With their 5th round pick (140) the Browns have selected cornerback Brandon McDonald out of Memphis.

McDonald is decent in pass coverage, but was not much of a factor against the run. His pick was likely to give the Browns some extra options in the replacement of departed punt returner Dennis Northcutt. McDonald also has some experience at the wide receiver position.

The Browns have traded up with Dallas for the second time today in order to pick up cornerback Eric Wright out of UNLV at number 53.

Wright is a 5' 11" 192 lb. speedster who has had some off the field issues that will need to be corrected. He was charged with rape back in '04, but the charges were dropped. He missed a few games last season with a sprained knee. May be a questionable pick, but with what Phil has done so far, I don't think I'm going to criticize just yet.

The Browns have traded up with the Dallas Cowboys to gain the number 22 overall pick and draft quarterback Brady Quinn. More in a few!!

Talk about Brady Quinn going to the Browns at the Barking Lot!

EDIT: Details of the trade are now available. In return for the Cowboys' first round pick (22), the Browns have given up their second round pick (36) and their first round pick in 2008.

OTHER EDIT: I guess that my info saying that the Browns would not draft Quinn could have been a little more specific (i.e. "..at number 3"), but who really saw him falling to 22 anyway?

The Browns did the right thing with their number 3 overall pick today with the selection of Joe Thomas. Selecting quarterback Brady Quinn would not do much to change their current offensive situation without the protection and weapons available for him to succeed.

Now that Quinn is falling rapidly, there has been talk of the Browns trading up to a late first round pick to grab him. My opinion? So be it.

I will say that I love Charlie Frye and I don't think he has been given a proper chance to show his true worth to the team. I will also say that if Quinn is available at say #25 (currently Carolina)*, or even lower for that matter, the Browns cannot be blamed if they pull off a deal to jump up and grab him before Baltimore has the opportunity at #29.

The Ravens currently have Steve McNair at the helms, but he won't stick around forever. Kyle Boller has already pretty much proven that he is not the future of their franchise. The Ravens taking Quinn at 29 would be a steal and a great benefit to their team.

The Browns taking that opportunity away and picking up what easily could be a franchise left tackle and quarterback in the same breath? I think my head would explode. Good things may be on the horizon, folks...

More later. Thank God for Draft Day!

*The Browns could also make a deal with Philadelphia. Moving up 10 spots by sending a linebacker and a pick or a couple late round picks? We may even have to trade up with Dallas to get ahead of Kansas City. We'll see.

That's right Cleveland! The Cleveland Browns have taken left tackle Joe Thomas with the third overall pick of the 2007 NFL draft. With this move and the signing of free agent Eric Steinbach from the Bengals, their previously emaciated running game and overall blocking are sure to be improved with what very well may be a truly dominant left side of the line.

More on this in a little bit. I'm going back to the TV...

Might I suggest the "mute" button here?

This kid is just flat-out amazing.

Calvin Johnson has been unanimously decided as the best receiver in the draft, and for good reason. His size (6' 5", 240 lbs.), speed (4.35 sec 40-yard dash) and strength combined raise him waist, chest, head, neck, shoulders and a Kid N' Play-style flat top above the rest. If the Raiders weren't so desperate for a QB, Johnson would be a guaranteed #1 pick.

There is a good possibility (barring the whole Trent Green-to-Miami/Daunte Culpepper-to-Oakland scenario which I'll discuss another time) that Johnson might still be around when the Browns go on the clock at number 3.

Assuming CJ does make it past Oakland and Detroit, there are obviously multiple options available to the Cleveland Browns:

Here's a prospect that just seems a little fishy to me. JaMarcus Russell did not seem to be on anyone's radar until the Sugar Bowl. After a great showing in Atlanta, he became a favorite to go #1 overall seemingly overnight.

The positives? Russell's got a cannon. He's big, he has leadership ability, and can throw a football 3 miles from his ass with both arms tied behind his back.

Oh, and did we mention that he's got one hell of an arm?

Welcome to the first installment of the Dawg Pound's analysis of the Cleveland Browns' first round draft choices. In this segment, we'll take a look at Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn (whom the Browns will not be taking, but we'll get to that later).

Many draft experts have the Browns taking Quinn at number 3, and if it wasn't for a single lights out performance by JaMarcus Russell during Bowl Week (month, whatever), he easily could have gone #1.

Brady has shown scouts and fans alike that if any quarterback in this year's draft is ready to make an impact on an NFL team, it's him. His school-record stats and development under acclaimed coach Charlie Weiss certainly make a strong impression as well. He's tall, strong, accurate, and the kid makes good decisions. There is no doubt he's a (for lack of a better cliché) gamer.

The question the Browns face, however, is "should we cast judgment on Charlie Frye just yet?"

The Browns have signed former San Diego Charger tight end Ryan Krause and former Raven/Bill Alan Ricard each to one-year contracts. This move yesterday pulls in depth at both positions, which, for one reason or another, may be a bit thin at the start of the upcoming season.

With Kellen Winslow's knee in question, Krause will likely sit behind the recently extended Steve Heiden. Ricard, who helped Jamal Lewis rack up 2,066 yards in 2003, will probably help in showing Lawrence Vickers the ropes and sparingly block for his old buddy.

The Browns announced yesterday that they have signed TE Steve Heiden to a contract extension that will keep him in Cleveland until 2011. Financial terms of the agreement are not yet known.

While Heiden was not quite in the spotlight that Kellen Winslow has been, he has been consistently productive for the Browns during his time on the field. His sure hands and veteran experience have been a great help on possession downs, and has become one of the team's fan favorites over the past few years by showing a toughness and reliability that is invaluable in a city like Cleveland.