Written by Thomas Moore

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Even though the NFL Draft is not until late April, Browns fans are already focused on what the team will do with its pick in the first round, currently the fourth overall selection.

What? It’s not like we’re going to be watching the Browns play in the Super Bowl today or anything.

As host city for Sunday’s game, Indianapolis has been ground zero this week for draft talk.

If you read and listen closely, and connect a few dots, a fairly likely scenario comes into focus about which player will be staring Browns general manager Tom Heckert in the face when the Browns make their selection.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Let’s see how this will all come together.

The Colts hold not only the top pick in the draft, but also the first (and largest) domino in quarterback Peyton Manning. Indianapolis has a March 8 deadline to decide what to do with Manning, who reportedly has been cleared by doctors to resume playing football.

“(Manning’s doctor) has said that he’s structurally sound and that the fusion has taken place and that that’s healed,” Tom Condon, Manning’s agent said.

Let’s say the Colts aren’t willing to bet that Manning can make it through another season, let alone two or three more. So they decide that, rather than pay him the $28 million roster bonus he is owed, the team will take the public relations hit and release him.

If that happens, the latest has Manning being interested in the Dolphins because Manning’s wife loves South Florida, and the couple has owned a South Beach condo since 2007. The Dolphins also have cap space and playing in Miami would keep Manning in the AFC, facing teams he is familiar with.

So Manning to the Dolphins takes care of Miami’s need for a quarterback.

If the Colts do part ways with Manning, they will obviously need a quarterback and the consensus is they will draft Stanford’s Andrew Luck. But Griffin has something to say about that.

“It’s going to be a great experience at the combine, talking to all the NFL teams,” Griffin told Sports Illustrated. “Hopefully I’ll end up here (Indianapolis) via the draft, but I have no control over that. All I can control is what I say and what I do, and I plan on saying the right things and just being myself, and doing everything I possibly can to show everyone I am the best.

“It’s every kid’s dream. Every kid wants to be the first pick in the draft. I wouldn’t say no to it. I’m glad he (Colts owner Jim Irsay) at least put me in that conversation and hasn’t already made it a foregone conclusion that he’s going with Andrew, like a lot of people have.”

While we like Griffin’s moxie, it’s hard to see the Colts passing on Luck, the most Peyton Manning-like quarterback to come out of college since, well, Peyton Manning.

So with Luck in Indy, the Colts have their quarterback situation fixed.

Next up are the St. Louis Rams, who currently hold the second pick.

“Name coach” Jeff Fisher (he of the six winning seasons in 17 years with Houston/Tennessee) said this week the Rams are sold on Sam Bradford (and his $50 million in guaranteed money) at quarterback, but would listen to trade offers.

“There are going to be teams that have some interest in that pick,” Fisher told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “What we do will define the future of this franchise moving forward. If we stay there who do we take, if we move down who do we take. What if we move down and come back up. That's going to define the future.”

We can’t see the Browns giving up the house to St. Louis to move up two spots – after all, the Browns were 4-12 this year, they need plenty of help – so that would leave Washington as the most-likely trade partner for the Rams.

Everyone knows that Redskins owner Dan Snyder likes to win the off season (he still struggles with the concept of winning when it counts) so it’s possible the Redskins could make a big splash by trading for Griffin.

But Washington “name coach” Mike Shanahan likes things to be about him – he wants people to believe he is the reason the team wins (just overlook the fact that he is only 12 games over .500 as a coach since John Elway retired). We could see free agent quarterback Matt Flynn being more appealing to the egos of Snyder and Shanahan, so it seems reasonable that the Redskins will be the team to overpay for Flynn.

With the Rams committed to Bradford, and no one willing to give up their future in a trade, St. Louis will sit tight and take wide receiver Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State.

Minnesota picks third, but the Vikings already have Christian Ponder and Joe Webb as quarterbacks, so their is no threat of them taking a quarterback. But they do need serious help along the offensive line, which means USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil would be a logical pick here.

Which brings us to the Browns. On draft night, there is the real possibility that Heckert will be in the enviable position of choosing between Griffin and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. (Sometimes being 4-12 does have its benefits).

If the teams picking before the Browns all pass on Griffin, it sounds as if he will be one of those players who tries extra hard to make those teams regret not selecting him.

“I will use that as a driving force, whether I go first, second, third or fourth in the draft,” Griffin said. “The fact I wasn’t out there with people believing in me is going to be the key to drive me to be a better player. So it’ll always be a competition between me and Andrew, just because we’re in the same class and the media is going to paint it that way. I don’t have anything against him, and he doesn’t have anything against me. We’re just competitors. Outside of that, we’re pretty cool.”

Hmm, a highly talented quarterback with extra motivation to prove people wrong?

Sounds like someone that would look plenty good in Orange and Brown.