Selling – Browns Trade Candidates
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday and with the Browns struggling to get a win, you can’t help but speculate. Are the Browns going to be buyers or sellers at the deadline? Around this time last year, the Browns made a surprising deal to acquire Jamie Collins from New England despite being winless at the time. Cleveland is in familiar territory as the deadline approaches, but I have a feeling they may be selling this time around, so let’s look at some potential trade assets Cleveland might part ways with.
Isaiah Crowell
It was anticipated by many that he was going to be the workhorse of the offense and as many of you guys know, that hasn’t panned out. In eight games, Crowell has only 102 rushes for just 351 yards. The production is there, but the usage isn’t. Not when you constantly fall behind in games. He is easily coming off his most productive game of the year with 64 rushing yards and 54 receiving. Showcasing his dual-threat ability could make Isaiah an interesting asset. He will be a free agent when the season ends, so he could be a nice one-year rental for a team trying to make a playoff push like the Washington Redskins. Crowell would be nice insurance for Rob Kelley who has trouble staying healthy. Or even a team like the Seahawks, who despite a winning record, are struggling to find a running game. Eddie Lacy has been dreadful, Thomas Rawls showed promised last year, but looks like he has regressed and an inexperienced J.D. McKissic who has nine touches on the year.
A move like this would give more opportunities for a dynamic player like Duke Johnson to work his magic, which could be good for the Browns disappointing offense. However, Duke is currently is concussion protocol so this situation has to be monitored.
Kenny Britt
Another candidate who had high expectations and has been nothing but a disappointment. He signed a four-year deal worth $32.5 million to replace the recently departed Terrelle Pryor and has clearly underperformed. Britt has just 10 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Part of the blame is having a rookie quarterback, but he has had his fair share of dropped passes.
The receiver missed a few games due to injury, so I can’t hold that against him, but showing up past curfew is not acceptable for a nine-year veteran. Britt also seems to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, a sign I got from his benching for the Vikings game in London. He has proven he can be productive in the past so he could certainly help a team with a weak receiving group.
Teams like the Ravens (4-4) or the Bills (5-2) who are sitting in second place in their division and could use a boost in the offense should look to trade for Britt. Buffalo could use a receiving weapon because Jordan Matthews and rookie Zay Jones haven’t worked out. Baltimore is just plagued with injuries. Jeremy Maclin has been hurt although he played on Sunday. Now, Mike Wallace is sidelined. The Ravens could use some insurance if they hope to secure a playoff spot. Which makes me bring up the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) who got off to a hot start, but has cooled down since. Their offense struggled to muster up points versus the Steelers and their defense couldn’t hold off a high-flying Raider offense. The Chiefs intend to make a run to the Super Bowl and have multiple pieces in place for success. They have a veteran quarterback who protects the ball and a rookie running back who is a dual threat and a young versatile receiver with big-play ability. The Chiefs could use a reliable (usually) receiver like Kenny Britt. He would sure up their depth chart and give them another weapon to a dangerous offensive unit.
I believe these two legit candidates that could be gone as the trade deadline nears. Isaiah Crowell will likely remain a Brown while Kenny Britt is probably on the outs.
Follow the author: @CST_Max_Gold
About Author
