Browns Made Major Mistake At NFL Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Browns made some rather head-scratching decisions at the NFL trade deadline.

Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) smiles during warm ups before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and the Cleveland Browns made just one trade: sending edge rusher Za'Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions.

Everyone expected Smith to be dealt, but there were numerous other Browns players that could have been on the move, as well. David Njoku, Greg Newsome, Elijah Moore, Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris, to name a few.

Yet, Cleveland largely decided to hold firm for whatever reason.

Obviously, we don't know all the ins and outs of trade discussions. Browns general manager Andrew Berry was surely working the phones, and perhaps he simply did not like what he was hearing.

But are you saying that no teams were willing to give Cleveland anything of consequence for any of the players that could have been traded?

Seems like a miss to me.

The Browns are just 2-7. They aren't going anywhere this year, and it may be time to accept the fact that a quasi-rebuild is needed.

Does Cleveland need to blow everything up and trade Myles Garrett? No, but you would think that moving pieces like Newsome, Moore and Tomlinson would have been pretty clear moves that the Browns should have made.

Newsome was involved in trade speculation during the early stages of the offseason. Moore is headed for free agency and hasn't exactly endeared himself to the team since arriving in 2023. Tomlinson is a good player, but he is due to make $13 million in both 2025 and 2026 and is very replaceable.

Cleveland could have made a move somewhere there. Instead, the Browns opted to jettison Smith and call it a day.

When Cleveland traded Amari Cooper last month, it seemed to signal that an overhaul was coming. But apparently, that wasn't the case.

Again, no one knows the exact dynamics of what went on in Berry's office on Tuesday. That being said, it's hard to examine the Browns' deadline decisions and come away feeling good with what the club accomplished.

A fifth-round pick in exchange for Smith and a seventh-rounder? That's the best Cleveland could do?

It feels a bit underwhelming.

Maybe the Browns have a grand plan for the offseason. Or maybe they just made a major mistake.