Cleveland Browns

NFL teams looking for pass-rushing help ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline will reportedly have to settle for options beyond the headline names.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday the Las Vegas Raiders will not make Maxx Crosby available. The update comes after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported the Cleveland Browns do not plan on trading Myles Garrett.

Cleveland may move another defensive end, though, as Schefter called Za'Darius Smith "one of the most logical pass-rushing trade targets" given the updates around Crosby and Garrett.

It is anything but surprising the Browns may trade Smith, as they are 1-6 and largely playing out the string on what is shaping up to be a lost season.

They already traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills, and quarterback Deshaun Watson is out for the season with an Achilles injury. While trading someone like Garrett, who is one of the best players in the entire league, would bring in a larger return package, the team surely wants him to anchor its defense in future seasons.

Garrett is under contract through the 2026 season, while the 2025 campaign is the final one on Smith's current deal.

Smith may be a consolation prize for teams that were interested in Garrett and Crosby, but he has an impressive resume that includes three Pro Bowl selections. The 32-year-old has played for the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Browns since he was a fourth-rounder in the 2015 NFL draft.

This is his second year with Cleveland, and he already has four sacks through seven games. He also isn't far removed from the 2022 season when he posted 10 sacks, which was the third time in a four-year span he reached double-digit sacks.

While Smith has benefited from playing alongside Garrett, who is constantly drawing double teams, he could provide veteran leadership for a team down the stretch as he pursues the first Super Bowl ring of his career.

And Cleveland could get a draft pick in return as it attempts to accelerate a rebuild during a disappointing season.

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is not on the trade block.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Browns "do not plan to trade" Garrett "despite teams calling" about his availability following Cleveland's trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills.

Garrett has three seasons remaining on his current contract.

Garrett also addressed the trade possibilities, telling reporters that he is "staying here" during a press conference on Friday.

He has registered four sacks, two forced fumbles and 17 total tackles through seven games in 2024 and is coming off of a 2023 season where he was a first-team All-Pro and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

He is the face of the Browns' defense and only would be a trade candidate to recoup significant value. Cleveland is currently 1-6 and quarterback Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles.

Instead of moving him, the Browns will hope they can retool around him and return to being competitive next season.

After the Cleveland Browns fell to 1-6 with their fifth straight loss, head coach Kevin Stefanski made a concession that he has long resisted.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Stefanski announced on Wednesday that he will relinquish play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

"I'm just always looking at what we can do to just be a little bit better," Stefanski said, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "And the truth is, we have to be better on offense. Coach Dorsey is somebody that I rely on very heavily, and I just feel like it's the right thing to do."

Stefanski announced in July that he planned on retaining his offensive play-calling duties for the 2024 season. He held those responsibilities since he was hired as head coach in 2020, but the hiring of Dorsey, who had been with the Buffalo Bills for the last five seasons, caused some to wonder if it was time for a change.

That time has now come, as Cleveland is a team in transition after quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles in Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Dorian Thompson-Robinson also injured his finger in that game, leaving the Browns to turn to Jameis Winston as the team's starting quarterback going forward.

Dorsey presided over Bills offensive units that finished second and fourth, respectively, in total yards per game in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, he had perennial MVP candidate Josh Allen under center in Buffalo, so it will be a challenge to turn around a struggling Cleveland team.

Dorsey and the Browns will face a tough test when they meet the 5-2 Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Jameis Winston will reportedly be under center for the Cleveland Browns when they take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday that Cleveland plans on starting Winston even though Dorian Thompson-Robinson was Deshaun Watson's backup in the previous game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thompson-Robinson played after Watson exited with a season-ending Achilles injury, although he also had to leave with a finger injury.

"My understanding is Dorian Thompson-Robinson was Watson's backup on Sunday strictly from a gameplan standpoint," Schultz noted.

