NewEraDawg Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Tuesday, March 31, 2009 The Cleveland Browns have been relatively quiet since trading troublesome tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a month ago. But the noise is expected to crescendo into a roar as we approach the NFL draft. Cleveland has been the subject of many trade rumors and could make a splash on draft day. Trade or no trade, one thing is certain: The Browns will be looking for playmaker prospects when it comes time to make their selection. Record breaker The Browns are believed to have their sights set on one playmaker entering the draft, University of Central Florida cornerback Joe Burnett. Why are the Browns interested? They see a lot of Josh Cribbs in him. Burnett has been flying under the radar, but NFL teams are finding out that Burnett is a return-specialist extraordinaire. Burnett was voted first-team All-America as a corner, punt-returner and kick-returner this season. He holds UCF's career record for interception with 16. He also has been one of the top return specialists in college football the past four years. The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Burnett gained the attention of scouts with his performance at the combine. He ran as low as a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash; banged out 22 reps on the bench press and posted a 35.5-inch vertical. He had an overall good showing and helped his cause tremendously. 'Best value' NFL draft expert Mike Mayock called Burnett the "best value" of any draft prospect. The Browns were so intrigued they sent defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson to Florida to work Burnett out. Burnett said the workout went extremely well and that he learned a lot from Henderson. And he said he would love to play in Cleveland. However, the Browns are not alone in their interest. Burnett also worked out for the New England Patriots and is scheduled to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 1. You can add Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and New Orleans to the list of teams also showing interest. Burnett is projected as a fourth-round pick but could sneak into Round 3. Strongest player As a cornerback, Burnett shows great cover skills, good feet, hands and quickness. He's very smooth in transition and demonstrates good ball skills. Burnett is instinctive with very good natural ability. According to UCF secondary coach Gary Blackney, he was pound-for-pound the strongest player on the team. Burnett excels in press coverage and reacts quickly. He's a leader on the field and a high-character guy. On the downside, he will have to adjust to the speed and contact of the pro ranks and become more disciplined in press coverage. Burnett said he patterns his game after another former Knight cornerback, Asante Samuels, who the Patriots struck gold with when they selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. As a return man, Burnett's extremely dangerous. His outstanding ability to play corner, nickel corner and return man could potentially make him a better asset than Cribbs. Former UCF standout and Denver Broncos Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall is a believer. He said Burnett is a great player and will surprise some people at the next level. Cleveland is desperately in need of secondary help and Burnett would definitely fill a need at the position. Carlos "Big C" Holmes covers the NFL for Dayton Daily News. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaBrownsFan Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Being a current UCF student, I can say that I am very pleased to hear this. "Smokin" Joe has been the leader and best player of our defense for the past couple seasons. He's got great cover skills and is a phenomenal PR. He is definitely one of the most underrated in this draft (projected to be a late rounder). He would most certainly be a good player to add to our "new" Browns. Glad to see were interested in a Knight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEraDawg Posted March 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Glad to hear someone has heard of him . I don't see many UCF games . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gips Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 After looking at some footage of smokin joe i would have no qaulms about mankok taking this kid on he could be a beast at corner.. man is he fast and natural... We could then move Macdonald to safety which he would likely excel at even though he is a wee undersized... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KardiacKid26 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Glad to see this stuff happening. Mankok also has an interest in Louis Delmas. These two guys would be a + to our secondary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicksilvy Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think he would be a great pickup. We take him, he's the number 2 cornerback, we put McDonald in the nickel, Cribbs can move to safety and we can have Burnett on punt returns and both Burnett and Cribbs on kickoffs. They're both dangerous and this would keep both of them fresh as well as allowing us to experiment with Cribbs at safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koa Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 UCF student here and I'd LOVE to see the Browns get this guy. They wouldn't be disappointed. I've seen him in 4 games and all I can say is "playmaker" Very Cribbs like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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