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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Browns in 2012.

Dream scenario (8-8): The Browns reap the rewards of a third straight successful draft and produce their first non-losing season since 2007. Team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert are vindicated for making the right moves, and head coach Pat Shurmur shows what he can do when he has a full offseason with a team. While this isn't a playoff team yet, this season proves that the team is headed in the right direction.

First-round running back Trent Richardson becomes the centerpiece of the Browns' offense, providing a tough and mean attitude. He lives up to expectations of being the No. 3 overall pick and is the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. First-round pick Brandon Weeden makes an immediate impact with his big arm, convincing everyone that he is a franchise quarterback. He is also the mature leader that the offense needs.

On defense, tackle Phil Taylor returns earlier than expected from his pectoral muscle injury and misses only a handful of games. Middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson proves he's worth his new five-year, $42.5 million deal and leads the NFL in tackles. Linebacker Scott Fujita wins the appeal of his three-game suspension from the Saints' bounty scandal and starts the season opener. The addition of defensive end Frostee Rucker significantly improves a run defense that ranked 30th in the NFL last season.

Nightmare scenario (3-13): The Browns hit rock bottom, struggling against the NFL's third-toughest schedule. The hot seat is scorching for Shumur, and there are constant questions whether Holmgren and Heckert will be around when the Browns select first in the 2013 draft.

The biggest problem is a lack of playmakers on offense. Richardson is a physical runner but he can't break tackle after tackle. Defenses load the box with eight and nine players because they don't fear any of the wide receivers. Greg Little continues to drop passes and Mohamed Massaquoi continues to underachieve. Rookie Travis Benjamin brings speed but doesn't have the size to get off the line. That is all compounded by Weeden making too many mistakes when pressured, which was the knock on him coming out of college.

The defense's biggest weakness -- run defense -- gets exploited even more when Taylor takes longer than expected to recover. Rookie defensive linemen John Hughes and Billy Winn play like rookies in trying to replace him. Defensive end Jabaal Sheard isn't as disruptive as he was as a rookie, and Rucker is a disappointment as the team's top free-agent signing.

A respected committee of ESPN experts -- including Trent Dilfer, Mel Kiper, Gary Horton and Matt Williamson -- got together to look into the crystal ball and produce the NFL Future Power Rankings .

The projection is for the 2015 season and takes into account five factors: roster (32.5 percent), quarterback (17.5 percent), draft (15 percent), front office (15 percent) and coaching (20 percent).

You'll need an Insider subscription to see the entire post, but here's the AFC North portion of it:

5. PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Williamson: The "Steeler Way" has been working extremely well for a long time, as Pittsburgh's front office evaluates college talent and its own players as well as any team in the league. They are exceptional.

Hensley: The key was the Steelers using their top two picks on offensive linemen. As long as Ben Roethlisberger is protected and stays healthy, the Steelers will be among the top teams in the NFL.

10. BALTIMORE RAVENS

Kiper: No team consistently delivers as much value. Ozzie Newsome is a Hall of Famer … in the front office, too. The Ravens face some big personnel losses on defense coming soon, but few are better equipped to move on.

Hensley: The biggest question mark facing the Ravens by 2015 is how do they replace the leadership of Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Baltimore needs its offense to become the dominant unit in order for the Ravens to be a top-10 team at this point.

11. CINCINNATI BENGALS

Dilfer: Andy Dalton quietly had an exceptionally good rookie season. Only Cam Newton diminished it. He has maintained a mature approach that we saw when he was at TCU; he gets deep into his reads, has an accurate arm and should continue to get better. If they can run it a little better, this offense will take a big leap.

Hensley: The Bengals have certainly set themselves up with two really strong drafts. The key is developing this talent and making sure these young players reach their potential. Cincinnati could be the most complete team in the division by 2015, with the emphasis on could.

32. CLEVELAND BROWNS

Williamson: Color me skeptical of the Browns' front office -- and this organization isn't exactly patient. Cleveland's front office is now directly tied to Brandon Weeden's future success. I can't say that is the perfect position to be in.

