2015 Draft Prospects

Saw some mocks that have the Browns taking Gurley in the 1st round...if there's ONE thing the Browns could do in this draft that would piss me the fuck off, it'd be taking a damn RB in the 1st round.

From ESPN Insider:

Roster needs
Biggest need: Tight end -- The Browns tried to fill the Josh Gordon void with Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline, but losing tight end Jordan Cameron was a big blow. That leaves Gary Barnidge and Jim Dray at the position. Neither player averages 8.0 yards per game over his entire career -- yes, that's per game, not per catch -- so the Browns need someone with an affinity for catching the ball.
Quiet need: Quarterback -- It's a bit of an oxymoron to say the Browns quietly need a franchise quarterback, but it's hard to trust Johnny Manziel at this point. The backup plan is now Josh McCown instead of Brian Hoyer, and McCown has essentially been a half-year wonder in his career.
Not a need: Offensive line -- Joe Thomas, Alex Mack (injured in 2014) and Joel Bitonio are the main building blocks of one of the best lines in the league. Now if only the Browns had the weapons to take advantage of such talent. The Browns have ranked 22nd or worse in Football Outsiders' offensive DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric in 15 of the past 16 seasons.
--Scott Kacsmar, Football Outsiders
Prospect targets
Louisville WR DeVante Parker (Pick 12): The Browns added Bowe and Hartline this offseason but there is still a need to find a dynamic playmaker outside the hashes. Parker needs some polishing with his routes, but he has a long and flexible frame with deceptive speed to stretch the field. In addition, his size, body control and consistent ability to win in one-on-one contested situations would help ease the loss of Josh Gordon, who is suspended for at least a year.
Washington DT Danny Shelton (Pick 12): This doesn't seem to be a pressing need heading into the season, but it's important to remember NT Phil Taylor is entering the last year of his rookie deal. Shelton would bring good value at this spot and has the size (6-foot-2, 339 pounds) to develop into a dominant force against the run and future pillar down the middle of Cleveland's defense, while also flashing the ability to get push from the interior of pocket as a pass-rusher.
Miami OT Ereck Flowers (Pick 19): Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is entering a contract year, and continuing to infuse size and talent in that front line to improve the running game and take pressure off of the QB makes sense here. Flowers doesn't show great flexibility in his lower half and needs some work with his hand technique, but he has a massive frame with excellent length and natural strength at the point of attack. He could start his career at guard before eventually bumping outside as a replacement for Schwartz.
--Kevin Weidl, Scouts Inc.
Predictions
1. Marcus Mariota will not be a Brown unless he slides in the draft, and even then it's no guarantee: Giving up the 12th and 19th overall picks isn't enough to reach the top two selections in the draft. Cleveland is giving Josh McCown $6.25 million guaranteed, because a savior is unlikely. The team has struggled with spread-quarterback draft picks Manziel and Brandon Weeden. But general manager Ray Farmer made two Day 1 trades last year. He could pounce if Mariota falls.
2. Browns will go for big bodies in the first round and rely on receiver depth to fill a major need on Day 2: If Shelton isn't there at No. 12, one of several high-caliber pass-rushers will be. Paul Kruger was the only Browns outside linebacker to surpass two sacks last year. Several good linemen, where Cleveland drives competition, will be around at 19. Potential breakout receivers (USC's Nelson Agholor) will flood Day 2.
3. Browns are intrigued enough by Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty to give him hard consideration in the second round: Plucking a quarterback from this year's second tier is a good way to evaluate the future without having to trade for it. Petty has impressed a few at Browns headquarters. He has character, size and big-play ability, but his accuracy (63.1 percent in a wide-open Baylor offense) is a notable deficiency.
--Jeremy Fowler, NFL Nation Browns reporter

People pay for ESPN Insider if for no other reason to learn that tight end is a bigger need than QB.

AZ_ said:

People pay for ESPN Insider if for no other reason to learn that tight end is a bigger need than QB.

Click to expand...

Not a need: Offensive Line

Words, words, words...

Pick #19: Ereck Flowers.

@Amherstcavsfan i've seen you give your input on players before, was curious what you thought of a few players that i'm particularly fond of:

James Castleman, DT, I like him as a late round prospect or UFA, i don't see him as a starter by any means but could be some depth and contribute on special teams or at times he was used by the cowboys as a RB (love the idea of using him as a big bus just pounding peole) and even caught the ball out of the backfield

Blake Bell, TE
Chris Bonner, QB
Zach Zenner, RB/FB
Chris Conley, WR
Sammie Coates, WR

Randolphkeys said:

Not a need: Offensive Line

Words, words, words...

