3 Browns who should be benched, traded or worse with season in the balance

The Cleveland Browns are a mess, sitting at 1-5 and last place in the AFC North. Considering how their defense has played so far this season, the fanbase has a right to be disappointed. Deshaun Watson is hit or miss, and Jerome Ford was injured in the Browns loss to the Eagles.

Nick Chubb isn't coming back until Week 7, which means the Browns have a lot of work to do until then. If Cleveland is sitting a 1-6 next week, Nick Chubb and the entire NFL All-Pro team couldn't help them make the playoffs. The AFC North is a strong division, so the schedule doesn't get any easier from here. Losses to the Giants, Commanders and Raiders didn't do the Browns any favors.

Frankly, there's no number of changes that could make the Browns a playoff team. Much of that turnaround has to come from within.

Browns should consider a change at quarterback

I already wrote a story on Sunday about possible QB changes. The sad truth is that the Browns are paying Watson so much money, their best bet is on the player himself. Watson needs to rediscover his Pro Bowl form, or else the Browns will continue to falter offensively.

If Cleveland were to bench Watson, they'd role with Jameis Winston. Jameis is a former No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's thrown 30 touchdowns in a season before, but he's also thrown just as many interceptions. Winston is turnover-prone. That's his primary issue. While he creates opportunities for any offense he leads, he can ruin drives just as quickly.

Kevin Stefanski and the Browns front office has shown confidence in Watson, which means they're unlikely to bench him anytime soon. However, it ought to be on the table, especially after his performance on Sunday. Watson was 16-for-23 for just 168 yards. He didn't score through the air or on the ground.

Browns coaching change could be in the near future

Stefanski gave his full confidence in Watson just last week. I'd be surprised if he changed his tone in the aftermath of another loss to the Eagles. It's tough to blame Stefanski for the team's overall performance, but he'll be the fall guy if the Browns opt to make changes in the middle of the season. Browns insider Mary Cay Kabot claimed ownership isn't pressuring Stefanski to start Watson in a column during the week.

“No, Jimmy Haslam isn’t forcing Kevin Stefanski to play Deshaun Watson with the Browns at 1-4 and playoff hopes slipping away. Kevin Stefanski discusses big personnel decisions with GM Andrew Berry, the same way most NFL coaches do with their GMs. He also talks things over with Haslam and keeps him apprised on such monumental decisions. But the Browns would never force Stefanski to play someone that he didn’t want to play," Kabot wrote.

If the choice is purely on Stefanski, then, and he fails to make it...he'll be the odd man out.

Browns should consider trading Amari Cooper if they're really this bad

The Browns roster is too talented to trade that many assets from. Doing so would be irresponsible for general manager Andrew Berry. However, one of the players they can afford to part with this season is wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Cooper is still a capable wideout at this point in his career. If the Browns were in a different division, Cooper would be a great fit for the Steelers, who are in desperate need of a WR2 opposite of George Pickens.

The Cowboys could trade for Cooper just a few seasons after parting ways with him. Brandin Cooks has taken a step back in 2024, and Cooper offers them another option opposite of CeeDee Lamb. Cooper is expected to be a free agent after this year, as his contract can be voided following the campaign. So far on the season, he has just over 200 receiving yards, though some of that can be blamed on Watson and the inefficiency of the Browns passing game.

If this season is any indication, the Browns and Berry can use all the draft picks they can get. Trading Cooper for a late-round selection makes sense with that in mind.