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Trade Rumors: Slayton, Lattimore, Broncos

November 5th, 2024 at 1:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumblings about the Steelers pursuing both Courtland Sutton and Darius Slayton surfaced days before the deadline. While no real traction has come out regarding Sutton — one of the NFL’s 2020s trade-rumor pillars — Slayton is still in play to be moved. The Giants wide receiver indeed came up during a Steelers push that concluded with a Mike Williams addition, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting Pittsburgh “took a hard look” at the sixth-year New York pass catcher.

Slayton has shown ability as a deep threat in the Big Apple, helping the Giants after a few of their past WR plans have gone awry. We are in crunch time for Big Blue regarding a trade of either Slayton or Azeez Ojulari, with the deadline looming in less than two hours. Slayton is finishing up a two-year, $12MM deal but is attached to barely $1MM in remaining salary. The Giants keeping Slayton would open the door to a potential compensatory reward if he leaves as a 2025 free agent.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

  • The Ravens also explored a trade for Marshon Lattimore, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Chiefs and Chargers joined the Commanders in being in on the Pro Bowl cornerback, but a three-pick package sent him to Washington. Baltimore has Marlon Humphrey and used a first-round pick on Nate Wiggins. Pro Football Focus, however, has graded boundary starter Brandon Stephens 95th overall at the position this season. Lattimore, his injury trouble notwithstanding, would have been an upgrade on Stephens in a Humphrey-fronted position group. Both Lattimore and Humphrey entered the NFL as 2017 first-round picks.
  • Although the Broncos are likely to see another deadline pass without dealing Sutton, some around the league are wondering about Javonte Williams‘ status. The fourth-year back has not quite looked the same since his ACL and LCL tears in 2022, though he has produced at points for this year’s 5-4 team. Still, execs are wondering about Williams’ trade availability, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, due to rumors Denver is planning to give rookie Audric Estime a bigger workload. Estime, however, has fumbled twice — despite logging only 15 carries. Williams has also lost two fumbles, and given his form since the injury and Estime being signed through 2027, teams may be touching base with the Broncos about their contract-year RB.
  • Rodney McLeod does not want to be part of a Browns exodus. Announcing before the season he intends to retire, McLeod said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) he does not want to be moved off the 2-7 team’s roster. “I’m riding with this team,” McLeod said. “I’m in the boat. I’m not looking to escape.” The Browns have traded Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith and cut Quinton Jefferson. They may well be done for the day, however, with Fowler adding talks about other players have not produced a deal.

Browns To Release DT Quinton Jefferson

November 5th, 2024 at 11:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned in trade rumors, Quinton Jefferson looks to have been unable to generate sufficient interest for the Browns. As a result, Cleveland will drop the veteran D-lineman.

The Browns will give Jefferson a chance to catch on elsewhere, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicating they are cutting him hours before today’s trade deadline. By doing so now, the Browns are allowing Jefferson to pass through waivers and straight to free agency. Had Cleveland waited until after the deadline to cut Jefferson, he would have been subject to waivers.

[RELATED: Browns Trade Za’Darius Smith To Lions]

This figures to mark yet another team change for the veteran defender, who has been with five franchises since 2020. Jefferson has moved from the Bills to the Raiders to the Seahawks to the Jets to the Browns. He has two Seattle stints on his resume but most recently chose Cleveland, signing a one-year, $4MM deal. The Browns will take on around $3MM in dead money by cutting Jefferson now.

It is not too surprising no team wanted to give up a draft asset for Jefferson, who has spent recent weeks inactive. Jefferson, 31, has not played since Week 5; the Browns have made him a healthy scratch for each of their past four games. While this stands to affect teams’ interest in the ninth-year veteran, Jefferson not driving a market could also benefit him due to the Browns agreeing to cut bait early.

Jefferson is not a stranger to releases, either. The Bills and Seahawks have cut him this decade, though both teams moved on during the offseason. Jefferson had signed two-year deals with Buffalo and Seattle, but following those releases, he managed to catch on elsewhere. For his career, Jefferson has worked as a 62-game starter. This includes a 14-game stretch for the Jets last season.

