The days leading up to the trade deadline are when contenders take a hard look at their weak spots. Some needs are obvious, like a pass rusher for a defense that cannot get home or a cornerback for a secondary that keeps giving up big plays. Others are harder to spot from the outside. For the Browns, one of those less obvious needs sits at a position where they already have one of their best young players.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed tight end among Cleveland’s biggest needs before the November 10 deadline and named 3 possible targets. Dallas Goedert, Charlie Kolar, and Luke Schoonmaker.
“Tight end might seem like a ridiculous need given Harold Fannin Jr.’s 10-catch game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Fannin’s skills are exactly why another tight end is a need. Adding an additional blocker on the field would not only give the Browns more opportunities in the run game, but it would also mean Fannin could be used more like a moving weapon in the pass game. Adding a versatile blocking tight end would give the Browns more schematic flexibility,” Ballentine wrote.
Dallas Goedert is the biggest name. The 31-year-old Philadelphia Eagles veteran has 435 catches for 4,934 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career, and he caught 11 touchdown passes last season. He has 26 catches for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns in 6 games this year. The Eagles have lost 4 straight games that he has played in, which could make them more willing to listen.
Charlie Kolar would be a cheaper option. The Los Angeles Chargers tight end spent his first 4 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens after they took him in the 4th round in 2022, so he knows the AFC North. He has 10 catches for 98 yards in 5 games this season, and the Chargers have lost every one of those games.
Luke Schoonmaker of the Dallas Cowboys has barely been used this season, with 3 catches for 30 yards in 7 games. The 2023 2nd-round pick out of Michigan stands 6 feet 5 and 250 pounds and would come almost purely as a blocker.
None of the 3 would take targets away from Fannin. The goal would be the opposite, freeing him to move around the formation while someone else handles the blocking.
Whether Andrew Berry makes a move is another question. With the deadline 5 days away, though, tight end looks like a spot where a smaller trade could pay off.
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