Congratulations to Devin Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Evan Spencer, and Michael Bennett on being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. This weekend will be the first rookie minicamp for these players with their respective NFL teams. It is challenging to refer to these players as “former Buckeyes”, but they will all be moving forward in their quest for (hopefully) lengthy NFL careers. Good luck also to Darryl Baldwin, Curtis Grant, and Steve Miller, who all were signed as free agents to NFL teams. Jerry Emig of Ohio State had an impressive tweet that summarizes the good fortune of these players as they enter into the NFL…
All eight senior starters on Ohio State's '14 national championship team are heading to National Football League camps … Soon!
— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) May 5, 2015
Former Buckeye Rod Smith is also getting a free agent opportunity, with the Seattle Seahawks…
Former Buckeye RB Rod Smith, who was dismissed from team in October. https://t.co/Bt0QRWT3WI
— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 2, 2015
Remember Verlon Reed? This former Buckeye, who left Ohio State for Findlay, is getting a free agent opportunity with the Detroit Lions…
Remember Verlon Reed? The former OSU WR-turned-Findlay-QB signed a free agent contract with the Lions today. http://t.co/L1YEwczv8T
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) May 4, 2015
According to Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch, former Buckeye Kyle Clinton is also getting a free agent tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming weekend…
#OhioState kicker Kyle Clinton will participate on a tryout basis at Steelers rookie minicamp next weekend. Handled kickoffs for OSU in '14.
— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 3, 2015
At least Clinton and Grant will have some company while in Pittsburgh – over the last six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted six players from Ohio State.
How to get drafted by the Pittsburgh #Steelers – An in-depth study of Ohio State football players http://t.co/pnH9lkNffj
— Neal Coolong (@NealCoolong) May 5, 2015
Hey highschool recruits commit to Ohio State and become a Pittsburgh Steelers one day! #GoBucks
— RecruitNUT (@Zona_Buckeye) May 2, 2015
Prior to the NFL Draft, I held out hope that the Cleveland Browns, the NFL team I have rooted for my entire life, would pick two Buckeyes – Jeff Heuerman and Evan Spencer. Both would have fulfilled position needs on the Browns, and had the skill set that would allow them to succeed in Cleveland’s run-oriented offense.
I was happy for Jeff Heuerman that Denver picked Heuerman in the third round; that was a little higher than I anticipated the Browns would show interest. I thought maybe the Browns would be interested in Heuerman in the fourth round.
As for Evan Spencer, I woke up on Saturday morning and tweeted out the following. My man Shannon Sommers agreed with my line of thinking…
@smsommers84 @osugirl47 Hoping for Evan Spencer later today to Browns. Dependable possession WR, great blocker, and selfless.
— Chip Minnich (@ChipMinnich) May 2, 2015
Do you know who the last Ohio State player the Cleveland Browns selected was? Brian Robiskie, back in second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Prior to Robiskie? 2002, when the Browns picked Darnell Sanders in the fourth round.
Don’t get me wrong – I am happy for all of these Buckeye players to have NFL opportunities, even if it is with the Cleveland Browns’ biggest rival. I just do not understand how the Browns, a team that has long been mired in the basement of its division, and is always trying to close the gap between itself and the division leaders, cannot look into scouting players from a powerhouse program only two hours down I-71. The Pittsburgh Steelers are located further away, and have had no problem with the longer commute to scout out Buckeye talent. Even the comments of Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer made me think the Browns would be picking at least one Buckeye…
Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer says Cleveland Browns are 'fantastic' in doing due diligence on draft… http://t.co/CzqxNheQLS
— Ohio State (@Ohio_State) March 31, 2015
Even Bill Rabinowitz agrees with me…Below is a tweet sent before the NFL Draft concluded regarding Darryl Baldwin, a Cleveland native, that somewhat mirrors my line of thinking ~
C'mon, Browns. Take Darryl Baldwin, your local guy.
— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 2, 2015
The 2016 NFL Draft is a year away, and I am looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2015 Ohio State football season. I can only hope that with a crop of players that will be heavily abundant in Buckeye talent in the 2016 NFL Draft that the Browns will “steel” some Buckeyes going forward.