As if Cleveland doesn’t have enough to fell good about at the moment, there’s also the hope that springs eternal from the Browns.
No, they can’t match an NBA title celebration and an opening night win by the Cavaliers, or a 1-0 lead in the World Series by their baseball neighbors, but there’s always the 2017 NFL Draft.
Via Scott Patsko of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns would own the top overall pick, if the season ended today. And the fact they’re already tracking that speaks volumes about the 0-7 Browns.
Of course, if the season ended today (to steal a line from the witty and urbane Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times), a lot of people would be wondering why it happened on Wednesday and what about the last 10 weeks of the season.
In addition to what would be their own first and 33rd overall picks by virtue of being the only winless team in the league, the Browns also own the Eagles’ first-rounder from the trade to move up to get Carson Wentz, and the Titans’ second-rounder from the move to get offensive lineman Jack Conklin.
While the final order of draft picks is based on playoff results and ties broken by strength of schedule, the 3-4 Titans would currently be picking 10th overall, giving the Browns the first, 26th, 33rd and 42nd overall choices.
Based on current records, the 49ers would pick second overall, followed by the Bears, Panthers, and Jets.
Of course, the season doesn’t end today, so a lot could change. Even if Cleveland’s status doesn’t.