At the 2026 NFL trade deadline, the Cleveland Browns didn’t make a move, whether as a buyer or a seller. Jerry Jeudy wasn’t traded, and the Browns didn’t make any additions.
While the Browns, sitting at 5-4, were in a tricky spot when it comes to acting at the trade deadline, their lack of moves wasn’t due to a lack of effort.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns tried to make two additions by the deadline but failed to do so, leaving the team with no additions or subtractions in a rare quiet deadline for the Browns.
How Browns failed at the NFL trade deadline by not making two additions
“The Browns looked for an extra edge rusher and a blocking tight end and put out several feelers, but nothing came together,” Fowler reports. “This was the rare cycle in which Cleveland did not make a move.”
While the Browns, under Andrew Berry, have been a very active team in the trade market, they wound up not making a move at this year’s deadline.
But the Browns did try adding to their roster in hopes of improving their chances of making the playoffs. They sought out an edge rusher and a tight end to help at both positions on the depth chart.
After looking around the market, the Browns didn’t make a move. It was a failure at the trade deadline for the Browns, but it might not have been a bad thing to fail to make an addition.
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Based on how expensive some of the trades made were, it might’ve been a good thing the Browns held onto their draft picks, especially since this team isn’t ready to seriously compete in the playoffs just yet.
While they might have a solid record through nine weeks, the Browns need to find a long-term answer at quarterback, and there are plenty more positions the team needs to address.
Sure, the additions of an edge rusher and tight end would’ve helped this season, but if it cost them meaningful draft capital, it probably would not have been worth it.
Berry and the Browns did fail at the trade deadline, but with the Browns still in rebuild mode, failing to make an addition despite their efforts to make such a move might actually be a good thing when it’s all said and done.
