GOING TO THE DAWGS

So this is what it’s going to be like in April 2002, when Los Angeles, gushing with excitement about its new expansion football team, the Stars, has the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

It’s going to be just like Cleveland: Happy banners everywhere, fans wearing the red, white and blue colors of their new team and No. 16 proudly across their backs, marking the earlier free-agent signing of the franchise’s first player, backup quarterback Ryan Leaf; night spots touting the biggest and best pre-draft bashes, the local newspaper reporting diligently that the 5-foot-9, 152-pound inside linebacker from the University of Redlands is just the kind of sleeper with a nose for the football who could still be a steal in Round 6.

Get ready Carson Palmer--you could be Tim Couch three years from this week--coming off an appearance on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” undoubtedly faring better in the 53rd Street Quarterback Challenge--not needing three attempts before finally throwing a football through the window of a moving taxicab.

“With the first pick in the draft,” proclaims NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in 2002, “the Los Angeles Stars select Marvin Fowler,” leaving Mel Kiper Jr. as the only one in America who knows who he is.

A similar scenario could happen today, given the Browns’ indecisiveness on the eve of NFL draft after having more than a year to decide who should go No. 1.

Palmer is going to the Los Angeles Stars in 2002, but Cleveland’s still playing eenie, meenie, minie mo with Couch, the Kentucky quarterback, Oregon quarterback Akili Smith and Texas running back Ricky Williams.

It’s going to be Couch, of course, but there’s all this nonsense.

While the Arizona Cardinals positioned themselves late Friday night to trade running back Adrian Murrell to the New England Patriots, contingent on the Cardinals drafting Miami running back Edgerrin James with the eighth pick, the Browns were still suggesting they might trade the top pick.

The Browns were also saying, it’s up to the agents of the players to decide which player is willing to agree to a contract that favors the payroll of the Browns, as rich a team as there is now in the NFL and one that will be moving into a new stadium with personal seat licenses and luxury boxes sold out.

Note to Palmer: Peyton Manning got $42 million last year as the first player in the draft, this year’s pick is projected to get at least $50 million, so go ahead and splurge, big guy, you can count on at least $70 million come 2002.

Couch had been the projected No. 1 pick at the start of the college football season, but Williams’ record-breaking season vaulted him toward the top. Smith, who has the benefit of only 19 starts at Oregon, won the off-season “look-me-over” workouts, attracting attention for his potential.

Smith is 24, after spending three unproductive years in the Pittsburgh Pirate minor-league system and then playing football in junior college.

And Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner?

Carmen Policy, the Browns’ president, has a Jim Brown-autographed helmet in his office, and despite admitting that “the fans here want us to take Williams,” Policy comes from San Francisco, where quarterbacks carried the day.

The Browns were also not impressed with Williams’ workout in San Diego a week ago, thereby negating his record-breaking college career.

Couch is more like Manning, last year’s safe pick ahead of Leaf, so it makes the most sense that’s how the draft starts today. That, and the fact that the Browns were working on a contract for him and making plans to fly him and his family from New York to Cleveland after his introduction in New York’s Madison Square Garden as the overall No. 1 choice.

That will leave Smith and Williams for the Philadelphia Eagles, so the Eagles of course will take Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb. Remember, nothing makes sense on draft day--it will be three years or more before anyone knows who was on top of the game today.

Intrigue follows at No. 3 with the cheapskate Cincinnati Bengals contemplating a variety of options. They need a quarterback, but if they take Smith, they will have to pay him quarterback money, and winning’s never really been a priority there.

Do they trade the selection to the New Orleans Saints, who have offered all of their picks in this draft and almost half of next year’s in order to be in position to take Williams? Does someone come calling for Williams, knowing he will go on the next pick to the Indianapolis Colts? Do the Bengals stay where they are and take the safe choice, Georgia cornerback Champ Bailey?

The Indianapolis Colts have already gambled. They traded running back Marshall Faulk to the St. Louis Rams for second- and fifth-round draft picks because they didn’t like his contract demands and because they want Williams.

The emergence of James gives the Colts an acceptable fall-back position.

