Cleveland Browns should draft more Wisconsin Badgers

If there’s one thing the Cleveland Browns should have learned over the past decade, it’s that they need to get more players from the University of Wisconsin.

Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Joe Schobert has officially been named to the Pro Bowl after originally being named an alternate. Ryan Shazier was named to the team as a starter, but with his unfortunate medical situation, he is unable to participate and Schobert was the next man up. Schobert continues what is now an 11-year streak of players representing the Browns in the Pro Bowl, which is one of several reasons the Browns should add Wisconsin players to their roster.

Schobert, in his second season out of Wisconsin, takes the torch from Joe Thomas, who went to every Pro Bowl in the first ten seasons of his NFL career. Unfortunately his streak broken due to the triceps injury that landed him on injured reserve.

This past offseason, the Browns made a smart move in paying out a big contract to secure themselves Kevin Zeitler to play right guard. Zeitler is arguably the most accomplished guard in the NFL that has yet to get an opportunity to go to the Pro Bowl. Along with Thomas and Schobert, three of the top players on the Browns played their college ball in Madison.

Since 2011, people have been complaining about the trade that enabled the Atlanta Falcons to move up to get Julio Jones out of the University of Alabama with the sixth pick in the draft. The real crime was that the Browns didn’t take J.J. Watt, who went 11th. The defensive lineman has been a cornerstone for the Houston Texans and almost single-handedly carried them to the playoffs in a few different seasons. He was outstanding for the Badgers and put on a show against the Ohio State Buckeyes, beating almost every individual linemen they had.

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Tom Brady may be the best quarterback to have ever played the game, but the Browns really dropped the ball when they were unable to secure the services of Russell Wilson, who looks like the best quarterback of his generation. Wilson fell in the draft due to his height despite having an incredibly dominant senior year campaign leading the Badgers to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Wilson and the Badgers came up a little short, losing to Oregon 45-38. The Browns should’ve known better.

Travis Frederick is arguably the best center in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Running back James White has been integral to the New England Patriots recipe for Super Bowl success. Offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk had an outstanding rookie campaign in New Orleans helping them get to within one play of the NFC Championship.

Even the Pittsburgh Steelers have figured out this recipe and managed to stick it to the Browns at the same time when they drafted T.J. Watt this past April. In his rookie campaign, Watt notched seven sacks along with five tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, an interception and even blocked a kick. He’s set to be a thorn in the side of the Browns for years to come.

In April, the Browns will have their opportunity to smarten up and grab a few more Badgers and would be foolish to waste it. Troy Fumigalli, their talented tight end is able to play inline and block, but knows how to use his body to create space and is a reliable pass catcher over the middle of the field in traffic. Garrett Dooley, their talented pass rusher, is set to take part in the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Jack Cichy has had bad luck with injuries but was regarded as a real talent at linebacker and was a productive player next to Schobert.

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For a team desperately seeking answers to their roster, the answer for the Cleveland Browns is in the Badger state. The only shame is that Wisconsin doesn’t have a quarterback coming out this year, so the Browns could solve their biggest need. They’ll have to wait at least another year for Alex Hornibrook.  Look no further than Madison, Wisconsin where the Badgers consistently churn out NFL teams and smart teams are getting as much of it as possible. The Badgers logo is fittingly a ‘W’ and right now, a few of more those in Cleveland sound pretty good.