Browns' brain trust explores new ground in NFL Draft

Between them, the Browns? H&H big brass has plunged into an ocean of research on high draft picks.

Neither has ever had a stash of selections like this.

President Mike Holmgren spent a decade in his second head coaching job. General manager Tom Heckert was Andy Reid?s right-hand draft man in Philadelphia for seven years.

Now they are preparing for their third draft together in Cleveland. In Heckert?s case, that?s most of what he was doing while the season went south ? his preliminary 2012 draft board was fully stacked by Thanksgiving.

The Browns? 4-12 season left them with a No. 4 overall draft pick in April. A 2011 trade with Atlanta gives them a second first-round pick, which could be as high as No. 21 or as low No. 32 if the Falcons somehow win the Super Bowl.

In the second round, Cleveland will have the No. 37 overall pick.

Heckert is the draft boss, with Holmgren?s blessing, but the position of quarterback is Holmgren?s baby, and that makes it hard to predict how this draft will go.

So does this: Between them, Holmgren and Heckert have been involved in

picking a player in the top 10 only three times.

The first time was in 1992, when Holmgren was a first-year head coach in Green Bay, and the Packers spent a No. 5 overall pick on Florida State cornerback Terrell Buckley.

The second time was 2001, when Holmgren brought wide receiver Koren Robinson to Seattle with the No. 9 pick.

The third time was with the Browns in 2010, when the Browns spent a No. 7 pick on cornerback Joe Haden.

After much internal debate last April, the Browns traded the No. 6 overall pick for a package that included Atlanta?s first-round pick in 2012.

Both Heckert and Holmgren have been among the league?s most proactive traders, so much so that it would almost be a surprise if they don?t trade one of those high picks for ... something.

Both men will address the media for about an hour today.

Head coach Pat Shurmur will have a hand in the draft. One reason Holmgren hired Shurmur was his compatibility with Heckert ? they worked together in Philadelphia for eight years.

?Tom and I worked closely together last year,? Shurmur said. ?We?re just going to repeat that process.

?Regardless of whether you think you?re going to draft a player or a certain position, we evaluate all the good players because you never know how things are going to turn out.?

Who they picked
Browns president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert had mixed success with their high picks in Seattle and Philadelphia. Here is a review of their choices with those teams that were in the top 40, in keeping with the fact they are sitting on three picks in the top 37.

Holmgren?s Seattle picks
? No. 9?WR Koren Robinson, N.C. State, 2001
? No. 11?DB Marcus Trufant, Washington State, 2003
? No. 17?G Steve Hutchinson, Michigan, 2001
? No. 19?RB Shaun Alexander, Alabama, 2000
? No. 22?DE Lamar King, Saginaw Valley State, 1999; OT Chris McIntosh, Wisconsin, 2000
? No. 23?DT Marcus Tubbs, Texas, 2004
? No. 26?C Chris Spencer, Mississippi, 2005
? No. 28?TE Jerramy Stevens, Washington, 2002; DE Lawrence Jackson, USC, 2008
? No. 31?DB Kelly Jennings, Miami (Fla.), 2006

Heckert?s Philadelphia picks
? No. 14?DT Brodrick Bunkley, Florida State, 2006
? No. 15?DE Jerome McDougle, Miami (Fla.), 2003
? No. 16?OT Shawn Andrews, Arkansas, 2004
? No. 19?WR Jeremy Maclin, Missouri, 2009
? No. 31?DT Mike Patterson, USC, 2005
? No. 35?WR Reggie Brown, Georgia, 2005
? No. 36?QB Kevin Kolb, Houston, 2007
? No. 40?OT Winston Justice, USC, 2006

Source: http://www.indeonline.com/newsnow/x924342853/Browns-brain-trust-explores-new-ground-in-NFL-Draft

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