Time is now inching ever closer to the start of Saturday's NFL Draft and the storm of disinformation and lies is getting thicker by the second in NFL cities nationwide. GM's are doing their level best to throw off all the other teams as to what their true intentions will be. That is why I still hold out hope that Phil Savage has been trying to misdirect everyone by stating that the Browns will be going after defense with their first pick at #12. I realize that this is not the popular position to take and that there are very few fellow Browns fans that take this stance along with me, but there are some telling stats and thoughts that back me up on this.

I am one of the believers that the best defense is a good offense, especially where the example of last season is concerned because it surely proves that point. How many games did the defense play their hearts out only to be stuck on the field for the majority of the game, tire late in the fourth quarter and then ultimately lose the lead? The offense simply could not maintain any drives to speak of last season and we all know how pitiful they were actually trying to score (14.5 per game, the worst in the NFL). This left the defense having to come right back out onto the field after a very short rest on an almost constant basis. And even when they did get a drive sustained, they generally failed pathetically in the red zone.

The defense on the other hand was actually quite good, all things considered. They finished the season ranked at #11 in the league in points per game given up at 18.8. They were #4 in the NFL in passing yards per game allowed at 179.2. However, they were #30 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at 137.6. Thus the signing of Ted Washington and instant improvement there. The defense finished at #16 in total yards allowed per game at 316.8. Again, for a team that spent an inordinate amount of time on the field of play, I would call that a good season.

The offense on the other hand is another story. Besides the aforementioned 14.5 points per game, they were #26 in total yards per game at 284.8. For all the new signings and the emphasis on running the football, they finished at #25 in the league in rushing yards per game at 93.9. They were #23 in passing yards per game at 190.8 (with 15 TD's, 18 INT's, and 48 sacks). And they scored only four rushing touchdowns all year, yes 4. That is second lowest in the league to only Arizona.

Thus it is pretty obvious to me that the stats bear out that this team really needs to focus their #12 pick on a top quality running back. They need to get a guy who can provide a change of pace to the pounding style of Reuben Droughns and can come in and provide this offense with the ability to take the ball all the way every time he touches it. They need a guy who can be feared when he swings out of the backfield for a pass or sets up for a screen. The guy who fits all of these criteria and still meets the Browns' mold for a "character" guy is DeAngelo Williams.  Don't forget that the Browns upper level management had tons of access to Williams at the Senior Bowl earlier this year. People rave about his personality and his character, and the team got to witness plenty of it firsthand. I have seen some film clips of this guy and he really reminds me of a faster, quicker Emmitt Smith. Without all of the records.

Just remember that Smith himself was not that highly regarded coming out of college either. He ws thought to be too slow and not quick enough. We all know how that worked out. Do I think the Browns will take Williams? No. But I can hope. I can hope that Phil Savage is blowing smoke like all the other GM's and that he has been targeting DeAngelo all along.

What I think is likely to happen Saturday is that Haloti Ngata will somehow slide to the Browns at #12 and he will end up being the choice. I would not be disappointed at all with that scenario. What does scare me is the big push for Florida State players. If you look at the past draft history of that school, I am afraid you see far more busts coming from there than you see success stories. It is generally always the case of the guy having "all the physically tools and measurables" but never being able to put it all together. Some have had trouble with the law, and others just have never been able to grasp the mental aspect of the game. Yes, there are exceptions along the line and the Wimbley kid is getting nice reviews for his character. But if I were PS, I would certainly be walking on eggshells when it came to considering drfting a Florida State athlete for my team.

Something else to consider in this offense vs. defense arguement is that the defense is in better shape than people let on. Remember that Ethan Kelley will be returning at NT and Nick Eason will also have another year under his belt. Yes, Alvin McKinley was inconsistent but he showed flashes of brilliance also. These guys all have a full year of experience in the Todd Grantham/Romeo Crennel system now and will undoubtedly be even better this season. Will Nick Speegle and David McMillan be improved enough in the eyes of the coaches to see some actual playing time this year? Or will they start to hear the whispers of draft bust drifting around their names?

RAC has certainly established a track record of not throwing rookies directly into the fire, so do we even get our hopes up that this crop of rookies will contribute anything right away? Something else to consider, this time on the offensive side of the ball. More than likely the team is going to be without Braylon Edwards early on while he finishes his reabilitation from the knee injury of last season. When he returns, will he be even close to the same receiver he was? Many Browns fans are accepting as fact that Kellen Winslow Jr. is going to return as the same player he was when he got hurt originally and in my opinion, that is a serious mistake. Nobody suffers through those kinds of serious leg injuries and comes back as the same type of athlete. The best example I can come up with is Jermaine Dye of The Chicago White Sox. He suffered a pretty devastating leg injury a few years back and was able to just have his first productive year last season since he got hurt.

Even so, he is still not even close to the same player that he originally was. That being said, reports are that Winslow has been working very hard and his attitude is great. If he can come back and just contribute some good numbers for this team from the TE/WR position and especially in the red zone, then it is all gravy. But please don't go into this season thinking you are going to see the KWI from Miami because chances are, that guy is still laying in an empty parking lot somewhere. So with those two key guys still recovering from injuries, the need for a multi-purpose type of running back becomes all the more important. You have to have diversity in your offense or NFL defenses will eat you alive.  

So that is my case. Did I make it well enough to convince anyone to change their minds? Probably not. The NFL Draft is like American politics, you make your choice early and there is little chance that you can be persuaded to change it. Besides that, Browns fans tend to be a little stubborn in their opinions and that is the way it should be. We just don't back down. 

In closing, let me add these thoughts. I have this suspicion that Phil and the guys may be very active on draft day. If you notice in virtually every A.J.Hawk story on ESPiN, he and Romeo Crennel were both quoted. They were there at OSU's Pro Day for a reason. PS also spent a lot time at Alabama during the college season.

Does all of this mean that he is going to mortgage the farm to get Hawk? I don't believe so, but I do believe they will make a strong run at trying to move up to get him. Even if it means stretching the bounds of what they feel is too much. Their words about him have betrayed them, they love the guy. But they won't pull a Mike Ditka either. This team needs athletes to be better and PS won't sacrifice the complete future for just one player, even if it is Hawk. Look for them to go after DeMeco Ryans in the second round if they don't get Hawk. He fits the team's mold perfectly and Phil has spent a ton of time with him. The bottom line for Saturday is this; it is a huge day for the Browns an Phil Savage.

After his huge power struggle with John Collins he now has the power and this draft is all his. Last year's draft did not exactly overwhelm anybody yet, but a draft can be like fine wine. It can get better with age. This draft, following on the heels of the hugely successful free agency signing period, can go a long ways towards bringing this team back to respectabiltiy and hopefully the playoffs down the line.

Good luck Phil and Romeo. GO BROWNS!!!