3 deals the Cleveland Browns should make before NFL trade deadline

2. Trade For Marvin Jones

The Browns have shown their offensive formula to win this year–run the ball effectively and everything else works better (less Baker Mayfield is more). They have two legit wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, but the drop-off after them is steep even if having a viable No. 3 wide receiver is less important to their offense.

Since topping 50 yards in Week 1 and Week 3, and catching a touchdown in between in Week 2, Jones has less than 10 yards in each of the last two games. The Lions had over 400 yards of offense in Week 6, spurred by the running game, as he finished with two catches for eight yards. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell acknowledged Jones’ frustration.

“I’ll tell you the truth,” Bevell said, via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “I mean, the guy does get frustrated. I think any time you’re a player of his caliber you feel like if I get the ball, I’m going to help the team. And that’s definitely something that, a mentality I want all our guys to have, that they want the ball. And Marv is no different.”

Bevell praised Jones’ “dirty work in the run game”, which may perk up the Browns’ ears along with  his red zone ability. Jones caught nine touchdowns with more than 60 catches in 2017 and 2019 for the Lions.

With Beckham and Landry hardly red zone mavens, Jones looks like a nice possible addition for Cleveland. He is also in the last year of his contract, as much as it might matter as the Browns are flush with cap space.