The Cleveland Browns haven’t gotten off to the start of the season they hoped for.
They’re currently sitting on a 1-5 record and at the bottom of the AFC North, and things won’t get much easier along the way.
The Browns will play the Cincinnati Bengals next, and with the trade deadline looming large and Amari Cooper already off the team, people around the league believe there could be more players on their way out.
According to a report by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, veteran DE Za’Darius Smith could be a player to watch as the deadline approaches.
Smith is in the midst of his second season in Cleveland, and he’s been a very vocal and respected presence in the locker room.
Even so, he recently turned some heads by stating that he would ‘like’ to be traded to the Detroit Lions, as he wants to face his former team, the Minnesota Vikings.
Notably, the Lions recently lost star DE Aidan Hutchinson, so perhaps there could be something there.
Technically, Kevin Stefanski’s team still has an opportunity to salvage the season, but the margin for error is slim.
A loss to the Bengals would pretty much doom the team’s chances.
And if that’s the case, they might be better off mailing this season in and getting as many draft assets as they can in return for their veterans, and Smith clearly has plenty left in the tank and could give multiple teams a helping hand.