Building a Successful NFL Franchise: What Not to Do

It’s been said that winning championships begins with success on draft day. Nowhere else can you find such cheap, young talent. The New England Patriots’ sage draft habits are often cited as the shining example, here.

The Cleveland Browns are the exact opposite, then. Here are the players they selected in the first round from 1999 to 2005:

1. Tim Couch (1st Overall, 1999)

2. Courtney Brown (1st Overall, 2000)

3. Gerard Warren (3rd Overall, 2001)

4. William Green (16th Overall, 2002)

5. Jeff Faine (23rd Overall, 2003)

6. Kellen Winslow (6th Overall, 2004)

7. Braylon Edwards (3rd Overall, 2005)

Each one of those players was traded or released. And as a general rule, it’s a bad sign if you’re team has traded seven years’ worth of first round picks.

Brady Quinn: consider yourself warned.

(HT: My friend Tim)