3 Players the Browns Should Target at the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline
The Cleveland Browns have a growing problem on their offensive line.
Jedrick Wills is not playing close to expectations right now and that could hurt the team's chances of contending for the AFC North title or a playoff spot.
The Browns have plenty of time to fix their problem at offensive tackle, and they could look to the trade deadline to land a player on a struggling team.
Denver Broncos offensive tackle Garrett Bolles is the easy target to point out. The Browns may be forced to make a deal for him to ensure Deshaun Watson is properly protected.
Watson could use a little more help around him at wide receiver. Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore have played well, but there is a steep drop off in production behind them going into Week 6.
Cleveland could even use the trade market to find better insurance for Watson, if he continues to deal with his shoulder issue. Dorian Thompson-Robinson did not impress in his Week 4 spot start, and that may lead to the acquisition of a better backup.
Garrett Bolles
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Wills has become a problem on the offensive line.
He has allowed an 11 percent pressure rate through four games, which is much higher than the number he produced in his first three seasons, per Sharp Football Analysis' Ryan McCrystal.
Wills can't afford one more bad performance, especially if Watson returns from his shoulder injury in Week 6 and needs extra protection.
Bolles is the most obvious trade candidate for the Browns among the struggling teams across the NFL.
Denver is expected to move to 1-5 with a road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night.
A loss could accelerate the trade discussions around Bolles and other veterans who may want to play for contending teams.
Cleveland's best fix to the Wills problem is for to improve on his errors out of the bye week, but if the issues persist, Bolles has to be the No. 1 trade target.
D.J. Chark
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The Carolina Panthers are 0-5 and D.J. Chark is on a one-year contract.
That makes the veteran wide receiver a perfect trade target for the Browns and other contenders to go after over the next few weeks.
Cleveland could use a No. 3 wide receiver behind Cooper and Moore to provide more depth to the passing game.
Donovan Peoples-Jones only has 75 receiving yards on six catches and David Bell has three receptions of 27 yards.
The Browns need a three-pronged attack at wide receiver to hold an edge on any of their AFC North rivals.
A catch or two from a veteran acquisition, like Chark, could make the difference in some close games.
Offensive line must be the priority, but if the Browns want to chase a wide receiver, Chark could be the perfect candidate to fill in a supporting role behind Cooper and Moore.
Drew Lock
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Drew Lock is more of out-of-the-box trade candidate than anything.
Most of the top backup quarterbacks will not be on the trade market because of the insurance they provide their teams in case of an injury.
Lock provides that exact thing to the Seattle Seahawks, but he has a better profile for the Browns to go after than the Jameis Winston-types of the world.
Lock is still only 26 years old and could help in spot-start duty if Watson's shoulder issues persist.
Thompson-Robinson went 19-for-36 with three interceptions in his first NFL start against the Ravens in Week 4.
The UCLA product could end up as a better backup quarterback as the season goes on, but the first performance leaves some concerns about where the Browns will be if Watson is out for a longer period of time.
Lock is more of a stretch as a trade candidate, but if the Browns look to add another quarterback, it should be someone of his profile around the same age so they can still develop that player a bit in Kevin Stefanski's offense.
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