The Cleveland Browns have reportedly shown a lot of interest in trading up in the draft to select Marcus Mariota, but that isn’t the only option they have explored for securing a starting quarterback.
According to Peter King of The MMQB, the Browns believe they have a “good chance” to trade for Sam Bradford before the draft. That either complicates things even more, or it could be the one piece of information that would validate several of the other rumors we have already heard.
While it doesn’t seem likely, it’s possible some sort of three-team deal could be worked out. Say the Browns want Bradford and the Philadelphia Eagles want Mariota. Perhaps the Tennessee Titans, who currently hold the No. 2 overall pick, can play the two against each other and wind up with a boatload of picks while the Browns get Bradford and the Eagles move up for Mariota.
The Browns currently have two first-round picks — No. 12 and No. 19. They reportedly offered the No. 19 pick for Bradford after the Eagles acquired him, but Chip Kelly turned it down. If King’s source is correct, maybe the Browns know a higher offer would persuade Kelly to pull the trigger.
As King notes, all of this speculation is based on the belief that the Titans don’t think Mariota can be their quarterback of the future. That isn’t necessarily the case.
There are plenty of people who believe the Eagles acquired Bradford as trade bait and that Kelly is still committed to finding a way to land Mariota. If that’s true, it will take some serious magic to trade up from No. 20 to No. 2. The odds are certainly against it.
