I’m doing my best to not live in a what-if world, but there are moments where I just can’t help it.
And this 2-minute, 6-second clip isn’t doing me any favors:
Before the 2017 draft, then-Browns coach @huejack10 was dug in on Myles Garrett as the No. 1 overall pick. The front office wanted Mitchell Trubisky. He took extreme measures to plead his case. From Ep. 45 of the Pass It Down podcast, with @fatnatsilver… pic.twitter.com/Fmkr8NBOJb
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 31, 2021
In summary: The Cleveland Browns had a divide at the top when it came to using the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. It was quite the conundrum at the time. On one end of the table, Head Coach Hue Jackson was set on pass-rusher Myles Garrett being the pick. But on the other end, Browns management had eyes for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. And the battle lasted so long, that Jackson wasn’t sure they were picking Garrett until he was told so the day before the draft.
Oy! What a decision that turned out to be. And the trickle-down effect is something else if Cleveland’s front office strong-arms Jackson and takes the Mentor, Ohio product in that draft.
Imagine the ramifications. Can the Bears still trade up to No. 2 with the 49ers? Because the same scenario would exist in which the 49ers can trade out of the second pick, get the defensive player they want, and secure additional draft capital. Reporting shared in 2019 had Patrick Mahomes ranked as the Bears’ second-highest-graded prospect in that class. Imagining how things would look if Mahomes was the pick only scratches the surface of the rabbit hole I’m falling down.
Because now I’m thinking about how Chicago would’ve still ended up rushing Mahomes into action, just as they did Trubisky. Or what if a scenario exists where Mahomes’ raw talent saves Fox’s job? What happens to the Chiefs? Are they still riding with Alex Smith or do they turn to Deshaun Watson? What is Andy Reid’s legacy without Mahomes? Where is Matt Nagy fitting in all this? I just have so many questions…
And yet, back to reality. Hue Jackson got his guy, but not much else to show for it. Then again, I doubt Browns fans care because they’re not a team in flux at quarterback. Well, at least for now.