Poll: If you were the Browns GM, would you trade #1 overall for Garopollo?

[TBR]

I'd trade the #1 but not for Garoppolo. I'd trade back for a bunch of picks if the right deal was available.

I would trade #12 and #33 for Garoppolo. Maybe include a conditional pick in there as well, for 2018 or 2019, depending on how he plays or the contract they end up giving him.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

The biggest mistake a lot of teams make is jumping a gun and drafting or trading for a mediocre QB. If I were the browns GM, I would look at Jimmy G and say "he's good but he's only had 2 starts under his belt, had a great supporting cast and Bill Belichick/Josh McDaniels coaching." He came back later in the year and looked ok, but that could be because of rust. If Myles Garrett is going to be a stud, I would go the safe route and take him. Look at all the teams that were desperate to draft a QB to turn their franchise around like the Rams (w/Sam Bradford) or the Jets (w/Mark Sanchez).

 

[patfanken]

There is a LOT of PR and perception going on with this topic. Teams have to answer to more than just their football operations people. Giving up the #1 pick is just too much of a PR headache for the Browns as someone said earlier. Besides I think a package that included the #12 plus a 2nd and a conditional 3rd that COULD end up being a first next year is actually a better strategy than just the #1 pick. It would get you 3 shots at a quality prospect, and 3 chances to hit on a player is always better than one.

The more I think on this the more I see SOMETHING happening before the draft. Despite Schefter's protestations I cannot see BB passing up a package that included a #1 and 2 THIS season to keep an asset who is unlikely to play during the coming season, JUST to have a quality back up for Brady.

Brady is going to be here for at LEAST the next 2 seasons and JG is under contract ofr just one more. That is an equation that just doesn't fit, and while franchising him is possibly possible, it makes no sense.

There is only one reason why BB would keep JG this coming season, and that is he knows that Brady will NOT be the QB of the Patriots in 2018. That is the ONLY possible scenario that would make sense for him to reject a package of picks like the one I describe, especially given our lack of a pick in the first or second rounds this season.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

In the last 16 Superbowls there have been a total of 18 different starting QBs. Brady, Peyton, and Big Ben have started 14 of the 16 for the AFC. Think about that for a minute. Sure every ten years a Brad Johnson or Rex Grossman sneaks in there. But mainly you need a great QB to make the Superbowl, so I don't care how many pro bowl players you have, if your starting QB's last name is McCown, you are not making the Superbowl.

Superbowl starts since 2001:
Brady-7
Big Ben & Peyton-3 each
Eli, Wilson, & Warner -2 each
The rest (Winners)t: Rodgers, Brees, Flacco, & Brad Johnson
Losers: Ryan, Kaepernick, Newton, Gannon, McNabb, Hasselbeck, Grossman, & Delhomme

Of these QBs, only Eli, Peyton and Newton were the #1 overall picks!


So as you can see, sure once in a while, you can make the Superbowl without a great QB but the only non All-Pro QB to win it was Brad Johnson and that was because Gruden knew Oakland's offense and they turned the ball over fifty times.

So given this information, IF YOU THINK, Garropollo is going to be a great QB, then yes, it makes all the sense in the world to trade for him.

 

[varjao]

I don't know if I would do it, on the other hand I don't know if I would draft Garret either, he already hinted he doesn't want Cleveland, asking the Cowboys to trade up for him.

But the Browns have a huge problem, they have a ton of picks in a roster that is already full of 2nd year players, last year they kept all their 14 or 17 draft picks whatever the number was, and that's kind of ridiculous because no one hits 100% in the draft, so it was more a clean house move than trusting the players were the right guys. Last season the Browns barely looked like a professional team many times. They were worse than their annual standard of crap play.

So what do they do with this ton of picks they have this year? Are they going to keep all of them and have a problem down the road when all these contracts start to expire? Are they going to clean house again and go through another huge rebuild on a team that is already a mess and have no identity? There comes a point they need to build a team instead of stock pilling picks but they are so far away from that, I'm not even going into the QB problem because how do you build a "team" without a QB. You usually draft around him.

At this point I think the Browns could benefit more from the best RB in the draft than Garret, that would give them and their QB whomever he is a little more hope and help on the offensive side of the ball. So I would try to package a trade down to #4 or #5 , get the guy from LSU, and try to get Jimmy with a package of picks, or roll the dice with the QB from Clemson, what is another bust in that crap franchise history?

