The NFL Roundup - The 2016 NFL Draft

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The beauty of the National Football League is that it has something for the fans almost year round. After the Super Bowl there is the excitement of Free Agency, followed by the Scouting Combine and it all seems to culminate during the all important day when teams begin to build the foundation for their future by way of the NFL Draft. It's a magical weekend where we see dreams come true as college players become professionals and the good news is, the Draft is upon us once again. But while there is plenty to celebrate during this event, there are also plenty of stories that come with it and here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on this weekend.

Will the Philadelphia Eagles actually draft a quarterback with the number two pick?
The Eagles are a team that continue to confuse me, despite getting rid of Chip Kelly, they continue to make questionable moves and we could honestly spend an entire day discussing all their missteps since the new league year started, but I'm still scratching my head over their decision to trade up to the number two overall spot in the draft. I'm not saying they aren't in need of a Franchise Quarterback, because Sam Bradford is not the long term answer, but this is a team that surrendered five draft picks to get there a year removed from losing tons of quality players in the Chip Kelly Power Trip Purge. This was their chance to reload and rebuild this team around Sam Bradford and possibly take the QB of the future in the middle to late rounds. Instead they've infuriated their starter and despite logic dictating they rebuild the team, the answer to this question is simple, they're going quarterback at number two. 

What will the Denver Broncos do at quarterback this weekend?
Despite losing Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler this offseason, the panic button has never been pressed in Denver. The fans of course think otherwise since Mark Sanchez is now on the roster; but John Elway always seems to have something magical up his sleeve and this is the weekend to reveal his sneaky plans. The Broncos could potentially draft a QB in the first round to either sit behind or compete with Sanchez, they could finally pull the trigger on a trade with San Francisco to bring Colin Kaepernick into the fold, or heck, they could do both at the same time and load up the roster. Either way this is the weekend that John Elway will address any glaring concerns at QB. I personally think he will draft a QB and roll with the rookie and Sanchez, and it should be interesting to see who will be under center for the defending Super Bowl Champions come September.

Will the New England Patriots try to move back into the first round?
The Patriots are a team at a crossroads right now. Their starting quarterback is likely out for the first four weeks of the regular season, and they're out a first round draft pick; all of this thanks to their role in Deflategate which means New England has some interesting decisions to make this draft weekend. They could for all intents and purposes go with the draft plan they have worked on all offseason, as if nothing has changed on offense...or, they could roll the dice and try to snag a pick or two in the first round to see if they can't bolster their defense and control some of the damage that will inevitably come without having Tom under center. Sadly there's no easy answer to this question since Bill Belichick does what he wants, but if I had to guess, they go with their standard draft plan, but if an opportunity to get back into round one arises, don't be shocked to see them take it.

Did the Rams make the right move trading up to number one?
So far, the most stunning move this offseason came from the newly minted Los Angeles Rams with their decision to give up a King's Ransom to the Tennessee Titans to move into the number one overall slot to no doubt select a franchise quarterback come tomorrow night and the decision does make sense. After all Nick Foles is a so-so player, and Case Keenum is not the answer so getting a brand new day one starter in the draft is a flashy move that will put people in the seats come September, but any way you slice it, this is a risky gambit. Part of me is reminded of when Washington handed over a ton of picks to the Rams to get RG3, and well...we all know how that story ended and that's my concern here. There's a chance their number one pick could be a bust and history repeats itself, simply because you never know what you get in a player until the they take the field. But if it works out, and their guy is one hell of a quarterback...then this will be regarded as one genius move. Either way, this is a question that doesn't get answered until later on, and it will be interesting to see how the season plays out for the Rams.

Is this the Draft Cleveland Browns fans have been waiting for?
Truth be told, I love a majority of the decisions the Browns have made this offseason. Getting rid of Johnny Manziel turned out to be an extremely wise decision, giving RG3 a chance to revitalize his career could turn out to be a stroke of genius and trading down in the draft was the right thing to do. This is a team that has glaring holes at just about every position, so to fill those needs in the draft and try to truly build a nucleus of players is something I haven't seen Cleveland do in quite a long time. If they draft correctly, this could be seen as the turning point for this storied and somewhat disgraced franchise, and quite frankly seeing as to how they were willing to make some tough calls with the roster this offseason and hire a quality coach, this is the first time I have hope for this franchise and this draft could be everything Browns fans are hoping for and more.  

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