The Jets saw Jefferson produce a career-high six sacks under Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich; that came after the interior defender posted 5.5 during his Seahawks return. Jefferson tallied 13 QB hits in each of those slates. This season in Cleveland, he has one sack and two QB hits. The Browns have Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, second-round pick Michael Hall and Maurice Hurst at DT. While they are open for business beyond a few cornerstone players, the Browns have moved on from one veteran piece without making a trade.

Browns, Lions Complete Za’Darius Smith Trade

November 5th, 2024 at 7:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be near the finish line while the Browns were playing their Week 9 game, the team’s deal with the Lions involving Za’Darius Smith is now done. The veteran pass rusher will be dealt to a third NFC North franchise.

As it turns out, Detroit will end up paying less for Smith than initially reported. The Lions will receive Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports, while the Browns will acquire a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder.

Cleveland’s hopes in acquiring a better return for Smith led to the delay here, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the AFC North team was hoping someone would send over a fourth-round pick for the veteran edge defender. Exiting Week 9, no club was willing to do so. That will lead to the Browns accepting the Lions’ offer.

These terms are not far off from those involved in the 2023 trade that sent Smith from Minnesota to Cleveland. Following the 2023 draft, the Vikings dealt Smith and 2025 sixth- and seventh-round picks to the Browns for 2024 and 2025 fifths. Eighteen months later, Smith is involved in another trade that includes at least three Day 3 draft choices.

The Lions will take on Smith’s remaining salary, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. That only requires a $605K payment, however. The Browns, as they are wont to do under GM Andrew Berry, inserted void years in Smith’s contract to reduce his cap hits. He entered the season with just $1.21MM due in 2024 base salary. Smith re-signed with the Browns on a two-year, $23MM deal in March. The Lions will take on this through-2025 contract, giving them flexibility to keep the well-traveled defender next season as well. Smith is due a $1.5MM base salary in 2025; that money is not guaranteed.

Aidan Hutchinson suffering a broken leg made the Lions an obvious pass-rushing suitor, and Smith ended up being asked about a potential trade to Detroit not long after the then-Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner went down. Smith, 32, expressed intrigue about a Lions fit; soon after, a report pointed to the Lions showing interest. The former Packers and Vikings edge rusher will move from Myles Garrett sidekick on a 2-7 team to the most accomplished healthy pass rusher for a 7-1 squad.

While the Lions have steamrolled their way to the top of the NFC, they have done so without reliable production from their non-Hutchinson edge players. Hutchinson racked up 7.5 sacks before going down in Week 5. Through eight games, no other Lions player has tallied more than 2.5 sacks. Among outside rushers, no Lion has accumulated more than one sack this season.

Smith checks a key box for a team that allocated significant offseason resources to locking down the core GM Brad Holmes assembled. The former Pro Bowler helped the Packers to two NFC championship games and aided the Vikings to the 2022 NFC North title during his one Minnesota season; the Lions will hope their former rival can push their effort over the top.

It will cost the Browns nearly $19MM in dead money to move Smith, which certainly presents an interesting scenario for a team tied to Deshaun Watson‘s contract through 2026. The Smith dead money will be spread over two years for the Browns. As the Watson contract has done the most to sink this Browns team after a 2023 playoff season, Berry and Co. have been tied to more seller’s moves before today’s 3pm CT deadline.

Despite the Browns’ struggles this season, is on a better pace compared to his 2023 form. Helping last year’s Cleveland squad to the No. 1 pass defense ranking, Smith finished with 5.5 sacks. Through nine games this year, he has five. Smith posted 20 QB hits last season; he has seven thus far this year.

The former Ravens, Packers and Vikings EDGE has reeled off three double-digit sack seasons — each of which coming in the NFC North. He reached 13.5 sacks upon signing with Green Bay in 2019 and added 12.5 to help the Pack return to the NFC title game a year later. Upon signing with the Vikings in 2022, Smith teamed with Danielle Hunter to record 10 sacks.