Hensley: With the exception of Trent Richardson, this team lacks playmakers. That's a rough spot to be in when you play defenses like the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals. And don't forget that Weeden will turn 32 during the 2015 season.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Cleveland Browns and why.

Hot seats in the NFL are typically reserved for head coaches and general managers. For the Browns, the heat is on team president Mike Holmgren.

The Browns added hope when they hired Holmgren as their top executive after he returned the Packers to prominence and guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Rebuilding has been more of a challenge with the Browns, who have won nine games in Holmgren's two seasons. Instead of turning into a winner, the franchise has spun its wheels under Holmgren and the fan base is becoming skeptical.

This is a big year for the Holmgren regime because a potential franchise quarterback (Brandon Weeden) and star running back (Trent Richardson) were drafted in the first round to go with a top-10 defense. Holmgren has promised a "pretty good jump" for the Browns, so another four- or five-win season isn't going to cut it. It's time for Holmgren to erase past mistakes like keeping Eric Mangini around as head coach for a year and failing to trade up for quarterback Robert Griffin III in this year's draft.

Holmgren had a more immediate impact at his other stops. In Green Bay, he inherited a four-win team and led the Packers to the playoffs by his second season. In Seattle, he took over a team that hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years and guided the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first season. The pressure is on Holmgren to show signs of a similar turnaround in Cleveland.

The first day of rookie minicamp was supposed to represent a new start with running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden getting on the field for the first time. Instead, the day was marred by the Cleveland Browns' continued run of bad luck.

Head coach Pat Shurmur announced that defensive tackle Phil Taylor would need surgery to repair a torn chest muscle and could miss the upcoming season.

"It was just one of those things that happens," Shurmur said Friday. But why does it always seem to happen to the Browns?

In May 2005, Kellen Winslow's season ended when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a motorcycle crash. In July 2006, LeCharles Bentley's season was done after he sustained an injury to his left knee on the first team drill of training camp. And middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson missed 26 games in 2009-10 because of two pectoral muscle injuries.

The latest rough turn of events occurred Thursday when Taylor injured himself. It didn't occur on the field and it wasn't the result of a hit. Taylor tore his left pectoral muscle while doing bench presses in the weight room.

Taylor posted this message on Twitter: "Just a bump in the road. Got [to] work hard and come back -- Strong."

Injuries aren't the only reason why the Browns have lost 117 games since returning to the league 11 seasons ago. The instability in the front office and coaching staff shows Cleveland has struggled to find and develop talent.

It just seems like the Browns are dealing with a setback even before the regular seasons begins. This time, the injury hurts an already weak spot on the Browns team.

Even with a run-stuffer like Taylor, the Browns gave up 147.4 yards on the ground per game last season, which was third-worst in the NFL and last in the AFC. In comparison, the Ravens (92.6 yards rushing allowed), Steelers (99.8) and Bengals (104.7) all ranked in the top 10 in run defense last season.

The likely replacement is rookie sixth-round draft pick Billy Winn. Third-round nose tackle John Hughes could also figure into the competition. The interesting part is Winn and Hughes are roommates.

"We've already started to create that little bond," Winn told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We're roommates so we've been doing a little chatting and going over the playbook. We'll help each other out and compete against each other and make each other better."

Here's the buzz surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens as they hold rookie minicamps this weekend:

BENGALS: First-round cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick had an uneven start in his first minicamp. "[He] got challenged often as he was matched up against Vidal Hazelton and [Armon] Binns," the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy wrote. "Some times he did well and other times he struggled as the receivers got a step or two in coverage." Undrafted linebacker Vontaze Burfict had an uneventful first day, meanwhile. He told reporters that he is motivated to prove people wrong. "Not being picked, going undrafted, I have a big chip on my shoulder," Burfict said. "I’m ready to hit somebody.”

