Not so fast dawg pound, Cleveland 's draft may turn out to be more bark then bite.

Obviously I'm talking about day 1 of the 2007 NFL draft. Incidentally, the longest day 1 in NFL history. (I love football more than anything but even I admit that something must be done about that.

With the 3rd overall pick, Cleveland selected offensive lineman Joe Thomas. Kind of a no brainier but still an excellent pick. That along with the free agent acquisition of Eric Steinbach should solidify the Brown’s O-line for the better part of the next decade. Cleveland also showed great courage and patience, letting Notre Dame Quarterback Brady Quinn free fall to the 22nd pick where they then shrewdly traded up to draft the hometown golden boy. So has Cleveland laid the foundation for a Super Bowl championship?

Ahh, there in lies the rub.

The entire free world saw Quinn’s emotional meltdown as he waited and waited and waited for his name to be called. I can’t help but wonder whether this is really the mental makeup that I would want in someone that’s been selected to lead my team over the next dozen years. Am I being harsh, or overly analytical? Maybe, but this entire process of scouting, evaluating, and selecting future NFL superstars is based in microanalysis. If Brady Quinn decided urinate in a dark alley, there is no doubt in my mind that an NFL scout would leap out from behind a dumpster, tape measure in hand, ready to measure the distance of his stream. Team’s hire private investigators and do extensive background checks, determined to leave no stone unturned in deciding to which player they hand over the reigns to the team, and millions of dollars.

If I were a Brown’s fan I would find Quinn’s lack of poise and dear in the head lights, eyes glazed over look, utterly alarming. If this is how he handles a setback how would I have any confidence in him making the correct decisions, when facing blitzing, blood hungry line backers in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.

In a twist, that would have been comedic if not for the fact that it was underscoring Quinn’s mental collapse, NFL commissioner Roger Goddell himself took pity on the young pivot and ushered him into a private suite in an effort to protect him from the media hoard capturing Quinn’s four hour implosion. When his name was finally called Quinn emerged through the curtains wearing the look of an eight year old girl who had just gotten off of her first roller coaster ride.

Again should I cut Quinn some slack? Would I not react in the same manner or worse, being put in that situation? I can almost guarantee that I would. The difference is, that Quinn has spent the majority of his life training and preparing himself for situations like this, and the fact that he was unable to at least project an aura of calm and confidence makes me question his ability to stand tall in the face of on the field adversity.

In all certainty Joe Thomas will be able to physically protect Quinn on the field, but after Saturday’s events, there aren’t enough All-Pro linemen in football available to protect Quinn’s fragile emotional psyche.

So it would appear that when looking for their franchise Quarterback, Cleveland may indeed be left barking up the wrong tree.

Gotta go, ‘Freddie Got Fingered’ is on.