Dorsey Open To All Possibilities With First Overall Pick

Cleveland Browns Helmet First Overall Pick
Cleveland Browns Helmet. Photo Credit: Erik Drost - Under Creative Commons License.

John Dorsey holds all the cards when it comes to making a big move in the off-season. The new general manager of the Cleveland Browns has 6 draft picks in the top 65, including the first and fourth in the first round.

Dorsey isn’t giving anything away, however, especially when it comes to that coveted first overall pick. The GM said at the NFL scouting combine that he could go any number of ways with the pick, and not necessarily spend it on a quarterback. He added that he would be open to taking calls from other general managers.

Holes To Fill

Dorsey was left with no shortage of resources by the previous regime, but also numerous holes to fill. The quarterback position is still uncertain, although the team traded for Tyrod Taylor in free agency. The team did, however, have the lowest points tally in the NFL last season, while also allowing the second most in a campaign which saw them go 0-16. To add salt to the wound, the only mainstay the team has had in the last decade, offensive lineman Joe Thomas, just announced his retirement.

Although numerous mock drafts are expecting Dorsey to take a quarterback with the first overall pick, Dorsey has said that he is open to every possible opportunity and that he will work hard in a bid to make the team better.

It Could Be Barkley

The player who some believe the Browns may take with their top pick is Saquon Barkey, the running back from Penn State; especially as their top rusher for last season, Isaiah Crowell, signed with the New York Jets. Dorsey said that the draft is a good one for running backs and that the first one taken could be a difference maker for a franchise.

There are a number of teams who might be interested in trading up for one of the Browns’ first two picks. While they could still get a quality passer in a strong draft for quarterbacks, any team that has their heart set on a particular player would be wise to try and trade up for the top pick. The price for making such a move, of course, depends on how far up the draft board a team wants to jump.

The Titans Did It

The last time a team traded up for the no.1 overall pick was in 2016 when the Los Angeles Rams snapped up QB Jared Goff after trading with the Tennessee Titans. The Rams gave up a number of picks, including two in the first-round and two in the second. That trade didn’t work out badly at all for the Rams, who look like they have their franchise quarterback. This season saw the team win its first AFC West title since 2003.

The Eagles also traded two first round picks in the same year for Carson Wentz, and while their signal caller may have been injured for the latter part of the season and the postseason, he was doing well enough to make them the best team in the NFL. Of course, that was before Nick Foles took over and the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

Whether a team might be a quarterback away from winning the big game is anybody’s guess, but, whoever that team is, it’s unlikely to be the Browns. The Oddschecker current Super Bowl odds shows that Coral currently has them at 100. Unsurprisingly, the Patriots are favorite at 5. Oddschecker’s £50 matched Super Bowl bet may just be better invested in one of the teams somewhere in the middle of those odds.

In the meantime, we’ll have to see how the quarterback merry-go-round in the draft and free agency plays out, and how Super Bowl odds might be affected. If whoever the Browns pick has a good enough year, the team’s Bowl odds for making the dance should improve for the 2019-20 season.

Waiting By The Phone

A week of team interviews, on-field workouts, and medical evaluations at the combine could have a significant impact on how teams perceive a player’s value in the draft, as to who is and who isn’t worthy of making such a bold move.

If any team believes that they have found a player they value that much, Dorsey may just keep his word about picking up the phone. It might be that he’s confident enough to find his franchise guy at the No. 4 position.