The Cleveland Browns didn’t do a whole lot at the NFL trade deadline, sending edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions and then calling it a day.
But do they have something else up their sleeves for the offseason?
The Browns will be one of the more interesting teams to monitor in the spring, as they have a whole lot of tradeable pieces on their squad.
However, some trade candidates are more surprising than others.
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Here are three shocking Browns players that could be moved during the offseason.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was recently placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury he sustained in Week 9. Thankfully, it’s not too serious, but we won’t see him again for a while.
The question is, could the Browns actually trade him in March?
Owusu-Koramoah’s name was floated in trade speculation before the deadline, although Cleveland was probably never serious about actually moving him.
But with the Browns needing draft capital to help rebuild their roster, they could consider jettisoning the star linebacker in March.
Cleveland has a couple of interesting young linebackers in Winston Reid and Mohamoud Diabate, and let’s be honest: the linebacker position has been marginalized anyway with things moving more toward edge rushers in the modern NFL.
Still, Owusu-Koramoah could fetch an interesting return, especially when you take into account that he is on a very affordable contract.
Joel Bitonio, OL
That brings us to the longest-tenured Browns player: offensive lineman Joel Bitonio.
Bitonio has been with Cleveland since 2014 and has made six straight Pro Bowl appearances. He has also earned a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections along the way.
But Bitonio is 33 years old and has just one year remaining on his deal.
Yes, the Browns need offensive line help as it is, so trading their best offensive lineman may not be the way to go. That being said, if Cleveland can land a nice package for the star, it would be worth considering before he really starts to decline.
Denzel Ward, CB
Everyone is assuming that the Browns will probably try to move Greg Newsome II this offseason, but could they shock everyone and attempt to trade Denzel Ward instead?
Ward is certainly the bigger name, and for good reason: he is the far superior player and appears to be on his way to a fourth Pro Bowl appearance.
The 27-year-old is under contract through 2027 and is one of the best cornerbacks in football, so he would hold substantial value on the trade market.
Cleveland might be able to nab multiple draft picks for Ward, which is definitely more than it would be able to land in return for Newsome.
The Browns could always extend Newsome, and remember: they have Martin Emerson Jr., too.
Neither player is Ward, but the king’s ransom that Ward could potentially bring a Cleveland team headed for an inevitable rebuild may prove too difficult to bypass.
