The Cleveland Browns are a near lock to take a quarterback during the first two days of the 2014 NFL Draft, but which one that might be continues to be anybody's guess.
The club has done its due diligence over the past few weeks by working out and/or bringing in for a visit a slew of high-profile prospects at the position already this week. Johnny Manziel stopped by, Blake Bortles had a private workout, Derek Carr threw the ball well for coaches and Teddy Bridgewater stated his case as to why he's the franchise's future signal-caller.
It's not just the top-tier quarterbacks who the Browns are looking at, though. Aaron Murray and Tom Savage have been linked to the team and a recent report on Cleveland.com says that Eastern Illinois' Jimmy Garoppolo and South Carolina's Connor Shaw were the latest to stop by Friday.
Garoppolo (6-foot-2, 226 pounds) is one of 30 prospects invited to the draft in New York City and could be in play for the Browns late in the first round -- they hold the fourth and 26th overall picks -- or early in the second round. He has impressed scouts in the run-up to the draft and has worked with former Cleveland quarterback Ty Detmer to better develop his game for the next level.
"He worked with me for about three days, and he just broke down the game for me," Garoppolo told the Chicago Daily Herald in February. "He worked with me in the pocket, getting me used to the three-, five- and seven-step drops, and he's done a great job with me."
NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock has Garoppolo ranked as the fifth-best quarterback in the upcoming draft but the FCS star has seen his stock rise steadily since a good performance at the Senior Bowl. He already held a private workout with the Browns before Friday's meeting.
According to the report, Shaw will fly from Cleveland to Columbia, S.C., to follow up his visit with a private workout at South Carolina for the club Saturday. Shaw put up big numbers in college but is considered a likely third-day selection because of his height (6-foot) and injury history. He did throw 24 touchdowns (against just one interception) during his senior season and has been on the radar of a number of teams ever since he impressed at his pro day.
What direction will Cleveland take in its quest to add some competition for incumbent starter Brian Hoyer? Only general manager Ray Farmer and new coach Mike Pettine know for sure, but based on the team's pre-draft visits, they are making sure they have all their bases covered.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
