NFL: Who The Cleveland Browns Should Draft With Their First-Round Pick.

  With the NFL combine beginning this week and the draft inching closer, I've been looking at a lot of options and scenarios for the Cleveland Browns and new head coach Hue Jackson. The Cleveland Browns are coming off of another awful season finishing 3-13, last place in the AFC north. It's been nearly a decade since the Browns have finished with a record better than 8-8 (.500) or better - They finished with a record of 10-6 in 2007 - And I can't say that it's all draft related but that's really where the season starts and how most teams begin to change the culture of their team.

This years draft seems to be fairly talented but it has a lot to live up to. The Browns have the no.2 overall pick and usually that's a good thing when you're trying to build up the program and you have a new head coach. Most critics/analysts would tell you that's where you draft a quarterback, especially since the Browns are in the market for a new one. Josh McCown's time was up and he clearly was never the long-term answer; Johnny Manziel couldn't seem to stay out of his own way and he stayed in the news about more off-the-field issues than his performance on it.

But, this year it might not be that simple. I don't know if there's that clear-cut no.1 quarterback that's worthy of being a "franchise" player or one that will change the culture of the organization.

There have been a lot of analysts that are projecting University of California quarterback, Jared Goff to be drafted to Cleveland. Goff, 6-foot-4 is a traditional pocket-passer, started three seasons in college and ended with an overall record of 13-23. Statistically, his numbers make it seem like he's a sure thing. However, how many teams have we seen quarterbacks get drafted high in the first round because of their college stats and no work out? We've seen it more times than we'd like to in the past decade alone.

Goff's stats from Cal:

• 2013: 18 TDs 10 INT's 60.3 Comp%
• 2014: 35 TDs 7 INTs 62 Comp%
• 2015: 43 TDs 13 INTs 65 Comp%

But what if the Browns decided to go outside of the quarterback position, which I think they should, and went with a skill position player?

Newly acquired head coach Hue Jackson, had a lot of people impressed this past season with the strides that Bengals quarterback made under him, in his very complex offense. Dalton had best season as a professional, thus far, with Jackson as the offensive coordinator. However, in all fairness to the Bengals and taking nothing away from Jackson, the Bengals had a lot of good players surrounding Dalton and they played a vital role in his performance/success this past season also.

There's nothing that leads me to believe that Jackson can't accomplish the same with a quarterback that's already in the league that might be looking for a new "home". Robert Griffin III is said to be available? Ryan Mallet? Sam Bradford? ... And these are guys that, in the right system, can really contribute a lot to a team and they're still fairly young players.

There's is one player that comes to mind in this draft that I believe could be a difference maker and help this team turn things around ... Ole Miss receiver, Laquon Treadwell.   

Treadwell, 6-foot-3 is something that the Browns organization has been missing ... No, I didn't forget about Josh Gordon but since he didn't play last season and is currently still suspended I can't include him on the roster ... He's bigger in stature and he is a good route-runner and explosive downfield as well. Coming off of his best season as a junior at Ole Miss after suffering a very serious leg injury the previous year before in a game against Auburn, while running into the end zone for a touchdown. 

A lot of people didn't think Treadwell would ever be the same after that injury.  After putting in the work in the offseason and rehabbing, he came back just in time for the start of the 2015 season.

In his 2015 campaign Treadwell caught 82 passes for better than 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not too bad for a guy coming off of a broken leg.

It was just reported that Treadwell would not be running the 40-yard-dash at the combine. This may draw some red flags with some coaches and organizations, but overall I don't think it'll be that big of a deal.

Top WR prospect Treadwell won't run 40 at #NFLCombine

See his explanation for decision: https://t.co/EWkV80q7EB pic.twitter.com/543z1GkzLG

— CollegeFootball 24/7 (@NFL_CFB) February 22, 2016

I know, I know. Drafting a receiver that early isn't smart, and it's too risky... But is drafting any player a sure thing?  I mean it's your first-round, they're suppose to be your best picks.

Since 2010 the Browns have had eight first-round picks:

• 2010: Joe Haden,  Corner back
• 2011: Phil Taylor, Defensive tackle 
• 2012: Trent Richardson, Running back; Brandon Weeden, Quarterback
• 2013: Barkevious Mingo, Linebacker 
• 2014:Justin Gilbert, Corner back; Johnny Manziel, Quarterback
• 2015: Danny Shelton, Defensive tackle

Key Point: 4/8 of the players are currently projected to be on the roster for 2016

None of the eight first-round selections were there a wide receiver taken. Along the way the Browns have passed on a lot of good talent at the receiver position. These players include: Kendall Wright, Michael Floyd, Tavon Austin, DeAndre Hopkins, Kelvin Benjamin, Brandin Cooks, Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Algholor, Breshad Perriman, DeVante Parker, Julio Jones, Sammy Watkins.

