BEREA – Andrew Berry made a deal.

It took the Browns’ general manager until their eighth and final pick, no. 229 overall in the seventh round to finally get rid of one of the picks he started the weekend. For a general manager who has built a reputation for spinning and trading on draft day with seven draft-day trades in the previous three drafts, it’s been a dull couple of days.

Ultimately, the only small step taken was to give up his last pick of the year in order to be picked at the end of the round next year. That would give them eight more picks in the 2024 draft, the last without a first-round pick due to last year’s Deshawn Watson trade.

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It still leaves them with seven new rookies on this year’s list. Those are seven relatively young players to add to a still relatively young squad that will face hopes of winning in the fall.

“Well, hopefully we’ve taken a big step forward,” Berry said Saturday after the draft concluded. “I mean, I think that any player that you bring into the organization, whether it’s through a draft, whether it’s through free agency, whether it’s through a trade, or in any other way, you hope that it will be easier for you to raise the floor and/or ceiling. position group. We have the same aspirations for this class of seven players, but we have to wait and see until they hit the grass.”

So what about this draft class? Now that it’s complete, here are three takeaways from the seven new Browns.

Size was clearly a factor in Andrew Berry’s decision.

Berry spoke after taking Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman and Baylor defenseman Siaki Ika in the third round on Friday about their size. He then spun with the Browns’ very first pick in Saturday’s fourth round at No. 1.111 overall, and took a giant offensive tackle from Ohio State Dawand Jones.

Jones checks in at 6’8¼ and weighs 374 pounds. Berry called him a “modern-day Goliath” and said he was a “big killer whale”.

The story goes on

Another fourth-round pick, Missouri quarterback Isaiah McGuire, is also in a big box. He is 6-4⅜ tall and weighs 268 pounds.

“All four players that we liked in their places and I would also say that even though they have chosen bigger bodies, they are not just big guys who can’t move,” Berry said of the first four picks. . “This is something we will always prioritize because I really think the NFL is becoming more and more of a space game. If you have strong sports players in any group of positions, you will take them.”

Jim Schwartz and Deshawn Watson get help on their side of the ball

New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is being asked to do more than just update the Browns’ circuit. He does the same with their staff.

It began with the signing of free agents such as defensemen Dalvin Tomlinson and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, as well as defenseman Juan Thornhill. This continued as the Browns selected two strong guards in Icky and McGuire, and added a cornerback in Northwestern’s Cameron Mitchell, a No.

It was like steps taken to support the attack, both through free will and conscription. In the first case, Watson was given three new targets and Tillman provided another weapon to use.

“The idea that Jim is aiming for size is not really true,” Berry said. “He is looking for good players. With Deshawn, I think any team that has a quarterback and feels set up for that position wants to make sure they’re surrounded by people who can help highlight his skills. into it with a specific plan that was to lead the attack, or the other side was going to manage the defense. We were looking for good players who ultimately fit our vision.”

The SEC remains one of Andrew Berry’s favorite conferences to find talent.

The Browns partly brushed off criticism for ignoring the football factory in Ohio State by taking Jones and then center Luke Wypler in the sixth round at No. 1. 190. These two Buckeyes have increased the total number of players drafted by the team since their revival. in 1999, to six.

They continued to believe that Berry was very fond of the players who played in the Southeast Conference. Of the seven players they selected, three were affiliated with the SEC.

Ika spent his first season playing on the 2019 LSU National Championship team before following Dave Aranda, his defensive coordinator, to Baylor. Meanwhile, Tillman and McGuire had apparently played their entire careers in the conference.

Those four give the Browns 19 SEC players.

“SEC, I think this is the best conference,” Tillman said. “Week after week you compete against the best teams, the best opponents. Tennessee was great. Like you said, great fan base. They really care about their volunteers. Brown. Now I’m going to accept this fan group and let’s go.”

Chris Easterling can be contacted at cesterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Learn more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ.

This article originally appeared in Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns turn to draft class to add competition to roster

The Denver Nuggets had to crush the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5, but it was worth it as they won 112–109 to win the series and advance to the next round.

The Nuggets will now be waiting for the winner of the #1. 4 tournament, the Phoenix Suns and the No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers series in which the Suns lose 3-1.

The Timberwolves’ desperation was great and it showed throughout the game as they weren’t about to walk away without a fight. The game was tied at 102 with 1:46 left in the fourth quarter, with neither team able to break away.

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That was until Nikola Jokic landed back-to-back shots to make the game 109-104. The first was a valiant effort when he bounced the ball back twice on the original float he missed to give the nuggets a slight advantage. He then landed a patented four-foot hook after missing Anthony Edwards at the other end.

It was also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after Carl-Anthony Towns fouled on the sidelines and Jokic hit him to give the Nuggets a five-point margin. Towns left the game with 26 points on 9 of 17 from the field, 11 rebounds and three assists.

It was a lead they would not give up and they would continue on their way to the final.

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However, the Timberwolves didn’t lay down with less than 30 seconds left. Mike Conley dug in a 28-foot three to pull back two points. Edwards did the same, dropping seven feet after Bruce Brown (14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists) returned the Nuggets to a four-point lead.

They even had a chance to level the score and send him into overtime with 2.5 seconds left on three points. But Edwards’ shot missed, and the Nuggets began to celebrate.

Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves took on Aaron Gordon #50 of the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during NBA Playoffs 5th Round 1st Round game at Ball Arena on April 25, 2023 in Denver. state of Colorado. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Jokic ended the game with 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists for an impressive triple-double. He also had two interceptions and two defensive blocks.

Jamal Murray also lost 35 points to lead the Nuggets, including 5-of-9 3-pointers and a perfect 6-of-6 from a charity streak.

In Minnesota, Edwards finished with 29 points on 13-of-26 from the field, although he missed all six of his three-point attempts. He also totaled eight rebounds and seven assists with two blocks on the other end.

Rudy Gobert also fouled for the Wolves, scoring 16 points and 15 rebounds for a double-double.

Jamal Murray (27) of the Denver Nuggets reacts to the Nuggets taking the lead along with teammates Nikola Jokic (15) and Aaron Gordon (50) during the second quarterback against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Ball Arena in Denver on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 . (Aaron Ontiverose/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

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While the Nuggets go further, the Timberwolves will be back to the drawing board to see how they can move further into the playoffs next season.