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.
3. Zach Cunningham, Houston Texans
Zach Cunningham has played his entire career in Houston, and it’s been uninspiring, to say the least. A change of pace and a move up north could be exactly what the 25-year old Alabama naive could use. The Browns are already relying on youthful talent and this young man could bring some energy to a lethargic Cleveland Defense.
As far as stats go, Cunningham currently is touting 410 tackles, 264 are solo, 5 sacks, and 1 interception in his four years playing for the Texans. In his last three outings this season, Cunningham netted 28 tackles, 13 of which were solo.
Cunningham and Houston recently reached an agreement on a four-year, $58 million extension, but sitting at 1-6 overall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Houston trim the fat and trade away expendable players. Cunningham fits the bill and could be a problem solver for the Browns, who might be able to pick him up for little in return.
Right now, Cunningham is on track to have one of his most successful years in Houston, but why waste that on a failing team? Ship Cunningham up to Cleveland and see what the young man can do under defensive coordinator Joe Woods. He might have to adapt to a 4-3 defense, but Cunningham could prove to be a useful pick heading into the second half of the Browns’ season.
2. Avery Williamson, New York Jets
No surprise here that the 0-7 Jets should be looking to trade away for a chance to maybe recoup something out of their miserable 2020 season. But there are a few key reasons why Avery Williamson could slot really well in the Browns defense.
First and foremost, let’s just get the obvious bias out of the way. Williamson was born in Cleveland, so it just makes sense. But, in all seriousness, Williamson is caple of making amazing plays and keeping himself sharp and open for tackles and interceptions.
Spending four seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and two with the New York Jets, Williamson has stacked his stats with a total of 547 tackles, 348 of which were solo, 14 sacks, and 4 interceptions.
In the Jets’ last three outings, even though they were losses, Williamson racked up an impressive 32 tackles, 21 of which were solo tackles, two passes defended, and an interception. The interception was a 21-yard return that Williamson picked off from the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray.
Unfortunately, the reason the 28-year old Williamson is coming in at #3 is that he’s returning from an ACL injury that saw him sit out the entire 2019 season, and honestly, impressive performances on an unimpressive team don’t tout as much as you’d hope. But the Browns could look to snag him from the Jets without having to offer up too much in return.
1. Myles Jack, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Cleveland Browns defense could use an explosive and dynamic linebacker to bolster their defense and help keep passing yards to a minimum. What better way to do that than trading for, who Pro Football Focus claims to be, the best linebacker currently in the league?
Pro Football Focus currently has Myles Jack rated at an 88.6, beating out the 49ers Fred Warner (83.6) and the Colts Darius Leonard (81.6). Looking at his stats, Jack boasts an impressive 328 career tackles, with 227 of those being solo, six sacks, and three interceptions. It is no wonder that Jack is currently touted as being the best the league has to offer.
The problem is his talents are going to waste in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 1-6 overall, and in the last three games, Jack has only managed to pick up 19 total tackles, even though 13 of them were solo. Jacksonville should look to get something out of the 25-year old linebacker by trading him to Cleveland in hopes of salvaging what’s left of their season or potentially grabbing another leg up in the 2021 Draft.
Jack has everything that Cleveland is looking for in a linebacker. Fantastic speed and power to bring down receivers, and sharp eyes and footwork to snag interceptions. If Cleveland really wants to bolster their zone defense, they could pick Jack up and use him to help stack the defense in the second half of the season.
Regardless of who Cleveland decides to pick up if they decide to at all, they need to bolster their defense to help make up for the significant loss to their offense. Maybe a linebacker isn’t what they need, but if that’s the route they decide to go, there’s plenty of options on the table.