Browns GM John Dorsey got in on the first wave of the NFL trade waters, dealing offensive lineman Austin Corbett to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2021 fifth-round draft pick. There are more waves to surf before the Oct. 29 trade deadline, and if Dorsey wants to grab his board and get gnarly, here are four possible, completely hypothetical deals he can try to hang on the NFL.
Trading for Washington left tackle Trent Williams
The Redskins continue to insist they are not interested in trading Williams. The Jacksonville Jaguars said that about Jalen Ramsey for weeks before they dealt him to the Rams, too.
Various reports, including one this week from Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository, have linked the Browns to being players for Williams. Nothing has happened yet, but it makes sense for Dorsey to at least call Redskins counterpart Bruce Allen and see what he wants in return for Williams.
The seven-time Pro Bowler is currently holding out, dissatisfied with both his contract and the state of the Skins. He’s had injury issues and at 31 isn’t likely to be a long-term solution. But big No. 71 has consistently been one of the league’s top all-around left tackles of the last decade. Offering a player like WR Antonio Callaway or DE Genard Avery, packaged with a Day 2 draft pick, probably isn’t enough to satisfy the Skins. But Dorsey knows the first rule of sales,
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
Trade Genard Avery to the Jets
This is one I do not advocate doing, but the possibility of trading Avery needs to at least be mentioned.
The second-year pass rusher cannot get onto the field in Cleveland. He’s been fully passed on the depth chart as the top reserve LDE by Chad Thomas, and Thomas was taken two rounds earlier in the same draft. They’re both behind Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon, and veteran Chris Smith, too.
Avery showed as a rookie he can rush the passer. He also showed he can’t really do anything else, from coverage to playing the run. He doesn’t have the agility or movement skills to play as a stand-up linebacker. That’s a problem when it comes to getting on the field with the Browns.
The Jets don’t have so many obstacles in his path. New York has one of the lowest defensive sack and pressure rates and a need for more youthful infusion. Other teams would likely have interest in Avery as well, but the return is probably nothing more than a conditional pick. As stated above, I’d keep Avery, but it’s not my decision to make.
Trading for Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard
Howard is not getting the opportunities in the passing game commensurate with his high-ceiling talent. New Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians doesn’t utilize pass-catching tight ends as feature pieces in his offense.
A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2017, Howard caught 60 passes and scored 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons. His career 16.6 yards per reception accurately reflects his ability to stretch the field with his 4.5 speed and quickness off the line.
Why deal for him, if he’s even available? With David Njoku on injured reserve, the Browns lack a true threat at TE. Ricky Seals-Jones has shown some potential, but he’s not capable of what Howard can do consistently. Howard is also a significant upgrade as a blocker over any TE currently on the roster.
Tampa Bay would require a hefty return to give up Howard. A package involving Genard Avery and perhaps Seals-Jones, whose head coach was Arians a rookie in Arizona, will tempt Tampa enough to deal him. Or perhaps something real radical is in order: trade Njoku for him.
Trade WR Antonio Callaway
Once Rashard Higgins returns to full speed, Callaway drops back to the No. 4 WR role. He proved in Week 5 he cannot offer more than a very limited, specific role in the Browns offense.
Finding a trade partner for a player with Callaway’s substance-abuse suspension and arrest history could be difficult. In that vein, he’s probably worth more to the Browns as a part-time deep threat and backup return specialist than he would be to another team. However, a WR-needy team like the Jets or Packers could have some interest in the second-year speedster.
