The question of who will start under center for the Cleveland Browns just got a little more interesting.
It’s long been suspected the Browns will draft a quarterback in May’s NFL Draft. The team has been working out Johnny Manziel and reportedly loves Derek Carr, either of whom could be possibilities for the team in the first or second round.
But perhaps the draft will give the Browns a chance to nab a veteran instead.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns’ 10 draft picks put the team is a strong position to assemble a trade package for Washington Redskins backup signal-caller Kirk Cousins. The Browns have long been linked to Cousins because first-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was in Washington when the team drafted Cousins in the 2012 draft.
Per Kabot:
With 10 picks in this draft, anything is possible. The Browns might package picks to move up, they might trade back, they might trade some for picks next year and they might borrow from next year to take a player this year. It’s all on the table and it should be an exciting three days. It might even include trade discussions for Washington backup Kirk Cousins.
Cousins reportedly demanded a trade back in February when Jay Gruden replaced Mike Shanahan as head coach then anointed Robert Griffin III his starting quarterback. Since them, the Cousins front has been awfully quiet, with the Browns remaining the most likely landing spot throughout the process. Cousins is a former fourth-round pick, so it was assumed he could be acquired for something in that area, though Shanahan once said he was worth a first-rounder.
Cleveland has been identified as one of the teams most likely to pull off a draft-day trade leading up to May. In addition to the fourth overall pick, the Browns hold the 26th, 35th, 71st, and 83rd selections.
Trading for Cousins, in theory, might not preclude the Browns from drafting a quarterback in the middle to late rounds of the draft. It would seemingly take the team out of the race for Manziel, Carr, or Blake Bortles, but might open the door for the team to take an A.J. McCarron, a Tom Savage, or Jimmy Garappolo later on. Neither Cousins or current projected starter Brian Hoyer boasts too much starting experience, so a rookie could be a long-term solution or even a fallback option.
