Cleveland Browns Were Surprised By Return In Philly Trade

Trades are part of the equation to lead to success and the Cleveland Browns have used that as part of their approach to build their roster.

At the start of the draft process, there were a few select prospects that the fan base preferred when the Cleveland Browns were selecting second overall. Most of those prospects were on the offensive side of the ball.

As the process progressed and all-star games and the combine came and went, it became clear that the Browns were not going to remain where they were. As the weeks continued, Cleveland started and ultimately agreeing on their first of multiple trades.

Cleveland’s first trade was with the Philadelphia Eagles, who ended up selecting North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, a player who was under strong consideration by the Browns. In the Philly trade, Cleveland acquired the eighth overall pick, but that was later traded and finally the Browns made their first pick at 15th overall in Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman.

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Cleveland trading down was not the surprising part. Instead, that reaction was more towards what the Browns received in return. Not only were fans surprised/impressed by the return, but according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Browns front office also were surprised.

Sashi Brown expressed his thoughts on the trade while appearing at the Cleveland Browns Fan Fest.

"We were pleased with it. I was a little surprised we got as much as we did, but some hard negotiating and (Vice President of Player Personnel Andrew Berry) was a big help in that, keeping me at bay and not pulling the trigger too soon."

In addition to the eighth overall pick in the Eagles trade, the Browns also acquired a third and fourth rounder in 2016, 2017’s first round pick, and a second round pick in 2018. I was fine with the Cleveland Browns trading down to the eighth pick, but would have liked to have seen them stay there.

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Andrew Berry deserves more credit than he has received. Who knows what Brown would have accepted in a trade had Berry not been part of the Cleveland Browns organization.

Instead, having traded down again, one positive that came from going from eight to 15 is additional picks. Yet, simultaneously less elite options were available.

Coleman should be a great player in Hue Jackson’s offense, but when push comes to shove, it is still hard thinking about the players Cleveland passed up in the first through their trades. Going forward, the Cleveland Browns are set up nicely over the next couple drafts.

Next: How Could The WR Depth Play Out?

When draft season comes around again, do the Browns stand pat? I doubt it, but that path should be taken to acquire the top talent in the respective drafts.