The Cleveland Browns may have picked up a win thanks to the standout play of Jameis Winston in relief of Deshaun Watson, but this team is still very much a seller who will be looking to move off some of their more experienced pieces as they try to hoard more draft capital.
The Browns have already started the selling by trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. While they could sell off a few more bits and pieces from their offense, teams around the league will likely be eyeing a very tough Browns defense as they try to add some impactful playmakers for a postseason run.
The Browns need to exercise some serious restraint in the next few days, as they need to identify players which players are worth keeping for the long haul. Andrew Berry is in for a long year, but he needs to realize certain cornerstones players are worth more than a few extra shots in the NFL Draft.
These three players, no matter how much interest they get from teams around the league, need to remain in Cleveland for the long haul. These three are staying in Browns orange for the forseeable future.
3 players Browns cannot trade under any circumstances at NFL Trade Deadline
3. TE David Njoku
The Browns already traded one skill position player in Cooper, and it would be bordering on foolish to keep offloading some of their better pass-catchers. The oft-injured Njoku could fetch a pretty penny on the market, but Cleveland would be much better off keeping him as one of their more reliable targets over the middle.
Njoku's catches and yards per game averages are right on par with what he had during his career year in 2023. Still just 28 years old, there's a good chance Njoku is in his athletic prime right now. No matter who is under center next year, rolling with Njoku is better than retooling in an extremely weak tight end class.
2. LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
The Browns have some very enticing defensive infrastructure, and their speedy linebacker in the middle is one of the team's cornerstones on that side of the ball. JOK has fixed many of the issues he had coming into the pros out of Notre Dame, all while taking a leadership role for a unit that has needed to punch far above its weight.
Owusu-Koramoah is one of the main reasons Cleveland's defense ranks near the top of the league in many key passing categories. A Pro Bowl-level player who should end up back there after this season, even a treasure trove of premium assets shouldn't be enough to pry him away from Cleveland.
1. CB Denzel Ward
Ward has been mentioned as a high-end trade target for many secondary-needy teams out there, as they are assuming Cleveland's down year could fore a more earnest rebuilding effort. Those vultures circling overhead ignore the fact that Ward is an elite cornerback who is only getting better with time.
Ward is a three-time Pro Bowler who is on a contract that could look fairly economical in the next few years (if the cornerback market continues to explode). Ward being traded would signifiy a rebuild in which the roster would be torn down to the studs. In the deep AFC, such a move could be foolish.