 32 is Chris Jones, DL from Mississippi State.

The 6’6″ 310lber has power and athleticism that makes him equipped to play the 5-tech defensive end spot in Horton’s defense. He fits the Horton manta ‘big guys who can run and small guys who will hit’.

Ideally, the Browns could land Jones to play the 5, which would allow Desmond Bryant to be focused more on pass rushing and sub package situations in addition to being fresher. On running downs, the Browns could have a defensive line with Jones, Danny Shelton and John Hughes, giving them a wall that would allow their linebackers and safeties to fly around and make plays. Jones does have upside as a pass rusher and versatility where he can play up and down the line.

In the event Jones goes before 32nd pick, here are a couple other possibilities.

Karl Joseph, S West Virginia – if his knee checks out at the medical recheck, he is a ball hawk that likes to hit people, which is the only reason he’s not the top safety in the draft (other than Jalen Ramsey) and a lock 1st rounder.

Laquon Treadwell, WR Ole Miss – I can’t imagine he lasts this long, but he is my top wide receiver in this class. He is a power receiver that can play the slot or on the outside. Treadwell is ideally suited to play in Hue Jackson’s offense with the ball in his hands or as a blocker. He just beats up the opponent.

Hopefully Chris Jones is there, the Browns can snatch him up and they can move on from there.

"@_PeteSmith_ which current Browns player makes the biggest leap next year under the new staff? — Pat Dyer (@PDyer82) March 28, 2016"

Danny Shelton. There are 2 major reasons why he should make a huge leap this coming year.

The first one is that he simply needs to improve his pad level. This can be accomplished by getting stronger in his glutes, hamstrings and improving his ankle flexibility.

Shelton’s issues were never a matter of effort. He played hard, chased plays down the line and was always trying to make the right play. His inability to get under opponents proved to be a huge problem and held him back significantly, even forcing the Browns to use Jamie Meder (a pleasant surprise last year) to play in a lot of key situations.

Shelton also did improve over the course of the year, so his best games were not surprisingly at the end of the year, which should be another sign of better things to come.

If Shelton improved his pad level, which should equip him to progress substantially, he is also hopefully receiving better coaching. The combination of having the tools to be a great nose tackle along with better instruction should allow Shelton to be far more of what people expected from the 13th pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.

"@_PeteSmith_ w. analytics, greater access to film, & improved tech have teams done significantly better evaluating prospects than yrs past? — Shrödinger’s Cat (@Aloha_Mars1729) March 28, 2016"

There’s certainly far more data but not every team seems effective at employing it.

A good example is the Seattle Seahawks. They use SPARQ as a measure of athleticism for their prospects, which is how they’ve drafted multiple defensive linemen with the idea of making them into offensive linemen.

That might make sense from a testing and athleticism point of view, SPARQ hasn’t taught any of them how to block. As a result, their offensive line coach, Tom Cable, is doing the best he can but the results have been pretty miserable.

Data, analytics, and new technology are great tools, but they have to be applied correctly. They can’t be used as a be all, end all decision maker on their own, but should be used in conjunction with the film and overall techniques that aren’t disappearing any time soon.

So, the answer is kind of? There are teams evolving and how they use these tools but some are too reliant on them while others outright ignore the data and go with the sexy pick (Johnny Manziel anyone?).

"@_PeteSmith_ any WRs you like in the 3-5 round range? think it’d be a good place to double up at the position even — lukequon treadwell (@LakeEffectBro) March 28, 2016"

Frankly, I think this area and going to the end of this year’s draft is where teams should really be grabbing wide receivers. There are some talented receivers in this class but the top ones may get overdrafted while the more patient shopper may find themselves some terrific values.

More nfl spin zone: Cleveland Browns: Sign Griffin, Draft Wentz, Keep McCown

Here are a few receivers that could fall into that category:

Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia – Missed time due to injuries and dealt with poor quarterback play, but shows a ton of ability and athletic upside in what he can bring. And as a bonus, the Bulldogs use a lot of pro concepts so he may be able to adapt to the NFL more quickly than many others and contribute on the outside.

Charone Peake, Clemson – Once a pretty quiet name, Peake appears to have picked up a lot of steam. Athletically gifted receiver that can stretch the field vertically and showed well at the Senior Bowl. Not the prospect that many former Tigers have been, but could be a really nice player in the NFL for a long time.

Jay Lee, Baylor – Less heralded because of Corey Coleman but Lee showed quite a bit in terms of ability at the Senior Bowl in route running but also tested well. Big, physical receiver that resembles Josh Gordon in his sheer stature and could play the Z across from Gordon like he did at Baylor across from Coleman.

Tajae Sharpe, Temple – Tiny hands but gets open, catches the ball and makes plays. Incredibly productive receiver that has been moved all around their offense, so he has experience on the outside as well as the slot.

Paul McRoberts, Southeast Missouri State – X receiver at a small school that dominated that level and showed extremely well at the Senior Bowl against better competition, though I haven’t seen his testing results to this point.