Browns trade chatter: David Njoku to Patriots for Stephon Gilmore?

This Browns trade proposal as the team dealing David Njoku for Pats CB Stephon Gilmore.

With player movement portion of the offseason really set to take off with the commencement of free agency, the Browns are expected to be be players in their efforts to strengthen their defense.

They’ve been tied to Buccaneers free agent Lavonte David in free agency, but one Brown scribe has the Browns using the trade route to better themselves.

TheLandonDemand’s Tony Grossi (subscription) makes the case for trading David Njoku to help fill another position of need. Grossi contends that the Browns have a surplus at the position. Njoku is due just north of $6 million in the final year of his rookie contract.

Grossi proposed a trade of Njoku to the Patriots for 31-year-old corner Stephon Gilmore, who is due $7.5 million. Obviously, that money would be better spent on someone who played consistent reps–and that’s not Njoku, who’s clearly No. 3 on the depth chart.

To lower Gilmore’s cap number, the Browns wrote the team should extend Gilmore’s contract by a year.

Gilmore had a grade of 61.0 last season, The mark means Gilmore played at a “backup” level. Keep in mind, though, the Browns are trading away their third tight end, not Nick Chubb, so the return isn’t going to be great.

Even with Gilmore on the wrong side of 30, he helps fill a position of need. He can push Greedy Williams for a starting job, or at the very least, take on the third spot likely to be vacated by Terrance Mitchell, who will look for a payday in free agency.

Internet speculation has the Browns trading for Marshon Lattimore. If they did acquire the former Buckeye, a deal would have to be followed by huge extension.

But just imagine if the Browns kicked off their offseason by signing J.J. Watt (they’re still in the running) and trading for Gilmore. This blog, that blog and every other blog would be calling the Browns the re-incarnation of the ’85 Bears.

Obviously, such a proclamation would be a stretch, but the moves would put the Browns in position to win the Super Bowl, and, that is ultimately the goal.

Grossi sees Cleveland’s window to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy wide open for the next two seasons. Cleveland doesn’t have to think long term, as fans have been doing for the past 20 years.

Get players to help win now. J.J. Watt playing 60 percent of the snaps helps do that. Having Gilmore help out the secondary does, too. Definitely a trade worth thinking about.