The Cleveland Browns were bounced in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs last season, but have since gotten out to a 1-5 start in 2024. The metaphorical hole, out of which they must climb, is too deep and that has many contemplating the future. The first public acknowledgement of that truth by the front office was essentially delivered this week when veteran Amari Cooper was traded to Buffalo in exchange for draft compensation.
Is this the first of multiple moves by Cleveland or a one-time deal? Here are other candidates who could be traded on the roster:
1. WR Elijah Moore
Moore, 24, is in the final year of his contract and his second season with the Browns since being acquired from the Jets, along with a third-round pick, in exchange for a second-round pick. Moderately productive a year ago, despite playing with four different quarterbacks, Moore has yet to eclipse 100 receiving yards on 16 receptions in 2024. The Ole Miss product has been productive post-catch, but has been used sparingly in field-stretching situations.
Moore could be a potential fit for a contender looking for another outlet in the pass game, like the Cowboys, Commanders or Chiefs.
2. OT Jedrick Wills
Wills has not lived up to expectation and, more recently, has struggled with injuries. The former first-round pick is in the final year of his rookie contract and could be an asset on a team looking for a short-term fix or wanting a longer look at a potential free agent. Teams that immediately come to mind are the Commanders and Giants, who lost starting left tackle Andrew Thomas for the season this week. Washington has plugged rookie Brandon Coleman in at left tackle, but could allow Wills to play right tackle, which he had done at Alabama. Wills was taken six picks after Thomas in the 2020 NFL Draft.
3. DT Quinton Jefferson
Cleveland is probably locked into two defensive tackles: Dalvin Tomlinson and Mike Hall Jr. The rest of the roster is open to negotiation, including veterans Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst, who was activated from injured reserve a week ago. The interior defenders have been productive players throughout their respective careers.
Jefferson has one sack on the year and 27.5 in his career. The 31-year-old is in the final year of his contract, as is Hurst.
The Vikings and Chargers are two teams that could look to add a veteran to bolster that area of the roster. There is familiarity between Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was in Cleveland from 2020-2021, and Browns GM Andrew Berry.
4. EDGE Za'Darius Smith
Smith and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo are not free agents until after the 2025 season. The deals for Smith and Okoronkwo are structured in a way that the two would count more against the 2025 salary cap if they were not on the roster than they would if they are still on the roster. Cleveland has pushed a lot of guaranteed money to the future in order to maintain more salary cap flexibility in the present; a genius strategy if the organization had a surplus of cash on hand and was in a position to compete for the Super Bowl. As it were, any potential deal is met with a need to make it worth the Browns' while. Any acquiring team would theoretically need to pay a steeper price -- ie. draft compensation -- in exchange for a contributing player at a low 2024 financial cost.
Atlanta and Detroit are two franchises that could find themselves motivated enough to sniff around their potential availability.
5. S Juan Thornhill
Thornhill is likely in his final season with the Browns one way or another. He has one of the few deals that was not kicked down the road, so the franchise saves roughly $7 million toward the salary cap if he is cut or traded during the offseason. Thornhill only recently returned from injury, but was a contributor on a Super Bowl-winning team and could be once again.
Buffalo and Washington are two organizations that could be interested if Thornhill is made available. The Bills, as noted, have already completed one deal with the Browns.
