2012 NFL Draft: Why the Browns and Redskins Should Stay Put

As only NFL analysts can do, as soon as one draft ends, speculation of the next year begins. Who are the top seniors, who are the top underclassmen, who may enter early and so on.

The 2012 draft is nearly upon us and speculation has been rampant about trades amongst the top five teams with St. Louis holding the second pick being at the heart of discussions. Many expect them to trade that pick to any number of teams looking to move up to draft their franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III.

The leading candidates for that coveted slot are the Cleveland Browns who are picking fourth, the Washington Redskins choosing sixth and the outside possibility that Miami would move up from eighth or ninth.

For the Rams, a move like this could go a long way in rebuilding their team. If they swapped places with any of the aforementioned three teams, they are still selecting in the top 10, would acquire more draft choices for this year and the following years that could help address several positions on a team incredibly void of talent, and possibly add a player or two in the trade.

For Washington and Cleveland in particular—since they are the main two being speculated about—I am going to explain why I believe a move up for either would be a mistake, and that if they stay where they are, they can still acquire the players they need.  

The Browns are similar to the Rams in that there are fewer teams in the league with a more bland, nondescript offense and gaping holes at running back and wide receiver than them. At least the Rams have Steven Jackson. And Brandon Lloyd should be knighted for the incredible uplift he gave their anemic passing game, but we know he isn't a No. 1 wide receiver.

Cleveland has the fantasy hero turned Madden cover boy, turned fantasy dud, perhaps faking illness over a contract, Peyton Hillis. Montario Hardesty missed his entire rookie season, came back this year and...well.

Can anyone name the Browns leading receiver this past year? Greg Little: 61 catches, 709 yards and two touchdowns. One beacon of light is that Cleveland has a decent offensive line.

The Rams and Browns also have former all-time college quarterbacks going into their third years, friends and former rivals: From Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, Rookie of the Year for the Rams two seasons ago and the surprising Longhorn from Texas, Colt McCoy, who showed surprising leadership, decent command of the offense, lots of heart and had the Dawg Pound thinking they might have found a new member to the kennel.

What happened on the way to Oz for both quarterbacks is that there was no path for success. A quarterback is the most important piece of any football team but if you do not surround that player with skill on the outside and in the backfield, you will have plenty of David Carr's or, for Cleveland, another Tim Couch.

Tim Couch was the No. 1 overall draft pick and prolific passer from the University of Kentucky by the Cleveland Browns in 1999. He was perhaps the only athlete in the school's history that towered over the storied basketball program. 

It would be incredibly difficult for anyone now to fathom this today, but he was LeBron James before LeBron, the potential savior of a city clamoring for a championship of any sort. The next Otto Graham. A player of such immense talent he could lead the team to numerous titles, playoff appearances, be the proverbial "face of the franchise," and potentially a marketing phenom.

Tim Couch lasted five years in the league.  Many—and I am not one of them—consider Tim Couch to be one of the biggest draft busts in history. What countless critics neglect is that Couch came along soon after the Browns skipped town for Baltimore where they would become the Ravens.

The roster was hastily put together, Butch Davis was atrocious and Couch was caught in the morass, unable to carry a team without help.

In Tim's rookie year he started 14 games, passed for 2,447 yards, threw for 15 TDs and 13 INTs. The Browns finished 2-14. He started seven games his second season before breaking his thumb and missed the final nine games of the season.

The Browns finished 3-13. In 2001, fully healed, he started all 16 games, threw for 3,040 yards 17 TDs and 21 INTs. Cleveland was 7-9, but improving.

His fourth year is when things went awry for Couch. He started 14 games, thew for 2,842 yards and had 18 TDs with 18 INTs. He broke his leg, missed the last game of the regular season and watched as Kelly Holcomb tossed for over 400 yards against rival Pittsburgh in a playoff loss.

