Brian Ansberry replaces Jake Lantz at Padua. The St. Edward graduate spent the last three seasons as boys basketball coach at Lake Ridge Academy.
Brian Ansberry.Submitted
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Make that two St. Edward High School graduates hired this offseason by Padua.
The second came Thursday with the addition of Brian Ansberry as the Bruins' new boys basketball coach. He joins football coach Mike Polevacik, whom Padua hired in February.
With Ansberry, the Bruins add a coach who won a state championship as a player in 1998 and improved Lake Ridge Academy in each of the three seasons he coached there. The Lions finished last season 13-9, which earned Ansberry Lorain County Coach of the Year honors in Division IV. He informed the players who made that run possible of his departure Thursday via text messages.
"I'm really thankful for the players," said Ansberry, who teaches at St. Edward.
Lake Ridge gave Ansberry his first head coaching opportunity. He inherited a team with no seniors and compiled a 29-33 career record. In addition to Ansberry's postseason honors this year, senior guard Sam Waldock was voted Lorain County's player of the year in Division IV.
The move to Padua will provide a similar challenge in replacing a senior guard or two. The Bruins graduate three starters, including leading guard Nic Anderle. They finished 12-11 last season and lost to Fairview on a buzzer-beater in a Division II sectional final under four-year coach Jake Lantz, who resigned in March.
Ansberry met with the returning players Thursday at Padua.
"I want to get them, and I think it's feasible, to contend for a district title every year," he said. "There's enough talent in the building and the area."
The rigorous North Coast League fuels Ansberry's belief in that possibility. The Bruins are slated to bring back a pair of 2018 guards in Cameron Drum and Kevin Peterson, plus multi-year starting guard Jake Creadon as a senior.
They helped Padua to a signature 58-57 win in early January against Walsh Jesuit.
"I think there's a lot of potential," said Ansberry, who plans to start open gyms on Tuesday.
Athletic director Kevin Leigh cited in a release Ansberry's enthusiasm and Catholic background in making him the hire. That thinking means there will be two St. Edward graduates -- not counting Polevacik -- coaching basketball within a five-mile radius. Jeff Huber just finished his sixth season at neighboring Holy Name.
They were once teammates in high school.
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.
Three-time Pro Bowler Josh Cribbs projects the Browns to trade No. 8 pick.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Josh Cribbs believes his former team, the Cleveland Browns, will trade its No. 8 overall pick on Thursday to start the NFL Draft in Chicago.
Cribbs shared his thoughts a couple of hours before speaking at the YMCA Greater Cleveland Annual meeting downtown.
The Browns signed the undrafted free agent in 2005. Cribbs played eight seasons in Cleveland and earned three Pro Bowl honors during his career. He retired after the 2014 season.
See the video above to see what remarks Cribbs had to share. The Browns have a total of 12 picks going into the NFL Draft.
While Elliott was looking dapper in a baby blue suit on the red carpet, the NFL Draft sign had his name as "Ezekiel Elliot." How does that happen?
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There's a chance that former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot will be a top-five pick in tonight's NFL Draft.
OK -- before you run to the comments section to post that the running back's name is spelled wrong, realize that we won't make that mistake here.
His name is Ezekiel Elliott.
But somehow, the NFL Draft people made that mistake.
While Elliott was looking dapper in a baby blue suit on the red carpet, the NFL Draft sign had his name as "Ezekiel Elliot."
How does that happen?
The top overall running back in the draft on every expert's board, Elliott has been projected as high as No. 4 to the Dallas Cowboys. But given there's some uncertainty about the value of his position, Elliott could end up sliding into the middle of the first round.
We've written extensively about Elliott in the days leading up to the draft. Get caught up below:
Ohio State is chasing Miami's record of six first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Will it be history for Ohio State football at the 2016 NFL Draft?
We'll find out Thursday night. The first round of the draft begins Thursday at 8 p.m. on ESPN and NFL Network. We'll be chatting and following live on cleveland.com as the Buckeyes aim for draft history.
The record for most first-round picks from one school in one draft was set by Miami in 2004 when six Hurricanes went off the board.
There are five Buckeyes in Chicago for the draft: Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Darron Lee, Taylor Decker and Eli Apple. That means the NFL thinks at least those five have a good chance of going in the first round.
Of course we've seen guys wait in the green room past Day 1 before.
But Ohio State has those five plus Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell, two other players who have been mentioned as first round picks in mock drafts.
Cleveland.com reporter Doug Lesmerises is in Chicago from the draft. We'll pull in updates from him and post others below. We'll also be chatting about the Buckeyes and the draft in the comments section.
