The Cleveland Browns need a Hail Mary trade for these Carolina Panthers players

DE Brian Burns

We’ve talked about Brian Burns before. He’s a 4-3 end and a 3-4 linebacker, and either way, that gives the Browns flexibility with the player. The Browns have Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney so the team isn’t hurting for pass-rushing ends, but they are in fact hurting for pass-rushing players. The Browns have not created any real, tangible pressure on the opposing teams’ offense.

They rank near the bottom in all major categories when it comes to getting after the quarterback so even if you have two defensive ends already, you need someone, anyone who can help the defense. Burns can play linebacker in a 3-4, and he’s fast enough to likely play linebacker in a  4-2/4-2. That is if he’s just used primarily as a blitzer.

Burns could also for the Browns to either get creative on defense and move past Joe Woods’ simple five-cornerback scheme or give the scheme enough pop to actually be effective. In most situations, this trade wouldn’t make much sense, but even if Burns doesn’t work as an outside linebacker, the fact that Clowney and Garrett lineup as a defensive tackle on passing downs on occasion means that there’d be room for Burns on the squad regardless.

So his arrival makes way more sense than one would think upon first thought.