The Cleveland Browns have the No. 12 and No. 19 overall picks in the upcoming NFL Draft and are lacking a franchise quarterback at the moment. They might use their assets to move up in the first round and grab one of the top signal callers.
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is projected to go to the Tennessee Titans at No. 2 overall in both of the latest mock drafts from Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, but draft day is unpredictable and it's possible another team coaxes them to move down with a beneficial trade offer. Could the Browns be that team?
"The NFL has two types of teams: Those with franchise quarterbacks, and those trying to find a franchise quarterback," writes Mike Florio of NBC Sports' ProFootballTalk.
"Within the latter characterization is a subcategory: Those so desperate to find a franchise quarterback that they'll do anything to get one however they can and whatever it takes.
"The Browns sit atop that subcategory. After burning a first-round pick in 2012 on Brandon Weeden and a first-round pick in 2014 on Johnny Manziel, the Browns are truly interested in using their two first-round picks in 2015 to move up and get Marcus Mariota, per multiple league sources."
Such a move for Cleveland has been speculated for quite some time for a number of reasons. First Johnny Manziel checked himself into rehab for a possible dependency on alcohol and after a rookie season that ended inauspiciously, his ability to be the quarterback of the future has been put into question. Additionally, Browns' general manager Ray Farmer was said to have "shown a liking" for Mariota earlier in the offseason and new quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell was working out with Mariota in preparation for the NFL Draft.
The latest news from Florio builds off of the prior speculation of the Browns targeting a quarterback - specifically Mariota - on April 30, but being that the Oregon prospect is now speculated to move up to the No. 2 overall pick, it's going to be harder for Cleveland to position themselves to make a trade without mortgaging their future.
On top of that, Kiper didn't mention Cleveland as a potential candidate to trade up for Mariota in his latest analysis.
"I don't project trades here. But in talking to people inside and outside the league, my sense is that Mariota is likely to be taken here -- it's just hard to say which team is making the pick. Yes, it could be Tennessee, but it could be a handful of other teams if a deal gets done. (San Diego, the Jets, Chicago, St. Louis ... many have been named as possible fits.)"
So while Cleveland has two first round picks, it may not be enough to move them up into the top two if that's what they need to do on draft day. However, we're not going to rule anything out with just three weeks before the annual event takes place.
