BEREA, Ohio -- The pick: Quarterback Johnny Manziel.
My take: The Browns have suddenly become the buzz of the NFL, and it's been a long time since that has been true. The Browns brought Johnny Football to Cleveland, and they did it with the 22nd pick of the first round -- and not the fourth. Now comes the circus, the attention and the potential. Because there has been no quarterback like Manziel coming out of the draft in the past few years. He is incredibly talented, incredibly gifted, but he also has much to learn about the NFL game.
So much for studies: Former team president Joe Banner spent $100,000 on an analytical study of quarterbacks in this draft, and it showed that Teddy Bridgewater was best suited for the NFL. GM Ray Farmer traded up, and took Manziel. So much for analytics. Farmer has been bold, aggressive and true to himself in this draft. He went with a cornerback first when folks thought offense was best, and he let Manziel fall until he could trade up and draft him. The Browns have drafted two other quarterbacks 22nd overall: Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden. Clearly they hope that the third time will be the charm.
What’s next: The Browns have a high second-round pick. It would be a shock if they didn't target a wide receiver there.
