Browns in need of help

CLEVELAND, OHIO – With the Super Bowl over, NFL teams have already started looking towards next year. Our Cleveland Browns will need a lot of help next year if they want to be playing in January. With the Saints making it to the Super Bowl this year, there are only four more teams that haven’t been to the big show; Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and our Browns. A lot of pressure will be put on the Browns this decade because no one wants to be that last team to make it to the Super Bowl.

With the draft coming up in April, most draft experts expect the Browns to select cornerback Joe Haden of Florida with their first pick. When asked if the Browns draft will be successful, junior Jacob Donofrio said “Yes, Mangini knows what he’s doing. I say this every year, but next year the Browns should have a good season.” Also with the draft, a rumor has come up from Chris Spielman that the Browns might be willing to trade a third round pick to the Eagles for Michael Vick. This could be good for the Browns, knowing that Vick has been experimented in the wildcat while in Philadelphia. On Sunday night at the Pro Bowl, Josh Cribbs was disappointed that he wasn’t able to run the wildcat due to Pro Bowl rules. This Vick trade could make Cribbs happy and remove the bitter taste the Browns left in his mouth after the insulting contract offer. On the other hand, junior John Ho said “Keep Brady, we don’t need Vick.”

The trade concerning Brady Quinn has also been a topic this week. It all started when The Denver Post wrote an article on how wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s days are numbered in Denver and that there could be a possible trade involving Quinn and other unnamed players. This trade is highly unlikely, according to sophomore Hiroki Witt. “Name one big player of any importance the Browns have traded to get since re-entering the league.” Witt is right, the Browns haven’t tried to trade for any NFL superstars; they have only traded them away. Another rumoring concerning quarterbacks that is circling around the Browns involves the Ravens’ Troy Smith coming to Cleveland. Recently Smith was on an ESPN radio show, and told a Cleveland affiliate that he wants to play for the Cleveland Browns. He said that it has always been a lifelong goal of his to play for the Browns because he grew up in Cleveland. The probability of the Browns landing any of these players is extremely low. Mangini is content with Quinn as quarterback and he doesn’t want to bring in another troubling wide receiver.

If the Browns want to get better, they’re going to have to make some gutsy moves, and it would have to involve any of the players named above.