The Bengals were predictable — but in this case, predictable seems good.
The Browns are just breaking ground, but it's clear they plan to build a solid foundation before buying the fancy decorations.
The approaches are different, but both of Ohio's NFL teams got what they wanted Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Bengals are attempting to clean up a couple of messes at once and put themselves immediately back into the playoff discussion. In A.J. Green, they got an NFL-ready playmaker at No. 4 who will command attention from opposing defenses and benefit the Bengals' quarterback for years to come, whomever that quarterback may be.
The Browns aren't a one-year fix, and general manager Tom Heckert knows it. With Green and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson off the board, he added four picks — including a Friday second-rounder and a 2012 first-rounder — by trading with Atlanta and letting the Falcons select Julio Jones at No. 6.
Ninety minutes or so later, the Browns traded up from No. 27 to 21 and selected massive Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor, a guy who's in the neighborhood of 340 pounds and who fills an immediate need at defensive tackle. The Browns someday want to play significant games in Cleveland in December and January, and Taylor looks a little like a younger version of a player the Browns released this offseason, Shaun Rogers.
Rogers was part of a get-well-quick scheme the Browns employed back in 2008, when they were trying to build off a 10-6 season. That was two head coaches and 1.5 general managers ago, and the franchise that has won 14 games since is now basically starting from scratch.
A year from now, following their first season under new coach Pat Shurmur and holding two first-round picks, the Browns will have a real chance at progress. And Heckert's trade-down in this situation might then look like a work of genius.
The Bengals are a team in transition; just how much turnover they'll have, though, remains to be seen. Carson Palmer is under contract for four years and big money but swears he's not coming back. Chad Ochocinco has done everything but beg for his release, but he has a year left, too. Maybe Green will push him out. The key is for Green to produce like Ochocinco used to.
In Cleveland, it's maybe next year. For Palmer, Ocho, coach Marvin Lewis and a bunch of others, there may be no next year. The Bengals seem likely to address a quarterback early Friday when the draft resumes — they have the third pick of the second round — but it wouldn't be a total shocker to see them follow suit and address the defensive front seven. An NFL record 12 defensive linemen were picked in Thursday's first round.
Both the Browns and Bengals will see that the teams they're chasing in the AFC North, the Steelers and Ravens, did typically well in filling needs and getting instant-impact players in the first round. The Ravens got their big corner in Jimmy Smith, while Cam Heyward should slide right into a Steelers defense that's already stout against the run.
The Browns look ahead and not only have a young quarterback in Colt McCoy but lack a receiver who can get open against top corners. They have two second-rounders to address that situation but gave up their third-rounder to assure they'd get Taylor, whose college career included a transfer and some weight issues. But he had a strong senior year, and the bottom line is guys that big who get off the ball just can't be found on every corner. The Browns now need to address rushing the passer as well as receiver and their secondary.
"We're not saying we're one player away," Heckert said. "We thought Phil Taylor was a really good football player, and that's why we picked him. We thought it was too risky for us to not get him."
If Green is as good as his college film indicates he might be, the Bengals combined a safe pick with one that could end up being a home run. For now they'll take a single — a single step towards sorting things out and eventually being able to attack some of the league's best defenses. The Browns are also going single step by single step, and it's tough for anyone familiar with their roster to argue with Heckert's plan to build ahead.
History says they can still add impact players and game-breakers later in the draft. The Bengals' history says they're not done swinging for the fences. The plans differ, but the goals remain the same. And both teams need to keep adding good players at every opportunity.
