The Browns’ 3-1 start has them thinking a little differently now. Instead of staring up at the top of the draft order, Cleveland is starting to look like a team that could be shopping at the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
And Week 5 could give them a firsthand look at one of the names worth monitoring.
The opponent is the New York Jets, a team that looks to be wobbling toward another rough season. If that slide continues, the Jets could wind up dealing away some veterans for draft capital, and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips is the kind of player who could land on Cleveland’s radar.
Phillips checks a few boxes the Browns need right now. Cleveland’s defensive line remains a problem area, and with Mason Graham on the mend, the team may need help that can stabilize things quickly. Phillips is on an expiring contract, and the source material suggests he would not cost much in a trade.
He also brings exactly one thing at a high level: run defense. Phillips has built a near decade-long NFL career on stopping the run, and he has started every game since the beginning of the 2022 season. Even on Jets teams that have struggled, he has stayed steady.
That sort of reliability could matter in Cleveland. Phillips would not be asked to handle passing downs, and that might suit everyone involved.
But he is more than just a body in the middle. His ability to stop the run both near the line and as a bigger end in a 3-4 setup would give defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg some flexibility with where to line him up.
There is also a simple reason New York might consider moving him. The Jets’ defensive line already has several run-stuffers in the same mold, and Phillips does not bring much pass rush. With little reason to think he fits into their plans beyond 2026, the logic becomes straightforward: why let him walk for nothing?
For Cleveland, the appeal goes beyond the short-term fix. The Browns are expected to use one of their top three picks in the 2027 NFL Draft on the defensive line, and Phillips could serve as a bridge while also bringing the kind of veteran presence teams value.
So even if Sunday’s result doesn’t settle anything, Phillips’ profile is the sort that should keep him on the Browns’ list if New York keeps trending in the wrong direction. If Andrew Berry wants to get ahead of the market, he may have a name to circle after Week 5.
In Other News...
Browns Defense Suddenly Has A New Problem Ahead Of Jets Game
The Browns defense got a fresh dose of uncertainty this week when the teams Week 5 injury report landed ahead of Sundays matchup with the Jets. Defensive tackle Mason Graham is dealing with an MCL and ankle sprain, while defensive end Derek Barnett is also on the report with an ankle injury, giving Clevelands front another reason to monitor practice closely as the week unfolds.
Safety Grant Delpit was limited because of a shoulder issue, adding to the sense that this unit may not be at full strength when it needs to be. Dillon Gabriel has been cleared to return but is still waiting on a roster spot, while wide receiver Tylan Wallace sat out practice with a knee injury, leaving a few moving parts for Cleveland to sort through before game day. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bears QB Turned A Terrifying Health Scare Into A New Mission
Connor Shaws life changed in an instant during a youth flag football game in September 2025, when the former NFL quarterback and ex-Bears signal-caller suffered sudden cardiac arrest while coaching his son. He was saved by quick CPR from bystanders and medics using an automated external defibrillator, then later had a heart monitoring device implanted as he continued to recover from the scare.
Now Shaw is turning that frightening experience into a broader push for preparedness through HRTHUDL, the nonprofit he founded to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest, teach CPR and help get AEDs into communities in South Carolina. For anyone around football, especially youth sports, it is the kind of reminder that the most important play can happen long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Need An Early Trade To Fix A Growing Problem Up Front
The Browns have been able to lean on a 3-1 start, but the front of the defense already looks like a spot that could force an adjustment sooner rather than later. Injuries have thinned the defensive line and left the staff weighing how much it can ask from player development alone while the season is still young, a tricky balance for a team trying to stay in the mix in the AFC.
Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jonathan Allen are among the names being floated as possible answers, and each would come with a different cost in draft capital and contract planning. Clevelands roster situation makes the search even more complicated, because any move meant to stabilize the line now would have to fit both the short-term push and whatever long-term picture the Browns are trying to preserve. [Read more 🡒]