3 Linebackers the Browns should look to trade for
By Alex Swisher
The Cleveland Browns could look to shore up their defensive woes by picking up a new linebacker before the trade deadline.
Tuesday, Nov. 3 marks the National Football League’s trade deadline, and if the Cleveland Browns aren’t looking to trade for a new Wide receiver to replace Odell Beckham, Jr., then they should look to trade for a defensive player instead.
The Browns’ last two outings, against the Steelers and the Bengals respectively, have shown that their defense is looking very rough. The Steelers steamrolled over Cleveland, with 38 points to the Browns’ 7, and even with a win this past Sunday against the Bengals, it was still a close game with Cleveland winning 37 to 34. The Browns need to look to make a change as they head into their game against the Raiders on Nov. 1.
Even though the Browns’ offense hit a snag losing Beckham to an ACL tear, maybe the best offense for them could be a halfway decent defense. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve done a very good job shoring up their rushing defense this season, evidenced by the fact that they held the dynamic Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot to 54 yards in their meeting at the beginning of October.
In fact, the Browns are yet to allow a single 100-yard rusher this season. Jaylen Samuels led the Steelers in rushing in their victory over Cleveland but was held to only 26 yards. The problem lies in their passing defense and their zone defense. Fleet-footed receivers can look to zoom past their linebackers and safeties, which has been a serious problem for the Browns already.
One way the Browns can fix this is by trading for a new defensive juggernaut, and if they go for a linebacker, and their choices are all pretty good.