The Dallas Cowboys are one team that may look to trade up in the draft, as rumors have Jerry Jones looking at Johnny Manziel, while the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars are also all in the mix to be trading picks on draft day in 2014, as the top part has some elite talent that teams will be looking to get their hands on.
The top of the draft has some big names and if someone like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack drops past two or three, expect some teams to jump. The same goes for Manziel, as many think that Blake Bortles will be first off the board and if he does that, the Cowboys are a team that could jump up.
The draft this season is very deep with players ta a number of positions and that could get some of the teams in the top five and top 10 to trade down, which is what the Oakland Raiders did last season with the Miami Dolphins. Reggie McKenzie traded that pick and ended up getting the player he wanted in DJ Hayden and now the team is in position to do it again. Many felt that the Raiders would be in the mix for one of the top quarterbacks at their number five pick, but now that they traded for Matt Schaub, it is unlikely they will look to draft Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater and they could opt for a QB later in the draft like Derek Carr or David Fales.
The Cleveland Browns are in a very interesting situation, as they have the number four pick and an extra first rounder after making the trade with Trent Richardson and that means they could look to move up or down depending on how things play out. The team is in need of a QB after ditching Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell this offseason and they could go after Manziel or Bortles if they fall to number four. If the Texans take one of them, the team could look to trade up to number two with the Rams, as they could miss out on their top two targets since the Jaguars are also in line to pick a QB and they pick at number three.
Earlier in the offseason the Texans owner said they would be open to hearing offers for the number one overall pick, but they would need to get a significant deal to give that up. The team could go after Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles or Bridgewater with the number one pick, but they also could go after Clowney if they feel he is not worth passing up. Many have speculated that the pick for the Texans is between Bortles and Manziel and it comes down to whether O'Brien wants that prototypical sized QB like Bortles, or the lightning in a bottle that is Manziel.
The Falcons have been mentioned as a team that could look to trade up, as they love Jadeveon Clowney and at their pick they won't be able to get him most likely. The team picks sixth and that is a solid spot and they could work out a deal to move up to take a player they really want, much how they did with Julio Jones. The Texans are in an interesting position, as they could take a quarterback later in the draft and give up the first round pick for a chance to add some more selections and that could be a way to build the team back up.
The Raiders gave up a pick last year for Matt Flynn and that didn't work out and now they could look to trade down in the first round to get some picks back. There are a number of teams that could target the Raiders pick and as it gets closer to the draft the team will have to decide on how to attack things. The Houston Texans have the number one pick in the draft and they have been rumored to be looking at a trade, but it's more likely that Bill O'Brien will sit tight and make a pick at number one. The team obviously is in need of a quarterback, but they are not tipping their hand, as O'Brien said at the owners meetings that yes, the Texans are probably taking a quarterback, but he gave no indication as to when it would be and that means they could go after someone like Clowney and then pick a QB later in the draft.
Many mock drafts have at least one team trading up into the top three to take a quarterback and the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders and Vikings could all be in the mix for that, as they each could be targeting that position this season. The Rams pick second and everyone is looking at that spot as a potential option, as they got that pick in the move with the Redskins for RG3 and many think that St. Louis could look to trade down. The Texans have the number one pick in the draft and their owner has said they could be open to making a move in the draft despite many predicting that the team picks Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater.
