I wish they hadn't given up their 3rd-rounder, but at least they had more chips to play with after fleecing Atlanta.
Interesting you mention that..
I know my biggest beef with the Phil Taylor trade wasn't so much the pick but what we gave up to get him... I didn't think it would take a 3rd rounder nor did I think it would be worth giving up a 3rd rounder..
Well after seeing who was drafted in the 3rd around after where the Browns would have picked, Heckert is looking like he's not as dumb as some thought he was...
Here's who was drafted from #70-#97:
Justin Houston, DE, Georgia
DeMarco Murray, RB, Oklahoma
Martez Wilson, OLB, Illinois
Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
John Moffitt, OG, Wisconsin
Will Rackley, OL, Lehigh
Jurrell Casey, DT, USC
Austin Pettis, WR, Boise State
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami (FL)
Chris Culliver, S, South Carolina
DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami (FL)
Vincent Brown, WR, San Diego State
Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
Mason Foster, OLB, Washington
Jah Reid, OT, UCF
Allen Bailey, DE, Miami (FL)
Drake Nevis, DT, LSU
Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
Shareece Wright, CB, USC
Curtis Marsh, CB, Utah State
Akeem Dent, LB, Georgia
Joseph Barksdale, OT, LSU
Chris Conte, FS, California
Kenrick Ellis, NT, Hampton
Curtis Brown, CB, Texas
Alex Green, RB, Hawai'i
Sione Fua, DT, Stanford
There's only a few guys that really stand out at me but other than that, there really aren't too many players who you can say "ahh man, I wish the Browns kept their 3rd rounder"... A lot of the guys that went were either guys that were at a position that you can still get later in the draft or at a position that the Browns already addressed... Overall though, giving up that 3rd rounder doesn't look nearly as bad as it seemed at the time...