BROWNS: Much of the focus was on first-round quarterback Brandon Weeden. "He displayed an arm strength not seen around these parts since Derek Anderson, but the smooth touch on short passes that Anderson didn't possess," the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot wrote. The third overall pick, running back Trent Richardson also made an impression. He stiff-armed a defender and knocked him to the ground even though it was a non-contract practice.

RAVENS: Baltimore's rookie minicamp was closed to reporters. According to the team's website, which had access to practice, second-round linebacker Courtney Upshaw moved around at different positions and looked solid in pass coverage. The website reported: "He recognized a swing pass on one play, and would have had a tackle for loss, drawing praise from linebackers coach Ted Monachino. He also had a tipped pass that was picked off."

The quarterback controversy has already begun in Browns minicamp, Damien Woody thinks the Jets should skip "Hard Knocks" and Herm says Vince Young will be more than just a backup in Buffalo.

In a race that doesn't earn you anything except a blog post like this, the Baltimore Ravens became the first team in the NFL to sign their entire 2012 draft class.

This shouldn't come as a surprise because the Ravens were one of five teams not to have a first-round pick. Baltimore wrapped up its signings Thursday afternoon by agreeing to terms with second-round pick Courtney Upshaw and sixth-round pick Tommy Streeter.

The new collective bargaining agreement has sped up the signings. In previous seasons, teams wouldn't begin striking deals until after the July 4th holiday. Now, NFL teams are signing picks at a record pace.

As far as the rest of the AFC North, the Steelers have two more picks left to sign while the Browns have five remaining, including both first-round picks (running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden). The Bengals have signed two of their 10 draft picks.

As many of the loyal readers of the AFC North blog know, I believe the Cleveland Browns made the right move in draft running back Trent Richardson. The Browns need an offensive playmaker, and Richardson was clearly the top one remaining after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

Others don't agree. ESPN's Jeffri Chadiha sees Richardson-Browns as the "worst marriage" in this year's draft. Here's how Chadiha sees the situation:

There are plenty of reasons to like Richardson, including his college production, intangibles and overall toughness. What's hard to ignore is the recent history of highly drafted running backs in the NFL. Only two runners taken in the first round since 2007 have turned into stars -- Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Tennessee's Chris Johnson -- and Richardson doesn't possess the explosiveness or speed of those two.

The Browns also have a lousy passing game, which means Richardson will find more defenders focused on him every time he lines up. That doesn't mean he won't be productive at all. It just means he isn't as likely to live up to the status of being the third overall pick in the draft. Keep in mind, Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown already has called him "ordinary." From this vantage point, it's easy to think other people might have a similar opinion of Richardson this season.

While he makes valid points, I'm going to have to disagree. I see this as a perfect pairing. The Browns' offense got pushed around too much last season, and it gained a tougher attitude with Richardson. He's the type of back that Cleveland needs to compete against the likes of the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals.

What will help this "marriage" in the future is the addition of deep threats. When defenses began to stack the box against Richardson, the Browns need to be able to counter with a strong-armed Brandon Weeden throwing downfield to receivers who can gain separation.

One point that everyone can agree on is Richardson is the type of talent that will cause defenses to adjust and react. You couldn't say that about anyone on the Cleveland offense last season.

CLEVELAND -- I'm headed back to AFC North headquarters after three long (but exciting) days here for the NFL draft. I'm hoping to return soon to see the start of a new Browns' offense with running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The plan is to recharge the batteries today and come back Monday with tons of blogs filled with opinions and analysis.

Here are some of my impressions from the Browns' press conference with team president Mike Holmgren that wrapped up the draft:

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Amy SancettaMike Holmgren said he had a conversation with the Colts about trading for the No. 1 pick. "It wasn't very long," he said.
  Perhaps the biggest shock came when Holmgren said he spoke to the Indianapolis Colts about trading up to the No. 1 spot to draft Andrew Luck. Asked how long the conversation went with Indianapolis regarding the top pick, Holmgren said with a smile, “Probably about five minutes. Actually I had two conversations. I had a conversation with Mr. [Jim] Irsay and also with their new general manager. I believe I was in the swimming pool at the owners meetings and I had a drink in my hand, on the second one. It wasn’t very long.”

