The Cleveland Browns will try to add a wide receiver ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the question is who makes the most sense?
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Saturday, October 21, that Cleveland is in the market for a couple of offensive additions and may look to move on from a player or two as well.
“The Cleveland Browns have been calling around as both buyers and sellers,” Russini wrote. “They’ve been scanning the market looking for some affordable options. I’m told they are looking to possibly add a receiver and an offensive lineman.”
The trade block isn’t overflowing with talent at the wideout position, though Russini mentioned one potential candidate Saturday when discussing the Las Vegas Raiders.
“[The Raiders] have been shopping wide receiver Hunter Renfrow while inquiring about a pass-rusher since moving on from Chandler Jones,” Russini wrote.
There are a couple different ways by which the Browns can measure affordability.
The first consideration is what the team will have to give up to acquire a contributor in the passing game. The second is the salary a new player brings to the balance sheet.
Vegas quarterbacks have targeted Renfrow just nine times through six games. He has seen just 135 offensive snaps over that span. Considering Renfrow’s dip in production over the past couple of seasons, the Browns can probably acquire his services for a Day-3 draft pick. If Cleveland believes Renfrow can help a sputtering pass offense as QB Deshaun Watson returns to action, the team can more than afford to pursue the wideout in this context.
Renfrow is playing in the second season of a two-year, $32 million deal. His base salary is $11.15 million, which the team distributes in the form of game checks. The Raiders have already paid out the rest of the money on his deal.
If the Browns trade for Renfrow following Week 7, the franchise will owe him the pro-rated portion of his base salary. That equals out to 11 game checks, each of which is roughly $619,000. Over 11 weeks, the total amount is just north of $6.8 million. Cleveland can foot that bill easily, with more than $34.7 million in salary cap space available as of Saturday.
The Browns still have to make some moves to clean up their 2024 cap, which Spotrac currently projects at -$6.35 million. If Renfrow had more years on his deal, he would be a less attractive trade chip. However, because he is bound for free agency next spring, the Browns can acquire Renfrow as a second-half rental and move on without penalty in March.
All of this is, of course, assumes Cleveland is interested in what Renfrow brings to the table.
During his last full season of action in 2021, Renfrow hauled in 103 catches for 1,038 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also earned Pro-Bowl honors that year for the first, and only, time in his career.
Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels took the helm in Las Vegas six months prior to the franchise’s decision to extend Renfrow on his current two-year deal, which means McDaniels either signed off on the decision or authored it himself.
However, the coach grew disillusioned with the wideout early, after Renfrow missed seven games due to injury in 2022. Renfrow made just 36 catches for 330 yards and 2 scores last season, before the team chose to roll back his usage even more this year.
Renfrow’s arrow is definitely trending down. However, a poorly-run offense (16.7 points per game through six outings in 2023) and a coach who no longer believes in him have clearly impacted the wideout’s current situation.
As such, Renfrow’s situation is one that could markedly improve simply via a change of scenery. The receiver is still just 27 years old and playing in only his fifth NFL season.
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