There was a time when Pittsburgh Steelers fans were hell-bent on proving that T.J. Watt was a better player than Myles Garrett. Time ultimately put everything in its place, with Garrett taking the crown as the best defensive player of his generation.
That said, T.J. Watt is still a very good player. Having him in the division is a concern, and watching him pursue greener pastures somewhere else would obviously be a huge win for Todd Monken and company.
Considering that, the Browns certainly hope that Gary Davenport's latest mock draft comes to fruition. In his latest column, the Bleacher Report writer predicted the San Francisco 49ers could acquire Watt and a 2027 third-round pick in return for a 2027 first-rounder.
The AFC North could be up for grabs with a T.J. Watt trade
While Davenport acknowledged that Watt's steep salary and cap hit make him a tough asset to move, he also thinks the Niners will be willing to make things work after watching so many of their stars suffer major injuries:
"The San Francisco 49ers could be one of those teams—the Niners are in win-now mode, were dead last in the league in sacks last year and the team's top two pass-rushers are both returning from ACL tears," Davenport wrote.
The AFC North is one of the most intriguing divisions in the league right now. Three teams will have new head coaches, and Zac Robinson should be on the hot seat if the Cincinnati Bengals get off to another slow start to the season.
Oddsmakers and experts are often reluctant to give the Browns much of a chance, but that shouldn't be the case. They already have an elite defense, and they just need to add the right pieces on the other side of the field. Moving on from Kevin Stefanski was a solid first step in that direction.
The Steelers are long overdue for a rebuild. They refuse to get back to the drawing board, but hovering around .500 football isn't good enough. Now, with Mike McCarthy taking the reins from Mike Tomlin, the tide can finally shift in the Browns' favor.
There are levels to everything. Watt will probably also be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, just like Garrett. However, with all the outside noise and trade buzz he's been involved in for the past couple of years, he might not be a Browns problem for much longer.