Takes By The Lake Podcast

The Cleveland Browns have finished last in 13 of the 16 years that the four-team AFC North has existed. Once the Browns finished third and twice they were second. Never have the Browns managed to beat out Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Baltimore all in the same year. So the division matters. And Doug Lesmerises is going to dig into it on Takes By The Lake. Our AFC North tour will feature a full podcast on each of the other three teams, because all of them are transitioning as the Browns are trying to climb their way out of the perpetual basement. First up are the Baltimore Ravens, who are losing their GM, could be losing their coach and are readying a probable quarterback switch a year from now from Joe Flacco to rookie Lamar Jackson. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, who has covered the Ravens since 2011, is the guest this week to break down everything in Baltimore. He also gave us his opinion from afar on what he thinks of the Browns and their moves. It's always interesting to know how a team is viewed from th

Dan Whalen had some strong thoughts in the months leading up to the 2018 NFL Draft. One, he thought Baker Mayfield was the right pick for the Cleveland Browns. Two, he didn't think much of the way NFL teams evaluate the quarterback position. This is why I vent on most scouts being no better than a coin flip. Honing in on inconsequential physical attributes instead of those that actually lead to wins. Throw in poor coaching in many cases, and most QBs are doomed. — Dan Whalen (@dwhalen5) February 22, 2018 In this Takes By The Lake episode, Whalen joined Doug Lesmerises to talk about Mayfield and what the NFL gets right and gets wrong when evaluating a quarterback like him compared to a quarterback like Josh Allen. Whalen is a former quarterback at Case Western Reserve who rewrote the record books there. He describes his resume on the podcast, but this is a Browns fan who has played the position and understands quarterback play. From Johnny Manziel to Peyton Manning, we talked NFL quarterbacks in the context of

Do you trust John Dorsey? Is Baker Mayfield a future playoff quarterback? Did the 2018 NFL Draft feel different or like more of the same? What do you think of the overall talent level on the roster now? The goal of the latest Takes By The Lake is for you to hear someone on this podcast that you agree with. Doug Lesmerises has been accused at times of filling this podcast only with guests with whom he agrese. To that, he pleads guilty. But this episode is more than that. With Nicole Chatham, an attorney from Denver; Mike Zawalski, a salesman from North Royalton; and Jonathan Dennis, a paster from Woodlake, Calif., we get three lifelong Browns who see the team in different ways. We get a variety of opinions on how the draft went, on what the future looks like and on whether this whole process of 1-31 has been worth it or not. These are smart fans who know the team well and have a deep history with the Browns. We hope that you'll hear a piece of yourself in their answers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and o

How did Baker Mayfield reach the point of becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and why does the NFL seem to like a quarterback who doesn't fit the classic mold? On this Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com, we answer both those questions with two guests who know Mayfield well, but in different ways. First up is Jenni Carlson, the sports columnist from The Oklahoman whose work can be found at newsok.com. Carlson talked about Mayfield's arrival at Oklahoma, what fans thought of him early on and during his Heisman year, how he reacted to the mistakes he made in college and what he might be like as the face of an NFL franchise. Then Doug Lesmerises talked with Sam Monson, the lead NFL analyst from Pro Football Focus. Monson was on Mayfield early, believing since the middle of his senior season that he deserved consideration as the No. 1 pick. Listen to Monson explain why that was and why he thinks the Browns and other NFL teams came to the same conclusion. Plus, Monson offers a thought on the future of

Is Sam Darnold a better NFL Draft prospect than Carson Wentz was two years ago? Is Saquon Barkley a better NFL Draft prospect than Ezekiel Elliott was two years ago? Is cornerback Denzel Ward a better draft prospect than his Ohio State teammate Marshon Lattimore was last year? And how does Bradley Chubb compare as a defensive end prospect to recent top-five end picks like the Browns' Myles Garrett and San Diego's Joey Bosa? In the final Takes By The Lake podcast before the 2018 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, Doug Lesmerises is joined by NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler to put the best prospects this year in context, because two of those elite prospects should wind up on the Browns. Brugler is the Senior NFL Draft Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, and you'll certainly want to hear him on this podcast. Thanks for listening to Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Browns have every chance to get it right in the 2018 NFL Draft? What would it look like for this draft to go wrong in Cleveland? On this Takes By The Lake episode, that's one of the 10 questions Doug Lemerises put to two very interesting voices on the Browns: Jake Burns of Waiting for Next Year and Pete Smith of NFLspinzone.com. Jake and Pete have both been guests on the podcast before, but this time we got them together, and asked: On a scale of 1 to 10, what's your level of faith in the Browns for this draft? Who do you think the pick will be at No. 1? What would a draft disaster look like for the Browns? What would it take for you to trade the No. 4 pick? Would you pick a running back in the first two rounds? Would you pick a receiver in the first two rounds? How close are the Browns to having a playoff roster? Does this feel like past drafts, or is this the best chance yet for the Browns to turn it around? What's your grade for John Dorsey's moves so far? Are the Browns on the ups

