Report: Browns Offered 19th Pick For Bradford
Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY Sports
Over the weekend, there was some buzz that the Cleveland Browns were the team that offered a first-round pick for quarterback Sam Bradford.
Today, Adam Caplan of ESPN confirms the report and offers a new detail:
This is true. #19 overall. RT @Rotoworld_FB: Report: CLE offered 1st rounder for Bradford http://t.co/RFB7T7whhW
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 17, 2015
A few thoughts on the confirmation that the Browns were willing to part with the 19th pick overall:
* The thought here has been that the Eagles gave up too much, and while that still may be the case, it at least seems that they weren’t bidding against themselves. Another team was making a legitimate offer to the Rams.
* The audience here seems split on the Marcus Mariota conversation. One faction wants us to shut the bleep up and never mention his name again because a trade is not happening. The rest of you want any information that leads to the possibility of a deal still existing.
First group, look away. Second group, listen up.
A deal that includes the No. 19 pick, the No. 20 pick, a 2016 first-rounder and a player or two would have to at least keep the Tennessee Titans on the phone for more than 30 seconds, especially if they’re not sold on Mariota.
Maybe that’s too much to give up. Maybe not. But such a deal would essentially turn Nick Foles, a 2016 second-rounder, a 2016 first-rounder and a player (Mychal Kendricks?) to swap the 20th pick for the second pick. Does that mortgage the Eagles’ future? Or is it a price Kelly would be willing to pay to get his quarterback?
It’s worth noting that the Browns also have the 12th pick in the first round.
* If there were a second move coming, nothing would likely happen until the actual draft. Why would the Eagles pull the trigger on a deal unless they’re sure Mariota is on the board?
Howie Roseman and others in the past have explained that trades are often agreed upon beforehand. Then if the specific scenario plays out, teams can pull the trigger on a deal in a matter of seconds.
* Either way, the Eagles don’t make that Bradford trade unless they genuinely like him as a quarterback. You can’t count on all these other things falling into place when you make a trade like that. At the same time, if we’ve learned nothing else, it’s to never rule out any possibility with Kelly running the show.
BRAMAN RESTRUCTURES
A small contract note here on special-teams standout Bryan Braman:
Source: Eagles have reworked contract of LB Bryan Braman. He gets a 1-year extension through 2016, reduces salary in ’15 from $1.2M to $745K — Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 17, 2015