Cleveland Browns: 10 potential preseason trade targets
By Sam Penix
3. CB Damon Arnette
Another potential Raiders miss, Arnette was considered by many to be a third-round prospect, but ended up going 19th overall. He had a rough rookie season, and like Ferrell, isn’t considered a starter. If they’re selling low on him, the Browns could look to add a cheap, young player to the secondary as depth, and see if they can get him to become the player Las Vegas thought they were getting.
2. EDGE Ben Banogu
If the first preseason game is any indication, the Browns defensive line depth (or lack thereof) could be the team’s biggest weakness. Landing a former first-rounder like Ferrell or Josh Allen would help with that, but a move of that magnitude would also be quite expensive. A smarter idea would be to target a player from a team with plenty of EDGE depth, such as the Indianapolis Colts.
Banogu was a second-round pick out of TCU in 2019, having logged 34.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks over two seasons. He tested like a maniac at the NFL Combine, but injuries have slowed him thus far and he’s now fighting for a roster spot.
His potential is off the charts, and he’d likely be a better rotational player than the likes of Porter Gustin, Curtis Weaver, Joe Jackson, and others the Browns are currently looking at.
1. CB CJ Henderson
It’s not often that the ninth overall pick gets traded after one season with his team, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are doing things a tad differently than most teams. The Trent Baalke-Urban Meyer regime did not select Henderson, and are reportedly open to moving him.
With Joe Schobert deal and teams believing cornerback C.J. Henderson is available via trade, Jaguars seemingly undergoing aggressive reset under Urban Meyer coming out of camp.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 13, 2021
The Browns just got a first-hand look at Henderson on Saturday, and he played well. He’s extremely talented and while he had an up-and-down rookie year, that’s par for the course for cornerbacks.
3 Browns whose stock dropped after preseason Week 1. dark. Next
Henderson likely wouldn’t come cheap initially, but as far as cap hits are concerned, he’d be a steal for the rest of his rookie contract and fifth-year option, assuming he develops into at least a solid player. Teams can never have too many good cornerbacks, so even though the Browns have invested heavily into that position, they will always need more.