2014 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North in 2013, but were eliminated in a surprising home playoff loss to San Diego. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Bengals made the playoffs three years in a row, but with a roster as talented as theirs they are looking for more going into the 2014 season. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that Cincinnati was the only team from the AFC North to make the playoffs. Baltimore followed up their Super Bowl campaign with an 8-8 season, and Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the second year in a row with an 8-8 record as well. Cleveland brought in a new coach and GM and they were loaded with two first round picks for 2014. Baltimore: B+ Best Pick: C.J. Mosley Late Round Sleeper: John Urschel Baltimore looks to have found its heir apparent for Ray Lewis in first round pick C.J. Mosley, who many saw as a Top 10 talent. He is a tough, smart hard hitter who will start from Day 1. Tim Jernigan will give the Ravens depth in the defensive line in Round 2. As usual, the Ravens had a strong draft from top to bottom, getting players in later rounds like Lorenzo Taliaferro and Mike Campanaro who can contribute this year. A late round sleeper looks to be John Urschel, a guard who might find a place in the offensive line right away but who is also perhaps the smartest player in draft, after getting his Masters degree from Penn State and teaching math classes there while playing football for the Nittany Lions. Cincinnati: B+ Best Pick: Darqueze Dennard Late Round Sleeper: Russell Bodine The Bengals needed depth in the defensive secondary, and had one of the three best corners in the draft fall into their lap with Darqueze Dennard falling to #24. The Bengals found the bruising back to pair with Gio Bernard in Round 2 with the pick of Jeremy Hill, and also got the eventual replacement for Michael Johnson on defense with Will Clarke in Round 3. Cincinnati also had another potential future starter fall for them when they picked up A.J. McCarron in Round 5. A late round sleeper looks to be Russell Bodine, a center selected in Round 4 who can also play guard. Cleveland: B+ Best Pick: Johnny Manziel Late Round Sleeper: Terrence West The Browns traded down in Round 1, then traded back up to get Justin Gilbert, a cornerback who will team with Joe Haden to form potentially the best tandem in the NFL. Then they traded up with their second 1st Rounder and got the quarterback they wanted all along in Johnny Manziel, who will have a chance to start from Day 1 depending on the health of Brian Hoyer. The offensive line got a healthy dose of big and nasty with the pick of Joel Bitonio, who can play on the right side and open up holes for late round sleeper Terrence West, a bruising back from Towson who will split reps with newly acquired Ben Tate. Pittsburgh: A- Best Pick: Ryan Shazier Late Round Sleeper: Daniel McCullers The Steelers went for defense, and got tow potential starters in Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt. Dri Archer is a multi purpose speedster who will give defenses fits with his blazing speed. In need of a wide receiver, the Steelers picked up Martavis Bryant, who could start opposite Antonio Brown from Day 1. A late round sleeper could be Daniel McCullers, the massive nose tackle who can fill up the middle and free up defenders to make plays around him.