The Browns have now moved Smith and Amari Cooper. They are not planning to trade Garrett or Denzel Ward, but other names have come up. Greg Newsome‘s name has come up. It will be interesting to see if the retooling squad unloads more pieces over the next several hours. The Lions have not shown they need much, but they also could further augment their roster before today’s trade endpoint.

Browns Have Discussed Trading Greg Newsome; Elijah Moore, David Njoku Also Trade Candidates?

November 4th, 2024 at 4:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:13pm: Given the nature of Njoku’s contract, it would come as a surprise if he were to be dealt. Indeed, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the Browns are “highly unlikely” to authorize a swap before tomorrow afternoon. One of the deadline’s top storylines will be the interest generated in Njoku and several other Browns seen as attractive to contending teams.

10:05am: Sunday’s loss dropped the Browns to 2-7 on the year. The team has already dealt away Amari Cooper, and more moves could be coming. A trade sending edge rusher Za’Darius Smith to the Lions may be in place, and other names on both sides of the ball will be worth watching.

Cleveland has discussed trading away not only Smith but also cornerback Greg Newsome, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes. The latter was mentioned as a potential trade candidate this offseason, although nothing emerged on that front. Newsome has been a key member of the Browns’ secondary during his tenure, logging 42 starts and his fifth-year option was picked up during the spring.

As a result, the 24-year-old is scheduled to earn $13.38MM, a notable commitment on the Browns’ part or that of a team capable of acquiring him before the trade deadline. Cleveland already has Denzel Ward attached to one of the league’s most lucrative CB contracts ($20.1MM per year), and Martin Emerson Jr. will be eligible for an extension this offseason. The 2022 third-rounder racked up an impressive 29 pass deflections across his first two seasons in the league, and he has added five to that total (along with a forced fumble) in 2024.

Keeping Ward in place while also committing to a new Emerson contract would make it difficult to extend Newsome. The Northwestern product expressed in May his desire to remain in Cleveland well beyond 2025. At that point, however, no extension talks were taking place and there has not been a known change in that respect since. Absorbing the remainder of his $2.4MM base salary for this season would be feasible for contenders seeking help in the secondary, but a steep rise in compensation (which is guaranteed in full) next year could limit his trade market.

Elsewhere on the Browns’ roster, Elijah Moore could also be a name to watch on the trade front. The fourth-year receiver has been on the trade block for weeks, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. Moore is a pending free agent, so Cleveland could look to add draft capital if the team does not envision retaining him this spring. That was the case with Cooper, although at the age of 24 Moore’s situation is notably different. The former Jets second-rounder did not live up to expectations during his two seasons in New York, but the move to Cleveland resulted in a career year last campaign (59 catches, 640 yards, two touchdowns).

Moore has been held without a touchdown catch in 2024, but he has remained a regular in the passing attack with a 74% snap share. The Ole Miss product could represent a depth addition to a contending team on a rental basis if the Browns receive a relatively strong offer. An acquiring team would be on the hook for the prorated remainder of Moore’s $3.12MM base salary.

Another Browns pass-catcher who could be on the move is David Njoku, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio (video link). The Pro Bowl tight end has been a steady contributor on offense for much of his eight-year career, and last season he set new benchmarks in receptions (81), yards (882) and touchdowns (six). Despite the arrival of wideout Jerry Jeudy in the offseason, Njoku has remained a key target in the passing game with 43 targets in six games. He is under contract through 2025, and while his base salary that year is only $1.26MM he is owed a $6.56MM option bonus on September 1.

Like with Newsome, any acquiring team would therefore have a decision to make on the contract front if Njoku were to be moved before tomorrow’s deadline. Moore’s status as a rental could make him more attractive to buyers, but in any case it will be interesting to see if the Browns become willing to part with any of those players.

Lions, Browns Expected To Finalize Za’Darius Smith Trade

November 3rd, 2024 at 10:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

10:42pm: Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms the Browns and Lions have had talks regarding a Smith deal. He adds the price, should this agreement be finalized, will likely be around a fourth-round pick. That level of compensation would, of course, set the market for any other edge rush trades over the coming days.

