When it comes to deals, the Cleveland Browns have been the league’s most aggressive team this season. They made some transactions before the trade deadline, which is different from most teams.
Now, with the deadline just a couple of days away, ESPN insider Adam Schefter expects the Browns to take the same approach.
In his latest column, he shut down all trade rumors about David Njoku.
If anything, he thinks the Browns will add more firepower to their roster:
“The majority of sources think that the Browns will be aggressive in acquiring players before the deadline, even though Cleveland has already completed three trades in the last month: sending quarterback Joe Flacco to Cincinnati, trading cornerbacks with Jacksonville, and acquiring offensive tackle Cam Robinson. Although the Browns don’t seem interested in trading tight end David Njoku, Schefter noted that they have been contacting teams throughout the league in an attempt to bolster their roster with talented young players.
That’s the same thing team insider Mary Kay Cabot reported last week. She pointed out that GM Andrew Berry was going to prioritize players who were under club control for years, as opposed to just absorbing salary for draft capital or taking players on short-term rentals. The Browns aren’t ready to wave the white flag on this season despite a 2-6 record and more questions than answers at the quarterback position. And even if they can’t compete this year, it seems like they feel that they’re not that far behind and might only need to add some pieces to the mix. They will have a much more forgiving schedule in the second half of the season. As for trading Njoku, he’s about to be a free agent, so the Browns need to either sign him to an extension or move on from him while they can still make the most of his trade value.