Why the Cleveland Browns Absolutely Must Draft DeVante Parker
2 Bleacher Report / by Will Burge / 43min ago
The Cleveland Browns are in need of a home run in this year’s NFL draft, and no pick would crush it out of the park more than Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker. Last season the Browns passed on a historically good crop of wide receivers, and they cannot let another year go by without getting an elite weapon.
Before we get to Parker himself, let’s start by realizing just how important it is for the Browns to get a weapon on the outside. There is a huge question mark at quarterback right now in Cleveland, and while it looks as though Johnny Manziel will get the chance to win the job next year, no one really knows what will happen. All we know is that whoever the quarterback is will need all the help he can get.
Wide receiver Josh Gordon’s future with the Browns is uncertain, and general manager Ray Farmer is noncommittal on what he would like to do with the troubled playmaker.
"It's the offseason and we can only have so much communication and contact with those (players)," Farmer told Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer this week at the Senior Bowl. "When those things present themselves, we'll get into them. Those guys get their downtime. They get a chance to step away from the game, assess themselves, assess their situations and when the time is right for those conversations, we'll have them."
If Gordon is not with the team next year, then it will need to find a primary receiver. Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel had very nice seasons, combining for 99 catches for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns, but they are both undersized. Neither of them is the type of guy a defense needs to prepare for if he lines up against its top cornerback.
Parker would also ease the transition for the Browns' new offensive coordinator, John DeFilippo. According to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the Browns have decided on the former Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach to run their offense next season. He is a 36-year old up-and-comer and gets a lot of credit for quarterback Derek Carr’s impressive rookie season.
Good hire. RT @RapSheet: The #Browns are hiring as OC ex-#Raiders QB coach John DeFilippo. His work with Derek Carr was noted
— Marc Sessler (@MarcSesslerNFL) January 21, 2015
With his duties expanding, it would be nice if the Browns had some weapons for him to use. There is already a stable of young running backs, a few nice complementary receivers and now they just need the home run hitter.
That is exactly what Parker is. He is 6’3”, 209 pounds and knows how to use his big frame to win battles. He attacks the football at its highest point and was among the hardest receivers to cover in college football last season. He had 43 receptions for 855 yards and five touchdowns in his senior year. That capped off a 156-reception, 2,775-yard, 33-touchdown career at Louisville.
Many experts, including Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com, feel the Browns will give him careful consideration.
#Browns fans: watch as much WR DeVante Parker as you can. I'll bet he's on the short list of players CLE considers in the 1st round
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 31, 2014
The problem could be that Parker might be long gone by the time the Browns draft at No. 12. If this is the case, then they will have to go another direction because there is not a player in this draft worth trading away their first two picks. If he is available, however, the Browns can dance their way to turn in the selection card.
I like to say Parker is Andre Johnson Jr. He is built in a similar stature to the Houston Texans standout receiver and attacks the football like Johnson does too. His speed won’t knock anyone’s socks off at the combine, but neither did Johnson’s. He ran a 4.41, 40-yard dash, and that is plenty fast enough to win at the highest level.
He needs to improve his route running, but just about every receiver entering the draft does too. What he has over the rest of the crop is the “it” factor. He has that intangible ability to go up and get a ball whether he is covered or not. He spent quite a bit more time covered than Amari Cooper from Alabama or Kevin White from West Virginia, and that didn’t diminish his production one bit.
If the Browns can get Manziel headed in the right direction, he will need a big target like he had at Texas A&M. In those days it was Mike Evans who would break off routes and improvise with Johnny. Now it can be DeVante. And with a young quarterback and wide receiver combo, hopefully Cleveland can be dominant for the foreseeable future.
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2 Bleacher Report / by Will Burge / 43min ago
The Cleveland Browns are in need of a home run in this year’s NFL draft, and no pick would crush it out of the park more than Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker. Last season the Browns passed on a historically good crop of wide receivers, and they cannot let another year go by without getting an elite weapon.
Before we get to Parker himself, let’s start by realizing just how important it is for the Browns to get a weapon on the outside. There is a huge question mark at quarterback right now in Cleveland, and while it looks as though Johnny Manziel will get the chance to win the job next year, no one really knows what will happen. All we know is that whoever the quarterback is will need all the help he can get.
Wide receiver Josh Gordon’s future with the Browns is uncertain, and general manager Ray Farmer is noncommittal on what he would like to do with the troubled playmaker.
"It's the offseason and we can only have so much communication and contact with those (players)," Farmer told Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer this week at the Senior Bowl. "When those things present themselves, we'll get into them. Those guys get their downtime. They get a chance to step away from the game, assess themselves, assess their situations and when the time is right for those conversations, we'll have them."
If Gordon is not with the team next year, then it will need to find a primary receiver. Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel had very nice seasons, combining for 99 catches for 1,444 yards and three touchdowns, but they are both undersized. Neither of them is the type of guy a defense needs to prepare for if he lines up against its top cornerback.
Parker would also ease the transition for the Browns' new offensive coordinator, John DeFilippo. According to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com, the Browns have decided on the former Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach to run their offense next season. He is a 36-year old up-and-comer and gets a lot of credit for quarterback Derek Carr’s impressive rookie season.
Good hire. RT @RapSheet: The #Browns are hiring as OC ex-#Raiders QB coach John DeFilippo. His work with Derek Carr was noted
— Marc Sessler (@MarcSesslerNFL) January 21, 2015
With his duties expanding, it would be nice if the Browns had some weapons for him to use. There is already a stable of young running backs, a few nice complementary receivers and now they just need the home run hitter.
That is exactly what Parker is. He is 6’3”, 209 pounds and knows how to use his big frame to win battles. He attacks the football at its highest point and was among the hardest receivers to cover in college football last season. He had 43 receptions for 855 yards and five touchdowns in his senior year. That capped off a 156-reception, 2,775-yard, 33-touchdown career at Louisville.
Many experts, including Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com, feel the Browns will give him careful consideration.
#Browns fans: watch as much WR DeVante Parker as you can. I'll bet he's on the short list of players CLE considers in the 1st round
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) December 31, 2014
The problem could be that Parker might be long gone by the time the Browns draft at No. 12. If this is the case, then they will have to go another direction because there is not a player in this draft worth trading away their first two picks. If he is available, however, the Browns can dance their way to turn in the selection card.
I like to say Parker is Andre Johnson Jr. He is built in a similar stature to the Houston Texans standout receiver and attacks the football like Johnson does too. His speed won’t knock anyone’s socks off at the combine, but neither did Johnson’s. He ran a 4.41, 40-yard dash, and that is plenty fast enough to win at the highest level.
He needs to improve his route running, but just about every receiver entering the draft does too. What he has over the rest of the crop is the “it” factor. He has that intangible ability to go up and get a ball whether he is covered or not. He spent quite a bit more time covered than Amari Cooper from Alabama or Kevin White from West Virginia, and that didn’t diminish his production one bit.
If the Browns can get Manziel headed in the right direction, he will need a big target like he had at Texas A&M. In those days it was Mike Evans who would break off routes and improvise with Johnny. Now it can be DeVante. And with a young quarterback and wide receiver combo, hopefully Cleveland can be dominant for the foreseeable future.
Tweet Visit website
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