Ready for another NFL draft trade? Browns could deal No. 2 pick
Say this for the new Cleveland Browns brass: They don’t appear to be backing away from bold possibilities.
After last week’s trade with the Los Angeles Rams leapfrogging the Browns to No. 1 in the NFL draft, the Browns now actually stand to benefit from this. According to reports from NFL Network’s Jeff Darlington and ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Browns now appear to be hanging a “For Sale” sign on the second overall selection.
Anyone who wants one of the top two quarterbacks now must put in a call to Cleveland. Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta might be new to this running-a-draft thing, but they clearly are not shying away from looking into some potentially big moves.
The way we see it, the Browns have three clear options at 2:
• Stay put and take whichever quarterback the Rams don’t, either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz
• Stay put and take a non-quarterback such as Florida State DB Jalen Ramsey or Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil
• Trade down to the highest bidder and try to find a quarterback elsewhere in the draft
There are many unknowns in this equation, so let’s start with what we know. The safest option would be to take a position player such as Ramsey and try to get a quarterback with the 32nd pick, or by trading up into the back end of Round 1. But that also has a distinctly Brady Quinn/Brandon Weeden/Johnny Manziel stench to it, and — new front office or not — Browns fans might pan the pick the second it’s made if that’s the route they take.
Still, in the end, the Browns must do what they think is best, and passing on a quarterback with that pick would make for some awfully tense moments for a lot of people. Plus, there’s the issue of how far they can afford to trade down.
If the New York Jets come calling and are offering No. 20 in Round 1, Muhammad Wilkerson and something else (Second-rounder? 2017 picks? Geno Smith? All of the above?), are the Browns biting? Can they get better from a team such as the Philadelphia Eagles, who have to feel like the Rams pulled the rug out from underneath them a bit? It’s tricky to assess the value of the No. 2 pick right now, and the Tennessee Titans (and their first-year general manager) did just rake in a bounty of picks, which raises the pressure to get something good a tad.
It almost feels like no matter what they do, the Browns are screwed. Trade down or pass on a QB at 2, and Goff/Wentz will turn into a Pro Bowler. Move too far down and they’ll miss “their guy” by one pick or be forced to overpay and move back up. Can this new group of industry outsiders handle this situation properly?
This is a potentially enticing opportunity here, and the Browns could butter both sides of the bread. They could trade down, grab a very good player, help restock the roster and also get a contingency plan if or when Robert Griffin III fails to lock down a long-term starting job. But there also is a potential for the bottom falling out, for a largely new group of decision makers mis-evaluating their position as it relates to the draft board.
So, you know, typical Browns pre-draft paranoia.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
