The Cleveland Browns could be in the running for Aaron Donald

The Cleveland Browns may try and land Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry once said they would never be done improving their team, no matter where they are in the season. Well, that appears to still be the case as rumors abound that the Browns have eyes on a former NFL All-Pro defensive tackle. According to Pete Smith of Browns Digest, the Browns could get involved in a potential Aaron Donald trade, should the Los Angeles Rams opt to start trading away pieces following a slow start.

Now, we have to be clear, Smith isn’t reporting that the Browns are in talks with the Rams, at least that we all know of. Instead, he’s saying the Browns could get in on any trade talks involving the Rams defensive tackle.

Any trade involving Donald would have to see either the Browns cut a major-money maker like Nick Chubb or Joel Bitonio, or have Donald restructure his contract, pushing his owed money down the line, and giving the Browns some flexibility.

While normally I’d be against pushing and delaying owed money, not wanting that owed money to handcuff the team as they try and keep a dynasty going, the fact is this team is not going to be a dynasty. As we’re seeing with the Rams currently when you go “all-in”, you don’t see your window close, but the entire house burns down around you.

The Browns may have a chance to win a Super Bowl this year, and maybe next, but after that? They’ll be lucky to field a winning team with Deshaun Watson’s contract beyond that. We all know this, the Browns know this, which is why it makes sense to land Donald now. The team isn’t built for long-term sustained success, it was, before Watson, but since, not so much.

So if we’re looking at a full-tear down rebuild in the coming years, it makes sense to try and capitalize on the window of opportunity the team has this year and maybe next. Yes, it means hurting the team’s future for its present, and normally, that’d be stupid, but we’re already past the Rubicon. We can either make the best of this situation or we can truly gain nothing of significance from these trying times as Browns fans.

What would it take for the Cleveland Browns to land Aaron Donald?

It’s important to remember that the Rams have, arguably, the second-best or the best defensive player of the last 20 years, next to J.J. Watt. Donald won’t come cheap and you just can’t throw scraps at them to get him.

I think three draft picks will get things started; 2025 first-round, 2024 second-round, 2026 fourth-round. You spread out the owed picks to try and keep your future draft classes as intact as possible.

After that, it’s the players. I’d throw in four just for transactional needs, but it can be expended to five or six, or more if it’s about making the money work. So the four players I’d throw, with the previous draft picks are; Cedric Tillman, Jerome Ford, Tommy Togiai, and Grant Delpit.

Now, we can do something based around Greg Newsome, David Bell, and maybe Donovan Peoples-Jones, but then we’re talking about vastly different draft compensation.

Regardless, I think the Browns should call the Rams and then Donald’s agent and start talking turkey because if you can pair Donaldson with Delvin Tomlinson and Myles Garrett, then it really doesn’t matter who’s at that other end spot, does it?

• Published on 07/08/2023 at 23:00 PM
• Last updated at 07/09/2023 at 08:34 AM