Browns
-With Eric Berry off the board, the Browns selected Florida CB Joe Haden. I didn't write about him in my preview because I didnt think they would draft him because of the addition of Sheldon Brown. Although Haden does not address an immediate need, he will be the replacement for Brown if he falters this year, and it adds more depth to our secondary. Brown is 32 and he doesn't have many effective years left in him. I liked the Haden pick, he was the best CB in the draft.
-Browns fans might complain that we took Haden too high, and we probably did. The Browns did try to trade down but were unable to do so, so they took the best CB that was on the board.
-The selection of S TJ Ward was a pick I did not like. He is not fast and not great in coverage. He does have solid size, great strength and is good against the run. He seems too one dimensional to me. Also, he has injury issues in the past. He doesn't seem like a good value pick in the second round. He did address our need of a S in the draft though.
-Montario Hardesty was a very solid pick. He will be a great compliment to the elusive and quick Jerome Harrison. He is a tough runner who is quick and can carry the ball 20-25 times a game. He is a hard worker and has a ceiling to improve. He doesn't have great timed speed and will not break away for the huge 45 yard run. He also has had issues with different injuries. I like this pick because it adds another offensive playmaker to the team, which is sometime we need.
-OG Shaun Lauvao was a depth pick. He will probably compete to back up Floyd Womack at RG. He isn't that athletic or strong, but he is a smart player who works hard. This was an ok pick.
-Drafting QB Colt McCoy with pick #85 in the 3rd round was a steal. He was graded as a 2nd rounder, and I am ecstatic that we got him. In my previous blog I wrote about why I wanted him, and the fact that we didn't have to trade up to get him was great. He probably won't play much this coming year, but he is our QB of the future. Holmgen and Co. did a great job of staying patient and not paying too much for McCoy.
-S Larry Asante was another solid pick who might not have amazing physical tools, but is very smart and hard working. He was another depth pick, and it was apparent that the Browns continued to address the lack of depth at S.
-WR Carlton Mitchell was a really good pick. This could be a steal for us in the 6th round. He was graded as a 3rd rounder, and the Browns got a receiver who is very fast and can stretch the field. He doesn't have great hands, but he is a hard working kid. I though from rounds 4-7 the Browns needed to add a WR to help add a young playmaker to the offense. The Browns added another young WR to the corps of Mo Massaqoui and Brian Robiskie. I like this pick.
-DE Clifton Geathers was a project pick who has amazing physical tools (6'7 300 lbs) who is perfect as a 5 technique lineman in our defense. He is very raw and has had some off the field issues, but the Browns obviously see something in him. This was a low risk (6th round) high reward pick.
-Overall, if I had to grade this draft I would give it a B-. I thought we reached for Ward, and I thought we could've drafted a WR or TE earlier. The team did a good job of adding depth to the secondary, adding a couple of offensive playmakers, and hopefully drafting the QB for the future. I hope the Browns can reap the fruits of this draft soon.
Cavs
-The Cavs came away with a huge victory against the Chicago Bulls this evening (121-98). LeBron notched his 5th career triple double, and the Cavs will look to end the series on Tuesday.
-The Cavs are very hard to beat when guys like Mo (19 pts), Andy (+14 plus minus), and Jamison (24 points) are all stepping up. This is the supporting cast that LeBron needs every night.
-Shaq continues to struggle and I am not that upset about it. He is 4 games in, and he is going to look a little rusty. We really need him to step up when we play Orlando. He looks a slow out there and he is not finishing well.
-I was very happy to see JJ Hickson play out there. In 17 minutes he scored 10 points and he provided a lot of energy in the low post. He is a good matchup against the likes of Taj Gibson, Noah, and Luol Deng.
-Daniel Gibson needs to play a little more if you ask me. When Parker is not hitting his shots, we should put Gibson in. He was one of the best 3 point shooters in the NBA this past year and he can hit open shots. I understand you need Parker out there to help defend Rose, but when Rose is out of the game we should try putting in Boobie.
-The Cavs seemed to go away from it during game 3, but switching defenders on Derrick Rose seemed to work a little bit today. Putting Parker, West, and Moon on him really allows the Cavs to help distort Rose' game. The Cavs have to force him to shoot jumpers and thats what the Cavs did. When Mo Williams is on him, Mo cannot stay in front of him so Rose is able to penetrate the basket easily. Stopping Rose has been key to this series. When he is unable to penetrate, we force him to shoot and it does not allow him to distribute to his other teammates.
-I think the Cavs will win game 5 and finish the series. The Cavs really seemed to snap out of the funk they were in during game 3. From the 2nd quarter on, the team seemed very focused and played very good defense. As long as the Cavs stay focused, play defense, and make their free throws, they are going to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The only concerns I have going forward is continuing to get Shaq back in the offense, getting JJ Hickson some minutes, and trying to put Daniel Gibson in the game for 5-7 minutes.
Well that just about does it folks. Hope you enjoyed reading and go Cleveland!
-Raz
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