The Cleveland Browns picked up a huge victory on Monday Night Football over the Cincinnati Bengals, pushing their record to 3-5 on the season. That win likely saved their season and decided which side of the coin they will be on with the trade deadline being set for this afternoon. Might they look to acquire an intriguing defensive piece from the Las Vegas Raiders?
Had they lost that game, they would have almost certainly been sellers, looking to recoup some of the draft capital that it cost them to acquire Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans in the offseason. But, since they won, they could look to make some upgrades on the roster.
Armed with the most cap space in the NFL, as the Browns currently have $34.6 million they could spend, they can be semi-aggressive on the trade market. If there is a player available that the Browns believe can help push them closer to the playoff picture, they are one of the few teams that don’t have to worry about money and salary cap implications.
But, they should also keep their expectations in check. 3-5 is still a sizable hole to climb out of, but there is likely some optimism after they defeated the Bengals in the manner that they did. So, why not make a move that could help them for the remainder of this season and into the future?
One suggested trade target for Cleveland is Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman, Clelin Ferrell. The football world was shocked when the Raiders selected Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He has failed to live up to those expectations and the Raiders were bailed out by nabbing Maxx Crosby in the third round of that draft.
Ferrell had his fifth-year option declined by the new regime of Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, which wasn’t surprising at all. That provides the Browns with a buy-low opportunity ahead of the deadline.
Las Vegas would likely be happy about getting anything back in return for Ferrell. Cleveland should offer a Day 3 pick as they have an extra fourth-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft and a fifth and seventh-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft. The highest Cleveland should go is a fifth-round pick to kick the tires on Ferrell, who is set to be a free agent in 2023.
Ferrell is playing a part-time role with the Raiders this season and his sack total has decreased each season he has been in the NFL. It shouldn’t cost much at all to acquire him but the Browns would get an early look at him before free agency to see if he could succeed in their system and become a long-term complement to Myles Garrett.
