Great post. Numbers don't lie. Now I can stop thinking we are cursed and start thinking more rationally.

An analysis well done. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Mangini can also do the same for the Browns as he did with the Jets. It's nice to know they are in good standing, just hoping that he was one of the main decision makers there and can do likewise in Cleveland.

Great analysis. Numbers like this make me wonder why hiring a coach was a bigger deal than hiring the top notch talent evaluator that Savage was supposed to be.

Say what you will about the old regime, but Savage sure did whiff on his mid/late round picks.

Harrison was drafted.

@ Boomhauer,

Careful ... what Brandon wrote regarding Steelers linebacker and former Josh Cribbs' teammate at Kent State, James Harrison, is true. Harrison was not drafted. He was signed by the Steelers as a UFA.

Jerome Harrison, the Browns running back, was drafted.

Brandon was writing about the Steelers linebacker. You're thinking about the Browns running back.

I'm still not convinced the Browns face such a talent deficit.

I look at those numbers and I wonder, what about this analysis reveals that these teams are any more talented than the Browns?

Obviously the Jets, Ravens, and Patriots have done well with their early round picks, but if anything, I think the Steelers, Eagles, and especially the Giants (note, that's the last two NFL Champs in there) actually prove that that might not matter much.

The Browns have just as many starters from the first three rounds than each of those teams, and four more first rounders starting than the Giants.

From there, I'm not sure why it makes much of a difference that the Eagles have 9 starters who were drafted 5th round or lower, the Giants have 10, and the Browns have 11.

Somehow I suspected this. There are too many castoffs on this team.

You know, you can draft the most talented players ever to play the game, but if you don't put them in the right situation and right system, their talent will not be met. Robert Gallery was a first rounder. Is he talented? Enought to start, but not enough to be considered pro-bowl talent, or talented, for that matter. But he can start.

On the other hand you have James Harrison, undrafted, shuffled between teams here and there, eventually found his niche at the right time and situation.

We have to be able to foster the environment for success. We have to ensure our young QBs are protected with a decent offensive line, and a servicable defense. We can't just throw talent into the team and hope it works.

Case in point: Joe Thomas, or Adrian Peterson.

My opinion on this is that Thomas is the best way to go, 100% of the time. AP is successul not only because of his otherworldly talent, but the fact that he's running behind one of the best Olines in the league (Hutchinson, anybody?). Put him behind the rag tag line, he'll get pummelled, and hurt, and we wouldn't be calling him All-Day, we wouldn't be drafting him #1 overall in fantasy leagues. Case in point: Darren McFadden. Crappy offensive line, no QB help, no room to run, no room for success. Take DMC and put him on any other team, and he'll be turning heads. Look at his rookie season. He had 2, maybe 3 huge games, and the others he floundered, due to injury or just crappy complementary play. That's what AP would have looked like playing on the Browns.

So yea, we have an idea of where we need to be, it will take time. Mangini seems to know what his plan is and is taking baby steps to get there. The most important question is: Does his plan work at an NFL level, and is it where we want to be?

I hope so. Ball control, strong offensive line, good running game, great defense.

@ Cleveland Frowns

I think you missed the point of the article. UFA's that become stars are the exception not the rule. There are only a handful of guys like James Harrison, Josh Cribbs, Jason Peters, Jeff Garcia. Even if every team found one, that means there are 32 of them. Why do the Browns need 25 bottom end players on the roster? Some successful teams decide to instead of blow big money on elite players to build solid players across the board. The Browns have whiffed on both fronts. There most definitely is a talent difference between first round guys and UFA's. If there wasn't John Parker Wilson and Rhett Bomar would be starting instead of Mark Sanchez. While not all first rounders pan out, they as a rule of thumb make a bigger impact. If the Browns didn't have so many bottom end players, and always draft for need instead of taking the best available player, they might have some talented players to fill in around the perceived star players. Having the 8 drafted players in lieu of bottom end guys means they might have more than 1-2 linebackers and a right tackle, and a #2 WR. It is all about talent and putting it in the right place. The Browns flounder because theydon't really do either. If you think there is so much talent, where are they hiding it? Mangini isn't a complete moron.