7:52 p.m.: Urban Meyer and plenty of Buckeyes assistants (even former assistant Chris Ash) are in Chicago for the draft. Here's cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs with linebacker Darron Lee in the green room.
7:20 p.m.: Still waiting for the first round to start. I put out a poll this morning asking people which Buckeye they thought would get drafted first: Joey Bosa or Ezekiel Elliott?
Here's how the poll broke down. Bosa in a landslide. I'm not so sure it's that clear-cut.
The NFL Draft is more about fashion than it is about football, right?
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State has an record five players at the NFL Draft in Chicago on Thursday night, but not all of them went the D'Angelo Russell route with the Scarlet and Gray suits.
The NFL Draft is more about fashion than it is about football, right?
Ezekiel Elliott -- not shockingly -- is the Buckeye who made the biggest fashion statement on the red carpet, wearing a baby blue suit. But it's not the color that was the statement, is was the fact that he was wearing a crop top dress shirt.
Elliott's crop top jersey look became an online sensation during his incredible three-game stretch in Ohio State's 2015 postseason run, one in which he rushed for 696 yards while lifting the Buckeyes to the national title. The NCAA banned that look for the following season.
The thing about the NFL Draft is that Elliott doesn't have to care what the NCAA thinks anymore.
Here's a look at the results of the first round of the NFL Draft in Chicago. Click on the player's name to read their scouting report. This page will be updated throughout the first round. Hit refresh to get the latest updates.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2016 NFL Draft is taking place in Chicago this weekend. The first round is Thursday night, the second and third rounds on Friday and rounds four through seven on Saturday.
The draft will be shown live on ESPN and NFL Network and streamed on their respective websites. Cleveland.com will have pick-by-pick analysis as well on our live draft show (see link below). You can get complete coverage of the draft all weekend long at cleveland.com/browns.
Follow along with the draft with the widgets below. You can click on each player to see individual draft profiles.
Until 8 p.m., of course. As has been the case for several years, the NFL Draft Megablog has every possible angle, all the picks, all the national buzz for everything that happens at the "player selection meeting" tonight -- and through the weekend.
Besides comments from the cheap seats here, we'll have the latest observations from Mary Kay Cabot, Tom Reed and Bud Shaw from cleveland.com and columnists Terry Pluto and Bill Livingston from The Plain Dealer. We won't miss a chance to catch any national snark, too.
Just keep refreshing for the latest.
8 p.m.: A month ago, Mississippi OT Laremy Tunsil was considered the likely No. 1 pick. Tonight, he's already being moved down the mocks -- largely because of a Twitter post that depicts him enjoying some marijuana.
Which, if true it was a hacker releasing the video, really unfortunate. But the idea that pot can affect a great player's reputation is so, so 1995. Pretty silly, too.
7:59 p.m.: The best video coverage you can have on the Browns' draft plans...
7:53 p.m.: Nice trivia from Rich Eisen on NFL Network: Last QB to start for the Los Angeles Rams was Chris Miller.
7:46 p.m.: Doug Lesmerises is in Chicago tonight, and sampled the level of optimism of Browns fans around the draft. You'll really enjoy the "Manzjail" jersey...
7:42 p.m.: Yes, in case you were wondering, we're aware that the Patriots don't have the No. 29 pick -- but officially, the draft tracker (top right in this blog) should read "no selection" when that spot comes around after 11 p.m.
7:37 p.m.: Sure, because we can't wait to get to the first pick of the Browns ...
Report: Browns, Cowboys trying to trade into back end of first round https://t.co/MANLQzO3EO
C'mon, can't three hours of suspense for Laquon Treadwell build before we move up?
7:30 p.m.: You, Browns fan, have to take the long view for the next couple of hours. With every team eager to get the spotlight for the longest amount of time possible, you can assume that the No. 8 pick won't come up until probably around 9:45. So take it easy on the wings, pizza and favorite beverage.
And we're not even close to talking about what happens with a trade down.
Meanwhile, there's been stuff like this all day...
To save you the trouble -- OF COURSE the Browns would have Treadwell on their "radar" (why is it never sonar?), as they have probably a dozen players they feel could be available between No. 8 and a potential drop of a few spots. Is this supposed to be news?
• The Browns haven't had their socks knocked off yet. Because the likely scenario they need/want in order to pull off a trade down (Ezekiel Elliott sitting on the board at No. 8, presumably) hasn't happened yet. IF DeForest Buckner/Laremy Tunsil goes No. 3 to San Diego and Dallas takes Jalen Ramsey, then the chatter has meaning.
