Cleveland Browns: A trade is the best way to upgrade WR

Being content with the wide receiving group is something the Cleveland Browns cannot be okay with right now.

The Cleveland Browns need talent at the wide receiver position. With Josh Gordon away from the team, it is Jarvis Landry and everyone else. Antonio Callaway has the talent but his recent issue off the field is why he landed in Cleveland as a fourth rounder.

Corey Coleman had a decent camp but he is not someone Cleveland could rely on anyways. Next week during Hard Knocks, I am confident more will be seen and explained why the Browns felt they needed to move on from him when they did.

Even before the Coleman move, Callaway’s late-night problem with weed being found in his car after being pulled over, and Gordon’s decision to not be at camp, the need was there to add to the position. Due to those players’ circumstances and other potential issues, the pursuit to add reliable, legit play-makers should have never stopped.

There are options out there such as Dez Bryant or Jeremy Maclin. However, if a deal would have been agreed to by now don’t you think Cleveland would have made it happen already?

Recently, the name Odell Beckham Jr came up as an option. That is very understandable and while I would like to see OBJ come to Cleveland, I just don’t see it. The New York Giants are not just going to give him away, even with contract negotiations not going the way they would like.

To add someone like him, the Browns would have to give up a significant amount of draft picks to get them to consider a deal. Even doing that does not guarantee a move.

With that in mind, if the names that were already linked to Cleveland have not become Browns already, it is best to look elsewhere. As of now, the top two Browns wideouts are Landry and Rashard Higgins. That won’t cut it.

The preseason will paint a better picture right now than assuming or guessing who could be had in a trade. At that time, once teams realize they need help elsewhere and have a surplus of wide receivers to trade, Cleveland needs to be on the phone trying to work something out.

Perhaps Cleveland looks to deal a cornerback or a defensive lineman with or without a draft pick included. Depending on the player they would trade, that naturally would impact their return. Knowing Bryant and Maclin are the best free agent options but have not or are not going to go to Cleveland, evaluating the trade market is a must.

Right now it is murky as it is unclear which teams would be willing to trade one of their wideouts. That said, it is inevitable the trade market for wideouts will soon clear up.

Since Cleveland cannot rely on two of their top three wide receivers, a trade is necessary. The questions to make that happen are will they truly do what it takes to trade for someone of value soon, who will that be, and when will a trade be completed? There are plenty of questions that remain unanswered but hopefully, a resolution is made sooner rather than later.