I get the impression a lot of people think the Browns don't want to spend money on FA's.  As I see it, they didn't want to spend money on players who would make them good enough to keep losing forever. As it is now, they have a lot of "tape" on young players that will allow them to better pick in the draft and the FA market. By that I mean they have a better idea of the talent level of the roster. I really believe the strategy over the last two seasons was to go young and lose often, gather up as many good draft picks as possible and get the QB of the future in this draft (2018). That's why it was so easy to trade down from Wentze and Watson...neither were compelling prospects and the 2018 QB's provided a safety net that allowed the Browns to load up on draft picks and lose with youth (as in develope homegrown talent) safe in the knowledge that they would get their QB in this draft. LB Schobert is a prime example. Does he emerge as a pro bowl LB if he was playing behind a 28-30 year old FA LB? No. Do the Browns get their choice of QB's in this draft with 2-4 FA's starting in 2017 and getting us 3-4 wins? No. This team is poised to start winning games and moving forward on the overall talent level issue. Sashi Brown is a victim of his own system (see Dr. Frankenstien's monster). The new front office should have the know how to get us the talent via FA and the draft that Sashi Brown gave his professional life for. I think we as Browns fans are looking at a very dynamic near future for talent gathering and team building. Keep in mind, the AFC North is an aging division and Cleveland could be the up and coming power of the AFC North. In a QB driven league the Browns are set to draft their QB of the next decade and the rest of the division is hoping to squeeze another 1-3 seasons out of their aging QB's. Good luck to them in finding another franchise QB to replace their retiring franchise QB. 

Mayfield at # 1! Kinda kills the thread. NEXT mock draft.

@jiggins7919 said:

2

I say draft the best QB at # 1 and trade down with # 4 pick. There's a good chance a team will get hot for their QB on the board and be willing to move up a few spots to get him. I'm thinking Jets or Broncos. You may get a 2 nd rd pick and still get the player you want after the trade down.