Three years ago, in the weeks leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft, AJ McCarron was under the impression that he was a first-round talent. But as often happens this time of year, conjecture and reality don’t always see eye to eye. And by the time the draft was over, McCarron was a fifth-round pick, courtesy of the Bengals.

Now, after making just four starts in three seasons, McCarron could be on the verge of earning a starting job. Not in Cincinnati, where Andy Dalton is entrenched as the No. 1, but elsewhere, on a team in desperate need of quarterback help. And unlike everyone’s favorite offseason trade target Jimmy Garoppolo, who will come at great cost to a potential buyer, McCarron is more the Prius of the quarterback trade market -- affordable and efficient, if not particularly sexy.

According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Bengals would likely want a second-round pick for McCarron, and wouldn’t rule out trading the backup inside the AFC North. This is noteworthy because the Browns are a team without a franchise quarterback. They have repeatedly been linked to Garoppolo, but if the Patriots’ asking price is too high, Plan B could include McCarron. 

“We’ll listen to whatever anyone is thinking,’’ Bengals director of personnel Duke Tobin said. “We’re not actively looking to diminish our football team by trading AJ McCarron and that diminishes our football team. It has to be something we feel is valuable enough to warrant doing that. What it is, I don’t know. Who it is to, I don’t know.

“It’s not ideal to trade guys within your division, particularly at that position. But we listen and if something comes up we’ll certainly announce it to all you guys.’’

Plan B also includes Tyrod Taylor, who fell out of favor in Buffalo and now has an ally in Cleveland; the Browns hired quarterbacks coach David Lee, who worked with Taylor the last two seasons and likes the quarterback. But Taylor’s reported unwillingness to take a pay cut (he signed a $90 million extension before the ‘16 season) may complicate matters for Cleveland.

There’s also the draft. The Browns have the first-overall pick, and there is report that the team is strongly considering UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky. 

There’s not much to celebrate for a team coming off a 1-15 season, but if you’re looking for a silver lining, how about this: With two first-round picks and plenty of options -- whether in free agency, via a trade or the draft -- the chances are decent that the Browns land a good-on-paper quarterback. Whether that translates to on-field success is another matter, of course.