17 free agents to be the Browns could trade for this season

The Cleveland Browns and the rest of the NFL have a break in the action. The halftime of the offseason, if you will, where teams and fans hope for as little news as possible as, generally, news during this time is only bad news.

For the Browns, news about the fate of Deshaun Watson will be key to the rest of the 2022 season. While a suspension looms, a lengthy one could derail the season.

The team also still has Baker Mayfield on the roster and a move could be made any day with him but the lack of movement this offseason so far means we could still be waiting a while.

As we take a deep breath during this NFL downtime, it gives us a chance to look at some bigger picture items from the past, for the upcoming season and for the future. Today we look at the upcoming season with a list of players that could be available for trade, based on expectations surrounding their team and their expiring contracts.

While GM Andrew Berry may not want to trade a lot of future draft assets, finding a player that fits the team’s needs in 2022 might be worth it. Berry could also take a chance to swap out a player from Cleveland for another player that fills a need better.

Here are 17 players that could help the Browns in 2022 before their contracts end at the end of the season starting with some veterans:

WR Nelson Agholor - Patriots

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In the last year of his free agent deal, Agholor could add a veteran deep threat presence to the Browns locker room.

DT Javon Hargrave - Eagles

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Philadelphia and Cleveland will have joint practices during training camp where Berry and company could get a look at the veteran defensive tackle. If Philadelphia struggles early in the year or has a need at a different position, the Browns could target Hargrave who had 7.5 sacks last year.

WR Marvin Jones - Jaguars

A former member of Cincinnati and Detroit, the 32-year-old Jones still can make plays including 22 touchdowns in his last three seasons. Jacksonville may not want to give up the veteran but, as a pending free agent, may decide to get something in return for him.

CB Bradley Roby - Saints

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While Cleveland seems loaded at cornerback and New Orleans is looking to compete in 2023, things can change quickly. Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams haven’t proven to be healthy regularly and injuries can happen at any time. The former Buckeye is someone to keep an eye on.

While the Saints added Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave to their receiving corps, Jameis Winston’s return from his ACL injury and Michael Thomas’ return to the field after over a year off will decide if they are sellers at the trade deadline.

DT Dalvin Tomlinson - Vikings

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With old friend Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota, perhaps Berry can whip up a deal or two to upgrade the roster. The Vikings, like many teams on this list, could be competitive but nothing is certain. Tomlinson isn’t a big sack guy but helpful in the middle of the defense.

There are also some young veterans that their teams may decide to get something back in return instead of letting them walk. Berry took a similar swing on S Ronnie Harrison (who had two years left on his deal) two offseasons ago:

DT Da'Ron Payne - Commanders

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A quality veteran on the interior of the defensive line, Payne may cost too much in a trade and be too valuable to Washington to deal. On the other hand, the Commanders have a lot of defensive linemen they have to pay soon and may decide Payne has more value in a trade if they don’t think they can re-sign him.

WR Darius Slayton - Giants

Slayton jumped on the scene as a rookie with eight touchdown receptions and 740 yards in 2019. His numbers plummeted last year with only 339 yards and two touchdowns. Under new management, New York may seek to move on from Slayton and Cleveland could use the 6’1″ receiver who ran 4.39 at the NFL combine.

CB Amani Oruwariye - Lions

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While Detroit hopes they can turn the corner to competitiveness soon (as does our friend Jeff Risdon), that rise may take a little longer. Oruwariye has played well the last two seasons for the Lions but, if they struggle and Cleveland has an injury, could be more valuable to a winning franchise than a rebuilding one.

DE Austin Bryant - Lions

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Back-to-back Lions on the list with Bryant who finally got his first sack in 2021. The former fourth-round pick doubled his snap count last year and produced 4.5 sacks. With Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Alex Wright also able to bounce inside, Bryant could add some cheap depth to the defensive line.

FS Julian Love - Giants

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Adding another Giant to the list as their new management is likely to have some turnover. Love hasn’t jumped off the page so far in his three seasons but could be a helpful depth piece for Cleveland as well as provide some help on special teams.

While a few of these players have underperformed, the next set finishes off the list with first and second-round picks that haven’t played up to their draft status and could use a change of scenery. Berry could take a cheap swing on a player hoping to tap into the potential that got them drafted so high:

WR N'Keal Harry - Patriots

Harry’s best season was in 2020 when he had 33 receptions for 309 yards and two touchdowns. The former first-round pick just hasn’t been able to make plays at the NFL level due to some limitations in athleticism. Perhaps being surrounded by the run game and Amari Cooper in Cleveland could unlock his production as a Landry replacement.

DE Clelin Ferrell - Raiders

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Eight total sacks in three seasons for the former fourth overall pick is as close to a bust as possible. To be fair to Ferrell, no one outside of the Raiders thought he should be drafted that high.

Perhaps being added to a line with Garrett and Clowney could help Ferrell take a jump just before free agency.

WR Parris Campbell - Colts

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An unlikely trade for a variety of reasons but it is worth noting. Due to injuries, the former second-round pick out of Ohio State has played a total of 15 games and caught 34 passes. Campbell was a speedster in college but hasn’t made the kind of impact hoped for in Indianapolis.

DE Ben Banogu - Colts

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Back-to-back Colts here as another second-round pick that looks like a failure for the team might be a cut candidate this year. As a rookie, Banogu had 2.5 sacks and played in all 16 games. He hasn’t had a sack since and only played in 68 snaps in 2021.

WR Andy Isabella - Cardinals

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Isabella was an attraction due to his top-level speed. It never came together in Arizona as he’s only had 31 receptions for 426 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons. Cleveland already has Anthony Schwartz as a struggling speed receiver but the former Mayfield High School player will draw attention from the fans if he is available.

TE Irv Smith - Vikings

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To be fair, Smith didn’t play terribly in his first two seasons in the league at a tough position to adjust to. His 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns were fine but not great for a second-rounder. He missed all of 2021 due to injury and could reunite with Kevin Stefanski with the Browns.

DE L.J. Collier - Seahawks

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Another player that almost everyone knew was overdrafted, Collier had three sacks in 2020 and none in his other two seasons. Like other players on this list, Collier could benefit from a new place and playing alongside Garrett and Clowney.

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