AFC North: Browns Almost Drafted Jarvis Jones. Fantasy Football Outlook
By Jason Marcum
May 21, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones (95) participates in organized team activities at the UPMC Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones, who was selected No. 17 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, has stated that the Cleveland Browns told him they were very high on him leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft, and even admitted they wanted to pick him at No. 6, but medical concerns with his spine and disappointing pre-draft workouts caused Cleveland to pass on him.
Instead, they took LSU DE Barkevious Mingo, who drew high praise from Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, the No. 2 overall pick of the draft. Joeckel played against Mingo twice, and is quite impressed by how much he improved throughout his career:
"He’s a freak athlete. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s got a good jump on the ball. He improved a ton from the first time I played him to last season. When I played him as a freshman, he was long and rangy and by the time I played him again my junior year, he got a lot stronger and he had some power moves to him also."
It will be interesting to watch careers of Mingo and Jones, as their teams will face each other in the AFC North, and if the Browns botched this pick like they have so many before, they’ll be reminded twice every year for the foreseeable future.
As we noted yesterday, it’s been a rough offseason for the Cleveland Browns and the law. But trouble isn’t just finding Browns players, but their very own owner as well. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam tells The Wall Street Journal he’s comfortable with his position in the federal investigation into his truck-stop company Pilot Flying J. This case appears far from over, and Haslam and the browns will have this looming over them for most, if not all of the 2013 NFL season.
ESPN released its 2013 fantasy football rankings, and Jamison Hensley broke down every AFC North player who made the top 100:
"3. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens: Third-ranked running back6. Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns: Sixth-ranked running back16. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals: Third-ranked wide receiver61. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers: 22nd-ranked wide receiver62. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers: 24th-ranked running back77. Dennis Pitta, Ravens: 6th-ranked tight end78. Torrey Smith, Ravens: 31st-ranked wide receiver81. Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers: 33rd-ranked wide receiver83. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals: 31st-ranked running back87. Giovani Bernard, Bengals: 32nd-ranked running back94. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: 14th-ranked quarterback95. Josh Gordon, Browns: 42nd-ranked wide receiver99. Joe Flacco, Ravens: 15th-ranked quarterback"
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