The Cleveland Browns came into the 2024 NFL season thinking they could reach the trade deadline as potential buyers looking to improve a roster that was building off a 2023 season in which they won 11 games and went to the playoffs . That hasn't been the case at all. They instead have stumbled out of the gate with just one win over the first month-and-a-half of the season . That has turned them from buyers to likely sellers right up until the trade deadline. So what moves have the Browns already made, even before deadline, and what are the ones they potentially could make? Follow along here up to the deadline at 4 p.m. Nov. 5.
The Browns made their first move less than a month before the actual deadline, sending No. 1 wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 15. Cooper was on the final year of his contract and was clearly struggling to connect with quarterback Deshaun Watson over the first six games of the season. The move recouped a day-two draft pick, which the Browns needed to accelerate any potential rebuild they might attempt in the next several months (or years).
ZA'DARIUS SMITH, DE:Smith's name has been prominently bantered about as the No. 1 option to be the next Browns player traded. The 32-year-old went into the Week 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens with three sacks. A team like the Detroit Lions , who lost star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a knee injury, could be a prime destination for Smith.
DALVIN TOMLINSON , DT: Tomlinson is another veteran who could be a valuable contributor to a contender. He has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, which still has two years remaining. Although Tomlinson missed training camp after a knee scope, he has come back and performed well on the defensive line. A team looking for an impact defensive tackle who can pressure the quarterback, which is pretty much any contender, is a potential landing stop.
RODNEY MCLEOD , S:McLeod has already said this will be his final season in the league. He has been a model player in his year-plus in Cleveland, and is one of the most respected players in the locker room. If the Browns wanted to potentially do good with a veteran — not that McLeod has asked to be traded — they could get him on a Super Bowl contender that needs safety help.
GREG NEWSOME II , CB:Newsome's name has been a constant one in the trade rumor mill for at least two years now. The 2021 first-round draft pick still has another year left on his contract after the Browns picked up his fifth-year option in March. However, Cleveland is facing big questions about the amount of money it's going to pay its cornerbacks, with Pro Bowler Denzel Ward already under contract through 2027 and third-year pro Martin Emerson Jr., like Newsome, going to be a free agent after next season. The question may be about how much they could get in return, and if this would be a move that makes more sense and getting more back during the offseason.
ELIJAH MOORE , WR:Now that Cooper is in Buffalo, Moore's 22 catches are second most among the remaining Browns wide receivers. However, those 22 catches have only gone for 136 yards and no touchdowns. Moore is in the final year of his rookie contract, which the Browns took on when they acquired him in a 2023 trade with the New York Jets . This may be a case of simply moving someone older to free up snaps for a younger player, like the trade Cleveland did a year ago with Detroit that sent wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Lions.
There's always going to be talk about the possibility of All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett being a potential trade target. There's no one on the Browns roster who would generate more in return than the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. It would be the kind of move that could accelerate a potential rebuild because of the high picks likely available. However, it would also be the kind of move that could alienate the fanbase to an extreme that even this organization hasn't done before. Garrett is in his prime and arguably the most talented player the Browns have had since legendary Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown. Dealing him away could be the final straw for even the most ardent Browns fans. As for Garrett, he made his point very clear Friday when he told reporters, "I'll be playing here."
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 5. This is the first season in which the deadline was moved back to Week 10 from its original Week 9 spot. The rule change was voted on last March at the NFL Owners Meetings in Orlando, Florida.
There can be no trades after 4 p.m. Nov. 5.
Cleveland has eight picks in next April's draft. They have their own picks in these rounds:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 6
The Browns have also acquired picks through three different trades over the last two years. That includes deals with Buffalo (Cooper), the Minnesota Vikings (Za'Darius Smith) and the Chicago Bears (Chris Williams).
Those trades have given them picks in the following rounds:
Round 3 (from Buffalo)
Round 6 (from Minnesota)
Round 6 (from Chicago)
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns NFL trade rumors: Latest news, updates entering deadline