Draft Day Free Screening

I just returned from a free screening of Draft Day down in Louisville. As a draft blogger, there was no way I was going to miss a movie about the NFL Draft. Especially a free one. It was worth the trip. As you probably already know, Kevin Costner plays the GM of the Cleveland Browns, and it follows him through the day of the first round of the NFL Draft, and the trials, tribulations and temptations of making the selections that will shape the future of your franchise. It focuses on the whys behind a player being selected, and how much playing a hunch on a gut feeling can factor into the pick. Costner is Sonny Weaver, Jr., the son of a legendary coach of the Browns who winds up being the boss of his father for a time, and who has come to Cleveland to build the team into the winner the fans of the Cleveland have been looking for since coming back into the league. Jennifer Garner is the salary cap analyst for the Browns front office, who loves the game and had to fight her way up the ladder in a man's world. Costner and Garner are also romantic partners, who find it difficult to carry on their relationship while working together in the same office. Denis Leary is the newly hired coach who butts heads with the GM, and Frank Langella is the owner who not only wants a winner but who wants the Browns to be more relevant in the NFL. Weaver starts the day receiving an offer too good to refuse, but he does. He wants to sit at #7 and get the playmaking linebacker he wants, but the owner wants the franchise quarterback at #1. The owner wins out, but the price has increased. Now the coach, who wants the best running back to build with, along with the quarterback who he believes in but is coming off of injury, sees the future of the team heading the wrong way. it all comes to a head when Commissioner Roger Goddell says the Cleveland Browns are on the clock. From here the war room action gets crazy. The GM starts to have doubts about the quarterback he traded to get, and wants to confirm those suspicions. The coach wants to make a deal that he thinks will benefit the team even more. The type of team HE wants to coach. And the owner has gone to New York to present the #1 jersey to his prized pick at the top of the draft. Needless to say, there is a lot of craziness that goes on during the first round, and in the end the Browns end up with the best end of all the bargains. Of course, I couldn't help but think that if the GM's in this movie were actually running teams in the NFL, they would not be around for Day 2 of the draft. Overall, I give Draft Day a draft grade of B+. Yes, it was a bit too manic, but not too over the top. And the real treat were the actors portraying the top prospects. They were convincing enough to make you believe they could be on the stage come May this year at Radio City Hall. As for the individual grades, I give Costner a late first/early second round grade. He was believable enough to the point that I'm sure there are Browns fans who wish he had been the GM during the last couple of drafts in Cleveland. Langella earns a mid-second round grade as the owner who wants the prize but only sees the shiny object, not the reason it may tarnish. I give Leary a late second round pick as the coach who has a Super Bowl ring, but just how egotistical is someone who constantly flashes the ring to prove a point. But for me the performance of Jennifer Garner makes her my #1 Overall Selection. Garner holds her own against the guys, but also completed the entire shoot in the most impossibly high heels. Now that is a trooper you want to build your franchise around. Draft Day opens on April 11th. I recommend it not only to draftniks everywhere but to all who want to spend an enjoyable evening at the movies. And don't forget to wear your favorite teams colors. It is a movie about the NFL, after all.

