All offseason, Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry looked to upgrade the team’s defensive end position after trading away DE Myles Garrett. Berry brought in DE Tyus Bowser for a workout and passed. Former Cleveland DE Jadeveon Clowney returned for a visit, then signed with the Houston Texans. Same with DE Za’Darius Smith heading to the Atlanta Falcons.
Recently, we’ve covered the rumor floating around about DE Khalil Mack, who, along with DE Josh Sweat, could be available before the NFL trade deadline.
Mack and Sweat could help DE Jared Verse be more than a force multiplier for the Browns defense, but defensive end might not be the team’s biggest need.
Cleveland has been getting a lot of pressure on the quarterback, despite the relatively low sack numbers:
Two of the late additions to the Browns roster have been getting a lot of pressure:
As one of our commenters noted, defensive tackle is probably a bigger need for the Browns:
A look at the Browns injury report to start Week 5 seems to confirm that, with DT Mason Graham expected to miss a few weeks and DT Mike Hall Jr. missing the first practice ahead of the New York Jets. DT Kalia Davis is not eligible to return from injured reserve, but has three weeks to do so, leaving only DTs Maliek Collins and Adin Huntington at the position on the team’s 53-man roster.
Cleveland’s practice squad includes Sam Kamara (listed as a DT, plays more DE), Zion Logue, and Chris Williams at the defensive tackle position.
The problem is that good defensive tackles are hard to find. ESPN listed Daron Payne as an option if the Washington Commanders continue to falter. CBS Sports had no defensive tackles on their Top 10 list. The Athletic added Grover Stewart to Payne, but the Indianapolis Colts are 2-2 and in second place in the AFC South. Pro Football Focus added A’Shawn Robinson and Zach Sieler as potential trade options as well.
A look at the names on the list and the relatively short nature of the above list is an indicator of how hard it is to find good defensive tackles, much less ones that teams are willing to move on from. Big contracts tend to be dolled out for big guys in the middle of the defensive line, whether their performance on the field deserves the money.
Can Berry work some magic and find a team willing to deal from a position of premium value with few, overall, options? Is defensive tackle a bigger need than defensive end? How soon would the Browns be willing to go more in on the 2026 season? What other positions should Berry and company be looking to replace, including slot cornerback?
A lot of questions with over a month to go until the NFL trade deadline.
Any of the defensive tackles listed above interest you for the Browns? How would you rank the team’s biggest roster needs at this moment?
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