Draft can't come soon enough for Dorsey

Poor John Dorsey.

You’ve got to feel for the Browns’ general manager right now. 

Here we are roughly four-and-a half weeks from the National Football League’s college draft, which means there are roughly four-and-a half more weeks of crazy questions and even crazier media speculation as to how he will handle his first draft with the team.

Under ordinary circumstances, it wouldn’t be so bad. But these are not ordinary circumstances. Not when you own the first and fourth selections in the lottery.

With all kinds of nutty rumors flying all over the NFL universe indicating he has already decided to make USC quarterback Sam Darnold his top pick, Dorsey was in semi-denial mode addressing the Cleveland media covering the league’s annual meeting in Orlando Monday.

“The draft is five weeks away,” he reminded them. In other words, chill guys. The big decision has “not necessarily” been made. “There are a few more pieces to the puzzle left.”

However, he allowed it was “fair enough” to say four quarterbacks are in the mix for the top pick, referring to Darnold, Baker Mayfield and the Joshes, Rosen and Allen. Shocking!

Asked if there was a leader in the clubhouse, Dorsey toyed with them. “I won’t tell you,” he said, and then added, almost mischievously, “I won’t tell you who it is. It could be Saquon Barkley.” He smiled as he refereed to the highly-ranked Penn State running back.

Dorsey better get used to this. It will continue right up until that moment when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell puts the Browns on the clock on April 26 in Arlington, Texas.

It will get worse. It might even reach the point when all Dorsey can do is roll his eyes whenever the big question comes up in conversation. That’s the price he must pay for being in a position few general managers have ever been.

“It’s a good problem to have,” he acknowledged before sharing his thoughts on the workouts of the quartet of quarterbacks within the last week.

He praised all four at this stage of the process, which must be somewhat confounding to those who follow the draft zealously and lean on every word he says in hopes he will carelessly drop a clue as to which way he is leaning.

That process still has a month to go. There are eight other selections the GM must make in the draft – barring any movements up and/or down on draft weekend – and a final board to assemble before making hard decisions.

Until then, all fans and media can do is speculate, try to read between the lines, searching for that little nugget that unlocks the mystery to the biggest question on the minds of the fans and media.

A word of caution: Listen and read all you want, but don’t believe anything you read or hear in the next roughly four-and-a-half weeks because chances are very good it won’t eventuate.

It is all mere speculation that helps make this event one of the most anticipated on the sports calendar.

Nothing wrong with that.