Dawgs By Nature
Not necessarily a fire sale
It is no secret that the Cleveland Browns have had issues this year. The offense has sputtered with very little change each week. And now that QB Deshaun Watson is gone for the year, it is almost a carbon copy of the quarterback issues the team suffered last season with multiple players taking the helm in arguably the most important position on the field.
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With the season almost certainly lost even before the halfway mark, with a record of 2-6-0, the franchise just might be inclined to dump some of their players and grab some draft picks (or maybe a bag of footballs).
The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching on November 5 with a cutoff at 4:00 pm Eastern time.
The Browns are one team that seem to be in the “seller” category. WR Amari Cooper was the first player to be shipped off when he was sent to the Buffalo Bills along with a sixth-round pick for a 2025 third-round selection plus a 2026 seventh-round pick. GM Andrew Berry could see the value in dumping other high-priced players and eating some prorated money to gain more leverage with additional cap space.
Cleveland certainly needs some new players. With the unexpected win over the Baltimore Ravens, the franchise is not out of making the playoffs this year believe it or not, but it makes zero sense to make trades to bring in help for a handful of games. Berry just might believe that the most prudent undertaking would be to take the entire off-season and make calculated decisions on talent and contracts and where they fit money-wise.
There are several players that the team could consider and they would certainly have numerous potential trade partners.
DE Myles Garrett is the biggest name of interest and could choose his new home. He may request going to a playoff-caliber team with a chance to get a ring, which he deserves and may never sniff another playoff season with the Browns. Garrett was ranked fifth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2024, up from 20th the year before. He is currently in a five-year, $125 million contract extension he inked in the summer of 2020 and will have a cap hit of $19.7 million next year.
CB Denzel Ward is another player Berry could have a line out the door wanting his services and lose another high salary at the same time. But Ward still has good coverage skills and is just 27 years old. He is coming off another Pro Bowl year, his third. In 2022 Ward signed a five-year extension worth $100.5 million with $71.25 million guaranteed, so the ink is still fresh on that deal with a ton of money the team will give him regardless. In a league where good coverage corners are difficult to find, then keep, moving Ward wouldn’t make much sense.
Ward suffered another concussion in Week 8....
