The Cleveland Browns have worked the offseason player market with the right balance of urgency and patience. They needed to acquire multiple offensive linemen, and they filled in necessary spots with versatile veterans and a younger player with upside.
They also replaced a departing linebacker with a former All-Pro, added depth to their defensive line, reorganized their tight ends, and bolstered their special teams. They have not, however, brought in a veteran wide receiver.
To their credit, the Browns have not overreacted to this so far, preferring to take their time to see what opportunities might emerge. Though they have been linked to big names, such as A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., Marvin Harrison Jr. and Brandon Aiyuk, those wide receivers remain on their current teams, so perhaps Cleveland can still work something out for one of them, or someone else who has not yet become available.
Analyst Scott Petrak recently revealed that he believes the Browns’ path to adding a wide receiver this offseason will involve general manager Andrew Berry making a trade, rather than a free agent signing.
“I’m still leaning toward a trade there. You can make a trade for a guy that makes a big impact. Maybe he thinks Jerry Jeudy is the veteran on this receiving corps and that’s enough, and he could be right. I think experience helps, especially when you’re going to have, you would expect, a high rookie or two, draft picks. I’m just not convinced Andrew Berry feels the same way,” Petrak said.
"I'm still leaning toward a trade there. You can make a trade for a guy that makes a big impact…I think experience helps especially when you're going to have, you would expect, a rookie or two. I'm just not convinced Andrew Berry feels the same way…'
🚨 @ScottPetrak w/… pic.twitter.com/JJMNTQekwI
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 23, 2026
If a wide receiver is not added soon, the Browns could head into the 2026 NFL Draft with a group that is still led by Jeudy, with Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond and Malachi Corley behind him representing a lot of unknown potential. Ideally, the Browns would acquire a true No. 1 wideout, which would move each of their other receivers to more suitable spots in the target order.
Thomas looked to be an ideal match as a young player still on his first contract who has already shown he can be a top receiver for a team, based on his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars just two years ago. However, despite an abundance of talent at the position on their roster, the Jaguars have said they are not going to trade him.
He would be a much safer addition for the Browns than Brown, Aiyuk, Stefon Diggs or Tyreek Hill. Those veterans would bring a lot of diva wide receiver baggage to a team that needs to avoid such drama.
So, perhaps Berry can wait out the market and make a surprising deal before likely addressing the position in the draft as well.
NEXT: Browns’ Draft Strategy May Not Be What Fans Expect
