Browns Shopping DE Emmanuel Ogbah
The first of the Browns’ two deals with the Giants will bring Olivier Vernon to Cleveland. With the veteran edge presence now set to start opposite Myles Garrett, the Browns are shopping their previous Garrett sidekick.
Cleveland has made Emmanuel Ogbah available for a trade, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
While Ogbah has been held in high regard by both of the Cleveland regimes for which he’s played, with part of the Browns’ reasoning for taking Denzel Ward over Bradley Chubb last year due to Ogbah’s presence, Vernon will be the new starter. Ogbah is entering a contract year.
After a foot injury ended his 2017 season, Ogbah suffered an ankle malady early last year. But the former second-round pick shook that off and played 14 games — all starts. He has 12.5 career sacks and may be an option as a complementary pass rusher or depth piece elsewhere, though it will depend on what the Browns will deem an acceptable return. Ogbah could seemingly be a bench option for Cleveland, but the Browns do have Chad Thomas, Chris Smith and Anthony Zettel behind their high-profile starting tandem.
Should John Dorsey pull the trigger on an Ogbah trade, it would be yet another Sashi Brown-era piece he will have jettisoned. That has been a frequent habit of the current Browns GM’s since he took over.
Browns, Giants Alter Zeitler/Vernon Trade
When the Browns and Giants agreed to swap guard Kevin Zeitler and defensive end Olivier Vernon earlier this week, the two clubs also decided to trade draft picks: Cleveland was set to give up a fifth-round pick (No. 155) to New York, while Big Blue send a fourth-round pick (No. 132) to the Browns. Now, following the deal that will send Odell Beckham Jr. to Cleveland, the two teams have agreed to revise the Zeitler/Brown trade.
The pick swap will no longer occur, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com (Twitter link). Instead, Zeitler will simply be traded straight up for Vernon, while OBJ will go to the Browns in a separate move. However, you can look at both swaps together as such: Beckham and Vernon for Zeitler, Peppers, No. 17 overall and No. 95 overall.
It’s unclear as to why the Giants and Browns have reached this agreement. The return for Beckham has been widely panned, so it’s possible the Giants asked for the Vernon/Zeitler pick swap to be eliminated as something of a face-saving move (although undoing a 23-spot drop in the draft probably isn’t worth all that much).
Browns To Sign TE Demetrius Harris
The Browns have reached a two-year agreement with former Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Cleveland, of course, traded for Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last night, adding a clear No. 1 option to its Baker Mayfield-led offense. Harris won’t have the impact of OBJ, but he’ll give the Browns a competent second tight end behind starter David Njoku. Njoku played roughly 80% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps, while incumbent backup tight end Orson Charles saw action on ~15% of plays.
Harris was a basketball player at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but NFL teams were intrigued by his 6’7″ stature. He signed with the Chiefs in 2013 as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t see the field until the 2015 campaign. Harris saw regular action in each of the past three years, missing only one game during that time, but he wasn’t a key factor in Kansas City’s offense, as he averaged only 15 receptions and 170 yards in that span. A major contributor on special teams, Harris played on more than 80% of the Chiefs ST snaps a year ago.
Browns Haven’t Talked Deal With Earl Thomas
The Browns have yet to engage in contract talks with Earl Thomas and will not be signing him, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. On Tuesday night, reports indicated that the Browns were confident in their chances of landing the Seahawks free agent, but it doesn’t sound like the safety will be joining a reloaded Cleveland roster. 
The Browns, at first glance, profiled as a logical destination for Thomas following the trade of Jabrill Peppers to the Giants in the Odell Beckham blockbuster. However, they have Damarious Randall to step into the spot filled by Peppers last season. Instead, the Browns are shopping for a strong safety, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets.
Thomas, a talented free safety, is said to be seeking $13MM/year. At this time, it’s uncertain as to whether he’ll be able to land such a deal. There were also talks of Thomas wanting to be the highest-paid safety in the NFL, but it may be challenging for him to top Tyrann Mathieu‘s $14MM average annual salary on his new deal with the Chiefs.
The Cowboys have been connected to Thomas for the better part of a year, and there were rumblings yesterday that the Texans could make a run at the soon-to-be 30-year-old.
