The Cleveland Browns may try to target Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota in the draft this year and that could be an option for the team over an RG3 trade, Johnny Manziel starting or a return for Brian Hoyer in free agency at quarterback, as Ray Farmer needs to get a legitimate starter on the roster to get things going after a disastrous end to 2015 for the franchise.
The Browns finished the season on a losing streak and they also had to discipline Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon for missing team functions at the end of the year before Week 17. According to ESPN.com, Farmer said that he needs players like Manziel, Gordon and Justin Gilbert to be more professional and he also said that moving forward the team would not rule out taking a QB in the 2015 draft. Manziel was a number 22 pick, so he is not a financial killer for the team and with double digit draft picks, the Browns could be players come April.
Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are considered to be the top two players coming out at quarterback and if the Browns are feeling frisky, they could try and trade up for one of them. The Browns may have lucked out a bit if they like Mariota over Winston, as it looks like Jameis will be the one taken first overall. The Buccaneers clearly need a QB and after the down finish for Mariota in the title game, he could be a target for teams looking to trade up.
As Jeremy Fowler writes at ESPN.com, Winston going number one means that Mariota has the chance to drop and teams likely will call the Titans about potentially trading up for the number two pick. If Mariota falls past two, expect the Browns and numerous other teams to call in. Trading for the number two pick is vastly different than trading for number one overall and right now it looks like the Bucs are planning to keep the pick.
The Browns have needs all over the field, but the team has ammo to move, as they have two first round picks and at least 10 heading into the 2015 draft. Fowler writes that Winston is likely not happening, but Mariota could be had if teams rate him lower than Winston on draft boards. There is a chance Mariota slips by the Titans and that could open things up for the Browns as well as a team like the Jets. The Browns also have a first round pick in 2016 to work with and Mariota likely will be around longer than Winston based on the end of the season. Manziel was on the field for part of the year, but he did nothing special and ended up getting injured. Manziel also has some maturity issues, including problems with his alleged party that cause him and Josh Gordon to miss team activities.
The Browns also will consider bringing back Brian Hoyer at quarterback, but Farmer said only at the "right price," whatever that may be. Hoyer is expected to have attention on the free agent market from teams like the Texans and Titans, but after he started 7-4 and then got benched, teams could be leery of signing him.
