Various reports have emerged in recent weeks which made the likelihood of the Cleveland Browns acquiring quarterback Sam Bradford via trade with the Philadelphia Eagles seem all-but-impossible.
Despite those reports, Peter King of Sports Illustrated - perhaps the most plugged-in member of the NFL media - has revealed the morning of the first-round of the 2015 NFL Draft that the Browns brass have not yet given up hope of a Bradford deal and, further, actually feel pretty good about their chances of nabbing him before the draft kicks off.
"But there is this X factor, not to complicate this too much: One NFL source in Chicago late Wednesday night told me Cleveland believes it has a good chance before the draft to deal for Bradford," writes King. "So there's that. If we've learned nothing about the draft over the years, we've learned to expect the unexpected."
First, a report emerged that the Browns and GM Ray Farmer, despite their ample interest in Bradford, would only be willing to enact a trade with Philadelphia for the former first-overall pick if he would negotiate a new long-term contract beforehand, to which Bradford offered a resounding, "no."
More recently, a report alleged again that, despite the Browns continued interest and despite Bradford's availability, past issues between Cleveland and Bradford's agent Tom Condon meant that a new contract was not a possibility and therefore the Browns almost assuredly wouldn't make the deal.
In the end though, the Browns desire for Bradford is crystal clear and where there's a will, there tends to be a way.
After watching Johnny Manziel drunkenly stumble his way through his inaugural NFL season and being forced to sign 35-year-old veteran stop-gap Josh McCown to a big free agent deal, the Browns are most likely ready for some stability at the quarterback position.
Whether they're willing to pay to make it happen and assume the risk that comes with acquiring a signal-caller with one year remaining on his deal and a possible disinterest in remaining in a Browns uniform long-term will be revealed later tonight.
