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The Browns passed on Julio Jones, instead making a massive trade in the 2011 draft with Atlanta.

(AP Photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about how Phil Taylor is the best the Browns have to show for the 2011 draft day deal, the Tribe's Carlos Santana at third base, and the Cavs' Dion Waiters:

About the Julio Jones trade ...

In 2011, the Browns passed on a chance to pick receiver Julio Jones at No. 6 in the draft. Instead, they made a huge deal with Atlanta … and a smaller one with Kansas City.

Before going into depth on this trade, let's start with one name -- Justin Houston.

In the last two years, Houston has 21 sacks for the Kansas City Chiefs.

What does this have to do with the Jones/Browns deal?

Until reviewing all the moves involved that day, I forgot about Houston, who could have been in an orange helmet.

Here's what happened:

1. In 2011, Browns General Manager Tom Heckert liked A.J. Green and Patrick Peterson. When both were picked before the Browns No. 6 selection, Heckert decided to add lots of draft picks.

2. Atlanta wanted Jones, a speedy wide-receiver from Alabama. The Browns traded their first-round pick to the Falcons, who grabbed Jones. The Browns received Atlanta's first-round picks in 2011 (No. 27) and 2012 (became No. 22). They also received picks in the second and fourth rounds of 2011. They also received a fourth-rounder in 2012.

3. With Atlanta, Jones came as advertised. He caught 54 passes as a rookie, eight for touchdowns. In 2012, he had 79 catches, 10 for touchdowns. He had 41 catches in the first five games this season before injuring his foot. He is out for the year after surgery.

4. Jones is signed through 2014. The only question will be if the foot injury/surgery impacts his speed next season. He is a very good receiver.

How about the trade for the Browns?

1. In the second round, they took Greg Little, who has been very spotty. He has 31 catches this season for an 11.6 average and one touchdown. He may not be in the team's plans much beyond this season.

2. In the fourth round, they picked fullback Owen Marecic. He was cut by the Browns in training camp. He is not in the NFL.

3. In the first round of 2012, the Browns used the Falcons' choice to take Brandon Weeden. They hoped he could be a viable starter for at least a few years. While Weeden is starting now, it's because Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell have both been injured.

4. The fourth-rounder that the Browns received from Atlanta was used in the 2012 draft. The Browns traded their No. 4 pick along with that fourth-rounder (from Atlanta), a fifth-rounder and a seventh-rounder to Minnesota. It was to move up one slot to No. 3 and take Trent Richardson.

About Phil Taylor ...

Phil Taylor came to the Browns on a draft day deal.

1. In the 2011 draft, the Browns received Atlanta's No. 27 pick. To select Taylor, they traded that No. 27 pick and the No. 70 pick to Kansas City -- for the No. 21 pick. That became Taylor, the Browns starting defensive lineman.

2. Little has been said about the No. 70 pick sent to the Chiefs. That became Houston, who has those 21 sacks in the last two years. He made the 2012 Pro Bowl.

3. The Chiefs used their first-rounder (also in the Browns deal) to pick Jonathan Baldwin. He has been a backup receiver for three years, 44 career catches.

4. Taylor can be a force in the middle of the defensive line. He is a very good pick at the bottom of the first round.

Bottom line?

1. With all those picks changing places, the two best players are Jones (Atlanta) and Houston (Kansas City).

2. Taylor is the only Browns player who may be with the team next year. The Cleveland futures of Weeden and Little are very questionable.

3. It's much easier to collect draft picks than it is to use them wisely.

About Carlos Santana ...

The Indians are looking for ways to keep Carlos Santana in the lineup, and third base may be an option.

In the post-season meetings with Carlos Santana, the former starting catcher mentioned that he "missed playing in the field."

He acknowledged that Yan Gomes (.294, .826 OPS, 11 HR, 38 RBI in 88 games) had a terrific season at catcher. Gomes also led the American League by throwing out 38 percent of all stealing base runners.

Santana said he preferred to play first base rather than be the DH. He held that spot in the lineup for 54 games.

But the Tribe plans for Nick Swisher to handle most of the first base duties.

That's why Santana brought up the idea of playing some third base.

The Indians were aware that Santana played a little third early in his minor league career. But they didn't know if the 5-foot-11, 210-pounder could handle the position.

