The trade deadline came and went Tuesday without a single move from the Browns. Andrew Berry worked the phones but held onto his draft picks, a choice that fits a team building toward 2027. Still, it is fair to wonder what a few smaller deals could have done for a 5-4 team still in the playoff race. One analyst laid out 4 trades he would have liked to see: tight end Charlie Kolar from the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2027 5th-round pick, edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Chargers for a 2027 4th-round pick, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New Orleans Saints for a 2028 conditional 6th-round pick and edge rusher Josh Sweat from the Arizona Cardinals for a 2027 4th-round pick.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report explained why it was still worth imagining what Cleveland could have done.
“There was plenty of trade speculation and buzz surrounding the Cleveland Browns heading into the 2026 NFL trade deadline, but general manager Andrew Berry ultimately sat out the midseason trade bonanza. It was probably the responsible move,” Ballentine wrote.
Ballentine pointed out that a weak schedule could keep the Browns in contention but that they could also finish with a losing record. Each of his deals would have filled a specific hole without touching the young core.
Kolar was the most practical fit. The Chargers signed him to a 3-year, $24.3 million contract this offseason, and despite their 0-8 start, they traded only linebacker Daiyan Henley. Todd Monken knows Kolar well from their time together in Baltimore last season. A blocking tight end would have let the Browns use more 12 personnel and freed Harold Fannin Jr. to work as a route runner, and Ballentine viewed Kolar as a clear upgrade over Blake Whiteheart.
Mack would have answered the biggest question on defense. Jared Verse still has no sacks, Isaiah McGuire leads the edge group with 3, and no other edge rusher has more than 1. Mack also has 3 sacks at 35 years old.
The Godchaux deal actually happened, just not with the Browns. The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired the 6 foot 6, 330 pound defensive tackle after losing DaVon Hamilton for the season. Ballentine argued Cleveland needed him more than people realize. Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr. have both missed games, Maliek Collins sat out Sunday with an elbow injury and the Saints ran for 160 yards. Godchaux could have absorbed blocks and let Carson Schwesinger clean up behind him.
Sweat would have been the longer play. The 29-year-old had 12.5 sacks last season and is signed for 2 more years at $18.1 million per season. He started this year slowly, and with the Cardinals at 3-6, Arizona had reason to sell.
None of these deals would have cost the Browns either of their 1st-round picks. Instead, the current roster will have to find its own fixes, starting Sunday against the Houston Texans.
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