Browns Trade Pitch Nets 1,000-Yard Rusher from AFC Rival

Getty Running back Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots.

The Cleveland Browns are looking for veteran offensive linemen ahead of the trade deadline and a difference-making running back should be on their list as well.

Benjamin Solak of The Ringer appeared on the Wednesday, October 11 edition of The Bill Simmons Podcast and suggested that New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is a strong candidate for the trade block.

I was a big Rhamondre fan entering the season. He’s underperformed and he still might be their best offensive weapon.

Rhamondre is very high on the list of players that I’d be calling about right now if I were a GM at the trade deadline. I’m just gonna call the Patriots and be like, “Hey, if you guys just don’t like him for whatever reason and it’s like an attitude thing and there’s a vibes are off thing, I’m very interested in Austin Ekeler, but make him bigger. I’m curious about [that]. I would like to acquire that.

So Rhamondre, I’ll be curious if we get trade deadline smoke over the next few weeks.

If there is any smoke the Browns should be among the teams building the fire, as the team has struggled mightily to move the ball on the ground since running back Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.

Cleveland has amassed just 171 rushing yards over its last two contests (85.5 yards per game), including only 145 total from its three running backs — Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr.

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson Has Taken Step Back this Season

GettyNew England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is a strong trade candidate ahead of the NFL’s October 31 deadline.

Stevenson has unquestionably taken a step back in 2023, his third professional season, after the Patriots selected him out of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft (No. 120 overall).

“I have no explanation for Rhamondre,” Simmons said. “He was awesome last year, he’s been terrible this year.”

Stevenson put up 1,040 rushing yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 5 touchdowns last season while also catching 69 passes for 421 yards and a score, per Pro Football Reference. The running back has gained just 188 yards (2.8 yards per attempt) through five starts in 2023.

Solak suggested that a big part of the problem is everything around Stevenson — and by everything, he meant the whole lot of nothing the coaching staff has assembled on offense over the past couple years.

“It’s so, so, so dreadful,” Solak said. “A Patriots turnaround would be no short of stunning to me this season.”

Simmons and Solak went on to suggest that the exceedingly poor year New England has produced could provide owner Robert Kraft with the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over — parting ways with head coach Bill Belichick and the rest of his coaching staff, as well as quarterback Mac Jones, and ushering in a new era of Patriots football in 2022.

If that proves to be the case, a fire sale ahead of the looming trade deadline makes all the more sense.

Rhamondre Stevenson Good Match for Cleveland Browns

GettyNew England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

Stevenson makes sense for the Browns for myriad reasons.

First and foremost, the 25-year-old represents a significant talent upgrade over any running back on Cleveland’s roster.

Secondly, he is playing in the third season of a four-year rookie deal worth only $4.2 million in total. That means the Browns would control his contract through next season, lining it up to end at the same time as Chubb’s.

Stevenson’s salary cap number is less than $1.25 million in 2024 and will be easy for Cleveland to hold onto despite the relative cap hell that will accompany QB Deshaun Watson’s jump to an annual hit of $64 million between 2024-26. The Browns can decide after next year whether to re-up with Chubb at a high number heading into his age-29 season or pay Stevenson less and feature him as the primary running back for the remainder of the Watson window.

Finally, Cleveland’s offensive identity has long been wrapped up in its running game and the team has had relative success over the last four years by pairing Chubb with Hunt in the backfield and attacking opposing defenses with a two-pronged attack. Stevenson represents the same opportunity in 2024, when the Browns will be vying for a Super Bowl, and potentially beyond if the franchise decides to try and extend both he and Chubb on multiyear deals.