Snow is falling (finally) and temperatures are dropping (finally), but the heat is rising on NFL Draft talk (always) now that Super 50 is over and done.
We applaud the creativity of these queries because they've yet to be repetitive. We'll try to keep that up now that the draft is only 78 days away.
Hue Jackson is said to be a QB guru. If he is that good, then a raw talent that has size and a cannon arm is the way to go, right? He can mentor and coach that raw talent into a winner, right? Should the Browns draft Cardale Jones? I think they should. -- Joe B., Seville
I'll get to Jones in a couple of paragraphs, but this question, to me, leads to another question. Would the Browns ever consider drafting multiple quarterbacks in a single draft?
Some history: The Browns haven't drafted multiple quarterbacks since 1976, when they selected Gene Swick in the fourth round and Craig Nagel in the ninth. Neither player ever saw the field. In 2012, the Redskins became the first team since 1989 to draft two quarterbacks in the first four rounds of the draft when they took Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick and Kirk Cousins in the fourth round. That team in 1989? The Dallas Cowboys, who took future Hall of Famer Troy Aikman with the No. 1 pick in the traditional draft and Steve Walsh at No. 1 in the supplemental draft. Needless to say, this doesn't happen all too often, but as has been displayed with Cousins, it can pay off.
The Browns won't tip their hand with anything draft-related in the coming months, so don't expect any clarity on this one way or another. It'd be surprising to hear a declaration one way or the other. Cleveland currently has four quarterbacks on the roster -- Josh McCown, Duke Johnson, Connor Shaw and Austin Davis -- so there isn't a need based simply on numbers. Anything is possible during draft weekend, though, and the Browns are poised to have plenty of picks to explore a variety of options.
As for Jones, he's one of a couple of interesting options for teams that could be looking for a quarterback on Day 2 or Day 3. The Cleveland native has a big arm and tons of promise, but he ultimately lost his job as starter in 2015, one year after he won the final three games in Ohio State's national championship season. Penn State's Christian Hackenberg has similar questions because his college career didn't pan out as anticipated when he came out of high school as one of the top prospects in the nation. Mississippi State's Dak Prescott had a good week at the Senior Bowl and put up major numbers during his college career, but questions exist about his ability as a pocket passer. Basically, any quarterback in the draft has question marks, and they only get bigger when it's Day 3.
I've been dying to know, and I need to know. How is Ifo looking at his chances for next season? Any chance he'll be the star he was at Oregon anytime in the future? - Jacob Y., San Angelo, Texas
When Cleveland's offseason workout program begins in April, Ekpre-Olomu will be a little more than 16 months removed from his serious knee injury. His rehabilitation has been around-the-clock ever since the Browns took a flier on him in the seventh round of last year's draft. He spent valuable time with his teammates when it permitted this past season and earned their respect for how hard he was attacking his rehabilitation. It's uncertain what he'll be able to do when he comes back in April, but this was the year that was targeted when he was selected.
Quarterback from Utah State looks promising! What do think? - John N., Tiffin
You're talking about Chuckie Keeton, who looked brilliant at times throughout his career but was hammered by multiple, serious injuries. He missed a combined 24 games over his final three seasons after his breakout sophomore year, when he threw for 3,373 yards, rushed for 619 and scored a combined 35 touchdowns. CBSSports.com doesn't expect Keeton to be drafted, but he could latch on with a team as a free agent.