1:16pm: Za’Darius Smithhas long been connected to a trade sending him from the Browns to the Lions. Signs continue to point in that direction.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports a deal between the teams is expected to be finalized tonight or tomorrow. At the moment, Smith is taking part in Cleveland’s Week 9 contest against the Chargers. Provided he does not suffer an injury during today’s game, attention will turn to the status of negotiations for a swap to be worked out.

Smith spoke about the possibility of a Lions arrival last month, stating an openness to a deal which would send him to the Motor City. Presuming this trade does indeed get worked out, the three-time Pro Bowler will return to the NFC North. A former Packer and Viking, Smith will have the chance to play two of his former teams during the latter stages of the 2024 season if he does indeed wind up with the Lions.

Detroit is without Marcus Davenport for the year, something which was exacerbated by Aidan Hutchinson‘s broken tibia. The latter could make a Super Bowl return, but his absence created a massive vacancy along the edge for the time being. In the build-up to Week 9, Lions head coach Dan Campbell strongly hinted at a pass rush addition being around the corner, so today’s report comes as no surprise.

The Lions are short on established options along the edge with their top two options on the mend, so Smith will have plenty of playing time available provided he does wind up changing teams. The 32-year-old recorded at least 10 sacks in each healthy season between 2019 and ’22, but he had a quieter debut Cleveland campaign last year (5.5). So far in 2024, though, Smith has racked up five sacks, a sign that he has remained productive deep into his career. Providing at least a depth presence on the edge for Detroit would be key for the team’s Super Bowl hopes.

The NFC North figures to be highly competitive throughout the season, and any acquisitions on the Lions’ part could tip the scales in their favor. The team has been connected to other trade candidates, but Smith has remained the most common target for some time now. He is attached to a base salary of just $1.21MM for 2024, along with a non-guaranteed $1.5MM in base pay next year. Smith is owed a $2MM roster bonus not long after the start of the next league year, so an adjustment from the Lions – should they end up acquiring him – would not come as a surprise.

Browns Name Jameis Winston Starting Quarterback For Remainder Of Season

November 3rd, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 3: The Browns have named Winston the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Cabot does allow for the possibility that Thompson-Robinson could get some starts if the Browns are eliminated from playoff contention, but after his strong showing against the Ravens in Week 8 — albeit against a leaky secondary missing two starters — the job is now Winston’s to lose.

OCTOBER 23: The Browns are making another switch on their quarterback depth chart. Days after it was reported Cleveland was demoting Jameis Winston, the offseason pickup will move into the starting role.

Winston is expected to take over for an injured Deshaun Watson in Week 8, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Prioritized over Joe Flacco to be Watson’s backup, Winston was unexpectedly dropped to the emergency QB3 role as Dorian Thompson-Robinson made another leap. That was believed to be a game plan-specific adjustment, per Schultz, rather than a move that indicated Winston would continue as a third-stringer.

It is nevertheless interesting Winston was viewed as a third-stringer for any game, but Thompson-Robinson had made a similar climb last year. DTR’s progress during training camp prompted the Browns to trade Joshua Dobbs to the Cardinals last summer. The Browns have not seen much from Thompson-Robinson in games, and with the second-year passer now battling an injury, Winston represented the obvious choice to take over in Cleveland’s latest emergency circumstance.

Winston, 30, signed with the Browns on a one-year, $4MM deal. Those terms match what the Colts gave Joe Flacco, with the 39-year-old veteran confirming the Browns never made him an offer to stay. The 2023 Comeback Player of the Year had wanted to stay, expressing fondness for his Cleveland setup on several occasions. Winston, however, joined Jacoby Brissett as the Browns’ preferred options. Not wanting to go where the Patriots did for Watson’s 2022 fill-in (one year, $8MM), the Browns brought in Winston, who still counts as dead money on the Saints’ 2024 and ’25 payrolls.

