At 1-5, the Cleveland Browns will need to start seriously considering selling off pieces at the trade deadline to recoup some draft picks after their disastrous Deshaun Watson trade.
Cleveland is going nowhere quickly and it’s hard to imagine their woes will end anytime soon as they draw a tough matchup in Week 7 against their AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals.
While both teams are seeking their second win of the 2024 NFL season, the Bengals can at least convince themselves they have a run in them to sneak into the postseason.
The Browns offense has been a mess and they already started to sell off pieces as they traded away Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills.
It was a smart move from Cleveland, though teams could now be looking at their defense for pieces to add to their own rosters.
Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi suggested Za’Darius Smith could be moved to a team like the Detroit Lions if things don’t go their way against the Bengals via the Pat McAfee Show.
“Cleveland is gonna have a for sale sign and Za’Darius Smith could be going to the Lions.. If they lose this game to the Bengals they should just start getting ready for next year,” Lombardi said.
Smith still has juice along the edge and would be a strong option for Detroit to target in a trade after they lost Aidan Hutchinson for the rest of the season.
Regardless of Sunday’s result, though, Cleveland should begin to look forward to next year.