The Cleveland Browns continue their rebuilding process with Trent Richardson in the backfield while the Detroit Lions are looking to upset the Packers as NFC North champions. Our NFL picks are locked in, so find out where you should be placing your money.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns
lost 8 of their last 9 games in 2011 but the silver lining to last year's lost
season was that they wound up with the 3rd overall pick in the draft
and decided Trent Richardson, a tailback from Alabama, would be a key
ingredient to remedy their recipe for disaster. They also realized that a slow rebuilding process would not satisfy the
suddenly rabid members of the Dawg Pound so they then selected a 28-year-old
quarterback out of Oklahoma State named Brandon Weeden.
Make no
mistake about it, Brandon Weeden is not the guy who will be holding a clipboard
and learning at the foot of the not so sagacious master Colt McCoy. He is the guy to be calling signals under
center this season because at the age of 28, his prime years are...now. It would be a mistake for the Browns to hold
on to Colt McCoy and let him loom over the shoulder of Weeden. Cleveland should offer McCoy to the highest
bidder and embrace the Weeden era hook, line and sinker.
Weeden has
added protection up front as the Browns tabbed former University of California
offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz with their 2nd round pick. Unless Weeden completely fails this offense
should experience an uptick from last season but then again, that's still not
saying much.
Detroit Lions
The Lions
saw the postseason last year for the first time in the new millennium. This year the Detroit Lions want more. The Lions have a healthy Mathew Stafford who
put up staggering numbers last season who is complemented by one of the most freakishly
athletic receivers in the game, Calvin Johnson. Brandon Pettigrew is a bona fide weapon at the tight end spot and
Stafford also has Nate Burleson, 2011's second rounder Titus Young and now this
year's 2nd round pick Ryan Broyles to bolster his offensive
arsenal. The Lions also took out a
health insurance policy for Stafford by grabbing top rated tackle Riley Reiff
with their 1st round pick.
Detroit
spent their final six draft choices on the defensive side of the ball. While the team boasts individual defensive
stars such as Ndamukong Suh, Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch the secondary
lacked cohesion and that glaring weakness was exploited last season.
While
everything looks promising for the Lions, their talented tailback Jahvid Best
is a huge concern. He has recently been
placed on the PUP list due to concussion like symptoms which continue to plague
him nine months after the fact. Detroit
will need someone, anyone to step up and give the running attack some teeth.
The Pick
Let's not
forget this is preseason we are dealing with, and the Browns will be looking to
try out their shiny new toys Richardson and Weeden in a live NFL game for what
could be a more extended period of time than the Lions will allocate to their
proven stars. This is a crash course for
Weeden who will need to get as much experience under his belt before the games
begin for real. This is his opportunity
to prove that last season's starter Colt McCoy is old news and his ascension as
the number one guy should be a foregone conclusion. The Browns brass is hoping he proves them
right.
I don't see
the Lions eager to risk life and limb by allowing their stars to shine for too
long in this game. Stafford and Megatron
will both need to stay healthy if this team has a chance at making a deep
postseason run. You don't do that by
stretching out for passes or sacrificing your body over the middle in a
meaningless game. I say the Browns will
be much more willing to let it all hang out. Last season Detroit won this preseason contest 30-28 but this year we
say Cleveland will come out the victor. But just in case it's close, we'll grab
Cleveland +3 as our NFL pick in this matchup.