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Report: Cleveland Browns open to trading down from No. 8

By Steven Kubitza

Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) celebrates his ten-yard touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second quarter of the 2016 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) celebrates his ten-yard touchdown catch against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second quarter of the 2016 Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns are open to trading down from the No. 8 pick, according to a report.

The 2016 NFL Draft is only two days away and the Cleveland Browns currently hold the No. 8 pick. The Browns have already traded down from No. 2 and may be on the move again.

The Browns have been linked to Paxton Lynch as a possible player to move down and select, but going after Laquon Treadwell in the first round is a much better option.

Jack Conklin being the backup option is a solid selection, but may go against the current process that involved letting Mitchell Schwartz leave in free agency.

If the team drafts an offensive tackle in the first round, letting a top tackle leave in free agency would seem foolish, and make it seem like the front office realized a mistake was made and drafted a player to make up for it.

But trading down, acquiring more picks, and getting one of the top wide receivers in this year’s draft class would be a positive step forward toward a rebuild.

It is no secret the wide receivers currently on the roster are not exactly a star-studded group. Travis Benjamin was an above average receiver at best, and his departure left the group without a legitimate threat.

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Josh Gordon was supposed to rejoin the team and save the day, but another failed drug test removed any hope of him returning to start the 2016 season.

But sliding down further into the first round and still getting a top receiver would be ideal. Taking an offensive tackle in Conklin would not be an awful move, but playmakers are needed to avoid a season where touchdowns are rare occurrences.

This report goes against the earlier news of going after Lynch early in the first round. But another possibility is that the Browns trade down from No. 8 to draft Treadwell and then trade up from No. 32 to draft Lynch. This would give the Browns a receiver who could play right away and a quarterback to stash on the bench to learn behind Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown.

Drafting Lynch with the original first round pick would be a reach, but taking him with a pick acquired in a trade essentially gives the Browns a free first round pick to use on a player who can be taken aboard as a project.

He can also be used in a potential trade later on in the draft, as no trade seems to be off-limits for the Browns in this draft.

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