• A reminder of the definition for "Mock": "to laugh at or make fun of (someone or something) especially by copying an action or a way of behaving or speaking"
Unless we're talking about something serious, like the NFL Draft. Then teams "shock" us or "go off the board" to get a player -- because every person who has read or participated in a mock draft, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, has not seen an actual draft board by a team this year. There is no "flying up the board" except on boards written by people who have no real idea how a team assesses talent this year. Because "believe nothing that you hear." We should laugh at comments made that sound like that.
Which makes the Browns tonight so interesting. Teams like the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots have track records. There are none for Sashi Brown and Andrew Berry and very little on a Hue Jackson-led team. Mocks for the Browns really deserve mocking.
Finally, the Broncos at 31 have been repeatedly "mocked" a QB at No. 31 because ... well, they have Mark Sanchez. But there is this ...
Let's count the unhappy QBs: Fitzpatrick, Bradford, Kaepernick and Hoyer. If I'm the #Broncos, I sit back and wait a little longer.
The running back sports his unique look in Chicago.
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CHICAGO, Ill. -- Maybe you saw Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott's shirt at the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Or at least half of it.
The potential top 10 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft made a fashion statement on the red carpet before the draft with his signature look. Asked again and again to reveal it, Elliott would open his powder blue jacket and reveal the half-shirt underneath.
He's the top back in the draft without the bottom of his shirt.
Elliott made the crop top his signature look on the field as a Buckeye before the NCAA ruled that shirts pulled up that high weren't allowed anymore.
But Elliott doesn't have to worry about the NCAA anymore.
So does Elliott have any shirts that go all the way to his waist?
I asked that on the red carpet. Check out Elliott's answer in the video at the top of this post.
David Blatt had an interview with the New York Knicks on Monday for their head-coaching opening.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Tyronn Lue believes his former boss David Blatt is worthy of another shot as the head coach of an NBA franchise.
"He definitely deserves another chance," he said. "I thought Coach Blatt did a great and phenomenal job here. He taught me a lot. Just being friends with him and getting a chance to understand him was great for me."
Blatt had an interview with the New York Knicks on Monday for their head-coaching opening. However, it is unsure if the meeting was merely a favor to help boost his profile, with interim head coach Kurt Rambis considered the front-runner to land the gig.
The Cleveland Cavaliers fired Blatt in late January after he led the team to a conference-best 30-11 record. Management cited a lack of connectedness and joy within the locker room.
Lue told cleveland.com the last time he spoke to Blatt was about a month ago and he shared that Blatt is still supportive and encouraging. All the players say they haven't talked to their former coach since the firing, including Timofey Mozgov and Sasha Kaun.
But apparently, Blatt is being missed.
"I know a lot of guys around here, we talked about it the other day, they miss him and his presence," Lue said. "I would just like to just keep, stay in contact with him. Hopefully, he gets another job in this league because he deserves it."
Infielder Willie Castro is hitting .300 for the Lake County Captains: Cleveland Indians Minor League Report.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Willi Castro is one of the top prospects in the Cleveland Indians system, but the 19-year-old middle infielder was inconsistent at the start of the season with the Class A Lake County Captains. Now it looks like he's figuring things out.
Castro had two hits against Burlington on Wednesday then exploded with a 4-for-5 effort on Thursday to lead a 10-1 win over Burlington. He hit his first homer and drove in four runs in the win. And his night started with a bunt single.
Castro had been hitless in four straight games before Wednesday, but now has his average at .300 and has nine RBI. He also has four stolen bases without being caught.
The Puerto Rico native was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2013. A switch-hitter, he batted .264 at Mahoning Valley in rookie ball last summer.
Who's hot: Infielder Tyler Krieger continues to sizzle, hitting .352 with 25 hits and 23 runs scored. Krieger was selected in the fourth round of the First-Year Player Draft last season, but sat out the entire year after shoulder surgery. He has struck out 21 times in 19 games, but also has five stolen bases. ... Catcher Francisco Mejia has been held hitless in three straight games, but is still batting .338 on the season and has 16 RBI. ... OF Nathan Lukes has a five-game hit streak and has lifted his season average to .314.
Arms race: Dominic DeMasi remains unbeaten at 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA, while Thomas Pannone is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Pannone was the winner on Thursday.
Captains' log: Lake County is second in the Midwest League Eastern Division with a 13-7 record and opens a three-game weekend set with Peoria tonight at Classic Park in Eastlake. ... The Captains won their 400th Midwest League game on Tuesday, having joined the league in 2010. The next night, they suffered their 900th loss as a franchise. ... The Captains are 0-6 when trailing after seven innings, but are a perfect 13-0 when leading after six innings and 13-0 when leading after seven or eight innings. ... They are also 5-0 in one-run games.
