A big deal shocked the NFL almost four years ago to the day. Could the Browns do something similar?
The Cleveland Browns are going to leave no stone unturned in their search for a quarterback in the coming days and weeks. The work has already begun as the Browns reportedly met with Shedeur Sanders at the Shrine Bowl over the weekend.
While the draft and free agency will provide possible solutions, the team must also explore all viable trade options before March. Every year, we see surprise trades of quarterbacks that everyone assumed would be back for their teams.
If the Browns want to get a head start and secure a quarterback that could potentially excite the locker room and fanbase, then that move could effectively happen anytime. While a trade can’t be made official until the first day of the new league year, they can be agreed to in principle.
Look no further to one of the biggest trades in recent memory almost four years ago to the day. On January 30th, 2021, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions shocked the entire NFL by agreeing to the Matt Stafford for Jared Goff deal.
The Lions received two first-round picks along with Goff in a trade that would shift the landscape of the league. The deal was made official nearly two months later on March 18th of that year.
While it’s not likely, it is possible for Cleveland to pull off a similar move in the coming days or weeks. One caveat to any such deal would be the Browns having the second overall pick in the draft.
A team trying to move up for a quarterback, such as the New York Giants, would be less likely to trade up if the Browns find theirs sooner. It’s vital for Cleveland to appear they want either Sanders or Cam Ward in the draft to drive trade value for the pick.
Ironically, Stafford may be available again as rumors have swirled about his future despite letting it be known that he intends to play next year. He wouldn’t get the return that the Rams paid four years ago, and there aren’t any scenarios one could anticipate the Browns trading away that 2nd overall selection.
The odds of being able to trade for JJ McCarthy have decreased in the last month but until Minnesota lets Sam Darnold leave in free agency, he can’t be counted out. Perhaps a trade for a quarterback like Geno Smith or Malik Willis is a possibility as well.
The contracts of Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr make acquiring them via a trade unlikely unless those are reworked prior to any deal. Again, we are most likely looking at a long offseason but the possibility does exist.
What route would you like the Browns to take at QB? Do any of these trade candidates get you excited? Let us know in the comments below.