Winston played the closing stretch against the Bengals after Thompson-Robinson's injury, and he went 5-of-11 for 67 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. The touchdown went to David Njoku in the final two minutes, although Cincinnati recovered the ensuing onside kick to clinch the 21-14 win.

Cleveland has now lost five in a row following a 1-1 start and seems to largely be playing out the string on the season at this point.

Things don't get much easier with a matchup against Lamar Jackson and the 5-2 Ravens in the first game since Watson's injury.

The Browns can at least take solace knowing Winston is an experienced option who has 80 career starts on his resume. He previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints before joining the AFC North team this past offseason.

He is 34-46 in those 80 starts with 142 touchdown passes to 99 interceptions.

Winston has largely been a high-risk, high-reward quarterback throughout his career, and that was never clearer than in 2019 when he led the NFL in both passing yards (5,109) and interceptions (30) as the starter for the Buccaneers.

His last start came in the 2022 season, but he will once again be under center when the Browns take the field for a key divisional foe. Cleveland's only hope at turning things around this season may rest on Winston's right arm, and he will be put to the test against one of the league's best teams.

In the wake of Deshaun Watson's season-ending Achilles injury, the Cleveland Browns are adding Bailey Zappe to their quarterback room.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Browns will sign Zappe off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.

Zappe started eight games over the previous two seasons with the New England Patriots.

Watson suffered a non-contact injury late in the second quarter of Cleveland's 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

The Browns announced on Monday that an MRI confirmed Watson ruptured his Achilles and will undergo surgery to repair the injury.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson entered the game after Watson went down. He finished 11-of-24 for 82 yards with two interceptions before injuring his finger late in the fourth quarter.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters on Monday the team was awaiting more information on Thompson-Robinson's injury before making any determinations about his status for Wednesday's practice and leading up to Sunday's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.

If Thompson-Robinson is unable to suit up, Jameis Winston will likely be Cleveland's starter in Week 8. He finished 6-of-12 with 83 yards and a touchdown in his lone drive against the Bengals.

Zappe could potentially step in as the No. 2 quarterback right away for the Browns. The 25-year-old threw for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 14 appearances with the Patriots after being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

New England waived Zappe on Aug. 26 as part of the final roster cut downs. He was signed to Kansas City's practice squad two days later but never made it to the active roster through the first seven weeks of the season.

The Browns (1-6) have lost five straight games going into Sunday's AFC North matchup with the Ravens at Huntington Bank Field.

Zappe went 2-0 in two starts with the Patriots as a rookie in 2022. He lost four of his six starts last season.

Myles Garrett is reportedly drawing trade interest after the Cleveland Browns fell to 1-6 on Sunday.

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, opposing teams have checked on Garrett but he doesn't believe that the star defensive end will be moved.

"I don't think they'll move Myles Garrett (but some fishing has taken place; anyone can call), Denzel Ward or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah," Breer wrote. "But guys such as Za'Darius Smith or Jack Conklin would have value to others and could be more realistic targets."

Cleveland has already moved one key contributor, trading six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 15.

Still, it's hard to envision the Browns dealing Garrett. Cooper was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, while the pass-rusher still has two more years on his current contract.

Garrett has also established himself as one of the league's most consistent defensive players since he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, spending all eight years of his career with the organization. He recorded double-digit sack totals in six of his first seven seasons, taking down opposing quarterbacks at least 14 times in each of the past three years.

He was a major reason why the Browns earned a surprising playoff appearance last season, winning the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year award.

Garrett has remained effective in 2024, recording four sacks and seven tackles for loss to go along with two forced fumbles.

After starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles during a 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Cleveland could unload more veterans ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline.

While opposing teams reportedly covet Garrett, he might not be available in negotiations.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson is examining his surgical options after rupturing his Achilles in Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

Cabot reported Monday that Watson is "currently exploring the 'speed bridge' technique that Watson's shoulder surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, used on Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get him back in practice within a remarkable 77 days."