The Indians are looking to finish strong on this nine-game trip as they open a three-game series Friday night against the Phillies. They're 4-2, sweeping Detroit and going 1-2 against the Twins.
PHILADELPHIA -- Here are the lineups for Friday night's game between the Indians and Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are healthy and rested coming off a solid sweep of the Detroit Pistons. Now they must face the Atlanta Hawks and guard against overconfidence.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have plenty of reasons to feel good about themselves.
Among them: They are relatively healthy and resting after a sweep of the Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal. They were tested in each of the four games but figured out ways to win.
Their next opponent will be the Atlanta Hawks. In last season's playoffs, the Cavs swept the Hawks in the conference final. But just because the Cavs owned them last year doesn't automatically mean it will happen again.
The Cavs can't expect to roll out the ball and secure victories. They will need to play well and hard to win, continuing to clean up aspects of their defense, in particular.
LeBron James says that seven-game winning streak over the Hawks is irrelevant at this juncture.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Even though the Cleveland Cavaliers have converted a touchdown and an extra point against their second-round opponent the Atlanta Hawks, LeBron James says that seven-game winning streak is irrelevant.
"For us, we don't know nothing about these stats until you guys bring them to us and hopefully none of the guys here [know it], he said.
"You know our only concern is how we can be well prepared for Monday night's game. That's all that matters. It doesn't matter if you can win 100 straight games against somebody. If you lose four in a row, then you're out of the playoffs."
The streak includes the sweep in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, a conference finals James dominated in record-breaking fashion. He posted numbers of 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists against the Hawks in that series.
James is all by himself in that no player has ever averaged at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in an NBA playoff matchup. The four-time MVP is honed in on the task at hand. He likely won't have to put up the same type of numbers against Atlanta this time around, but he'll bring the same type of attention to detail and intensity level.
"You shouldn't have to ramp up focus going from one round to the next," James said. "I think that should automatically be a given. Once the postseason starts, just knowing how every possession matters and everyone in the playoffs can beat you and that's why they're there."
Atlanta still hasn't gotten over how it was eliminated last year. The Hawks were hobbled by injuries to Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll, who is now a member of the Toronto Raptors. Kent Bazemore and Jeff Teague said they're coming into this series with a chip on their shoulders after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games during the opening round.
They're seeking payback.
"Because at the end of the day, what happened in the past doesn't define what happens today," James reiterated. "We have to focus on the now. All the things that happened in the past do not matter to our focus this week."
Keeping Al Horford and Paul Millsap in check will be difficult. These are two versatile frontcourt players who can stretch the court and put the ball on the floor. Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson will have their hands full. It might not be a series Timofey Mozgov can play in.
"The thing with their bigs, they're great passers," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "They can make the right play, they're great passers and then with Al Horford at the five, he can pick and pop and make 3-point shots, the 17-, 18-foot shot, which is different than [Andre] Drummond. They put you in some different positions."
From an outside perspective, it looks like the Hawks don't stand a chance. But that's why they play the game.
"I think they're still a well-coached, well-balanced group of guys," James said. "They're obviously going to be motivated by what happened last year and we look forward to them playing their best basketball. It's not for me to talk about the difference between last year. I can only focus on this year and they're a very good team."
The NFL Draft continues with second and third round selections on Friday night.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State continues its quest for an NFL Draft record on Friday night.
The draft resumes with second and third round coverage at 7 p.m. on NFL Network, ESPN and ESPN2. Cleveland.com will be chatting live and following the Buckeyes as they try to lay the groundwork for a record 15 total selections.
Cleveland.com reporter Doug Lesmerises is in Chicago for the draft. I'll be pulling in updates from in, and giving my own analysis of Ohio State in the NFL Draft as the players come off the board.
Follow below for updates and in the comments section to chat about the Buckeyes and the draft. Updates will begin around 7 p.m.
8:34 p.m.: So we're at pick 50. Fourteen picks remain and Ohio State is hoping another guy or two gets into the second round. So far six Buckeyes have gone. There's some two-round history in sight here. More on that later.
8:32 p.m.: Fun for Mike Thomas to play his home games in the place he made this catch against Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl.
8:30 p.m.: We have our first Buckeye. Receiver Michael Thomas is selected in the second round, No. 47 overall by the New Orleans Saints.
Like the fit for Thomas in New Orleans. He's on an offensive-minded team with a good quarterback who wants to sling it. He could become a favorite target of Drew Brees with his size and catch radius. Good spot for the Buckeyes receiver.
8:05 p.m.: Back-to-back Big Ten players with Penn State's Austin Johnson and Illinois' Jihad Ward going at Nos. 43 and 44. Still no Ohio State players in the second round.
