It sounds like the Cleveland Browns will be working the phones leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft.
NFL Media’s Jeff Darlington reported Tuesday that Browns executive vice president Sashi Brown has initiated calls to gauge the market for Cleveland’s No. 2 overall pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing a team source, also reported the Browns are engaged in trade talks involving the selection, although it’s unclear whether they ultimately will deal away the pick.
A league source confirmed to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot that the Browns are actively shopping their No. 2 pick with an eye toward trading down with a team inside the top 10. The source told Cabot that the Philadelphia Eagles, owners of the No. 8 overall pick, are one likely trade partner. The Eagles reportedly were the runner-ups in the bidding for the No. 1 overall pick, which the Tennessee Titans traded to the Los Angeles Rams last week for a bundle of draft picks, including the 15th overall selection.
The belief is the Rams will select a quarterback — either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz — with the top pick in this month’s draft. The Browns, who signed Robert Griffin III this offseason, could select whichever quarterback the Rams don’t pick, but Schefter said on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast” that he’s under the impression that Cleveland never intended to draft a QB at No. 2.
Thus, the rumors regarding Cleveland’s willingness to trade the pick make sense, especially if the Browns can land a haul comparable to the one the Titans received for the No. 1 pick.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