New England has a two No. 1 picks and wants James, and needs to find a team willing to swap places. New England has offered wide receiver Terry Glenn, a No. 1, a No. 3 and a bowl of chowder.

The Washington Redskins want Bailey and a team owner, but will probably only get the defensive back in this draft.

The Rams, yet to recover from taking running back Lawrence Phillips in the first round three years ago, will try again with a moody Faulk, who announced after his trade to St. Louis that he was unhappy having to continue to play home games on artificial turf.

Here’s an idea: What if New Orleans calls the Rams now, offers its No. 1 for Faulk--a New Orleans native--allowing St. Louis then to take James, and embarrass the Colts, who received only a No. 2 for Faulk?

The Rams could improve their defense immediately with USC linebacker Chris Claiborne, but they seem more interested in adding a wide receiver, such as North Carolina State’s Torry Holt, who tops the Arizona Cardinals’ wish list two picks later.

They might also not be able to pass on Arizona cornerback Chris McAlister, the hottest player on the move up the board the last few days. The Minnesota Vikings are expected to try to trade up for a shot at McAlister.

The Oakland Raiders want UCLA quarterback Cade McNown, but most likely cannot jump ahead of the Chicago Bears, who pick seventh. The Bears want to retreat and gain some more choices, but understand the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and Raiders are all interested in acquiring McNown.

Palmer, meanwhile, can sleep in--his call won’t come for another three years.

WHEN

Today

9 a.m., ESPN

4 p.m.,ESPN2

Sunday

8 a.m., ESPN

10 a.m.,ESPN2

WHERE: New York

COVERAGE: A mock draft of 31 players likely to go in first round. Page 4

T.J. SIMERS’ MOCK DRAFT

Traditionally, mock drafts are left to be mocked moments after the first trade is announced, throwing everything off kilter and rendering the remaining picks out of order. Recent talk suggests there could be as many as three trades among the first 10 picks, so in a departure from tradition, the following is a projection of how the top 31 players will fall on the draft board at day’s end, regardless of which teams might choose them:

No. / PLAYER: 1. Tim Couch

P: QB

SCHOOL: Kentucky

COMMENT: No one is trying to trade with the Browns for Couch, but he’s Peyton Manning-like.

*

No. / PLAYER: 2. Donovan McNabb

P: QB

SCHOOL: Syracuse

COMMENT: Eagle Coach Andy Reid has been torn between Akili Smith and McNabb.

*

No. / PLAYER: 3. Akili Smith

P: QB

SCHOOL: Oregon

COMMENT: Saints or anyone else wanting Ricky Williams need to trade with Bengals here.

*

No. / PLAYER: 4. Ricky Williams

P: RB

SCHOOL: Texas

COMMENT: Combination of Manning and Williams gives Indianapolis starpower.

*

No. / PLAYER: 5. Champ Bailey

P: CB

SCHOOL: Georgia

COMMENT: Only the run on quarterbacks keeps safest bet in draft from going higher.

*

No. / PLAYER: 6. Torry Holt

P: WR

SCHOOL: North Carolina State

COMMENT: Rams could trade with Ravens and still get Holt.

*

No. / PLAYER: 7. Chris McAlister

P: CB

SCHOOL: Arizona

COMMENT: Vikings have trade ammo to swap with Bears.

*

No. / PLAYER: 8. Edgerrin James

P: RB

SCHOOL: Miami

COMMENT: Cardinals will send Murrell to New England.

*

No. / PLAYER: 9. Chris Claiborne

P: LB

SCHOOL: USC

COMMENT: Detroit figured it would get Jevon Kearse, lucky to land Claiborne.

*

No. / PLAYER: 10. Jevon Kearse

P: LB

SCHOOL: Florida

COMMENT: It’s time to say it--the best player available.

*

No. / PLAYER: 11. David Boston

P: WR

SCHOOL: Ohio State

COMMENT: If Rams drop down, they go looking for home run.

*

No. / PLAYER: 12. Cade McNown

P: QB

SCHOOL: UCLA

COMMENT: Chicago wants him, but would like to get him cheaper than the seventh pick.

*

No. / PLAYER: 13. L.J. Shelton

P: OT

SCHOOL: Eastern Michigan

COMMENT: Steelers miss out on Holt, Boston.

