Four Browns veterans who could be traded before NFL deadline

The Cleveland Browns (1-5) won't be competitive anytime soon. They could have, assuming they had the cap space, the extra draft picks and a quality quarterback, but it was a foregone conclusion what would happen after the Deshaun Watson trade. Due to financial issues likely brought on by Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230M deal, the Browns couldn't keep or acquire elite talent, and now they're an offensively sparse team.

Cleveland must overhaul their whole offense. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco could've kept them in the postseason hunt, but the offense as a whole is so devoid of talent that he alone couldn't fix things. The 40-year-old was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 7, and after a 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, is thriving with better quality teammates.

General manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski shouldn't be fired, as they've proven able to develop rookies. The 2025 NFL Draft class that included DT Mason Graham, LB Carson Schwesinger, RB Quinshon Judkins, TE Harold Fannin Jr., QB Dillon Gabriel, RB Dylan Sampson and QB Shedeur Sanders is proving that. 

It would be wise to see Berry and Stefanski go through one more substantial draft class before making major changes. To give themselves the best chance at long-term success, the team must part ways with several key veterans and strengthen their future draft capital. With that in mind, here are four players who should be dealt to new teams before the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.

TE David Njoku

Trading Njoku now is a logical move. The 29-year-old's contract expires after this season, and he’s never quite developed into the consistent Pro Bowl-level talent many hoped he'd become. While he's not a liability, he also hasn’t been the difference-maker the Browns envisioned. Cleveland could net a potential mid-round pick in return.

RG Wyatt Teller

Teller was once an All-Pro caliber guard, but that peak came back in 2020 — nearly six years ago. Since then, his performance has steadily declined. He earned a stellar 92.7 grade from PFF at his best, but that number has dropped to 61.3 in 2025. With his contract set to expire and his 31st birthday in November, it makes sense to move on. While he won’t command a big return, landing a third- or fourth-round pick would be a solid outcome.

CB Denzel Ward

Moving Ward after June 1, 2026, would save the Browns $20 million. Once viewed as a top-tier cornerback, Ward has become increasingly inconsistent — even as the defense around him has taken significant strides and emerged as one of the league’s best. This season may be his worst yet, continuing a downward trend that’s been building for a while. At 28, it would be wise for Cleveland to see if another team is willing to gamble on a potential bounce-back. He likely won’t return to form, but if a second or third-round pick is on the table, the Browns should take it.

WR Jerry Jeudy

Dealing Jeudy before 2027 won’t result in massive cap savings — and that’s not the point. This move would be about redeeming any draft value for a player who no longer fits the roster. The 26-year-old has been frustratingly inconsistent, struggles with routine catches and often looks like he's not giving full effort. The frequent drops might be a symptom of that. Even if all the Browns get is a seventh-round pick, that’s more value than keeping him around.