7:47 p.m.: We're now through pick No. 39. No Buckeyes have gone in the second round, but a former Buckeye just went. Noah Spence, No. 39 to Tampa Bay.
7:42 p.m.: Ezekiel Elliott and Jaylon Smith, now teammates in Dallas, had kind words to say about each other before the Fiesta Bowl.
7:25 p.m.: Ezekiel Elliott has a new teammate. Dallas pulls a surprise and selects Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith at No. 34. Smith is the brother of former Buckeye running back Rod Smith.
AAC/AAAA EzekielElliott#AAAAC/AAAAAAAAPS1AAAAC/AAAAAAAAPS5AAAAC/AAAAAAAAPS (@EzekielElliott) April 29, 2016
7:12 p.m.: Urban Meyer, working as an analyst tonight on NFL Network, said he loves the Cleveland Browns and wants them to get this draft right so the franchise can move forward. Don't forget Meyer is from Ashtabula.
7:08 p.m.: Second round is underway with the Browns on the clock. Think Bell goes first tonight, could be as early as No. 33, second pick of the second round, to Tennessee.
6:43 p.m.: Before we get started, here's my guess on who goes tonight, and in what order: Vonn Bell, Mike Thomas, Josh Perry and Cardale Jones.
6:40 p.m.: OK, we're about 20 minutes from the start of the second round. Here's who I think have a legitimate chance of getting drafted tonight: Vonn Bell, Michael Thomas, Joshua Perry, Braxton Miller, Nick Vannett and Cardale Jones. Could be a big night.
I asked earlier today who you thought would be the first Buckeye off the board tonight. It was close, but you said Bell:
Who will be the first Buckeye selected tonight in Round 2 of #NFLDraft2016 ?
AAAAAAAAC/AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) April 29, 2016
I also asked how many Buckeyes in total you thought would get drafted tonight. You said four:
How many Buckeyes will be selected tonight in Rounds 2 & 3 of #NFLDraft2016?
AAAAC/AAAAAAAA Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) April 29, 2016
Here's a look at the results of the second and third rounds of the NFL Draft in Chicago.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2016 NFL Draft moves onto rounds two and three on Friday night. The draft is taking place in Chicago for the second straight season.
Get pick-by-pick updates during the second and third rounds throughout the night with our trackers below. Click on the player names to get more information about the player. You can also check out our complete draft profiles on every player in the link below.
Please note that, at the completion of the third round, the lists below will flip to Saturday's rounds four through seven. Use the links below to see recaps of the rounds one through three.
The Browns (for now) have four picks out of the next 68, which means plenty of action for a team needing help across the board.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One draft pick on Thursday, four (more or less) tonight.
The Browns own the draft right now, an opinion agreed upon by local observers as well as formerly interested parties. Now, with presumably plenty of teams interested in the No. 32 pick that the Browns possess, we're heading for another interesting evening, and that doesn't even mention the three third-round selections as well.
Third-round selections in 2015 who made an impact include Seattle receiver/kick returner Tyler Lockett, Houston receiver Jaelen Strong, the Browns' Duke Johnson and Arizona's dual-threat RB David Johnson.
We'll have the picks and commentary from cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer and around the NFL-verse. Latest is just below the Browns selections right here.
8:49 p.m.: One man's opinion on who might most intrigue the Browns as they get within sight of their pick at No. 65: Clemson CB Mackenzie Alexander, Texas Tech OT Le'Raven Clark, Pitt WR Tyler Boyd and Southern California LB/S Su'a Cravens.
The first Big Ten QB off the board is ... Christian Hackenberg of Penn State to the Jets.
Which basically is one NFL team saying that they can fix what Nittany Lions coach James Franklin has destroyed over the last couple of years.
OK, that means that we have to add Connor Cook to that list for the Browns. Officially.
Had a scout tell me Hackenberg was a "lesser Sean Mannion"
"Ogbah (6-4, 275) has 4.6 speed in the 40 and had 26 sacks his last two seasons, including 13 last year, which led the Big 12 and was fourth in the nation. In 2015, he was involved in at least one sack in every regular-season game, and had at least one sacks in 16 of his last 21 outings.
"A junior, he finished second in the Big 12 with 17.5 tackles for a loss, which is sixth-most in OSU history.
'"We said we wanted to be a suffocating defense, and Ogbah can help us do that,' said coach Hue Jackson. 'We want to affect the passer.'''
8:38 p.m.: Mississippi State's Chris Jones, a defensive lineman who stands 6-5 and 311, has the quote of the day about why he was excited to be heading to Kansas City.
MSU DT Chris Jones on Kansas City: "I've heard they've got great steak, great barbecue, so I'm ready to get there and eat some food."
