Cleveland Browns say it would be 'ideal' to pass on quarterback at No. 4 in NFL draft

The Browns have been linked to veteran quarterbacks such as Vince Young in recent days. (Tony Dejak/AP)

For months we've heard the Cleveland Browns were interested in drafting a high-profile quarterback, be it Derek Carr, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater or Blake Bortles. But in recent weeks that sentiment has seemingly cooled, with the Browns taking a more measured approach to the position.

Might that be a smokescreen? It's certainly within the realm of probability, but it's a suggestion that the Browns brass has continued to run with in recent days, including head coach Mike Pettine.

“That’s been a big part of the discussion in the draft room,” Pettine said. “That’s a position [quarterback] that we know, as many others, that we’re going to need to address, and you talk about where you’re going to do it and the impact that it’s going to have on the rest of the team. Certainly it’s an ideal situation if you can get that quarterback later in the draft and that way you’re drafting a position player at [pick No.] 4. But we’re in the business of, I think, staying true to our sequence, that if our fourth-best player or somebody rated above that is there at the fourth pick that we’ll feel comfortable turning the card in regardless of what the position is.”

Pettine seems to leave the door slightly open to the idea of drafting a signal-caller with the fourth pick while suggesting that in a perfect world, the team would be able to wait, and secure a solid QB later in the draft.

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