OBJ Notes: Manning, 49ers, Bills
In the deal of the day, the Giants sent Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. In return, New York received a 2019 first-rounder (No. 17 overall), a 2019 third-rounder (No. 95), and safety Jabrill Peppers. This marks the end of an era for the Giants organization, and it also means the front office may be preparing for a full-on rebuild.
There have naturally been a number of Giants-centric and Beckham-focused notes since the deal was reported earlier this evening. We’ve compiled some of the more notable rumblings below…
- The 49ers were among the teams that expressed interest in OBJ, writes ESPN’s Adam Schefter. San Francisco has been connected to several big-name playmakers, and the team could certainly use some additional weapons for Jimmy Garoppolo. Marquise Goodwin and Dante Pettis currently lead the 49ers’ depth chart, and while the pair certainly have plenty of talent, the team could easily transform the duo into a trio.
- The Bills also had discussions about Beckham, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo (on Twitter). Tim Graham of The Athletic clarifies (on Twitter) that the Giants approached Buffalo about a trade, not the other way around. It’s not entirely surprising that Buffalo was considering a premier wideout, especially after the team failed to complete an Antonio Brown deal. The Bills have already added two free agent wideouts in John Brown and Cole Beasley, but their additions probably wouldn’t have prevented the organization from adding a player of OBJ’s caliber.
- Following the Beckham trade, Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com explores whether the Giants will end up holding on to veteran quarterback Eli Manning. There’s no denying that the organization is rebuilding, as the team has also moved on from Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon. Ultimately, the writer opines that the pairing doesn’t make sense for either side; the Giants won’t want the one or two extra wins that Manning could provide, while the veteran quarterback surely doesn’t want to spend his last few years playing for a middling team. The Giants may have to make some kind of decision by Monday, when Manning is set to earn a $5MM roster bonus that counts for a portion of his $23MM cap hit.
- We heard that Beckham may be seeking a new contract with the Browns, and it sounds like the two sides are already talking. Jason La Canfora tweets that “there has been contact” between the Browns and the receiver’s reps. The reporter attributes the negotiations to the “ramifications of the [Antonio Brown] contract,” noting that Beckham should look to capitalize on the trend of traded players securing guaranteed money.
WR Breshad Perriman Backs Out Of Browns Deal, Will Sign With Buccaneers
It sounds like Breshad Perriman has gotten his wish. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Browns general manager John Dorsey and agent Drew Rosenhaus “mutually agreed to not to follow through on verbal agreement.” Perriman will now sign a one-year, $4MM deal with the Buccaneers.
Perriman was set to re-sign with Cleveland on a one-year, $4MM deal. However, his role naturally changed following the Browns’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., and subsequent reports indicated that the 25-year-old wanted out of his verbal commitment. The Browns apparently granted his wish, and the wideout will now be heading to Florida.
The former first-rounder disappointed during his tenure with the Ravens, but he showed some intrigue during his stint with the Browns. Perriman proceeded to play in 10 games (two starts) for Cleveland after joining the organization in October, hauling in 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
While targets may have been limited in Cleveland, Perriman should have an opportunity to establish a role in Tampa Bay. After trading DeSean Jackson and watching Adam Humphries sign with the Titans, the Bucs now lack depth behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Browns To Re-Sign LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Ray-Ray Armstrong is heading back to Cleveland. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the linebacker is set to re-sign with the Browns. It will be a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Armstrong has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Miami in 2013. After spending about a season with the Giants, the linebacker was released by New York back in October. He ended up landing in Cleveland, and he proceeded to compile six tackles in nine games with this new club.
Armstrong is only one season removed from a 2017 campaign where he collected 64 tackles, one sacks, two passes defended, and two picks in 15 games with the 49ers and Giants. He’s lacked consistency throughout his career, but some stability could help him build off that 2017 season.
The Browns could certainly use some depth at linebacker. The team is currently only rostering five ‘backers in Genard Avery, Joe Schobert, Christian Kirksey, D’Juan Hines, and Xavier Woodson-Luster. While Armstrong shouldn’t be relied on as a starter, he’ll provide the team with some solid depth in 2019.
