Cleveland Browns Rumors: Team Making Move For Marcus Mariota, Johnny Manziel Likely Gone

The Cleveland Browns are rumored to be planning a move to land Marcus Mariota, taking another shot at finding a franchise quarterback and seemingly giving up on Johnny Manziel.

There have been rumors for weeks that the team is interested in drafting the Oregon quarterback, but new reports claim that the team is quite serious about the move. Pro Football Talk is reporting that the Browns may be trying to use their excess of first-round picks to move up.

The report noted:

“Cleveland has selections No. 12 and No. 19. They acquired the 19th pick from Buffalo after trading down only five spots last year, from No. 4 to No. 9, so that the Bills could get receiver Sammy Watkins. Given that the price to jump from No. 9 to No. 4 in 2014 was a future first-round pick and a future fourth-round pick, it’s hard to know whether the No. 12 and No. 19 picks would be enough to get Mariota.”

It’s also unclear how high the Cleveland Browns would have to climb to land Mariota. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear almost certain to take Jameis Winston at No. 1, and if Mariota gets past the Tennessee Titans at No. 2 he could fall even further, as the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders at Nos. 3 and 4 aren’t looking for quarterbacks.

The Cleveland Browns have used first round draft picks on quarterbacks in two of the last three drafts, taking Brandon Weeden in 2012 and Manziel in 2014. Weeden is gone now, serving as backup in Dallas, and Manziel appears on his way out as well.

If the rumors regarding Marcus Mariota don’t pan out, the Cleveland Browns may have other ideas. Chat Sports writer Mack Ferguson has reported that the Browns are working on a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles that would send Manziel and some draft picks in exchange for Sam Bradford.

Ferguson wrote:

“According to a source very close to an agent involved in the trade talks, the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles have engaged in multiple discussions to send Browns QB Johnny Manziel, who is currently in rehab, and draft picks, to the Eagles in exchange for Eagles QB Sam Bradford, who was recently acquired via trade from the St. Louis Rams. According to our source, both sides are very motivated to get a deal done, with each side valuing the other’s QB more than the QB currently on their rosters.”

There have been rumors connecting the Cleveland Browns to Marcus Mariota for months, and earlier this offseason the Browns hired Kevin O’Connell, Mariota’s private quarterback coach, as the team’s new quarterbacks coach.

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