The Cleveland Browns have one of the best defenses in the game. They just hired Mike Rutenberg as their next defensive coordinator, partly because he runs schemes similar to Jim Schwartz's and can keep the defense intact.
However, his background as a player development-type guy has people speculating whether the Browns will be tempted to take a generational talent like Caleb Downs with the No. 6 overall pick. He's an elite talent, but the Browns don't need another safety.
Considering that, Spencer German of Locked on Browns show floated the idea of making the most of Caleb Downs without actually taking him. In the latest edition of the podcast, he argued that the Browns would probably be better off trading down from No. 6.
"If the Browns are are on the clock at No. 6 and somebody like Caleb Downs is available and there's a team that wants to trade up to get him, I think you do that," German said. "Let somebody else draft Caleb Downs and accumulate a bunch of draft capital in the process."
Caleb Downs hype could push Browns toward bold move
As controversial as this may sound, this isn't the craziest idea.
The Dallas Cowboys need to fix their secondary, and they have the Nos. 12 and 20 picks. They would be a logical trade partner, and the Browns would have three first-round selections to either trade up, or add multiple offensive linemen and pass catchers.
They could probably still land offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 12 if he gets past the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals, or Kadyn Proctor later in the first round. They could also target top wide receiver prospects like Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Denzel Washington, or make a suprise pivot for tight end Kenyon Sadiq with their other selections.
While not considered as strong as Mauigoa and Spencer Fano, the Browns could also get their hands on Emmanuel Pregnon, Monroe Freeling, Blake Miller, or Gennings Dunker in the second round. There are so many options, not even counting the guys who'll be available in free agency and the trade market come the start of the new league year.
Of course, passing on a prospect of Downs' caliber could come back to haunt this team, but it's not like fully committing to the defense has paid off for the Browns. Maybe this team wlil be better off taking a quantity over quality approach to finally fix their ailing offense.