2019 Cleveland Browns: 5 trades to make this offseason, OBJ-less edition

Browns receive Vernon Butler, DT

Panthers receive fourth-round pick

A lot of attention was paid to the Browns’ need at defensive tackle. Perhaps, Cleveland could fill this need via trade. They could still draft a player to add depth to the position, or they could in a different direction all together.

The Panthers have former 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler, but he’s been relegated to a rotational player on the defensive line and the Panthers haven’t really set him loose.

Perhaps Cleveland is where he could get his shot at full-time reps. Plus, he’d be much more affordable than some of the other names on this list.

Butler is due to earn $1.5 million this season, and then he carries a fifth-year option for 2020 as a former first round pick in 2016.

Pro Football Focus gave Butler a 63.5 grade for the 2018 campaign. Again, he only played 129 pass rushing snaps. For comparisons sake, Larry Ogunjobi played over 520 pass rushing snaps.

A fourth-round pick offer might seem like low balling the Panthers, but Cleveland may  be confronted with the being the team to offer him an extension should things work out in wake of a trade. Plus, Vernon is a first-round pick, and he hasn’t been good enough to seize a starting opportunity. It’d be hard to ask meteorite, let alone, the moon.