NFL Draft 2013 ~ Frank Caliendo as Mel Kiper Jr.

In honor of this weekend's NFL Draft...

The 2013 NFL Draft & The Cleveland Browns - Which Way To Go?

The time before the NFL Draft begins is sometimes comparable to Christmas Eve for pro football fans.  As someone who grew up rooting for the Cleveland Browns, I would make the analogy to wanting the GI Joe with the kung fu grip for a Christmas present, and winding up with a big lump of coal instead.

The new regime heading up the Cleveland Browns are faced with a very difficult position.  New owner Jimmy Haslam's company is being investigated by the FBI.  Michael Lombardi is back in Cleveland, much to the chagrin of the local media and fans.  And Joe Banner is trying to keep everyone guessing as to the Browns' true intentions with the NFL Draft.

What is going to happen?

I am guessing a trade down will be the first consideration.  The Browns would love to obtain a second round pick in this draft, and moving down from the sixth overall pick would allow them to still find a quality starter, while also replenishing a needed pick.

If the Browns cannot move down?

I believe defense will rule the day.  I am partial to Alabama's Dee Milliner for the Browns, but I am not sure if the front office feels the same way.  If I cannot have Milliner, I would prefer LSU's Barkevious Mingo as an OLB/DE in the new 3-4 scheme the Browns will run.

And if the Browns take a quarterback, like West Virginia's Geno Smith?

Well...I am used to getting a lump of coal on the NFL's version of Christmas Day.

The NFL Draft: Ranking The QB Busts I Did Not See Coming

Playing quarterback in the NFL is arguably the most difficult position in all of sports.  If that is true, it seems logical that identifying and finding players who are able to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL is equally difficult.

As I reflect upon the various NFL drafts over the last thirty years (yes, I would say I have been actively following the NFL Draft since 1983), certain quarterbacks come to mind that still surprise me for their lack of success.  Yes, I remember thinking that players like Jeff George, JaMarcus Russell, Tim Couch, Rex Grossman, and Vince Young would not be successful.  I remember watching Vinny Testaverde struggle in big games while at Miami (FL), so it did not surprise me that Testaverde struggled in the NFL, despite his NFL career being a lengthy one.

Below are the quarterbacks I saw play well at the college level, yet not become the winning NFL quarterbacks I predicted.  Fortunately for me, my mistakes were only at the fan level.  For several NFL teams, these players did not pan out for their respective franchises.

5.  Matt Leinart (USC - 2006 first round pick; #10 overall selection) ~ Leinart played well at USC under renowned offensive guru Norm Chow.  Leinart helped to lead USC to a national championship (since vacated) over Oklahoma, while winning the Heisman Trophy during the 2004 season.  Leinart is currently a free agent, after spending last season as a backup in Oakland.

4.  Brady Quinn (Notre Dame - 2007 first round pick; #22 overall selection) ~ Quinn thrived at Notre Dame under former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis during the 2005 season.  Even Coach Weis believed that Quinn would have a more productive NFL career.  A first round pick by Cleveland in 2007, Quinn held out during his rookie season (always a bad move for any quarterback), and never seemed to recover from that holdout.  Despite winning the job in 2009, Quinn could not hold it and was eventually traded to Denver prior to the 2010 season.  Quinn recently signed as a backup quarterback with Seattle.

3.  Cade McNown (UCLA - 1999 first round pick; #12 overall selection) ~ McNown led UCLA to a number one ranking during the 1998 season, until UCLA was upset by Miami (FL) on the final weekend of the regular season.  The 1999 NFL Draft had many quarterbacks selected in the first round, among them Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith, and Daunte Culpepper.  I simply believed McNown would be a success based upon his UCLA career, but he was arguably one of the biggest busts from his draft class.  McNown was traded by Chicago to Miami by the 2001 season.

2.  Steve Walsh (Miami (FL) - 1989 first round supplemental pick; cost the Dallas Cowboys the #1 overall selection in the 1990 NFL Draft) ~ Walsh was the latest in a long line of great Miami (FL) quarterbacks such as Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, and Vinny Testaverde.  Like Kosar, Walsh had led Miami (FL) to a national championship in 1987 and to the brink of another in 1988.  When Dallas used the pick on Steve Walsh, I believed then-Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson was going to eventually trade Troy Aikman, to make room for Steve Walsh.  As it turned out, Walsh was traded to New Orleans during the 1990 season.  Walsh had an eleven year career in the NFL, but Walsh never became the quarterback worthy of the high pick used by Dallas.

1.  Rick Mirer (Notre Dame - 1993 first round pick; #2 overall selection) ~ Mirer was heralded by former 49ers head coach Bill Walsh as the next Joe Montana.  Mobile, with a strong enough arm, and the ability to play well in the clutch, I truly thought Mirer was going to be a great NFL quarterback.  I could not have been more wrong.  Mirer had a solid rookie season in Seattle in 1993, but was eventually traded to Chicago in 1997.  Mirer played for the New York Jets, San Francisco, and Oakland during his twelve year career, but never came remotely close to the forecasts made for him by Coach Walsh...or me.

Will Former Buckeyes Feel "Patriotic" During The 2013 NFL Draft?

Mock NFL drafts spring up almost on a daily basis.  I peruse them occasionally, but I never put too much stock into any analyst over an another, as there is way too much subterfuge and internal mystery within any NFL organization to let any analyst or fan know how the NFL Draft is going to progress.

