by Peter Schrager

Comment

The most fortunate fan base in all of professional sports has to be the one that follows the San Antonio Spurs. Consider this: The Spurs have missed the NBA playoffs just three times since 1987. In the three NBA drafts following those fruitless seasons, they've drafted two sure-fire Hall of Famers first overall (David Robinson in 1987, Tim Duncan in 1997) and one perennial All Star (Sean Elliot) at No. 3.

For 22 straight years, Spurs fans haven't had to cope with the burden of lingering draft busts polluting their team's roster, talking heads critiquing their front office's strategic direction, and the burden of possessing a decade's worth of pressure-packed June draft days. Toss in four NBA titles over the past decade, a coach who is respected and liked by both his players and GM, and there's not much to complain about in San Antonio. Imagine being a Spurs fan. Not a bad gig, right?

Now ... imagine being a Cleveland Browns fan.

Oh, you've got David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Sean Elliot? How about Courtney Brown, Tim Couch and William Green?

Or a Detroit Lions fan. I'll see your Brown, Couch and Green with a Charles Rogers, Mike Williams and Joey Harrington. And hell, toss in a Stockar McDougle while we're at it, too. The un-royal flush!

Buffalo Bills fans haven't had it much better. Though always seemingly one win or a loss away from securing a wild-card spot, the Bills have had their fair share of Top 15 picks over the past decade. In this game of "loser's poker." Buffalo certainly has a spot at the table. They've flopped more than bluffed, with an unhealthy 10-year postseason drought keeping them away from any comped buffet dinners or free nights in the postseason hotel.

In all, the Browns, Bills and Lions have combined for just one postseason appearance since 2000. A forgettable Cleveland AFC wild-card round loss during the Kelly Holcomb era is the only thing keeping the three franchises' fan bases from a decade dry of January football. The three squads all have top 11 picks in this year's draft.

In other words, what's new?

But maybe this is the year they all turn it around. Perhaps April 25 is the day all three take the fork in the road and start their own tradition of winning. Their own 22-year stretch of happiness. It'll start in the first round for each. Let's break 'em down.

Detroit Lions

Last Playoff Berth: 2000
2009 First Round Pick(s): No. 1 and No. 20

How Many Drafts Are They Away From the Playoffs? Ha. That's a good one. Just enjoyed a nice little "LOL" there. Perhaps even an ROTFL. (That's Twitter talk, friends).

No, I'd love to say one or two, but that'd be a lie. Most times with the NFL, you can shrug your shoulders, give a wink and say "With parity the way it is, anything's possible!" But the Lions, unfortunately, are a different case. They're really, really bad. On defense, they're downright putrid. On offense, they're potentially worse. They're at least 3-4 good draft and free-agent classes away from playing January football. As the boys in Metallica once said — sad, but true.

Well, What Do They Need? I'm not being smug or pithy when I say the Lions need everything. They need a quarterback. They need an entire offensive line. They need defense. And by defense, I mean a defensive line, a linebacker or two and an entirely new defensive backfield. As much as I liked the Julian Peterson deal this past weekend and some of the front office's other personnel moves this offseason, this isn't the Dolphins from '07 turning into the Dolphins of '08. There's just not enough NFL-caliber talent on the roster.

So, Who Should They Take? I know I may be in the minority when it comes to the "draftnik community," but I like Matt Stafford. A lot. I think he's got all the physical tools and given a little time to work with a pro position coach in pocket drills, he'll get around all the knocks about his comfort under pressure. He's the best quarterback in this draft, and though there are some scouts salivating over Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, I'm going to say he may just be the best quarterback in next year's draft class, too.

Detroit drafted an OT with their first pick last year and can't really go into the season with Drew Henson, Drew Stanton and Daunte Culpepper as their quarterback trio. Take Stafford at 1. And if big OTs Andre Smith and Michael Oher are lingering at #20, scoop one of 'em up. If not, go defense. Tyson Jackson (DE, LSU) or Rey Maualuga (LB, USC) could be there. They'd both be nice pickups.

Cleveland Browns

Last Playoff Berth: 2002
2009 First Round Pick: No. 5

How Many Drafts Are They Away From The Playoffs? Let's be honest, Browns fans were thrown for a loop last year. Coming off a promising 10-6 season, it looked like Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage had finally gotten it right, all the pieces were in place, and an AFC North title was a year or two away.

Fast forward 12 months, and it's back to square one. Crennel and Savage are both out, Kellen Winslow's in Tampa and there's another top draft selection on the clock. Using Atlanta and Miami as examples, Cleveland could be a year away from postseason eligibility. But until I see the revamped defense, I'll say 2-3 years is the safer bet.

Well, What Do They Need? The Browns need to focus on the defense. They got lit up last year. Linebacker and defensive back are pressing needs, while a top pass-rushing end is certainly an area of concern as well.

So, Who Should They Take? If Aaron Curry is somehow still on the board, you take him. No brainer. The guy's the top linebacker prospect to enter the league since Patrick Willis. If he's not available, Brian Orakpo — the versatile defensive end/linebacker out of Texas — is the way to go.

Buffalo Bills

Last Playoff Berth: 1999
2009 First Round Pick: No. 11

How Many Drafts Are They Away From the Playoffs? Of these three teams, Buffalo's in the best shape. If Terrell Owens behaves and performs, and the rest of the promising young pieces in Buffalo continue to develop, they could be a favorite for one of the two AFC wild-card spots next postseason. Even without a legitimate pass-rushing threat, the defense matured as the year went on. As a whole, this team's on the cusp. They're right there. But that's a broken record in Buffalo. They haven't seen the Bills play in a postseason game since the Music City Miracle.