 

[YOUGOTMOSSED]

I'm holding out for the Brown's #1 pick next year. I just want to draft ahead of the Jets next year, take Sam Darnold away from them, and watch their heads collectively explode.

 

[varjao]

Oh and by the way, if Hue Jackson has a say in all these decision process he definitely wants a QB and I wouldn't give a damn to any PR BS. If the Browns plays this next season barely improved from what they put on the field last year he is OUT. That was not acceptable even from a coach in year 1.

 

[BobDigital]

Put me down for maybe. It depends how much you believe in him. I believe he will be good and the #1 pick is used all the time on QBs who aren't sure things. I would certainly consider it.

 

[GodBrady]

But the Browns have a huge problem, they have a ton of picks in a roster that is already full of 2nd year players, last year they kept all their 14 or 17 draft picks whatever the number was, and that's kind of ridiculous because no one hits 100% in the draft, so it was more a clean house move than trusting the players were the right guys. Last season the Browns barely looked like a professional team many times. They were worse than their annual standard of crap play.

Having too many draft picks is a "problem" with a finite number of roster spots, but they don't have to use all them this year. They have a lot of options.

For example, they could package 2-3 picks together to move up in the draft. Like, say, trading a 3rd, a 4th and a 7th to move up to the late 2nd round or something -- jumping up 10-15 slots to get a guy they really want.

They could also trade some of the picks in exchange for draft picks next year (e.g. "we'll give you our 5th if you give us a 4th next year" -- trades like that are really common).

Anyway, their surplus of draft picks really just gives them a tremendous amount of flexibility.

 

[The Gr8est]

I don't know if I would do it, on the other hand I don't know if I would draft Garret either, he already hinted he doesn't want Cleveland, asking the Cowboys to trade up for him.

But the Browns have a huge problem, they have a ton of picks in a roster that is already full of 2nd year players, last year they kept all their 14 or 17 draft picks whatever the number was, and that's kind of ridiculous because no one hits 100% in the draft, so it was more a clean house move than trusting the players were the right guys. Last season the Browns barely looked like a professional team many times. They were worse than their annual standard of crap play.

So what do they do with this ton of picks they have this year? Are they going to keep all of them and have a problem down the road when all these contracts start to expire? Are they going to clean house again and go through another huge rebuild on a team that is already a mess and have no identity? There comes a point they need to build a team instead of stock pilling picks but they are so far away from that, I'm not even going into the QB problem because how do you build a "team" without a QB. You usually draft around him.

At this point I think the Browns could benefit more from the best RB in the draft than Garret, that would give them and their QB whomever he is a little more hope and help on the offensive side of the ball. So I would try to package a trade down to #4 or #5 , get the guy from LSU, and try to get Jimmy with a package of picks, or roll the dice with the QB from Clemson, what is another bust in that crap franchise history?

Just a side note here that your post got me thinking about, but with all of those young players Cleveland already has, along with the expected influx of more youth, onto a team with no culture of winning, or evidence they can properly utilize what they have, they should be a gold mine for someone like BB to pluck misused players who could be polished up to be useful to the Pats.

Look at Atlanta and Cleveland castoff Taylor Gabriel.

 

[GodBrady]

So, it's not like the #1 pick is a sure fire star, let alone all-pro player for the next ten years. Both Clowney and Williams were similarly hyped like Garrett as incredible pass rushers who couldn't possibly bust. They didn't bust, but they also didn't really move the needle in terms of winning. Even if Garrett is the next Von Miller, the Broncos have generally been a contender with a great QB and a bubble playoff team without one, and that's also due to many others on that defense. We saw last year that when Derek Carr got injured, there was little that the DPOY, Khalil Mack, could do to win games on his own.

