When I heard that the Browns traded their first-round pick again, my reaction was immediately negative. This was a new era, time to find a marquee player.

Needless to say, this reaction changed when I discovered the details of the trade. As much as Julio Jones would have been an excellent fit for Cleveland, this was a can't-miss deal. It was Patriots-esque. The men in brown were able to grab an additional first-rounder, a second-rounder and a fourth-rounder in addition to the Falcons' first- and fourth-round picks next year.

The Browns acquired a ton of value in this trade and should (hopefully) be able to add some nice young players in the future.

They hope one of those players is Phil Taylor. They used a third-round pick to trade up to take him at 21st overall.The defensive tackle from Baylor soared up draft boards after a solid senior day, but was not associated with Cleveland at all before the draft.

I was not a fan of the pick. I think Taylor will be solid, but the Browns need impact players and a pass rush. Still, Cleveland will have a chance to potentially take a stab at Da'Quan Bowers or other impact players in the second round.

This was a solid first day for the Browns, but we all know drafts are made in the middle rounds.

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-- JESSE HEUSSNER
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Traditionally, the NFL commissioner announces each pick in the first round. But Cleveland Browns fans got a treat Thursday night when Peyton Hillis, cover boy for Madden 2012, came out and announced the Browns pick, 21st overall.

The Browns took defensive linemen Phil Taylor and looked pretty happy with the selection. Taylor is 6-3 and 334 pounds so he should be able to shore up an improving defense.

On Friday, NFL alumni will announced many of the second- and third-round picks, yet another way the league is trying to make the draft more entertaining. Nicely done!

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-- MATTHEW WEISS
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With so much attention surrounding the legal business of the NFL lockout, the draft is not generating the same anticipation it usually does. Have no fear, though! We have not forgotten.

This draft, for the Browns in particular, is extremely important. After making some subtle -- but noticeable -- strides last season, the Browns have to hit it big in this year's draft to kick-start a new coaching regime.

Here is a list of Cleveland’s biggest draft needs, in order:
WR: The Browns have a lot of solid players, but they do not have enough playmakers. Mangini would not have wanted a receiver in the first round, but this is a new era, and the Browns simply need to add to the talent level of this team. Mohamed Massaquoi is the best receiver the Browns have, and he is a third receiver at best for most teams in the league. Cleveland should use its first pick on a receiver, whether it be Julio Jones or AJ Green (if he happens to fall.)
DE: Cleveland has to find a way to get to the quarterback, plain and simple. Drafting a defensive end will address that need and add much needed pass rushing to a team that generally does not rack up many sacks. If the Browns opt to go defense in the first round, Da'Quan Bowers would be an interesting risk. If he pans out, he could be the best player in the draft.
CB: The Browns addressed this need by drafting rookie Joe Haden, but Cleveland lacks depth on the outside and could use a third cornerback. Eric Wright was a disappointment last year and having depth at CB is vital in the NFL.
LB: The job of the linebacker changes in a 4-3 scheme, so Cleveland could look to bolster its linebacker crop to add some more depth.
RB: Peyton Hillis is a gem, but he's going to need a speed back to complement him and give him some breaks on third down. Jerome Harrison was somewhat disappointing so I would not be surprised to see the Browns pick a running back in the middle portion of the draft.

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-- JESSE HEUSSNER
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There is a very valid argument for hiring a coordinator to be a team's head coach. After all, how else does a guy get his shot at being a head coach? It makes sense for a lot of teams to hire a coordinator, whether it's his first attempt or a vaunted second chance. But, for a team like the Cleveland Browns, hiring a coordinator to fill the vacancy left by the recently-fired Eric Mangini just doesn't seem to make sense.

Owner Randy Lerner hired Eric Mangini so quickly in 2009 that fans aren't used to how a coaching search should operate. There are going to be a lot of names thrown around and a lot of coaching rumors that will either be laughable or scary. Rarely does one seem like the right choice. That being said, there is usually that ideal candidate, the coach that fits so well into the team's plans that it seems unfair to even make John Q. Coordinator go through the preparations for an interview.

The Browns have fallen into the fortuitous position of having two great candidates for the head coaching job in Jon Gruden and team president Mike Holmgren. The only problem is that it's unclear just how much interest either of them has in coaching the Browns in 2011. All Holmgren has to do is say he's going to coach and the job is his, but he would obviously want to interview other candidates first.

Gruden has become so deeply immersed in his cushy broadcasting gig that it's impossible to tell what he's going to do. At this point, even he has no idea if/when he'll return to coach in the NFL. That is, unless the Browns organization knows something we don't, which is also entirely likely.

But, then again, that could just be wishful thinking. That's what a slew of ho-hum coaching candidates will do to you.

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-- STEVE DIMATTEO
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Not that there was much doubt before the game on Sunday - definitely not after - we all knew what was coming. This particular Browns fan wanted him to get it right. I enjoyed his structure, discipline, and him as a person. He wanted this team to do well, and he and his staff worked toward that. Unfortunately, president Mike Holmgren let head coach Eric Mangini know that he was not going to be asked back as the head coach of your Cleveland Browns.

After the shellacking that the Browns took on Sunday, it was obvious that the players had given up. I don’t care how many players through the media said it wasn’t his fault or they backed him, they clearly did not. You don’t lay an egg like that if you still believe in the coaching staff. Unfortunately it’s time to move on.


I watched Holmgren's press conference in its entirety. He stated that he was not going to come down out of his luxury box to coach the Browns. He said he has not ruled it out in the future, but it sure didn't sound like something he wanted or was going to do. He did rule out almost immediately that he would not take a job somewhere else to head coach.

I was torn on how I felt about him coaching. On one hand, I would have liked him to take the reins and groom somebody to take the head spot. Although, I would rather them make a big splash. The Browns have not had a big name coach since Butch Davis, although we all know how that turned out.

The selling point to land a big name coach is to "try and get something special done," according to Holmgren. I want a big name. I want a Jon Gruden or John Fox. I want somebody that has been there, done that. While I wouldn't be opposed to a Marty Mornhinweg, I do want it to be a bigger name coordinator with head coaching experience.

One point I want to make is that while Holmgren doesn't care about continuity, I hope he sticks with the 3-4 defense. We all saw how hard it was to turn from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and I do not want to see that again. We cannot fall that far behind defensively again. It may be an easier transition, but it's still not feasible to go that far backwards - we needs wins soon.

It’s going to be a little bit of a rough patch for us Browns fans with the uncertainty in the head coach position. But Holmgren demands respect and this fan believes he will get it right. And I’m with him when he says "I don’t want to do this again!" We all want to win, and while this is going to take a while again to turn around, I believe with the front office structure the way it is, we are one step closer than we were last year.

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-- ADAM BYERS
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