The Cleveland Browns ended their 2023 NFL preseason schedule with a record of 1-2-1. They won against the New York Jets in the Hall of Fame Game, but took close losses to the Washington Commanders and Kansas City Chiefs as the preseason went on. Quarterbacks Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kellen Mond combined for 289 passing yards and one touchdown in an 18-18 tie with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 of the preseason.
“I thought they both played really well,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after the tie with the Eagles, via Associated Press Freelance sportswriter Aaron Bracy. “We need to score points better, finish drives.”
The Browns will have to make a multitude of roster moves before the NFL's 53-man roster cut deadline on Tuesday. Cleveland traded quarterback Josh Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick on Thursday. It traded for New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong Jr. on Sunday, sending offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. in exchange for the former South Dakota State running back.
What is one last-minute trade the Browns should make before the start of the 2023 NFL Season?
Trade for Cordarrelle Patterson
Patterson could give the Browns extra depth at multiple positions if the Browns can acquire him before Week 1.
Cordarrelle Patterson played in various spots for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He played in 304 snaps in the backfield, 35 in the slot, 42 as a wide receiver and 60 in kick returns, according to Pro Football Focus. The four-time Pro Bowler ended last season with 695 rushing yards and 122 receiving yards on 144 rushing attempts and 21 receptions.
He recorded a total of 284 kick return yards in 2022. Patterson returned a kickoff for a touchdown during a November win over the Chicago Bears, returning a kickoff from Bears kicker Cairos Santos 103 yards to bring the Falcons within one possession with 4:18 remaining in the second quarter.
Cordarrelle Patterson signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract with the Falcons in 2022. He will have a $5.5 million cap hit in 2023, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac.
Cleveland must add more depth to its running back corps before the start of the 2023 NFL season.
Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, Demetric Felton Jr. and John Kelly Jr. are the four listed running back options on the Browns' 2023 depth chart. Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Browns, ended last season with just over 1,500 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Ford ended the 2022 season with a total of 12 rushing yards on eight attempts. He gained 723 yards on 30 total kick returns last season.
The Browns ended last season with 2,490 total rushing yards, putting them at sixth place in the NFL, according to NFL.com. They took spots ahead of the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, but fell behind the Falcons, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Adding Cordarrelle Patterson to Cleveland's roster would help boost a special teams unit that ended the 2022 season with 943 kickoff return yards. The figure was good enough to put them in fourth place in the NFL.
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith announced Cordarrelle Patterson would miss several weeks after he suffered a soft-tissue injury earlier this month. Smith updated reporters on Patterson's status on Sunday.
“I wouldn't anticipate Cordarrelle being out here the next couple of days but he's making good progress as well,” Smith said, via SB Nation Editor Jeremy Brener.
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