TMG DraftZone 2013 NFL Draft Grades: AFC North

The Baltimore Ravens captured their second consecutive AFC North title in 2012, then got hot when it was needed. The dispatched the Colts at home, then went on the road to knock off Peyton Manning in Denver and Tom Brady in New England. The Ray Lewis Retirement Ride ended with a Super Bowl title in New Orleans against the San Francisco 49ers. Joe Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP, then signed a huge contract befitting his status as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. But the Ravens took personnel hits all winter. Lewis retired, Ed Reed signed with Houston and Paul Kruger moved to Cleveland. They were just the beginning, but the Ravens have the best GM in the business with Ozzie Newsome, and he proved that yet again in the 2013 Draft. There were holes to fill, and Ozzie hit the mark all three days. Matt Elam was selected in Round 1 to replace either Reed or Bernard Pollard at safety, and Arthur Brown was a steal late in Round 2 to fill the Hall of Fame shoes of Ray Lewis. But Baltimore was not the only AFC North team to hit the mark on draft weekend. Cincinnati continued their draft hot streak with Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard to add firepower to the offense, and Margus Hunt gives the defensive front the look of The Great Wall Of Cincinnati. At 6'8, Hunt teams with 6'7 Michael Johnson and 6'6 Carlos Dunlap to give the Bengals an imposing look. Pittsburgh lost James Harrison to the Bengals, but found his replacement with one of the biggest draft steals by selecting Jarvis Jones at #17 overall. Cleveland added to their pass rush with Barkevious Mingo at #6 overall, and he can team with Kruger to make the Browns new 3-4 defense very formidable. So here are the draft grades for the AFC North for 2013, with key selections and sleeper picks: Baltimore: A- Arthur Brown (LB) Kyle Juszczyk (FB) Matt Elam will always be seen as the replacement to Ed Reed, but the ball hawking skills of the future Hall of Famer is not the game that Elam plays. He will slip into the physical role of strong safety, but he has the talent to star in the NFL. But Brown has a load to carry at linebacker. Lewis on the field is tough to replace, but his leadership cannot. But if Brown can play his game and not try to be the next Ray Lewis he will be a second round steal. John Simon will also be a contributor at the linebacker position. Juszczyk looks to eventually take over the fullback role, and be the road grater for Ray Rice and provide protection for Flacco. Cincinnati: A Giovani Bernard (RB) Shawn Williams (S) Andy Dalton can now look out over a lineup of A.J. Green on one side, Mohammed Sanu on the other, and a two tight end set of Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert. And what this lineup can do is create holes by spreading out the defense so that Bernard can run to daylight. Bernard also gives Dalton another target in the passing game. Williams will be able to compete for the starting strogn safety spot, and how he handles pass coverage will determine if he can bet out Taylor Mays. Cleveland: C+ Barkevious Mingo (DE) Leon McFadden (CB) Mingo will need to add some strength to work against NFL tackles, but he has to speed to get to the backfield. Many thought that the Browns would go after Dee Milliner to pair with Joe Haden to form a bookend corner set, but now McFadden has a chance to fill that role. Cleveland forfeit its second round pick to that Josh Gordon in the Supplemental Draft, and traded picks to load up on future picks. It's a Win Now If We Can But We're Going To Be Great Later philosophy, but I will give the Browns credit for not drafting a quarterback. Give Brandon Weeden a chance without looking over his shoulder and he can develop into a good quarterback, especially with Trent Richardson to keep defenses honest in the running game. Pittsburgh: B+ Shamarko Thomas (S) Landry Jones (QB) Jones was a steal at #17. But it shows that the Steelers know what they are doing by not looking at the measureables from the Combine and Pro Days and by looking at the player on the field. There was a concern about Jones' spinal stenosis condition, but two seasons at Georgia and medical clearance should have put just about all those fears to rest. Replacements for Rashard Mendanhall at running back and Mike Wallace at wide receiver were picked next by selecting Le'Veon Bell and Markus Wheaton. The eventual replacement to Troy Polamalu may have been found in Sharmako Thomas. But one position you might not think is a need is backup quarterback, with Ben Roethlisberger calling the plays. But as tough as Big Ben is, he has been getting banged up. Landry Jones is in a good position to fill that backup role and keep the Steelers on track is need be.

Panic in the Draft Rooms-Version 2012

The panic is starting to settle into the NFL Draft Rooms. Perhaps not quite as badly as it did last year, but is back. It's the panic to draft a quarterback.

In 2011, the early mock drafts had Jake Locker going late in Round 1, and Christian Ponder not at all in the first 32 picks. But then you started to see the signs that something was going to change. And on draft day it did. Locker went #8 to Tennessee, and Ponder four picks later to Minnesota. San Francisco then traded up early into Round 2 to select Colin Kaepernick. The need to get your franchise quarterback is a strong one, and it is starting to look like the same thing is happening again in 2012.

Washington showed just how much they wanted Robert Griffin III by trading 3 first round picks and a second to select the Heisman Trophy winner in the second slot. After that things are getting interesting. Ryan Tannehill has all the tools to be a solid starter, but he was seen as someone who needed seasoning to reach his potential. PANIC!!! Now it's not whether or not he will go in Round 1, but how high.

As I have been compiling data for my latest DSA Player Rankings, Tannehill is making a move up the charts like I've never seen. Miami is looking to be the likely landing spot, but there is a question out there that only Mike Holmgren can answer: Will the Cleveland Browns take Ryan Tannehill with the 4th Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft?

Cleveland lost out on Griffin, and I have previously posted that I thought it might work out best for the Browns as they could get Tannehill at #22. He won't last that long. After not being able to get Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn in free agency, Cleveland is going into the season with Colt McCoy at quarterback in a division with three playoff teams. With two first round picks, there is a possibility that they might trade up with the pick they acquired last year from Atlanta to get Tannehill, but that cost would be just as great as the Falcons paid to the Browns.

