Andrew Berry Makes Interesting Comments on Browns' Trade Rumors

Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry set the record straight on potential NFL Draft trade scenario

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In many respects, the 2025 NFL Draft starts with the Cleveland Browns next week at No. 2 overall. So while the NFL world is swept up in what exactly the franchise is going to do with that pick, it's easy to forget they also possess the first pick of the second round.

That No. 33 pick is a critical one for Cleveland, first and foremost because it represents another opportunity to draft a starting-caliber player. More importantly, though, it puts the Browns in striking distance to potentially move back up into round one via a trade.

One of the main reasons a team would consider such a move is to gain a fifth-year option on said player, and therefore an extra year of control before handing out a second contract.

As Browns general manager Andrew Berry explained during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday, though, having that extra year is not something they put a lot of stock in.

It was a curious revelation from Berry a week before the NFL Draft, that could suggest he's more inclined to stay put at 33 to select a player, rather than be extra aggressive and move up toward the end of night one.

That doesn't mean it's totally off the table, though, and frankly, whether Berry and his staff put a lot of emphasis on the fifth-year option or not, it doesn't hurt to have it, especially with a rookie quarterback.

QB remains an obvious, major need for Cleveland, even after the team re-signed 40-year-old veteran Joe Flacco last week. While that move seemed to provide some stability to the position at least in the short term, Berry made it clear that the reunion with Flacco would have no bearing on any potential plans to address the quarterback position in the draft.

"We wouldn't consider signing Joe as having any real impact in terms of how we would view taking a quarterback in the draft," said Berry. "We firmly believe that it's not about picking a player who's ready to contribute now, it's about trying to find the player that you think is going to be the best if you have access to that player.

"...Quarterbacks mature and grow at their own pace, and our thought isn't in terms of immediacy but making the next long-term bet."

This year's quarterback class is considered a weaker one overall, with Miami's Cam Ward the consensus top prospect at the position. He is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Tennessee Titans.

Beyond Ward, it's unclear when a run on the next grouping of quarterbacks will happen, but it very well could start with the Browns at 33. Or late in the first round if Berry changes his mind, and decides to get aggressive.