While a member of the Los Angeles Rams, running back Cam Akers also had the SpeedBridge surgery. He tore his Achilles in July 2021 and was back on the field by January 2022. Akers ran for 172 yards on 67 carries during the Rams' Super Bowl run.

Regardless of what route he chooses, a ruptured Achilles will end Watson's season.

Akers set a new standard in terms of his recovery from a major Achilles injury, but his timeline of five and a half months would carry Watson beyond the remainder of the schedule. And for as much as Rodgers bucked conventional wisdom by returning to practice so soon, he still didn't suit up again in 2023 after going down in Week 1.

Rodgers' performance hasn't dispelled the larger questions over how his Achilles tear might affect him once he was healthy, either. Though seven games, he has thrown for 1,663 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and he's fighting through an ankle sprain on the same leg where he had the Achilles injury.

Maybe Watson will manage to shave a few months off his offseason rehab, but the rupture itself will only reinforce the idea the 29-year-old's best days are behind him on the gridiron.

Myles Garrett was disappointed in Cleveland Browns fans who chose to boo Deshaun Watson after he suffered an Achilles injury on Sunday.

"Whether it's an opponent who goes down or one of our own, we don't boo," Garrett told reporters after the game. "We don't boo guys that are injured on the field, especially with the extent that the cart comes out. We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns, and as fans, to boo anyone and their downfall."

Watson was carted off the field after suffering the injury in the second quarter of the Browns' 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that he's "feared to have suffered a torn Achilles injury."

"We need to do better," Garrett added. "We need to do better on the football field and we need to do better as fans, for having some empathy for a man who's doing the best he can and did the best he can up to this point. We have to be better."

Watson wasn't able to get the Browns on the board before suffering the injury, as the Bengals led 7-0 when he exited the game. He finished 15-of-17 for 128 yards without a touchdown or an interception, getting sacked twice.

The 29-year-old was in the midst of a rough start to the season, averaging a career-low 170 pass yards per game through the first six weeks of the year. He threw five touchdowns compared to three interceptions, fumbling the ball five times.

Cleveland entered Sunday's contest averaging the fewest yards per game among all NFL teams to go along with the league's third-worst scoring offense.

Second-year passer Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced Watson against the Bengals, although he didn't fare much better. The 24-year-old completed just 45.8 percent of his throws for 82 yards, getting picked off twice.

Jameis Winston entered the game as the emergency third quarterback for Cleveland following a finger injury to Thompson-Robinson, throwing for 67 yards to go along with a touchdown pass. The Browns were unable to convert on an onside kick following the score, ending the game.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski's team fell to 1-6 after a surprise playoff appearance last season.

An already poor season for Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took a turn for the worse during Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Watson suffered an injury in the second quarter of the AFC North showdown and was carted off the field following the setback. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the starter "is feared to have suffered a torn Achilles injury" that would end his season.

After the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski admitted Watson's season could be over.

"Let's get the tests first, but that's what it looks like," the coach told reporters.

To say Watson has underperformed this season would be an understatement.

He entered Sunday's contest with a 1-5 record as a starter to go along with five touchdown passes to three interceptions. Cleveland fans have grown incredibly frustrated and even loudly booed him when his name was called in pregame introductions.

Making the situation even more problematic is his five-year, $230 million contract, which is fully guaranteed and runs through the 2026 campaign.

The contract was met with criticism even when it was handed out because of his behavior off the field.

Watson was suspended 11 games in the 2022 season, fined $5 million and ordered to undergo a mandatory evaluation for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy. There have been 27 lawsuits filed by women against Watson since March 2021 accusing him of sexual misconduct.

Of the lawsuits, 24 of them have been privately settled.

On the field, this is another development at quarterback. Jameis Winston was inactive against the Bengals as the No. 3 emergency quarterback.

Instead, Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the No. 2 behind Watson and took over when the starter exited the game. However, Thompson-Robinson left the game with a finger injury, which meant Winston ended up playing near the end.