Cleveland Browns: Making a trade with the Denver Broncos could work

The trading game is something the Cleveland Browns should consider come the 2018 NFL Draft.

Come late April, the Cleveland Browns will have an abundance of picks to use, including the first, fourth, 33rd, and 35th overall picks. While free agency will help Cleveland with their needs leading up to the draft, the same can be said for the rest of the NFL.

A very popular name for quarterback-needy teams is Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. Given the supply and demand of starting quarterbacks in FA, most teams seeking a player like Cousins will be disappointed.

Two of those teams could be the Browns and the Denver Broncos.

Let’s say Cousins doesn’t sign with either of them. Well, then both would be expected to trade for or sign another veteran instead and draft a quarterback when they see fit.

Recently, Broncos general manager John Elway gave an interview to Denver’s Mike Klis of 9news. In it, Elway mentioned how Denver has ammo to trade up to get that player, likely a signal-caller.

"Any time you draft that high you have to make ‘em count. We’ve got a lot of picks so we have the ammo also (to trade), so we’ve got to make sure we make them all count."

While Elway didn’t or wouldn’t state Cleveland as a trade option, it makes plenty of sense to believe those two teams could make a deal.

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If Cleveland were to draft a quarterback at one, their fourth pick may be the last chance for another team to draft one early that they’d prefer. Denver, who drafts fifth overall, wouldn’t have to give up much to move up just one spot.

Plus, with a Denver trade, they wouldn’t have to worry about the New York Jets trading up from six to add a QB. Meanwhile, Cleveland gets another pick while also securing who they were planning to select with the fourth pick.

Of course, if the Browns don’t go quarterback first and prefers to draft one later, that fourth pick won’t get traded.

The Broncos are just one of many teams that could see themselves as logical trade partners to the Browns. Once Cousins signs, then everyone can better sort through which teams are likely trade partners come the draft.

Should Cleveland and Denver make a trade, yes that would continue with the Browns’ run of trading down. However, the difference is an actual football mind in general manager John Dorsey is now calling the shots.

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Just one trade down like that won’t be too big of a deal, especially knowing that he knows how to build rosters.