Browns Trade Deadline Plans Ride On One Major Factor

The Cleveland Browns may not know what they will be doing at the NFL trade deadline just yet.

Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) celebrates during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns have already traded wide receiver Amari Cooper, so the general consensus is that they will be offloading more players before the NFL trade deadline.

But is it possible the Browns could have other plans?

Jared Mueller of Dawgs By Nature explores an alternative scenario where Cleveland wins its Week 9 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers to improve to 3-6 and then decides to hold...or potentially even buy.

"A Week 9 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, who currently hold the seventh seed, could lead Cleveland’s front office to either stand pat or even look to add to the team despite what would be a 3-6 record," Mueller wrote.

Mueller cites the 2022 campaign as an example, where the Browns were 2-5 but then defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, completely altering their deadline strategy. Cleveland ultimately ended up going 7-10 and missing the playoffs, but there is a precedent here.

Of course, whether or not going all in would actually be the best idea for the Browns is debatable.

Cleveland just snapped a five-game losing streak and has been experiencing a myriad of issues on both sides of the ball. Yes, the offense appears to look better with Jameis Winston handling snaps rather than Deshaun Watson, but are the Browns really good enough to climb out of this hole?

Cleveland also has several players who would command rather significant value on the trade market, so it may be wise to jettison some more pieces before Nov. 5.

If the Browns lose to the Chargers this Sunday, it should make their decision a whole lot easier.