Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and fellow Cleveland Browns pass-rusher Za'Darius Smith became the subjects of numerous trade rumors before Cleveland improved to 2-6 via this past Sunday's surprising 29-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
After ESPN's Dan Graziano revealed on Wednesday that he didn't think the Browns had "any interest in moving" Garrett, The Athletic's Mike Jones suggested that the AFC North side could take Smith off the trade block depending on what happens when Cleveland hosts the 4-3 Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday.
"Teams have called the Browns about numerous players," Jones wrote. "And while it’s already been made clear that Garrett is untouchable, his bookend — Smith — leads the team with five sacks and is generating interest. The Browns could listen to inquiries about the 32-year-old Smith, but there’s a hesitancy to unload him as well because of a belief within the organization that a season turnaround isn’t out of the question."
Many within the NFL community believe the Browns fell to 1-6 via a five-game losing streak largely because Deshaun Watson was arguably the league's worst starting quarterback of the ongoing campaign before he went down with a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon on Oct. 20. Against the Ravens, new Cleveland QB1 Jameis Winston completed 27-of-41 passes for 334 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Winston ultimately received AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his Week 8 performance.
As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Browns as 1.5-point underdogs against the Chargers. Cleveland improving to 3-6 likely wouldn't result in the club becoming a buyer before next Tuesday's trade deadline. Still, it could lead to head coach Kevin Stefanski once again having to address why he continued to play Watson amid the veteran's struggles.
There's no indication individuals within the Browns thought a "season turnaround" was possible before Watson suffered his injury. Watson's contract seemingly will continue to haunt his current employer for years to come, but Jones' update offered yet another sign that the 29-year-old may have taken his last meaningful snap with the Browns regardless of his health.