8:33 p.m.: Your top five remaining players, according to NFL.com, are G Cody Whitehair, Alabama DT Jarran Reed, Indians RB Jordan Howard, Florida DT Jonathan Bullard and Texas DL Hassan Ridgeway.
Bears fans cheered the Packers pick because it meant Chicago was next -- but the Bears drop seven spots and pick up a fourth-rounder as Seattle grabs the Crimson Tide's Reed.
Wheeling and dealing aren't limited to the Browns, apparently.
8:27 p.m.: Ohio State's Michael Thomas -- often mocked to the Browns at No. 32 -- goes No. 47 to New Orleans.
Then the Packers at 48 trade a fourth-rounder and a seventh to move up with the Colts and grab Indiana OT Jason Spriggs to help protect Aaron Rodgers.
"He better develop a power step," warns Mayock.
8:20 p.m.: Just a note about your NFL television programming. There was thought about having the second round outdoors in Grant Park but it was moved back insider the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University a block away because ... well ... there were a lot of empty seats a year ago on Day 3 when the Bears' picks came and went.
Those aren't optics that please the league. So indoors we are tonight.
8:14 p.m.: The Titans, with yet another second-round pick (thanks, Rams!) grab Alabama RB Derrick Henry. Which means the value of a All-American Alabama running back has dropped about 42 picks and lots of money over the last three seasons.
Plus they also signed DeMarco Murray. Kinda strange.
8:09 p.m.: The Oakland Raiders never have minded going against the grain (although they did it a lot better when your father was a youngster), and at No. 44 took Illinois DL Jihad Ward.
Which begs the question: If you're a Top 50 professional prospect, regardless of your personal production, shouldn't you have helped your team be, you know, good?
"He's a better story than a football player right now," says Mike Mayock.
Well, there's that.
There are NFL teams who believe Raiders' 2nd-round pick, DE Jihad Ward, will need arthroscopic knee surgery that could sideline him 6 weeks.
8:02 p.m.: The second round has been dominated by defense so far, with the Bills trading a fourth-rounder this year and another fourth-rounder in 2017 to move up eight spots to grab Alabama LB Reggie Ragland at No. 41, while Baylor CB Xavien Howard (Miami), Mississippi State DT Chris Jones (Kansas City) and Boise State OLB Kamalei Correa (Baltimore) and Penn State's DT Austin Johnson (Titans) go off the board.
On offense, Oklahoma's slot receiver Sterling Shepard (Giants), Arkansas TE Hunter Henry (San Diego) have been taken.
7:48 p.m.:Noah Spence, the former Ohio State edge rusher who was banished because of drug issues, heads to Tampa Bay at No. 39.
7:45 p.m.: Ogbah tells Browns radio that he was totally surprised to be taken by the Browns, who didn't seem to make their interest all that known during the combine and the pre-draft process.
Called getting to the QB an "incredible feeling ... a sack helps the whole team in a tremendous way."
Asked about where he needs to improve, says pad level ("I get a little high at times") and he has been using yoga to improve his flexibility. Says his idols are Michael Strahan and Osi Usimenyiora, and he plans to learn from the veterans on how to last and succeed in the NFL.
"I got to get with the vets...the RIGHT vets, to learn what it takes to make it in the NFL." - Emmanuel Ogbah
7:39 p.m.: Ogbah in phone conversation with Cleveland media says he was an end in the 4-3 at Oklahoma State, but rushed both with his hand down and in a two-point stance.
"I'll do anything the Cleveland Browns want me to do."
He called himself a bit "skinny" before he got to college, but built himself up. Said he was "raised properly" by his parents -- his father is a minister -- in Nigeria. He played soccer there and the family emigrated to the U.S. to avoid "corruption" in his native country.
7:32 p.m.: Asked about a trade up later in the second round, Brown says they're open to a move, but "are prepared to choose at 65. If a player is going to go off the board, we're prepared to go get him."
Meanwhile, Myles Jack's wait ends as he's taken No. 36 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jags come out of the first 36 picks with Ramsey and Myles Jack. Tremendous athleticism and speed to that defense. Look out
7:28 p.m.: "Power and speed" are the phrases the Browns are using after taking Ogbah. Which certainly is different from past regimes, which seemed to focus on "veteran and lost half-a-step."
Seriously, Brown says there were as many offers for No. 32 as there were for No. 8. "We decided to pick the player that was the best choice for us."
Jackson says Ogbah is a LB in the 3-4 scheme "because he has the skills to do that job."
Barkevious Mingo, you've been called out.
