Sitting at No. 4 overall, and seemingly turning over their front office, coaching staff, and key personnel year after year, the Cleveland Browns are one of the more interesting teams near the top of the draft. Will they go with a best player available approach? Will they take a leap of faith on a quarterback?
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is a level-headed beat writer. In her latest mailbag column, she throws her support behind the idea that "the Browns should take one of the top quarterbacks with the No. 4 pick, surround him with a lot of talent, give him the support that rookie quarterbacks here never get and see where that goes." That's what she thinks should happen, but not necessarily what she thinks will happen.
Reading her other answers, she comes across as having questions about Johnny Manziel's chances for NFL success. Does she think the team should draft Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater? Tough to say, and obviously the team won't consult her for an opinion.
The Browns, however, seem like exactly the type of team that might try to make a splash at the top of the draft by selecting Manziel. Cabot also seems to be operating under the idea (which many are doubting these days) that multiple quarterbacks will be selected in the top 5 picks.
It's a slow news time in the NFL, so debating quarterbacks gets done to death. But it's a lot easier to see the Browns trying to change the fortunes of their franchise by selecting a passer than by taking an offensive tackle or linebacker and handing the quarterback job to Brian Hoyer.
The draft is just 17 days away, so we won't have much longer to speculate, at least.
--Andy Richardson