NFL trade deadline: A few players the Browns could try to poach from “sellers”

The Cleveland Browns are focused on facing the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season. While that is true of the players, coaches and fans, the Browns front office is/should be working on what could happen at the NFL trade deadline coming up at the end of the month.

Cleveland has already been linked to a couple of projected deals but the NFL rumor mill hasn’t been hot just yet. The Denver Broncos are expected to sell with a couple of interesting pieces while other bad teams decide what players they might part with.

Over on SBNation’s main site, the writing team put together a list of five teams that could be sellers at the trade deadline on October 31st. The teams are not surprising and include the Broncos being joined by:

• New England Patriots
• New York Giants
• Arizona Cardinals
• Carolina Panthers

There are a few interesting names noted in the article that could interest Browns GM Andrew Berry. Some are more realistic than others but are still fun to note. We already noted a few Broncos players of interest previously.

Patriots players of interest

• DE Josh Uche
• DB Jalen Mills
• DB Jabrill Peppers

Knowing how bad New England’s offense is, there aren’t really any players of interest there even noted by SBNation. Uche, Mills and Peppers all play positions of current strength for Cleveland but could either add to the team’s depth or help if an injury occurs in the next two weeks.

Giants players of interest

• TE Darren Waller
• DT Dexter Lawrence

TE Jordan Akins hasn’t seen the field as much as expected after signing a free-agent deal with the Browns. Waller has elite upside if he is focused. He could be available for a very reasonable price after being acquired this offseason for a third-round pick.

Lawrence has a huge contract but a trade could lighten the salary cap burden for Cleveland and give them a long-term nose tackle next to Dalvin Tomlinson. May not be the best use of resources but Lawrence is so talented that it must be looked into.

Cardinals players of interest

• WR Marquise Brown
• TE Zach Ertz

While some might note QB Josh Dobbs, that is unlikely and he hasn’t played as well as some national narratives may have noted. Brown, on the other hand, has produced with a variety of quarterbacks over his time but might not be in the Cards (clearly pun intended) for long. Ertz is a veteran tight end worth a flyer if the trade is cheap enough.

Panthers players of interest

• DE Brian Burns
• RB Miles Sanders

DB Jeremy Chinn was also listed before he went down for about six weeks with an injury. Chinn is a very versatile piece that DC Jim Schwartz could have fun with.

Speaking of fun, Cleveland doesn’t have the assets to trade for Burns nor would they be able to sign him after giving up all those assets. Its fun to think of him joining the terror group on the Browns defensive line though.

Sanders is a very interesting player who just hasn’t fit well in Carolina. With Nick Chubb out, Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt have had a hard time picking up the slack. Adding a leadback like Sanders could really boost the offense.

Which realistic trade target (not Burns) would you like to see the Browns add at the trade deadline?