7:25 p.m.: Sashi Brown tells Browns media that Ogbah was their No. 1 player left on the board entering the day. They thought about some trade offers but "he was too good to pass up."
Hue Jackson says exactly the same words: "too good to pass up."
NFL Network's Mike Mayock on Ogbah: ""Physically, think Bud Dupree or Preston Smith. He's big and powerful, but a little stiff-hipped. This guy has big-time talent. When he's angry and playing, he is a powerful force to be reckoned with."
"The Browns essentially get Ogbah with the last pick in the first round, and the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is a stunning player at times with a lot of potential as an edge rusher. He needs to develop his arsenal of hand moves, but has a ton of physical potential. A good value pick for a team with all kinds of picks in the second round."
Kevin Dodd is the second DE to go, to Tennessee and then Dallas ends Jaylon Smith's wait, grabbing the injured Notre Dame linebacker.
7:17 p.m.: ESPN's Todd McShay gave Ogbah a third-day rating against high-speed teams in the Big 12, but against ... well, to be honest, NFL speed offenses, it was something different.
"Against teams that didn't run a bunch of plays, he didn't have to save himself and I thought he was outstanding. Kansas State, Texas, he was out of this world. A defensive line coach is really going to make his money with Emmanuel Ogbah. All the tools in the world and a lot of great clay here, but he needs some molding."
Can't argue with production or hardware of the Browns top two picks, Biletnikoff winner Corey Coleman & two-time Big 12 DPOY Emmanuel Ogbah.
7:07 p.m.: Roger Goodell gets a bunch of Hall of Famers to escort him outside at Grant Park, including Dick Butkus, Larry Csonka, Will Shields, Willie Brown, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Bruce Smith, Lynn Swann and Paul Warfield.
Now we're underway.
7 p.m.: The Browns have been on the metaphorical clock for 20 hours. Now it starts ticking.
I expect the Browns to keep this pick and select a player. We'll see though.
6:48 p.m.: Within seconds of each other, NFL Network suggested that it was "likely" that the team would be trading down, while a Tweet inside the building suggested the exact opposite.
Word in bldg is #Browns leaning to using the pick on a pass rusher.
6:41 p.m.: Maybe the Browns take Myles Jack, maybe sometime in the third round they decide to take a big longshot and grab Notre Dame's injured LB Jaylon Smith instead. Both men were Top 5 talents either yesterday or a few months ago.
But while they wait they're not totally losing out. According to NFL Network's Rich Eisen, Jack has a $5 million insurance policy that begins at pick 45, getting $60K per selection if he remains without a team. Smith also has a $5 million deal which has already netted $700K, with $100K heading his way through every selection until pick 73.
It's not the glory of Thursday night's first round, but it's definitely something.
6:36 p.m.: How have the Browns' analytic front office been viewed after one pick? Pretty well ... but all doubts haven't been erased quite yet. Which only makes sense to NFL.com's Chad Reuter.
"Connecting Robert Griffin III with another ex-Baylor player, Corey Coleman, makes a lot of sense. Getting four extra picks to move down eight spots is a good deal, if you buy into the "more is more" theory when it comes to accumulating selections. Only capitalizing on the extra selections will make it a great deal."
Minutes ago, Browns still were uncertain whether they were keeping or dealing top pick in second round....
6:30 p.m.: Cowboys are the one team publicly linked to the Browns' choice, but there have to be others, especially with UCLA LB Myles Jack making clear the support of his doctor and of his knees on Friday morning.
Dr. James Andrews, who examined Myles Jack in December, told the UCLA LB today that he does not need micro-fracture surgery.
The Browns drafted pass-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah of Oklahoma State with the No. 32 overall pick at the top of the second round.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns call him "E.O.'' and they hope he makes quarterbacks say "Uh-oh.''
With the 32nd pick in the draft, the Browns took Oklahoma State pass-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, a native of Nigeria who moved to Texas with his parents at the age of 9.
In drafting him, they passed on quarterback Connor Cook and defensive end Noah Spence of Eastern Kentucky.
"We had a first-round grade on him,'' said Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown. "We had an opportunity to trade the pick, but the player was just too good to pass up. We thought he'd go in the middle of the first round.
"We were really pleased to see him sitting there today. There was as much activity at No. 32 as their was at No. 8.''
Ogbah (6-4, 275) has 4.6 speed in the 40 and had 26 sacks his last two seasons, including 13 last year, which led the Big 12 and was fourth in the nation. In 2015, he was involved in at least one sack in every regular-season game, and had at least one sacks in 16 of his last 21 outings.
A junior, he finished second in the Big 12 with 17.5 tackles for a loss, which is sixth-most in OSU history.
