A few weeks out from the NFL Draft, we can at least eliminate one potential option for the Cleveland Browns: moving up to the first pick to select Miami's quarterback, Cam Ward.
General manager Andrew Berry didn't rule out the scenario, but he did sound like he had other plans for the top of the draft. From what we know, his comments indicate that either means they don't want to move up, or they believe they can't with Tennessee poised to pick Ward. This leaves the Browns with one of Colorado's Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter, or Penn State's Abdul Carter.
In fairness to Berry, he also mentioned that the precedent of a trade isn't there.
“I think it’s pretty rare for the No. 1 overall pick to get traded, and I think some of that may be in part of who’s sitting at the top of the draft, and the other part of it might just be the cost of going two to one is a lot different than the cost of going from 76 to 75 for instance, and you have to weigh all of that in terms of how it fits in your overall offseason plan and what else you can do in the draft," Berry said at the NFL Owners meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.
With that idea ruled out, Browns fans can comfortably turn to deciding between quarterback Shedeur Sanders, pass rusher Abdul Carter, or two-way playmaker Travis Hunter with the second overall pick. Trading back also seems like a possibility, but with 10 picks in hand throughout the draft, four of which come in the top 100, it may behoove the Browns more to stick and pick an elite prospect.
The Browns are still doing their due diligence on Ward, however. According to CanesInsight.com, the Browns were one of the most active groups at Ward's Pro Day in Miami, staying down to have a private meeting with the young prospect. Cleveland is keeping their options open in case the Tennessee Titans make a shocking move on draft night. While that's unlikely, it's smart to be prepared for the unexpected.
In the meantime, Berry and his team are closely looking at all the available quarterbacks. This includes doing plenty of homework on Sanders, as well as Ole Miss's Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe, and the rest of the class. We won't know what direction the team is going for a while, as Berry plans on taking his time with the decision, saying, "I do believe in using the shot clock and using the time that’s available to you."
The Titans are playing a similar game with their pick, and thus, the Browns must be vigilant about keeping their options open. Regardless, we can safely assume that out of all the likely possibilities that can occur on draft night, trading up is not one of them. They may even continue
