The Cleveland Browns ended up making one trade ahead of the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline. They sent wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Detroit Lions in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
But, had the Browns had their way, a second deal would have gotten done. According to Jon Sabol of Fox8News in Cleveland, the team attempted to bring back a familiar face ahead of the deadline.
Before the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday, the Browns made an offer to the Washington Commanders for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Cleveland offered a sixth-round pick in exchange for their backup quarterback, but the offer was declined.
The Browns’ decision to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans last offseason has not provided the results they were hoping for. The issues were compounded by him receiving the largest contract in NFL history, which he hasn’t come close to living up to expectations.
With Watson not battling a shoulder injury, Cleveland has had to turn to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker to start games. They are in that position because they traded Josh Dobbs to the Arizona Cardinals right before the regular season began.
That is a move the franchise certainly wishes they could hit the reset button on. Brissett was dead-set on leaving Cleveland this offseason because he wanted the chance to compete for a starting job. He had a better chance of unseating Sam Howell with the Commanders than Watson with the Browns.
This is a tough predicament for the Browns, as they have a championship-caliber defense but are rudderless currently on offense. Landing Brissett would have been a nice addition for the team, but they are going to have to figure things out with Walker until Watson can get his shoulder issue fixed.
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