Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

Browns Defender at Risk of Being Traded This Offseason

By Joe Summers

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
facebooktwitterreddit

The Cleveland Browns have significant work to do this offseason to rebuild the roster and ensure that this year's miserable conclusion was merely a blip on the radar and not a harbinger of more disaster to come.

Deshaun Watson's contract and injury make roster-building difficult, though stars like Myles Garrett believe this roster is close to contention. Cleveland made the playoffs with Joe Flacco just a year ago, so it's not impossible to get back into the dance in 2025.

However, that'll require shrewd moves from the front office which could mean trading away rising players to recoup draft value and find younger talent. 2022 third-round DE Alex Wright is one intriguing trade option and the Browns need to consider trading him in the coming months.

Browns DE Alex Wright Named as Trade Chip in Offseason

Wright has developed into an excellent contributor but was limited to just four games this season due to a significant injury. He had five sacks in his previous eight games dating back to 2023 prior to going down, though he's entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Browns already have a ready-made replacement.

"With the emergence of Isaiah McGuire, the Browns may be willing to send (Wright) to a team looking for young edge talent in exchange for draft capital," Damon Wolfe of SB Nation writes. It's a reasonable argument, as McGuire took over Wright's role and was graded as the 11th-best edge rusher out of 211 qualified players at Pro Football Focus.

McGuire is only 23 years old and notably, isn't coming off an injury. It'd make sense for the Browns to pair McGuire with Garrett moving forward and trade Wright away, especially if they don't intend to re-sign him after 2025.

There are big holes across this roster. In order to reach the heights that Cleveland dreams of, difficult decisions need to be made. The defensive line is one of the Browns' largest strengths, so sending away an oft-injured depth piece for help elsewhere is the type of move that can help the weakest parts of the team.

Losing Wright would hurt but with McGuire's rise, trading the former away is something that the Browns' brass at least needs to consider.

More Cleveland Browns News and Rumors:

feed

Home/Cleveland Browns