But there's no point in talking about first-round selections of the past, honestly. Hue Jackson has a chance to come in and leave a mark on this organization and help turn around an organization that has been struggling since they came back into the league in 1999. There's been very little consistency, poor coaching jobs and the drafting hasn't been too much better, to be honest.

Playing professional football isn't easy, that's why so few people can do it. Coaching professional football or any sport, for that matter, is equally as tough, that's why fewer people do it. Being able to actually is going to work out in "your" system is hard to tell. Well, sometimes damn near impossible just judging players off of film from college, the NFL combine, and a glorified workout known as an NFL Pro day.

I don't know what the Browns will do with the no.2 overall draft selection. However, I do know Hue Jackson is the type of guy to take risks and I know that he loves his skill position guys.

Also, think about this. When drafting that high in the first round, you have to ask yourself, can this player help change the culture on the field and in the locker room? Goff put up numbers but wasn't winning much at Cal. Treadwell, on the other hand, helped change the culture at Ole Miss and helped them to be one of the top teams in the SEC and all of college football.

There's no point in having a young "franchise" quarterback with no weapons around him to help him.

Currently, the best receiving options in Cleveland are Travis Benjamin, Gary Barnidge, Taylor Gabriel and Andrew Hawkins

The One Problem I Might Have With the NBA All-Star Game This Year

  The NBA all-star weekend is a very big event in sports and entertainment, each and every year. We see a lot of former players in attendance, current players and a lot of celebrities. They usually do a pretty good job with the event as a whole. It's the biggest all-star event of all professional sports - It's more entertaining than the NFL pro bowl and seems to be more popular among the masses than the MLB all-star weekend.

  This year we've seen Kobe Bryant being celebrated almost every game, rightfully deserving, after announcing early this season that it will be his final. And going into the all-star weekend that will take place this weekend, starting tonight, we've been hearing so much about Kobe Bryant and what his legacy will be. However, all of this attention on Kobe is taking away from another great player in NBA history, 'The Big Ticket' better known as Kevin Garnett.

All of this attention to Kobe is much deserved and he's been a great professional in the league during his time. He hasn't always been the most liked player in the league but he's always been productive on the court and we've seen him go from the highest mountain's (NBA championships) to the lowest valley's (struggling teams, injuries, and locker room issues) and through the adversity he came back out on top and he was able to get the Lakers back to a contending team in the late 2000s and win two more championships.

I'm fine with celebrating one of the best to ever do it. But, I'm a firm believer that if you do it for one you should do it  for most.

Garnett, 39, is nearing the end of a great, lengthy career. He's 17th on the all-time scoring list, 9th in rebounds, 17th in blocked shots. We've witnessed Garnett carry the Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs in his younger days and even reached the western conference finals. One of the most memorable moments in sports history has to be seeing Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen win an NBA championship in the 2007-08 season  with the Boston Celtics as the original "Big Three" and during one post-game interview you heard him [Garnett] say the famous line,  "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!", But, in all fairness, we don't know that it's his final season. It's obvious that he is now in more of a mentor/leadership position with the Timberwolves. 

I said all of that to say this. I hope that this is not Garnett's final season and hopefully the NBA will "roll out the red carpet" for him like they did Kobe this season and give him a fairwell tour as big as the one that Kobe has had, thus far.

Garnett has played in 38 games this season and is averaging 3.2 ppg and 1.6 rpg in 14 minutes per game.
 

 

12 Facts For Super Bowl 50

  This Sunday is the day of the "golden" Super Bowl. Super Bowl 50 is sure to be a great game and event. The Carolina Panthers are coming off of their best season in franchise, led by quarterback Cam Newton who will likely be the MVP of the league; the Denver Broncos have the number one defense in the league and even though Peyton Manning had the worst statistical season of his career, leading the league in interceptions, and missed a good portion of the regular season with a bad foot injury, he got things turned around ever since he was inserted back in the offense.

Will Cam Newton and the Panthers end this magical season with a Super Bowl victory? Or can Peyton Manning ride off in the sunset like John Elway and win the "golden" trophy?

