'Tis the season of misinformation and things are only going to get merrier with the 2017 NFL Draft just a few days (10!) away from going down in Philadelphia, the first time it's taken place in the City of Brotherly Love since 1960.
And we're really starting to see some smokescreens heat up as teams try to make moves, including the Browns, who reportedly are waffling with their pick up at the top of the draft.
No one really buys this; Cleveland is taking Myles Garrett with the top pick, or at the very least someone is taking Garrett there. Maybe Cleveland trades out (also a thing that is tough to buy) but Garrett has too high a ceiling and is too well regarded as the top prospect for someone to pass on him at the top. Not drafting Myles Garrett with the No. 1 pick is how you get fired.
But beyond Cleveland at the top, well, there is a lot of mystery. There are several teams that need quarterbacks, but no one is really sure any of the teams are in love with the top quarterback prospects. Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes all have their strengths but they all have glaring weaknesses as well.
So it wouldn't be surprising to find out that those teams in search of a quarterback are looking to move some picks or get out of the top 10. According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, that's exactly what's happening.
Three of the teams most in need of a long-term answer at quarterback -- the 49ers, the Bears and the Jets -- are the "most antsy" teams to get out of the top 10.
"San Francisco (two), Chicago (three) and the Jets (six) are the ones I hear are most antsy to move back in a market with few teams wanting to move up," King wrote Monday.
All of those teams make sense as candidates to try and move down.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers need a quarterback but might not be comfortable with Trubiksy/Watson second overall. There is no sure No. 2 prospect in this draft, but there are about 10 or so guys who could fit the spot. Moving down and accumulating picks would be a logical move for a team with a barren roster looking to acquire as much talent as possible. If the Browns want to fly up the board and guarantee themselves a shot at Trubisky, this would be a sensible partner.
Chicago Bears
The Bears hold the No. 3 spot and would be the least of these three teams to likely want a quarterback in the first round. Chicago signed Mike Glennon this offseason, although he really only has guaranteed money for 2017, with some in 2018. If he doesn't work out, the Bears could move on after next year. They also need an additional talent influx, and there is no clear solution at No. 3 overall in terms of a draft pick. If the Panthers are in love with Leonard Fournette or Solomon Thomas, Chicago would be a logical trade partner.
New York Jets
The Jets sit at No. 6 overall and are in pretty desperate need of a quarterback. Sixth might be too rich for Trubisky or Watson -- they would make sense for anyone coveting a pass rusher (Thomas or Derek Barnett perhaps) or a running back (Fournette or Christian McCaffrey) or any other top player (O.J. Howard?) and could do a deal with someone who wants into the top 10.
None of that means any of these teams are likely to trade out of the top 10. It's much easier to talk about making that move than it is to actually make the move.
The 49ers and Bears, especially, might need to be willing to take less than the usual amount of draft capital in order to make a move down the draft board.
The early goings of the draft should be fun -- there's at lot of top talent available (and even more middle-tier talent in the first round and top of the second round) but no real clear order. We could see a lot of action early on.
