tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Browns Lose Out On RGIII: Now What??

The Washington Redskins made a bold move by trading away multiple future draft picks, including their 2013 and 2014 first round draft picks, to the St.Louis Rams in order to move up to the second pick overall in this year's draft to select Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III. It has been reported by multiple sources that the Cleveland Browns tried to make a deal with the Rams but were not willing to give up future first round picks. So the question is: Now What??

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert has indicated that he will not go after a veteran quarterback in free agency and in general the team will not go crazy in free agency. As a result, what the Browns do in this year's draft will be critical in detrmining the future of this football team. While I have been impressed with RGIII, I think the Browns were right in not mortgaging their future to get him. But there are two statements that Heckert has made which bother me.

The Browns GM has indicated that he would be willing to trade down from the fourth pick in order to get additional picks. Haven't we heard this story before??? Isn't this team devoid of playmakers??? With the fourth pick overall the Browns would most certainly be able to select Justin Blackmon which would fill a critical need at wide receiver.

Heckert has also indicated that he really likes Brandon Weeden, the 28 year old quarterback from Oklahoma State. What I found most troubling was that Heckert stated if he could get 5 years out of Weeden that would be great because he (Heckert) might not be around by then. Wow, what a statement!!!

Last season the Mike Holmgren regime took a major hit in my eyes as a result of their unbridled trust in Pat Shurmur's ability to run an offense and the total mishandling of the Colt McCoy concussion situation. In addition, Holmgren's assertion that he doesn't care about what has happened in the past and that "you are either with us or against us" was a slap in the face to long-suffering Browns fans. Moreover, last season was a step backwards as the Browns looked worse than they did in Eric Mangini's last season.

As far as I'm concerned, the honeymoon is over for Holmgren and Heckert. It's time to give Browns fans some hope. I'm not expecting to make the playoffs next year but I am expecting an exciting team, one that can do more than kicking field goals to score points. The next two months will set the stage for the Browns 2012 season and determine if Holmgren & Company will live up to the hype that surrounded his hiring as team president a few years ago.