The Brown have #1 and #12 though. They could easily draft Garrett and one of Tribusky/Watson/Kizer/Mahomes. It's not "draft a QB or draft Myles Garrett"... they can, and probably will, do both. They can likely package #12 and #33 and move back into the top 5 in the draft (according to the draft value chart that is an "even" trade, although obviously that depends heavily on if the team at #4/#5/#6 is willing to trade)

Now, one of the common criticisms of this draft is that Trib/Watson/Kizer/Mahones are kind of mediocre draft prospects. Okay, maybe that's true. But Jimmy Garoppolo was the 5th quarterback taken in his draft class, and he lasted until the 62nd pick in the draft. It's not like he was a hyper-elite prospect either. Sure, he's had a couple of stellar games, but his sample size is pretty small. (Remember how good Matt Flynn -- who holds the Packers' all-time record for passing yards in a game [480] and touchdowns in a game [6] -- was in his limited time in Green Bay?)

No, I'm not saying I think Flynn was as tantalizing of a prospect as Garappolo (but there are parallels). Yes, I realize that Garappolo's stock is higher than when he was drafted. But overall, I think people dramatically exaggerate the leverage the Patriots have. The Browns have a substantial amount of ammo and resources. If they like one of the QBs in this draft, there's a good chance they can nab him and Garrett.

 

[varjao]

Anyway, their surplus of draft picks really just gives them a tremendous amount of flexibility.

And you can be sure between all the options they have they will choose the worst one.

 

[PatsDeb]

I said yes. They've struck out so many times with other QBs - at least Jimmy G. appears NFL-ready and he has had great teaching for the past three years on the top NFL team, working with the top NFL QB and coaches. If this guy doesn't give you the best chance to get back on the map, who will? At least you have some evidence that this will not be another wasted, futile pick. I'd go for it if I were Cleveland, but I'm not, and usually they're not that smart.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I hope they do. But if I'm the GM I don't even trade for Jimmy at all. Even for the #12. They are awful. They might as well get as many non-QB pieces as possible & control those players. They are not close to winning.

Like the Patriots weren't close to winning in 2001? I still remember the article after Bledsoe was hurt: the Patriots only had 2 star players (Bledsoe and Terry Glenn) and Bledsoe was gone and Glenn was problematic. The Patriots were toast.

It's amazing what the right QB will do.

That being said, I think JAG is being over-rated. That's why I really want to trade him while his value is high. But he still could easily be an above average QB in the NFL which would be reasonable value for the #1 overall draft pick. (Draft picks are way over-rated by people who forget the history of busts and are always focusing on future potential.)

 

[The Gr8est]

Kraft once said thete was no way he would give up the Pats' #1 draft pick to free BB from the Rats.

He ultimately did.

 

[farn]

Like the Patriots weren't close to winning in 2001? I still remember the article after Bledsoe was hurt: the Patriots only had 2 star players (Bledsoe and Terry Glenn) and Bledsoe was gone and Glenn was problematic. The Patriots were toast.

It's amazing what the right QB will do.

That being said, I think JAG is being over-rated. That's why I really want to trade him while his value is high. But he still could easily be an above average QB in the NFL which would be reasonable value for the #1 overall draft pick. (Draft picks are way over-rated by people who forget the history of busts and are always focusing on future potential.)

Come to find out, there were lotsa players that were "better than we thought" on that 01 team. Does Cleveland have hidden gems on theirs ? Maybe.

 

[PrairiePat]

Dilfer, Grossman, Johnson, the corpse of Manning.... these guys were below average QBs and made the Superbowl. Yeah, it's easier with an elite QB, but those are pretty rare, and there's no guarantee that JAG is one. If I'm the Cleveland GM, I draft an elite defense first, then try to get an average offense to go with it.

Indy showed the folly of going all-in on offense around a supposedly-elite QB. JAG lasted a game and a half before getting injured this season. There are way too many question marks to hand over the #1 pick for him. If they can get him for #12, or especially #33, then I'd probably do that trade.

 

[The Gr8est]

Come to find out, there were lotsa players that were "better than we thought" on that 01 team. Does Cleveland have hidden gems on theirs ? Maybe.

Pats had a lot of veterans on that team though. Who is going to lead the Browns' locker room?

 

[The Brandon Five]

Pats had a lot of veterans on that team though. Who is going to lead the Browns' locker room?

Jamie Collins, of course!

Too soon?

 

[farn]

Pats had a lot of veterans on that team though. Who is going to lead the Browns' locker room?

Agree : they are the worst. They should use all their picks in 17-18 to get as much talent as possible & sprinkle roster w vets to groom that talent.

But, I am still hoping they spend for Jimmy. I just wouldn't if I was making the call.