• Judging by Holmgren's comments, the Browns either thought about taking Weeden in the second round or considered trading back in the first round to take him. They ultimately drafted Weeden with the 22nd overall pick because they didn't want to risk losing him. "You got a little taste of it when he was in here of how he’s different than all the other quarterbacks that were drafted ahead of him or behind him is that his age and his maturity and what he brings immediately to the table," Holmgren said. "Now, you couple that with his skill level, which is pretty obvious on film and he has the potential I think to play well sooner because of that than other quarterbacks in the draft so he became very attractive to us."

• I get the feeling that Holmgren wants to keep Colt McCoy as the backup to Weeden. He doesn't think it would be difficult for McCoy to adjust to that role because he "is a special young man." Holmgren added, "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play. Again, nothing has been done yet, we don’t know how it is going to sort itself out. But, if that were to be the case, at some point, I think we have the best chance of making that work because of who the people are."

• Holmgren said he wouldn't be concerned about players choosing sides if McCoy remained. "Usually it's a problem if the players themselves kind of lead the charge on that," he said. "If I'm any judge at all about these young guys, that won't happen."

• Holmgren believes Richardson will be a better all-around running back than Shaun Alexander, who played under Holmgren with the Seattle Seahawks. "I love Shaun, if I could adopt Shaun I would, but he wouldn’t block anybody, nobody and I still love him," Holmgren said "The difference is Trent is an excellent pass receiver, not just a willing blocker but a very, very good blocker so when Pat’s calling the game and we’re running our offense you don’t have to be thinking, ‘Okay now how do we protect him in the passing game?’ You don’t have to do that so that’s different. But, again I have great affection for Shaun Alexander and what he did for Seattle and what he did for me. This young man, different player, and there is no reason he can’t do the same for us here.”

• Holmgren acknowledged the challenge of winning with a rookie quarterback in the NFL. "I don’t think it is easy, it is never easy," he said. "You look historically in the league. I always say, the only guy that shot lights out early was (Dan) Marino. Some of you may know someone else because you are a lot older than I am. But, I think Marino was the guy that sticks out because you talk to John Elway, Joe Montana, the guys I know, they all had these little growing pains."

BEREA, Ohio -- The reason why the Browns don't have a coveted wide receiver is because they failed to be aggressive.

Cleveland got the running back it wanted by trading up to No. 3 to draft Trent Richardson. The Browns should've done the same later in the first round for their targeted wide receiver, Baylor's Kendall Wright.

By staying put at No. 22 on Thursday, the Browns have a 28-year-old rookie quarterback in Brandon Weeden and no difference-maker at wide receiver after three rounds. Cleveland reportedly had Wright rated higher than Weeden and would've taken Wright if he was available.

According to general manager Tom Heckert, there were three wide receivers the team considered "legitimate guys." This list presumably includes Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Wright. Blackmon and Floyd were taken in the top 13.

If the Browns thought Wright was the last of the best receivers, they should've moved ahead of Tenneessee, which drafted Wright at No. 20. The Browns had to know the Titans were interested because Tennessee had four of the top receiver prospects, including Wright, in for pre-draft visits. Moving three or four spots up would've cost the Browns a third-round pick.

Heckert said there was no frustration over failing to add a receiver in the first three rounds.

"We could have taken a receiver. We don’t want to take a receiver just to take a receiver," he said Friday night. "If we didn’t get a receiver and we didn’t get a good player, we might be [frustrated]. But we are happy with the guys we took, we really are.”

You can't fault the Browns for passing on a wide receiver early in the second round. The Browns had to address right tackle at that point because they couldn't go into a season with Oniel Cousins as the starter there.

By the time the Browns were on the clock in the third round, there were no other deep threats remaining. Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill (New York Jets) and LSU's Rueben Randle (New York Giants) both were drafted in the second round.

