The problems with the Browns are not necessarily Holmgren's fault. He does share in some of the blame though. He kept Eric Mangini for an extra season, knowing full well that he wasn't running the offense or the defense that Holmgren prefers. He hired Pat Shurmur, touting him as an offensive genius. Shurmur's offense, without the benefit of an off-season and without elite talent at skill positions, ranked 29th out of 32 teams in total offense, and Shurmur looked completely overwhelmed at times.
The problems are the combination of the completely inept coaches and GM's brought in before Holmgren and Heckert. Starting with Dwight Clark, to Butch Davis, to Phil Savage, and finally Eric Mangini. Those failures are on the owner, Randy Lerner. But fair or not, Holmgren and his people have to answer to a fan base who has become disconnected, disconcerted, and increasingly disenfranchised. And Holmgren acting like an ass to the people who buy tickets and buy food and beer in this economy is not exactly the way to gain trust. Tell me how many games you walked out of last year and thought 'Why do I continue to piss my money away for THIS?' The reason we'll be back is because we want to be there when they do turn it around. And this draft will set the stage for this franchise for the foreseeable future.
Let's just look back and see why Cleveland fans are a wee bit distrustful of people who tell us to relax and let the professionals handle things.
Let's start in 2001, ignoring the abortions that were the drafts of Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark, who have to be the worst talent evaluators in the history of the NFL draft. This was Butch Davis's first draft. He brazenly strutted into the war room and declared that in spite of his scout's recommendations, he was selecting Gerard Warren instead of Richard Seymour. Not exactly a brilliant decision. Also on the board, LaDanian Tomlinson, future hall of fame running back, taken 5th. In fact Warren was the only player selected in the top 7 that year that didn't make at least one Pro Bowl. In the second round, he selected WR Quincy Morgan 3 picks before Cincinnati selected Chad Johnson. Thanks Butch.
In 2002, Butch's second draft, he made possibly the most egregious error in a draft since the Browns have been back. Davis selected RB William Green with the 16th pick in the 1st round. At 24, Baltimore selected playmaking S Ed Reed from the U. Butch Davis passed on one of the greatest safeties to ever play football for William Green. Davis COACHED Reed at Miami. How do you pass on that talent having seen him everyday? Un-freaking-believable. In the second round, Davis selected Andre Davis from Virginia Tech, passing over another one of his players at Miami, Clinton Portis. Banner year for old Butch.
2003, the Browns selected Jeff Faine at 21. Not a terrible pick but he's a Center. Every other team in the league can find a Center in the late rounds and develop him. Not us. In the second he selected Chaun Thompson, nicknamed Manbearpig by my buddy Walt. Manbearpig didn't last long, the guy taken two picks later has been pretty good, Anquan Bolden, and so has the guy taken 4 picks later, Osi Umenyiora.
2004, Butch's final draft before his panic attack and subsequent resignation, he decided to finally take a player from the U, Kellen Winslow. Unfortunately, he decided he wanted him badly enough that Matt Millen pryed a 2nd round pick from the Browns for them to move up from 7 to 6. Also unfortunately for the Browns, Winslow busted up his leg covering an onside kick, turned Evil Kenevil, and the rest is history. Also unfortunately for the Browns, another motorcycle badass was taken at 11, Ben Roethlisberger, by the Steelers.
2005 was the beginning of the Phil Savage/Romeo Crenell era, and the transition to the 3-4 defense. With the 3rd pick they selected Braylon Edwards. Hard to fault them for that in a weak draft, but some guy named Aaron Rodgers had a famous draft-day slide and landed in Green Bay at 24. They took S Brodney Pool in the second, 18 picks before another S, Nick Collins, was also selected by GB.
2006 was another banner year in terms of screwing up the future of your franchise. The Browns had the 12th pick and really showed Ozzie Newsome who was boss by writing down the name of Haloti Ngata on their card even though the Browns wanted Kamerion Wimbley. Ozzie relented and paid a steep price, a 6th round pick, to move up and get Ngata. All he's done is go to Pro Bowls. But we got Wimbley. And a 6th that we turned into the venerable Babatunde Oshinowo. Not sure who got the better of that deal. D'Qwell Jackson was a good pick in the 2nd, although Greg Jennings and MJD were 2nd rounders that year. In the 3rd round, to complete possibly my worst draft day meltdown, Travis Wilson, the best wide receiver in the draft, was the choice. Brandon Marshall was taken a round later, and the debate still rages on who was really better. Thanks Phil.
