Patriots, Browns Should Hook Up for Major CB Trade

The New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns make perfect sense as trade partners heading into the NFL offseason.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) reacts to a third down stop during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Browns defeated the Jaguars 18-13. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Most of the New England Patriots' needs are on the offensive side of the ball heading into the NFL offseason. That is common knowledge.

The Patriots need wide receivers, they need offensive line help and they could also probably use another running back.

But one would be remiss to dismiss the issues New England has also had defensively this year, which is why the Pats should also be pursuing some help in that area, as well.

One of the most important aspects of a good defense is having lockdown cornerbacks, and the Patriots already appear to possess an up and coming one in Christian Gonzalez.

But what about the other cornerback slot?

Right now, New England is employing Jonathan Jones as its second corner, but Jones is set to be a free agent. Plus, he is getting older.

The Pats don't exactly have any reliable options behind Jones, so they may need to consider pursuing a trade.

That's why they should place a call to the Cleveland Browns to see if they can find a way to pry three-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward away from Cleveland.

Ward is one of the best cornerbacks in football and could be on his way to making his fourth Pro Bowl this season, as he has already logged 39 tackles, a couple of interceptions and a league-leading 19 passes defense through 14 games.

What's more, he is just 27 years old and is under contract through 2027, so he absolutely fits the Patriots' rebuilding timeline.

A duo of Gonzalez and Ward on the outside would be terrific, and it would give New England one of the better secondaries in all of football (provided that the Pats also address the safety position).

The Browns are just 3-11 this season and are in a miserable financial situation, so it may serve them well to part ways with Ward, recoup some draft capital and clear some money over the next few years.

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