For the last few years I’ve been waiting for a savior, a savoir to pull the Browns out of their 41-year drought of not making it to an NFL Championship. But the savior I am hoping for probably won’t come soon, due to the quality of our former draft picks, which leads me to why the Browns have a below-par foundation of a team.
Roughly six years ago is when it all started (1999), and I hate to say that it had to start with Tim Couch. Tim Couch was one of the biggest wastes of a draft pick in Browns history, better yet NFL history. In the five years he was in the league he was one of the worst QB’s, our 2nd round draft pick that year was none other than Kevin Johnson (currently of the Baltimore Ravens). KJ was a decent receiver for the amount of time he was in Cleveland, but what do we have to say for it now? Nothing. Tim Couch is no longer in the NFL and KJ is on the Ravens. Which the Ravens may need him more the way their pass offense went last season, but we could use all the help we can get. Oh, and we finished that season with a 2-14 record.
Now next to the great year of 2000, where our regular season record improved to a whopping 3-13. The year where we drafted Courtney Brown. The Courtney Brown that we cut this year. Yes that Courtney Brown, who has been more consistently injured then any player in the NFL for the last three years. Brown nonetheless is still young though, and Romeo Crennel would like to have him come out for OLB this year, that’s if he gets back from his visit in Seattle. Our 2nd round draft pick that year was Dennis Northcutt; Dennis is young, he’s fast, and has a bit of potential, but even as mediocre as he is, he’s been one of the better picks in the last five years.
Now to the year things started looking up, the year we almost clinched a playoff berth, the year 2001. In 2001 our first draft pick was spent on Gerard Warren (DT). Gerard is young and has great potential, and helped the team win games… when he was on it. Warren was recently released because the Browns couldn’t afford him, then the Broncos picked him up off free-agency earlier in the month. The 2nd round draft pick that year was Quincy Morgan, who is gone now also, but at least we got Antonio Bryant to show for it.
Next up, the year 2002, the year of the wild card clinchin’ Browns. In 2002, we drafted William Green. William Green has started at running back until last season, in which he shared the position with Lee Suggs. William Green is a decent at best running back, but far away from being a big playmaker, and light years away from being a savior. Our 2nd round draft pick that year was spent on Andre Davis, who jumps on and off the injured list as frequent as a streetlight changes colors. Although Andre Davis did score a 99-yard touchdown pass last season, but that’s about it. Oh, we lost our wild card game to our rivals, the Steelers, which capped off my season very well.
The year 2003 was as successful as the Browns usually are, we finished 5-12. Our 1st draft pick that year was Jeff Faine, if you don’t know who Jeff Faine is, it’s all right, because not many people do. Faine is the Browns center, but more importantly he’s young and may turn out to be a decent player, but with the Browns luck he’ll be nothing more than a “Courtney Brown”. Our 2nd round pick was Chaun Thompson. Thompson is one of the worst OLB’s in the league (counting only OLB’s that are starters.) But the same goes for Chaun, if we’re lucky, he may be decent some day.
Finally, last year, in 2004 we drafted what I think was one of our best draft picks in Browns history (it’s up there with Tim Couch and Courtney Brown). Kellen Winslow was the unlucky man who we drafted last season. Kellen actually does have the potential to be a big playmaker though, if he stays off the injured list. Our 2nd round draft pick was on Sean Jones. I’m a pretty big Browns fan, and I know very little about Sean Jones. Jones is a DB and didn’t play a whole lot last year; in fact he didn’t play at all. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to be the next Champ Bailey though, I hope.
While I’ll probably be waiting for a savior for the next five or so years, here are some super-stars the Browns could have drafted: Ed Reed, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Clinton Portis, and LaDanian Tomlinson. There are others too, but I’m too scared to look them up because it would just upset me even more.