Cleveland Browns: 10 potential preseason trade targets

9. WR James Washington

A former second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington has recently requested a trade, perhaps unsatisfied with his role behind Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He’d have even more talent ahead of him in Cleveland, at least for 2021, but if the team were able to trade for and extend him, Washington could become an important part of the passing attack moving forward.

At 5-11, 213 pounds, he’s built like a running back, but is adept at stretching the defense. He averaged career-lows in yards per target and yards per reception in 2020 as the Steelers offense was built around the short passing game, but Washington thrives downfield. The Browns could be replacing four of their six receivers next year, and adding a deep threat like Washington would be a good start to that position’s rebuild, provided he doesn’t cost too much.

8. WR Tyler Johnson

After an excellent career at Minnesota, it was a surprise to see Johnson slip to the fifth round, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added to their embarrassment of riches. They are so rich at the WR positon, in fact, that Johnson may not even make the team.

He caught 12 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns while playing behind Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Scotty Miller. The addition of rookie Jaelon Darden pushes Johnson even further down the depth chart, to the point where he’s battling for the sixth and final WR spot.

Maybe the Bucs end up keeping him, but if they do, he isn’t going to play much. There wouldn’t be many targets for him in Cleveland, either, but that would change in 2022. The Browns need to be thinking long-term when discussing deals, and Johnson, heading into his second season, could make sense, since he’d never fall to them on waivers.