Cleveland Browns: Finally Clear Why QB at #1 Is No Joke
By Erik Lambert
Despite a couple weeks passing by, not much has changed. The Cleveland Browns Mitch Trubisky hype at the first overall pick refuses to die down.
Reports of an ongoing divide within team headquarters continue to surface. It’s hard at this point to figure out who is on which side of the fence, but it’s clear enough there is a fence and the debate won’t die. It’s a matter of piecing together exactly what the problem is. Time after all is running out with just six days left before the draft.
People continue to not take this idea seriously. Understandable. Garrett is a once-in-a-decade sort of talent. If anybody in this class looks like a future Hall of Famer, it’s him. Even so, it doesn’t change the facts. Cleveland has no quarterback. At least none that look like the future of the franchise. That’s a big reason cited by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com for why they are still considering a QB at #1.
"“Mitch Trubisky is still under serious consideration by the Browns at No. 1, league sources tell cleveland.com.Despite that Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown gave strong vibes during his pre-draft press conference Wednesday that the Browns have zeroed in on Myles Garrett, they’re still strongly considering taking Trubisky there, sources say.The feeling on the part of the front office, sources say, is that the Browns are ready to draft their quarterback of the future and might not want to risk losing him if they try to trade up or hope he falls to them at No. 12.”"
Browns Mitch Trubisky hype may be stoked from elsewhere
This would seem to indicate the team is very much intent on getting their hometown hero at quarterback. Trubisky after all is an Ohio native who grew up rooting for the Browns. He’s stated on multiple occasions that they’re the team he’d like most to play for. It certainly has that LeBron James/Bernie Kosar feel to it. The native son returning to pull the franchise out of the quicksand and back into the light. However, it might not just be liking of Trubisky that’s driving this continued divide.
They may be getting forced into it. According to Charlie Campbell of Walter Football there are several around the league who feel the 49ers at #2 plan to take Trubisky if the Browns select Myles Garrett as expected. This unless San Francisco is able to trade down.
"“With Cleveland appearing to be settled on Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall-pick, the 49ers’ selection at No. 2 is the first mystery pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. WalterFootball.com reached out to sources from teams across the league to gauge what they are hearing about the 49ers. One general manager of a NFC team said the 49ers are “desperate to trade down.” In surveying other teams, four different teams think San Francisco will take a quarterback at No. 2 if they are unable to move down. The quarterback they think the 49ers would take there is North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky. Some team sources say that Trubisky is a good fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense.”"
The fork in the road
If the Browns believe even for a second that San Francisco is serious about that, then of course their ongoing divide on taking Trubisky #1 makes even more sense. Understand that the 49ers currently have Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley as their two quarterbacks on the roster. These are men who contributed to the Chicago Bears going 3-13 last season. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for them being able to help the team win. At least taking a young talent like Trubisky would give them hope for the future.
Related Story: 2017 NFL Draft: Executives Pick Which QB Will Go First
Thus Cleveland has three options. They take preemptively strike by taking him #1, but lose Garrett in the process. They take Garrett and settle for another quarterback, one they don’t like as much. Or they pay a hefty ransom to move up and swipe the #2 pick so they can have both. Undoubtedly it’s that third option the 49ers are aiming for and the one the Browns are trying to avoid.