Heckert said there is a chance the Browns might take a wide receiver in the final four rounds Saturday. The draft resumes at noon.

“We still have some picks left. There are some guys that we do like," Heckert said. "We’ll see what happens after tomorrow and then we can discuss if we don’t have any.”

All the AFC North teams got better in the first round Thursday night. That's saying a lot, because this division only had one pick in the top half of the first round.

The Browns got the draft's best running back (Trent Richardson). The Steelers got the best guard (David DeCastro). The Bengals addressed needs at cornerback and guard, and gained a third-round pick (93rd overall) from the Patriots. And the Ravens gained a fourth-round pick (98th overall) from the Vikings for sliding from No. 29 to No. 35.

Here's how I graded the newest additions to the division:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Grade: B.

Hensley's comment: This would have been an 'A' first round for the Bengals if they stayed at No. 21 and drafted DeCastro. The Bengals recovered well with Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, but an extra third isn't worth losing out on the best guard in the draft since Steve Hutchinson. Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is a solid, but not spectacular pick.

What the Bengals are saying ... Head coach Marvin Lewis: "I think in both players they have opportunities to start, and work their way into the lineup. We drafted both of them to play. We came in here hoping to cover a couple of needs for the future in the first round. I think we’ve been able to do that in picking the cornerback and the interior offensive lineman."

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Grade: B.

Hensley's comment: The Browns made a great move by trading up to get Richardson, but followed it up with a questionable one by taking quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round. Cleveland should've taken Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff or Stanford guard David DeCastro at No. 22, or traded back to get Weeden. Taking him that high in the draft is a reach.

What the Browns are saying ... Head coach Pat Shurmur: "When we don't hand it to Trent, we'll have Brandon throw it in there. He's displayed the ability to get his team in the end zone and win games. We all know the importance of the quarterback position, and we're addressing it to the point that we have a guy that we think is our guy as we move forward."

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Grade: Incomplete.

Hensley's comment: You can't give a grade until you see who the Ravens take at No. 35. Baltimore gained a fourth-round pick for falling back six spots. This will be a strong grade if the Ravens can get Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw in the second round.

What the Ravens are saying ... General manager Ozzie Newsome: "You can’t control what’s going to happen. When you watch the board come off like it did today, to have the ability to go back and acquire another player and still get a player that you probably would have picked at your pick is good business for us.”

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Grade: A-plus.

Hensley's comment: The Steelers are among the NFL's best drafting teams. The rest of the NFL made it easier for Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Steelers, who need to upgrade at guard, had their choice of three top prospects -- DeCastro, Zeitler and Georgia's Cordy Glenn -- at No. 24. That just doesn't seem fair. DeCastro exclusively played right guard at Stanford, but the Steelers haven't ruled out moving him to the left side.

What the Steelers are saying ... General manager Kevin Colbert: "Really, we didn't think David would be there at 24 quite honestly. We valued him that high. We identified several players we would trade up to get, and he was one of them. With every pick, the odds increased. Where we picked, it was a nice group; we would have been happy with three or four players where we picked."

BEREA, Ohio -- The Colt McCoy era is over. A new one -- make that older one -- began Thursday night when the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick.

The Browns have gone from a weak-armed quarterback to a geriatric one by NFL standards. At 28 years, 195 days, Weeden is the oldest player ever to be taken in the first round of the Common Draft era, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Weeden is only two years younger than Ben Roethlisberger. He's one year older than Brady Quinn, the last quarterback taken by the Browns in the first round.

Drafting running back Trent Richardson in the first round was a no-brainer. And, even though I think Weeden can be a quality starter in this league, taking him in the first round makes little sense for a team that is not a quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl.

The Browns have too many other needs on offense to reach for a failed minor-league pitcher. The Cleveland front office believes it found a franchise quarterback in Weeden, but you have to wonder who is going to block for him at right tackle and who is going to catch the long passes from Weeden's big arm. The Browns are right that Weeden will be an upgrade over McCoy. But, like McCoy, he might have trouble reaching that potential with the holes surrounding him.

