Cleveland Browns players who could be dealt for draft picks

The Cleveland Browns have an overabundance of players at defensive tackle and defensive end, but are still looking for help at defensive back. Trades might balance those situations. 

The Cleveland Browns have a very deep roster at certain positions, and nothing would be worse than to waive a player at the end of summer camp, only to see that player get picked up by the likes of the Cincinnati Bengals (bad), Pittsburgh Steelers (worse) and Baltimore Ravens (worst) or other teams that might come back to haunt them.

Better that the Browns should trade these players to teams in the NFC if at all possible and obtain some value for them, rather than gift wrap quality players for their arch-nemeses.

The model trade was pulled off by John Dorsey two years ago when he traded non-superstar defensive end Genard Avery for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick. It would have been more conventional to ask for a 2020 seventh-round pick, but the numbers say that a sixth-round pick is significantly more valuable than a seventh-round pick, and it was worth waiting an extra year for it.

Basically, the analytics-based logic says that the seventh-round is too close to being an undrafted free agent (UDFA), which costs zero draft capital. It seems Dorsey knew a thing or two about analytics after all. Way to go, John.

This author has previously expressed the radical notion that the seventh-round actually has negative value compared to an undrafted free agent, because the team has the opportunity to audition at least a dozen UDFAs and pick the best ones, rather than committing a roster spot to a particular individual who is not necessarily that much more promising.

Can you name a Browns seventh-round pick who helped the team? Joaquin Gonzales in 2002 was the last one that was a bona fide starter.

Even if you prefer to believe the conventional draft valuation (i.e, the Gil Brandt Dallas Cowboys valuation system), the 16th pick in Round 7 is worth 8.2 points versus 21 points in Round 6. That is 156% annual interest. Not even organized crime gets that kind of annual interest rate. Hence a sane GM should take the opportunity to move up to Round 6 by waiting a year, especially in the late rounds.

Positions that have the greatest potential of being overbooked are defensive tackle and defensive end, if everyone stays healthy and plays up to their potential.