3 players on the roster bubble Cleveland Browns could trade for

1. Peyton Hendershot, Tight End, Dallas Cowboys

It was a slight surprise to see the Browns avoid a tight end in the 2024 NFL Draft since they didn't add much at the position in free agency. Former fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant left in free agency, signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland replaced him with Giovanni Ricci who plays tight end and full back.

Ricci is the favorite to be the third tight end behind David Njoku and Jordan Akins with Zaire Mitchell-Paden and undrafted rookie Treyton Welch from Wyoming serving as his only competition.

The Browns have no reason to be concerned about their starter, especially after what he did in 2023. Njoku has been a solid tight end throughout his career but took his game to another level with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns. Akins, however, gave them just 15 receptions for 132 yards with no touchdowns. He's proven in the past he can step up when needed but Kevin Stefanski has typically preferred to have three tight ends they can rely on throughout the game.

That's why it wouldn't be a surprise to see them paying attention to the waiver wires when teams begin to make cuts. If they wanted to avoid hoping they land a claim, they could call the Dallas Cowboys about Peyton Hendershot.

A former undrafted free agent out of Indiana, Hendershot had 11 receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2022 — and added another rushing touchdown. He missed time due to an injury in his second season and was stuck behind second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker when he did return.

Now, he finds the room more crowded as he's still behind Jake Ferguson and Schoonmaker while Dallas also added Brevyn Spann-Ford. They also expect 2023 preseason star John Stephens, Jr. to return to health after missing his rookie campaign. That could mean Hendershot would be available and adding him would upgrade the TE3 spot in Cleveland.

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