The Cleveland Browns are in need of a quarterback and could be trading up in the 2015 NFL Draft to get in position to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Marcus Mariota is a wanted man. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner is projected to hear his name called very early in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and the Cleveland Browns are making it clear they’re interested in the Oregon signal-caller.
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The Browns quarterback situation is a mess with last year’s starter, Brian Hoyer, expected to leave via free agency and Johnny Manziel, last year’s second of two first round picks, is in rehab. Undrafted free agent Connor Shaw finished the year as the team’s starting quarterback leaving the organization with more questions than answers at the most important position in sports.
Cleveland owns picks No. 12 and No. 19 in this year’s draft and have the necessary ammunition to move into the top five to get in position to draft Mariota who has worked with new Browns quarterback coach Kevin O’Connell.
Mariota’s been training with quarterback coach George Whitfield in the offseason and thinks it is a very real possibility that the Browns trade up for the reigning Heisman winner.
“It’s a very real situation, it’s always going to be a business and bottom-line situation,” Whitfield told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “And here they are with two first-round picks, and there are some talented young guys in this draft again that can play quarterback, and if they make that decision to bring him in, that’s big for him to get a chance to go in and compete with Johnny.“
Finding a team willing to move down is the second part of the equation for the Browns and one could have identified themselves in the Jacksonville Jaguars who expressed interest in moving down from their No. 3 spot.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and/or Tennessee Titans pass on Mariota with the first two picks, the Browns could get their guy and the Jaguars get two first rounders in this draft and perhaps even more.
If you’re a Cleveland fan do you want Mariota and would you be willing to pay the price of two first round picks this year and perhaps a later pick this year or next?
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