Third of a five-part series, with links to game stories, videos, etc. Not a ranking of the 100 best players drafted by Cleveland, but an estimation of the 100 best Browns' picks weighing contribution versus pick investment.
Wide receiver Brian Brennan made numerous clutch catches for the Browns playoff teams of the 1980's.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns begin participation in their 59th NFL draft on Thursday night.
The draft, on paper, ends up as a list of names. Here, we submit another list: the Browns' 100 best draft picks of all-time.
Today, we feature Nos. 60-41. Click here for best picks Nos. 100-81; and also click here for Nos. 80-61. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will count down Nos. 40-21 and 20-1.
This is not a ranking of the 100 best players drafted by Cleveland. Instead, it's an estimation of the 100 best Browns' picks in terms of value. Simply, a Player A taken by the Browns with, say, the 120th overall pick, turned out to be a better pick for value than did a Player B who might have contributed a little more but was a 55th overall pick.
Only players who played at least three seasons with the Browns after being picked by the team in the annual draft were considered.
Players acquired through a supplemental draft, such as Bernie Kosar, Kevin Mack and Mike Johnson, aren't included because the mechanics of the supplemental draft are not comparable to the regular draft.
Browns greats such as Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, etc., aren't included, as they began their Browns' careers in the All-America Football Conference.
Performance with the Browns only is considered. For instance, future Hall of Famers Doug Atkins, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan and Dick LeBeau were Browns' draft picks from 1953-59, but none played more than two seasons for Cleveland.
Playoff game performances were considered. Statistics are only for what a player did with the Browns. Some players' values are enhanced by what the Browns eventually got for them in trades.
Only occasionally is it considered who the Browns didn't take. The value of 1976 picks Mike Pruitt (seventh) and Dave Logan (65th), for example, shouldn't be diminished because they and no other team selected future Hall of Fame tackle Jackie Slater until the Los Angeles Rams took him 86th.
Positions: Offense -- QB, quarterback; RB, running back; FB, fullback; WR, wide receiver; TE, tight end; C, center; G, guard; T, tackle; PK, placekicker; P, punter; Rtn, kickoff and/or punt returner; LS, long snapper.
Defense -- E, end; T, tackle; NT, nose tackle; LB, linebacker; CB, cornerback; S, safety; DB, cornerback and safety.
Key: ranking number, player, position, year drafted, round/overall pick number, college, years with Browns:
60. Anthony Pleasant, DE, 1990, 3/73, Tennessee State, 1990-95. Had 33.5 quarterback sacks, including 11 in 1993. Forced six fumbles two years later.
59. Billy Andrews, LB, 1967, 13/333, Southeastern Louisiana, 1967-74. Usually played on the outside but was capable in the middle, too. Didn't miss a game until his seventh season. Strong special teams player.
The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns History Database includes PD game stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history.
The late Chuck Heaton, The PD's longtime Browns beat writer, wrote the story on the Browns game against the New York Jets on Monday, Sept. 21, 1970. A few NFL games had been played on Monday nights over the years, but this game was notable as the first of ABC's weekly Monday Night Football series.
Billy Andrews clinched the Browns' win over the Jets when he intercepted a Joe Namath pass late in the fourth quarter and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Video: The final moments of ABC's telecast of the Browns-Jets 1970 Monday Night Football game, including Billy Andrews' game-clinching TD on an interception return (videos are from youtube.com):
58. Fred Hoaglin, C, 1966, 6/93, Pittsburgh, 1966-72. Took over for injured star John Morrow as a rookie and became a mainstay on one of the NFL's best lines. Made one Pro Bowl team.
57. Eddie Johnson, LB, 1981, 7/187, Louisville, 1981-90. One of the team's most inspirational players. Missed just two games other than the three "replacement player" contests during the 24-day NFL players' strike in 1987.
56. Chuck Noll, G-LB, 1953, 20/239, Dayton, 1953-59. An original "messenger guard," alternating with a teammate to bring in play calls for coach Paul Brown. Started three years at guard and three years at linebacker, with the Browns winning a title with him at each position. Yes, the Hall of Fame Steelers coach.
55. Braylon Edwards, WR, 2005, 1/3, Michigan, 2005-09. Set team records for receiving yards (1,289) and touchdown receptions (16) in 2007, but the full record includes the costly dropped passes and off-field issues that diminished his trade value.
54. Eric Metcalf, RB-Rtn, 1989, 1/13, Texas, 1989-94. Browns traded 1989 first- (20th pick), second-, fifth- and ninth-round picks to Denver for the spot to take Metcalf. First-team all-NFL as a return man in 1993 and 1994. Many questioned whether Metcalf ("up the middle") was used properly on offense, as he averaged 3.8 yards a carry. A dangerous receiver.
Metcalf returned punts 91 and 75 yards for touchdowns in the Browns' 28-23 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 24, 1993 in Cleveland Stadium. Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot wrote the game story.
Video: Eric Metcalf's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown, the decisive play in the Browns' 28-23 win over Pittsburgh in 1993:
53. Lawrence Vickers, FB, 2006, 6/180, Colorado, 2006-10. One of the league's best blocking backs, and occasionally has helped with short-yardage situation receptions. Role is now in question with the move to the West Coast offense.