Browns Confident They’ll Land S Earl Thomas
After trading for Odell Beckham Jr. and signing Sheldon Richardson, it sounds like the Browns are still targeting big-name veterans. Jason La Canfora reports (via Twitter) that the organization is confident about their chances of landing free agent safety Earl Thomas.
As the reporter notes, the organization is apparently looking for one more big splash. After that, they’ll look to “stack depth” via the draft, and they’ll then presumably fill out their roster with journeyman and undrafted free agents. At the very least, it’s clear that the Browns are motivated to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
The market hasn’t necessarily been quiet for Thomas, but it’s uncertain if the safety will be able to secure his desired $13MM per year. There were also rumblings that the veteran wanted to be the highest-paid safety in the game, a market that was reset by Tyrann Mathieu‘s $14MM annual salary with the Chiefs. The Cowboys have been connected to Thomas for the better part of a year, and there were rumblings yesterday that the Texans could make a run at the 29-year-old.
The Browns would be a natural fit for the veteran, as the team is currently rostering only three safeties in Damarious Randall, Derrick Kindred, and Jermaine Whitehead. Thomas played in just four games last season before a leg injury landed him on injured reserve, but he’ll be fully recovered by the time the 2019 season rolls around. He wouldn’t only provide the Browns with an upgrade at safety, but he’d also add some veteran-savvy to the entire defense.
Breshad Perriman Wants To Back Out Of Browns Deal
The Browns re-signed Breshad Perriman earlier today in a deal that was just slightly overshadowed by the team’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. But now that OBJ is in the fold, Perriman apparently doesn’t believe there will be enough passes to go around.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Perriman wants to back out of the one-year, $4MM pact he agreed to. One would think that Perriman, who displayed the deep threat ability that once made him a first-round pick of the Ravens after he signed with Cleveland last season, would still have the opportunity to show off that speed in 2019 to some degree.
But it is true that Cleveland looks absolutely loaded at the skill positions, and OBJ is going to command well over 100 targets, so it’s understandable Perriman would prefer to go to a team that can offer him more chances.
Perriman’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was not immediately available for comment.
Giants Trade Odell Beckham Jr. To Browns
Odell Beckham Jr. is finally on the move. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the Giants are trading the wide receiver to the Browns.
It sound like New York has received a relative haul for their star receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Giants will be receiving a 2019 first-rounder (No. 17 overall), a 2019 third-rounder (No. 95), and safety Jabrill Peppers. The deal will leave $16MM in dead money for the Giants, who inked the receiver to a five-year, $95 million contract ($65MM guaranteed) back in August. The move will open up $5MM in cap space, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
This would seem to be a relatively big haul for Beckham, especially when you consider what the Steelers recently received for Antonio Brown. While Brown is older and desired a new contract, Pittsburgh was still only able to fetch a third-round pick (No. 66 overall) and fifth-round pick (No. 141) from the Raiders. Of course; Beckham may also be seeking a new deal; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the receiver is expected to ask Cleveland for a new contract.
There had been conflicting reports regarding Beckham’s availability in recent days. Despite general manager Dave Gettleman‘s consistent insistence that Beckham was not available, we learned yesterday that the Giants had been discussing a trade. We heard earlier today that an AFC North team was engaged in conversations with the Giants, and we’ve now learned that the team was Cleveland.
The Browns seemed like a relatively natural fit for Beckham and his $18MM salary. Despite signing Jarvis Landry to a lucrative deal last offseason, Cleveland’s front office was still hunting around for a big-name addition. The 26-year-old surely fits that bill, as he’ll team up with Landry, quarterback Baker Mayfield, and running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to form one of the more talented offenses in the NFL.
The 26-year-old was still productive in 2018 despite missing four games due to a quad injury. In 12 games, Beckham hauled in 77 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns. The former first-rounder is all over the Giants all-time leaders list, with top-five appearances in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.
While the focus of the trade will surround Beckham, Peppers is an intriguing inclusion in the deal. The former Michigan standout had spent the first two seasons of his career in Cleveland, including a 2018 campaign where he compiled 79 tackles, one sack, and five passes defended. While the 23-year-old hasn’t necessarily displayed the talent that earned him a first-round selection, he’s still an intriguing asset for the Giants. While the team recently added Antoine Bethea, Peppers could theoretically supplant Michael Thomas in the starting lineup.