After Browns trade with Eagles, what’s next?

Just a couple weeks ago the Cleveland Browns looked to be in prime position to take their pick between quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The whole Marcus Mariota being in Tennessee thing took the Titans out of the discussion for a quarterback at #1.

About a week ago the Los Angeles Rams (still sounds weird) pulled off a deal with the Tennessee Titans and leapfrogged the Browns to secure the #1 pick. It’s all but a forgone conclusion that the Rams will use that pick to draft one of the quarterbacks. This left the Browns in a position of uncertainty when it came to who would fall to them.

After the Rams trade went down speculation came out that the Browns would begin looking for trade partners to move down in the draft. While some thought the trade could be a draft day move as the Browns played wait and see with what happened at #1, others weren’t so sure and mentioned that the team had been making calls to almost everyone in the top ten to gauge interest in their selection. Even as recent as yesterday Adam Schefter was reporting the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

Browns have engaged in trade talks but it remains, in words of one team official, “uncertain” whether they ultimately will trade No. 2 pick.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2016

All that went out the window earlier today when the Browns agreed to a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

This marks just the second time in the past 40 years (1997) that the top two picks in the NFL draft have been dealt. pic.twitter.com/EbCyqvBhTI

— ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2016

As you can see the Browns also gave up a fourth-rounder in next years draft but received a plethora of solid picks in return.

The Browns now hold six picks in the top 100 of next week’s draft with plenty of holes to fill throughout the roster.

What does this mean for the future of the organization?

Everything the team has done up to now suggests they are all in on rebuilding mode and this move further justifies that way of thinking.

Browns Executive VP of Football Operations, Sashi Brown, and Chief Strategy Officer, Paul DePodesta, have made their presence known as they have released multiple veterans to build from the ground up. Many executives around the league laughed off the way the Browns built their front office upon the conclusion of last season, some even angry with the way they went about the process. So far, the team has said we don’t care what you think, we’re doing it our way.

Apparently the Browns weren’t in love with either of the quarterback prospects because this is a franchise that has been searching for the right signal caller since they re-entered the league in 1999 (Tim Couch could have been the answer but that’s another discussion for another day). It also could come down to them knowing who the Rams will take and not being crazy about the guy that would fall to them.

With the signing of Robert Griffin III and veteran Josh McCown being on the roster this move suggests the Browns are more concerned with building the roster as a whole as opposed to snagging a quarterback early this year, yet the possibility still remains that the team likes Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch.

Quarterback to watch for Cleveland: Paxton Lynch.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2016

All in all this gives the organization numerous different ways they can approach this draft. With six picks in the top 100 it gives them the options of taking six players that they think can help the team win in the near future or packaging some of those picks together to go get a guy they like. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller suggests the Browns are done making moves.

"Cleveland isn't done trading" – rival GM. Thinks the Browns will try and package picks for more picks upon more picks

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 20, 2016

With all that said the Browns received a great haul in the trade considering all they did was move from #2 to #8, and who knows, they could end up moving back up next Thursday.

What the team will actually pull off is yet to be seen.