Grading Cleveland Browns 2024 NFL trade deadline moves one year later

Nearly a year removed from some big deals that Cleveland made, how do they shape up today? See what grades the Browns get for these deadline deals.

Sep 15, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) runs onto the field before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The 2024 season was a rough one for the Cleveland Browns. Coming off a playoff berth and an 11-6 season, there were expectations to be a good team. Those expectations fell flat in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, and they continued to falter for the rest of the season. 

This led the Browns to trade away key players in premier positions to try to get something back if they didn’t have much to play for. 

Let's take a look at how those two trades played out for Cleveland nearly a year later. 

Amari Cooper traded to Buffalo Bills

On Oct. 15th, 2024, the Browns traded away wide receiver Amari Cooper and a 2025 sixth round pick in the draft to the Buffalo Bills for a 2025 third round pick and 2026 seventh round pick. Cooper was the leading receiver for Cleveland for two seasons in 2022 & 2023, totaling over 2,300 yards and 14 touchdowns in those years. 

Many Browns fans were sad to see Cooper go, but many also understood the move.

In Buffalo, Cooper did not play up to the standards that many people were expecting, as he had 20 receptions for 297 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. Cooper had just 41 yards in the Bills' three playoff games, and Buffalo promptly let him go after the season, where he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. But just after a week with the Raiders, Cooper announced his retirement from the NFL with the team that drafted him in 2015.

The Browns used that 3rd round pick from the Bills to select quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is now starting for Cleveland and just picked up his first win. We’ll see what the future holds for Gabriel and that 2026 7th round pick.

GRADES:

Cleveland: A-

Buffalo: D

Za'Darius Smith traded to the Detroit Lions

On November 5th, 2024, the Browns traded edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Detroit Lions for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 6th-round pick. 

Smith came over to Cleveland in a trade from the Vikings in 2023. He put up 10.5 sacks, 50 total tackles, and a forced fumble in his time with Cleveland. In his eight games with the Lions, he had four sacks and 12 total tackles. Detroit cruised into the playoffs as the top NFC seed before getting bounced in the divisional round by the Commanders. Smith signed with the Eagles to start this season, had a solid start, and then surprisingly retired after five games. 

With the 2025 fifth-round pick from Detroit, Cleveland used it to trade up and acquire quarterback Shedeur Sanders at pick 144. Sanders has not gotten the chance to start yet for Cleveland, so we will see how that pick ages while we also wait to see what Cleveland does with the 2026 sixth-rounder that was also acquired.

GRADES:

Cleveland: B

Detroit: B

It was nice for the Browns to get some draft resources for Smith, it is yet to be seen if the resources are great, but it was the correct time to trade him away in hindsight