Reading the tea leaves in Cleveland … Nobody has been busy so far this off-season than Cleveland and Browns continue to beaver away with moves that could hint what they plan to do with the #1 pick at the 2018 draft. Most observers believe the Browns will take a QB with the first overll pick this year, but there is something of a buzz, at least in the media and the team’s fan base, that they could use the top pick on Penn State RB Saquon Barkley, the consensus top prospect in this year’s draft. However, the Browns have just signed former 49ers’ RB Carlos Hyde to a 3-year deal. And while that wouldn’t preclude them from going ahead and drafting Barkley, but the acquisition of a solid, albeit unspectacular, veteran like Hyde would appear to at least reduce the odds that the way the go. In fact, we have been speculating of late that the Browns could take a QB at #1 and still get Barkley with the 4th pick as it is looking increasingly likely that QBs will go 1-2-3 at the beginning of this year’s draft. However, we have also picked up more than a little buzz from sources in Cleveland that even taking Barkley at #4 is no lock for the Browns as they also really like NC State DE Bradley Chubb at that spot and the signing of Hyde gives them a little leeway in that regard. Its also very interesting to note that neither Cleveland G.M. John Dorsey nor head coach Hue Jackson will attend either Baker Mayfield’s pro day at Oklahoma later today nor Josh Rosen’s at UCLA tomorrow. According to team sources, the pair want to remain in Cleveland to deal with free agency. Those same sources also indicate that the Browns will also have private workouts with both Mayfield and Rosen later this spring; they’ll also both be among the players the Browns bring to their facility for pre-draft visits. Again, once doesn’t want to read too much into this; however, the fact that the Browns won’t be out in force at the pro days of two of the major QB prospects on the board – and the fact remains that the Browns can sign all the free agents they want, but the prime determinant of the future of the franchise will be whether they get the right QB with the #1 pick this year – has led to at least some speculation that the Browns in fact have already decided on which QB they will be taking this April with the likely candidates Sam Darnold of Southern Cal and Josh Allen of Wyoming. Again as we say: Stay tuned!
