The Cleveland Browns made every indication that they are looking to next year when they traded Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a first round pick in 2014.
Most speculate that president Joe Banner and GM Michael Lombardi will be looking for their franchise quarterback next spring in the draft.
However, there are plenty of holes in that argument.
The first question would be are there any “franchise” quarterbacks available next May. Oh, there will be plenty of players who so-called experts will say are franchise players at that position, but are they really that good?
There is no Andrew Luck available next year.
People will say no, but maybe there’s another Robert Griffin III or Russell Wilson. Although he looked great last season, the former had a severe knee injury at the end of last season, and while Wilson played very well for Seattle last year, the major burden of the offense isn’t on him.
While the Browns would be better off with either player, there still isn’t any substantial evidence that either guy is an elite quarterback at this time.
Next, how do you get that QB, assuming that there is one near the top of the ’14 draft? Is Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville, Tahj Boyd of Clemson, or Brett Hundley of UCLA on the same level as Luck or Griffin? Or are they guys like Geno Smith, currently with the Jets.
Obviously, the Browns figured having two first round picks will enable them to get them to where they want to be. But you have to remember the reason the Redskins were able to deal up to get Griffin.
The Rams had that pick and already had their signal caller in Sam Bradford.
Will another team that has a quarterback land in the top two or three choices and be willing to trade up with Cleveland?
That is doubtful.
It’s difficult to tell after just two weeks of the season, although Banner and Lombardi obviously figured out in that time that their team wasn’t good, who are likely candidates to have high draft picks next spring.
Many experts feel Jacksonville will be one of those teams, and they would be looking for a quarterback, and Oakland is another team mentioned as one of the league’s worst, and even though they are still unpredictable even without Al Davis running things, you have to figure they will be looking for a QB as well.
If the Browns finish 4-12 again and even if Indianapolis goes 8-8, would the 5th and 17th picks be enough to entice a team needing a passer to trade down? That’s highly unlikely.
Why 4-12 instead of say 2-14? The front office may be looking toward 2014, but the players and coaches still have pride.
We say this knowing that the best player in the draft isn’t a quarterback, it is South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney.
That’s the real criticism of this trade. It was made because Banner and Lombardi want to find a franchise quarterback, and want to be bad enough to get a high draft choice. But it doesn’t look like there is a mortal lock to be that guy available.
If you are going to do something like this, then getting Andy Dalton, Mark Sanchez, or Alex Smith doesn’t make you considerably better. You need to surround them with a great deal of talent to succeed.
Blowing up a season to get a high pick is a cowardly way to run an organization. We’ve seen turnarounds in San Francisco and Seattle in recent years, and for that matter in Kansas City this season without dismantling the franchise.
And if this trade makes the Browns better in the present, then they will foil the front office’s strategy. That will be hilarious.
If a franchise player is available in a draft, like LeBron James, then it might make sense to sacrifice a season. That guy’s not there next spring.
Meanwhile, the front office sold out their fans. Hope they can live with that.
JD
Cleveland Sports Perspective 