Cleveland Browns should trade up for No. 2 pick

With all the debate about a quarterback or Saquon Barkley at No. 1 for the Cleveland Browns, why not just end it and move up to get both?

So much of the discussion about what the Cleveland Browns should do with the No. 1 overall pick is centered around getting the best quarterback or the best player in Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. While there’s still no clear-cut best quarterback, there’s little debate about Barkley’s talent following the display he put on during the NFL Scouting Combine.

After he dominated in every drill, no one would blame the Browns for making the versatile back the first player chosen in the 2018 NFL Draft. That doesn’t come without risk though.

The fear for most is that if Cleveland takes him there, then the New York Giants could go for a quarterback at No. 2 and then someone may trade up with the Indianapolis Colts and take one at No. 3. Then with Cleveland back on the clock at No. 4, they may no longer have a shot at the signal caller they want — which is assumed by many to be Sam Darnold out of USC.

To avoid this, why can’t Cleveland be the team trading up? Why not call the Giants about their second pick and see what it would cost to move up two spaces and secure not only the quarterback you want, but also the best overall player in Barkley?

It would make sense, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN had this quote from their general manager that they could be open for business with that pick.

"“Are we open for business? You know, whatever. Any decision I make is going to be in the best interest of the New York Football Giants. Plain and simple,” Gettleman said via Raanan."

As for the cost of such a move, let’s look to recent history. The Chicago Bears traded two third-round picks and a fourth in order to move up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the 2017 NFL Draft. Cleveland could offer a similar package to do the same, or maybe by offering one of their three picks in the second round this season, they could lower their total investment.

Next: Browns should draft Barkley at No. 1

In the end, would it make sense to offer their fourth overall pick, a second and maybe a future third to get a starting quarterback and Saquon Barkley? It absolutely would, and the Browns should use all that ammo from years of dropping down in the draft to finally move up and become a better football team in 2018.