As the story goes, two years ago, Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslem stepped out of a restaurant and ran into a homeless guy who, with the NFL draft approaching and the franchise in its forever need of a quarterback, conveyed a simple message.
"Draft Manziel." Simple message.
On draft night, with the Browns sitting at No. 26 in the first round, with Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater (who a six-figure, team-issued analytical study determined was the best QB in that draft) still on the board, Cleveland traded a third-round pick to Philadelphia to move up to 22nd and do just as that dude on the street instructed.
That Johnny Manziel has partied himself out of the league, as many teams feared he could, while Bridgewater and Carr have developed into good and potentially great players was almost predictable.
Of course the Browns listen to the homeless. Of course.
So here came Wednesday when Cleveland pulled off a highly intelligent, almost unfathomably sound (considering the source) trade.
Cleveland dealt its first-rounder (the No. 2 overall selection) plus a 2017 fourth-rounder to Philly for a 2016 first-rounder (No. 8), third-rounder (No. 77) and fourth-rounder (No. 100), plus a 2017 first-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder.
For dropping down just six spots and swapping fourth-round picks (relatively unimportant), the talent-starved Browns ditched their shiny pick to hoard for the future.
Cleveland now has six top-100 picks this year, two first-round selections in 2017 and two second-round spots in 2018.
Boom.
This might be the best day the franchise has had since it reformed in Cleveland in 1999. Seriously.
Philly wants a quarterback and is apparently certain that either Jared Goff of Cal or Carson Wentz of North Dakota State is a future star. The Los Angeles Rams will pick one of those guys with the No. 1 pick. Philly will get the other.
The Eagles are apparently so convinced in their ability, that they made the move despite recently signing starter Sam Bradford and back-up Chase Daniels to big deals. The verdict on the Eagles' decision will be simple to dissect. Maybe Goff/Wentz becomes a big-time player, maybe he doesn't. Whichever player it is will have a year to develop behind Bradford, who can be cut or dealt after this season with a reasonable salary cap hit.
If anything, though, that's a Cleveland kind of gamble, falling in love with one guy and throwing everything at him.
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