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There will be two coveted quarterbacks in April's NFL draft: Andrew Luck of Stanford, and then, the perhaps slightly less-coveted Robert Griffin III of Baylor.
Luck will most likely be drafted first by the Colts, leaving the Rams picking second but without (arguably, I suppose) need of a quarterback. So a trade makes sense, and Steve Wyche of NFL.com believes it'll be the Browns jumping up to take RGIII. Here's what he wrote in his first mock draft:
Several teams are going to try and move up to get Griffin but the Browns have the most ammo -- the fourth overall pick and a late first-rounder or high picks in later rounds. Cleveland needs Griffin -- and wants him, according to league sources -- and the Rams will still get their man.
That man, in Wyche's projection, would be Justin Blackmon, wide receiver out of Oklahoma State. But let's stick with the quarterbacks.
The question of need between these two teams is an interesting one. Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford were both drafted in 2010, and McCoy's coming off a season that was, at least statistically, better than Bradford's. Look:
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I'm not trying to shove Sam Bradford into the woodchipper, but I'm not sure that the Browns have a huge hole at quarterback that the Rams don't. These stats aren't the end-all, be-all, obviously, and Bradford had a lot to deal with this season: a new offensive coordinator, injuries, lack of depth at receiver, etc.
But it's not like McCoy's been injury-free and surrounded by the '87 49ers, either.
I don't know the right answer ‒ the question is interesting, though. The Rams want to go get help for Sam Bradford, while the Browns want to move on from Colt McCoy, but is there any reason for it aside from draft pedigree? Bradford was taken first overall, while McCoy was taken 85th.
Both teams have a lot of holes to fill all over the field, and, if they so choose, at the quarterback position, too. The direction they go in the upcoming draft will be pivotal for both franchises.
