Browns Blog

This is crazy

This year, I feel like a kid who might not get any toys for Christmas. The NFL draft -- one of my favorite days of the year -- is nearing, and I'm not sure how to deal with it.

Among the bad things about covering the Browns in the past were all the terrible seasons. One of the good things is that those bad seasons meant high draft picks and exciting draft days.

Thanks to three trades, the Browns don't have a draft pick this year until the fourth round. By the time the Browns pick on Sunday (assuming they don't trade up), Mr. Irrelevant (the last player chosen) won't be far from going off the board.

Browns' fans should look at this draft as a good thing. General manager Phil Savage feels good enough about the team's progress to make the trades that landed quarterback Brady Quinn and defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams wise moves.

As long as draft weekend will seem for Browns' fans, think about the alternative. In 1999 and 2000 the Browns had double picks as a helper to their expansion status. How many of those Dwight Clark picks can you name?

The draft is a great way to build a talent base, but it can be overrated and completely misused. The Browns were given an advantage in 1999 and 2000 by he NFL, and they squandered the opportunity.

So maybe it's not so bad that the Browns don't have a pick in the first three rounds. It will give their fans a chance to sit back and think about next season, which could be one of the more entertaining seasons since the franchise's return to the NFL.