Conventional wisdom tells us that a quarterback-needy team with a high draft position should never trade down. Even a mediocre season, the thinking goes, would remove it from reasonable contention for a top quarterback in the following draft.
We know at least two things about the Cleveland Browns, who on Wednesday moved from the No. 2 spot to No. 8 in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. One is that they have most certainly shifted away from conventional wisdom in every aspect of their operation. The other: Their roster is so barren that they stand an excellent chance of returning to the top of the draft in 2017.