The Cleveland Browns traded up to get back into the second round at the 59th overall pick. As soon as the deal was made, everyone thought it would be Colt McCoy. However, instead we were thrown a curveball when the front office took Tennessee RB Montario Hardesty.
What did the Browns give up to move up to No. 59 overall? According to NFL.com, we traded...
- a Third Rounder (No. 71 overall)
- a Fifth Rounder (No. 134 overall)
- a Fifth Rounder (No. 146 overall)
I don't think any fans saw this one coming. Sure, we might have taken a flier on a running back in a later round, but we moved up to make sure we got Hardesty on board. I can't imagine RB Jerome Harrison not being the starter, but with so many teams deploying two-running back systems lately, that has to be what we'll do here. That means RB Chris Jennings and RB James Davis have slim chances at making the roster in my book, because RB/FB Peyton Hillis will be a good versatile hybrid back.
Hardesty had a very good year with Tennessee last year, rushing for 1,345 yards on 282 carries (a 4.8 YPC average) and rushed for 13 touchdowns.