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Quarterback run Couch first of several quarterbacks taken in first round
Posted: Saturday April 17, 1999 02:18 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns began the Draft of the Quarterbacks on Saturday by selecting Kentucky's Tim Couch. Couch, who left school after his junior season, reached a contract agreement with the expansion team hours before the draft, as first reported by Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King. In selecting Couch, the Browns -- awarded a franchise by the NFL after the original Browns moved to Baltimore -- opened what was expected to be a first-round run on quarterbacks. Eagles fans, who haven't seen a Super Bowl winner since 1960 or a solid draft since the mid-1980s, showed up in full force in New York to urge the team to pick Williams. But the Eagles decided that a team with little more talent base than an expansion team needed to build its future around a quarterback. The Eagles' drafts have been riddled with mistakes for several years, especially a fixation on offensive linemen this decade. McNabb is the first quarterback taken in the first round by Philadelphia since Florida's John Reaves in 1972. The Eagles needed only eight minutes of their allotted 15 to decide on McNabb. McNabb is an athletic playmaker with scrambling ability, but his arm strength is what attracted the Eagles. He was timed at 4.64 in the 40-yard dash and holds school and Big East records with 77 touchdown passes and 8,389 passing yards. He ran an option offense at Syracuse, but Reid believes he can adjust to the West Coast offense and thrive under current starter Doug Pederson. Philadelphia fans attending the draft booed loudly when the pick was announced. They've been lobbying the Eagles to pick Williams since late last season. The biggest shock of the draft -- and the biggest surprise in many years -- came on the fourth selection. Indianapolis traded star running back Marshall Faulk to St. Louis on Thursday, seemingly clearing the way to take Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams of Texas. But the Colts instead went for another running back, junior Edgerrin James of Miami, whose spectacular performance in the season finale against UCLA brought him to prominence. The stunned crowd let out a gasp when James' name was announced by commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "liked both backs ... but basically we feel Edgerrin gives us a little more with what we want to do with our offense," Colts coach Jim Mora said. Williams went with the next pick -- to New Orleans. The Saints, who previously offered all of their 1999 picks to Cleveland for the top overall spot to get Williams, dealt with Washington moments after the Colts' stunner. Coach Mike Ditka, sporting a big grin and an even bigger cigar after selecting college football's career rushing leader, traded a first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh picks this year and a first- and third-rounder in 2000 to the Redskins to get Williams. "I love the kid. He's what we really need," Ditka said. "He gives us what Walter Payton gave us in Chicago." "It feels great," Williams said. "I was down there last week, and they said, `If we draft you, we can go home and hit the golf course.' I'm excited." The Rams, looking for a big-play receiver to go with Faulk out of the backfield, grabbed Torry Holt of North Carolina State. Then Washington jumped right back up to No. 7 overall, sending to Chicago the first-rounder acquired from the Saints (12th overall), and the third-rounder obtained from New Orleans. The Redskins also included their own fourth- and fifth-rounders, plus a third-round selection in 2000. After the Redskins -- and the audience -- caught their breath, they selected cornerback-wide receiver-kick returner Champ Bailey of Georgia. Bailey was the player Washington hoped to get at the No. 5 overall slot, so general manager Charley Casserly showed he knows how to play the draft-day-trade game superbly.
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