If that is the case, Tannehill better pan out, or Cleveland will be crying PANIC!!! in the Draft Room again, looking to find their franchise quarterback.

The Big Trade

It will become official next week when the NFL business years begins, but the Washington Redskins are the ones who will be making the trade up to #2 in the upcoming NFL Draft. Robert Griffin III will be making his way to the nation's capital courtesy of a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Rams.

The trade is one that people will be talking for a long time. To move up four spots and most likely select the Heisman Trophy winner, Washington will be sending to St. Louis the #6 pick in the draft this year, their second round pick this year (39th overall), plus #1 picks the next two seasons. To say the least, it is a hefty ransom to pay for the reigning king of college football.

If Griffin can live up to his potential and make the Redskins winners again, then Washington will be seen as making a good deal in the long run. But for now, the two teams I see as reaping the biggest rewards are St. Louis and Cleveland.

The Rams are targeting Justin Blackmon so that Sam Bradford can have a playmaking target on the outside. At #6, there is a good chance he will still be there when they pick in the slot formerly held by Washington. Now they have their own pick at the top of the second round as well as the one just acquired by trade. That give them three picks in which to select building blocks for the future. Wide receiver to throw to, offensive lineman to block for Bradford and Steven Jackson, and a cornerback to shore up a secondary that was devastated by injury in 2011. With Jeff Fisher running the show in St. Louis, if the Rams can stay somewhat healthy, they may be able to make another dramatic turnaround just as they did in 2010.

I thought that Cleveland would be the team that would make the trade to move up and acquire Griffin. But by not trading they are a winner as well. They hold their own pick at #4 overall, and the #22 pick they acquired from Atlanta in the Julio Jones trade from last year. And with the 37th overall pick, they also hold three high draft picks this year. Running back is going to be a focal point with Peyton Hillis hitting the free agent market, and Trent Richardson is the prototypical power back that Cleveland has featured for years. His ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him a valuable asset for the Browns and their West Coast offense.

At #22, they could select a top flight receiver for Colt McCoy to throw to, perhaps Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright. Or even another cornerback to play opposite Joe Haden or an offensive lineman to compliment Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach. Taking one here and another in Round 2 will strengthen Cleveland, and in the AFC North they are going to need a lot of help in this draft. But one player they could get with either one of these picks could be Ryan Tannehill, the strong armed quarterback fro Texas A&M.

Any team that does not get Peyton Manning and who does not already have a solid quarterback situation will look at Tannehill. The team outside of the top 10 who fills this bill is Seattle. Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst were both seen as the answer, but both have only brought about questions about their ability to lead the Seahawks past the resurgent San Francisco 49ers. If they do not take Tannehill at #12, they may want to trade up and get him late in the first round. Or Cleveland could land him at #22. Colt McCoy has shown flashes of talent, but has suffered enough concussions to make one worry about his long term viability. If Cleveland gets Richardson, Tannehill and perhaps Alshon Jeffrey, their offense will become very formidable in the years to come.

The two biggest offseason questions were who was trading for Robert Griffin III and where will Peyton Manning land. One has been answered. The other will come about soon enough. The landscape of the 2012 NFL Draft is starting to blossom. The picture will become much more clear in the next few days.

The Quarterback Draft of 2012

The TMG DraftZone is back, and it's time to talk about the upcoming NFL Draft. Last year, interior lineman were a dominant feature on everyones draft boards. It was The Big Uglies that were in the spotlight. In 2012, it will be the pretty boys. Wide receivers, running backs and cornerbacks will get a lot of attention. But the quarterbacks will rule the day.

The top two prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft are quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. The Indianapolis Colts hold the #1 Overall Selection, and have already indicated they will take Luck. St. Louis has the second pick, and with Sam Bradford already entrenched as their signal caller, teams will be falling over themselves wanting to trade and move up to get Griffin. Jeff Fisher is the new head coach of the Rams, but he may as well be a reincarnation of Monty Hall in Let's Make A Deal.

