2010 NFL Combine: Cleveland Browns Interested in Trading Draft Pick?

Cleveland Browns General Manager Tom Heckert said nothing is off the board for him going into the April Draft, including trading up or down in the first round.

The Browns have the seventh pick in the draft and are projected in most mock drafts to be going after safety Eric Berry or cornerback Joe Haden if Berry is off the board.

“My job is to get great football players,” Heckert told the Cleveland Plain Dealer .

While that statement may be a little “Captain Obvious,” it is a subtle shift from Eric Mangini’s mantra to get “smart” players.

The reason to split hairs on that statement is Mangini seemed so focused on getting guys with book smarts, he ended up with two second-round draft picks that could barely make the field in their rookie season.

Putting it another way, it’s all well and good to have smart guys on your team, but they also need to be able to perform at the NFL level.

I don’t want to bash Mangini too hard, but it’s a breath of fresh air to see Mike Holmgren and Heckert in charge at the draft this year. They look like they have a plan and are spending their time evaluating the best way to implement that plan.

The contrast to that is last year it looked like Mangini had secrets but no real plan or maybe the real plan was to make everyone think he had a secret plan while he tried to figure out what he was going to do.

I’ve got a headache now.

Anyway, Heckert’s comment that the team is entertaining the idea of trading up in the draft is intriguing. With 11 draft picks, the team can either really stock up and be a really young team in 2010, or they can sacrifice a few picks to get better talent.

Ndamukong Suh is really tempting, especially if the Rams pass on him for a starting quarterback, but what would the Lions want for that second pick?

Or maybe the Browns concede Suh is gone and try and get Gerald McCoy. That trade might be something the Browns are kicking around.

Heckert also mentioned trading down, which has its own positives if both Berry and Haden are off the board. The Browns get to save more money and possibly still get their guy along with having even more draft picks with which to bargain with.

The Browns have tons of needs and this draft is rich with talent.

In Heckert and Holmgren we trust. It’s going to be a wild ride this year.