On Wednesday, everyone witnessed just how many players wanted nothing to do with the Cleveland Browns, as every free agent within the locker room bailed as soon as they could. This morning, we finally heard about a player’s desire to actually join the Browns.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, not only is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick seeking a trade, he wants to be dealt to Cleveland. Naturally, this was followed by jokes regarding whether or not Kaepernick would pass a drug test. Regardless, he reportedly has the utmost respect for Browns coach Hue Jackson, and would like nothing more than to join his team.

As of now, no deal has been made. Mike Silver of NFL Network claims the two teams have agreed on the draft pick compensation needed for the trade, but Cleveland is just working on contract restructuring. If the deal were to go through, many are of the belief the Browns could change up their draft strategy, using their second overall pick on the best available player instead of going after a quarterback.

Personally, I’m going to disagree with that thought process. Whether or not Kaepernick becomes a Brown, the team still needs to pick a QB at No. 2 overall.

Again, the deal hasn’t been made just yet. For all we know, this could be a rumor which picks up a ton of steam right before it dies off. As close as everyone seems to think the trade is to being completed, there are still a few moving parts.

That said, the Browns still need to focus a ton of their pre-draft scouting efforts on Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.

Sure, opening the season with Kaepernick under center instead of Josh McCown is definitely an upgrade. Despite coming off a couple rough seasons, common belief throughout the NFL is a change of scenery could do wonders for the man who once had San Francisco five yards away from a Super Bowl victory.

At the same time, taking on Kaepernick would still be a significant risk. For one, he’s coming off surgeries to his shoulder, knee and thumb. While the many think he should bounce back fine, that’s still a lot of offseason procedures we’re talking about.

Additionally, his playing style – a strong-armed quarterback with a propensity to run – leaves him more susceptible to injuries than your typical pocket passer. If he were to get decked by a safety midway through a Week 1 game, Cleveland could suddenly be right back to McCown or Austin Davis.

We also can’t ignore the fact that Kaepernick’s stats have been on a decline. It’s tough to see a ton of positives in someone being benched for Blaine Gabbert. While more than a few people are convinced Kaepernick can bounce back, there’s still a decent chance he continues trending downwards.

We also need to look at this situation from the perspective of the Browns.

Remember, all free agency activity so far indicates this team is going through a tear-down. Cleveland’s strategy seems focused on building from the ground up, with the hope that a complete restructure will be a necessary step towards finally ending the years of losing.

Because of this, the team still needs to invest in a quarterback for the future. At 28 years of age, Kaepernick isn’t past his prime, but also doesn’t have many peak years left. Certainly not enough for Cleveland to think it can pass on a rookie quarterback.

Would Kaepernick be an upgrade over the Browns’ current situation? You could certainly argue that case. However, he would come with risks, enough to prove he can’t be relied on as a long-term solution. Whether or not Cleveland ends up trading for him, the team needs to maintain the same strategy – take a quarterback at No. 2.