With the NFL Draft less than a week away, most teams are finalizing big boards and scouting who they want to pick in the April 24 first round.
The Cleveland Browns (No. 2 pick) and the Dallas Cowboys (No. 12) are among those teams who are counting on their pick revitalizing their winning ways.
However, there is also always an opportunity to find a trade that might help those chances. Pro Football Network thinks that could be the case for both of these teams.
Sterling Xie drew up a trade that could land the Cowboys their next starting right guard to replace the legendary Zack Martin following his retirement. The move would also be on-par with other recent adds to the interior in Dallas.
The trade would send the Browns' veteran offensive lineman Wyatt Teller to Dallas to rid Cleveland of his hefty contract and lackluster play from 2024.
Although the projected trade didn't detail what Dallas would have to give up, the prospect of bringing in Teller as a Dak Prescott protector is intriguing.
Recent acquisitions of linemen Saahdiq Charles and Hakeem Adeniji point to the Cowboys making an effort to build as much depth as possible in the trenches. This was seen in earlier re-signings and free agency moves featuring Brock Hoffman, Rob Jones and Dakoda Shepley as well.
Teller would come in with track record that quickly asserts himself as the leader of this new-look group.
"The Cowboys were among the best teams in pass protection from guards but lost future Hall of Famer Zack Martin to retirement," Xie said.
"Teller could immediately step in as Martin’s successor at right guard."
The 30-year-old Teller made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2021-2023 and has been a regular starter for Cleveland since being acquired from the Buffalo Bills in a 2019 trade.
Teller earned a four-year, $56.8 million contract to stay with the Browns in 2021, but saw a noticeable decline in production during the 2024 season. That dip in performance, paired with a large cap hit at over 30 years old points to Teller being one of Cleveland's most likely trade assets.
Despite his pedigree, Teller's reputation took a hit after receiving just a 62.6 overall grade last season from Pro Football Focus.
For Dallas, this trade could be another "low risk, high reward" play as it looks to rebound from a 7-10 record in 2024.
However, the Cowboys would have to commit to Teller's $14.2 million cap hit as he enters the final year of his deal.
The current Dallas offensive line lacks much of the continuity and success that it's seen in the past, but acquiring a former Second Team All-Pro could boost the spirits of first year head coach Brian Schottenheimer and recovering quarterback Dak Prescott.
This is worth keeping an eye on if Teller is indeed available.
