The Cleveland Browns are facing one of the most important offseasons in the team's history.

Cleveland has its franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield, along with plenty of other young foundational players. General manager John Dorsey is now tasked with using the Browns' 10 draft selections and over $70 million in cap space to turn the team into a legitimate playoff contender.

As he proved with the additions of Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall last year, Dorsey is not afraid to make a big trade.

Here are three players who the Browns could swing a deal for in the coming months.

3. Trae Waynes, CB, Minnesota Vikings

trae waynes
Jim Mone/The Associated Press

2018 4th overall pick Denzel Ward had a phenomenal rookie season, and as long as he can avoid injury, he will be one of the NFL's best cornerbacks for a long time.

Cleveland needs to find a suitable partner for Ward, as the CB2 spot was a weakness for the defense last season. Former Dorsey draft pick Terrance Mitchell was signed from Kansas City and played surprisingly well, but the Browns shouldn't turn down the chance to upgrade.

While the CB room is solid as a whole, its fatal flaw is a lack of size. Every corner who played a significant role in 2018 is under 6 feet tall, and in a league that is valuing big wide receivers more and more, Cleveland needs to add some size.

The Vikings' CB room is very crowded, and with Waynes set to make over $9 million this season before becoming a free agent, it would be best for Minnesota to get a draft pick for him now.

Waynes' long frame and 4.31 speed make him an excellent fit opposite of Ward, and his good run defense will be welcome in Cleveland. It's unclear how much Waynes will be worth for his next contract, but the Browns have more than enough cap space to lock up a young CB duo for years to come.

If they can net Waynes for a Day 3 draft pick, they should jump at the chance to drastically improve their secondary.

2. Justin Houston, EDGE, Kansas City Chiefs

 

Justin Houston, Chiefs

Another former Dorsey selection, Houston has become available at a very interesting point in his career.

He is 30 years old, and has accumulated 78.5 sacks in eight seasons. He has an extensive injury history, including missing 16 games over the past three seasons. He will have cap hits of $21 million and $19 million in 2019 and 2020.

Yet he is still an extremely effective pass-rusher, with nine sacks in 12 games in 2018.

Houston would be a great addition to Cleveland's pass rush, and would give the Browns a massive upgrade over Emmanuel Ogbah opposite of Myles Garrett.

The problem is Houston's contract. He is currently the third-highest-paid outside linebacker in the NFL, behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller. For a 30-year-old with an injury history, this is simply too much, even if it would cost only a sixth-or-seventh-round draft pick.

The Browns would be better off putting that money towards signing free agent Trey Flowers, or waiting for the Chiefs to cut Houston and then sign him to a much cheaper deal.

1. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE, Houston Texans

Jadeveon Clowney

If Cleveland is going to trade a draft pick and pay top money to an EDGE, they might as well go for one of the best.

Clowney has been mostly healthy over the past three seasons, racking up 53 tackles for loss, 59 QB hits, and 23.3 sacks during that period. He is a force against both the run and the pass, and will be worth every penny of the massive contract he will get.

The Texans have been unable to reach an agreement with Clowney on a long-term deal, and at this point, the two sides aren't close. If he signs the franchise tag, he will earn nearly $15.5 million in 2019.

If the Browns can find some way to land Clowney without parting with the 17th overall pick, they should do it. Perhaps the Texans would rather have a draft pick and the ability to improve other aspects of the team (their abysmal offensive line, for example) instead of paying both Clowney and JJ Watt large amounts.

A Cleveland contract offer to Clowney should be heavily front-loaded, with the first three years fully guaranteed and an out after those three years so that the Browns will have enough cap space to extend Myles Garrett.

Even if it is only for a few seasons, a Clowney-Garrett duo would easily be the best pass-rushing combo in the NFL. Add in OLB Genard Avery, DT Larry Ogunjobi, and the possibility of drafting one of the many excellent DTs in this year's class, and the Browns could have a terrifying pass rush in 2019.

We've seen the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Rams have great success by spending big while their quarterbacks are on their cheap rookie contracts, and Cleveland should strongly consider doing the same.