Cleveland Browns May Be Spooked By 49ers and Bears

Jan 28, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad head coach Hue Jackson of the Cleveland Browns reacts during the first quarter of the 2017 Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports /

The Cleveland Browns are once again setting the offseason on fire, this time with their perceived internal quarrel regarding the #1 overall pick.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and other sources, there is disagreement between head coach Hue Jackson and the front office regarding what to do at the start of the draft. It has to do with whether the team should take Myles Garrett as expected, the stud Texas A&M pass rusher. Or perhaps they should risk getting the best quarterback on their board, even if all indicators are they’d be reaching to fill a need.

Of course that need is a gigantic one since they have no definitive starter under center, but history doesn’t warn that reaching for position rather than focusing on talent can be dangerousl

Just had an NFL exec tell me, "Don't be surprised if Myles Garrett isn't the No. 1 pick." Exec convinced a QB is in discussion at No. 1.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 12, 2017

Cleveland has not made up its mind at No. 1, per source. Split opinions. Some like Myles Garrett, some like Mitchell Trubisky. We will see.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 12, 2017

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The center part of fears likely sit with the fact that nobody is convinced Trubisky makes it out of the top 10 or even the top five picks. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan just made the trip down to North Carolina to meet with him. The 49ers hold the #2 pick. Meanwhile Chicago has already attended his pro day and met with him privately as well. Rumors persist that their team brass is also high on him. This isn’t even counting the New York Jets, who remain current favorites to grab him at #6.

It is this realm of unknown that is likely causing the schism at Browns HQ. Head coach Hue Jackson reportedly likes Trubisky and feels this is the best chance they may get to land a top quarterback. The front office people just can’t fathom passing on a one-in-a-generation talent like Garrett. Cleveland has never really had an elite pass rusher in franchise history. He could change that.

Sure, the interest in Trubisky may be genuine for those other teams. However, common draft espionage training suggests the more likely truth is they’re trying to get the Browns to take a quarterback, allowing more talented players like Garrett to slip down the board. It’s not exactly a new tactic, but an effective one because it’s almost impossible for Cleveland to tell what other teams are really thinking.

This means if they want their quarterback of choice they have two options. Take him with the #1 pick, or take Garrett and then trade back up from #12 overall. Either could end up proving costly in some form. It comes down to how big a price they’re willing to pay.

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