Translating the Cleveland Browns pre-draft maneuvering: Everything isn’t always as it seems.

Tis the season to be lying fa, la, la, la, la…….And so on. The pre NFL draft maneuvering, scouting, and disinformation campaigns are in full swing. And many sports analysts and gurus, including Vic Carucci of Cleveland Browns Daily dub this “The Lying Season.” And the description cannot be more accurate.

During this time of year teams will do their scouting, examine a player from top to bottom, and create their draft “Big Board”. But there are plenty of other reasons why a team may attend a pro day or bring a player prospect in for a visit. And with the Cleveland Browns bringing in some big name prospects this week I feel that it’s important to keep just a few things in mind.

Bill Polian, the former General Manager of the Indianapolis colts was on Cleveland Browns Daily on April 2nd, and he pointed out three different reasons why a team may bring a player in for a visit. (1) There may be legitimate interest in that player. (2) A team may be missing info about a player. (3) It could be a smoke screen. And since the Browns are viewed by many as a pivotal domino in the draft, what they do at the 4th overall pick will determine the course of the first round and beyond. So let’s take a look at the three possible reasons why an NFL team like the Browns will bring a player in for visit.

(1)    Legitimate interest

Obviously the first reason could be legitimate interest in a prospect. Bringing a player in for a visit is the equivalent of someone taking a test drive in a car they may want to purchase. It gives teams a chance to examine a player up close and personal. If they have had  injuries in the past, it gives a team’s medical staff the opportunity to “kick the tires” and see what, if anything is a reason for concern. This is the prime assumption made when a team brings in a player.

(2)    Missing pieces

Not knowing everything about a prospect is common. This can be another reason why players are brought in for visits. Teams may not have all the parts of a particular players scouting report. These reasons can be like a medical examination, or interview. The team may not have serious interest in this player, but they want to be certain. They want to make sure that they have the full picture. How many times have you dated someone, and later wish you had known a critical piece of info about that person before hand? We all have dated an “insane”, or “crazy” person in our past. So having the whole picture can be extremely helpful.

(3)    Smoke screen

The third and final reason according to Bill Polian is the smoke screen. A visit can be scheduled purely for intelligence gathering, or a disinformation campaign. This can force teams interested in a certain player to become concerned about their chances of drafting “there guy”. And a sense of urgency can generate favorable trades for your team. Who knew General Managers could be so devious, at least outside of the New Orleans Saints anyway.

So in the future when you read about a player like Tannehill, or Weeden coming to Berea for a visit, take it with a grain of salt. Because not everything is what it appears to be.

Michael W. Youngman

(Lead Analyst C.B.R.)

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