Browns rumor: Cleveland should have pulled the trigger on D'Andre Swift trade

It was a bit of a surprise to see the Cleveland Browns elect not to add a running back in the 2023 NFL Draft. Without bringing one in, they're now very inexperienced behind Nick Chubb.

While they know Chubb can carry the load, this puts a lot of pressure on Jerome Ford who has all of eight career rushing attempts. Right now, Ford is one injury away from being the primary back and while he could very well take that opportunity and run with it, more competition is never a bad thing.

Apparently, general manager Andrew Berry agreed since he did try and bring in a running back during the draft, only he tried to trade for a veteran. After the Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, Cleveland called about D'Andre Swift but they couldn't get the deal done.

Instead, Swift was sent to the Philadelphia Eagles — where just about every other former Georgia Bulldog is currently playing.

What did the Browns offer for D'Andre Swift?

It's unclear exactly what Cleveland offered but the Eagles didn't give up a king's ransom. In exchange for Swift, they sent a fourth-round pick and swapped seventh-round selections.

That might have seemed too rich for Berry's blood, but maybe it shouldn't have been. While it's true Swift has had some injuries throughout his career, he's still played at least 13 games in every season. And he's been solid on the ground with 1,680 yards and 18 touchdowns — while averaging 4.6 yards per attempt.

However, his receiving is what sets him apart. Swift has 156 receptions for 1,198 yards with seven touchdowns. In 2021, he had his best campaign with 62 catches for 452 yards.

That's the one area where Kareem Hunt was able to stand out and with him gone, there's no truly dynamic receiver out of the backfield. That's what Swift would have brought, making this a missed opportunity.