Bless me Lucky Charms: The Cleveland Browns are drafting #3 in the 2007 NFL Draft. All the unicorns and leprechauns in my little Brownie universe, it seems, have aligned. The Cleveland Browns — and their Death Star of a franchise — are in the right orbit now to draft Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.
The only question now is this: Will they pull the trigger?
No doubt, the Browns — like most of the special children in my universe — have a lot of needs. Offensive linemen, a top-notch cornerback, a stud running back to bash his way out of the backfield, and even a feisty water boy with a heart of gold are on the top of their wish list.
So, the question remains, who should they select with such a high pick?
My rule of thumb is you never pass up a potential franchise player with a lofty draft pick in the NFL. Yes, the Cleveland Browns desperately need a star lineman to keep their future quarterback from continually chewing turf on the shores of Lake Erie. Yes, the Browns need a running back who could beat both The Flash and Superman in a foot race around the globe.
But, unfortunately, I truly believe that the Cleveland Browns need a quarterback with a rocket-to-you arm and all the mechanics to just win, baby, win.
Charlie Frye, albeit a good guy, is not the answer. Frye has, at times, shown the ability to be very okay, at the very least. But Frye (like most young quarterbacks) has made his share of shudder-inducing mistakes as well in the most crucial of times when the game is on the line.
The Browns need a force to be reckoned with in their backfield. The Browns need a fearless leader who is able to utilize the weapons of pass destruction they have constructed in the Cleveland Etch-a-Sketch forms of Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow Jr., and Joe Jurevicius.
And that force of nature just happens to be Quinn.
Last year, the Oakland Raiders passed on quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler — and their franchise has suffered significant losses because of it. Owner Al Davis — in all of his polyester jumpsuit “wisdom” — made the blunder of this NFL century by settling for the bumbling Aaron Brooks. Can the Browns afford to make the same mistake? I think not.
Critics of Brady Quinn might claim that the Browns might be better suited to draft Oklahoma running back, Adrian Peterson — and they might have a point.
Truth be told, the Browns lost out big time when they passed on LaDainian Tomlinson who is on pace to possibly be the best running back of all time. But I question whether Adrian Peterson is the next Tomlinson. Peterson’s injuries on the field seem to often outweigh his potential talent.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
I re-read this by pasting it into Wordpad, replacing "Notre Dame" with "LSU" and "Brady Quinn" with "JaMarcus Russell," and I agree with it 100%.
2 - geeves
just remember, their getting Quinn OR Russell is also just slightly hinging on either of them actually still being around when CLeveland picks 3rd.
3 - rashaffer
I disagree 100%. Tim Couch was more polished out of college than Brady Quinn is now, and we all know where that led. Just like Charlie Frye, he had no ruinning game either. The line needs to get healthy, add some free agents or draft an OL in the second round, but whatever you do, don't pass up a franchise type RB. Adrian Petterson all the way.
4 - RJ Elliott
The Lions will draft Brady Quinn. If they don't, Matt Millen will be lynched.
5 - Ryan
Raiders will most likely draft Russel and the Lions arent really out for a fresh new QB. The browns have a shot at taking a QB and they should definately go for Quinn, although Troy Smith is not out of the question.
6 - Phil
Has Brady Quinn ever, EVER, won a big game? Notre Dame is never the team they're supposed to be but guys like yourself love to hang on their n-ts anyway. To call Quinn a fearless leader is a joke and to say he's got any better an arm than frye is worse still. The NFL is different than college. Frye looked like rocket arm in his years at Akron, I know it's the MAC but that doesn't change how he throws. To take Quinn and expect him to turn the Browns around is possibly the silliest idea I've heard about the draft this year. Russell is great, but how many QB's do the Browns have to go through before people want to change the other aspects of the team?
7 - Phil
and never, ever, ever, compare brady quinn to Joe Montana again. As for Kordell Stewart, maybe the most fickle QB of all time, but 2 super bowl appearances and an MVP aint so bad.
8 - LOU
COME ON GUYS, LETS FORGET ALL THE COMPARING,WE NEED A GOOD OFFENSIVE LINE,PERIOD. YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE JOE MONTANAS YOU WANT AND JIM BROWNS IN THE BACKFIELD,BUT WITHOUT THOSE HORSES UP FRONT TO PROTECT OUR QB AND BLOW OPEN HOLES FOR OUR BACKS, WE AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE,IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. NO ROCKET SCIENTIST NEEDED. I WAS BORN THE YEAR THE BROWNS CAME TO BE AND I TUNED SIXTY THE YEAR MY BROWNS TURNED SIXTY,I HAVE SEASON TICKETS AND I HOPE WE WIN ONE IN THIS LIFETIME.
9 - TH
Rick Mirer Anyone?
10 - ssgTrigg
RE:Has Brady Quinn ever, EVER, won a big game?
That opening line right there tells me you know absolutely nothing. "Has ND ever, EVER, won a big game"? Is what you should have wrote idiot. So what, Jamarcus Russell beat Brady Quinn and that makes him a better QB? The Texans beat the Colts this year does that make Carr better than Manning? I guess so huh. People keep telling me that Russell is a "proven winner".....thats funny so was Craig Krenzel and Danny Wuerffel.
"Some peoples kids...."
11 - beach ball head
have another beer..... sit down and let me tell u, that your idea is far from fullpoof.... me personally i would like them to take joe thomas or trade down
12 - Dan
Yes, it's Brady Quinn's fault that LSU scored 41 points in the Sugar Bowl. Or that USC's Jarret caught that 4th down pass in 2005. Yea, I suppose he should've been on the d-line too when Bush pushed Leinart into the endzone for the final score.
And let's conveniently forget the comebacks he led against MSU and UCLA this year. And that Charlie Weis has a fist-full of Superbowl rings to back up his claim that Quinn will be a great NFL qb.
Yup, much better to make decision out of pure spite.
13 - connor ross
the browns should not go for brady he will choke the browns should pick up adrian peterson or calvin johnson. they should pick adrian because hes one of the greates hb coming out of college and lewis who is are running back is only signed for one year and they can switch on and off i think we should pick up troy smith in the 5th or 6th round he is taller than mike vick and plays like him calvin johnson would be a good pick because i know for sure he is going to be a hugh impact in the nfl . but getting him is not likely because we got winslow and edwards cj wouldn't get any td or catches