It's a warm -- yes, warm -- Friday in Berea, and we're tackling four of your questions before we go outside and enjoy the long-awaited spring weather.
Hey Andrew, If we take Sam Darnold at 1 and Bradley Chubb at 4, what would it take to trade back into the top 10 to get Barkley if he was still there at pick 7-8? I know we have plenty of holes on the roster, but talent is talent and I wouldn't be against giving up all three of our Round 2 picks. Not sure if we would need to throw a future first or second to get it done, or whether John Dorsey values other RBs at those later picks, but I rate both Chubb and Barkley highly for both their talent and the way they carry themselves. -- Adrian C., Margaret River, Western Australia
Even when using the old Jimmy Johnson draft value chart -- which maybe isn't the best reflection of the values teams apply to picks in 2018 but helps us, nonetheless, for this sort of speculation -- Cleveland's three second-round picks wouldn't be enough to move up to No. 7 or No. 8. Asking a team sitting in the top 10 to completely drop out of the first round is a steep ask. The discussions likely would start with the upward moving team's future first-round pick and include a few other assets.
Coincidentally, the biggest move within the first round last year involved current Browns general manager John Dorsey. He moved the Chiefs from No. 27 to No. 10 to snag quarterback Patrick Mahomes. To do so, he also parted with a third-round pick and a future first-rounder. The Browns, of course, made a similar move down in last year's draft, going from No. 12 to No. 25. They charged a future first-round pick for the transaction, and that selection turned into the No. 4 pick in this year's draft.
In sum, the Browns would have to absolutely LOVE the player to make that sort of trade. It wouldn't come cheap.
What do you think of the wide receiver position on the Browns and prospects for improvement? -- Rob M., Fairmont, West Virginia
The addition of Jarvis Landry, who led the NFL in receptions last year, puts Cleveland's wide receiver group in a much better position than it was at any point last year. The Browns didn't have a receiver they could go to reliably for first downs, and Landry was one of the best at it. Full seasons from Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman would certainly be a boon, too. Still, there's always room for more talent and playmaking ability at a position that struggled mightily throughout the 2017 season. Jeff Janis, who spent four seasons in Green Bay and found most of his success on special teams, brings some veteran presence to the room and likely will push the likes of Ricardo Louis and Rashard Higgins as they battle for spots in the rotation. A wide receiver appears unlikely at No. 1 and No. 4, but possibilities abound in the second round. There's a decent chance Cleveland could have a shot at the draft's second- or third-best wide receiver when it's on the clock with the 33rd pick. Players like Christian Kirk (Texas A&M), D.J. Chark (LSU) and D.J. Moore (Maryland) could make an immediate impact if they're added to the Browns roster at that point in the draft.
Is there any possibility that Howard Wilson is in the plans for the Browns, maybe even more than as a special teamer? -- Bob G., Bay Village
Wilson is nearing the end of his long road back to the playing field after fracturing his kneecap during last year's rookie minicamp. Because he was able to participate in just one rookie minicamp practice, he's essentially an extra member of this year's draft class. When Cleveland picked him in last year's fourth round, it did so because of his unique height and length for the position and his takeaway ability. The Browns need more of that after a season in which they finished second-to-last in the NFL in interceptions. Wilson, of course, will have his work cut out for him as he competes for a role in a new-look Cleveland secondary that's added five players since the start of the league year.
With trading Kevin Hogan, do you think the Browns will draft a late-round QB or trade with another team for the practice squad? -- Rick B., Toledo
It'd seem likely the Browns would add a fourth quarterback to the roster at some point before training camp. That's the typical number of signal-callers teams like to have in the building for that time of year, but it wouldn't be a given that whomever that player is becomes a member of the team's practice squad. Just a couple of years ago, the Browns signed Hogan to the practice squad just before the start of the season after he'd spent his preseason with the Chiefs. And just last year, the Browns kept three quarterbacks on their active roster for most of the season and rarely had a signal-caller occupy one of the 10 practice squad spots.
