CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have agreed to acquire quarterback Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a third-round draft pick, according to two people with direct knowledge of the trade.

The teams came to terms on the deal Friday, said the people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because NFL rules prohibit trades from being announced next week when free agency opens and the league’s new calendar year begins. Cleveland is sending its first pick in the third round to Buffalo, the sources said.

The Browns were expected to target a quarterback in free agency but instead have landed the dynamic Taylor. He will be in position take over as Cleveland’s starter after the Browns traded quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers shortly after acquiring Taylor.

The Browns are still expected to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.y.

Trading Taylor leaves the Bills with a significant hole at the position with Nathan Peterman — a fifth-round draft pick last year — the only quarterback left on their roster.

One option is adding one of the many experienced quarterbacks expected to be available once the free agency period opens.

And then there’s the growing possibility of selecting one in the draft in April. With the addition of the Browns’ third-round selection, Buffalo now has two picks in each of the first three rounds, including the 21st and 22nd overall.

The large number of draft picks provides general manager Brandon Beane plenty of assets to use in trades in the event he elects to move up higher in the draft order.

Taylor’s long-term future with the Bills has been uncertain going back a year, when Buffalo was prepared to release him before the quarterback agreed to restructure his contract by reducing it from a five-year to a two-year term.

And questions persisted regarding Taylor’s future last season, even though he went 8-6 in helping Buffalo snap a 17-season playoff drought, which had been the longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports.

Taylor’s struggles in the passing game following consecutive midseason losses led to him being benched in favor of the raw and untested Peterman.

Coach Sean McDermott’s decision backfired immediately after Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a 54-24 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers.

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