*

No. / PLAYER: 14. John Tait

P: OT

SCHOOL: BYU

COMMENT: Could flip-flop with Shelton, but if one goes, the other follows.

*

No. / PLAYER: 15. Daunte Culpepper

P: QB

SCHOOL: Central Florida

COMMENT: Tampa Bay puts some pressure on Trent Dilfer.

*

No. / PLAYER: 16. Ebenezer Ekuban

P: DE

SCHOOL: North Carolina

COMMENT: Patrick Kerney is also a possibility here.

*

No. / PLAYER: 17. Troy Edwards

P: WR

SCHOOL: Louisiana Tech

COMMENT: What if McNown is still available?

*

No. / PLAYER: 18. Andy Katzenmoyer

P: LB

SCHOOL: Ohio State

COMMENT: Raiders want to move up to get McNown.

*

No. / PLAYER: 19. Aaron Gibson

P: OT

SCHOOL: Wisconsin

COMMENT: Giants, like everyone else, want to keep their quarterbacks alive.

*

No. / PLAYER: 20. Damien Woody

P: C

SCHOOL: Boston College

COMMENT: Filling a need for New England if Patriots haven’t moved up.

*

No. / PLAYER: 21. Luke Petitgout

P: OT

SCHOOL: Notre Dame

COMMENT: Cardinals have a history of strange picks.

*

No. / PLAYER: 22. Anthony McFarland

P: DT

SCHOOL: LSU

COMMENT: Cowboys desperate for defensive line help.

*

No. / PLAYER: 23. Antoine Winfield

P: CB

SCHOOL: Ohio State

COMMENT: Bills’ kind of player, satisfying a glaring need.

*

No. / PLAYER: 24. Rob Konrad

P: FB

SCHOOL: Syracuse

COMMENT: Does Jimmy Johnson go after Cecil Collins, this year’s Randy Moss?

*

No. / PLAYER: 25. Antwan Edwards

P: CB

SCHOOL: Clemson

COMMENT: Packers would like to trade, could swap with Seattle to get WR.

*

No. / PLAYER: 26. Lamar King

P: DE

SCHOOL: Saginaw Valley

COMMENT: CB Fernando Bryant and plummeting Katzenmoyer possible.

*

No. / PLAYER: 27. Reggie McGrew

P: DT

SCHOOL: Florida

COMMENT: Bill Walsh wants quarterback Shaun King, but 49ers need defensive fix.

*

No. / PLAYER: 28. Patrick Kerney

P: DE

SCHOOL: Virginia

COMMENT: Kevin Faulk goes to Patriots if they stay put.

*

No. / PLAYER: 29. Al Wilson

P: LB

SCHOOL: Tennessee

COMMENT: We’re already down now to just throwing darts.

*

No. / PLAYER: 30. Fernando Bryant

P: CB

SCHOOL: Alabama

COMMENT: Falcons need a receiver. Kevin Johnson? Peerless Price?

*

No. / PLAYER: 31. Matt Stinchcomb

P: OT

SCHOOL: Georgia

COMMENT: roncos want to move up for Gibson, Shelton.

DRAFT ORDER

Order for first round of NFL draft to be held today and Sunday in New York:

1. Cleveland Browns

2. Philadelphia Eagles

3. Cincinnati Bengals

4. Indianapolis Colts

5. Washington Redskins (from Carolina)

6. St. Louis Rams

7. Chicago Bears

8. Arizona Cardinals (from San Diego)

9. Detroit Lions

10. Baltimore Ravens

11. Minnesota Vikings (from Washington)

12. New Orleans Saints

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Kansas City Chiefs

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

16. Tennessee Titans

17. Seattle Seahawks

18. Oakland Raiders

19. New York Giants

20. New England Patriots

21. Arizona Cardinals

22. Dallas Cowboys

23. Buffalo Bills

24. Miami Dolphins

25. Green Bay Packers

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

27. San Francisco 49ers

28. New England Patriots (from N.Y. Jets)

29. Minnesota Vikings

30. Atlanta Falcons

31. Denver Broncos