The NFL trade deadline came and went at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10, and the Cleveland Browns did not make a deal, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. Cleveland stood pat at 5-4, in third place in the AFC North and just outside the AFC playoff field at No. 8, according to the Beacon Journal.
That is not to say general manager Andrew Berry did not make phone calls, the Beacon Journal reported — none of those calls led to a trade. A year ago, in a much different position record-wise, the Browns made just one deadline trade, sending defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to the Chicago Bears, according to the Beacon Journal.
Dawg Pound Daily, analyzing the quiet deadline, reported that Berry chose neither to sell nor to buy, protecting a war chest that currently includes 11 total selections in the 2027 NFL Draft alone. As promised following the Myles Garrett trade on June 1, the Browns are not tanking, Dawg Pound Daily reported, but they also declined to dip into those future picks to improve this year’s roster.
The inaction leaves clear needs unaddressed for now. The Beacon Journal noted before the deadline that Cleveland had definite needs that could be filled in-season, and the question was whether the cost of filling them was worth a deal — a question Berry ultimately answered by standing still.
Around the league, other contenders did move, the Beacon Journal reported: the Kansas City Chiefs acquired wide receiver Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts, and the Los Angeles Chargers dealt a linebacker within the AFC West to the Denver Broncos. Cleveland’s quiet day stood in contrast to that activity.
The Browns now turn to the most pivotal stretch of their schedule, which Dawg Pound Daily described as four consecutive home games against the Texans, Raiders, Bengals and Falcons, sandwiched around a Week 11 bye. The Raiders visit Cleveland on November 29, according to the Beacon Journal.
What happens next is on the field rather than the trade market: Cleveland’s current roster will have to carry its playoff push through that home stand, with Berry’s stockpile of 2027 draft picks untouched for a future build, as reported by Dawg Pound Daily.
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY