The Cleveland Browns are in a trading mood these days and these potential deals could help their team get back in the playoff hunt
Trades in the NFL don’t happen very often but this offseason there have been several eye-popping deals that have surprised the league a bit already. The Seattle Seahawks sent the face of their franchise, quarterback Russell Wilson, to the Denver Broncos. The Kansas City Chiefs, in a bit of a stunner sent their star receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. The Cleveland Browns even got into the act of a trade when they made a deal for the former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver Amari Cooper.
The Browns also recently made a huge trade for their new franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans. Will they keep trying to wheel and deal as we approach the NFL Draft in a few weeks?
Cleveland has several recently released or current free agents that are still being speculated as returning to Cleveland, but there still hasn’t been any movement with these potential deals. The Browns released wide receiver Jarvis Landry to save money, but now that Watson has been traded to Cleveland, there are rumors of his wanting to return. Yet, there hasn’t been any change in that status. The same has been said about defensive end Jadeveon Clowney who has been rumored as returning as well.
If re-signing any of these players doesn’t work out, the proposition of a few more trades might be another route to go for the Browns, who are looking at getting back to the playoffs by strengthening their already strong roster. Where are there the most needs for the squad? The team needs to continue to strengthen the defense and one of the biggest areas is the linebacker position.
Cleveland is also a bit weak at the wide receiver position. Even though Amari Cooper will help the Browns, the need to continue to build up this position for their quarterback Watson should be valued. Let’s look at a few players in these spots on the team and a few more that would create interesting possibilities to help get this team closer to a Super Bowl.
Cleveland Browns trade target No. 1: Devante Parker, Miami Dolphins WR
With the Dolphins redoing their wide receiver room, recently trading for Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs, and signing free agent Cedrick Wilson from the Dallas Cowboys there has been some speculation that the Dolphins long time wide receiver Devante Parker might be on the trading block. The 6-foot-3 receiver was originally drafted by the team in 2015 in the first round out of Louisville.
In his seven seasons with Miami, he’s tallied 4,727 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. His big year was in 2019 when he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and 9 touchdowns. He had a very healthy 16.7 yards per reception average.
He’s had various injuries over his career that have affected his performances, like last season when he only played in 10 games. He ended up with 40 catches for over 515 yards and only two touchdowns.
If the Browns don’t re-sign Landry, they will likely still draft a couple of wide receivers, but Parker could be the type of player to team up with their newly acquired wide receiver Cooper. Since it seems like the Browns are in the mode of big-name trades, this move wouldn’t be a shocker at this point.
The salary of Parker might be an issue, but it probably wouldn’t stop a team like Cleveland, who just gave their new quarterback $230 million, from pursuing the deal. Parker is due around $8.7 million, according to spotrac.com and he’s not a free agent until 2024. It would seem like the type of contract at this point that might be able to get redone by the Browns crafty general manager Andrew Berry so stay tuned!
Cleveland Browns trade target No. 2: Robert Quinn, Chicago Bears, DE
Since the Cleveland Browns are in the business of making big splashes, as they did with their trade for Watson, would they go all out on a trade for a savvy and experienced defensive end like Robert Quinn?
The Chicago Bears just got rid of their best defensive lineman in Khalil Mack, as they traded him to the Los Angeles Chargers. Since the Bears are in such a giving mood would they consider trading their other star on the defensive line away?
Quinn is almost 32 years old and has been in the league since 2011. He’s played in Chicago the last two years and had one of the best seasons of his career. He finished with 18.5 sacks, along with 49 tackles, 22 quarterback hits, and forced four fumbles.
If the Bears were to trade Quinn this offseason, they’d be saving $12.9 million according to spotrac.com. With the unknown still on the Browns resigning Jadeveon Clowney, taking a shot at a player like Quinn, wouldn’t be a bad idea. He’s coming off of a great season and he would instantly help a Browns team close in on a championship.
