Cleveland Browns: 4 things Andrew Berry may be wrong on
By Greg Newland
No. 2 – Poor Draft Choices
No general manager is going to be perfect when drafting players, but I have to start questioning a few of these picks, and how long Berry has been willing to hold on to them after so many have known they weren’t cut out for the NFL.
Defensive tackle is a great place to start. Berry has drafted Jacob Elliott, Tommy Togiai, and Perrion Winfrey. All three have shown some ability to be an NFL player, but none have developed even close to where they need to be. I’m still giving a pass on Winfrey because he is so young, but why has Elliott been held on for so long after being mediocre at best for three straight seasons?
The wide receiver position is the next big question mark. Berry has taken a shot on these later-round guys with high ceilings and absolutely no one has worked out. Anthony Schwartz is the one who leaves me puzzled. I know he was a third-round pick, but he’s just eating up a roster spot at this point. Trade him for a new pair of gym shorts and get the next guy up.
As I stated before, I understand drafting isn’t about hitting 100 percent of the time. Truthfully, if you can hit 25 to 30 percent of the time after round two, you are probably doing great. My complaint is not being able to move on. I get it, guys need to develop, but this roster is talented enough that we don’t have time to wait and see if Schwartz will ever figure out how to catch a ball.
I must admit, Berry has made strides recently by releasing the first player that he ever drafted, Richard LeCounte. I get it, pride is a big thing in this sport, but hopefully, he learns how to admit mistakes moving forward.