ORLANDO —At the NFL's scouting combine last month, Browns general manager John Dorsey said he was open to trading the first-overall pick.
With exactly a month until the draft, Dorsey's mind hasn't changed — he's willing to deal No. 1 (and No. 4 for that matter) if it's what's best for Cleveland following the first winless season in team history.
"You have to explore all options. You never know until you know," Dorsey said Monday at the league's annual meeting in Orlando. "We have to do that as an organization. To get us better I'll explore every opportunity there is up until it comes time to make that pick."
As such, Dorsey and the Browns — who own both the first and fourth-overall picks — will continue exploring their options over the coming weeks. Dorsey also acknowledged the Jets, who traded up to No. 3 last week, inquired about a deal with Cleveland. "They called," he said, "but part of the exercise of talking, it takes two parties. It wasn't what we were looking for."
While the Browns have made clear their intention to identify a franchise quarterback in this year's draft class, Dorsey stressed he'll use the team's top picks on the best players regardless of position. "I keep telling you all best available player," he said. "You all think I joke when I say that, but I do mean that."
Dorsey, who was hired to head Clevelands front office in December, has found himself in a similar situation before. In his first season as the Chiefs' general manager in 2013, he used the No. 1 pick on Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher and acquired veteran quarterback Alex Smith a month before the draft. On the other end of the spectrum, Dorsey traded up to No. 10 last year and tabbed Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Dorsey has already begun reshaping the Browns' roster in a big way. Cleveland has added 12 new players, including trades for veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry and free safety Damarious Randall, since the start of the new league year.
The Browns, of course, are poised to continue adding top-shelf talent in the draft. Because of that, Dorsey said the decision to deal No. 1 won't come cheap.
"(The offer)," he said, "better be pretty good."
