What would you prioritize?

[jb]

Hey, I'm new here, so if this has been discussed already and I'm flat out too lazy to have looked, my bad.

But if you were Phil, and you were looking at the team, what would you do within this choice set? Assume that this team has so many gaps it'll take about 2 whole off seasons to get enough talent to think seriously about playoffs. Too many holes to do it all in one year.

Would you take the strongest units and try to build them up to dominance ASAP?

Would you try to spread your resources around to plu in the weakest links ASAP and balance things out?

Would you ignore where your strong & weak units were and just try to load up on BPA's as they are available?

Would you varry your strategies with the above for day one draft picks, day two draft picks and the FA's you can sign being $ 26 mil under the cap?

Just wondering what y'all thinkin'.

[consigliere]

Would you take the strongest units and try to build them up to dominance ASAP?

Would you try to spread your resources around to plu in the weakest links ASAP and balance things out?

Would you ignore where your strong & weak units were and just try to load up on BPA's as they are available?

Would you varry your strategies with the above for day one draft picks, day two draft picks and the FA's you can sign being $ 26 mil under the cap?

I think the biggest mistake would be to try and spread our resources with picks, trades and FA. That's what we have pretty much done the last 8 years.....when you haveas many holes as we have, you can't spread around and try to cover up every issue at once.

I'm for the BPA with the first pick, but after that, we need to draft, trade or make FA signings based on need. And, I actually might focus on building on our strength (defense) first. Obviously, there are players out there on offense that can help (Steinbach, Carr, etc), but I think a ton of focus should be on finishing this defense off, or at least close to it.

If they can add 2-3 vital pieces in FA, and draft 2-3 guys who provide depth, I like the potential for this unit. It still won't be a finished product, but I think they can address the defensive issues much easier than the offense right now. And, I don't want a Ted Washington or Willie McHernandez type signing, those are the "spread the resources" issues from the past.....let's try to get 2-3 elite or very good guys who are just hitting their prime.

[swerb]

It's beating a dead horse at this point, but both lines of scrimmage clearly and obviously need upgraded.

Neither Frye or Anderson are the answer.

Droughns is pushing 30. The statistics on what happens to RBs when they hit 30 is damning. I like Reuben, I think hes got another year of 300 carries in him at a fairly high level. I also think its no coincidence that all of this years Final Four rotated carried between two solid backs. Its a trend thats here to stay for a little IMO.

Those needs far outweigh the others. I think the Browns are far too weak in those areas to worry about making a decent WR corps, LB unit, or secondary dominant.

When I look at what I deem as the core of this team, I come to the following list ...

FB Vickers
TE Winslow
WR Edwards
WR Jurevicius
WR Cribbs
LB A.Davis
LB Wimbley
LB D'Qwell
LB L.Williams
CB Bodden
CB/S Pool
S S.Jones

This team, as we sit here today, is still far away. Due to being as bad as any team in the league in the areas I mentioned at the outset of this post. However, as bad as last season was, this is the healthiest the core of this team has been since their return IMO.

[wmurphyhh]

Not a single O or D lineman on Swerb's list. That about says it all. I am impressed that he has 4 draft picks from last year on it. Maybe Phil got his magic back.

I hope Savage attacks the lines this year like he did the linebackers in last year's draft. He got three starting linebackers in the 1st 4 rounds. Wimbley is a stud - I haven't been this excited about a Browns defensive player this Eric Turner. Jackson looked to be having a solid year until the inevitable injury. Williams stepped right in and played very good. I think he has a lot of potential. The only pick to question is the 1st day pick of Travis Wilson...

Anyone heard any news on Bentley ? I thought Savage was going to address his injury in January.

[pup]

With the interest in Dielmen and Steinbach running rampant, what if they ink both of them? Could we survive with Steinbech at LT, Dielmen at LG and Sheafer at RT? Then, you could draft AP, trade for Carr and use the rest of the draft on OL depth/DL?

[sal09]

You know the Browns LT situation is very similar to the closer situation for the Tribe. A lot of people are on here upset with the Tribe for "stabbing" at a closer rather than developing one or paying big bucks for a FA. Well this is exactly what the Browns have been doing since they came back at LT. And now we may have a chance to draft and develop a cornerstone at the position for the first time since we came back and people want them to draft a QB? A running back? And when that new shiny QB spends the season on his back and the RB runs into the back of his line instead of big wholes in the D people will bitch all season about the crappy line and then the draft will role around again and these same people who bitched will say we should take a corner.

Take Thomas, go after Steinback in Free Agency. 2 more selections later in the draft for OL depth. (For the record I love A Pete, but he won't reach potential on this team with this line.) It seems most people here are in agreement that this reclamation project will take 2 years. I think one of those years we have to bite the bullet and build this O-Line. Get it fixed and then next year change focus.

Looking back at this years playoffs I don't remember too many teams that qualified who had poor offensive lines. The Chiefs probably had the worst and they were the one team who got smoked in the first round.