In the end, the Cleveland Browns didn't pull off a deal for the St. Louis Rams' No. 2 pick -- and the rights to draft Robert Griffin III -- but that doesn't mean the teams are done working together.
The tables have turned. Jeff Fisher and the Rams now sit at No. 6, staring up at the Browns' No. 4 pick in next month's draft. St. Louis is in desperate need of a receiver to pair with young quarterback Sam Bradford, and hanging around at the sixth spot could cost them a chance at Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon.
Fisher acknowledged to The Plain Dealer that Cleveland looms as a realistic trade partner.
"Yeah, I would think so," Fisher said Wednesday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. "I don't know if we'd consider going that high. Those conversations aren't going to take place until draft day because your guy's got to be there. It'll be interesting to see what kind of compensation they want. We're very happy with the compensation we've got right now over the next couple of years."
Browns president Mike Holmgren recently spoke about being blocked from the deal for the Rams' second pick, citing Fisher's close relationship with Mike Shanahan and the Redskins, who sealed the trade by handing over this year's No. 6 and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. Fisher swatted away Holmgren's story: "I didn't pay much attention to his comments. They were very fruitful discussions. They are a potential trade partner with us."
Fisher then dropped this gem: Multiple teams have inquired about trading for Bradford, who enters his third season as the Rams' starter. Fisher wouldn't say if Cleveland was involved in those talks, but there is a connection there with Browns coach Pat Shurmur, who served as Bradford's offensive coordinator during the quarterback's rookie season in 2010.