Watson is believed to have backed a Winston signing, helping to explain Cleveland’s preference compared to a second Flacco contract. The former No. 1 overall pick has made 80 career starts. The runway is clear for the former Buccaneers and Saints starter to run that count to 90, barring injury. Though, the Browns — given how their season has unraveled thanks largely to Watson’s struggles — may want to give Thompson-Robinson more burn to gauge his development at some point. For now, it will be Winston, who has not been a regular starter since a 2022 injury led to his New Orleans demotion.

While Winston is best known for his high-variance 2019 season — which featured 33 touchdown passes, 30 interceptions and 5,109 yards — he played well in Sean Payton’s Saints finale before going down with an ACL tear. The Saints re-signed Winston to a two-year, $28MM deal in 2022 but ended up benching him for Andy Dalton. New Orleans’ Derek Carr deal keyed a Winston pay cut, and the NFC South club dropped its backup via a post-June 1 release this offseason.

A finger injury led Thompson-Robinson out of the Browns’ Week 7 Bengals matchup. While surgery was in play, that will not end up being necessary, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The team has since signed Bailey Zappe off the Chiefs’ practice squad. If Thompson-Robinson misses time, Cleveland’s Week 8 QB depth chart will feature Zappe backing up Winston.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/2/24

November 2nd, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL moves including standard gameday practice squad elevations for Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Browns Place LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah On IR

November 2nd, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns will be without one of their key defenders for at least the next four games. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team has placed linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on injured reserve.

[RELATED: Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Suffers Neck Injury]

Owusu-Koramoah was carted off the field during the third quarter of last weekend’s game. Fortunately, the linebacker avoided a serious, career-altering injury, but it could still be a bit before he takes the field again. In fact, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com warns that Owusu-Koramoah could ultimately be lost for the rest of the 2024 campaign.

The Browns will now have to navigate at least the next month without one of their defensive leaders. After earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023, Owusu-Koramoah has carried his elite production into 2024. The former second-round pick leads the Browns with 61 tackles, and he’s also added three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble to his 2024 stat line.

“JOK is a leader of our defense,” safety Juan Thornhill told Cabot. “He’s a guy that’s going to make a lot of plays, that spark for our defense and losing a guy like that, it hurts. That’s our brother. You never want to see anybody go down like that. But everybody out there, they’re going to play hard for him each and every week until they get back out there and I’m praying for my boy.”

Owusu-Koramoah has been the one consistent for the Browns linebackers corps in 2024. Jordan Hicks has missed three games and most of a fourth, and Mohamoud Diabate had a stint on IR while recovering from a hip injury. Devin Bush has stepped up and ranks second at the position in snaps played, and the Browns may have to lean on the likes of Winston Reid and Nathaniel Watson depending on the status of Hicks.

Browns Brass Agreed Deshaun Watson Was Team’s Best Starter Option

November 1st, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first third of the Browns’ season brought consistent scrutiny on Kevin Stefanski‘s decision to keep starting Deshaun Watson. The former Texans Pro Bowler had rarely resembled his Houston version in Cleveland and had bottomed out this season, producing the league’s worst QBR among qualified passers during his seven starts.

Weekly calls for Watson to be benched rang out, but with Browns ownership and GM Andrew Berry not making themselves available to address this big-picture issue, Stefanski continued to do so. Stefanski had kept indicating Watson would not be benched, but the two-time NFL Coach of the Year shed some light on the organization’s decision-making process by confirming he had discussed the matter with Berry and the team’s ownership. It appears the parties were aligned on the decision to avoid benching the struggling starter.

While Stefanski had said ownership was not forcing him to keep starting Watson, who remains tied to a record-shattering guarantee ($230MM), ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi notes the choice to stay the course was agreed upon at all organizational levels. Watson’s Week 8 Achilles tear, of course, changed the Browns’ plan. Although the injury conceivably clouds Watson’s future in Cleveland, his guarantees for 2025 and ’26 — which are currently slated to smash NFL records in terms of cap hits — remain intact.