In a span of a few hours, the Dawg Pound went from high-fiving over the selection of Richardson to scratching their heads over Weeden.

Why didn't the Browns take a wide receiver like Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill? Why didn't Cleveland pick up an offensive tackle like Stanford's Jonathan Martin or Mississippi's Bobby Massie? Why did a rebuilding franchise select an older quarterback?

"We went through the process of evaluating him, we became very fond of him," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "We all did, from Randy [Lerner, owner] to Mike [Holmgren, team president] to Tom [Heckert, general manager] to myself. I came away saying this is a guy we'd like to have on our team. That's where we're at right now."

It was interesting that Shurmur pointed out that the owner had input on this decision. The pressure is on, and the clock is ticking.

At his age, Weeden has to start immediately. There's no time to let him sit and learn. And, because of his age, the expectation is to win immediately.

Browns officials shrugged off Weeden's age as being an issue. The number they concentrated on is 22, which is Weeden's wins in 25 starts in college.

"We feel like the kid's a winner," Shurmur said. "I wasn't concerned about his age."

The arrival of Weeden could mean the end of McCoy's days in Cleveland. The Browns gave McCoy a major vote of no confidence when they aggressively tried to trade up for Robert Griffin III last month.

The question now isn't whether McCoy will compete for the job. It's whether McCoy will even be on this team. Heckert didn't deny the possibility that the Browns could trade McCoy this weekend.

"To be honest, we haven't thought about that. We really haven't," Heckert said. "That's something we'll talk about tonight and tomorrow."

If it wasn't for Weeden's age, he would have been a top-10 pick. He has a strong arm. He's got a quick release. He is a hard worker. He is a respected leader.

There's a good chance that Weeden will be a productive quarterback and might end the string of other "franchise" quarterbacks like Tim Couch, Derek Anderson and Quinn. The problem is, teams draft quarterbacks in the first round to be the starter for the next decade. The odds are against that with Weeden, who will turn 30 in October next year.

The Browns have done such a great job in rebuilding the defense in the past two drafts that you want to give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll do the same on offense. When it came time for the Browns to pick at No. 22, Heckert said there was no decision to make especially after Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright was drafted by Tennessee at No. 20.

"Brandon was by far the best player for us," Heckert said. "There wasn't really even an afterthought. As soon as a couple of guys went, we knew we were going to take him."

Weeden might have been the best player available at that point. He was just not the right player for the Browns.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns couldn't hide their enthusiasm for Trent Richardson.

The Browns wanted him so badly that they gave up three picks to move one spot to make sure they got the only elite running back in this draft. Then, even before the Washington Redskins made their pick at No. 2, Cleveland turned in its card with Richardson's name on it.

Richardson brings new life and enthusiasm to one of the worst offenses in the NFL. He also brings something equally as important -- a physical identity.

Cleveland's long-plodding offense is now tougher, rougher and meaner. With all due respect to Jim Brown, Richardson is far from "ordinary." Richardson is the type of no-nonsense running back that a team needs when colliding with the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.

In the SEC, one of the best college conferences in the country, Richardson set Alabama season records for rushing yards (1,679) and touchdowns (21) by showing no hesitation when running in between the tackles. He was fearless in bulling past defenders and stiff-arming them. What makes him a playmaker is his ability to also make players miss in the open field. His power and elusiveness is a special combination.

This is a draft where the Browns must rebuild their offense. It started by finding the centerpiece for it.

"We’re thrilled. He’s one of the guys who’s passionate, productive and durable," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "He’s the kind of runner that we feel is going to help us to put an offense together to score the points that we need to win the games that we’re going to win."

Shurmur added, "If you don’t sense the excitement in my voice, then you’re missing it."

What the Browns were missing last season was a spark on offense. Cleveland ranked 29th in yards and 30th in scoring. That's why trading up to secure Richardson wasn't just the right move. It was the only one.

It was an aggressive move for an aggressive player. Outside of quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, Richardson was the only other player in this draft who could immediately affect an offense.