Butch Davis handed over the reigns to Holcomb the next year, rotated the two QBs and the Browns were a mess thereafter. They finished 5-11 and Tim's time was finished in Cleveland.

I am going to name the offensive "weapons" Couch worked with during his time in upstate Ohio. Here are some of the wide receivers: Darrin Chiaverini, Zola Davis, Damon and David Dunn, Damon Gibson, Ronnie Powell, Leslie Shepherd, Bobby Brown, JaJuan Dawson, David Patten and Andre' Davis. His best corps of WR's were Quincy Morgan, Dennis Northcutt, and Kevin Johnson.

Running Backs: Sedrick Shaw, Rashaan Salaam, Terry Kirby, George Jones, Madre Hill, Marc Edwards, Karim-Abdul al Jabbar, Errict Rhett, Jamel White, Benjamin Gay, Mike Sellers, and one miracle half-season out of William Green.

I didn't think it was necessary to even list tight ends since this list looked the same as the above.  

Here is what Colt McCoy takes the field with in his two full seasons in the NFL, starting with wide receivers: Joshua Cribbs,  Sam Aiken, Yamon Figurs, Jonathan Haggerty, Mohamed Massaquoi, Jordan Norwood, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey, Demetrius Williams and Greg Little.

His running backs are known: Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty. Then you have Chris Ogbonnaya.

Ben Watson is a good tight end, but he is getting up there.

While Cribbs, Massaquoi, and Stuckey are all game, a player like Darrelle Revis is rolling out the hammock.

Colt McCoy could become a good quarterback, one capable of taking his team to the playoffs if surrounded by the right talent. I think Cleveland should do for McCoy what they did not for Couch: Don't give up on him, surround him with skill position players, put him in a position to succeed and see what happens.

Cleveland's brass should stay at four and draft either Trent Richardson or Justin Blackmon. If they take Richardson, Coach Pat Shurmur, GM Tom Heckert and President Mike Holmgren could pursue any number of talented wide receivers in free agency such as: Vincent Jackson, DeSean Jackson, Mario Manningham, Stevie Johnson, Pierre Garcon, Dwayne Bowe, Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Laurent Robinson and Brandon Lloyd.   

Further, if they select Richardson, they choose again at 22 and if available, could try for Michael Floyd or Kendall Wright.

Now you have started to assemble a potentially good offense going forward—one that could score points, run out the clock in close games and surge the fan base. If Cleveland was really feeling froggy, they could take a tight end with their first pick in the second round, and now you have put together a similar type of roster as Cincinnati with Dalton, Green and Gresham.

Of course Cleveland needs help on the defense, so I wouldn't expect the Browns to draft all skill position players with their first three picks, but at least with the first two, you could really help Colt out.

If Cleveland opts for this scenario, then Washington doesn't even have to move up and do what they usually do: Waste an abundance of money and draft picks on a player they will never be able to surround with adequate players and remain the abysmal franchise they have become under Daniel Snyder.

Griffin would be an enormous upgrade in every way for them—he'd have Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong, Fred David, Chris Cooley and Roy Helu. This is not a Pro Bowl roster, but they are some good players to hold it down until Washington adds more pieces.

I am sure that Washington would panic anyway that someone else would move up to take Robert Griffin III, but I can't see it. Miami would have to give up a barge of draft picks and players, and Matt Moore can hold it down until they find a better upgrade somewhere else—hopefully not Matt Flynn.

Miami has a team capable of making the playoffs, and if they can upgrade at safety and tight end, add another pass rusher and put a deep threat opposite Marshall, they can go even further.

If they traded up for Griffin III, they would be right back to where they have been for the past 20 years, languishing in mediocrity until they surrounded RGIII with players, and the defense would age, like it did with Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison, and then the offense catches up and the defense falls apart. Miami's usual cycle.   

So Browns and Redskins fans bring it on! Let me know what you think. You follow these teams intently, know what their needs are and have heard these rumors for months. Lay out your perfect draft scenarios.