Hey, I bet you forgot about the NFL Draft given all the talk about the St. Louis Rams ownership situation lately. Well, the ownership situation and the fact that the Rams drafting Sam Bradford first overall being practically written in stone by the press since March 29 has sucked some of the life out of the conversation. But draft intrigue is back, baby, and this tidbit of information is a doozy.
Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout and CBS Sports cites league sources who say that the Cleveland Browns and new team president Mike Holmgren are "discussing" the possibility of making a serious offer to the Rams for the first overall pick in the draft. Holmgren's Browns would use that pick to draft Sam Bradford.
The Browns accumulated plenty of draft picks this year, including the 7th overall pick, the 38th pick (6th pick in round 2) and two picks in round 3 (#71 and 85). An offer to the Rams liking would (and should) add a couple picks in the second and third rounds. If I were the Rams, I'd make damn sure to get that 38th overall pick to add to their 33rd overall pick. That would give Billy Devaney plenty of leverage to turn those into additional picks, including another pick in the bottom half of the first round.
Assuming a deal like this was hammered out, what the Rams did with the seventh pick in draft would be pretty interesting in and of itself. They could use that pick for Clausen, Eric Berry, Joe Haden, Derrick Morgan, Dez Bryant or even trade down.
And just who would the Rams turn to as their QB of the future? It could very well be Colt McCoy, whom Rang believes the Rams to be "very high on." A trade into the bottom part of the first round could assure that the Rams get McCoy.
Bradford is leaving St. Louis today, wrapping up his pre-draft visit with the team, and McCoy begins his pre-draft visit to STL today.
Don't get too excited just yet. The distance between "discussing" a trade and working on it is pretty significant. It's also worth remembering that, though Holmgren has given considerable praise to Bradford this spring, he's never drafted a QB in the first round.
Trading out of the first pick would likely not change the amount of money the team has set aside already for signing draft picks, since the cost of not signing the first overall pick would net considerable savings.