Problem: The Browns scored the second-fewest rushing touchdowns (four) in the past 15 NFL seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Solution: Richardson is one of three players in SEC history to score 20 or more rushing touchdowns in a season.

Problem: The Browns' running backs averaged the fewest yards after contact (1.77) last season.

Solution: Richardson thrives on contact and talked openly Thursday night about crashing into Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu.

There's a risk in taking a running back so high in the draft, which is why few teams do it. There have been five running backs taken in the top five in the previous 10 drafts: Cedric Benson (2005), Ronnie Brown (2005), Cadillac Williams (2005), Reggie Bush (2006) and Darren McFadden (2008). They've combined for one Pro Bowl.

Shurmur indicated that if the Browns didn't take Richardson in the top five, another team would have. This prompted the Browns to give up picks in the fourth (118th overall), fifth (139th) and seventh (211th) rounds to move up one spot to get Richardson. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams reportedly were thinking about trading up for him.

Why were so many teams interested in Richardson? As Shurmur describes him, Richardson is virtually flawless.

"He can run with power. He can make you miss when he gets in the open. He can score," Shurmur said. "I like the fact that when he’s asked to pass protect, he will do it aggressively. And, when you throw him the football, he catches it. Unless I’m missing something there, that’s what runners got to do."

The Browns needed a playmaker at running back. Perhaps just as important, they needed a running back who will show up every week. That was a major problem last season, when Peyton Hillis, Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson missed a chunk of the season with injuries.

"The other guys on this team, the coaches and our fans need to know that our players are going to show up," Shurmur said. "I’ve seen this in this player. We feel like that’s what we’re getting."

Richardson has his skeptics, namely the best running back in Browns history. When asked Thursday afternoon about the possibility of Cleveland taking Richardson, Jim Brown said, "I'm not overwhelmed with it. The problem is that he's ordinary. I think he's ordinary." Asked what about him is ordinary, Brown said, "the size, the speed, his moves."

You have to admire how Richardson responded to the criticism. Like his style of play, he attacked it head on.

"I got a lot to prove," he said on a conference call with reporters. "I'm going to make sure they all mention my name and compare people to me."

Shurmur couldn't say at what point during the draft process that the Browns knew Richardson was going to be their pick.

It could have been during his pro day in late March, when he knocked down Cleveland running backs coach Gary Brown in a blocking drill.

It could have been when he took 17-year-old cancer survivor Courtney Alvis to the senior prom 10 days before the draft.

Richardson acknowledged he didn't know he was going to be taken this high. But he's as excited as the Browns that it happened.

"It's bigger than winning the national championship game," Richardson said.

In a perfect scenario, the Browns would've been able to trade up last month in order to get RG3. They didn't get their quarterback, but they were determined not to lose out on their running back.

But Richardson is more than a running back to the Browns. He's their cornerstone and their new identity.

"He’s going to be what we think is going to be a really, really fine addition to the Cleveland Browns team," Shurmur said. "He’s going to be one of those players that our fans and our community will be able to watch run the ball for a lot of years. That’s what we’re excited about."

The Browns traded up to No. 3 and selected Alabama running back Trent Richardson. This is the highest a running back has been drafted since Reggie Bush was taken No. 2 in 2006.

Here's a capsule:

TRENT RICHARDSON

Position: Running back

School: Alabama

Height/Weight: 5-foot-9/228 pounds

Stat that sticks out: Set school single-season records for rushing yards (1,679) and touchdowns (21).

The good: He is a rare combination of power and elusiveness. Mentally and physically strong, Richardson is fearless in between the tackles. He’s a capable blocker and receiver.

The bad: His head-on running style could hurt his longevity. That was always the fear the Ravens had with Jamal Lewis.

The bottom line: Richardson is the only elite running back in the draft and can instantly become the centerpiece of the Browns’ attack. He has the toughness needed to compete in the AFC North and the game-breaking ability to add a spark to a sluggish offense.