You can see what the best-case scenario for the Browns is if you look past all those jokes tied to the franchise's brutal past and the "Moneyball" and "Draft Day" memes and GIFs lumped in with the present.

General manager Sashi Brown, chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta and coach Hue Jackson are taking an unconventional approach for sure. That's magnified after Thursday's bold NBA-style trade with the Houston Texans for Brock Osweiler that netted a 2018 second-round pick and a 2018 sixth-round pick. There's an exciting plan in place, but that still needs to include Cleveland's franchise quarterback.

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It might take one more year to get there, and given what Cleveland is doing that's OK. It's OK if Osweiler starts for a year. It's OK if the Browns dump Osweiler and turn to Jimmy Garoppolo. It's OK if they take a pass on the offer by fellow draft-pick hoarder New England. There isn't a sure-thing franchise quarterback available in this year's draft or free agency anyway.

If Cleveland can wait just one more year, however, then there's a draft class that potentially includes USC's Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen and Louisville's Lamar Jackson. That's a tough sell for a fan-base coming off a 1-15 season and trotting out their 27th different starter since 1999, but that might just be part of the master plan. It should at least be considered.

There's no guarantee Cleveland can get any of those guys, but they can make a strong play. The Browns now have 22 picks for the 2017 and 2018 NFL Drafts, with eight of those coming in the first two rounds. They can package and repackage those to move up and down draft boards as needed. That's a huge advantage.

In the meantime, the Browns – for once – should keep doing what they are doing. The best moves on Thursday were adding Green Bay center J.C. Tretter and Cincinnati guard Kevin Zeitler. Cleveland also extended Joel Bitonio to a five-year, $51.2 extension.

"It sounded like Cleveland just offered the best deal. My agent suggested I go with it," Zeitler told SN's Alex Marvez.

Imagine that—Cleveland a destination site. More importantly, the offensive line is no longer "Joe Thomas and other bodies." That's a legitimate front that can open things up for the running game and prevent a quarterback from taking a league-high 44 sacks. The Browns addressed one of their biggest needs before the draft.

About that 2017 NFL Draft, which includes four of the first 52 picks. Cleveland can take Myles Garrett at No. 1 without over-thinking it. Pair Garrett with Emmanuel Ogbah, who led the team with 6.0 sacks as a rookie. That's a no-brainer.

The Browns, however, can enjoy the freedom with the No. 12 pick. It doesn't have to be a quarterback if Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky or the others do not feel right. It could be a bold pick or a small trade up for, say, a 240-pound running back who just ran a 4.51 at the NFL Combine. Hello, Leonard Fournette.

Remember that 2014 NFL Draft first round that landed Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel? A Garrett-Fournette combo would generate about 50 times more excitement in Cleveland. There's your "Draft Day" script re-written. Only the quarterback question – the biggest question in Cleveland – hasn't been answered.

Osweiler or whoever under center can work with that. It might not win the AFC North, but the progress could lead to the final step. That's landing the franchise quarterback. If it's not Osweiler or Garoppolo, then who is it?

It can be found in the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson loved drafting Cody Kessler. How much better is Darnold? He's a Heisman Trophy candidate who is drawing comparisons to Joe Montana. Rosen could have a bounce-back year at UCLA. Jackson could win a second Heisman Trophy and continue to improve at Louisville. Those are real long-term, home-grown options at quarterback, unlike what it out there this year with the exception of maybe Watson. It's risky to wait on Darnold, Rosen or Jackson, but it's worth a try.

If Cleveland can wait until next year (yes, we know that's the eternal motto), then the quarterback might come and be set up for success given all the other moves Brown, DePodesta and Jackson have made. You can say Cleveland is building this thing backwards with unconventional thinking, or you could say they are fortifying the offensive and defensive fronts like a smart football team should. They have enough picks to make a deal for the right quarterback in 2018. This plan might work, and that would bring "Moneyball" to the NFL like never before.

We've seen the worst-case scenario play out almost every year since 1999. At least Brown, DePodesta and Jackson envision something else. Can Browns fans envision a scenario that includes an offensive line, Garrett, Fournette and Darnold? That would would be something, all right. That's a hell of a plan, and that's OK, too.

If it doesn't work, then all those jokes won't be hard to find.