Here are 12 facts that are sure to capture your interest for the big game:

1. This is the fourth consecutive year that there will be an African-American quarterback in the Super Bowl. 
2. Super Bowl XXXIV (St. Louis Rams vs Tennessee Titans) in the 1999-00 season is the last time there was a Super Bowl with no interceptions thrown. 
3. Cam Newton has faced a team with Peyton Manning on it once in his career, 2012, and the Broncos defeated the Panthers 36-14.
4. The last two SEC (South Eastern Conference) quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl were Peyton and Eli Manning. 
5. Two of the last three Super Bowl's played in California were won by an NFC team. 
6. Seven of the last 10 Super Bowl MVP's have been quarterbacks - the three who weren't quarterbacks: Malcolm Smith, Sea (LB); Santonio Holmes, Pit (WR); Hines Ward, Pit (WR)
7. The last time the Panthers were in the Super Bowl, 2004, the game was on CBS and they were defeated by the New England Patriots 32-29. 
8. In the past 10 Super Bowl's only two quarterbacks have a rushing touchdown - Colin Kaepernick and Ben Roethlisberger - while Cam Newton had 10 in the regular season and has two in the playoffs. 
9. Cam Newton is the first quarterback from Auburn to start in a Super Bowl. 
10. There have been only four running backs in the past 10 years to rush for over 100 yards in the Super Bowl - Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, Thomas Jones, Dominic Rhodes - three of the four players were on the losing team. Dominic Rhodes is the only one who was on the winning team (Colts 2007).
11. Peyton Manning is the first quarterback in Broncos history to take the team to the playoffs four consecutive seasons. 
12. The Carolina Panthers are undefeated (10-0) when they eclipsed 30 points. 

I'm not very good with predictions, it's not really my thing. However, for the sake of it being Super Bowl 50, here's mine:

I think that the Panthers are the better overall team. I would love to see Manning get his second ring, in what could potentially be the final game of his NFL career. But I think the better team will win and that's why I like the Panthers to win this game 31-24

'Dab'.Win.Repeat.

The Carolina Panthers (15-1) are on their way to the Super Bowl, the second time the franchises history (first time was 2004, they were defeated by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots). This is a completely different team than that 2004 team. No disrespect to that team, because they played very well in the playoffs, but this Carolina team has a certain edge to it.

The Panthers, led by regular-season MVP Cam Newton have had an amazing season in 2015. It didn't go exactly the way that people predicted in the off season, however. During training camp they lost Cam's favorite target from a year ago, second year player, Kelvin Benjamin. A lot of people thought this would be a lost season for them. It was just a year ago that the NFC south was, by record, the worst division in the league - they won their division with a record of 7-8-1, that's far from the record of 12-4 that they ended their season with in 2013 - but they've proven that this team is the best team in the division by winning it  three consecutive seasons.

I think that people started to take this team serious after a win, on the road, against a very good Seattle Seahawks team in week 5. And people started talking about a potential Super Bowl appearance after a great 10-0 start - people were even talking about a possible undefeated season after a 14-0 start (which didn't happen, obviously) but it just proves how serious this team is.

But the 2015-16 season wasn't a smooth ride by any means. They did face a lot of criticism for their celebrations after wins, and it started to really started to come out as their win total increased and celebrations got bigger. And what really ignited the criticism was the letter that a woman wrote after their 27-10 win against the Tennessee Titans. There was even some issues that the Titans players had with the celebration dances, especially with a dance that Cam did after a touchdown run called "the dab". But what's interesting is the Panthers were unapologetic about their celebrations during the game. They actually started to celebrate more. And it went from a Cam Newton thing and now became a team thing. After wins they would do team celebrations and even took a picture with the whole team doing the 'dab'.

Here is a great article written by Nick Schwarz of USA Today Sports, about the woman who wrote a letter to the Charlotte Observer after the Panthers defeated the Titans: Click here

I believe that they [the Panthers] got a lot of criticism early on because they weren't doing things the traditional way. Cam isn't the traditional quarterback. They don't have an amazing receiving core that's been on the field all year. But they're not a traditional team and sometimes it's refreshing to see that; Batman wasn't the traditional superhero either but he always got the job done. Not everyone like him or the way he did things but he always did his job, Gotham always survived.
 
If you noticed one thing. Cam Newton really became a true last season. Even after losses he took ownership for his mistakes and he demanded better from himself even before the other players on the team. And this year he's showing that you can still have fun playing football, he does and he shows that he loves the game. He got a lot of criticism for his lengthy celebrations but he also turned the 'dab' into a cultural phenomenon. Everyone was doing the 'dab' - I saw video's of older people on the news doing it to little kids at the games. 

For the Carolina Panthers the stats show that they had a reason for celebrations throughout the season. They finished first in points per game and second in rushing yards per game. Both contributing to a special season, the best in Panthers franchise history. Also, They finished with the sixth in total defense, as far as yards allowed per game, sixth in points allowed per game; they were also first in takeaways this season (39) - leading with both interceptions  (24) and fumbles recovered (15).

The Panthers are headed to Super Bowl 50, a year of gold. It almost seems fitting, too. A team that really came into the season with not great expectations by the media/analysts. But, it's a team that showed support to one another, faced adversity throughout the season - even going back to a scuffle in the off season between Cam Newton and defensive back Josh Norman. But they've walked this journey together, done the 'dab' and they've continued to show results on the field with every win.