The Browns have turned their season on its head, and that’s putting them in a spot they probably didn’t expect to be in this time of year: buyers. Sitting in first place in the AFC North, Cleveland can afford to look around the trade market for help, and the clearest area to target is on the edge of the defensive line.
The line as a whole has been productive. Cleveland is second in the NFL with 20 sacks, so this is not a unit begging for rescue.
But if the Browns want that pass rush to reach another level, defensive end is the place to make the move. Jared Verse and Isaiah McGuire are the current starters, with Derek Barnett and Sam Williams behind them after arriving following roster cut downs because of the Alex Wright injury.
Verse entered the season as the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he has not registered a sack yet. McGuire has been steadier in Wright’s absence, posting three sacks after getting the starting nod. That’s a workable setup, but not necessarily a finished one.
One name that has surfaced as a fit is Khalil Mack. He has three sacks in six games this season, is 35 years old, and is in the final year of his contract.
A deal for Mack would likely not require much more than a fourth-round pick, and Cleveland has three of those in 2027. Beyond the production, the appeal is obvious: he brings experience, and this Browns defense has leaders, but it is still an inexperienced group.
Mack has seen every kind of NFL offense, and that kind of perspective matters.
Another possible target is Jermaine Johnson. The Titans are described as a team that should be selling off pieces for draft capital, and Johnson fits that profile.
He has played in every game this season and has three sacks. He is 27, becomes a free agent after the season, and could be available for a late-round pick or even a pick swap in Cleveland’s favor.
If he performs well over the second half, the Browns could try to keep him around on a longer deal.
YaYa Diaby is also in the mix. The Buccaneers may decide to sell, with their season not unfolding the way they expected after extending Baker Mayfield.
Diaby, who is 27, has three sacks this year and 22 career sacks. A third-round pick by Tampa Bay, he is in the final year of his rookie contract and would also be eligible for an extension if the Browns liked what they saw.
What Cleveland really needs off the edge is a player who can help finish plays that start up front. A lot of the pressure has come from the interior, but the Browns could use more help on the outside to keep quarterbacks from slipping away. They also could use a run-stopping end, especially because the run defense has struggled when Grant Delpit or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is not near the line of scrimmage.
The good news for Cleveland is that none of these options should cost a haul. The Browns have the draft capital to work with, and the timing lines up with a roster that has gotten here ahead of schedule. If they want to push this thing forward and make a real run at the division, the edge rusher market is there for them.
In Other News...
Browns Could Find Two Crucial Defensive Upgrades In Colts Sell-Off
The Colts decision to start unloading veteran talent has created a ripple effect around the league, and its the kind of move that naturally puts the Browns on alert. Indianapolis has already sent out Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner as part of a broader rebuild, which opens the door for other names on that roster to surface in trade chatter as teams look for help before the season gets much deeper.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious. The Browns could use upgrades up front and in the secondary, and players such as Stewart and Charvarius Ward fit the kind of profile that would make sense if the Colts keep listening on veterans. Nothing there is confirmed, of course, but once a team begins a sell-off, the next question for contenders is which pieces might be worth chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Receiver Is Becoming A Bigger Part Of This 5-2 Start
Through seven weeks, Clevelands 5-2 start has been built on more than just the usual veteran voices, and one of the quieter reasons for it has been the emergence of rookie receiver Boston. In a league-wide look at first-year players making real impacts, he stands out not just for his raw production, but for the way his role has grown inside a team that has found ways to win while still working through the usual early-season growing pains.
For the Browns, that kind of development matters because every added layer to the passing game makes the whole operation harder to defend. Boston is part of a rookie class around the league that is already shaping games for teams with very different goals, and his steady rise gives Cleveland another element to lean on as the season moves deeper into October and the questions get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Face One Huge Steelers Week Concern On Defense
The Browns spent part of the week sorting through a familiar mix of injuries and optimism on defense, with defensive end Jared Verse sitting out practice after hurting his knee in the recent game. Head coach Todd Monken sounded hopeful that Verse will be available for the upcoming matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which would be a welcome bit of stability for a unit that needs all the help it can get in a divisional game like this.
Verse was not the only concern on the practice report, either, as right tackle Tytus Howard and center Elgton Jenkins also missed work because of injuries. At the same time, some players who had been dealing with ailments were back on the field, leaving Cleveland with a clearer picture of who might be ready and who is still trending the wrong way as Pittsburgh week approaches. [Read more 🡒]