Well, What Do They Need? The Bills either need a young offensive tackle to bookend that offensive line with Jason Peters or a pass-rushing defensive end. They were in the bottom fourth in the league in sacks last year and got little to no production from the edge.

So, Who Should They Take? If Andre Smith or Michael Oher are staring at them at No. 11, they both could go there. But, if either Aaron Maybin or FSU's Everette Brown are also still on the board — there could be decisions to be made. One of those four make the most sense in Buffalo.

Big month for the Raji brothers

Sometimes a family is blessed to have two brothers excel in the same sport. Whether it's Peyton and Eli Manning, Horace and Harvey Grant, or Marcus and Brian Giles — it's not so uncommon to see various sibling pairs checkered across a league's player directory.

But it's not as common to see two brothers excel at different sports. There was Terry and Wayne Kirby back in the '90s. Terry starred for the Dolphins, while Wayne was a regular starter for the Cleveland Indians. In September, Terry Boss — brother of Giants tight end Kevin — was signed as the backup goaltender for the New York/New Jersey Red Bulls of the MLS. Other than the Kirbys and the Bosses, it's been rare to see two brothers from different sports excel at the highest levels.

Insert B.J. and Corey Raji. You'll be hearing a bit about both players over the next few weeks. Corey's the starting small forward on the Boston College hoops team. Only a sophomore, Raji played close to 30 minutes a game this season and averaged 9.8 points per contest on perhaps the biggest surprise team in the ACC. The only squad in the nation to beat both North Carolina and Duke this year, Raji is an integral part of the offense and a lockdown defender on D. He'll help lead the 7th-seeded B.C. hoops team against 10th-seeded USC Friday night in the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile, his brother B.J. is trying to keep his weight down, preparing for the NFL Draft on April 25. The oldest of the Raji brothers, B.J. is the top-rated defensive tackle in the 2009 draft. At B.C., Raji dominated. After a spell-binding Senior Bowl week, he rose to the top of all draft boards and is currently pegged as a surefire Top-10 pick.

I have Raji, a 330-pound clog in the middle, currently going No. 6 overall to Cincinnati in my latest mock draft.

If he keeps his weight down — in that 325-335 range — there's no reason he can't anchor an NFL defensive line from the DT spot for years to come.

Corey's got the USC Trojans on Friday evening. B.J.'s got some personal workouts up ahead. All in all, things are good in the Raji family.

The scary part? There's a third Raji brother — the youngest of the three.

Perhaps he plays baseball.

Reader e-mail of the week

Peter,

Glad to see "On the Clock" is back for another year. I do have one concern, though. In a recent article, you mentioned that you are a single guy and that you watched "The Bachelor." I'm sorry, dude, but you realize you lose all credibility when you tell us things like that, right? Do you like "The Real Housewives of New York City" too? You should probably keep some things to yourself, and stick to who my Eagles are taking with their two first-round picks. Be a man, Schrager. No need for reality TV shows my wife and her friends watch.

Craig, Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania

Craig,

Not a huge fan of "The Real Housewives of New York City." I like when that Bethenny is in the bathing suit, but could do without the rest of the show.

As for "The Bachelor", the program you so foolishly criticize me for watching, it has many of the same elements of the NFL Draft: a slew of 20-year-olds vying to be selected, individual one-on-one dates, even a rose ceremony at the end (or a baseball hat and jersey ceremony, whatever). If you like the NFL Draft, you should like "The Bachelor."

My favorite reality show, though, is "American Idol." My buddy Aaron hooked me up with tickets for Tuesday night's show while I was out in L.A. this week. What an experience. Amidst a crowd of 14-year-old brace-faced girls screaming their heads off, there I was, with a smile ear to ear, proud of young Anoop for finally — as Randy Jackson would say — "working it out."

Yes, perhaps this all explains why I'm still single.

As for your Eagles, they're taking Chris Wells at No. 21 and Eben Britton at No. 28.

Now, please, get off my back and let me be. I have multiple DVR'd "Dancing With The Stars" episodes to catch up on.

Someone you might not know: Version 2.0

Last Week's Subject: Jarrett Dillard, Rice, WR

In this year's debut "Someone You Might Not Know," we introduced you to Jarrett Dillard, a receiver out of Rice, who just so happens to hold the NCAA career record for receiving touchdowns. This week, we're going defense and focusing on Brandon Hughes, a cornerback out of Oregon State whose stock is rising by the day.

A two-time All-Pac-10 selection at corner, Hughes went to Indianapolis last month as a mildly-regarded prospect with a nice college career under his belt. He then ran a 4.4 40-yard dash and quickly found a place on 32 draft boards. At the Oregon State Pro Day last Friday, he impressed scouts again with a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 8-inch standing broad jump.

While at Oregon State, Hughes was one of the locker room leaders on the Beavers' surprise 2008 team that upset USC and was a Civil War win away from playing in their first Rose Bowl in decades. On one of the best defenses in one of the best conferences in the nation, Hughes was one of the top performers.

A corner with good speed, the knocks on Hughes may be his cover skills in non man-to-man situations. There were a trickle of scouts who came away from the East-West Shrine game workouts none too impressed with what they saw. But at 5'10, 185 pounds, he's got a toughness to him I think certain teams may really come to like. Hughes has some real pop and is known to cause fits for receivers coming off the line. He's consistent, too. A converted wideout, the kid started 40 games at cornerback in his time at Corvallis.

An impressive young man who may not be the fastest or strongest cornerback prospect in this draft, Hughes is a rock of consistency with a ton of upside. I'm hearing 6th or 7th round. However, I think the right team will grab him somewhere in the 4th or 5th range. They'll be plenty happy if they do.

Keep an eye out for Brandon Hughes ... someone you might not know.