Browns' Top Trade Candidates Ahead of 2023 Training Camp

The Cleveland Browns have recently shown they're willing to make big trades. Last offseason, they acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans in exchange for five draft picks, three of which were first-round selections.

It's highly unlikely the Browns pull off a move like that again in the near future. However, it is possible that Cleveland swings a deal or two before the 2023 NFL season arrives.

While there may not be any blockbuster deals on the horizon for the Browns, they could either better their roster with a move or trade from an area of depth in order to improve their draft capital. And it's even possible they do so before training camp begins later this month.

Here's a look at several Cleveland players who could be trade candidates in the near future.

The Browns have a large number of wide receivers on their roster, more than they'll be able to carry once the regular season gets here. Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and Donovan Peoples-Jones are all probable starters. Rookie Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin and David Bell are all in the mix, too.

That group doesn't even include Anthony Schwartz, a 22-year-old who was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2021 draft. He hasn't put up huge numbers early in his NFL career (14 catches for 186 yards and a touchdown in 25 games), but he has potential.

There could be teams interested in taking a flier on Schwartz, considering he hasn't gotten a ton of opportunities to prove himself at this level. And that's unlikely to change with the Browns, who will have too many WRs on the depth chart ahead of him.

Cleveland should consider moving Schwartz in exchange for a draft pick, unless a clear path for him to get more time on the field emerges. There's enough depth at receiver that trading him shouldn't create an issue for the offense.

Here's another Browns pass-catcher who appears to be blocked on the depth chart heading into the 2023 season. Harrison Bryant is likely the No. 3 tight end, as he'll probably be behind both David Njoku and Jordan Akins in the pecking order.

Bryant has flashed his potential at times during his first three years in the NFL, all of which has been spent in Cleveland. He hasn't put huge yardage totals (710 over 48 games), but he's scored seven touchdowns, six of which came over his first two seasons.

At only 25, Bryant still has time to become a team's No. 1 tight end. It just may not happen in Cleveland, where Njoku and Akins will likely get the majority of the time on the field in 2023.

If there are any NFL teams seeking upgrades at TE, Bryant could be a good target. And the Browns should be willing to listen to any potential offers because of their depth at the position.

Jordan Elliott started all 17 games for the Browns last season. But the team could use an upgrade at his spot at defensive tackle, and it may already have one with some of the young DTs now on its roster.

With free-agent acquisition Dalvin Tomlinson set to be one of Cleveland's starting defensive tackles, the other spot will likely be decided with a competition in training camp. Elliott will be in the mix, along with rookie Siaki Ika, Perrion Winfrey, Maurice Hurst and others.

Ika has the highest upside, while the 25-year-old Elliott is coming off a 2022 season in which he had 36 tackles and two sacks. He's a solid player, but it may be time for the Browns to give somebody else a chance to start on the interior of their defensive line and see if they can get a bit more production.

Elliott might bring a decent return in a trade. Because of that, it's something Cleveland should even more strongly consider.