Receivers are the strength of a weak free-agent class

Sporting News, The, Jan 25, 1999 by Dan Pompei

6. J.J. Stokes, 49ers. His size--6-4, 223--makes Stokes unique, and some team will pay dearly for it. But he drops too many passes and doesn't use his big frame to his advantage as well as he could. The 49ers may have no choice but to let him go elsewhere.

7. Charles Johnson, Steelers. Johnson, a former first-round pick, never really lived up to expectations in Pittsburgh. He doesn't have great speed and isn't real consistent, though he can make the occasional great catch. There's a good chance Johnson will switch teams.

8. Torrance Small, Colts. This guy always has been an underrated receiver, mostly because he is thought of as a nickel guy. But when Marvin Harrison got injured this season, Small stepped up as a starter. He finished with a 15.1-yard average per catch and one touchdown for every 6.4 receptions. He's another basketball player in pads, but he does the dirty work in the paint. The Colts want him back, but Small could be given an opportunity to start elsewhere--and be a good bargain.

9. Leslie Shepherd, Redskins. For a guy with pretty average skills, it's amazing that his career average per catch is 16.8 yards. Shepherd has deceptive play speed, and he makes yardage after the catch. If he gets out of Washington, Shepherd will be a nice No. 2 receiver for some team.

10. Sean Dawkins, Saints. He was the Saints' leading receiver this season, but the team doesn't want him back. He's a big possession receiver with similar skills to Stokes. But Dawkins has suspect hands and has the rap of being a me-first guy.

RELATED ARTICLE: A few tips for the Browns

The Browns don't figure to build a Super Bowl team through the February 9 expansion draft, but if they're smart they can really help themselves. Hero is how we would draft from the group of players who will be exposed to the Browns (not taking into consideration the players from the four teams in the AFC and NFC championship games).

* Load up on defensive linemen. They are the most difficult players to acquire in free agency or the draft, because there just aren't enough of them. Surprisingly, there will be some talented defensive linemen available in the expansion draft. The slam dunk is Cowboys tackle Antonio Anderson. He's young and huge, and he flashed some real ability two years ago before injuries limited him this year. Other defensive linemen we'd be all over are Ferric Collons of the Patriots, a solid run defender; underrated Colts end Al Fontenot; Mike Fox of the Panthers, a solid player at one time; Rod Manuel of the Steelers and Hurvin McCormack of the Cowboys.

* Find some stopgap offensive Linemen. Rather than overpay in free agency or go with inexperienced players, the Browns would benefit from trying to put together the majority of their starting offensive line through the expansion draft. And the quality is available. Todd Rucci of the Patriots and Jim Pyne of the Lions easily could be the starting guards for the Browns. (Pyne also can play center.) Andy Heck of the Bears may be fading, but where else are the Browns going to get a starting left tackle? Corbin Lacina of the Panthers also has possibilities.