With that in mind, I do believe there are certain NFL teams that have displayed tendencies through the years and previous drafts that allow a fan to speculate if a former college player would be a good fit at that NFL team on the next level.  The fit involves the NFL team's head coach, the styles of offense and defense the NFL team runs, and the skill set of the player(s) in question.

Going out on a limb here, I believe it is possible that some soon to be former Buckeyes could wind up playing for the New England Patriots next season.

Below are some points as to how I am coming up with this projection:

1.  New England's offensive scheme has incorporated various aspects of the spread option offense that is so prevalent by many college teams today, among them Ohio State.  The Patriots began incorporating the spread option when Urban Meyer was the head coach at Florida several years ago.

2.  The relationships between New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, as well as Ohio State defensive line coach Mike Vrabel.  Mike Vrabel flourished under Coach Belichick as a professional player, and Coach Meyer consulted Coach Belichick on retaining Vrabel as an assistant coach after Coach Meyer became the head coach at Ohio State.

3.  Most importantly, the players at Ohio State who are eligible for the NFL Draft, and how they could project into playing for the New England Patriots.

• DT Johnathan Hankins could project as a nose tackle for New England's 3-4 scheme.  While initially projected as a first round pick, Hankins could be available for New England in the second round.

• DL John Simon is projected as a LB in a 3-4 scheme.  Simon is a pure football player, and I could see Coach Meyer selling Coach Belichick on having a player of Simon's character in the New England locker room.  Former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi was a defensive lineman in college at Arizona, and I see similarities in Simon and Bruschi, as does Pro Football Weekly.  I could also see Pittsburgh having an interest in John Simon; as a Browns fan, it would be tremendous to have John Simon playing at ILB in the new 3-4 scheme.

•  Coach Belichick incorporates the tight end heavily into the Patriots' offense, a la Coach Meyer at Florida and Ohio State.  TE Jake Stoneburner could be a late pick here.

• Last, but certainly not least in the eyes and hearts of Buckeye fans, FB turned LB Zach Boren.  A player of Boren's intensity, selflessness, and character could be appealing to Coach Belichick, in the same manner as John Simon.  Boren could be a late pick by the Patriots, rather than losing Boren in a free agency frenzy of undrafted players after the NFL Draft concludes on April 27th.

Quick Thoughts On The 2013 Ohio State Spring Game

While I certainly would have preferred the 2013 Ohio State spring game was in Cleveland, I certainly understand and respect the logic that went into taking the game to Cincinnati.  If Ohio State can recruit better in Cincinnati, all the better.  Hopefully, next year the spring game will be back in Ohio Stadium.

Before Ohio State began its spring practices, I wrote about concerns I had entering these fifteen practices.  While many of these questions will remain until fall camp, I wanted to list some thoughts I had as I watched the Ohio State spring game on The Big Ten Network on Saturday evening from the comfort of my couch, with a beer in hand...

1.  Look for Taylor Decker to win the starting right tackle position ~ Decker may have had some rough moments in the spring game, but remember that Decker was playing Reid Fragel very closely up until the 2012 home opener versus Miami University.

2.  I find it puzzling that Frank Epitropoulos was not given any opportunities in the spring game to punt.  Drew Basil is a solid placekicker, and maybe the coaching staff truly believes Basil can handle both spots.  Basil did not seem to punt as well as kick field goals in the spring game, which makes the decision not to give Epitropoulos any punting opportunities confusing.

3.  The secondary will be fine.  No matter if Doran Grant has been named the starter - true freshman Eli Apple looks to have a bright future as a Buckeye.  I will be surprised if Apple does not play a lot as a freshman.  Bradley Roby, Grant, C.J. Barnett, and Christian Bryant will comprise a formidable secondary.

4.  Curtis Grant played well in the spring game, but...I am going to be cautiously optimistic about the starting middle linebacker spot.  Games versus Buffalo, San Diego State, etc, are not what concern me.  The game on September 28th versus Wisconsin does.  I want to see how the linebackers do when they line up against a big offensive line and have to shut down the running game of the Badgers.

5.  Noah Spence is going to allow me to wear my old #8 jersey again ~ yes, I was so excited in 1998 about Steve Bellisari when he was a terror on special teams coverage (yes, I remember that vividly), I bought his jersey.  And then Bellisari became a picture definition of the word "inconsistent".

Noah Spence, and Adolphus Washington, are going to make offensive linemen miserable this season.  I will be surprised if Spence does not have double-digit sacks this coming season.

elevenwarriors.com post on Cincinnati & the 2013 Ohio State spring game

As I will not be driving to Cincinnati for tomorrow's Ohio State spring game, I saw this post on elevenwarriors.com regarding tips for people who may not know the Cincinnati area well.  Enjoy.  Go Bucks!

http://www.elevenwarriors.com/blogs/toad1204/spring-game-dos-and-donts

Denard Robinson's First Pitch

Not making this up...

Nebraska's Bo Pelini ~ "They should look up to the heavens every day and be thankful."

Well said, Coach Pelini.  Read this article by ESPN's Mark Schlabach, if you need or want something to make yourself feel better.

And look what Nebraska did with their stats for the spring game...

Video Clip Of David Perkins Taking Out Brutus Buckeye, 04/06/2013

Student Appreciation Day practice @ Woody Hayes Athletic Center.  Poor Brutus...

Coach Urban Meyer: 2013 Spring Kickoff Event @ WHAC

Courtesy of elevenwarriors.com.  Great insight into how the 2012 Buckeyes came together as a team in Coach Meyer's eyes.  Enjoy.  Go Bucks!