The Browns Should Treat the Trade Deadline like the Guardians

Andrew Berry loves to make a deal.

Look no further than this summer, when he pulled off one of the biggest deals of his tenure as Cleveland Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations and one of the biggest in NFL history, trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl DE Jared Verse and a haul of future picks. 

That's just one of many moves he's made. Some of them good, some of them bad, but the bottom line with Berry is that he's never been shy about making moves to help Cleveland's roster, both in the short and long term. 

He'll be faced with an opportunity to do that again on Tuesday, when the NFL trade deadline officially arrives. 

It was hard to imagine anyone would be talking about the Browns as buyers going into Week 9 of the season. At 5-3, though, success has arrived sooner than many expected as they sit comfortably in the playoff picture at the moment.

However, as Berry mulls over what to do with his team's largely unexpected start to the season, he does need to keep in mind the timeline of his team. Which is exactly why he should be treating this deadline like another team in town.

Yes, Berry and the Browns should be like the Cleveland Guardians. 

Think about it. The Guardians are a team known for winning in the margins by maximizing windows with controllable players and making moves that provide both short term and long-term impact. When Chris Antonetti and company make deals at the MLB trade deadline, they're often for players who can address an immediate need but also factor into their future plans. 

That's a little harder to pull off in football without arbitration years built into contracts, but not impossible. The general idea is that even if the Browns acquire a player on an expiring deal, it should be one that they're inclined to re-sign and keep around as they leap into their next window of contention.

Cleveland also needs to keep in mind the level of draft capital it's willing to part with. The higher-end picks, like those in the Verse trade are considered valuable assets in completing the rebuild it's currently in. 

And so, forget about the Khalil Macks of the world. Players with bloated contracts in their mid 30s, who are a better fit for teams in the peak of their Super Bowl window, who need those one or two pieces to put them over the top. He seems a perfect option for say, the Buffalo Bills. 

For the Browns, a player like YaYa Diaby of the Buccaneers makes more sense if they're looking for an edge. Now his injury complicates things, but he's on the last year of his rookie deal but could be retained next offseason as a 28-year-old. Jermaine Johnson Jr. of the Titans is in a similar situation, if he becomes available. 

One of Cleveland's other big needs is a number two tight end, who can compliment Harold Fannin Jr. as a blocker. 27-year-old Charlie Kolar, who has history with Todd Monken from their time together in Baltimore, could be an option. He's in the first year of a three-year, $24.3 million contract with the sinking ship that is the LA Chargers, and the Browns had some interest in signing him this offseaon. 

Luke Schoonmaker of the Dallas Cowboys is a cheaper, less expensive option the Browns could consider at the position, as well. He has a base salary of $1.6 million, some of which has already been paid out at this point of the season. 

That's not to say Berry won't add a one-year rental without the longer-term vision behind it. Cleveland continues to be linked to 33-year-old edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who visited with the franchise in training camp but ultimately signed a one-year $5.5 million deal with the Houston Texans. What's left of his nominal $2.5 million base wouldn't be too much to take on if necessary. That's just not the Guardians style move that team brass should be considering.

Everything Berry has done over the last two years has been in the name of building this roster for 2027 and beyond. That shouldn't stop at the deadline simply because the Browns are a bit ahead of schedule at the moment. 

The goal for Berry now is to thread the needle on a move that impacts both the present and the future for the franchise, much like Cleveland's comrades who play on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.