Getty Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
The Cleveland Browns have designs on competing for a Super Bowl this season, and the front office can see the writing on the wall five weeks into the campaign.
Losing Nick Chubb for the year was a catastrophic blow, but the defense is among the better units in the league and there are enough weapons on offense for Cleveland to remain competitive if it can protect QB Deshaun Watson and keep him healthy moving forward.
Doing so will require an upgrade or two along the offensive line, with a specific focus on left tackle — where Jedrick Wills Jr. has been among the worst players in the NFL at the position, per Pro Football Focus.
Brad Stainbrook of OBR and 247 Sports reported on Tuesday that the Browns intend to look hard at moves for veteran linemen ahead of the league’s October 31 trade deadline.
The #Browns are expected to gauge the trade market for experienced offensive linemen, per a league source.
“The #Browns are expected to gauge the trade market for experienced offensive linemen, per a league source,” Stainbrook posted to X.
Browns Aren’t Rushing to Add Help to Offensive Line
GettyCleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry is expected to pursue a trade for a veteran offensive lineman ahead of the 2023 deadline.
General manager Andrew Berry spoke to how the Browns are approaching the trade deadline during a press conference held on October 4 over the team’s bye week.
“Number one, I actually don’t think the trade deadline — I wouldn’t categorize it as being soon, necessarily,” Berry said. “We’ll always be active in the trade market. If there’s something that makes sense, we’ll pursue it. But I’m pretty aggressive and I like roster movement. But honestly, it’s probably pretty early across the league to comment in that regard.”
Nearly a week has passed since Berry’s comments and the undefeated San Francisco 49ers are waiting for the Browns upon their return to action. Moving sooner than later to shore up the offensive line is advisable, though a trade at this point probably wouldn’t bring in a player ready to contribute in Sunday’s matchup with just four days of preparation time.
Beating the Niners will be a tall order no matter who is on the Browns’ roster. Following that game, Cleveland plays three of the next four weeks on the road against quality competition in tough environments, including the Indianapolis Colts (3-2), Seattle Seahawks (3-1) and Baltimore Ravens (3-2).
The Browns would do well to aggressively pursue an upgrade at left tackle so whoever that player is can be available for the aforementioned road stretch.
Broncos LT Garett Bolles Among Potential Browns’ Trade Targets
GettyLeft tackle Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos is a potential trade target of the Cleveland Browns.
Precisely who the Browns can target is hard to say, though a popular potential option is former All-Pro Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos are 1-4 and with a road contest against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs looming Thursday night. Coming off a short week, Denver is a 10.5-point underdog in the game as of Tuesday, per Draft Kings Sportsbook.
Bolles is playing in the third season of a four-year, $68 million deal, which makes little sense for the Broncos to continue carrying if their season is a wash less than halfway through the campaign. Denver can save the pro-rated amount of $13.8 million against its 2023 salary cap and $16 million in 2024 by moving Bolles ahead of the deadline, per Over The Cap.
Meanwhile, the Browns have nearly $34.5 million in space and will have Bolles under contract through 2024 if they can execute a trade, shoring up the left side of the line for at least the next two seasons.