The fact that Santana wants to try it has the Tribe far more excited than the front office wants to say publicly.

This winter, the Indians planned to look for a right-handed hitter who could handle some third base.

Yes, utility man Mike Aviles played 56 games there (made only three errors), but they'd like another option.

Early in his big-league career, Ryan Raburn played some third. But he had eight errors in 33 games. The Indians believe Raburn is best suited for the outfield, and like the idea of a David Murphy/Raburn platoon in right field.

So what about Santana at third?

Let's break it down:

1. Santana's first pro season was 2005. He was signed by the Dodgers and was 19. They played him at third and in the outfield in his first two pro seasons.

2. Santana was a third baseman for 58 games in the minors, making 17 errors. He last played there in 2006.

3. Santana also played 40 games in right field, 26 in left field before becoming a full-time catcher in 2007.

4. Just looking at the stats, you can understand why the Dodgers tried to use him behind the plate. He has above-average arm strength, and those 17 errors in 58 games was not a promising start at third.

5. But it's been six years since Santana played third. Who knows, it may work.

6. The Tribe views this idea as a major positive. Rather than pouting about Gomes taking his job, Santana is looking for a place to play. He is at the Tribe's Dominican Baseball Academy, working out at third base. The Tribe plans to have Travis Fryman and Mike Sarbaugh work with him this winter and in spring training.

About the Tribe

The Indians have been waiting for three years for Lonnie Chisenhall to take over at third base.

1. The Tribe handed third base to Chisenhall in the spring. He didn't hit and his defense was inconsistent. He spent 27 games in Class AAA (batting .390), so it's a matter of him adjusting to the big leagues.

2. The discouraging part for Chisenhall is that his .225 average was worse than the .268 and .255 that he hit in parts of the previous two seasons with the Tribe. His OPS of .688 was his lowest in three years.

3. Chisenhall showed some life in September, batting .270 with three homers in 37 at bats. But he has yet to do anything to take over at third base.

4. A lefty hitter, Chisenhall has a miserable track record vs. lefty pitching. He was 4-of-36 (.111) last season. For his big-league career, Chisenhall is 24-of-124 (.196) vs. lefties compared to .256 vs. righties.

5. A switch hitter, Santana batted .296 vs. lefties last season. At the very least, Santana playing some third base sets up a decent platoon with Chisenhall. And if Santana can play well enough to win the position, so be it.

6. In the last three seasons, Santana is a .253 hitter (.808 OPS) averaging 22 homers and 76 RBI. The Tribe would love to get that kind of production from third base.

7. In connection with Terry Francona being the A.L. Manager of the Year, the Indians want nominations for people who are leaders in Northeast Ohio. They can be teachers, coaches, volunteers, CEOs, community activists, etc. Fans should visit Indians.com/Mentors and fill out the form with information about their nominees. The winner and the person who nominated him or her will have the opportunity to Francona, during Tribe Fest weekend, Jan. 24-26 at Progressive Field.

8. The Wahoo Club will meet on December 8 at 10 a.m. at the Solon Community Center. Special guests include Len Barker, Campy Russell, Don Cockroft, Matt Wilhelm and Brad Sellers. Call Bob Rosen (440-724-8350) for more information.

About Jhonny Peralta ...

Jhonny Peralta should high-five his agents after receiving a $53 million deal from St. Louis.

1. The Cardinals would rather spend $53 million on Peralta than trade for Asdrubal Cabrera. No matter what the Tribe says, they are open to a deal for Cabrera. The Cardinals have talked about Cabrera a few times over the past year, but didn't want to part with the pitching prospects that the Indians wanted.

2. Peralta is coming off a 50-game suspension for PED infractions. So a guy who clearly cheated and made $6 million last season with the Tigers is rewarded with a $53 million deal over four years. The message is clear: Cheating can really pay off.

3. The two previous free agents who were suspended for PED infractions were Melky Cabrera and Marlon Byrd. Both received two-year, $16 million deals. That seemed excessive. Now, it's bargain rate.

4. In the last four years, Peralta's batting averages were .249, .299, .239 and .303 this season. He hit anywhere from 11-to-21 homers with 55-to-86 RBI in that span. He has made only 11 errors at short in the last two seasons. The point is Peralta rotates from average seasons to good years. But this guy is not a consistent All-Star. He will be 32 next season. Yet, he is being paid like one of the top shortstops. And yes, you have to wonder if some of those good seasons were products of PEDs.

