Browns should call AFC North rival to inquire about star players

The NFL Draft has come and gone and the Cleveland Browns made six picks including grabbing Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. in the second round and a potential replacement for Wyatt Teller in guard Zak Zinter in Round 3. The offseason marches on and now, Andrew Berry will look at any and every way to continue to improve the roster for this season and beyond.

Berry is always doing his due diligence and keeping up with contracts to put the best 53 players on the field come September. One way he can improve this roster is by making a phone call to AFC North and cross-state rival Cincinnati to inquire about wide receiver Tee Higgins and EDGE rusher Trey Hendrickson.

A trade for either superstar player is highly unlikely, but you never know. While it's highly doubtful to happen, everybody has a price — shout out the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase — and you cannot score if you don't shoot. The Bengals would likely hang up the phone immediately, but Berry should still dial the number.

Higgins has been seeking a new deal since last offseason and publicly requested a trade this year. He will play the 2024 season on the franchise tag, barring a deal gets done to ship him elsewhere. He has been productive since arriving in the league in 2020, catching 257 passes for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. Imagine him lining up with Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy. Sheesh!

Hendrickson also requested a trade last week, but he still has two years remaining on his current contract, but none of it is guaranteed. Cincy head coach Zac Taylor said Hendrickson will play for the Bengals in 2024.

If the Browns were able to pull off a trade for Hendrickson, they would have him on the opposite side of the defensive line, with Myles Garrett patrolling the other end. That would be a lethal combination and make life a lot harder for Joe Burrow. That alone is likely the main ingredient to saying no to this deal.

Outside of the NFL Draft, interdivisional trades are a rare occurrence, but Berry should absolutely call and gauge the price it would take to land one of these superstar players.

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