New Browns general manager John Dorsey wasn't finished wheeling and dealing when he made three trades Friday evening to bring quarterback Tyrod Taylor, slot receiver Jarvis Landry and cornerback Damarious Randall to Cleveland.
Dorsey followed those blockbuster moves by agreeing Saturday morning to trade starting defensive tackle and 2015 first-round draft pick Danny Shelton to the New England Patriots, a person a familiar with the deal confirmed for the Beacon Journal/Ohio.com.
The Browns will receive a third-round pick in the 2019 draft from the Patriots in exchange for Shelton and a fifth-round selection in next month's draft, according to ESPN, which first reported the trade.
So the Browns reached agreements on four trades in less than 24 hours. The deals cannot be completed until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday, when teams will also be allowed to start signing unrestricted free agents. Negotiations between clubs and the agents of those players will be permitted beginning Monday.
In the whirlwind of recent trades, the Browns gave up three of their 12 picks in the April 26-28 draft, leaving them with nine. They were the youngest team in the NFL last season, when they went 0-16, after Dorsey's predecessor, Sashi Brown, drafted 24 players the past two years. Dorsey, who was hired Dec. 7, and coach Hue Jackson want to make the roster older this offseason, so adding another dozen rookies via the draft wouldn't mesh with their strategy. Hence trading with the Patriots for a 2019 pick.
Despite Dorsey's maneuvering, the Browns have not surrendered any of their five picks in the first two rounds next month: Nos. 1, 4, 33, 35 and 64 overall. They'll likely draft a quarterback first or fourth overall, even with the arrival of Taylor as a bridge starter.
Shelton, 24, spent the past three seasons with the Browns after they drafted him in the first round (No. 12 overall) out of the University of Washington. He started 45 of the 46 games in which he appeared and compiled 128 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, plus a pass defensed. He didn't force any turnovers.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 335 pounds, Shelton is a natural fit as a 3-4 nose tackle. He played the position his first two seasons with the Browns but had to adjust last season to working on a four-man front after Gregg Williams was hired as defensive coordinator.
Shelton had 33 tackles and helped the run defense improve from 31st out of 32 teams (142.7 rushing yards allowed per game) in 2016 to seventh (97.9) last season. The jump in the rankings was one of the few bright spots for the Browns last season, yet Shelton still is considered a better fit for a 3-4 defense.
Moving Shelton is a nod to the Browns' faith in defensive tackles Larry Ogunjobi, Caleb Brantley and Trevon Coley. Last year, they drafted Ogunjobi and Brantley in the third and sixth rounds, respectively, and Coley started all but one game. The Browns want Ogunjobi's role to increase. Jamie Meder, another part of the interior defensive line rotation, is eligible for restricted free agency and will likely be retained.
Shelton's departure also means none of the 10 players the Browns drafted in the first round from 2009-15 remains with the team. They are Shelton, offensive lineman Cameron Erving (No. 19 overall, 2015), cornerback Justin Gilbert (No. 8, 2014), quarterback Johnny Manziel (No. 22, 2014), linebacker Barkevious Mingo (No. 6, 2013), running back Trent Richardson (No. 3, 2012), quarterback Brandon Weeden (No. 22, 2012), defensive tackle Phil Taylor (No. 21, 2011), cornerback Joe Haden (No. 7, 2010) and center Alex Mack (No. 21, 2009).
Wide receiver Corey Coleman, the 15th overall pick in 2016, faces an uncertain future after suffering a broken hand in each of his first two NFL seasons and failing to meet expectations on and off the field. The arrival of Landry, who led the NFL with 112 catches last season, won't help Coleman's chances of sticking around long term.
The Browns no longer need to decide whether to exercise the fifth-year option on Shelton's rookie contract, but they do face the same decision with Randall because the cornerback is another 2015 first-round choice (drafted 30th overall by the Green Bay Packers). To exercise Randall's fifth-year option, the Browns must give him written notice prior to May 3. He's under contract through next season. If the Browns pick up the option, he would be scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season.
