3 Cleveland Browns season-altering trade deadline targets
With the Cleveland Browns defense playing so well, Andrew Berry should consider these 3 trades to bolster the offense.
By Greg Newland
It always entertaining for the Cleveland Browns. On one hand, it feels like “the Browns is the Browns” with the Deshaun Watson drama. But on the other hand, this team finally took advantage of breaks in back-to-back weeks and snuck away with victories they would have certainly let slip away in the past.
The Browns are now 4-2 and travel to a hostile environment in Seattle this weekend, and once again will be with backup quarterback, PJ Walker, for the game. This is a game that Cleveland could win, but Walker will have to play well.
After this, the Browns come back home to take on the Arizona Cardinals which is a game they should be heavily favored in even without Watson. Remember, they still have the Cardinals, Broncos, Bears, Rams, and Texans on their schedule who all have their faults.
One thing is for sure, this defense is elite and continues to prove it week in and week out with Myles Garrett playing out of his mind. If the time is truly now, Andrew Berry is going to have to seriously consider making a trade to improve this offense if Watson is going to miss significant time.
Below are three players that would make a ton of sense to make a run at.
Running Back: Dalvin Cook, New York Jets
It comes as no surprise to me that Dalvin Cook is unhappy with the New York Jets. Between Breece Hall continuing to progress and the injury to Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, the Jets aren't winning and Cook isn't getting many touches.
Cook is currently on a one-year deal with the Jets but does have a bit of history with injuries. At 28 years old, Cook likely has a few seasons left in the tank, but would only need to be a short-term fix with the Browns as the expectation is for Nick Chubb to fully return.
At this point, the Browns have the cap space to take on a portion of the $7 million hit for Cook, and the Jets really don’t have a reason to hold on to him. Given the low demand for running backs in the trade market, I would assume it will only take a late-round pick to get Cooks services.
Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt have certainly got the job done, but Cook is an elite NFL back (when healthy) and could be a great option to help pick up the running production.
This isn’t saying Ford would get benched, it’s saying between the three of these guys, it feels like one is always dinged up and this addition would be relatively cheap and bolster the depth.