Cleveland Browns trade target No. 3: Bradley Roby, New Orleans Saints, CB
Yes, the Browns have several respectable cornerbacks on their current roster, including Greedy Williams, Greg Newsome, and Denzel Ward. Ward is entering his fifth season with the Browns and playing on his rookie contract.
There still hasn’t been any indication that Ward is close to a new deal with the Browns. It’s a bit odd, as was the team’s decision to not sign their quarterback Baker Mayfield to a new deal (at least before the Watson trade).
Now we know a bit more about why the Browns didn’t negotiate yet with Mayfield because the team was tracking Watson, but why they haven’t signed Ward yet is leading to some speculation on his future with the team.
With or without Ward, they’ll need to strengthen this part of the team. There have been numerous injuries, and concussions in this group in the past, so trading for another capable cornerback makes sense. One cornerback out there could be a Bradly Roby from the New Orleans Saints.
He was traded to the Saints from the Houston Texans a year ago. Roby has been in the league now for eight years after getting drafted out of The Ohio State University in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He’s collected 11 interceptions over that time and could add some much-needed depth for the Browns. He would hit the free-agent market in 2023. The Saints are in bad shape as far as cap space and need to find some places to save money.
Cleveland Browns trade target No. 4: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks, WR
A few weeks ago, The Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. At that time, I mentioned the Browns needed to go for the touchdown and try to trade for the Seahawks best receiver D.K. Metcalf. Since then, Cleveland did make a trade for Amari Cooper, from the Cowboys.
However, the Browns most glaring weakness on the offense still has been the wide receivers, so trying to make a trade for another Seahawks wide receiver, like the veteran Tyler Lockett, might be the better route to go for the team.
Lockett has been in the NFL since 2015 and has been a very steady and reliable receiver. His numbers have increased almost every season and bringing him in to tag up with newly acquired Amari Cooper might be a great setup for the Browns.
In just the last three seasons, Lockett has gone over the 1,000-yard mark each season and scored 26 touchdowns. The former speedster from Kansas State University would be a nice compliment to Cooper’s talents on the field. It could be a really cool one-two punch for the good guys dressed in orange and brown on Sundays.
The contract for Lockett is rather expensive but if the Seahawks were to trade Lockett later in the summer, they could save over $6.25 million in cap space according to spotrac.com. With all the changes in Seattle with the abrupt departure of their franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, the Browns might be able to get creative with the current Lockett contract and make it work to bring him to Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns trade target No. 5: Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings, LB
The Browns are looking for linebackers and need to continue to add depth at this position. Cleveland recently traded linebackers with the New England Patriots, when Mack Wilson was sent to the Patriots for Chase Winovich. That looks to be a good move by both teams and gives each player a fresh start with new teams.
Cleveland will have Anthony Walker back at linebacker as he just re-signed with the team but they’ll need to add a couple more linebackers and one possible trade Cleveland may pursue would be for Eric Kendricks. He’s been in the NFL since 2015, all with the Vikings.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski was on the Vikings staff for years before coming to Cleveland in 2020. Minnesota also recently added former Cleveland front office man Kwesi Adofo-Mensah who is their new GM. So the possibility that these two teams were to make another trade wouldn’t be all that shocking.
Kendricks has been a tackling machine for the Vikings. In seven seasons he’s collected 782 tackles. He had 143 of those last season, intercepted two passes, and recovered a fumble. Putting him on the field with the Browns rookie linebacker star in Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah might be too good to be true.
According to spotrac.com, he’d cost the Vikings $5.9 in dead cap money while saving the team $7.5 million in cap space. It’s the type of contract yet again that the Browns front office might be willing to redo if they were to go after Kendrick in a trade. The fact that both teams have a strong bond with former coaches and front office personnel would make this type of trade more doable than other trade deals.
The Browns seem to be in a trading mood these days and any of these trades could happen so tuned to your Twitter feeds and other social media platforms. The offseason is just getting started.