Pick #19: Ereck Flowers.

Click to expand...

Been on this for about 2 1/2 months.... but really believe Cam Erving will be a Brown if he makes it to 19

I sincerely hope not.

It's already beyond absurd to invest another high pick in an already stalwart offensive line.

They have enough talent on the line, if they want to improve on it they have afforded themselves the opportunity to develop some guys next to that elite talent. Using a high pick offers little value for this team.

There are some right tackle, center and right guard prospects that are projected to go in the fourth or fifth rounds, guys who don't have the athleticism or speed to pass protect at left tackle but move bodies in the running game. The Browns have too many holes to be fretting about Schwartz and Mack leaving next offseason. Drafting O-line high in 2015 will probably be my final nail in the coffin with Farmer.

Marbles said:

@Amherstcavsfan i've seen you give your input on players before, was curious what you thought of a few players that i'm particularly fond of:

James Castleman, DT, I like him as a late round prospect or UFA, i don't see him as a starter by any means but could be some depth and contribute on special teams or at times he was used by the cowboys as a RB (love the idea of using him as a big bus just pounding peole) and even caught the ball out of the backfield

Blake Bell, TE
Chris Bonner, QB
Zach Zenner, RB/FB
Chris Conley, WR
Sammie Coates, WR

Click to expand...

I've done a few of those guys *Bell and Coates* so I'll put those evals up here with the rest.

Castleman: Interesting player. Literally not an ounce of quit in his game. He does a decent job of stack and shed, and really really gets the most out of his athletic talent. Absolutely not a pass rusher. Isn't athletic and can be taken out pretty easy. A guy who could stick around the league on practice squads, but I'm not sure he'll ever be anything else.

Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma (EW%): Can be an effective blocker. Really has a huge frame that can stand to add more weight and lean. He is a former QB, so learning a new position all of a sudden he hasn't had time to get his body right. His hands are pretty good, could be a really effective redzone guy. Not the type of gamebreaker we need at TE, more of a Dray type TE.

Chris Bonner: Huge QB. Decent arm strength at times, but really lacks that superior zip you need on throws. Constantly missing high because of bad footwork. Goes with his first read no matter what. Interesting because he's so big and if you fix him he could become a real interesting guy.

Zach Zenner: Tremendous runner. Decisive, takes a cut and goes. Fast too. Impressive speed for a guy of his thickness. I think he's a running back. Hell of a short yardage guy, reminds me of a bigger version of Crowell.

Chris Conley: Guy has the big play down. Good speed off the line, although he slows down during contact. Not a great route runner, needs to improve. I love his hands. So strong, and he catches everything. He has the potential to become a great WR, just needs work. Not sure it'll ever come together, but he has a shot.

Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn (PRO): Having watched a lot of Coates, the guy can be at times one of the most impressive players on the field. Unfortunately, his hands are really, really inconsistent, his routes aren't consistent, and I'm not sure if I see it in the cards for him to be anything more than just a deep threat. His size, speed and power are all really impressive, and he can make the spectacular look easy, but he needs work. Not a bad choice for the late 2nd, or early 3rd, but I think he's a guy you are always going to wonder how good he could be.

2015 NFL Draft visit tracker: Which teams are the prospects meeting with?

Cleveland Browns
OT D.J. Humphries, Florida
WR DeVante Parker, Louisville
S Damarious Randall, Arizona State
DT DeShawn Williams, Clemson
DT Grady Jarret, Clemson
CB Bryce Callahan, Rice
WR Ricky Collins, Texas A&M-Commerce
DT Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma
NT Danny Shelton, Washington
CB Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio)
OT T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh*
DT Eddie Goldman, Florida State
S Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern
LB Shaq Thompson, Washington*
LB Brian Blechen, Utah*
DE Danielle Hunter, LSU
FB Michael Burton, Rutgers
LB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
WR Sammie Coates, Auburn
DE Andrew Hudson, Washington
WR Shane Wynn, Indiana

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/3/...5-visit-tracker-marcus-mariota-jameis-winston

Pretty cool that Scout keeps track of visits. Those two Clemson defensive linemen are intriguing, Clemson ran one of the most successful schemes in college football. They should be well coached if they are targeted in mid-rounds.

Any of those guys a long snapper? I'm pulling for the end of the Christian Yount era.

I'm guessing they know enough about the QBs to not bring them in for a visit

They certainly know all there is to know about Mariota.

They have no shot at Winston.

The other guys, meh.