With the start of NFL training camp coming at the end of the month coming up I thought I’d do a quick write up about each of the Browns’ second-day draft picks. Why only the second day picks you ask? The answer is quite simple; we had already read or heard enough about first day picks Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn, and Eric “Eazy-E” Wright that…well, need I say more? I think we all get the idea.
KR/PR/WR - Syndric Steptoe - ArizonaOne of the less obvious openings on the Browns’ depth chart heading into the 2007 draft had to do with the hole departed free agent Dennis Northcutt left as a punt returner and as a 3rd-down pass dropping specialist. Northcutt had very much a roller coaster tenure with the Browns and when Dennis’ contract expired the Browns eagerly showed him the door. To the shock of Browns fans as well as many others in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars suprised many when they eagerly handed Northcutt a $17-million dollar contract once free agency started. Apparrently, one man's trash is another man's buried treasure.
With their final pick of the 7th (234 overall) and final round the Browns decided to take a flyer on one of college football’s better return specialists in the University of Arizona’s Syndric Steptoe. Ironically, Arizona is also the exact same school where Dennis Northcutt played college ball. In an
exchange between Syndric and a Tuscon sportswriter when asked about the possibilities of being the new “Dennis Northcutt” in Cleveland, Syndric quickly replied with “I’m the new Syndric Steptoe.”
(It’s nothing personal against Mr. Northcutt here. He seemed like a good guy with both the friends and media while he was in Cleveland. However, let’s just say some of us still haven’t quite forgotten that crucial dropped pass on 4th down that put the final nail in the coffin in the Browns’ playoff loss to the Steelers in ‘03.)
Syndric is going to need that confident attitude considering his chances of making the roster are nowhere near guaranteed considering where he went in the draft. Of course, his chances will most surely ride on how quickly he can effectively return punts more so than his recieving skills. At least for Syndric’s sake, he was drafted by the right team.
Though undersized at 5′ 9″ and 180 pounds and a not possessing too impressive of a time in the 40 (4.55), Steptoe is one of those players who always seems to play much faster on the field than the stopwatches off the field say. He is also known for his terrific work habits as well as being one of the toughest competitors on any field he steps on to. As a senior for the Wildcats, Syndric caught 55 passes for 568 yards (10.3 avg), averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff, averaged 13.1 yards per punt return, and totaled 3 touchdowns. In one of his better games of the 2006 season he caught 6 passes for 68 yards in an upset victory over ranked Cal.
Syndric’s outlook for 2007 will likely be known by the third preseason game. My gut feeling is that he will make the roster for this year based on the assumption the Browns do not want kick returner Joshua Cribbs taking on the extra chore of returning punts while also fighting for a bigger role as a wide reciever in the offense. Certainly, this isn’t a guy who will be drafted in any fantasy leagues, but on the bright side for Steptoe...he did have an
autographed rookie card go up for auction for $2.99 on eBay this week!
NFL comparison: A poor man’s version of former Raven KR Jermain Lewis.
Read the complete post at http://kidcleveland.blogspot.com/2007/07/introducing-syndric-steptoe.html