2012 NFL Draft: Could the Cleveland Browns Trade Up for QB Robert Griffin III?

Speculating on whether the Cleveland Browns could trade up to the No. 2 spot in this year's NFL draft to grab quarterback Robert Griffin III is nothing new, but the rumors have heated up today, with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot saying that it's "very likely" that the Browns explore trading up with the St. Louis Rams to draft him.

Cabot says that if the Browns are sold on Griffin after observing him at next week's Scouting Combine and meeting with him in the weeks leading up to the draft, that they'd be willing to trade at least their No. 4 and No. 22 overall picks to the Rams to guarantee they can snag him.

This is on the heels of ESPN draft guru Todd McShay's comments to Cabot on Thursday that he would make the trade to bring in Griffin, adding that if the Browns don't, the Washington Redskins likely will.

While it seems a steep price to pay for a team that needs every draft pick they have to fill significant holes on their roster, specifically on offense, it makes sense when examining the value of the three picks.

According to the NFL draft value chart, the No. 2 overall pick is worth 2,600 points. The value of the Browns' two first-round picks is 2,580 (1,800 for No. 4, 780 for No. 22). The remaining 20 points could come from the Browns' sixth round pick, which has approximately the same value.

The Rams could get more picks from the Redskins, whose first two picks (in rounds one and two) are worth a combined 2,110, meaning they'd have to either give up their third round pick this year or a second next year to make up for the gap.

However, by trading to the No. 4 spot, St. Louis is guaranteed to land either wide receiver Justin Blackmon or tackle Matt Kalil, two players who could very easily be off the board by the sixth pick, which currently belongs to the Redskins.

If the Browns choose to pursue this strategy, that doesn't necessarily spell the end of Colt McCoy's time in Cleveland, though it does solidify his status as a backup in 2012. There's no doubt that Griffin would be a significant upgrade over McCoy, who lacks both the arm strength and accuracy to provide the Browns with many benefits.

Further, the AFC North is one of the toughest—if not the toughest—divisions in the league, and there's little chance that the Browns can truly compete with the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers with McCoy under center.

Griffin would provide a level of dynamism unseen at the position in Cleveland in some time, and would also provide them with stability at quarterback, something they've also lacked for years.

Ultimately, the decision would come down to this: The Browns would have to be suitably impressed by Griffin at the Combine and in subsequent interviews to want him at such a steep price, while also getting the situation at running back finalized.

Something tells me that this isn't the last we will hear of Griffin-to-Browns rumors in the coming eight weeks between today and the draft.

My hunch is this: If Cleveland retains Peyton Hillis or releases him and picks up a veteran back in free agency, then the odds of Griffin being a Brown increase exponentially.

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