But beyond Luck and Griffin, quarterbacks already on rosters or free agents will be the reason this year will be The Quarterback Draft. The Colts have a decision to make with Peyton Manning. Do they pick up his option for $28 million, and have him serve as a mentor to Luck? Do they sign him and trade the longtime face of the franchise? Do they make a clean break and let Manning become a free agent? Or does Manning say he has had enough, that three neck surgeries are two many for a quarterback, and say it's time to retire?

My gut feeling is that the Colts will not pick up the option on Manning, and that Peyton will retire. But if the right situation comes around, I could also see Manning moving to a contending team for one last run at a championship that would cement his legacy, and that team could be the New York Jets. Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets, has publicly supported his quarterback Mark Sanchez, but has also indicated he could pursue Manning if he were available. For arguments sake, let's say the Jets sign Manning. What happens to Sanchez? There is no way he will sit behind Manning, then move back into the starters role after a couple of seasons. His own teammates, albeit anonymously, have criticized his play and work habits. It would not be far fetched that he would demand a trade, and a team like Washington, Miami or Cleveland could be a possible landing spot.

Speaking of which, those three teams are the most likely to trade up with St. Louis to select Griffin. But if Sanchez is available, he could be a less costly move to upgrade the quarterback position. Because the team that trades with the Rams for the second pick will be mortgaging their draft future to get Griffin. Last year, Atlanta traded 5 draft picks to Cleveland to move up to #6 and select Julio Jones. It will take a deal of that magnitude this year to get the Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor. The Browns have the leverage of being able to trade those picks from the Falcons, and they have Colt McCoy in place now who could quarterback the team until Griffin is ready. But after watching Cam Newton and Andy Dalton do what they did in 2011 without the benefit of OTA's and a shortened training camp, and after watching Griffin play last year, he needs to get the ball right away. I believe he will.

The most intriguing free agent quarterback will be Matt Flynn from Green Bay. Intriguing because of excellent results from a small sample size. He started one game against New England in 2010, and played well in a loss. He then started the final game of the 2011 season against Detroit, and set franchise records for yards and touchdowns in a game. And considering the Packers history, those are impressive records. But the question isn't if a team will take a chance on Flynn, it will be which one will.

Finally, what will Denver do in regards to Tim Tebow. John Elway has stated that Tebow will be the teams starter going into training camp, but that endorsement is as lukewarm as a three day old pot of coffee. Brady Quinn is a free agent, and not likely to return, and the only other quarterback on the Broncos roster is Adam Weber, who spent the year on the practice squad. Tebow may have turned the season around for Denver, but the injuries he suffered in the playoff loss to New England should be a warning for the Broncos. No matter how big and tough a quarterback is, if he is a running quarterback he is going to get beat up. Tebow proved that his biggest weakness is as a pocket passer, and I would not be surprised if Weber gets a good look in training camp and in preseason games with the first team starters. If Elway decides to move Tebow, Jacksonville could be a landing spot. You have a new owner looking to fill the stadium and put a winner on the field, and having a hometown hero like Tebow could accomplish both. As long as Tebow can stay on the field.

The 2012 NFL Draft will be dominated by the quarterbacks. Both incoming and already there. Things will start to fall into place once the Colts and Peyton Manning decide what each one is going to do. After that, the dominoes will start falling into place. I can't wait for the push that gets everything going. Let the NFL Draft Season begin.

AFC North Draft Grades: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2011 NFL Draft with the sixth overall selection, but the package offered by the Atlanta Falcons was too tempting to pass up. They moved down to #27, then back up to #21, and wound up with two picks in rounds 2, 4 and 5 each.

In Round 1, the Browns selected Phil Taylor, and big defensive tackle out of Baylor. But Taylor is seen as a prototype 3-4 nose tackle, and Cleveland is switching to a base 4-3 defense. But Taylor is the run stuffer the Browns need to plug up the middle against the rest of the AFC North.

