Chargers Should Be on Phone Poking Around Browns’ Fire Sale After Myles Garrett Trade

The Chargers should see if the Browns want to trade another key player.

Jim Harbaugh | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers haven’t pulled off a big move this offseason. 

Granted, the Chargers made a series of small moves that they hope leads to a massively improved offense around coordinator Mike McDaniel. 

That includes semi-overlooked stuff, like upgrading at center with Tyler Biadasz. Plus, recency-bias stuff, like signing David Njoku. 

Maybe the big move is still coming, though. The Cleveland Browns appear open for trades in the wake of the Myles Garrett blockbuster deal. 

Those Browns, too, just so happen to have a player the Chargers probably wouldn’t mind adding, if the price is right. 

Chargers should call Browns about blockbuster trade

Denzel Ward | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

This one is a fun idea for the Chargers, honestly, because the Browns themselves brought it up while declaring the Browns would never trade cornerback Denzel Ward. 

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Browns are a “hard no” on trading Ward.

“Don't sense this is a fire sale. Was told a hard no on Denzel Ward's availability, for example,” Fowler wrote. 

But…the fact this is even a conversation is pretty interesting. The Browns were obviously a “hard no” on trading Garrett at one point in time, too. 

Ward, 29, is still a secondary cornerstone and well into that $100 millionish extension he signed. He’s a $30.8 million cap hit in 2026, but it’s one of those things that could be moved around with a post-trade extension. 

Granted, the Chargers are doing pretty well at cornerback already. They found mid-round values with Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. Plus, veteran Donte Jackson has been a bit of a revelation for the team. 

Would the Chargers benefit from trading for Ward? Probably, especially in the short-term. It’s not really in their normal operating procedure, but at some point, they have to look around and see teams making moves for big names like Garrett. The secondary would improve, which would mean more time for a pass-rush to hit home, too. 

Probably not happening, sure. But the Chargers would be doing themselves a disservice if they don’t at least pick up the phone and see what the fire-sale Browns might be willing to move, Ward included.

Things change quick in the NFL, too. Look at the Garrett trade. If the Chargers even get through training camp fully healthy, this sort of move would still make for an interesting one, as long as they aren't giving up massive draft capital.

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