As many expected he would, Jameis Winston outplayed the 2024 Watson version in Week 8. The free agent pickup completed 27 of 41 passes, including a game-winner to Cedric Tillman, for 334 yards and three touchdowns. The Browns prioritized Winston over Joe Flacco, who said repeatedly he wanted to stay in Cleveland — before ultimately confirming he received no offer to return — but demoted him to the third-string level in Week 7. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, however, did not hold the starting gig once Watson went down. After a promising Week 8 — albeit with a boost from some Ravens dropped interceptions — Winston appears the clear-cut Browns starter.

It is not especially surprising the upper reaches of the organization agreed to keep trotting out Watson, who was at the controls as the Browns lost five straight. The team had made a historic investment in the embattled passer, sending the Texans three first-round picks in a package that included other draft choices and greenlighting the five-year, $230MM guaranteed deal. The Browns joined the Falcons, Panthers and Saints in being willing to send three first-rounders to the Texans for Watson, but their $230MM guarantee set them apart. As Watson was on the cusp of choosing Atlanta, the Georgia native backtracked thanks to the whopping guarantee — a figure that has not been approached despite the QB market skyrocketing since.

The Watson contract, which Jimmy Haslam indicated stemmed from a Berry plan, unfolding as it has may well place the HC-GM combination on hot seats despite the Browns authorizing extensions for both this offseason. Stefanski has also given up play-calling duties for the first time in his Browns tenure, handing the role to OC Ken Dorsey. The team did not discuss changing play-callers until Week 8, Dorsey said (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson).

Stefanski’s run as a play-caller stretched back to taking over for a fired John DeFilippo as interim Vikings OC in 2018. Becoming Minnesota’s full-time OC in 2019, Stefanski landed the Browns’ HC job in 2020, arriving two weeks before Berry.

Winston’s early success reflects well on the coach’s scheme, which keyed a playoff berth in 2020 with a healthy Baker Mayfield and obviously flourished with Flacco at the controls en route to a surprising postseason berth last season. Though, with the Browns 2-6 and rumored to be prepared to make more seller’s trades following the Amari Cooper swap, Stefanski may not be out of the woods yet regarding an ouster.

Watson underwent surgery last week. Stefanski did not commit to the high-priced passer as his 2025 starter, though the veteran HC said he still believed in Watson. Thanks to the QB’s two restructures, he is tied to $72.94MM cap numbers in 2025 and ’26. Cutting Watson in 2025 would create an unfathomable $172.73MM dead cap hit, which would be spread over two years in a post-June 1 transaction (which would certainly be necessary in the event of a release). It will now be interesting, given the money still owed to Watson, if the Browns add a starter-caliber arm in 2025.

Trade Rumors: Jefferson, Tomlinson, Browns, 49ers, Broncos, Texans

October 31st, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the Amari Cooper swap, more Browns seller’s trades are expected. Za’Darius Smith has emerged as perhaps the top post-Cooper trade chip, but two members of their interior D-line profile as candidates to move. More definitively, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline indicates the Browns will trade Quinton Jefferson if they receive an offer. The nomadic DT has not played since Week 5, with the Browns not receiving much in the way of production on a one-year, $4MM deal. Having played for five teams in the past five seasons (Bills, Raiders, Seahawks, Jets, Browns), Jefferson has been in a number of schemes and has experience at D-tackle and end. He may have drawn some interest already, and it does not sound like it will take much for a team to acquire the 31-year-old D-lineman.

One of the reasons Jefferson is not seeing the field, Dalvin Tomlinson remains the Browns’ lead DT. He is signed to a four-year, $57MM deal, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson views Tomlinson and Smith as the most likely Browns to be moved at the Nov. 5 deadline. Being the Browns, void years on Tomlinson’s deal have the eighth-year veteran’s base salary at $1.2MM. That would make an acquisition appealing for a team, as Tomlinson has been productive in New York, Minnesota and Cleveland and does not have any guaranteed money due beyond 2024. Pro Football Focus ranked Tomlinson as a top-30 DT from 2017-22 and slots the 30-year-old 31st through eight games.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

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