In what is either the greatest smokescreen in modern NFL Draft history or a precursor the Cleveland Browns on the verge of the most bone-headed move (drafting Mitchell Trubisky) in franchise history. At any rate, it appears that the perennially dysfunctional franchise is at it again.
With media reports surfacing that Cleveland—who owns the top and 12th overall picks—in the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia, are torn between edge rusher Myles Garrett and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, collective groans and face palms within Dawg Pound Nation commenced en masse, as only the Browns could make such an easy and obvious pick seem as complicated as advanced-level algebra.
As a life-long—and even longer suffering—Browns fan, I am not surprised to hear about this latest development. I mean, it IS the Browns after all.
Despite having issues getting towards opposing quarterbacks and stopping the run ad nausea, ONLY my Browns would even consider drafting a quarterback from a proverbial basketball school—in North Carolina—with 13 career starts under his belt.
I’m not sure whether Garrett’s private workouts bombed, his past video, his decision to skip the draft or his recent comments vowing to “punish” the Browns if they pass on him, but if these are all reasons and excuses that the Browns are giving themselves to even CONSIDER taking Mitchell Trubisky over Myles Garrett, then this franchise is even dumber than I thought.
From one Browns fan to another, let me ask you this. How many times over the last five-ish years have you screamed and exclaimed the following phrases;
“Where is the F—IN pass rush!”
“Can we get some type of pressure on (insert random QB)!”
“Where is the pressure!!! Can we get any type of pressure on their D—N QB!”
Congratulations! You are one in a million Dawgs. Those who wasted many a Sunday getting your blood pressure up in watching a bad football team. Consequently, a team who lacked ANY type of pass rush at all.
For all of the screaming and shouting that many of us did. Similarly, all the wasted Sundays this past season. Actually, getting an edge rusher would seem a natural choice, right?
Wrong. This is Cleveland, we MUST draft a local Browns-loving quarterback to fulfill our proverbial Bernie Kosar unicorn fantasies.
As I’ve said MANY times this past season, Cleveland needs to stop over-thinking come draft day and take the obvious top overall talent on the board in Garrett, build around and invest in Cody Kessler, address the lines and target the likes of UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold or Wyoming’s Josh Allen in what is supposed to a great draft class in 2018.
The issue I’m seeing here is that—once again—the Cleveland front office is letting the local media and fans influence their draft strategy. Hence, creating doubt and a false narrative.
Thanks to being a part of almost every Cleveland Browns Facebook page and social media channel you can think of, I’ve seen my fellow Browns fans dissect Garrett with more fervor than a high school biology student in referencing his tendencies to “take plays off”, his stats against “inferior competition” or that he doesn’t want to play in Cleveland.
Whatever the case may be, I call bullshit on that.
Last time I check, Garrett played against some of the best competition. Considering he played in the best college football conference in the SEC—sorry to my fellow Buckeye fans, but its true! All in all, recording 141 total tackles, 47.0 tackles for loss, and 31 sacks in three years. Meanwhile, Trubisky couldn’t even beat out the likes of Marquise Williams during his time at the light-blue clad football factory down on Tobacco Road.
Seriously.
What really grinds my gears in this whole homerish justification of fans trying to make a case for Cleveland taking a QB with the top overall pick in what is one of the so-called weakest classes in recent memory.
To my fellow Browns fans; which is it! Myles or Mitchell?
If this QB class is so weak, then why are many here in Northeast Ohio already pre-ordering their Trubisky #10 jerseys as we speak? Considering, that we need defense! What I’m trying to say is that fans can’t have it both ways. In other words, wanting a quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky at No.1 simply because he is from the greater Cleveland area.
Let me ask you this, if Garrett had done and said the same things as before, yet—say for example—had starred at proverbial Buckeye pipeline schools such as Cleveland St. Ignatius, Glenville High or my alma mater, Cleveland Heights High, would he get a proverbial pass from local fans and media instead?
That’s my issue with this whole “report”. If this is true, then its another sad and idiotic example of the Browns trying to outsmart the league. In hindsight, addressing an area of need over the best player on the board. Period.
It’s not even a contest for me. The Browns must and should take Garrett. For the purpose of having last year’s worst pass rush and rushing defense. Also for being near the bottom in QB pressures, sacks, and hits.
Mithcell Trubisky would be nothing more than a marketing tool. Likewise, a token aimed at bringing back all of the former Browns fans—now wearing Big Ben jerseys in protest—due to their sad and pathetic history of drafting.
Hopefully, Cleveland makes the right—and obvious—choice in selecting Garrett and never look back.