Quarterback, defensive end, cornerback, offensive tackle, running back? Quarterback, running back, receiver, cornerback, offensive tackle? What's the best way for the Cleveland Browns to use their five picks in the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft? On this episode of Takes By The Lake, Doug Lesmerises tackles that question with Luke Easterling of The Draft Wire, who writes about the draft on the USA Today website. We run through the best options for the No. 4 pick - Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb or a trade down - and then examine the cornerbacks, tackles, receivers and running backs that will be available when the Browns pick at No. 33 and No. 33 earlier in the second round. Plus, we zero in on a running back who could be perfect for the Browns with the last pick in the second round at No. 64. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Josh Allen as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is the riskiest move the Cleveland Browns could make. On that point, there should be no argument. The debate is whether the risk is worth it. The latest Takes By The Lake podcast from cleveland.com is all about Allen, the raw, strong-armed quarterback from Wyoming who may have caught the eye of Browns general manager John Dorsey. To explain whether the selection of Allen would be a colossal error or a strategic gamble, Doug Lesmerises is joined by two NFL Draft analysts. First is Eric Galko, the director of Optimum Scouting who serves as a lead NFL and NFL Draft writer for the Sporting News. Then comes by Ryan McCrystal of Bleacher Report, who also lists his draft projections at draftace.com. Can they talk Doug into believing that the Browns could draft Allen ahead of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen, and Browns fans could survive it? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's one thing for the Browns to be taking major steps toward being more competitive in 2018. It's another for them to be laying the foundation for a playoff team in 2019 and beyond. Most would agree that the moves this offseason, and the picks to come in the NFL Draft, will make the Browns much better than the 0-16 team of 2017. But do you see a 10-win foundation being put in place? Because competitive isn't the ultimate goal. On this episode of Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises is joined by Brent Sobleski, an NFL analyst for Bleacher Report who writes a lot about the Browns, to break down the entire offseason. We ask how far away this defense is from being playoff caliber (maybe one pass rusher and a No. 1 corner), look at if the skill position players are good enough and imagine the best scenario for left tackle. Then we get into what Brent forecasts for the No. 1 pick in the draft, and what that will mean for the future of the franchise. Thanks for listening to Takes By The Lake from c

The Browns traded for their new starting quarterback in Tyrod Taylor and traded for Jarvis Landry, who led the NFL in receptions a year ago. Add that to Josh Gordon, David Njoku, Duke Johnson, Corey Coleman (if they keep him) and the running back they should draft, and an offense appears to be forming. On this Takes By The Lake, veteran NFL writer Andrea Hangst, who has covered the Steelers, the Browns, the AFC North and the entire NFL, joins Doug Lesmerises to talk about how first-year Browns offensive coordinator Todd Haley will use all those pieces. Hangst covered Haley in Pittsburgh and understands how he makes an offense work. Doug and Andrea also break down the trades, examine the opportunity the Browns have in an aging NFC North, discuss how Haley might use Saquon Barkley if he winds up a Brown, and examine the best way for the Browns to use the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the draft. Doug also drops in a rant about what people are writing and saying about Sashi Brown in the aftermath of these trades. See

Football analyst Warren Sharp joins Doug Lesmerises to explain the story he wrote on how the Browns have the most draft capital of any team in the modern NFL Draft era. You knew they had a lot of picks, and a lot of high picks, but Warren explains just what that means. So is that many picks in one draft a smart idea? Or should the Browns have spread out their picks and not traded down so much to build for 2018? Sharp makes the case that building your roster first, then drafting your rookie quarterback, is the best way to maximize the five-year window you get when a rookie is on a manageable contract for a quarterback. Doug also explains why he thinks this 2018 draft is a good one for the Browns to have two of the top four picks. Because not every draft includes three quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield and three other premium players like Bradley Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Saquon Barkley. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kirk Cousins is a top-15 quarterback who could allow the Browns to maximize their draft picks while getting this franchise back to winning quickly. So says Evan Silva of Rotoworld, who joined Doug Lesmerises on Takes By The Lake from cleveland.com this week to talk all about the Browns. Doug and Evan talked cocoon thinking in the NFL, where unique thoughts are discouraged; the misuse of young Browns players last year by Hue Jackson; whether this Browns front office is as accomplished as many people think; and what is the best path for the Browns this offseason. Evan thinks it starts with Cousins. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.