Here come the Browns---ahead of schedule

Savage did what I thought he would---he jumped up to draft early in the 4th round. He traded his 4th (#122) and 5th (#155) to Dallas for pick #104. With it, he took Beau Bell, a linebacker from UNLV. Bell's a tough guy and a good tackler. There's some question as to whether he'll play inside or outside because he switched between both spots in college. He's 6'1", 244lbs. and runs a 4.75 forty. He can really stick ball carriers and will be a nice addition. I suspect he'll play on special teams and end up gravitating to a rotation where he plays some outside linebacker but mainly plays inside.

Then Savage worked a little more magic and traded next year's third round pick to Dallas to get pick #111. Then he did a curious thing. He took Martin Rucker, a tight end from Missouri. Rucker's 6'4", 251 lbs. and runs a 4.71 forty. Rucker is a pass catching specialist. He's got great hands and can grab the ball in heavy traffic. Playing at Missouri, he lined up as a wide out on occasion. He led all tight ends in receptions per game last year, and his brother, Mike, was a Pro Bowl defensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers. This would be the kind of pick that would usually be a great one, if the Browns didn't have Kellen Winslow, who just also happens to play tight end. I hope this isn't some signal that all the surgeries have worn K2 down or that he's truly unhappy about his contract.

For those who read my earlier post, the Patriots took OLB, Shawn Crable, with the 78th pick, and the Eagles took OL, Mike McGlynn, with the 109th pick.