NFL Draft trade rumors: Carson Wentz to Cowboys, Eagles, Broncos, Jets?

The first round of the 2016 NFL is closing in fast as April 28 is just days away. But there remains chaos at the top, and with chaos comes a bounty of rumors. No one can agree on whether or not the Los Angeles Rams will take Jared Goff or Carson Wentz (see below) and there were several prominent NFL writers who reported on Monday that the Browns don’t want the Rams’ leftovers and are seeking a trade. Here’s what Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole said:

“In talking to a couple of NFL executives, in particular a general manager of an NFC team, their comment about the Cleveland Browns situation with the No. 2 overall pick is that after the trade by the Rams to the No. 1 spot, the Browns now have the most valuable pick in the draft at this point in time. The value of that pick went way up for teams looking to get one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft – in particular the Jets, the Eagles and the 49ers- they’d be willing to move up to that spot at this point in time. The critical question within that is what do the Browns want to do particularly if the Rams take the quarterback who they want. The Browns feel like they don’t want to take whoever falls to them. Are they willing to move out at that point in time? Are they willing to give up that pick? This is a team that drastically needs to improve its overall roster. Yet the Browns need to have a longterm solution at quarterback but will they take it with a guy who falls to them or will they turn and look to try and replace the overall roster particularly after losing so many players in free agency.”

Peter King also wrote Monday that the Browns want to trade back and a front office source told him that “Cleveland is active, doing their due diligence.” King went on to write the following, adding the Broncos to the list of teams possibly looking at a trade with the Browns:

“Too much talk around the Eagles (eighth overall pick) trying to get up for a quarterback to dismiss it. So that’s one. Two: Dallas (picking fourth), with Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett loving what they saw in Goff, and already likingWentz a lot from the staff’s time coaching him in the Senior Bowl; my guess is Dallas is more of a Goff team. Three: The Jets (20th), though as ESPN’s Rich Cimini wisely pointed out, moving up to number two would likely cost them their best defensive player, unsigned defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. To jump that high would require a high amount of capital, and Cleveland would have to want to take on a huge contract (maybe $18-20 million a year for Wilkerson) and be willing to move from two to 20—and perhaps get another sweetener to do the deal. Wilkerson is 26 and a sure thing, so I wouldn’t blame Cleveland for doing it. But if the Browns pass on a quarterback who becomes a star and Robert Griffin III struggles—well, bring on the next front-office crew. Four: Denver (31). It’s silly to even think, because it would take so much to move this far. The only way it makes a scintilla of sense for the Browns is if Denver parts with the expensive Von Miller. I just don’t see it. But I include Denver here because I can’t see John Elway entering camp with, say, Mark Sanchez, Nick Foles and Connor Cook. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it would surprise me.”

King points out that fellow NFL reporters Mike Silver and Adam Schefter think that Jared Goff is the likely pick by the Rams at No. 1. King is also hearing that the Browns favor Goff over Carson Wentz as well. Those are three plugged-in writers who think Goff will go No. 1. But the mock drafts over at NFL.com offer up a different picture. Daniel Jeremiah, Bucky Brooks, Charles Davis, Lance Zierlein and Chad Reuter all have the Rams taking Wentz at No. 1. Only Charley Casserley has Los Angeles tabbing Goff.