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So, you think the Browns will select him with the No. 1 pick in the draft Thursday night? This is the moment this dysfunctional franchise can turn it around. Take Barkley at No. 1 and Minkah Fitzpatrick at No. 4. Two future All-Pros. Don’t overthink this, Browns.
Cleveland hasn't had a running back average more than 80 yards per game since Jamal Lewis in 2007. Chucking it around the yard is all the rage in football these days, but it's a big help when you can move the ball on the ground. Don't fumble, Browns.
The Buffalo Bills have the No. 22 pick in the first round. I mention this because if Cleveland trades up or down to grab the No. 22 pick, reach for the whiskey, Browns fans. The last three quarterbacks that Cleveland has selected in the first round have been taken with the 22nd pick: Johnny Manziel, 2014; Brandon Weeden, 2012; and Brady Quinn, 2007.
The Bengals have a whopping 11 picks in the draft, but three of Cincinnati's picks are in the fifth round and three are in the seventh round, which could mean all kinds of late-round fun and draft picks from colleges you've never heard of. The Bengals' first-round pick is No. 21. Maybe they'll trade down a spot and draft a quarterback.
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Bryan Price wasn't the entire problem for the Cincinnati Reds, on that we can agree. But when you're 3-15 with a team of guys who are getting paid, that's an issue. The players tuned out Price and now it's time for a new voice. Everyone seems to think Barry Larkin is the next man up. I'm OK with that, but let's hope the front office supports whoever is calling the shots. Some healthy pitchers would help, too.
RIP, Earle Bruce. The former Buckeyes football coach died Friday at age 87 . He was the boss for nine seasons in Columbus, taking over for the legendary Woody Hayes. It was a daunting task, but Bruce put together some fine teams and took Ohio State to two Rose Bowls. His legacy reverberates across college football to this day. Great stat: 11 of the last 16 national champions were coached by former Bruce assistants (Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel).
Ohio State football received a commitment last week from a guy named Steele Chambers. One of his future teammates is Tuf Borland. Classic Big Ten names. Meanwhile, Georgia has D'Andre Swift and Ameer Speed on its roster. They can move down there in the SEC. Heck, Alabama has a 285-pound tackle commit named Pierce Quick.
Trending up: Kyle Snyder, Anthony Davis, Desiree Linden. Snyder won the James E. Sullivan Award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete. The Ohio State wrestler was a gold medalist in the 2016 Summer Olympics and was a three-time national champion at heavyweight for the Buckeyes. The Maryland native also has had a decorated career in international competition.
Trending down: Elysee Mbem-Bosse, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Elder-Beerman. Mbem-Bosse, a former Michigan football player, is being investigated after posting some strange, threatening tweets that tagged Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh. His tweets were taken off Twitter, but of course someone has kept them alive through the magic of screenshots.
Knucklehead of the Week
I watched most of the Twins-Indians game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Wednesday night. The game went 16 innings and was scoreless until the 14th. It was hot down there, but the bats were cold. By the time the clock struck midnight, I had invested too much time in the game to go to bed. I was rewarded when my Twins turned back the Tribe 2-1. Someone else who wanted to go to bed was ESPN play-by-play guy Karl Ravech. He continuously whined about the length of games and advocated for starting extra innings with a runner on second base. This isn’t intramurals, Karl.
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