Cleveland Browns Draft 2012: Team Should Trade Picks to Land Robert Griffin III

The Cleveland Browns must be willing to pay a steep price to acquire the St. Louis Rams' No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft so they can select Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

The Rams are reportedly willing to trade the No. 2 overall pick since they will not be selecting Griffin, because they are trusting young quarterback Sam Bradford to lead their future.

Several teams, such as the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, will likely be interested in acquiring the second overall pick, but the Browns have the need for Griffin and the right kind of assets required to land him.

The Browns can give the Rams a fantastic package for the second pick. First of all, Cleveland has the fourth overall pick, so if they swapped first-rounders then the Rams would only go down a few spots and would still have a chance to draft an elite prospect.

The Rams need help in many areas, and picking at No. 4, if they trade with the Browns, would likely give St. Louis the chance to take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne or Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

However, a stumbling block in a deal between the Rams and Browns might be Cleveland's unwillingness to part with its second first-round pick, No. 22 overall, in any trade for Griffin.

With two first-round picks, the Browns can really make some progress at improving their roster in this draft. However, the team desperately needs a franchise quarterback and hasn't had one since it came back to Cleveland in 1999.

Griffin has tremendous arm strength and can also make plays with his legs thanks to his fantastic running ability, speed and field vision. 

He would give the Browns a dual-threat quarterback that would cause real problems for opposing defensive coordinators, and Griffin's the type of player who makes his teammates on offense better.

If the Browns need to part with their No. 22 pick in order to land Griffin, then so be it. This franchise has gone without an elite quarterback for far too long. It's the one thing that has prevented it from being a playoff contender.

With the NFL now a pass-happy league, the need for a top quarterback is greater than ever. The Browns must be willing to land Griffin at the draft, because the only way the team will truly contend is if it develops a talented young quarterback.

Follow @NicholasGoss35