The Cleveland Browns have acquired quarterback Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Cleveland gave up a 2018 third-round pick (65th overall) in the trade.
The deal came on the heels of their acquisition of Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry from the Miami Dolphins. That trade probably takes the Browns out of the running for Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Allen Robinson, but bringing in Taylor certainly won't stop Cleveland from taking a rookie quarterback with either the first or fourth overall pick.
With Taylor in the mix, the Browns have their bridge signal-caller before they bring in a young guy for the long-haul. This means Cincinnati Bengals QB AJ McCarron, long rumored to want to reunite with former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, almost certainly will not come to the Land.
Just prior to the Tyrod deal, a rumor came out stating that the Browns feel like a strong contender to acquire highly-coveted free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins after teaming up Landry with Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman. That's still a possibility but probably less likely with Taylor in the fold (that's assuming Cousins would want to sign with Cleveland over the Minnesota Vikings or another team better positioned to win now).
From Buffalo's perspective, moving on from Taylor means that they'll almost certainly target a quarterback come draft day. As it stands right now, the Bills own two picks in each of the draft's first three rounds (21st, 22nd, 53rd, 56th, 65th, and 96th overall). They could package a number of those selections to move up, or they could target somebody who slips near the end of the first round.
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