There have been reports suggesting the Cleveland Browns could trade for Kirk Cousins. With the Browns having limited cap space, any trade for them would be difficult, but there are ways to get creative if he’s who they want.
Holding the No. 2 pick and having other assets, the Browns could do what’s needed in the NFL Draft to replace Deshaun Watson, too.
Jared Mueller of SB Nation proposed an intriguing deal with many moving parts. His deal would land Cousins, pick No. 15 to select Shedeur Sanders and more.
Browns would get: Cousins, Pick No. 15 (selecting Sanders)
Atlanta Falcons would get: Ogbo Okoronkwo, Greg Newsome, two sixth-round picks in 2025, a conditional fifth in 2026, and a second in 2027
“A pretty simple trade, but maybe one neither side loves, where the conditions on the pick can help the Falcons feel good about whatever amount of cap hit they have to take for what was a huge mistake in the 2024 offseason. Most likely, Cleveland ends up sending a 4th rounder to Atlanta but would happily send their 3rd round pick in 2026 if they make the playoffs with Cousins as the starter,”
“See, this is where we get creative. On the whole, the Cousins trade above may not fit for both teams for a variety of reasons but putting this trade with it might help. It also might help the Falcons get off more of Cousins’ money because we all know Jimmy Haslam has no problem paying for things,” Mueller wrote.
Is Sanders Stock Falling?
Sanders had an impressive college career and was viewed as a top-five pick. However, recently his stock has started to fall. He was considered a realistic option for the Cleveland Browns at No. 2, but there’s a slight chance he could fall to No. 15 if things continue to trend in this direction.
According to Urban Meyer, there are concerns about the competition he played in the Big 12.
“I called a GM friend of mine, and [Shedeur Sanders] slipped a little bit here,” Meyer said on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd.
“The reason he’s slipping is they’re looking at the competition that he played. I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that. But I understand, throughout the NFL, there’s a concern about if he can make the throw in the tight windows because, in the Big 12 conference, he didn’t have to do that very much.”
The Browns have to consider everything, but if they were to make a trade to get the No. 15 pick and Sanders was available, taking him seems like a guarantee.
Falcons Could Keep Cousins
Entering the offseason, the Cleveland Browns were linked to Cousins. He was viewed as a realistic trade candidate, as the Atlanta Falcons were expected to move on from him.
However, the Browns or any other team hasn’t made a move for him yet, and according to a recent report, that could be due to the Falcons not being motivated to move on from him.
“I continue to hear that the Falcons are not overly motivated to move Kirk Cousins right now,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported during a Sunday appearance on SportsCenter, according to Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek.
“They’re willing to be patient. As one team source told me, ‘What’s the rush? We’ve already locked into $37.5 million in additional guarantees for