In Round 2, Cleveland selected Jabaal Sheard, a pass rushing end out of Pittsburgh, and Greg Little, a wide receiver out of North Carolina. Sheard should be able to step in right away in the 4-3 defense, and Little provides Colt McCoy with a huge target on the outside.

In Round 4, Cleveland landed Jordan Cameron, the athletic tight end from USC, after first apparently calling Cameron Jordan to inform them they had selected him with their pick. Jordan was nice enough to inform the Browns that he has already been selected by New Orleans, and that they needed to contact Jordan Cameron instead.

Also in the fourth round, the Browns got the ultimate throwback player of the draft in Owen Marecic, who played fullback and linebacker at Stanford. Marecic looks to be a full time back blocking for Peyton Hillis from now on.

A late round sleeper pick looks to be Jason Pinkston, an offensive tackle out of Pittsburgh. Pinkston is a straight ahead run blocker, and Cleveland will want to establish the run game with Hillis to take the pressure off of McCoy next season.

Draft Grade: B+

Draft Grades: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns went into the 2010 NFL Draft and attempted to land the big fish on it's first cast. They tried to make a deal with the St. Louis Rams to trade up and take Sam Bradford with the 1st Overall selection. To do so would have gutted the depth of their draft board, and not making the deal is going to be better for them in the long run.

Cleveland passed on Jimmy Clausen to select Joe Haden with the 7th pick. In the second round they reached a bit to select T.J. Ward, a safety out of Oregon. The Browns then moved up take Montario Hardesty late in Round 2. Hardesty should provide depth in the running game behind James Harrison.

In the 3rd Round Cleveland got their quarterback in Colt McCoy. Mike Holmgren has come out and said that McCoy would not be playing in his rookie season, and it will benefit McCoy to do just that. As with Bradford and Tim Tebow, coming from a spread offense in college, it's going to take time to adjust to the pro game. With Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace on the roster, McCoy has the chance to have the best long-term results of the four quarterbacks.

A late round sleeper for Cleveland looks to be Carlton Mitchell, a wide receiver out of South Florida. At 6'3, 215, he provides a tall, athletic target and needed depth for the Browns receiver corps.

Draft Grade: B

Shopping the 1st Overall Pick

Word has started getting around that the St. Louis Rams have been discussing a trade for the 1st Overall selection in the upcoming 2010 NFL Draft, and that their trading partner is the Cleveland Browns. In order for the trade to happen, the Browns would have to give up so much I don't see how they would benefit from the deal.

Both teams have a lot of holes to fill. And the biggest is quarterback. Cleveland is looking to move up and select Sam Bradford. But in order to get him they would have to trade the #7 overall selection, a number of picks later in this years draft, most likely future picks (including a #1), and maybe even current players.

The question though should be 'Why doesn't Mike Holmgren like Jimmy Clausen?' He has made no secret that he is not looking to select the Notre Dame quarterback, and I wonder if his ego is starting to get in the way. There are some people that no matter what you can't tell them anything. I get the feeling that Holmgren is the same way. He gets rid of Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, and brings in Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. Is that an upgrade? It sure doesn't look like it. Cleveland can get it's quarterback of the future in Clausen without mortgaging the ranch to get him. With Washington trading for Donovan McNabb and Seattle trading to get Charlie Whitehurst, the next team looking for a quarterback is Cleveland. Clausen could be a good fit, but it sure doesn't look like Mike Holmgren is going to take him.

Now if you are the St. Louis Rams the deal makes a lot more sense. They have more holes to fill than anyone, and if they can get a Ricky Williams type deal they can fill most of them, including the quarterback. If they can load up on picks and still select Clausen with Cleveland's #7 pick they will be getting a quarterback who played in a pro style offense in college and who many scouts have said is more pro ready than Sam Bradford.

If for some reason the deal does go down, Cleveland better hope that Bradford pans out. Having another quarterback taken in the first round turn into a bust, following Tim Couch and Brady Quinn, will set the franchise back a long, long way.