The NFL Draft is right around the corner and the Browns are duly ready.
Executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said Cleveland's draft board is officially set in preparation for Thursday night.
"We're set, locked in, know who we'll be taking. And if that player's not there, or if we get another offer that just blows our socks off, we'll know how to react to that," Brown said Monday on the Cleveland Browns Draft Preview Special.
Brown — who was promoted in January after serving as the team's executive vice president and general counsel since 2013 — is set for his first draft experience as something of a shot-caller after years as an observer.
Asked what he's learned over the years, Brown outlined the importance of having a plan.
"Stay calm and keep an open mind. And then make great decisions, go into the draft knowing the players that you want, have conviction and don't worry about the 'what might've been' but just make the best possible decision for yourself," he said.
"Be prepared for every type of scenario that might come up. That's what we're going through now."
Indeed, Brown said he and the rest of Cleveland's leadership — including head coach Hue Jackson, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry — have walked through potential scenarios.
"These last couple of days for us are really about testing ourselves if so and so calls, or if this player is no longer available and making sure that we have a good understanding of how we'll react, how we think about it, what choices we want to make and what tradeoffs those opportunities, pros and cons, provide for us," he said.
"We just got out of quite a long session with our leadership team and Hue to talk through a lot of those scenarios and we'll do that once again before Thursday night."
After dealing the No. 2 pick to the Eagles last week, the Browns hold 12 selections, including the Nos. 8 and No. 32 picks and six picks in the top 100.
"I'll tell you, in terms of what we think is critical to the guys we'll bring to the roster — particularly high in the draft — is that they love football," Brown said. "Yes, they're talented but we want guys that love to play, that play a hard tough brand of football."
Brown also made it clear the Browns will take the best player available, regardless of position or immediate roster needs.
"We don't want to get to a place where we're thinking of the current needs of the roster and pass over better football players. So you take the guy you feel like can best impact you winning and we certainly feel like that's kind of our mantra and our central theme," he said.
"Sometimes position does play into that decision and we're not blind to what the roster is. But at the same time, we're not going to take a worse player because we're already set or we have less of a need."
The draft is set to begin Thursday night in Chicago.
