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| Cleveland Browns Head Coach Mike Pettine (left) and GM Ray Farmer (right) answer questions from the media following the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Farmer has done a commendable job this offseason bolstering the Browns' roster, giving Pettine plenty of talent to work with in his first year as a NFL head coach. (AP Photo) |
It’s
hard not to admire what Cleveland Browns rookie general manager Ray Farmer
accomplished in the opening round of his first-ever NFL Draft. Farmer,
spearheading the Browns’ new regime, came away with the top-rated cornerback in
the 2014 NFL Draft in Justin Gilbert, the best advertised quarterback in the
rookie pool in Johnny Manziel and acquired a 2015 first-round pick from the
Buffalo Bills, all within the first day of the 79th Annual NFL
Selection Meeting.
Farmer wasted no time in making a
splash in his first go-around in selecting rookie talent. Cleveland was far and
away the most active team in round one of the draft as Farmer maneuvered up and
down the selection board quicker than Kevin Costner did in the recent
Browns-centered film “Draft Day.” Farmer refused to be complacent in his
operations, the way that his unsuccessful predecessors, Mike Holmgren and Mike
Lombardi, were in their failed attempts to rebuild the franchise. Farmer and
the Browns front office capitalized on the overambitious Bills’ management, who traded away their first and fourth-round picks in next year’s draft to swap spots in the current draft with Cleveland, who were originally slated to have
the fourth pick in the 2014 Draft. The Bills selected highly touted wideout
Sammy Watkins after moving up in the draft. The Browns, meanwhile, slid to the
ninth overall selection, which they ultimately traded up a spot with the
Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a fifth-round choice in 2015, for the rights
to draft Justin Gilbert, the corner out of Oklahoma State that dazzled scouts
with his raw speed and athleticism.
The addition of Gilbert bolsters the
Browns’ formidable secondary, a critical aspect of new head coach Mike
Pettine’s defensive system. Gilbert will play across from Pro-Bowl cornerback
Joe Haden, who is coming off his best season as a pro. Farmer believes Gilbert
will be a perfect in Cleveland.
“Justin Gilbert the player -- He’s long, via ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon. “He’s fast. He’s explosive. He’s a playmaker. He plays like a Brown. Number one thing we talk about when we talk about corners is they’ve got to cover like Browns. He’s got great arm length. He’s got the speed. He’s got the ball skills.”
Adding Gilbert to a secondary that
had already acquired hard-hitting two-time Pro-Bowler Donte Whitner via free
agency was an exciting step for the upstart Browns. However, the decision by
the Browns’ brass to trade up four spots with the Philadelphia Eagles to select
Johnny “Football” Manziel is what made Cleveland the talk of the draft.
Easily the most polarizing player waiting
to be chosen, Manziel brings instant media hype and attention to a franchise
that has not a winning season since 2007. The first-ever QB to win the Heisman
Trophy as a freshman, Manziel gives the Browns an identity at a position they
have struggled with immensely in the past decade-plus. The former Texas A&M
quarterback that lit up the college football world with his play-making
abilities and off-the-field dramatics will look to return Cleveland to their
football glory days.
Before
Manziel can dream about leading the Browns to their first championship since
1964, he will first have to upsurge purported starter Brian Hoyer. Pettine has
already acknowledged that it will be “very difficult” to beat out incumbent
first-string quarterback Hoyer, who went 3-0 as a starter with the Browns in
2013 before an ACL tear cut his season short. With all that said, you don’t
bring Johnny Football to town without the intention of him being your guy under
center at some point in the very near future.
As
with all quarterbacks chosen in the draft, there is no telling whether Manziel
will be a whopping success or a major bust. However, Manziel’s history of
winning should be an encouraging sign for a club that has not exceeded five
wins in any of its past six seasons. Manziel provides the Browns the type of
sizzle that franchises need to jumpstart its rebuilding process.
Landing
Manziel, coupled with the pickup of Gilbert and an additional first-round pick
in next-year’s draft, is a superb initial day at New York City’s Radio City
Music Hall for Farmer and the Browns. Now, the attention shifts to the second
round and beyond, where Farmer will be counted on to improve the Browns’
offensive line and wide receiver corps. As any successful GM will tell you,
championships are not just built in the first round of the draft, but also with
wise selections in the rounds that follow. For Farmer, though, it’s so far so
good as the mastermind calling the shots.
