2011 Draft

First and foremost, I think some congratulations are in order for Tom Heckert. How he was ever able to get a 1st, 2nd and 4th round pick this year and another 1st and 4th round pick next year for what basically amounts to Julio Jones, I will never know. Nonetheless, this was the biggest lopsided trade I may have ever witnessed and for once, it's in Cleveland's favor! Having all those picks, assuming we hit on at the 1st and 2nd rounders, accelerates the rebuilding process under Holmgren and Heckert. Cleveland should be a contender by 2012 instead of 2014. The magnitude of this trade will be felt almost immediately by the organization especially in the amount of cap-room they saved by moving down 15 spots. (Again, that's assuming there is no rookie wage scale once a CBA is reached.)

On to the player Cleveland finally ended up with: Phil Taylor. As everyone knows already, he is a mammoth of a man at 6'4", 335lbs. He has quick feet, decent hands and a relentless motor for a man his size. He is not the flashy pick most fans envisioned prior to the draft, but he is a solid pick make no mistake about it. The beauty of having Taylor to pair with Rubin is that our entire defense will reap the benefits of his presence. Our linebackers will have more room to roam behind the line of scrimmage to make plays. Somewhere, D'Qwell Jackson has a raging... smile on his face. Also, it takes pressure off of our young secondary. They will no longer be stuck on an island or forced to cover a man for 5 seconds or longer thanks to Taylor and Rubin collapsing the pocket. This was an organizational pick. It wasn't trendy, it wasn't flashy, it wasn't what the so-called experts predicted, but it will undoubtedly make the browns a better team. With two 2nd round picks tonight and Da'Quan Bowers still on the board look for the Browns to add him as well. If that happens, the D-line will be set for the next 8-10 years.

Yesterday was a great day in Cleveland thanks in part to Heckert and Holmgren. As an avid Browns fan, I can only hope that there is more to come. To say that yesterday made me giddy would be a drastic understatement. HECKERT, KEEP IT UP!