Will the Cleveland Browns Have Necessary Weapons to Compete in 2012-13?

The Cleveland Browns have 13 draft picks this year and need every single one of them. Again in 2011, they found themselves in last place in the AFC North, and if they're going to significantly improve this offseason then it will have to be via the players they add in two weeks' time.

Will it be enough to make them competitive, in both the division and in the league? That's a hard question to answer.

The optimist hopes that yes, with this many picks, this many clear needs and a strong draft class in practically every position, the Browns should be able to add the necessary playmakers, find some hidden gems and build depth all around the roster.

One look at their draft history over recent years, however, and that optimism wanes some. These cobbled-together draft classes have their high points, yes, but little seems to have panned out the way it was hoped.

The first thing the Browns need to do this year is not trade down. Not from No. 4, not from No. 22 and not from No. 37, most importantly. They need these picks—and the high-caliber players available at them—to help the team immediately. There's no need to move down, hope to get a "best available" and not get the specific playmaker at an area of deficiency.

If the Browns can take running back Trent Richardson fourth overall, if they can address their very real needs at wide receiver and right tackle with their next two picks, they're well on their way to a marked improvement.

Richardson is the very definition of a "necessary weapon" for the Browns this year. Not only is he an incredible talent when running the ball, he's a great pass-blocker and catcher and the very definition of a playmaker—he makes things happen when no one else can.

Even if the Browns' run-blocking doesn't improve significantly in 2012, you can bet that Richardson will still shine. He's his own blocker, in the sense that he can run over defenders—through them, if necessary—and make tacklers miss. The yards and points he represents will make a major difference from day one.

But what about that passing game? The jury is still out on Colt McCoy and though he's ostensibly poised to be their uncontested starter for all 16 games in 2012, the team is still likely to pick up a quarterback at some point in the draft, someone who could potentially replace McCoy in-season should he struggle mightily and at the very least someone who can back him up who isn't named Seneca Wallace.

With more weapons at receiver, McCoy will have a better chance to show everyone what he's capable of. Yes, Greg Little has talent, but he's still raw and inconsistent. While practice can make perfect and I fully expect him to be improved this year, he needs the help of a top-37 pick on the other side of the field.

Few teams have more clear needs than the Browns this year, but no other has the picks with which to fill so many. It will all come down to the draft-day intelligence of general manager Tom Heckert, team president Mike Holmgren and head coach Pat Shurmur to successfully do so.

They can have the necessary weapons to be competitive this year, there's no question about that. At least that's a start. Whether they do so or not is still hard to say. Hopefully the Browns' top brass won't be blinded by trade scenarios and so-called "value picks" and use this opportunity to make a serious splash.

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