Cleveland Browns: Don’t buy into rumors of Leonard Fournette at No. 1
A simple paragraph written by a national writer regarding the Cleveland Browns and the No. 1 overall pick may have some fans scared.
Jason La Canfora is known for occasionally riling up Cleveland Browns fans. The writer sometimes leaks info that comes from questionable sources inside the organization, seemingly only to rile up the fanbase.
His latest story may have done it again, as La Canfora wrote an article on CBSSports.com discussing how running backs and tight ends may shoot up the draft board due to a lack of talent at the quarterback and wide receiver positions.
But one part of the article caught the collective eye of Browns fans, as La Canfora linked the Browns to Leonard Fournette. However, the quote is not as intense as it’s being made out to be on social media. Let’s take a look at the quote itself:
"Some have suggested to me that Fournette is even in play at No. 1 with the Browns. Yes, you read that correctly. I don’t see that happening, and in the end, I suspect the Browns take pass rusher Myles Garrett. But then again, the Browns are capable of some extreme curve balls in that front office and their version of analytics tends to swing outside of convention. Maybe someone believes the devaluation of running backs has gone too far."
La Canfora brings up the idea of Fournette being in play, yet quickly says he doesn’t believe it will happen. So while some may cry foul at his speculation, all the top prospects are indeed in play at No. 1. So he isn’t wrong.
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He even sticks with the popular mindset that the Browns will go with Myles Garrett at No. 1 overall. Because even though there isn’t an Andrew Luck in this draft, there is a Myles Garrett. He has been the consensus No. 1 pick for months, and the fact he doesn’t play an offensive skill position shouldn’t cause the Browns to get too bold and take someone like Fournette.
There is the argument that Fournette could be a star so it doesn’t matter where he is selected, but running backs in today’s NFL have shorter careers than most other positions. And with a team that needs a defense to get stops to even allow the offense to run the ball, the Browns aren’t in a position to pass on a defensive stud like Garrett to go after a player like Fournette.
Next: DeShone Kizer draft profile
La Canfora may have caused another stir, but he really didn’t say anything too absurd this time around.