In 2007, the Browns selected LT Joe Thomas, possibly the best pick they've made since they've been back. They also were the talk of the draft after moving back into the 1st round to select sliding QB Brady Quinn. Brady had me fooled. I thought he could be the man, but alas, wrong again. They also moved up in the second round for promising CB Eric Wright, who had the talent but not the willingness to tackle. Plus at some point he must have done something to Rob Ryan or his family, because only someone scorned would have been mean enough to leave a guy on an island against another teams top WR while rushing 8 but apparently instructing them to get nowhere near the opposing QB.
2008 the Browns chose to essentially opt out of the draft, trading 2nd and 3rd round picks for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams. That coupled with the Quinn trade from the previous year left the Browns without a pick until the 4th round. They selected Beau Bell from UNLV, then Martin Rucker from Mizzou. I'm not sure if either of those guys were on the team in 2009. Hard to complain about misses there, although Carl Nicks was a 5th round pick of the Saints. They made a rare great late round pick in DT Ahtyba Rubin. The other big miss here was not getting value for Derek Anderson after his big season, with Quinn waiting in the wings. Doesn't matter in hindsight but it would have been nice to get something for Anderson at the time.
Uncle Romeo's day care was shut down by the 2009 draft, and in rode Eric Mangini, apple of Randy Lerner's eye. Some guy named George Kokinis came along for the ride but either banged an employee or got pissed that he would have no say in the building of the team, depending on what you read. Anyway Eric Mangini put on a clinic on how to set a franchise back. He unloaded Winslow for a 2nd rounder. He then traded the 5th pick in the draft to the Jets for the 17th pick, a 2nd rounder, and a bunch of stiffs (Kenyon Coleman, Abe Elam, and Brett Ratliff!!) that were going to get cut by the Jets anyway. It's not the trade down that I had a problem with it was what he got for it. He moved back from 17 to 19 for a 6th (Tampa took Josh Freeman). He then traded from 19 to 21 (Jeremy Maclin) for another 6th rounder. At 21, when most of Cleveland wanted him to take Clay Matthews III, whose dad was beloved here, he chose another center, Alex Mack. ALEX MACK. If we are going to take a center in the first I want him to be the best in the league. Mack might not even be in the top 8. Next pick was Percy Harvin. You don't think we could've used Matthews or Harvin, right? Or Freeman or Maclin. Thanks Eric. But at least we had 3 second rounders to build this team. With the first one they took Brian Robiskie. Even most Ohio State fans weren't big Brian Robiskie fans. They passed on Rey Maualuga, who hasn't set the world on fire but would've at least given some attitude to our defense. With the next 2nd rounder they selected Mohammed Massaquoi, and two picks later DAVID VEIKUNE, a guy most people had as a 4th or 5th rounder. One pick after Veikune, LeSean McCoy was drafted by the Eagles. Mike Wallace was selected in the 3rd round by the Steelers that year. Those extra 6ths turned into James Davis and Coye Francies. My God what an abortion.
Enter Holmgren and Heckert in 2010. Holmgren kept Mangini in spite of the obvious red flags, like the offense and defense Mangini was running. It was a completely wasted year in terms of player development in the sense that the 4-3 defense and west coast offense were inevitably on the way. However Heckert had a solid first draft, taking Joe Haden and TJ Ward with his first two picks. He traded 3 picks to go get Montario Hardesty despite his injury history (big whiff here), and then McCoy. He took Shaun Lauvao three picks before Jimmy Graham went to the Saints. We might be talking about that one in a few years.
2011, enter Shurmur, Jauron, the west coast offense and 4-3 defense. Heckert made the big trade with Atlanta, traded back up for Phil Taylor, and took Jabaal Sheard and Greg Little with his first three picks. He also took Jason Pinkston in the 5th, who started every game last year.
But this draft will be the make or break for this team and this group of decision makers. This should be Heckert's finest hour if he is as good at evaluating talent as people think he is. And ultimately this will be the draft on which he is judged for years to come.
But it's all those blunders, that incredible collection of mistakes listed above, that give Browns fans pause when we hear people like Mike Holmgren tell us to have patience and let the process take care of itself. And unlike him, we won't get to take our millions of dollars back to Seattle if it truly is "business as usual" in Cleveland.
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