Browns Out on Trade Talks for $32 Million Wide Receiver: Report
The Cleveland Browns make sense as sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline, but reports coming from one insider indicate they prefer to buy.
Cleveland (2-5) could use a true No. 1 wide receiver given how stagnant the offense has been, both with Joe Flacco and now rookie Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterbacks. After a career year, wideout Jerry Jeudy has taken a major step back, and Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report on Friday referred to the receiver as the Browns’ “most disappointing player” to this point in the season.
“The 2024 Pro Bowler has yet to score a touchdown in seven games and is on pace for just 624 yards,” Gagnon wrote. “That would mark the worst healthy season of the 26-year-old’s career.”
One trade target a couple of Cleveland-based radio hosts floated is New York Jets star wideout Garrett Wilson. However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com shut down those reports/rumors on Saturday while reporting that the Browns do, in fact, want to add ahead of the November 4 deadline.
“It won’t be Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, because the Jets undoubtedly won’t part with him after they just signed him to a four-year extension in July worth $130 million, including $90 million guaranteed,” Cabot wrote. “Despite rumors on social media, the Browns haven’t given it any thought, in part because they know the Jets wouldn’t consider it, even though they’re 0-7. In fact, they probably won’t add another starting-caliber receiver until the offseason, via the draft, a trade or free agency.”
Wilson, 25, has earned $32 million total through the first four years of his NFL career.
Browns Tied to Garrett Wilson Interest by Cleveland Radio Personalities
It wasn’t just social media stirring the pot with regards to a Wilson/Browns trade, but also the “The Tony Rizzo Show” on ESPN Cleveland.
Rizzo and his guest host “Chopz” said on October 22 that they heard Cleveland’s front office was looking into Wilson’s availability.
“There’s a lot of wide receiver chatter out there with the Browns, and [general manager Andrew Berry] is sniffing around,” Chopz said. “Garrett Wilson’s name is popping up right now. … That seems like such an Andrew Berry move, because Garrett Wilson seems to be on the outs in New York because they have a new regime.”
Browns Likely to Consider Less Splashy Trade Targets Than Garrett Wilson, Particularly Considering QB Situation
Wilson would represent a monster swing at this juncture in the Browns’ roster reconstruction, with rookie QBs in Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders likely to start for the remainder of the season.
Should neither of them set himself apart, Cleveland may use its first-round draft pick to pursue a signal-caller in a solid class of rookie QBs headed to the league in 2026.
But there is something to be said for procuring an elite No. 1 option to help whatever young player ends up becoming the Browns’ next franchise quarterback, particularly if that player is in his mid-20s and under contract through 2030 like Wilson is.
However, Cabot said Saturday it is more likely that Berry and the Browns will look for potentially less flashy additions, albeit meaningful ones of a particular type.
“They would like to land another key player or two like they did cornerback Tyson Campbell in the trade for Greg Newsome II two weeks ago,” Cabot wrote. “If the Browns can find another player or two in his prime that can help them over multiple years, they’ll try to close a deal soon.”
Kyle Dugger Absence vs. Browns Strains Patriots Secondary
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With their Week 8 matchup against the Cleveland Browns set to kick off at Gillette Stadium, the New England
The Patriots (5-2) enter this matchup on the heels of a dominant 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Cleveland (1-5) also won its Week 7 contest against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 31-6 at Huntington Bank Field.
With just over an hour until the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the Patriots and Browns have released their lists of inactives:
PATRIOTS INACTIVES:
S Kyle Dugger
LB Caleb Murphy
WR Efton Chism, III
DE Eric Gregory
DE Keion White
G Caedan Wallace
QB Tommy DeVito (3rd QB)
What it Means for the Patriots:
Dugger entered the weekend as questionable for Week 8 with a knee injury. The Lenoir-Rhyne product did not participate the the Pats final practice of the week and was the lone Patriot to be listed on their ultimate injury and practice participation report.
This season, Dugger has appeared in all seven games [making four starts] while compiling 17 total tackles. Due to his preseason and early-season struggles, the former Pats’ team captain has been the subject of both trade and release rumors — the former of which are expected to continue up to the NFL’s
Throughout his five-plus seasons in Foxborough, Dugger has appeared in 81 regular season games, making 69 starts. He also started his only playoff appearance in 2021. The Decatur, Georgia native has compiled 441 total tackles, nine interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while scoring three defensive touchdowns. His extensive knowledge of the Patriots playbook made him the logical choice to serve as their starter with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins being sidelined for the past two games with a hamstring injury.
Despite having just been signed by the Patriots on Oct. 15, defensive back Richie Grant’s elevation from the practice squad may indicate that he is likely to inherit some of the reps normally allotted to Dugger. The veteran safety was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason but was released prior to the start of the season. Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, the 6’0” 200-pound defensive back has played in 67 games with 33 starts and has accumulated 264 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes-defensed and 11 special teams tackles.
The Patriots may also turn to second-year defensive back Dell Pettus, perhaps the more-likely choice to receive Dugger’s reps. Pettus has logged 10 total tackles, one forced fumble and one run-stuff in reserve duty this season.
BROWNS INACTIVES:
QB Shedeur Sanders
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
S Damontae Kazee
RB Raheim Sanders
G Zack Zinter
T Cornelius Lucas
DT Adin Huntington
