Poor Cleveland. They finally rid themselves of Butch Davis and all seemed to be great with Phil Savage at general manager and Romeo Crennel at coach. They've had a quiet offseason, clearing out bad high draft choices of the past and slowly putting in Crennel's type of players. However, panic shot through the office this week. What do the Browns do if Alex Smith and Braylon Edwards are gone? The alternatives aren't good. The Browns need defense but they would be reaching for players who could be taken much later if Savage can't make a trade, and the Browns can't trade the No. 3 pick if Smith and Edwards are gone. Savage is talking trade back scenarios and not liking what he's heard. He's even considering trading up to No. 2, but that would be the second consecutive year the team moved up a spot to get the player it wanted. Savage obviously can't pull a Butch Davis and give up a second-round pick to move up. Davis did it a year ago for tight end
Kellen Winslow. Savage needs the second-round pick to get a quarterback if he can't get Smith, but the Dolphins might drive a hard bargain and force him to give up a second-rounder for the quarterback. Savage isn't going to take Rodgers at No. 3 after being with Kyle Boller, another former Cal quarterback, the past couple years in Baltimore. He likes Smith better. If the draft goes the wrong way for the Browns, they may have to just take a defensive player such as Adam "Pac-Man" Jones,
Shawne Merriman or
David Pollack and stun those watching the draft.
