Right now, the Cleveland Browns have the fourth pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. The player they have their sights on? Johnny Manziel coming out of Texas A&M, and they’re willing to trade up to get him.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Browns are willing to do whatever it takes to land the player, and if it means giving up some pieces in order to move up the order, so be it. There are many who think that Manziel isn’t even the number one or two quarterback in this draft class, but the Browns, a team with a head coach at the moment, seem to know what they want.
Trust their instincts? They chose Brandon Weeden as their quarterback two seasons ago, but they’ve already given up on the prospect of him leading them out of the hole they’re in for over a decade. Manziel broke almost every possible offensive record in the SEC during his Freshman and Sophomore seasons, winning two bowl games with Texas A&M and made life for them very easy in the new conference. There’s no arguing that he’s one of the best College players of all-time, but is it good enough to fit in the pros?
The Browns might be leaking these reports in order to fool other teams, but it’s all up in the air. The fact is that Cleveland don’t have a head coach at the moment, and going into the draft without giving their head coach a chance to pick his own quarterback is yet another reason for candidates to think twice before taking what might be the worst coaching position in the NFL.
The Browns finished this season at 4-12, and haven’t won more than five games since 2007; they haven’t been to the postseason since 2002.
Manziel right now is #1 in the ESPN Mock Draft, but there is a long way to go before the NFL Draft, with so many workouts and scouting assignments left that there’s a very good chance these predictions and actual results will change.