The Cleveland Browns will obviously be looking for a new quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft. It appears that the Browns are going to want to take that quarterback with the No. 4 overall pick as well. The names Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel come to mind but a report states that the team is more interested in Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr. It is a very odd selection but maybe the Browns are on to something if they play their cards right here.
Carr is the brother of former No. 1 overall pick David Carr. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said that the team’s former regime really liked Manziel but the new group that is in there really likes Carr instead. They don’t want to take him with the No. 4 overall pick though and are hoping that he will fall to their second first-round pick at No. 26 which isn’t terribly likely.
Cleveland needs to be thinking about trading down from the fourth overall pick to gather more picks if they really want Carr. There is no reason to use that fourth pick on anyone else but Jedeveon Clowney. He is likely going to be off the board by that pick though so it would be smart for the Browns to move down maybe eight or ten picks and keep their other pick at No. 26 and take Carr around the No. 13 or 14 pick. It would also get the Browns another high-quality draft pick or a package of picks that can be used to pick up even more solid players.
It is a decision that could come back to haunt the Browns if someone like Manziel or Bridgewater is still there at No. 4 and they decide that Carr is the right choice to move their franchise forward. The fans in Cleveland deserve better and a chance to make the playoffs sometime before 2020. It appears that the organization wants Carr really bad though and is willing to do whatever is necessary to pull it off. If this backfires though, it is going to look real similar to the team’s 2012 draft where they took Trent Richardson at No. 3 and then Brandon Weeden at No. 22 overall. They can’t afford another disaster like that.
