Much of the pre-2015 NFL Draft chatter involving the Cleveland Browns to this point has centered on the quarterback position and with good reason - Johnny Manziel suffered through such an abysmal rookie season that Browns GM Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine were forced to throw an inordinate amount of money at the already 35-year-old Josh McCown just to ensure they had a semi-starting-caliber signal-caller on the roster for opening day.
Rumors continue to persist that Farmer is exploring trade up options, presumably for Marcus Mariota, and talk of a Sam Bradford trade with Philly just won't die.
Despite all that, a recent report suggests that, should the Browns keep at least the No. 19 pick in the first-round, the running back position could be in line to get a some help early in the 2015 NFL Draft.
"Melvin Gordon to the Browns at 19? Now there's a rumor I definitely buy," Peter King of Sports Illustrated writes. "The Browns are desperate for offense and are unsure whether they'll be able to get much of a passing game going early in 2015. Gordon, particularly with his experience running in lousy Midwestern weather, would be the kind of chains-mover Mike Pettine would be drawn."
Gordon, of course, is widely viewed as one of the top two running backs in the draft and, along with former Georgia ballcarrier Todd Gurley, one of the only runners worthy of a first-round pick.
For the Browns, the abominable draft miss of Trent Richardson and the failed Ben Tate experiment have left them without a true stud at the running back position.
Gordon, 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, would potentially solve that problem and then some.
"Angular, talented open-field runner who combines outstanding burst with a long stride to gain separation and hit the home run," writes Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
Questions persist about Gordon's ability to become an every-down back, but with promising soon-to-be second-year back's Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West already in the fold, Gordon could slot in at the head of a suddenly much-improved backfield rotation for the Browns, ostensibly allowing Cleveland to lean more heavily on the running game while they sort out the problems that continue to ail them at signal-caller.
