Back during the NFL owners' meetings, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke met with the media, and said the 2016 NFL Draft could end up with significant fluidity.
"There's no position that's ruled out at seven," Baalke said recently at the NFL owners meetings. "And whether we stay at seven, there's a possibility we move up. There's a possibility we move back. I think you're going to have to have some fluidity to this draft, in terms of willingness to move in every round. "When you're at seven, there's a likelihood that somebody could be calling to move up."
Those comments came a month ago, but they have only proved more fortuitous as the offseason has progressed. Prior to the comments, the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles did a deal that moved Philly up to No. 8. Since the comments, the Los Angeles Rams moved up to the No. 1 pick.
Now, in news that is not particularly surprising, reports continue to surface that the Cleveland Browns are shopping the No. 2 pick. When the Titans were sitting at No. 1, odds were good the Browns would get a quarterback of their choosing. However, the Rams move up means one quarterback is almost assuredly going to come off the board, and that could be the Browns guy.
NFL Network reporter Jeff Darlington tweeted that Sashi Brown has initiated calls, and nothing is imminent. Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot reported that the Philadelphia Eagles were a likely partner for any trade discussions.
A deal for No. 2 would cost significantly less than No. 1, but the Browns are still in the driver's seat to get a decent haul. The 49ers have been mentioned as a team looking to move up, although I remain skeptical given Trent Baalke's history. He moved up in 2010 for Anthony Davis, but that was only a couple spots. He also moved up significantly to get Eric Reid in 2013, but that was a move into the middle of the round, and not the top. I continue to think a deal down is more likely.
That being said, I would not be at all surprised to see somebody climb into the top ten, or climb further in the top ten. The 49ers could surprise us and move up, but the Eagles seem to make more sense at the present time. And this is all assuming someone moves up for a quarterback. If Laremy Tunsil slips, or one of the big name defensive players slips, maybe someone else makes the move up for one of those guys as an impact player. I agree with Baalke that this could be a very fluid draft.