NFL analyst thinks Browns should trade these players before the deadline

Cleveland could become a prominent player on the market before the league shuts down the trading window next week.

Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) after the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The NFL trade deadline is less than one week away, and that means speculation and rumors are running rampant among league circles.

Will the Cleveland Browns, a very active team on the trade market once the season started, be involved in more deals? One respected NFL analyst thinks they absolutely should be.

Contrary to several reports involving the potential trade of defensive superstar Myles Garrett, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes he’ll stay put, and the same goes for standout cornerback Denzel Ward.

But other than that, Barnwell thinks the Browns should be open to moving on from virtually every other veteran of note on the roster, while they try to add draft capital in order to rebuild their talent pool.

“Anyone else should and very well might be available for the Browns, who are realistically thinking about 2026 and 2027,” writes Barnwell regarding what Cleveland’s strategy should be before Tuesday’s deadline arrives.

As far as specific names go, he goes on listing wideout Jerry Jeudy, guard Joel Bitonio, guard Teven Jenkins, center Ethan Pocic, guard Wyatt Teller, tight end David Njoku, running back Jerome Ford, and defensive tackle Shelby Harris as possible deal targets for interested teams.

In the case of Njoku and Ford, their roles could be further diminished if they stay on the team by the increasing minutes rookies Harold Fannin Jr. and Quinshon Judkins are commanding as a result of their breakout seasons.

None of the listed names should surprise anyone, because virtually all of them have been tied to potential trades at some point during the last few days, if not weeks. What could be surprising is the amount of names listed, suggesting we might as well just stick a fork in these Browns.

Cleveland agreed to three noteworthy deals once the season started. They acquired left tackle Cam Robinson from Houston on September 29, followed by an October 7th arrangement to send former starting quarterback Joe Flacco to the Bengals.

Two days later, they finalized a cornerback swap with the Jaguars, sending Greg Newsome II to the Jaguars for Tyson Campbell, with some draft compensation built into the agreement. And that’s not even counting they dealt quarterback Kenny Pickett to the Raiders back in August.

Now, standing at 2-6 on their bye week, and quickly running out of optimism at the quarterback position, Cleveland could turn into a prominent seller at the trade deadline, likely signaling that they are, in fact, thinking more about the 2026 campaign than the current one.