The Browns have a lot of picks now.
But they’ve had a lot of picks after a bold trade down before, and none of them are still Browns.
Wednesday’s deal that sent the second pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Eagles for a package of picks that includes Philadelphia’s 2017 first-rounder and 2018 second-rounder gives Cleveland a total of 12 picks this year.
It’s reminiscent of the 2011 deal with the Falcons, who were as desperate for wide receiver Julio Jones as the Eagles were for a quarterback.
The Browns got Atlanta’s first, second and fourth-rounders in 2011, plus their first and fourth in 2012 in that deal.
They turned those picks into (hold your breath, or your nose) nose tackle Phil Taylor, wide receiver Greg Little, running back Owen Marecic, quarterback Brandon Weeden and then they used the fourth to move up in 2012 for running back Trent Richardson.
So before we congratulate Sashi Brown and Paul DePodesta and Hue Jackson for swindling the quarterback-mongering Eagles, let’s make sure they actually pick guys who can play football first.
They’ll certainly have the opportunity, as the Browns now own six of the top 100 picks.
They have their new first (eighth), second (32nd), two thirds (65th and 77th), three fourths (99th, 100th, 138th), three fifths (141st, 172nd, 173rd), a sixth (176th) and a seventh (223rd).
That’s a lot of lottery tickets. But the Browns have squandered money on lottery tickets before, and are still looking for a quarterback.