2017 Browns cards and Christmas pack 17

While I was sorting my collection before Christmas, I realized that I really didn't have as much in the way of 2017 Browns cards as I should have. I decided that I needed to try and pick some up while visiting Phoenix area stores over the holidays. This post will show a variety of 2017 that I was able to find cards for.

2017 Panini Black Friday #15

I love this card. Had I bought it before making my post for my favorite card of 2017, it may have won. I would love to see all players show this much excitement, and I surprisingly I like the photo fading into the black border.

Top (l-r): 2017 Donruss #203 and #298

Middle (l-r): 2017 Donruss #304; 2017 Donruss - Rookie Gridiron Kings Studio Series #7 (#/100)

Bottom (l-r): 2017 Donruss #314 and #359

I've liked how Panini has handled the Donruss brand the last couple of years. It is a nice lower end set.

Up top are two of the best players to ever have played for the Browns. It was nice to pick up the Jim Brown base card for the card that I picked for my favorite card of 2017.

Top (l-r): 2017 Leaf Draft #27; 2017 Leaf Draft - Gold #27

Middle (l-r): 2017 Leaf Draft - All-American #AA-10; 2017 Leaf Draft - TD Machines #TD-08

Bottom: 2017 Leaf Draft #21

I don't mind the Leaf cards. Browns draft picks fit into my collection so I'll grab them if I find them.

After DeShone Kizer declared for the draft, his Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly, made comments saying that he didn't think that Kizer was ready for the NFL, and that he could use another year in college. At the time I thought the comment was very self-serving as he probably didn't want to lose a star quarterback, but after watching the season, I think Kizer either could have used the extra year of college, or a veteran to sit behind and learn from. It might be great that he had so many starts in his rookie season but with the winless season, and all his turnovers, I think his career will have been shortened in the long run. I expect a veteran to be starting next year, and a quarterback to be drafted at the top of the draft to compete against as the future for the franchise. I just don't expect to see that many more starts with the Browns in his career.

L-R: 2017 Panini Absolute #20 and #10

The shininess of the Absolute cards really doesn't show in the scans.

Isaiah Crowell was not used properly this year. After hearing that the Browns would be committed to the running game, I really don't think they used him as they should. I think, because of that, he will sign elsewhere as a free agent this year.

I have no problem with the New England Patriots being back in the Super Bowl again, but I can't say that I'm happy to see Kenny Britt get there. My perception from afar is that I think he was happy to collect his paycheques but really didn't give the veteran leadership to the receiving corps that the team hoped he would provide. As a fan, he leaves a similar taste in my mouth as Andre Rison did for his stint with the Browns although Rison had way more production with the team.

Top (l-r): 2017 Panini Certified #40; 2017 Panini Certified - Mirror #39 (#/499)

Bottom: 2017 Panini Certified #136 (#/999); 2017 Panini Certified - Certified Potential Signatures #CPS-CB (#/99)

The backgrounds on the Collins and Garrett cards are much nicer in person. 

I was very impressed with Myles Garrett when he was healthy. I hope he plays a full season next year.

Top (l-r): 2017 Donruss Certified Cuts #84; 2017 Panini Crown Royale #95

Bottom: 2017 Panini Contenders Draft Picks - Game Day Tickets #25

David Njoku showed flashes of his receiving abilities throughout the years. He should be a good piece for the Browns to build on.

As a first-round pick, Corey Coleman should also be a piece to build on but he has to stop getting hurt. If his health and production don't improve, he will be joining the ranks of wasted post-expansion Browns first-round picks.

Top (l-r): 2017 Donruss Elite #21 and #23

Bottom: 2017 Donruss Elite - Man Coverage #14

Another shiny set from Panini. I would like to see more of the play in the background of the cards. I like the photo on the Jamie Collins insert card. Funny thing about that, Collins didn't get a base card in the set. The base set is too small, and filled with too many rookies, but sadly that is the nature of card sets these days. This base set has 100 veterans and 100 rookies, and too many great players are not represented. In a way it is nice to at least get cards as inserts of players not found in the base set.

L-R: 2017 Panini Origins - Red #91 (#/299); - Orange #91 (#/150); - Blue #91 (#/60)

Nice to find these parallels. Eventually I will get the base card. These cards are solid, on a thicker cardboard.

L-R: 2017 Panini Phoenix #141; 2017 Panini Playoff #118

I believe that this is my first card from the shiny Phoenix set.

The photo on the Jim Brown card is the same as his Donruss card but cropped closer. I'm not going to complain, though, since I like the photo.

Top: 2017 Panini Prestige #260

Bottom: 2017 Panini Prestige - NFL Passport #13

I had some other Prestige cards before going down, but it was nice to find cards of these rookies.

Top (l-r): 2017 Panini Prizm #13, #14 and #60

Middle (l-r): 2017 Panini Prizm #99, #124 and #190

Bottom (l-r): 2017 Panini Prizm - Prizm #222; - Orange Prizm #242 (#/275); - Purple Crystals Prizm #190 (#/75)

Nice to see six Browns in the base set, and since you can't read their names with the scan they are Duke Johnson, Cody Kessler, Kenny Britt, Isaiah Crowell, Jamie Collins and Corey Coleman. Rookies are only found in Prizm form, and there are plenty of different parallels to find.

L-R: 2017 Panini Rookies & Stars #254 and #255

As you can see in the various scans, I found quite a few rookies cards and parallels where I don't have base cards or veterans. I blame that on store owners putting out boxes of rookies and parallels for me to look through but ignoring the regular base cards that I want as well. I'm sure they are in a box somewhere, but not where I can easily see them when I'm looking through their stores. I wish that would change, but I guess that the return on investing the space necessary for the base cards isn't as good as on rookies and inserts.

Tops (l-r): 2017 Panini Unparalleled #43; - Lime Green #43; - Pink #43

Bottom (l-r): 2017 Panini Unparalleled - Lime Green #44; - Year 2 #YT-CC

 Unparalleled? Yeah, that is too easy a joke to make as you look at the parallels above.

Speaking about their parallels, checklists seem to show them by colors, but on the back of the cards the lime green cards are labelled as "Wind Chimes" and the pink is labelled as "Swirlorama". Do you think those names will catch on?

Top: 2017 Panini XR - Orange #26 (#/75)

Bottom (l-r): 2017 Score #343 and #360

This is my first Panini XR card, and once again it is a parallel.

I already owned the Cleveland Browns cards from 2017 Score, but still needed these two rookies with their college teams. I know there are a few other rookies that I still need (Garrett, Peppers and Dayes). Eventually I'll pick them up.

That ends it for the cards that I picked up in Phoenix. Now I can start working on my COMC order in future posts, and I have to drive down to my PO Box that I haven't been to in a while and where I will find some more cards.

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Continuing with my Christmas baseball packs, today's is...

 ...1991 Classic Best minor league cards!

 I remember watching Gabe White pitch with the Ottawa Lynx, the AAA farm team of the Expos.

The logo card is actually the checklist for cards 199-264.

One thing that I liked about these cards was their backs.

It is nice to see the parent club logos on the back of the cards, and the minor league team's logo in the bottom right of the card back.

If anyone is interested in any of these minor league cards, let me know.