Post-Round 1 Thoughts

Browns wrapped up a night of wheeling-and-dealing by selecting Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor. Taylor is an intriguing prospect that most people saw getting selected as a nose by a team that runs a 3-4 defense, due to his great ability to stop the run but little talent rushing the passer. It's even more interesting because those are two traits that current DT Atyba Rubin possesses. However, I love the pick. Rubin and Taylor manning the inside of a 4-3 front is not only going to make it tough to run the football, but will also free up our linebackers to make plays. Ask Cincy's linebackers how it feels to not have two solid defensive tackles that can eat up blockers in a 4-3 defense.

Stopping the run is key in the AFC North. I don't care what the 'experts' say, if you cant run the ball and stop the run, its going to be really tough to win football games, especially in cities like Baltimore, Cincy, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland when the winter weather rolls in.

This pick is even better because we came away with extra 2nd round and 4th round picks this year and an extra 1st round and 4th round pick next year. This team needs players, not one home run hitter. Stockpiling picks is the best way to become more competitive. Taylor is a great value at that spot, and it helps that we should have at least one more defensive lineman (Brooks Reed??) to go with him by the time the second round is over tonight.

OVERALL GRADE: B+