So the Rams and the Browns are talking a trade for the first pick of the draft.
Hmm, a 1-15 team, as the Rams were this past season, has the opportunity to pick anybody they want in the draft, unencumbered by anyone else’s actions, thoughts or beliefs — yet would surrender that.
Well, the magic number is 3,000.
As in 3,000 points, which is the value of the No. 1 pick in one of the most commonly used draft-value charts around. So, whatever picks the Rams would get in return need to equal 3,000 points, or perhaps even a sliver more, given that a trade calls for surrendering the most prime real estate on the draft board.
The 32nd pick of the first round, for example, has a draft value of 590 points on the chart, so the dropoff gets pretty steep pretty fast from the summit.
But the fact that the Rams are even considering such a move probably means a few things, the first being money. Their ownership situation is now in considerable flux, given that Nuggets/Avalanche/Altitude owner Stan Kroenke wants to be the Rams’ majority owner despite NFL cross-ownership rules that would seem to prevent that right now.
And the No. 1 pick in the league’s current labor landscape certainly costs plenty of money.
There also is the matter of head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s vision of a ball-control, defensive-oriented team to get the wins. Some believe this de-emphasizes the quarterback position.
In reality, it actually makes it more important because a quarterback has to be productive with fewer opportunities and still be ready when it’s time for some heroics. There will never be more ball-control, defensive-oriented teams to win Super Bowls than the 1960s Packers, the ’70s Steelers and the ’90s Cowboys.
At last report, all three had Hall of Fame quarterbacks handing off and winning games when necessary.
It likely also means the Rams, who have worked out Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen, may like either Clausen or McCoy — or both — as much as they like Bradford. And while it would take the No. 1 pick to get Bradford, both McCoy or Clausen could be had later down the board.
Or it may be the Rams believe they have so many needs that they want as many picks as possible to fix things.
For his part, Browns president Mike Holmgren has said publicly this week it would likely take a “ransom” to secure the No. 1 pick in a trade and that he did not want to “pull the rug out” on his personnel department in the new regime’s first draft together.
Bradford, given the medical clearance he has received on his surgically repaired shoulder, is the top quarterback on this year’s board. He’s accurate, has enough arm strength and plays a composed game based on moving the chains and scoring touchdowns.
He doesn’t make unnecessary ego passes; he makes passes that make big plays. That trait and his accuracy give him a marvelous chance to be a highly productive pro.
And there is the fact that Rams general manager Billy Devaney has seen this movie before. In 1998, he was with the Chargers’ personnel department when San Diego desperately wanted a quarterback in a draft that included Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf.
San Diego made offer after offer to the Colts, who had the No. 1 pick, and the Cardinals, who had the No. 2. Football fans know the rest of the story.
The Chargers did indeed surrender the ransom Holmgren referred to in order to move up just one spot — San Diego sent Arizona the No. 3 pick that year, the Chargers’ second-round pick in ’98, San Diego’s first-rounder in ’99, Pro Bowl punt returner Eric Metcalf and reserve linebacker Patrick Sapp — but they got only to No. 2, and that wasn’t enough. The Colts did not surrender the No. 1 pick and, short of once signing a Steelers castoff named Johnny Unitas, it may be the best decision the organization ever made.
The Colts took Manning, the Chargers took Leaf and that was that.
This time, Devaney has the No. 1 pick, and given what he knows and what he’s been through in his football life, unless the Browns surrender far more than those magical 3,000 points, you’d think he’d want to keep it, just to be sure.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
