BEREA, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Browns are on the clock.
With the Tennessee Titans expected to select Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward first overall, EVP of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry is keeping an open mind as he and the Brows hold the second pick in next week’s draft.
Here’s the top Brownie Bites from Berry’s pre-draft media availability Thursday morning.
Poker face – Berry claims he hasn’t decided what to do at No. 2 yet. “We're still working through everything,” Berry said. “We have not made a hard decision in terms of how we're going to utilize the number two pick.”
Presumed pick – Colorado iron man Travis Hunter is presumed by many to be the player Berry and the Browns have their eyes on. “One of the things that is you can't probably fully appreciate until you actually see Travis play live is just his elite conditioning,” Berry said. “Going out and seeing him play at Colorado, I mean, he really never comes off the field and it's unbelievable because there are more plays in a college game than there is in a pro game and it's like the guy he barely pants, that type of thing. It is quite incredible. That being said, what he would attempt to do has not been really done in our league, but we wouldn't necessarily put a cap or a governor in terms of what he could do. We would want to be smart In terms of how we started him out, I think I've mentioned before we would see his first home as receiver and his second home on the defensive side of the ball.” Berry did want to clear up the perception that he felt Hunter was more of a receiver than cornerback. “He's great at both. I want to be clear, he's great at both,” Berry said. “I think that got a little bit unfair traction last time I talked about this.”
In the running – Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has not been ruled out at 2. “There's a chance,” Berry said. “All options are on the board.” There may be concerns about Penn State rusher Abdul Carter’s health, but not with the Browns according to Berry. “Our medical staff is not necessarily concerned about any health risks with him,” Berry said.
Don’t force it – Although the Browns desperately need a young franchise quarterback, this doesn’t appear to be the draft to find one. That isn’t to say Berry can’t find one but it’s not an issue he is willing to force. “Obviously quarterback's the most important position,” Berry said. “I think the biggest thing that we're thinking about going into this draft is really just adding good players and good prospects, not overthinking it that way, can't necessarily dictate the draft, although certainly you have more influence when you're picking as high as we are this year, but we're really just looking at good players.”
Flacco fever – Bringing back Joe Flacco adds some flexibility when it comes to finding a young quarterback to develop. “We wouldn't consider signing Joe as having any real impact in terms of how we would view taking a quarterback in the draft,” Berry said. “We firmly believe that it's not about picking a player who's ready to contribute now, it's about trying to find the player that you think is going to be the best if you have access to that player. And look, I think you can think about Patrick Mahomes sat his whole first year. Josh Allen, it really took to year three for him to become Josh Allen. Lamar probably hit the ground running pretty quickly and Jalen Hurts, there were doubts about him until he probably hit year three. So quarterbacks mature and grow at their own pace and our thought isn't in terms of immediacy but making the next long-term bet.”
Two other options – If Berry doesn’t select Sanders as expected, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss are two viable options. “They're both excellent players,” Berry said. “I think Jalen, he's got rare physical talent. He may be the only, when he gets in the NFL, he may be the only quarterback who's faster than Lamar. Don't tell Lamar I said that please. He's got rare physical gifts. He's strong, he's fast, he's got a really strong arm. And any system that you build around him, you want to take advantage of the fact that he has things that no other players at the position at the position have. Jackson, he's very well-rounded. He can run it, he can throw it, he's accurate. He's a good decision maker. I'd say he's pretty scheme versatile so to speak. So look, I think both those guys in the proper situation can be really good. NFL players.” That said, Berry and the Browns do not seem motivated to move back into the first round to select one of them just to secure a fifth year option on the rookie contract.
JOK update – Berry was asked about Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who is recovering from a neck injury that ended his season and may have put his career in doubt. “JOK's timeline, I think I mentioned it last time, it is a bit nebulous,” Berry said. “He is progressing, but again, right now I don't have necessarily a definitive date for you.”