52. Michael Jackson, WR, 1991, 6/141, Southern Mississippi, 1991-95. Though he wasn't especially consistent, defenses had to pay attention to his big-play capability. Caught 170 passes for 2,797 yards and 28 touchdowns.
51. Mike Baab, C, 1982, 5/115, Texas, 1982-87, 90-91. Many were stunned when Baab was traded to New England after helping the Browns become a potent offense in 1986 and 1987. In his last seven seasons with Cleveland -- spanning the two stays -- Baab started all but one game, not counting the three 1987 "replacement player" games.
50. Kellen Winslow, Jr., TE, 2004, 1/6, Miami (Fla.), 2004-08. Missed 36 of 80 games, many due to the after-effects of his motorcyle accident after the 2005 season. His passion was often offset by his complaining. Brilliant pass-catcher but blocking was affected by four knee surgeries. Made 2007 Pro Bowl team. Winslow's talent level enabled the Browns to acquire second- and fifth-round picks for him in a trade with Tampa Bay.
Video: Kellen Winslow tosses aside Steelers' linebacker Joey Porter after catching a Charlie Frye pass. Unfortunately, Porter gets the Browns back on the next play.
49. Johnny Brewer, TE-LB, 1960, 4/41, Mississippi, 1961-67. Played every game, and started four years at tight end and two at outside linebacker. Though not a featured receiver, made numerous clutch catches at tight end, and was a stalwart blocker. Made a Pro Bowl team at linebacker.
Brewer was one of the league's faster linebackers, as he proved on Nov. 26, 1967, when he intercepted a Sonny Jurgensen pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. The PD's Chuck Heaton wrote the story of the Browns' 42-37 win over the Redskins.
Video: From the Browns' 1967 highlight film, emphasis on the defense with Johnny Brewer and other Browns' standouts:
48. Mike Howell, S, 1965, 8/111, Grambling State, 1965-72. Started two years at cornerback and four at safety, and intercepted 27 passes. Made a second-team all-NFL squad in 1969.
47. John Demarie, G-T-C, 1967, 6/152, Louisiana State, 1967-75. Became a starter his first season and stayed one. Started at every line position except left tackle, which was manned by iron men Dick Schafrath and, then, Doug Dieken. Missed just three games.
46. Eric Turner, S, 1991, 1/2, UCLA, 1991-95. Made first-team all-NFL in 1994, when he led the league with nine of the 17 interceptions he had as a Brown. Missed eight games in two of his five Browns seasons. Turner, age 31, died of cancer on May 28, 2000, after playing in 10 games for the Oakland Raiders in 1999.
45. Brian Brennan, WR-Rtn, 1984, 4/104, Boston College, 1984-91. Despite being known as a "possession receiver," Brennan averaged 13.2 yards on his 315 catches. Seldom dropped a pass. Caught 24 passes for 329 yards and four touchdowns in the seven Browns playoff games from 1986-89. Included was his spin-away 48-yard TD catch from Bernie Kosar that gave the Browns a late 20-13 lead in the 1986 AFC championship game, before John Elway directed "The Drive" that forced overtime on the way to Denver's 23-20 win.
44. Paul Farren, T-G, 1983, 12/316, Boston University, 1983-91. The Browns always seemed able to overcome injuries on the offensive line during the 1980's, and a main reason was the reliable Farren, who started 91 games from 1984 to 1990, and seven more in the playoffs.
43. Dave Logan, WR, 1976, 3/65, Colorado, 1976-83. Quarterback Brian Sipe spread the wealth among a fleet of receivers, the primary reason Logan didn't catch more than 262 passes. What mattered is when he caught the football -- often late in close games -- and what the Browns got out of the catch. Logan averaged 16.2 yards a catch; never less than 14.9 in a season.
Several of Logan's biggest plays came during the "Kardiac Kids" 1980 season. That Oct. 19 at Cleveland Stadium, Logan caught a 46-yard touchdown pass from Brian Sipe with 16 seconds left to give the Browns a 26-21 win over the Packers. Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Russell Schneider wrote the game story.
Video: The late minutes of the fourth quarter of the Browns' 26-21 win over Green Bay in 1980, including Dave Logan's game-winning catch of a touchdown pass from Brian Sipe:
42. Ken Gorgal, S, 1950, 6/78, Purdue, 1950, 53-54. After his superb rookie season, Gorgal served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He intercepted 11 passes during the regular season, and made first-team all-NFL in 1953. More important were Gorgal's four interceptions in three playoff games.
41. Rob Burnett, DE, 1990, 5/129, Syracuse, 1990-95. Made the Pro Bowl in 1994, helping the Browns go 11-5 and win a playoff game -- their last postseason win. Totaled 40.5 quarterback sacks, including 35.5 when he started every game from 1992 to 1995.
Video: Rob Burnett (90) and the Browns defense (with coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Nick Saban watching) barely hold off the Cowboys to win, 19-14, at Dallas on Dec. 10, 1994.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/04/nfl_draft_2011_cleveland_brown_5.html
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