Gaining Strait a calculated move for Cleveland

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, August 14, 2006  |  Comments( 3 )

Cleveland Browns
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The Cleveland Browns made a rare preseason trade on Monday, sending reserve running back Lee Suggs to the backfield-deprived New York Jets for cornerback Derrick Strait. The exchange is certainly a low-profile move, but it could end up paying dividends for the Ohioans.

In the 2003 NFL Draft, the Browns used a fourth-round pick on Suggs, a former star from Virginia Tech. During his three-year tenure in Cleveland, however, he was mediocre. The 213-pounder rushed for a career-high 744 yards in 2004, but followed that with just 15 last season, mostly because of various injuries.

Suggs wasn't a necessity for head coach Romeo Crennel and offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, either. The team already has a capable No. 1 back in Reuben Droughns, who has rushed for over 1,200 yards in two straight campaigns.

After Droughns is another back who has been decent in the past, William Green. A former first-round pick, Boston College's Green has become a bust in the pros, running for just over 2,000 yards in four years. However, he has the potential to become a serviceable backup to Droughns.

In Strait, the Browns acquired another big-league football player who has parlayed a tremendous college career into a weak NFL stint so far. The 5-foot-11, 189-pounder was a third-round selection in 2004 for New York, but hasn't yet panned out as a day one-worthy pick. Through his first 21 games, Strait has 56 total tackles, zero interceptions and just one pass defenses. As a rookie, though, he was hampered by an ankle injury, limiting him to just five contests.

Despite some early pro struggles, Strait was a star at Oklahoma. The two-time All-American won both the Bronco Nagurski Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award during his tenure under head coach Bob Stoops. The Thorpe Award is given annually to the nation's top defensive back, while the Nagurski Trophy is for Division I's best defender, as voted by a panel of writers.

Since he won't have large amounts of pressure heaped on him in Cleveland, the 25-year-old has the chance to become a big-time contributor on the Browns' improving defense.

"We were looking for depth in the defensive backfield after the injuries we've had," said Crennel. "He has some versatility - that's one of the intriguing things about him."

Phil Savage became the Cleveland general manager prior to the '05 season, and most of the things he's done have turned out well thus far. If he believes this trade will end up helping the Browns, then it probably will. Don't discount the impact Crennel and defensive backs coach Mel Tucker will have on Strait, either.

With solid veterans and promising youngsters, the Browns' secondary should be ready to stake its claim as a dependable unit this season and beyond.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

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