Rams jump ahead of Browns at No. 1

L.A. will not say which QB it wants

By NATE ULRICH

Akron Beacon Journal

The Browns were leapfrogged in the NFL draft and will no longer have a shot to select the first quarterback April 28 after the Los Angeles Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans to capture the No. 1 overall pick.

The historic deal was finalized Wednesday night and announced Thursday morning, and it could drastically alter the Browns’ draft plans at No. 2 overall if the quarterback they covet most — whether it’s North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz or California’s Jared Goff — is swiped away by the Rams. On the other hand, if the Browns prefer the quarterback the Rams don’t take, Cleveland could still land its top target.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead indicated Thursday during a news conference they know which quarterback they’ll choose, but they wouldn’t make the revelation.

“There will be suspense leading all the way up to [the draft],” Snead said. “It’ll be good for the networks.”

Conflicting views have emerged about which player will become the top pick.

The Los Angeles Times reported the Rams will definitely draft a quarterback and are leaning toward Wentz, though Goff is still heavily in the mix. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported they’re leaning toward Goff but will also consider Wentz.

NFL Network’s Michael Silver tweeted he would bet the Rams take Goff, but NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock disagreed.

“I don’t think there’s a question,” Mayock said on the air. “I think it’s pretty obvious, and it’s going to be Carson Wentz [drafted No. 1 overall].”

Although Mayock and the vast majority of his fellow draft analysts have long labeled Wentz the Browns’ favorite, there have been recent rumblings about the franchise wanting Goff instead.

CBSSports.com reported Wednesday unnamed sources have said Browns associate head coach Pep Hamilton prefers Goff and considers him “far and away the better candidate.” Many of the team’s scouts prefer Wentz, but some of its executives prefer Goff, according to the report.

Former Browns senior editor Vic Carucci, who works for The Buffalo News, tweeted the following Thursday after the trade had been announced: “Browns get the guy they really want: Goff.”

However it shakes out, if the Browns’ favorite quarterback is nabbed first overall, it would seemingly increase the odds of them trading down from No. 2.

Browns head of football operations Sashi Brown told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday other teams have expressed interest in the second overall selection. The demand figures to increase now. The Dallas Cowboys (No. 4 overall), San Francisco 49ers (No. 7) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 8) would be logical trade partners with interest in a quarterback. The Eagles reportedly talked to the Titans about the first pick, so they might be the likeliest to aim for No. 2.

“There has been some interest in the pick, but there always typically is toward the top of the draft, just teams feeling each other out,” Brown said. “I think in earnest as you get closer to the draft, probably in about a week’s time we’ll start getting real calls with more substantive traction to them.”

Of course, there’s another scenario that could unfold, though it appears less likely than the others. The Browns could stay put at No. 2 and draft a non-quarterback. Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Mississippi left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, Oregon D-lineman DeForest Buckner and UCLA linebacker Myles Jack would be among the candidates.

If the Browns don’t take a quarterback at No. 2, they might target one of the position’s second-tier prospects. Many analysts have ranked Memphis’ Paxton Lynch the third-best quarterback and Michigan State’s Connor Cook the fourth.

Those players could be pursued by the Browns in a trade-down scenario from No. 2, with the first choice of the second round (No. 32 overall) or in a trade-up scenario from No. 32. Most analysts believe Lynch won’t last until No. 32 but Cook might.

Browns coach Hue Jackson has guaranteed the team will draft a quarterback at some point, but the franchise also signed reclamation-project Robert Griffin III last month. Griffin’s two-year, $15 million contract suggests the Browns view him as a bridge starter.

The Rams paid a steep price to jump ahead of the Browns. They traded the 15th overall pick and selections in the second (Nos. 43 and 45) and third (No. 76) rounds this year, plus their first- and third-round choices next year.

In return, the Rams received the No. 1 overall pick and choices in the fourth (No. 113 overall) and sixth (No. 177) rounds this year.