When you're the team with the worst record in the NFL, advice comes from everywhere.
An NFL personnel man told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that the Browns should take North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky No. 1 overall. The personnel man works for a team that "has a good QB and no shot at Trubisky", per the report.
Of course, there are two immediate problems with that. One, the Brownshaven't yet clinched the No. 1 pick -- that will come this weekend, if it happens -- and two, Trubisky, a junior, hasn't even announced whether he plans to apply for early eligibility to enter the 2017 draft. College underclassmen have until a Jan. 16 deadline to do so, and Trubisky has said he wants to finish UNC's season before considering his future. The Tar Heels close the season today against Stanford in the Sun Bowl.
Here's what we do know: Trubisky has received a first-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Committee, so he's obviously made a big impression despite being a first-year starter for the Tar Heels. Indeed, an NFC executive believes the 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior is a top-10 pick. And after the Browns passed on a quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft, the club's need for help at the position was made clear enough once again this season.
No matter how badly the Browns or any other club might need a quarterback, however, that doesn't necessarily mean Trubisky or any other option is worthy of an early first-round selection. The 2017 draft is expected to be a weak one for quarterbacks, and NFL general managers frequently lament the dangers of drafting for need over value.
It's also fair to wonder about the motive of a team employee suggesting a No. 1 pick for a different club. It could as easily be pre-draft gamesmanship as it could be an honest opinion.
And when the Browns go on the draft clock for their first pick on April 27, their opinion will be the only one that matters.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