"We said we wanted to be a suffocating defense, and Ogbah can help us do that,'' said coach Hue Jackson. "We want to affect the passer.''
The Browns were 29th in the NFL with 28 sacks last season, and defensive coordinator Ray Horton will attack a lot more this season.
"There's not a lot of guys at 270 that can what E.O. can do,'' said Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown.
The Browns said Ogbah, the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, can be a three-down outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme as opposed to just a situational edge-rusher.
At Oklahoma State, he played defensive end in a 4-3. He said he played both standing up and with his hand in the dirt and feels comfortable doing both.
He said he's watched film of Michael Strahan, the seven-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer from the Giants, and has patterned his game after his.
He said he was surprised to be drafted by the Browns "because I didn't have any private workouts or visits with them.''
Ogbah is the second defensive player drafted high by the Browns out of Oklahoma State in the past three drafts. The first was cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was taken No. 8 overall in 2014.
The Browns can only hope that Ogbah is the dominant defender that Gilbert hasn't been. The Browns also drafted quarterback Brandon Weeden out of Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2012 draft.
CBSSports.com says: "Ogbah is still learning the complexities of the position and lacks elite explosiveness, but he's a balanced athlete for his size and never shuts it down, exhibiting the effort needed to collapse the pocket. He will be a favorite in the building due to his work ethic and make-up."
NFL.com says: "Ogbah's power will serve him well against the run, but he will have to become more skilled as a pass rusher. He can play 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end, and he might have value inside in subpackages."
Remember when the idea of Carlos Santana hitting leadoff seemed absurd? Well, manager Terry Francona is thinking about using Sananta in right field this weekend to keep his bat in the lineup in this interleague series against the Phillies.
Sure the idea could be dismissed faster than Rajai Davis goes from the plate to second base on a hustle double. Then again batting Santana leadoff seemed almost as absurd when manager Terry Francona pursued the idea in spring training.
Well, Santana has started five games in the leadoff spot through the Tribe's first 20. Davis, with 13 starts, is the only player with more.
Francona is a fan of former Commissioner Bud Selig. But he had some misgivings about that when his Friday night lineup did not include Santana because he's primarily been a DH this season. Baseball continues to be played under two sets of rules in which the pitcher must bat in National League parks and the DH is deployed in American League parks.
"This is the one time where I'm probably irritated at Mr. Selig for putting that damn rule in," said Francona. "Actually Carlos has been out in right field a couple of times already and he'll go out there again today to work with Millsie (outfield coach, Brad Mills).
"I don't know how comfortable I am with that. But I don't like sitting him either. He says his ankle is OK. I just don't know and that's the truth."
Santana tweaked his ankle Wednesday when he reached base four straight times against the Twins with three hits and a walk. He's hitting .250 (18-for-72) and is tied for the team lead with 11 RBI. Napoli entered Friday's game with 11 RBI as well.
Francona's other option would be to play Santana at first and sit Mike Napoli.
New arm: The Indians activated right-handed Tommy Hunter from the disabled list and added him to the bullpen. Left-hander Ross Detwiler was designated for assignment.
Hunter, recovering from hernia surgery, made eight appearances in his rehab assignment at Class AAA Columbus. He went 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA in nine innings. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.
Asked about his role, Hunter said, "I'm going out to the bullpen, sit down, wait for the phone to ring and then go in the game and throw the hell out of the ball. I'll see how far that takes me."
The Indians signed Hunter in February to a one-year $2 million deal even though they knew he wouldn't be ready on opening day.
"He'll be another guy we can count on," said Francona. "You saw in Minnesota where we were getting in that bullpen a lot and some guys were down on certain days. I will be nice to have another reliable arm."
Detwiler made seven appearances with the Indians. Until Kyle Crockett arrived from Columbus on Thursday when Cody Anderson was optioned to Columbus, he was the only lefty in bullpen.
Chisenhall update: Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall left Tuesday's game against the Twins with a strained neck. He did not play Wednesday and was not in Friday's lineup.
"He's OK," said Francona. "We just have other guys to face lefties."
The Phillies started left-hander Adam Morgan on Friday. He was recalled from Class AAA Lehigh Valley.
"There's no getting around it, those were hard years," said Francona. "It was my first time managing and I was learning on the run, literally. But you can't help but get close to people. The clubbie came over today and we were laughing. Mr. Giles, Dave Montgomery stopped by.
"It wasn't this ballpark, so it was different. But this is a hard place to not have good teams. You learn to have thick skin."
Finally: In Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Twins, Michael Brantley had an RBI, a base hit and a single. Those were all first Brantley for Brantley in 2016 after being activated Monday. "He's shaking some of the rust off," said Francona.