5. I wonder who the Cardinals were bidding against that the price for Peralta went that high. I also wonder if the Tribe will find a market for Cabrera, who is in the final year of his contract ($10 million).

About baseball's drug policy ...

Peralta's signing has exposed it as a joke. Fifty games for a first violation won't deter anyone from cheating -- not after these type of contracts. Baseball needs to revise its policy. Consider the following:

1. A first violation should cost a player a full 162-game season.

2. It should make any remaining seasons on his contract non-guaranteed. Ryan Braun lied about his PED use, was suspended -- but still has $125 million of guaranteed money left on his Milwaukee contract. That money should no longer be guaranteed, the remaining seasons being club options.

3. Any contract signed immediately after a season where a player is suspended for PEDs can only be for one year.

About Dion Waiters ...

Dion Waiters may not like it, but he's most effective for the Cavs when coming off the bench.

The Cavs are a team with a lot of young players drafted very high -- and they have yet to win a thing in the NBA.

Furthermore, these guys are all in their early 20s.

So what do you get?

A sense of entitlement, combined with frustration from the losing.

Yes, there is tension between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, and it's for one obvious reason -- both players are used to being the guard with the ball in his hands. I don't know what happened in the players-only meeting, and if Waiters accused Irving of "playing buddy ball" by passing too often to Tristan Thompson -- as some reports claim.

I've been told there was no epic meeting between Waiters and the front office, leading to him demanding a trade. But I also know that Waiters knows what most of us also know -- he's not a good match in the backcourt with Irving.

Would Waiters want to play elsewhere?

Probably, assuming he could start at point guard. He has denied demanding a trade, and the Cavs say Waiters didn't ask to be traded.

Are teams lining up to trade for him?

The Cavs have had some teams ask about Waiters -- not offering much at this point.

Waiters needs to understand that he's a career 40 percent shooter who is viewed by much of the league as an "in-between" guard. That means he's not a natural point guard or shooting guard.

His best chance for success right now is to embrace the role of the super-scorer coming off the bench.

In 13 games coming off the bench last season, Waiters averaged 16 points and shot .434 coming off the bench.

In six games this season, it's 17 points on 43 percent shooting.

He takes four more free throws per game when he comes off the bench than when he starts because he is more aggressive in terms of driving to the basket.

In both seasons, he scored more as a substitute than as a starter -- and he gives the Cavs some scoring when Irving sits.

About the Cavs ...

John Schuhmann of NBA.com did a stat breakdown of the Cavaliers. He goes into intricate detail and it can be confusing. But here are some thoughts, based on his work:

1. The Cavs are terrible when it comes to scoring in the "restricted area," which is about 3-feet around the rim. Andrew Bynum is 7-of-24 in the close range. Tristan Thompson is shooting 49 percent. This improved in Saturday's victory over Chicago as Bynum shot 8-of-14, good for 20 points.

2. Bynum is rusty and not even close to healthy with his anguished knees. Yes, the Cavs are rather clueless when it comes to how to pass the ball to a big man in the low post -- but Bynum has been struggling when he does shoot. Saturday's game shows what the Cavs can do when Bynum is feeling frisky and confident.

3. Thompson's sudden decline on offense is a disappointment. He's shooting .418 this season -- down from .465 in his first two years. He is at 49 percent in that restricted area - shockingly low for a big man with his jumping ability. He's at a career high 74 percent from the foul line, so his shooting touch is better. But there is a real problem when he's near the rim. Furthermore, he is shooting 12-of-42 and averaging only 8.2 points over his last six games. He had 14 points and 14 rebounds Saturday.

4. Schuhmann didn't deal with this issue. But I discovered that in the 17 games Irving played after the All-Star break, he shot 41 percent from the field. It's the same this season, .401 to be exact. That's down from 47 percent in his first 1 1/2 seasons. So his shooting slump pre-dated Coach Mike Brown, as it began in the second half of last year.

5. Irving's turnovers per game have stayed about the same in his first three seasons -- between 3.1 and 3.4. He is averaging a career best 5.9 assists. I was surprised by this, as he seems to be turning the ball over more, passing it less. But maybe the problem is that he's just forcing and missing shots.